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Five new iridoid glucosides, cannabifolisides A–E (1 – 5), together with nine analogues (6 – 14), were isolated from the leaves of Vitex negundo var. cannabifolia. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data (NMR, UV, IR, and MS) analyses and comparison of their spectroscopic and physical data with the literature values. The protective effect of isolated compounds on human gastric epithelial cells were evaluated by measuring the enhanced cell viability of GES-1 cell insulted by TCA. Among these, compounds 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 remarkably increased the cell viability in a concentration-depend manner.

Graphical abstract, Introduction Longxuetongluo Capsule (LTC) is wildly applied to treat ischemic stroke in clinical practice in China. However, the pharmacological mechanism of LTC on ischemic stroke is still unstated. Objective Our research was designed to study the protective effect of LTC against cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury and reveal the underlying mechanism both in vivo and in vitro. Methods PC12 cells treated with glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) were used to simulate in vitro ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. The cell viability, apoptosis rate, and protein expressions of PC12 cells were evaluated. In vivo validation of the protective effect of LTC was carried out by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)/reperfusion treatment, and the underlying mechanism of its anti-apoptosis ability was further revealed by immunohistochemistry staining and Western blotting. Results In the current study, we observed that LTC effectively inhibited oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) induced apoptosis of PC12 cells through suppressing the cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), caspase-3, and caspase-9. Further investigation revealed that OGD/R insult remarkably triggered the endoplasmic reticulum stress responses (ER stress) to induce PC12 cell apoptosis. LTC treatment alleviated OGD/R induced ER stress by inhibiting the activation of protein kinase RNA (PKR)-like ER kinase (PERK)/eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2α) and inositol requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1)/tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2) pathways. Additionally, LTC also restrained the OGD/R-induced PC12 cell apoptosis by reversing the activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) through IRE1/TRAF2 pathway. Animal studies demonstrated LTC significantly restricted the infarct region induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)/reperfusion, the activation of ER stress and apoptosis of neuronal cells had also been suppressed by LTC in the penumbra region. Conclusion LTC protects the cerebral neuronal cell against ischemia/reperfusion injury through ER stress and MAPK-mediated mechanisms.

Qijiao Shengbai Capsules(QJ) are a common Miao medicine serving as an adjuvant cancer therapy in clinical practice.QJ consists of seven medicinal materials such as Astragalus membranaceus and Lespedeza buergeri.Its chemical components have not been clarified and the quality control needs to be improved.In this study, LC-IT-TOF-MS was used to comprehensively collect MS~1 and MS~2 fragment information of QJ and rapidly identify the chemical compositions.The chromatographic separation was performed on the Capcell core ADME column(2.1 mm×150 mm, 2.7 μm) with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution(A) and acetonitrile(B) as mobile phases for gradient elution.High-resolution mass spectrometric information was obtained by scanning in the positive and negative ion ESI modes.A total of 107 compounds were structurally identified according to the deduced MS fragmentation patterns and comparison with standards and data reported in the literature, including 54 flavonoids, 16 phthalides, 13 alkaloids, 12 phenolic acids, 7 saponins, 2 coumarins, 2 condensed tannins, and 1 purine.This study clarified the chemical composition of QJ and provided references for the improvement of its quality standards and the elucidation of its medicinal substances.

Eight sesquiterpenoids were isolated from petroleum ether extract of Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum by various column chromatography techniques including silica gel, ODS, and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties, UV, IR, MS, and NMR spectroscopic data as(4S,5S,7R,10S)-5,7-dihydroxy-11-en-eudesmane(1),(7R,10S)-eudesma-4-en-11,15-diol(2),(2R,4S,5R,7R)-2-hydroxyeremophila-9,11-dien-8-one(3), 7α-H-9(10)-ene-11,12-epoxy-8-oxoeremophilane(4),(+)-9β,10β-epoxyeremophila-11(13)-en(5), 4(14)-eudesmene-8α,11-diol(6), 12,15-dioxo-selina-4,11-dien(7), and 2β,8 aα-dihydroxy-11-en-eremophilane(8). Compounds 1 and 2 are new compounds, and their absolute configurations were determined by calculating ECD. Compounds 1, 4, and 6-8 could significantly improve taurocholic acid(TCA)-induced gastric mucosal GES-1 cell injury at a concentration of 20 μmol·L~(-1), and the cell protection rates were 23.51%±2.79%, 16.10%±1.25%, 24.45%±4.89%, 17.48%±2.93%, and 21.44%±2.39%, respectively.

Pien-Tze-Huang, one of the most famous and widely used Chinese medicinal prescriptions in China, consists of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Bovis Calculus, Fel Serpentis, and Moschus.The prescription can clear heat and remove toxin, cool blood and resolve blood stasis, and relieve swelling and pain.Characterizing the chemical composition can facilitate the construction of the quality standard and the research on the effective compounds and action mechanism of Pien-Tze-Huang.Therefore, this study used direct infusion(DI)-MS/MS~(ALL) method to rapidly and accurately reveal the chemical composition of Pien-Tze-Huang.The principle of chemical composition profiling of Chinese medicinal prescriptions lies in the MS~1-MS~2 dataset construction, followed by structural annotation based on MS/MS spectra and summarizing of mass fragmentation pathways.MS/MS~(ALL) owns unique mass spectrometric separation ability via applying gas phase fractionation which enables MS~1 ion cohort successively enter the collision cell and acquire MS~2 spectrum for each precursor ion current with a width of m/z=1.Because DI can provide desired measurement time, MS/MS~(ALL) is able to acquire MS~2 spectrum for each compound individually except for the compounds which share identical nominal molecular weight, even isomers.A total of 52 compounds were identified in Pien-Tze-Huang, including 16 saponins, 24 bile acids, 9 fatty acids, 2 saccharides, and 1 other compound.DI-MS/MS~(ALL) can simultaneously identify the compounds with different polarities in a short time, which is superior to LC-MS.This study provides a powerful tool for the rapid chemome profiling of Chinese medicinal prescriptions.

