A new flavonoid, along with 16 known ones, was separated from the aerial parts of Asterothamnus centrali-asiaticus. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR techniques and HRESIMS. To confirm the structure of the new compound, computational prediction of its 13C chemical shifts was performed. All of the 17 flavonoids were reported from A. centrali-asiaticus for the first time. In addition, all flavonoids were evaluated for their antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. The results showed that 10 of them exhibited antioxidant activity. Meanwhile, four flavonoids displayed α-glucosidase inhibitory effect with IC50 values ranging from 38.9 to 299.7 μM.
A capillary zone electrophoresis method was developed for simultaneous determination of nine flavonoids, including two rare flavonols, in Tibetan medicine Anaphalis margaritacea. Baseline separation was performed at pH 9.6 with 25 mM Na(2)B(4)O(7) and 10 mM NaH(2)PO(4) buffer solution, 20 kV as driving voltage and 275 nm as detection wavelength. Repeatability tests showed that the R.S.D. of both intra- and inter-day migration times and peak areas were less than 5%. Recovery results ranged from 87.9% to 106.1%. Samples of A. margaritacea extracts were analyzed using the validated method, which is useful for its quality control.
Objective: To study the chemical constituents of the volatile oils from the flowers of Rhododendron anthopogon D. Don.; Methods: The volatile oils from the flowers of Rhododendron anthopogon D. Don were extracted by water steam distillation and its chemical constituents were separated and identified by GC-MS. The content of each constituent was determined by area normalizetion method.; Results: Fifty peaks were separated and forty seven components were identified, which constituted about 97.44% of the total essential oils.; Conclusions: The main compounds are N-acetyl-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydro-isoquinoline (29.23%), 2-Ethoxypropane (12.47%), 3-Methyl-6-tert-butylphenol (10.83%), 3-Methyl-5-phenyl-isothiazole (6.38%), Diphenylamine (4.20%), N-ethyl-1, 2,3,4-tetrahydro-naphthalenamine (3.62%), Pentacosane (3.12%) and Tricosane (3.06%).;
Zuotai (gTso thal) is a typical representative of Tibetan medicines containing heavy metals, but there is still lack of modem safety evaluation data so far. In this study, acute toxicity test, sub-acute toxicity test, one-time administration mercury distribution experiment, long-term mercury accumulative toxicity experiment and preliminary study on clinical safety of Compound Dangzuo were conducted in the hope of obtain the medicinal safety data of Zuotai. In the acute toxicity test, half of KM mice given the lethal dose of Zuotai were not died or poisoned, and LD50 was not found. The maximum tolerated dose of Zuotai was 80 g x kg(-1). In the subacute toxicity test, Zuotai could reduce ALT, AST, Crea levels in serums under low dose (13.34 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and medium dose (53.36 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), with significant difference under low dose, and increase the levels of ALT, AST, MDA, Crea in serums under high dose (2 000 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)); besides, the levels of BUN and GSH in serums reduced with the increase in dose of Zuotai, indicating a significant dose-effect relationship. In the one-time administration distribution experiment, the content of mercury in rat kidney, liver and lung increased after the one-time administration with Zuotai, with a significant dose-dependent relationship in kidney. In the long-term mercury accumulative toxicity experiment, KM mice were administered with equivalent doses of Zuotai for 4.5 months and then stopped drug administration for 1.5 months. Since the 2.5th month, they showed significant mercury accumulation in kidney, which gradually reduced after drug withdrawal, without significant change in mercury content in liver, spleen and brain and ALT, AST, TBIL, BUN and Crea in serum. At the 4.5th month after drug administration, KM mice showed slight structural changes in kidney, liver and spleen tissues, and gradually recovered to normal after drug withdrawal. Besides, no significant difference in weight gain was found between the Zuotai group and the control group. According to the findings of the clinical safety study of Dangzuo, after subjects administered Dangzuo under clinical dose for one month, their serum biochemical indicators, blood routine indicators and urine routine indicators showed no significant adverse change. This study proved that traditional Tibetan medicine Zuotai was slightly toxic, with a better safety in clinical combined administration and no adverse effects on bodies under the clinical dose and clinical medication cycle. However, long-term high-dose administration of Zuotai may have a certain effect on kidney.;
