Improved quality control method for Fufang Danshen preparations through simultaneous determination of phenolic acids, saponins and diterpenoid quinones by HPLC coupled with diode array and evaporative light scattering detectors

Effectiveness and Safety of Fufang Danshen Dripping Pill (Cardiotonic Pill) on Blood Viscosity and Hemorheological Factors for Cardiovascular Event Prevention in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Objectives: Diabetes can cause various vascular complications. The Compounded Danshen-Dripping-Pill (CDDP) is widely used in China. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness and safety of CDDP in the blood viscosity (BV) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: We conducted a systematic search of seven databases from their inception to July 2022 for randomized controlled trials that used CDDP to treat T2DM. To evaluate BV, we measured low shear rate (LSR), high shear rate (HSR), and plasma viscosity (PV). Homocysteine and adiponectin levels were also assessed as factors that could affect BV. Results: We included 18 studies and 1532 patients with T2DM. Meta-analysis revealed that CDDP significantly reduced LSR (mean difference [MD] -2.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] -3.77 to -1.72), HSR (MD -0.86, 95% CI -1.08 to -0.63), and PV (MD -0.37, 95% CI -0.54 to -0.19) compared to controls. CDDP also reduced homocysteine (MD -8.32, 95% CI -9.05 to -7.58), and increased plasma adiponectin (MD 2.72, 95% CI 2.13 to 3.32). Adverse events were reported less frequently in the treatment groups than in controls. Conclusions: CDDP is effective in reducing BV on T2DM. However, due to the poor design and quality of the included studies, high-quality, well-designed studies are required in the future.

A novel P38α MAPK activator Bruceine A exhibits potent anti-pancreatic cancer activity

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Bruceine A displays potent anti-pancreatic cancer activity in vitro and in vivo.

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Phosphoproteomic analyses identify bruceine A induces phosphorylation of p38α MAPK.

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Octet system and microscale thermophoresis reveal p38α MAPK has high affinity for bruceine A.

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Molecular simulations illustrate determinants of bruceine A binding with p38α MAPK.

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the cancers with the poorest prognosis bearing an overall 5-year survival rate of about 5%. Efficient new chemotherapic drugs are still highly desired. Here, bruceine A, a quassinoid identified from the dried fruits of Brucea javanica (L.) Merr., displayed the most potent anti-proliferation activity against pancreatic cancer in vitro and in vivo. Phosphoproteomic analysis revealed p38α MAPK phosphorylation was involved in bruceine A’s action in MIA PaCa-2 cells. Utilizing fortebio octet system and microscale thermophoresis, we found p38α MAPK had high affinity for bruceine A. Molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations showed that bruceine A widely bound to residues (Leu171, Ala172, Met179, Thr180, Val183) in P-loop of p38α MAPK. Key determinants of bruceine A binding with P-loop of p38α MAPK were 19-C Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 ]]>O, 22-CH₃, 32-CH₃, and 34-CH₃. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that bruceine A binds directly to p38α MAPK, which can be used to probe the role of p38α MAPK phosphorylation in pancreatic cancer progression, and as a novel lead compound for pancreatic cancer therapy.

Identification of Pharmacokinetic Markers for Guanxin Danshen Drop Pills in Rats by Combination of Pharmacokinetics, Systems Pharmacology, and Pharmacodynamic Assays

This paper reported a feasibility study strategy of identifying pharmacokinetic (PK) markers for a cardiovascular herbal medicine, Guanxin Danshen drop pill (GDDP). First, quantification analysis revealed the constituent composition in the preparation by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Subsequently, physiochemical property calculation predicted the solubility and intestinal permeability of the constituents in the preparation. Furthermore, HPLC-MS analysis ascertained the absorbable ingredients and their PK properties in rat plasma. The main effective substances from the ingredients absorbed into blood and their cardiovascular effects were also predicted by systems pharmacology study, and were further confirmed by in vivo protective effects on isoprenaline-induced myocardial injury in mice. Finally, the ingredients with high content, representative structure feature, favorable PK properties, high relevant degree to myocardial ischemia (MI) issues, and validated therapeutic effects were considered as the PK markers for the preparation. Ginsenosides Rg₁, Rb₁, and tanshinone (TS) IIA were identified originally as PK markers for representing PK properties of GDDP. In addition, integrated PK studies were carried out according to previous reports, viz. drug concentration sum method and the AUC weighting method, to understand the in vivo process of GDDP comprehensively. The present study maybe provide a reference approach to identify PK markers for cardiovascular herbal medicines.

