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A sensitive, specific and rapid ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method has been developed to investigate pharmacokinetic properties of psoralen and isopsoralen, two compounds isolated from raw/salt-processed fruit of Psoralea corylifolia L. UHPLC-MS/MS was used with positive ion electrospray. The mobile phase was composed of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and a gradient elution program at flow rate of 0.3 mL/min was applied. Multiple reaction monitoring mode was used for the quantification of psoralen, isopsoralen ([M + H]+ m/z 187.0 → m/z 131.0) and scoparone ( m/z 207.0 → m/z 151.1). Scoparone served as an internal standard. The method was fully validated for its sensitivity, selectivity, stability, matrix effect and extraction recovery. The obtained results showed that salt-processed Buguzhi significantly promoted the absorption of psoralen and isopsoralen, and increased the bioavailability of these compounds. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is utilized as a major regime for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis at present. However, long-term supplement of estrogen may cause uterine hyperplasia and hypertension leading to a high risk of endometrial cancer and breast cancer. Psoralea corylifolia L. has long been used as tonic and food additives in many countries. Previous studies had found two ingredients in P. corylifolia L.: bavachin and bakuchiol exhibited osteoblastic activity. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of bakuchiol and bavachin on ovariectomy-induced bone loss and explore the possible mechanism. In vivo, bakuchiol and bavachin could prevented estrogen deficiency-induced bone loss in ovariectomized rats without uterotrophic activity. In vitro studies suggested that bakuchiol and bavachin induced primary human osteoblast differentiation by up-regulating the Wnt signalling pathway. This study suggests that such a bone-protective role makes them a promising and safe estrogen supplement for the ERT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of essential oil from three kinds of pungent herbs,namely Menthae Haplocalycis Herba,Atractylodis Rhizoma and Cnidii Fructus,on the transdermal absorption in vitro of alkaloids from Sophorae Flavescentis Radix. The modified vertical Franz diffusion cell was used to conduct a transdermal experiment in vitro with the isolated abdominal skin of the SD rats as the transdermal absorption barrier. The effects of such three kinds of pungent essential oil on percutaneous absorption of alkaloids from Sophorae Flavescentis Radix were investigated by determining the content of 6 alkaloids( oxymatrine,oxysophocarpine,N-methylcytisine,sophoridine,matrine,and sophocarpidine) in the transdermal acceptor with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadruple mass spectrometry( UPLC-TQ-MS) technique simultaneously. With enhancement ratio( ER) as the index,their effects on promoting penetration was as follows: 1% Atractylodis Rhizoma oil > 1% Cnidii Fructus oil > 3% Azone ≈ 3% Atractylodis Rhizoma oil > 5%Atractylodis Rhizoma oil > 3% Cnidii Fructus oil ≈ 5% Cnidii Fructus oil > 3% Menthae Haplocalycis Herba oil > 5% Menthae Haplocalycis Herba oil > 1% Menthae Haplocalycis Herba oil > Blank. The results showed that these three kinds of pungent essential oil could be used as enhancers for alkaloids of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix,providing scientific guidance for improving percutaneous absorption of alkaloids from Sophorae Flavescentis Radix.

To study the pharmacokinetics of three active ingredients in Qing'e wan, namely geniposidic acid, psoralen and isopsoralen, in rats, in order to investigate their correlation in the anti-osteoporotic effect. The rats were taken blood from their eye sockets at different time points after being orally administered with raw and salt-processed Qing'e wan. Geniposidic acid, psoralen and isopsoralen in rats plasma were determined by means of UHPLC-MS/MS to draw the concentration-time curve. The proliferation rate of osteoblasts was taken as the pharmacodynamic index, and determined by MTT method to draw effect-time curve. In comparison between the effect-time curve and the concentration-time curve, the blood concentrations of geniposidic acid and psoralen were close to the peak when the cell proliferation rate reached its peak, indicating a good correlation between them. The peak blood concentration of isopsoralen was slightly lagging behind the peak of efficacy. According to the correlation analysis after fitting the effect-time curve and the concentration-time curve, salt-processed Qing'e wan had a better correlation than the raw one. The above experimental results showed that the effect-time curve and the concentration-time curve of geniposidic acid and psoralen had a good correlation, and the correlation of salt-processed Qing'e wan was better than the raw one., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

This study intends to explore the potential resource-orientedutilization value of the flower of Sophora flavescents by analyzing alkaloids and flavonoids in the flower of S. flavescens from Shanxi province. This study established a rapid UPLC-TQ-MS/MS method that is used for determination of seven alkaloids and seven flavonoids in the flower of S.flavescens. The different florescences all have the seven detected alkaloids such as cytisine, oxy-matrine, oxy-sophocarpine, sophoridine, N-methylcytisine, matrine, sophocarpine.The total contents of detected alkaloids are as follows: flower buds 1.47%, primal flowers 1.34%, full bloomed flowers 1.17%, faded flowers 1.01%. The top three contents of alkaloids are N-methylcytisine , oxy-sophocarpine and oxymatrine, accounting for about 83% of the total amount of detected alkaloids. All the samples in different florescences have the seven detected flavonoids such as rutin, luteolin, quercetin, isoquercitrin, trifolirhizin, kurarinone, and kushenol I. The total contents of detected alkaloids are as follows: flower buds 495.2 μg•g⁻¹, primal flowers 313.7 μg•g⁻¹, faded flowers 224.2 μg•g⁻¹, full bloomed flowers 193.0 μg•g⁻¹. The content of luteolinis relatively higher than other detected flavonoids, accounting for about 89%-94% of the total amount of detected flavonoids. The results indicated that the flower of S.flavescens could be an important material resource to obtain the resourceful alkaloids. This result can provide scientific basis for resource-oriented utilization and industrial development of the flower of S. flavescens., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

According to the research strategy of resource chemistry of Chinese medicinal materials and Chinese medicinal resources recycling utilization, this study intends to explore the potential resource-oriented utilization value of the seed of Sophora flavescens by contrasting with its kindred plant S. alopecuroides. This study established a rapid UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and UPLC-TQ-MS/MS method to determine the alkaloids in the seed of S. flavescens. Results of UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis showed that the alkaloids in the seed of S. flavescens were highly similar with S. alopecuroides.In the determination of 7 kinds of alkaloids, the total content was 11.203 and 15.506 mg•g⁻¹ in the seed of S. flavescens and S. alopecuroides, respectively. The content of oxymatrine, oxysophocarpine and sophoridine is high in the seed of S. flavescens. The results indicated that the seeds of S. flavescens. could be an important material resource to obtain alkaloids., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)