Two pairs of flavonoid enantiomers (

Two novel cholestane-type steroidal saponins, melongoside R-S (1-2) and three novel furostanol-type steroidal saponins, melongoside T-V (3-5), together with three known steroidal saponins (6-8) were isolated from the seeds of Solanum melongna L. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis such as HR-ESI-MS, ESI-MS and NMR.

Achieving white-light emission, especially white circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) from a single-phase material is challenging. Herein, a pair of chiral Cu

In light of related methods in Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition), this study established the quality standard for Lobeliae Chinensis Herba. The TLC identification method was established with silica gel GF_(254) thin layer plate, diosmin standard, linarin standard, and the reference material of Lobeliae Chinensis Herba. The loss on drying, total ash, acid-insoluble ash, and ethanol-soluble extracts of 18 batches of Lobeliae Chinensis Herba samples were determined according to the general principles in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Then, HPLC was adopted in the establishment of characteristic chromatogram and content determination. The results showed that the established method can achieve good separation for diosmin, linarin, and lobetyolin. Based on the results of detection for 18 batches of Lobeliae Chinensis Herba samples, the draft quality standard was established, which was expected to provide reference for the revision of this medicinal herb in Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

Two pairs of flavonoid enantiomers (1a/1b and 2a/2b) together with three known analogues (3–5) were isolated from the heartwood of Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis (1 D and 2 D NMR, UV, IR, and HRMS) and experimental and calculated ECD data. Compound 2 features an unusual 2-methyl-3(2H)-furanone moiety forming the C-ring of flavonoid, and its putative biosynthetic pathway is also proposed. Compounds 3‒5 exhibited significant inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells with IC50 values of 14.7 ± 0.3 μM, 40.2 ± 1.1 μM, and 3.2 ± 0.1 μM, respectively.

Seven undescribed sesquiterpenoid dimers, commiphomyrones A - G, together with three known analogs, were isolated from the resin of Commiphora myrrha Engl.. The structures of the undescribed compounds were elucidated based on a comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data (NMR, UV, IR, and MS), and the absolute configurations were defined by comparing the experimental and calculated ECD spectra as well as by performing X-ray crystallographic analysis. All the isolated dimeric sesquiterpenoids feature a 7-oxabicyclo [2.2.1] hept-2-ene moiety formed by the [4 + 2] cycloaddition of two sesquiterpenoids. Commiphomyrones C and G and commiphoratone D showed cytotoxic activity against the HGC-27 cell line with IC

Four new chalchonoid trimers, named cochinchinenins N–Q (1–4), along with a pair of known enantiomers (5–6), were isolated from the total phenolic extract of Chinese dragon's blood (the red resin of Dracaena cochinchinensis). The planar structures of 1–4 were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis including HRESIMS and 1D/2D NMR. The absolute configurations of new compounds were established by ECD data. Compound 1 exhibited significant inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells with IC50 value of 11.5 ± 1.7 μM.

Two new isoquinoline alkaloids (1 and 2) along with fourteen known alkaloids (3–16) were isolated from Corydalis racemosa (Thunb.) Pers. Their structures were elucidated by analyzing spectroscopic and spectrometric data (NMR, UV, IR, and MS) and comparing their spectroscopic, spectrometric and physicochemical data with the values archived in the literature. The absolute configurations of new compounds were determined via X-ray crystallographic assay and electronic circular dichroism calculations. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity of all compounds was evaluated. Compounds 5, 6, 9, 11, and 12 exhibited inhibitory activity against AChE with IC50 values ranged from 10.2 to 63.4 μM.

Inspired by dried blood spots (DBS), “dried spots of herbal medicines” (DSHM) concept was proposed here. In response to this superior sampling means, a new platform integrating dried spot, serially coupled reversed phase liquid chromatography and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (RPLC-HILIC), and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), was configured for directly, comprehensively chemical profiling of HM-derived liquid matrices. As an important original source of Cistanches Herba (Chinese name: Roucongrong) that is a well-known tonic HM, Cistanche sinensis (Csi) was employed to illustrate and validate the applicability. Dried spots (I.D. 3.0 mm) were prepared by loading 2 μL aliquots of Csi extract onto filter paper. Each dried spot was packed into an in-line filter holder (I.D. 3.0 mm × 4.0 mm) and then inserted behind the auto-sampler of a well-defined instrumentation named RPLC-HILIC–MS/MS. Hybrid ion trap-time of flight MS and hybrid triple quadrupole-linear ion trap MS were deployed in combination for the in-depth MS/MS data acquisition of diverse chemical families, such as phenylethanoid glycosides, lignans, iridoids, amino acids, and so forth. To assist chemical profiling, an in-house chemical library was built by collecting as much prior knowledge as possible. A total of 88 components were detected and tentatively annotated in Csi by matching their multi-stage MS spectra with those of authentic standards and literature data. Collectively, DSHM carried all merits of DBS, and the integrative dried spot-RPLC-HILIC-MS/MS platform was a promising analytical tool for direct chemical analysis and rapid quality evaluation of HMs, in particular those traditional Chinese medicine injections.