Chemical Fingerprinting and Quantification of Chinese Cinnamomi Cortex by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Chemometrics Methods

To rapidly clarify and quantify the chemical profiling of Cinnamomi cortex a reliable and feasible strategy of chromatographic fingerprinting with a suite of chemometrics methods was developed and validated by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection. Furthermore, to identify more meaningful chemical markers, the chemometrics methods including hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA) and similarity, which all generate quality evaluations and correlation classifications of Cinnamomi cortex, were used to improve the Cinnamomi cortex quality control standards. A total of 12 characteristic peaks were confirmed, seven of which were identified by comparing their retention times, UV and MS spectra with authentic compounds. Moreover, 11 analytes were accurately determined, as a complementary quantification method of chromatographic fingerprinting. For quantitative analyses, selective detection was performed at 254, 280 and 340 nm. The tested samples were separated and determined using UPLC and a series of methodologies including linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection and quantification and extraction recoveries were validated. Meanwhile the method bias for all the analytes did not exceed 5%. A total of 42 samples were acquired in China and analyzed. The results demonstrated that chromatographic fingerprinting in combination with chemometrics methods provides a promising and practical method to more effectively and comprehensively control the quality of Cinnamomi cortex from various sources, which would be a useful reference for the development and further study of Cinnamomi cortex and related formulations.

Simultaneous Determinations of Eleven Bioactive Components in Suanzaoren Decoction Granules by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Its Application to the Quality Control in Productive Processes

A simple and reliable method using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector (HPLC-PDA) was firstly established for the determinations of eleven bioactive compounds (neomangiferin, mangiferin, spinosin, liquiritin apioside, liquiritin, fumalic acid, 6'''-feruloylspinosin, senkyunolide I, isoliquiritin, glycyrrhizic acid and senkyunolide A) in Suanzaoren decoction (SZRD) extract and its granules. The chromatographic analysis was performed on a C18 column at 30°C. Excellent linear behaviors over the investigated concentration ranges were observed with the values of R(2) being higher than 0.9990 for all analytes. The developed method showed good precision and accuracy with overall intra- and inter-day variations of less than 2.0%, and overall recoveries in the range of 97.2 - 102.1%. The validated method was successfully applied to the determination of eleven components in SZRD samples from different production batches, including SZRD extract, lab-made SZRD granules and clinical medicine. This accurate and reliable HPLC-PDA method will be helpful for improving the quality evaluation of SZRD granules and its quality control in productive processes.

Graphene nanoplatelets based matrix solid-phase dispersion microextraction for phenolic acids by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

A simple, rapid and eco-friendly approach based on matrix solid-phase dispersion microextraction (MSPDM) followed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection (UHPLC-ECD) was presented for the microextraction and determination of six phenolic acids in a plant preparation (Danshen tablets). The parameters that influenced the extraction performance of phenolic acids were investigated and optimized. The optimal MSPDM conditions were determined as follows: sorbent, using graphene nanoplatelets with sample/sorbent ratio of 1:1, grinding time set at 60 s, and 0.2 mL of water as elution solvent. Under the optimum conditions, the validation experiments indicated that the proposed method exhibited good linearity (r² ≥ 0.9991), excellent precision (RSD ≤ 4.57%), and satisfactory recoveries (82.34–98.34%). The limits of detection were from 1.19 to 4.62 ng/mL for six phenolic acids. Compared with other reported methods, this proposal required less sample, solvent and extraction time. Consequently, the proposed method was successfully used to the extraction and determination of phenolic acids in Danshen tablets.

Simultaneous determination of hydrophilic and lipophilic constituents in herbal medicines using directly-coupled reversed-phase and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Limitations in the separation ability of conventional liquid chromatography system remains a challenge in developing a versatile method for simultaneously determining both hydrophilic and lipophilic constituents in herbal medicines (HMs). To measure compounds covering a broad polarity span in HMs, we developed a directly-coupled reversed-phase and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry system. Samples were firstly separated according to lipophilicity by using a C₁₈ column. Utilizing a T-piece as connector, the eluent was then pumped into an amide column to get further separation that mainly based on the hydrogen bonding effects. Dan-Qi pair, an extensively used herb-combined prescription in China, was selected to test the practicability and performance of the established system. A total of 27 components, containing 9 hydrophilic and 18 lipophilic constituents, were simultaneously determined using a schedule multiple reaction monitoring method in 15 min. Up to 69.9% content could be monitored in one injection in Dan-Qi pair extract, showing a significant advantage over previous methods. The proposed method was expected to benefit the controllability of herbal medicines.

Screening of thrombin inhibitors from phenolic acids using enzyme-immobilized magnetic beads through direct covalent binding by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry

Thrombin was immobilized on dynabeads^®M-270 epoxy by direct covalent binding method for the first time. The enzyme coated magnetic beads were combined with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry technique to establish a simple, rapid and reliable approach for screening thrombin inhibitors from Danshen preparation. The conjugation of thrombin to the magnetic beads was characterized using scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and infrared spectroscopy, and the enzyme activity was determined by the analysis of enzyme-bead ratio and peak areas of target compounds. Several factors including amount of magnetic beads, type of elution solvent, incubation temperature and time were optimized. Additionally, two thrombin-bound compounds (protocatechuic aldehyde and salvianolic acid C) in Danshen injection were validated by conventional inhibitory assay and the IC₅₀ values were 286.11 and 66.09μg/mL, respectively. Our findings suggested that the proposed method was efficient in screening active compounds from medicinal plants.

