Da-Yuan Zhu

Iridoid glycosides from Scrophularia ningpoensis

Three new minor iridoids were isolated from the roots of Scrophularia ningpoensis. They were elucidated as 8-O-feruloylharpagide, 8-O-(2-hydroxy-cinnamoyl)harpagide and 6-O-α-d-galactopyranosylharpagoside.

Species identification of Radix Astragali (Huangqi) by DNA sequence of its 5S-rRNA spacer domain.

About 300 species and varieties of Astragalus are identified in China, making the identification of the origin of a particular Astragalus species on the consumer market difficult. A molecular genetic approach was developed to identify various species of Astragalus. Although the 5S-rRNA coding sequence is conserved in higher eukaryotes, the spacer domain of the 5S-rRNA gene has great diversity among different species. The 5S-rRNA spacer domain was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from the isolated genomic DNA, and the PCR products (approximately 300 bp) covering the 5S-rRNA spacer domain were sequenced. The nucleotide sequences of Astragalus membranaceus, A. membranaceus var. mongholicus, A. lehmannianus, A. hoantchy, and of one closely related species Hedysarum polybotrys (Hongqi), were determined. Diversity in DNA sequence and restriction enzyme mapping among various species was found in their 5S-rRNA spacer domains. This is the first report on the detection of 5S-rRNA spacer region sequence of Astragalus, and the results could be used for genetic identification of Huangqi.

Phenylpropanoid glycosides from Scrophularia ningpoensis

Three phenylpropanoid glycosides named ningposides A (3-O-acetyl-2-O-feruloyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranose), B (4-O-acetyl-2-O-feruloyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranose) and C (3-O-acetyl-2-O-p-hydroxycinnamoyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranose) along with the known compounds sibirioside A, cistanoside D, angoroside C, acteoside, decaffeoylacteoside and cistanoside F were obtained from the roots of Scrophularia ningpoensis.

Terrestrinins A and B, two new steroid saponins from Tribulus terrestris.

Two new steroid saponins, named terrestrinins A (1) and B (2), along with six known compounds were isolated from the Chinese medicine herb Tribulus terrestris, and their chemical structures were elucidated as 26-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(25S)-furostan-4(5),20(22)-diene-3,12-dione (1) and 26-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(25S)-5α-furostane-3β,22α,26-triol-3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl(1→3)-[(β-D-xylopyranosyl(1→2)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→4)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)]-β-D-galactopyranoside (2) on the basis of spectroscopic techniques.

Alkaloid patterns in Huperzia and some related genera of Lycopodiaceae Sensu Lato occurring in China and their contribution to classification

Abstract The relationships between Huperzia and related genera of Lycopodiales were studied by chemotaxonomic analysis of alkaloids Tsuda et al., 1974 . Huperzia (18 species, 1 variety and 2 forma) and related genera Phlegmariurus (8 species), Lycopodium (3 species), Lycopodiella (1 species), Palhinhaea (1 species), Diphasiastrum (2 species), and Lycopodiastrum (1 species) were examined by thin layer chromatography for the presence of 10 reference Lycopodium alkaloids, huperzine A, huperzine B, serratine, serratinine, lycodoline, lucidioline, lycopodine, lyconnotine, annotinine, and cernuine. The results indicated that the various genera could be distinguished from one another.

Two Novel Lycopodium Alkaloids from Huperzia serrata

Huperzine Q (1) and N-oxyhuperzine Q (2), two novel irregular fawcettimine-type Lycopodium alkaloids were isolated from the CHCl3 fraction of the basic material of the whole plant of the Chinese medicinal herb Huperzia serrata. Their structures were determined as 13-epi-13β,16-epoxydihydrofawcettimine (1) and N-oxy-13-epi-13β,16-epoxydihydrofawcettimine (2) by means of spectroscopic studies and X-ray crystallographic analysis.

Chromenes from Evodia lepta

Five new compounds, leptins D-H, along with one known chromene, methylevodionol, were isolated from the aerial parts of Evodia lepta. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis and chemical techniques as (trans)-3,4-dihydroxy-5,7-dimethoxy-6-acetyl-2,2-dimethylchroman, 3-hydroxy-4-ethoxy-5,7-dimethoxy-6-acetyl-2,2-dimethylchroman, 3-hydroxy-4-butoxy-5,7-dimethoxy-6-acetyl-2,2-dimethylchroman, (trans)-3,4-dihydroxy-5,7,8-trimethoxy-6-acetyl-2,2-dimethylchroman and 3-hydroxy-4-ethoxy-5,7,8-trimethoxy-6-acetyl-2,2-dimethylchroman, respectively.

Serratane-type Triterpenoids from Huperzia Serrata

Sixteen serratane-type triterpenoids including three new compounds, 14β,15β- epoxyserratan-3β,21β,29-triol (1), serrat-14-en-3β,21β,29-triol (2) and serrat-14-en-3α,21β,24,29-tetraol (3), were isolated from the whole plant of Huperzia serrata (Thunb) Trev. The structures of these new compounds (1–3) were elucidated on the basis of spectral analysis.

A novel bis-furan derivative, two new natural furan derivatives from Rehmannia glutinosa and their bioactivity.

A novel bis-furan derivative and two new natural furan derivatives were isolated from the CHCl3 extracts of the dried roots of Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaerth) Lilosch. Their structures were identified as 1,5-bis(5-methoxymethyl)furan-2-yl-penta-1,4-dien-3-one 1, (E)-4-(5-(methoxymethyl)furan-2-yl)but-3-en-2-one 2 and (E)-4-(5-(hydroxymethyl)furan-2-yl)but-3-en-2-one 3 on the basis of spectral data. Moreover, biological assay showed that 1 (10 µg/mL) and 3 (10 µg/mL) can promote immune activity, 2 (100 µg/mL) and 3 (100 µg/mL) inhibit immune activity and 1 can inhibit blood platelet aggregation.

Rapid separation and characterization of diterpenoid alkaloids in processed roots of Aconitum carmichaeli using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid linear ion trap‐Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry

The lateral root of Aconitum carmichaeli, a popular traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used to treat rheumatic diseases. For decades, diterpenoid alkaloids have dominated the phytochemical and biomedical research on this plant. In this study, a rapid and sensitive method based on ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry was developed to characterize the diterpenoid alkaloids in Aconitum carmichaeli. Based on an optimized chromatographic condition, more than 120 diterpenoid alkaloids were separated with good resolution. Using a systematic strategy that combines high resolution separation, highly accurate mass measurements and a good understanding of the diagnostic fragment-based fragmentation patterns, these diterpenoid alkaloids were identified or tentatively identified. The identification of these chemicals provided essential data for further phytochemical studies and toxicity research of Aconitum carmichaeli. Moreover, the ultra high performance liquid chromatography with linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry platform was an effective and accurate tool for rapid qualitative analysis of secondary metabolite productions from natural resources.