Four new diterpenoids including one cis clerodane-type (1) and three highly oxygenated labdane-type diterpenes (2–4) were isolated from the aerial parts of Leonurus macranthus. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data (NMR, UV, IR, and MS). Compound 1 represents the first example of cis clerodane-type diterpene in the plants of Leonurus genus. Compounds 1 and 4 exhibited weak inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells with IC50 values of 35.8 ± 3.6 μmol/L and 48.6 ± 4.8 μmol/L, respectively

It is usually a tedious task to profile the chemical composition of a given herbal medicine (HM) using high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) due to the time-consuming sample preparation and laborious post-acquisition data processing procedures. Even worse, some labile compounds may face degradation risks when exposed to organic solvents for a relatively long period. As one of the most popular HMs, the promising therapeutic benefits of Epimedii Herba (Chinese name: Yinyanghuo) are well defined, however, the chemical profile, and in particular those flavonoids that have been claimed to be responsible for the efficacy, remains largely unknown. Attempts are devoted here to achieve direct LC–MS measurement and efficient post-acquisition data processing, and chemome comparison among three original sources of Epimedii Herba, such as Epimedium sagittatum (Esa), E. pubescens (Epu), and E. koreanum (Eko) was employed to illustrate the strategy utility. A home-made online liquid extraction (OLE) module was introduced at the front of the analytical column to comprehensively transfer the compounds from raw materials onto the LC–MS instrument. A mass defect filtering approach was programmed to efficiently mine the massive LC–MS dataset after which a miniature database was built involving all chemical information of flavonoids from the genus Epimedium to draw a pentagonal frame to rapidly capture potential quasi-molecular ions (mainly [M–H]−). A total of 99 flavonoids (66 in Esa, 84 in Eko, and 66 in Epu) were captured, and structurally annotated by summarizing the mass fragmentation pathways from the mass spectrometric data of authentic compounds and an in-house data library as well. Noteworthily, neutral loss of 144 Da was firstly assigned to the neutral cleavage of rhamnosyl residues. Significant species-differences didn’t occur among their chemical patterns. The current study proposed a robust strategy enabling rapid chemical profiling of, but not limited to, HMs.

Two new phenylpropanoid amide glycosides and ten analogues were isolated from the CH_2Cl_2 layer of 95% ethanol extract of the whole plants of Corydalis racemosa by using various chromatographic techniques, including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS column chromatographies, and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties, MS, NMR, and IR spectroscopic data as N-cis-sinapoyltyramine-4'-O-β-glucoside(1), N-cis-sinapoyl-3-methoxytyramine-4'-O-β-glucoside(2), N-cis-sinapoyltyramine(3), N-cis-feruloyltyramine(4), N-trans-cinnamoyltyramine(5), N-trans-feruloylphenethylamine(6), N-trans-p-methoxycinnamoyl-3-hydoxyoctopamine(7), N-cis-feruloyl-3-methoxytyramine(8), N-trans-feruloyltyramine(9), N-trans-feruloyl-3-methoxytyramine(10), N-trans-sinapoyltyramine(11), and N-trans-p-coumaroyltyramine(12). Compounds 1 and 2 are new compounds. Compounds 3-7 are obtained from the plants of Papaveraceae for the first time, and compounds 8-12 are firstly isolated from C. racemosa.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies, which ranks the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The screening of anti-HCC drug with high efficiency and low toxicity from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has attracted more and more attention. As a TCM, Chinese dragon's blood has been used for the treatment of cardiovascular illness, gynecological illness, skin disorder, otorhinolaryngological illness, and diabetes mellitus complications for many years. However, the anti-tumor effect and underlying mechanisms of Chinese dragon's blood remain ill-defined. Herein we have revealed that Chinese dragon's blood EtOAc extract (CDBEE) obviously suppressed the growth of human hepatoma HepG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells. Moreover, CDBEE inhibited the migration and invasion of HepG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells. Additionally, CDBEE displayed good in vitro anti-angiogenic activity. Importantly, CDBEE treatment significantly blunted the oncogenic capability of HepG2 cells in nude mice. Mechanistically, CDBEE inhibited Smad3 expression in human hepatoma cells and tumor tissues from nude mice. Using RNA interference, we demonstrated that CDBEE exerted anti-hepatoma activity partially through down-regulation of Smad3, one of major members in TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. Therefore, CDBEE may be a promising candidate drug for HCC treatment, especially for liver cancer with aberrant TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.

Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium(CRP, Chinese name: Chenpi) is one of the most famous edible traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs). CRP was first recorded as top grade TCM in Shennong Bencao Jing attributing to the benefits such as regulating Qi, tonifying spleen, eliminating dampness and eliminating phlegm, and has been widely utilized for the treatments of abdominal fullness and distention, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as phlegm cough. CRP is also widely popular as spice in food industry. Because of the wide cultivation, a number of brands that exhibit extensive price range can be found in the market, resulting in a great challenge for grading. Herein, an attempt was made to in-depth chemome profiling for the sake of providing meaningful information of the universal quality control of CRP. A new core-shell column packed with adamantylethyl substituted silica gel particles was deployed for chromatographic separations and IT-TOF-MS that is advantageous at providing abundant high resolution molecular and fragment ions was employed for qualitative detection. A total of 62 components were observed and 61 ones were structurally annotated according to proposing mass fragmentation patterns, matching with reference compounds and relevant databases, and the chemical families included flavone, limonin, etc. In particular, ten compounds bearing 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate substitute were detected from CRP for the first time. Above all, the chemical profile of CRP was characterized and the findings are meaningful for the in-depth quality assessment and efficacy material clarification of CRP.