Simultaneous determination of tanshinones and polyphenolics in rat plasma by UPLC-MS/MS and its application to the pharmacokinetic interaction between them

The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetic interaction between tanshinones and polyphenolics which act as the main bioactive compounds in Saliva miltiorrhiza Bunge (SMB). Thus, a rapid and highly sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated to determine the concentrations of Tanshinone IIA (TSIIA), Tanshinone I (TI), Cryptotanshinone (CT), Salvianolic acid B (Sal B), Protocatechuic aldehyde (PAL), Rosmarinic acid (RA), and Danshensu (DSS) in rat plasma. The Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated to three groups which orally administered tanshinones (DST), polyphenolics (DFS), and a mixture of tanshinones and polyphenolics (DTF). These samples were processed by a simple liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) method with ethyl acetate. Chromatographic separation was achieved on an Acquity BEH C18 column (100 mm × 2. 1 mm, 1.7 µm) with the mobile phase consisting of 0.1% (v/v) formic acid and acetonitrile by gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. The detection was performed on a triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometer TQ-MS/MS equipped with negative and positive electrospray ionization (ESI) interface in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The statistical analysis was performed by the Student's t-test with P ≤ 0.05 as the level of significance. The method showed good precision, accuracy, recovery, sensitivity, linearity, and stability. The pharmacokinetic profiles and parameters of these polyphenolics changed when co-administrated with tanshinones. The tanshinones improved the bioavailability of DSS, accelerated the eliminating rate of RA and Sal B and promoted their distribution in vivo. They also contributed to promoting the biotransformation of Sal B to DSS. The polyphenolics could affect the pharmacokinetic of tanshinones, especially CT and TSIIA. Furthermore, the biotransformation of CT to TSIIA and the bioavailability of TSIIA were both improved. This study may provide useful information to avoid unexpected increase of the plasma drug concentration in the clinical practice. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Combined Salvianolic Acid B and Ginsenoside Rg1 Exerts Cardioprotection against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats

Lack of pharmacological strategies in clinics restricts the patient prognosis with myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cardioprotection of combined salvianolic acid B (SalB) and ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) against myocardial I/R injury and further investigate the underlying mechanism. I/R injury was induced by coronary artery ligation for Wistar male rats and hypoxia/reoxygenation injury was induced on H9c2 cells. Firstly, the best ratio between SalB and Rg1was set as 2:5 based on their effects on heart function detected by hemodynamic measurement. Then SalB-Rg1 (2:5) was found to maintain mitochondrial membrane potential and resist apoptosis and necrosis in H9c2 cell with hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. Companying with same dose of SalB or Rg1 only, SalB-Rg1 showed more significant effects on down-regulation of myocardial infarct size, maintenance of myocardium structure, improvement on cardiac function, decrease of cytokine secretion including TNF-α, IL-1β, RANTES and sVCAM-1. Finally, the SalB-Rg1 improved the viability of cardiac myocytes other than cardiac fibroblasts in rats with I/R injury using flow cytometry. Our results revealed that SalB-Rg1 was a promising strategy to prevent myocardial I/R injury.

Selection of reference standard during method development using the analytical hierarchy process

Reference standard is critical for ensuring reliable and accurate method performance. One important issue is how to select the ideal one from the alternatives. Unlike the optimization of parameters, the criteria of the reference standard are always immeasurable. The aim of this paper is to recommend a quantitative approach for the selection of reference standard during method development based on the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) as a decision-making tool. Six alternative single reference standards were assessed in quantitative analysis of six phenolic acids from Salvia Miltiorrhiza and its preparations by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography. The AHP model simultaneously considered six criteria related to reference standard characteristics and method performance, containing feasibility to obtain, abundance in samples, chemical stability, accuracy, precision and robustness. The priority of each alternative was calculated using standard AHP analysis method. The results showed that protocatechuic aldehyde is the ideal reference standard, and rosmarinic acid is about 79.8% ability as the second choice. The determination results successfully verified the evaluation ability of this model. The AHP allowed us comprehensive considering the benefits and risks of the alternatives. It was an effective and practical tool for optimization of reference standards during method development.

Study of the protective mechanisms of Compound Danshen Tablet (Fufang Danshen Pian) against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via the Akt-eNOS signaling pathway in rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Compound Danshen Tablet (CDT), an herbal preparation consisting of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Radix and rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge.), Notoginseng (Radix and rhizome of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen) and Borneolum Syntheticum, is widely used to improve coronary heart disease, cardiac angina and atherosclerosis in clinic in Asia and Pacific Ocean area, especially in China.