<br>Display Omitted<br>• Three new monoterpene glycosides (<b>1</b>-<b>3</b>) were isolated from <b>Sibiraea laevigata</b> (L.) Maxim. • Fourteen known compounds (<b>4</b>-<b>17</b>) were also obtained from the title plant. • All of the isolated compounds were evaluated for their anti-oxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. • Compounds <b>7</b> and <b>17</b> exhibited α-glucosidase inhibitory effect with IC50 values of 220.0 and 113.0 μM, respectively.<br>Three new compounds, 3,7-dimethy-7-methoxy-3-octene-5-one-1-<b>O</b>-<b>β</b>-d-glucopyranoside (1), 3,7-dimethy-7-methoxy-3(<b>Z</b>)-octene-5-one-1-<b>O</b>-<b>β</b>-d-glucopyranoside (2) and 3,7-dimethy-3-hydroxy-6-octene-5-one-1-<b>O</b>-<b>β</b>-d-glucopyranoside (3), together with fourteen known compounds (4-17) were isolated from the leaves and shoots of <b>S. laevigata</b>. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, including one- and two-dimensional NMR, as well as mass spectral data. All isolates were evaluated for their α-glucosidase inhibitory and antioxidant activities. The results demonstrated that 3,7-dimethyl-3(Z),6-ocatdien-5-one-1-<b>O</b>-<b>β</b>-d-glucoside (7) and sitosteryl <b>β</b>-d-glucoside (17) exhibited α-glucosidase inhibitory effects with IC50 values of 220.0 and 113.0 μM, respectively.
Zuotai is composed mainly of β-HgS, while cinnabar mainly contains α-HgS. Both forms of HgS are used in traditional medicines and their safety is of concern. This study aimed to compare the hepatotoxicity potential of Zuotai and α-HgS with mercury chloride (HgCl2) and methylmercury (MeHg) in mice. Mice were orally administrated with Zuotai (30 mg/kg), α-HgS (HgS, 30 mg/kg), HgCl2 (33.6 mg/kg), or CH3HgCl (3.1 mg/kg) for 7 days, and liver injury and gene expressions related to toxicity, inflammation and Nrf2 were examined. Animal body weights were decreased by HgCl2 and to a less extent by MeHg. HgCl2 and MeHg produced spotted hepatocyte swelling and inflammation, while such lesions are mild in Zuotai and HgS-treated mice. Liver Hg contents reached 45-70 ng/mg in HgCl2 and MeHg groups; but only 1-2 ng/mg in Zuotai and HgS groups. HgCl2 and MeHg increased the expression of liver injury biomarker genes metallothionein-1 (MT-1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1); the inflammation biomarkers early growth response gene (Egr1), glutathione S-transferase (Gst-mu), chemokine (mKC) and microphage inflammatory protein (MIP-2), while these changes were insignificant in Zuotai and HgS groups. However, all mercury compounds were able to increase the Nrf2 pathway genesNAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (Nqo1) and Glutamate-cysteine ligase, catalytic subunit (Gclc). In conclusion, the Tibetan medicine Zuotai and HgS are less hepatotoxic than HgCl2 and MeHg, and differ from HgCl2 and MeHg in hepatic Hg accumulation and toxicological responses.
• TCM therapies showed potential positive effect for alleviating fatigue symptoms. • Whether TCM could improve the QOL of patients is still inconclusive. • We could not draw a firm conclusion about the safety of TCM on CFS.<br>Background: There is no curative treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is widely used in the treatment of CFS in China.<br>Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TCM for CFS.<br>Methods: The protocol of this review is registered at PROSPERO. We searched six main databases for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on TCM for CFS from their inception to September 2013. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the methodological quality. We used RevMan 5.1 to synthesize the results.<br>Results: 23 RCTs involving 1776 participants were identified. The risk of bias of the included studies was high. The types of TCM interventions varied, including Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, qigong, moxibustion, and acupoint application. The results of meta-analyses and several individual studies showed that TCM alone or in combination with other interventions significantly alleviated fatigue symptoms as measured by Chalder's fatigue scale, fatigue severity scale, fatigue assessment instrument by Joseph E. Schwartz, Bell's fatigue scale, and guiding principle of clinical research on new drugs of TCM for fatigue symptom. There was no enough evidence that TCM could improve the quality of life for CFS patients. The included studies did not report serious adverse events.<br>Conclusions: TCM appears to be effective to alleviate the fatigue symptom for people with CFS. However, due to the high risk of bias of the included studies, larger, well-designed studies are needed to confirm the potential benefit in the future.
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