This study is to investigate the chemical constituents from the whole plant Corydalis edulis. The chemical constituents were separated and purified by macroporous resin D101, silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS, and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were determined by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data. Four compounds were isolated from the dichloromethane and water extracts of the whole plant C. edulis, and identified as 6'-β-D-xylosylicariside B2(1),(3S,5R,6S,7E)-5,6-epoxy-3-hydroxy-7-megastigmen-9-one(2), loliolide(3), and 5,5'-dimethoxybiphenyl-2,2'-diol(4), respectively. Compound 1 is a new compound, of which the absolute configuration was established by electronic circular dichroism(ECD) calculations. Compound 4 is obtained from the plants of Papaveraceae family for the first time. Compounds 2 and 3 are firstly isolated from the Corydalis genus.

Timosaponin B III is a major bioactive steroidal saponin isolated from Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge. To potentially discover derivatives with better biological activity, timosaponin B III ...

Herbal medicines (HMs) have been widely demonstrated to be extremely complicated chemical pools, notably the occurrences of isomers that usually possess similar chromatographic and spectrometric behaviors, and the complexity will be further boosted in HMs-treated biological samples. Hence, there is a technical barrier regarding identity confirmation towards the acquisition of reliable quantitative information for those compounds-of-interest in biological matrices, although tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is a favored tool because of the advantages in terms of specificity and selectivity, in particular being hyphenated with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). More structural information should be involved in addition to retention times and precursor-to-product ion transitions, to consolidate the identities of the captured signals. Attempts were made here to strengthen quantitation confidences via matching MS2 spectra and relative response-collision energy curves (RRCECs) between each pair of suspect peak and the authentic signal, and UHPLC coupled to hybrid triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry (Qtrap-MS) that enabled simultaneous acquisition of qualitative and quantitative information acted as the analytical tool. Definitely simultaneous determination of a pair of regio-isomers namely 6‑hydroxy‑4‑(4‑hydroxy‑3‑methoxyphenyl)‑3‑hydroxymethyl‑7‑methoxy‑3,4‑dihydro‑2‑naphthaldehyde (VB-1) and vitedoin A (VB-2), together with another analogue namely detetrahydroconidendrin (VB-3), in rat plasma as well as tissues was conducted following oral administration of the extract of fruits of Vitex negundo var. cannabifolia. Diverse method validation assays in regard of selectivity, linearity, intra- and inter-day variations, matrix effect, and recovery were employed to demonstrate the newly developed method being able to fulfill the demands of rational quantitation. Overall, the current study offers a promising approach to accomplish confidence-enhanced quantitation in biological matrices.

The quality of herbal medicines (HMs) is the prerequisite for their pronounced therapeutic outcomes in clinic, and multi-component (also known as quality markers, Q-markers) quantification has been widely emphasized as a viable means for quality evaluation. Because of the chemical diversity, the quality control practices are extensively dampened by four principal technical bottlenecks, including the lack of authentic compounds, large polarity span, extensive concentration range, and signal misrecognition for those potential Q-markers. An attempt to promote the potential of LC-MS/MS is made herein to cope with those obstacles and Chinese agarwood was employed as a case study. Firstly, a home-made fraction collector was introduced to automatically fragment the entire extract into a panel of fractions-of-interest. Secondly, quantitative 1H-NMR was deployed to offset the LC-MS/MS potential towards in-depth chemical profiling each fraction, and those well-defined fractions were then pooled and combined with some accessible authentic compounds to generate the pseudo-mixed standard solution. Thirdly, serial improvements were conducted for LC-MS/MS measurements. Reversed phase LC and hydrophilic interaction LC were serially coupled in respond to the large polarity window, and online parameter optimization, response tailoring, as well as RRCEC (relative response vs. collision energy curve) matching were integrated in MS/MS domain to advance the quantitative confidences. Simultaneous determination was conducted for 26 components, in total, in Chinese agarwood after method validation. In particular, authentic compound-free quantification was achieved for eight 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone derivatives. Above all, the strategy is a promising solution to completely tackle with the technical barriers toward Q-marker quantification-oriented quality control of Chinese agarwood, as well as other HMs.

2-(2-Phenylethyl)chromones are the main compounds responsible for the quality of agarwood, which is widely used in traditional medicines, incenses and perfumes. H2O2 and NADPH oxidases (also known as respiratory burst oxidase homologs, Rbohs) mediate diverse physiological and biochemical processes in environmental stress responses. However, little is known about the function of H2O2 and NADPH oxidases in 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones accumulation. In this study, we found that salt stress induced a transient increase in content of H2O2 and 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones accumulation in Aquilaria sinensis calli. Exogenous H2O2 remarkably decreased the production of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones, while dimethylthiourea (DMTU), a scavenger of H2O2, significantly increased 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones accumulation in salt treated calli. Three new H2O2-generating genes, named AsRbohA-C, were isolated and characterized from A. sinensis. Salt stress also induced a transient increase in AsRbohA-C expression and NADPH oxidase activity. Furthermore, exogenous H2O2 increased AsRbohA-C expression and NADPH oxidase activity, while DMTU inhibited AsRbohA-C expression and NADPH oxidase activity under salt stress. Moreover, diphenylene iodonium (DPI), the inhibitor of NADPH oxidases, reduced AsRbohA-C expression and NADPH oxidase activity, but significantly induced 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones accumulation during salt stress. These results clearly demonstrated the central role of H2O2 and NADPH oxidases in regulation of salt-induced 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones accumulation in A. sinensis calli.