AIM

The study is to research the protective mechanisms of Compound Danshen Tablet (CDT) against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury via the Akt-eNOS signaling Pathway in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rats were randomized into 7 groups: Sham group; Model group; Low-Dose CDT group (0.315 g/kg/d, i.g); Middle-Dose CDT group (0.63 g/kg/d, i.g); High-Dose CDT group (1.26 g/kg/d, i.g); Compound Danshen Dripping Pills (CDDP) group (0.0945 g/kg/d, i.g); Sulfotanshinone Sodium Injection (Tan II A) group (5 mg/kg/d, i.m). After the administration, the hearts of the rats were subjected to 30 min of coronary artery occlusion and 2h of reperfusion except the Sham group rats.

RESULTS

CDT significantly decreased infarct size, apoptosis, caspase-3 protein expression, MDA level in myocardial tissues, the activities of serum CK, LDH and cTnI; on the contrary, it increased p-Akt, p-eNOS, bcl-2 protein expression, the activities of SOD and tissue LDH, and the level of NO.

CONCLUSIONS

CDT can protect cardiomyocytes against MI/R injury and inhibits apoptosis in rats by activating Akt-eNOS signaling pathway.

Enzymatic hydrolysis-based absolute quantification of triacylglycerols in plant oil by use of a single marker

Absolute quantification of triacylglycerols (TAGs) in plant oils is a challenge for analysts, because most of the necessary chemical standards are unavailable. In this study, a new method for absolute quantification analysis of multi-components by use of a single marker (AQAMS), using two crucial technologies, evaluation of the collection recovery without chemical standards and enzymatic hydrolysis, was used for determining the absolute content of TAGs in brucea javanica oil (BJO), using glycerol as the marker. The TAGs in BJO were initially characterized using ultrafast liquid chromatography tandem atmospheric-pressure-chemical-ionization mass spectrometry. Then the TAGs in BJO were individually collected, by target-fraction collection via high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with an evaporative-light-scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD), and their recoveries were calculated by use of a novel non-standard evaluated recovery strategy (NSER). The results revealed that the collection procedure was feasible and reliable. Finally, modified commercial TAG assay kits using glycerol as the marker were used to determine the absolute abundance of individual TAGs in the plant oils. Comparing the result with that obtained by HPLC-ELSD analysis using triolein standard, the content of triolein determined by AQAMS was closely matched. The proposed strategy is a practical measure for solving the problem of the lack of chemical standards, and provides a new method for absolute quantification in natural products of multi-components with the same backbone.

Tissue-smashing based ultra-rapid extraction of chemical constituents in herbal medicines

Sample extraction is the first challenge in analysis of herbal medicines (HMs). Numerous methods have been developed to improve extraction efficiency, use less solvent and short time. In this work, a tissue-smashing based ultra-rapid extraction (TSURE) method has been proposed through the designed particle crushing, drastic stir, and dynamic molecular permeation at normal temperature. Factors in TSURE like extraction time, volts, and solvents were optimized for extraction efficiency of salvianolic acid B, cryptotanshinone, and tanshinone IIA from Salvia miltiorrhiza. The TSURE method was validated in terms of repeatability (RSD<2.2%) and extraction recoveries (93-106% with RSD<5.0%). TSURE showed a comparable extraction efficiency to conventional heat reflux extraction (HRE) and better than ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE). The extraction time was about 2.0-3.0 min for TSURE, 60 times faster than the performance of HRE and 20 times faster than UAE. Microscopic analysis showed that the Krummbein diameter of plant particles after extraction were about 600-1200 μm for HRE and UAE, and decreased to 50-80 μm for TSURE. Subsequently, the developed TSURE was applied to high-throughput extraction of 19 S. miltiorrhiza samples collected in different regions of China. Besides, application of TSURE to other herbal medicines was also investigated, including Panax quinquefolius and Lonicera japonica. TSURE method provided an ultra-rapid and promising alternation for extraction of ingredients in herbal medicines, and can be extended to pharmaceutics, foods and cosmetics.

A validated high performance liquid chromatograph-photodiode array method for simultaneous determination of 10 bioactive components in compound hongdoushan capsule

BACKGROUND

The compound Hongdoushan capsule (CHC) is widely known as compound herbal preparation and is often used to treat ovarian cancer and breast cancer, and to enhance the body immunity, etc., in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE

To determine simultaneously 10 bioactive components from CHC, namely glycyrrhetinic acid, liquiritin, glycyrrhizin, baccatin III, 10-deacetylbaccatin III, cephalomannine, taxol, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Re, and ginsenoside Rb1.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A high performance liquid chromatograph method coupled with photodiode array detector was developed and validated for the 1(st) time. Chromatographic analysis was performed on a SHIMADZU C18 by utilizing a gradient elution program. The mobile phase was acetonitrile (A)-water (B) at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min.

RESULTS

The calibration curve was linear over the investigated concentration ranges with the values of r (2) higher than 0.9993 for all the 10 bioactive components. The average recovery rates range from 98.4% to 100.5% with relative standard deviations ≤2.9%. The developed method was successfully applied to analyze 10 compounds in six CHC samples from different batches. In addition, the herbal sources of 32 chromatographic peaks were identified through comparative studying on chromatograms of standard, the respective extracts of Hongdoushan, RenShen, GanCao, and CHC.

CONCLUSION

All the results imply that the accurate and reproducible method developed has high separation rate and enables the determination of 10 bioactive components in a single run for the quality control of CHC.

Evaluation of Coptidis Rhizoma-Euodiae Fructus couple and Zuojin products based on HPLC fingerprint chromatogram and simultaneous determination of main bioactive constituents

CONTEXT

Coptidis Rhizoma-Euodiae Fructus couple (CEC) is a classic traditional Chinese medicine preparation consisting of Coptidis Rhizoma and Euodiae Fructus at the ratio of 6:1, and used to treat gastro-intestinal disorders. Alkaloids are the main bioactive component. This research provides comprehensive analysis information for the quality control of CEC.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection fingerprint for chemical composition characteristics of CEC and its products.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The samples were separated with a Gemini C18 column by using gradient elution with water-formic acid (100:0.03) and acetonitrile as mobile phase. Flow rate was 1.0 mL/min and detection wavelength was 250 nm. Similarity analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were employed to evaluate quality consistencies of analytes. Mean chromatograms and correlation coefficients of analytes were calculated by the software "Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine".

RESULTS

Fingerprint chromatogram comparison determined 20 representative general fingerprint peaks, and the fingerprint chromatogram resemblances are all better than 0.988. Consistent results were obtained to show that CEC and its related samples could be successfully divided into three groups. Contribution plots generated by PCA were performed to interpret differences among the sample groups while peaks which significantly contributed to classification were identified. Seven bioactive constituents in the samples were verified by quantitative analysis.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The chromatographic fingerprint with similarity evaluation and PCA assay combined with quantification of seven compounds could be utilized as a quality control method for the herbal couple.

Recent methodology in ginseng analysis

As much as the popularity of ginseng in herbal prescriptions or remedies, ginseng has become the focus of research in many scientific fields. Analytical methodologies for ginseng, referred to as ginseng analysis hereafter, have been developed for bioactive component discovery, phytochemical profiling, quality control, and pharmacokinetic studies. This review summarizes the most recent advances in ginseng analysis in the past half-decade including emerging techniques and analytical trends. Ginseng analysis includes all of the leading analytical tools and serves as a representative model for the analytical research of herbal medicines.

Effects of Borneol on Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Distribution of Notoginsenoside R1 and Ginsenosides Rg1 and Re in Panax notoginseng in Rabbits

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Borneol on the pharmacokinetics of notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1) and the ginsenosides Rg1 (GRg1) and Re (GRe) in Panax notoginseng. Reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry was employed to determine the concentrations of the three compounds in rabbit plasma. In comparison with rabbits administrated Panax notoginseng extract alone, animals simultaneously taking Panax notoginseng extract and Borneol exhibited significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters of NGR1, GRg1, and GRe, such as increasing their bioavailability. Quantities of NGR1, GRg1, and GRe in rabbit tissues were also increased after combining administration of Borneol. In addition, the apparent permeability coefficients (P app) of NGR1, GRg1, and GRe were raised by Borneol significantly in Caco-2 cells. However, no significant changes were observed in the efflux ratio (Er) of NGR1, GRg1 and GRe. These data indicate that Borneol has the properties of enhancing the intestinal absorption, increasing the distribution, and inhibiting the metabolism of NGR1, GRg1, and GRe. The underlying mechanism might be attributed to the loosening of the intercellular tight junction.

Chemical components, pharmacological properties, and nanoparticulate delivery systems of Brucea javanica

Brucea javanica has demonstrated a variety of antitumoral, antimalarial, and anti- inflammatory properties. As a Chinese herbal medicine, Brucea javanica is mainly used in the treatment of lung and gastrointestinal cancers. Pharmacological research has identified the main antitumor components are tetracyclic triterpene quassinoids. However, most of these active components have poor water solubility and low bioavailability, which greatly limit their clinical application. Nanoparticulate delivery systems are urgently needed to improve the bioavailability of Brucea javanica. This paper mainly focuses on the chemical components in Brucea javanica and its pharmacological properties and nanoparticulate formulations, in an attempt to encourage further research on its active components and nanoparticulate drug delivery systems to expand its clinical applications. It is expected to improve the level of pharmaceutical research and provide a strong scientific foundation for further study on the medicinal properties of this plant.