Cistanche tubulosa is one of the most valuable desert medicinal plants, whose cell culture investigations have been rarely reported before. Phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs) are its major components with a wide range of pharmacological activities. In this article, callus culture and cell suspension of C. tubulosa were established. Fleshy stems were found to be the most suitable explants for callus induction, and the optimal medium for induction was B5 solid medium supplemented with 0.8 g/L casein hydrolysate, 20 g/L sucrose, 2 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and 1 mg/L 6-benzyladenine (6-BA). Based on qualitative and quantitative determination of two PhGs (echinacoside and acteoside) contents, the effects of carbon source concentration, precursor feeding, and elicitor treatments on cell growth and two PhGs accumulation in cell suspension cultures were investigated. Thirty g/L was the optimal initial sucrose concentration to obtain the high yield of biomass (9.29 g dry weight, DW) per liter cell suspension culture, echinacoside (12.14%, based on DW cells) and acteoside (2.17%). Precursor feeding also had a positive effect on PhGs accumulation. Feeding of precursor tyrosine (1 g/L) to the cell cultures increased the levels of echinacoside to 18.83% and acteoside to 2.92%, which were approximate 1.5 times of the corresponding levels in the control group. Methyl jasmonate (MJ) was the ideal elicitor for PhGs accumulations in C. tubulosa, particularly for eliciting acteoside production. The maximum echinacoside and acteoside contents reached 21.18 and 5.24% after 12 h of treatment with 200 µM MJ, respectively, which were approximate twofold higher than those in wild plant.

Herein, a strategy is proposed for the simultaneous determination of primary coumarins in Peucedani Radix (Chinese name: Qianhu). The methodology consists of three consecutive steps: 1) Semi-preparative LC in combination with a home-made automated fraction collection module to fragment the universal metabolome standard into ten fractions (Frs. I–X); 2) LC–accurate MS/MS and quantitative 1H NMR spectroscopy conducted in parallel to acquire the qualitative and quantitative data of each fraction; 3) Robust identification and quantification of components by use of LC coupled to multiple reaction monitoring. In this final step, the most significant fractions (Frs. III–X) were pooled to serve as the pseudo-mixed standard solution. Meticulous online parameter optimization was performed to obtain the optimal parameters, including ion transitions and collision energies. Concerns were particularly paid onto pursuing the parameters being capable of monitoring regio-specific isomers, notably praeruptorin E vs. 3′-isovaleryl-4′-angeloylkhellactone. The quantitative performance of the method was validated according to diverse assays. Eleven primary coumarins (1–11) were unambiguously identified and absolutely quantified, even though no external reference compound was used. Above all, the integrated strategy not only provides a feasible pipeline for the quality assessment of Peucedani Radix, but more importantly, shows the potential for authentic compound-free quantitative evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines., Graphical abstract An authentic compound-free strategy was proposed by offline LC–NMR–MS/MS. The quantitative performance of the method was validated according to diverse assays. Eleven primary coumarins were unambiguously identified and absolutely quantified, even though no external reference compound was used.fx1

Twelve new polyketides, penicichrysogenins A-L (1-10, 11a, and 11b) along with five known compounds (12a, 12b, and 13-15) were isolated from the solid substrate fermentation cultures of a Huperzia serrata endophytic fungus Penicillium chrysogenum MT-12. The structures of the new compounds were established using extensive spectroscopic (1D and 2D NMR, IR, and HRESIMS) and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) methods. Compounds 11a/11b and 12a/12b were two pairs of enantiomers successfully separated by chiral HPLC resolution. Compounds 4, 5, 8, 9, 11a/11b, and 12a/12b exhibited inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells with IC50 values in the range of 17.5-98.4μM.

Longxuetongluo Capsule (LTC), which is derived from the total phenolic extract of Chinese dragon's blood, has been proved to be safe as well as effective towards ischemic stroke. However, the effective material basis remains unclear. The present study thereby focused on the clarification of the qualitative and quantitative properties for the phenolic derivatives in LTC. Regarding homolog-focused chemical profiling, the mass fragmentation patterns of the primary subtypes of phenolic compounds such as homoisoflavanones, flavanes, chalcones, and flavonoid oligomers were summarized by assaying authentic references with hybrid ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the chemical structures of 124 phenolic compounds, in total, were unambiguously or tentatively annotated in LTC by matching the accurate mass spectral profiles with the proposed mass cracking rules and those reference substances. Afterwards, simultaneous determination of 12 primary phenolic compounds was carried out in different batches of LTC using HPLC-DAD, after that the method was proved to be accurate, precise, and reproducible according to diverse method validation assays. The obtained findings are expected to be meaningful for clarifying the effective substances and quality assessment of LTC.