Tanshinones: sources, pharmacokinetics and anti-cancer activities

Tanshinones are a class of abietane diterpene compound isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen or Tanshen in Chinese), a well-known herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Since they were first identified in the 1930s, more than 40 lipophilic tanshinones and structurally related compounds have been isolated from Danshen. In recent decades, numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the isolation, identification, synthesis and pharmacology of tanshinones. In addition to the well-studied cardiovascular activities, tanshinones have been investigated more recently for their anti-cancer activities in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we update the herbal and alternative sources of tanshinones, and the pharmacokinetics of selected tanshinones. We discuss anti-cancer properties and identify critical issues for future research. Whereas previous studies have suggested anti-cancer potential of tanshinones affecting multiple cellular processes and molecular targets in cell culture models, data from in vivo potency assessment experiments in preclinical models vary greatly due to lack of uniformity of solvent vehicles and routes of administration. Chemical modifications and novel formulations had been made to address the poor oral bioavailability of tanshinones. So far, human clinical trials have been far from ideal in their design and execution for the purpose of supporting an anti-cancer indication of tanshinones.

Electrospray tandem mass spectrometric analysis of a dimeric conjugate, salvialeriafone and related compounds

BACKGROUND

Electrospray tandem mass spectrometry approach is widely used for the rapid characterization of natural products. This paper describes the gas-phased ESI-MS/MS fragmentation of abietane-type diterpenoids and their novel dimeric conjugate, salvialeriafone (1) using both positive and negative ion electrospray ionization quadropole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-QqTOF-MS/MS) hybrid instrument. Diterpenoids are widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom and posses interesting biological activities.

RESULTS

ESI-QqTOF-MS (positive ion mode) of diterpenoids 1-6 under collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometric analysis (CID-MS/MS) showed the characteristic losses of water, carbonmonoxide and propene molecules, while analysis in negative ion mode showed the characteristic losses of water, carbon monoxide, methane molecules and methyl radical. Results demonstrated the differences in the product ions and base peaks due to the differences in the skeleton. A novel dimeric conjugate, salvialeriafone (1) showed characteristic fragmentation pattern and was found to be more prone to form radical ions, as compared to monomeric diterpenoids. The fragmentation pathways of characteristic fragments were proposed with the aid of HRESIMS.

CONCLUSIONS

Extensive tandem mass spectrometric studies of salvialeriafone (1) and related diterpenoids 2-6 were conducted and their characteristic fragments were identified. The knowledge of the fragmentation pattern of these diterpenoids will be useful for the characterization of new dimers of this class of compounds.

Trace analysis in complex mixtures using a high-component filtering strategy with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Trace constituents are widely present in complex mixtures, and trace analysis is challenging because of the unpredictable matrix. In this work, a high-component filtering strategy was developed for improved analysis of trace constituents in complex sample by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Using a specifically designed chromatographic apparatus, the high-abundant fractions were filtered prior to LC-MS analysis. The samples complexity was reduced and the sample-loading amount for the rest low-level fractions can be considerably increased. The application of this approach was illustrated with an analytically challenging sample, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine named Compound Danshen Sample. We observed that the loss rate for 12 analytes during the filtering procedure ranged from 6.54 to 26.11%, but showed a stable repeatability with RSD<3.79%. The proposed filtering method with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometritry (Q-TOF/MS) enhanced the detection capacity, offering a comprehensive characterization of 133 compounds in Compound Danshen Samples. The quantification sensitivity was also improved in trace analysis, allowing six low compounds that cannot be quantified by the traditional methods to be tested by the filtering method. It can be predicted that the qualitative and quantitative trace analysis will be greatly improved when the loading samples is increased resulting from the filtration of high-level targets. The proposed strategy is promising to monitor trace constituents in diverse complex mixtures in the analytical field of pharmaceutics, metabonomics and environments.

Quantification of six bioactive compounds in Zhenqi Fuzheng preparation by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector and evaporative light scattering detector

A simple and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with diode array detector (DAD) and evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) was established for the determination of six bioactive compounds in Zhenqi Fuzheng preparation (ZFP). The monitoring wavelengths were 254, 275 and 328 nm. Under the optimum conditions, good separation was achieved, and the assay was fully validated in respect of precision, repeatability and accuracy. The proposed method was successfully applied to quantify the six ingredients in 31 batches of ZFP samples and evaluate the variation by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), which demonstrated significant variations on the content of these compounds in the samples from different manufacturers with different preparation procedures. The developed HPLC method can be used as a valid analytical method to evaluate the intrinsic quality of this preparation.

Preliminary study of a traditional Chinese medicine formula in systemic lupus erythematosus patients to taper steroid dose and prevent disease flare-up

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease. Prolonged complete remission is rare. Most patients with SLE need long-term treatment with glucocorticoid and immunomodulators. However, side effects because of the above medications are common. We evaluated the effect of adding-on Dan-Chi-Liu-Wei combination (DCLWC) on SLE patients with conventional therapy in tapering steroid and preventing disease flare-up. This was a double-blind and randomized controlled trial. Sixty-six SLE patients were recruited into this study and 53 patients who fulfilled the 1997 revised criteria for the classification of SLE with an SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) score of 2-12 and a steroid (measured with prednisolone) daily dose of less than 20mg/d were enrolled. The patients were randomized into either an experimental or control group. We checked the urine analysis, hemogram, liver function, renal function, C3, C4, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and anti-dsDNA, evaluated the SLEDAI score, and recorded the steroid dose at 0 months, 3 months, and 6 months, respectively. After 6 months of study, the C4 and blood urea nitrogen level revealed a statistically significant difference in either group. There was a tendency toward a decreased SLEDAI score in the experimental group (p=0.083) but not in the control group (p=0.867). The steroid dose was not statistically significant in either group. Renal function and liver function revealed no statistically significant statistics changes in either group. Adding-on DCLWC to conventional therapy for the treatment of SLE was safe and might have a borderline effect in decreasing disease activity, but it was not possible to taper the dosage of steroid after 6 months of clinical trial. Therefore, a long-term follow-up and a large-scale study are necessary to confirm the effect of DCLWC.

Cerebral protection of salvianolic acid A by the inhibition of granulocyte adherence

Ischemic stroke is one of the most common causes of death and disability that is induced by ischemia reperfusion (IR). Granulocyte adherence has been proven to be a principal cause of IR. Salvianolic acid A (Sal A) is one of the major active components of Danshen, a Chinese herbal medicine used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, such as ischemic stroke. Some experimental studies have shown the strong cerebral protection effect of Sal A. However, little information is available about the effect of Sal A on granulocyte adherence to brain micro-vascular endothelial cells (BMEC). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Sal A on the leukocyte adhesion rate and the intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression in BMEC injured by hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R), using a rheometer, qRT-PCR, and flow cytometry (FCM). The results of the adhesion rate gathered by the rheometer showed that Sal A could remarkably inhibit the adherence of granulocytes on BMEC in the case of H/R injury. Moreover, PCR and FCM results showed that Sal A could decrease the expression of ICAM-1 on BMEC on the gene and protein levels. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that the inhibition of granulocyte adherence is one of the targets of Sal A in the treatment of ischemic stroke. Meanwhile, Sal A inhibits of granulocyte adherence by decreasing the expression of ICAM-1 in BMEC.

Metabolomic strategy to study therapeutic and synergistic effects of tanshinone IIA, salvianolic acid B and ginsenoside Rb1 in myocardial ischemia rats

AIM OF THE STUDY

Tanshinone IIA (T), salvianolic acid B (S) and ginsenoside Rb1 (G) are the three major active ingredients of Compound Danshen Formula (CDF) for its protective effects on myocardial ischemia (MI). In this study, we aimed to investigate therapeutic and synergistic effects of TSG (combination of T, S and G) on MI rats with metabolomic strategy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MI model were induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. MI rats were respectively administrated T, S, G, TSG and CDF. Plasma was analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Partial least squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) models were built to evaluate the therapeutic and synergistic effects of TSG at whole level. 22 MI biomarkers in rat plasma were also investigated to explain that.

RESULTS

TSG brings nearly equal therapeutic effects on MI as CDF and it plays more stable regulated action on those 22 identified metabolites than single compound.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, there were few methods for the study of synergistic effects of Chinese medicine. Our results suggested that metabolomics offers a new idea for Chinese medicine research.

Experimental design as a tool to evaluate chlorogenic and caffeic acids extracted from Cecropia glaziovii Sneth

The effects of different parameters, including ethanol concentration, time of drug:solvent contact, temperature and the presence of a preservative, on chlorogenic acid (CGA) and caffeic acid (CFA) yields in Cecropia glaziovii Sneth extracts were investigated using an experimental design. In order to quantify the phenolic acids in these extracts a high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) method was developed and validated. Extracts with 80% ethanol presented a higher CGA content, but low amounts of CFA. Extracts with 20% ethanol showed a higher CFA concentration, but a sharp reduction in CGA extraction yield. The presence of a preservative, under the same extraction conditions, resulted in a slight difference or no difference in the CGA and CFA extraction yields. When the temperature was controlled at refrigerator or room temperature, a slight alteration in the concentrations of the phenolics studied was observed. The present approach can be applied in order to determine the optimum conditions for the preparation of C. glaziovii Sneth extracts based on CGA or CFA extraction yield as a chemical marker.