The anti-inflammatory effects of boldine and reticuline isolated from Litsea cubeba were evaluated by using xylene-induced ear edema and carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice and rats. Our results demonstrated that intragastric administration with boldine and reticuline significantly mitigated ear weight in mice and decreased paw volume in rats. A combination administration of boldine (0.5 mg/kg) + reticuline (0.25 mg/kg) resulted in a potentiated inhibition in these two models. In parallel, boldine or reticuline reduce the infiltration of neutrophil leukocytes in rat paw tissue, respectively, and the combination of the two groups performed a better anti-inflammatory activity as shown in histopathologies. Boldine, reticuline, and their combination notably inhibited mRNA expressions of TNF-α, and IL-6 and reduced the phosphorylation levels of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Beyond that, their combination also can reduce the phosphorylation levels of p65 and IκBα in the pathological tissues of animals, as observed by real-time PCR and western blot analyses, respectively. These findings indicate for the first time that boldine and reticuline have not only anti-inflammatory activity but also potential synergistic effects in vivo. The underlying mechanism may relate to the inhibition on the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-6, which may be a consequence of JAK2/STAT3 and NF-κB pathway involvements. This study provides useful data for further exploration and application of boldine and reticuline as potential anti-inflammatory medicines.

Two new steroidal saponins, named timosaponin R (1) and S (2), together with seven known compounds (3-9) were isolated from the rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. All the compounds were evaluated for cytotoxic activities against the four human cancer cell lines MCF7, SW480, HepG2 and SGC7901 in vitro. Compounds 7-9 showed moderate activities against all the cell lines.

One new norlignan, noralashinol B (1), and one new natural product, proposed noralashinol C (2), were isolated in a continuous phytochemical investigation on the stem barks of Syringa pinnatifolia. Their structures were elucidated based on the analysis of spectroscopic data, including mass spectrometry and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopies, and the absolute configuration was determined by experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism. Compound 1 showed a weak cytotoxicity against HepG2 hepatic cancer cells with its IC50 value of 31.7 μM. Furthermore, 1 induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations of 0–80.0 μM.

Recently, owing to the important pharmaceutical properties of malonylated glycosides, their chemoenzymatic synthesis using malonyltransferase has received significant attention. In the present study, a new malonyltransferase, NbMaT1, was identified from Nicotiana benthamiana. Extensive enzymatic assays revealed its significant substrate tolerance based on HPLC-UV and HR-MS analyses. Moreover, 16 of the tested glycosides including flavone glycosides, flavonol glycosides, dihydroflavone glycosides, isoflavone glycosides, coumarin glycosides, and phenylethyl chromone glycosides with various sugar moieties (such as glucose, xylose, and galactose) substituted at different positions of their skeleton could be accepted by NbMaT1 to conduct the corresponding malonylation. Among these, enzymatic malonylation of phenylethyl chromone glycosides as well as xylosides and galactosides has rarely been reported earlier. Furthermore, one-pot synthesis using the known malonyl-CoA synthetase MatB and NbMaT1 as well as an unnatural fusion protein MatB–NbMaT1 was designed, which allowed malonic acid to be directly used in the malonylation reaction without the addition of expensive malonyl-CoA. Moreover, a remarkably improved conversion rate was observed for all the tested substrates, with both commercial and industrial application values. The malonylated product of the bioactive flavonoid diglycoside icariin was prepared and NMR spectroscopy revealed that the malonyl group was specifically transferred onto the 6-OH group of the glucose moiety. NbMaT1 was expected to be a universal and effective tool for chemoenzymatic synthesis of diverse bioactive-malonylated glycoside derivatives for drug discovery.

Stachyodin A (1), a rearrangement product of pterocarpan featuring a 6/5/5/6 tetracyclic ring system with an unusual spirotetrahydrofuran ring, and stachyodin B (2), a new dihydrochalcone, along with five known analogues (3–7) were isolated from the roots of Indigofera stachyodes. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of their HRESIMS and NMR spectroscopic data, and their absolute configurations were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data, respectively. Compounds 2–4 showed inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-activated BV-2 microglial cells.

Two novel steroidal saponins, timosaponin V and W (1 and 2), together with seven known steroidal saponins (3–9), were isolated from the rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge. Their structures were elucidated by extensive 1D NMR and 2D NMR (HSQC, HMBC, 1H–1H COSY, and NOESY), and MS analyses. The cytotoxic activities of the isolates were evaluated. Compound 1 showed a significant cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines with IC50 values of 2.16 ± 0.19 μM and 2.01 ± 0.19 μM, respectively.

As an important integral part of traditional Chinese medicine chemical biology( TCMCB),it is of great importance to rapid isolate,and reliably identify the chemical components in herbal medicines. Phytochemical studies on the anti-inflammatory active part of Chinese dragon's blood,the red resin of Dracaena cochinchinensis,resulted in the isolation of two compounds,nordracophane( 1) and dracophane( 2),using LC-MS and chromatographic techniques( Silica gel,ODS and preparative HPLC). The structures,cyclic dihydrochalcane trimers,were elucidated on the basis of 1 D and 2 D NMR,MS,IR and UV spectral analysis. Compound 1 is a new compound,and 2 is isolated from D. cochinchinensis for the first time. Both compounds exhibited significant inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharides( LPS)-stimulated RAW264. 7 cells with IC50 values of( 14. 9±4. 50) and( 9. 0±0. 7) μmol·L-1.