Online identification of the antioxidant constituents of traditional Chinese medicine formula Chaihu-Shu-Gan-San by LC-LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry and microplate spectrophotometer

Chaihu-Shu-Gan-San (CSGS), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula containing seven herbal medicines, has been used in treatment of gastritis, peptic ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome and depression clinically. However, the chemical constituents in CSGS had not been studied so far. To quickly identify the chemical constituents of CSGS and to understand the chemical profiles related to antioxidant activity of CSGS, liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization hybrid linear trap quadrupole orbitrap (LC-LTQ-Orbitrap) mass spectrometry has been applied for online identification of chemical constituents in complex system, meanwhile, antioxidant profile of CSGS was investigated by the fraction collecting and microplate reading system. As a result, 33 chemical constituents in CSGS were identified. Among them, 13 components could be detected both in positive and in negative ion modes, 20 constituents were determined only in positive ion mode and 2 components were only detected in negative ion mode. Meanwhile, the potential antioxidant profile of CSGS was also characterized by combination of 96-well plate collection of elutes from HPLC analysis and microplate spectrophotometer, in which the scavenging activities of free radical produced by DPPH of each fraction could be directly investigated by the analysis of microplate reader. This study quickly screened the contribution of CSGS fractions to the antioxidant activity and online identified the corresponding active constituents. The results indicated that the combination of LC-MS(n) and 96-well plate assay system established in this paper would be a useful strategy for correlating the chemical profile of TCMs with their bioactivities without isolation and purification.

Simple and reliable methods for the determination of sixteen marker components for quality control of Daochi pill by HPLC coupled with diode array detection

INTRODUCTION

Traditional Chinese medicine plays a very important role in the healthcare system of China and thus the quality control of medicinal herb products is of paramount concern.

OBJECTIVE

To establish a simple and effective high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method to evaluate the quality of Daochi pill.

METHODOLOGY

Two HPLC methods were developed for the determination of 16 marker components in Daochi pills. In method A, the analytes were separated on a Lichrosorb C(18) column using a gradient elution of methanol and 1% aqueous phosphoric acid (pH 2.9, adjusted by triethylamine). In method B, the separation was achieved on an Agilent Eclipse Plus C(18) column using a gradient elution of methanol and 3% aqueous phosphoric acid (pH 2.0, adjusted by triethylamine) in a gradient elution mode.

RESULTS

Methods were linear over the range 0.27-500 microg/mL (r(2) >or= 0.9995). Accuracy, precision and repeatability were all within the required limits. The mean recoveries measured at three concentrations were higher than 95% with RSD

CONCLUSION

The established methods are simple and can be used as tools for quality evaluation and control of this natural product.

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MESH Headings

• Anthraquinones/analysis
• Benzoates/analysis
• Berberine/analogs & derivatives
• Berberine/analysis
• Berberine Alkaloids/analysis
• Bridged-Ring Compounds/analysis
• Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/instrumentation
• Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal/standards
• Emodin/analogs & derivatives
• Emodin/analysis
• Flavanones/analysis
• Flavonoids/analysis
• Glucosides/analysis
• Iridoids/analysis
• Methanol/chemistry
• Molecular Structure
• Monoterpenes
• Phosphoric Acids/chemistry
• Quality Control
• Reproducibility of Results

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Affiliation(s)

Binan Lu College of Pharmacy, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
Yuetao Liu
Lianhong Yin
Xiaona Wang
Jinyong Peng

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Analysis of fuzhisan and quantitation of baicalin and ginsenoside Rb(1) by HPLC-DAD-ELSD

Fuzhisan (FZS) is a traditional Chinese medicine composed of Radix Ginseng Rubra (Araliaceae family), Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Labiatae family), Angelica sinensis (Oliv) Diels (Umbelliferae family), Anemone altaica Fisch. Ex C.A. Mey (Araceae family) and Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Leguminosae family). To establish the chemical fingerprint of the components of FZS and quantify the components, baicalin and ginsenoside Rb(1), a high performance liquid chromatography method coupled with diode array and evaporative light scattering detectors (DAD-ELSD) was developed. Separation of 36 components from 12 batches of FZS was performed on a C(18) column, with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.1% acetic acid-water, with gradient elution at a column temperature of 30 degrees C. The optimum detection wavelength was set at 335 nm, the drift tube temperature of ELSD was set at 80 degrees C, the carrier gas pressure was 25 psi, and the gain = 10. The similarity among 12 batches of FZS was over 0.95. Five constituents of FZS, namely baicalin, ferulic acid, and ginsenosides Rg(1), Re, and Rb(1), were identified based on their retention times (RT). Calibration curves for baicalin and ginsenoside Rb1 showed good linearity (r (2) > 0.9992); recoveries ranged from 95% to 99%. This quantification method is reproducible and simple, and may provide a tool to assess the quality of FZS.