Chemical profiling of a given herbal medicine( HM) is the prerequisite for clarifying the effective material basis and therapeutic mechanisms,and it is an important integral part of traditional Chinese medicine chemical biology( TCMCB). In current study,we aimed to propose a new strategy for fast chemical characterization of HM by using reversed phase liquid chromatography-hydrophilic interaction chromatography-predictive multiple reaction monitoring( RPLC-HILIC-p MRM),and Artemisiae Scopariae Herba was employed in this study to illustrate the entire strategy. In response to wide polarity spanning of the diverse chemical clusters in Artemisiae Scopariae Herba,RPLC and HILIC were coupled in series to retain and separate hydrophilic and hydrophobic components simultaneously by identifying the characteristics of chromatographic separation. Most of the chemical constituents in traditional Chinese medicine can be predicted by summarizing the results of chemical constituents of the same genera and introducing primary metabolites and possible substitution reaction types. Therefore,we constructed predictive ion pairs to rapidly identify the chemical constituents of Artemisiae Scopariae Herba. After comparison with control products,discussion on fragmentation pattern,and access to relevant information from literature and databases,a total of 139 components were detected and structurally annotated by matching the obtained spectral data with the information of authentic compounds. Above all,RPLC-HILIC-p MRM could be used as an eligible analytical tool for the chemical profiling of HMs.

Cardio-cerebral vascular disease induced by atherosclerosis is a serious cause of human health. The pathogenesis of AS is very complex,and the oxidized low-density lipoprotein( ox LDL) induced foam cells formation is considered to be the most important cytological change in AS. Based on the definition of " TCM chemical biology",we clarified the chemical composition of Ilex hainanensis,the effective substances of I. hainanensis on the activity of anti-AS were screened. Then we found that saponin BF523 had the good inhibitory effect on foam cell formation. In this research,we studied the BF523 as the research object to clarify the molecular target of the active compound of I. hainanensis by foam cell formation model. The results showed that BF523 significantly inhibited the oxidation of ox LDL-induced macrophage foaming and decreased the lipid content in macrophages. BF523 had inhibited the phagocytosis of ox LDL in macrophages by reducing the mRNA and protein levels of scavenger receptor CD36,thereby inhibiting the occurrence and development of AS. These findings not only clarified the mechanism of the inhibition of foam cell formation by saponin BF523,but also provided a useful exploration for the enrichment of the theory of " TCM chemical biology".

The research of anti-hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) drug has attracted more and more attention. Natural products are the important source of active compounds for cancer treatment. A biflavonoid HIS-4 was isolated from Resina draconis in our previous study. MTT assay, hoechst staining, and flow cytometry analysis were used to investigate the effects of HIS-4 on the proliferation and apoptosis of human hepatoma HepG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells. Moreover, the effects of HIS-4 on the migration and invasion ability of HepG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells were evaluated by wound healing assay and Transwell assay. In addition, MTT assay, flow cytometry analyses, Hoechst staining, wound healing assay, Transwell assay, and tube formation assay were used to explore the anti-angiogenic activity of HIS-4 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs). Mechanistically, the HIS-4 regulatory of signal pathways in H9 epG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells were analyzed by Western blot. This results showed that HIS-4 suppressed the proliferation of human hepatoma HepG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells. Moreover HIS-4 induced their apoptosis of HepG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells. HIS-4 inhibited the migration and invasion of HepG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells. Additionally, HIS-4 exhibited angiogenesis effects. Mechanistically, up-regulation of MAPK signaling pathway and down-regulation of mTOR signaling pathway may be responsible for anti-hepatoma activity of HIS-4. Therefore, HIS-4 may be a promising candidate drug for HCC treatment.

Two new benzophenone glycosides, aquilarisides A (

Trametes robiniophila Murr. (Huaier) is a mushroom with a long history of use as a medicinal ingredient in China and exhibits good clinical efficacy in cancer management. However, the antitumor components of Huaier and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we isolated a proteoglycan with a molecular mass of ∼5.59 × 10(4) Da from Huaier aqueous extract. We named this proteoglycan TPG-1, and using FTIR and additional biochemical analyses, we determined that its total carbohydrate and protein compositions are 43.9 and 41.2%, respectively. Using biochemical assays and immunoblotting, we found that exposing murine RAW264.7 macrophages to TPG-1 promotes the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-dependent activation of NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. Of note, the TPG-1 treatment significantly inhibited the tumorigenesis of human hepatoma HepG2 cells likely at least in part by increasing serum levels of TNFα and promoting leukocyte infiltration into tumors in nude mice. TPG-1 also exhibited good antitumor activity in hepatoma H22-bearing mice and had no obvious adverse effects in these mice. We conclude that TPG-1 exerts antitumor activity partially through an immune-potentiating effect due to activation of the TLR4–NF-κB/MAPK signaling cassette. Therefore, TPG-1 may be a promising candidate drug for cancer immunotherapy. This study has identified the TPG-1 proteoglycan as an antitumor agent and provided insights into TPG-1's molecular mechanism, suggesting a potential utility for applying this agent in cancer therapy.

Baoyuandecoction (BYD), a traditional representative formula, has a long usage history in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Since the hyperlipidemia-induced dysfunction of erythrocyte is one of the most important causes of cardiovascular diseases, the improving effects of BYD against high-fat diet (HFD) induced the physiological and physical function of the erythrocytic injury and the potential mechanisms were deeply researched in this study. After 6 weeks of drug treatment, all doses of BYD had significantly decreased the lipid peroxidation in plasma of HFD-induced ApoE-/-mice, even if it had not improved the lipid levels. Then, the erythrocyte-related experimental results showed that BYD had reduced erythrocyte osmotic fragility, stabilized erythrocyte membrane skeleton protein 4.2, and reformed the erythrocyte morphological changes by decreasing erythrocyte membrane lipid peroxidation levels. This study demonstrated that BYD may ameliorate the physiological and physical function of erythrocyte in hyperlipidemic mice through the antioxidant effect on erythrocyte membranes.

Two new benzophenone glycosides, aquilarisides A (1) and B (2), together with six known analogues (3-8) were isolated from the pericarps of Aquilaria yunnanensis S. C. Huang. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectroscopic analyses, and the absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Anti-inflammatory activities of all compounds 1–8 were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 cells using the Griess assay. Compound 2 indicated a weak inhibition of NO production.

Background and aims Chinese dragon's blood has been used to treat blood stasis for thousands of years. Its total phenolic extract (Longxuetongluo capsule, LTC) is used for the treatment of ischemic stroke; however, its protective effect against atherosclerosis remains poorly understood. This paper aims to investigate the antiatherosclerotic effect of LTC and the underlying mechanisms in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced ApoE −/− mice. Methods The levels of plasma lipid and areas of atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic sinus in ApoE −/− mice were evaluated. The effect of LTC on the nitric oxide (NO) production in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells ( HUVECs ) was determined. The adhesion of monocytes to ox-LDL-stimulated HUVECs was further studied. Results LTC at low, medium, and high doses markedly decreased the atherosclerotic lesion areas of the aortic sinus in HFD-induced ApoE −/− mice by 26.4% ( p p p HUVECs ( p p HUVECs , and inhibit the adhesion of monocytes to HUVECs via the MAPK/IKK/I κ B/NF- κ B signaling pathway, thus decrease atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic sinus in HFD-induced ApoE −/− mice. Conclusions These findings suggest the potential of LTC for use as an effective agent against atherosclerosis.

Jinling Wang,1 Wenzhuan Ma,1,2 Qiang Guo,1,2 Ying Li,1,2 Zhongdong Hu,1 Zhixiang Zhu,1 Xiaohui Wang,1 Yunfang Zhao,1 Xingyun Chai,1 Pengfei Tu1 1Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Tumor-targeted delivery system has been developed as an attractive strategy for effective tumor therapy. In this study, in order to enhance the antitumor effects of doxorubicin (DOX), amphiphilic hyaluronic acid (HA)-conjugated vitamin E succinate (VES) copolymers (HA-VES) with different degrees of substitution (DS) were prepared with synergistic antitumor effects and active targeting activities, and utilized as nanocarriers for the efficient delivery of DOX. DOX-loaded HA-VES polymeric micelles (HA-VES/DOX) self-assembled from dual-functional HA-VES copolymer and exhibited excellent loading efficiency and superior colloidal stability. In vitro, HA-VES/DOX displayed enhanced cytotoxicity with synergistic anticancer effects of HA-VES copolymer, high apoptosis-inducing activities of tumor cells, and reversal effects of DOX on multidrug resistance, in comparison with DOX. Also, in vitro cellular uptake and subcellular localization studies revealed that HA-VES/DOX could more efficiently internalize into cancer cells and selectively release DOX within lysosomes, thereby enhancing the distribution of DOX in nuclei and facilitating its interactions with DNA. Specifically, HA-VES/DOX decreased the activity of CD44 mRNA and improved the targeting efficiency on MCF-7 cells, based on the active recognition between HA and CD44 receptor. More importantly, HA-VES/DOX displayed better tumor accumulation and targeting, and enhanced antitumor efficacy with reduced systemic toxicity in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice. In summary, the developed HA-VES–based drug delivery system, which increased drug targeting on the tumor site and exhibited preferable anticancer activity, could hold great potential as an effective and promising strategy for efficient tumor therapy. Keywords: hyaluronic acid, self-assembled micelles, tumor targeting, doxorubicin, vitamin E succinate

Induction of excessive, prolonged, or dysregulated immune responses causes immunological disorders, such as inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, allergic diseases, and organ-graft rejections. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of HHX-5, a derivative of sesquiterpene from Chinese agarwood, on innate and adaptive immunity for revealing its potential to treat above immunological disorders. The results showed that HHX-5 significantly inhibited the activation of macrophages and neutrophils which play important roles in innate immunity. Furthermore, HHX-5 strongly suppressed adaptive immunity via inhibiting differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells into Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells and suppressing activation, proliferation and differentiation of CD8+ T cells and B cells. The mechanism study showed that HHX-5 significantly inhibited STAT1 signaling pathway in macrophages and suppressed STAT1, STAT4, STAT5, and STAT6 signaling pathways in naive CD4+ T cells. In conclusion, we demonstrated that HHX-5 can strongly inhibit innate and adaptive immunity via suppressing STAT signaling pathways and has potential to be developed into therapeutic drug for treat immunological disorders.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disorder with formation of benign tumors in many different organs. It has attracted increasing attention from researchers to search for therapeutic drugs for TSC patients. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has become an important source for finding antitumor drugs. Trametes robiniophila Μurr. (Huaier) is a kind of officinal fungi in China and has been applied in TCM for approximately 1,600 years. A large number of clinical applications have revealed that Huaier has good antitumor effect. In this study, we have investigated the effects of Huaier aqueous extract on two TSC cell models, including inhibition of proliferation, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and anti-metastasis. We demonstrated that Huaier aqueous extract inhibited JAK2/STAT3 and MAPK signaling pathways in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, based on the low toxicity and the multi-targets of Huaier treatment, Huaier may be a promising therapeutic drug for TSC.

A new dihydroisocoumarin (1) and a new coumarin (2), along with eight known metabolites (3–10), were isolated from the solid substrate fermentation cultures of the fungus Penicillium purpurogenum MHZ 111. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and comparison of their spectroscopic and physicochemical data with the literature values. Compounds 2 and 8 showed inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-activated BV-2 microglial cells with IC50 values of 26.5 and 52.7 μM, respectively.