Xian-Ju Huang

Anti-inflammatory and Anticancer Activities of Ethanol Extract of Pendulous Monkshood Root in vitro

AIM Pendulous monkshood root is traditionally used for the treatment of several inflammatory pathologies such as rheumatisms, wounds, pain and tumors in China. In this study, the anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities and the mechanism of crude ethanol extract of pendulous monkshood root (EPMR) were evaluated and investigated in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS The cytotoxic effects of EPMR on different tumor cell lines were determined by the MTT method. Cell apoptosis and cell nucleus morphology were assessed by Hoechst 33258 staining. Moreover, nitric oxide (NO) levels and intracellular oxidative stress in peritoneal macrophages were determined to further elucidate mechanisms of action. RESULTS The data showed that EPMR could produce significant dose-dependent toxicity on three kinds of tumor cells. Furthermore, EPMR displayed obvious anti- inflammatory effects on LPS-induced mouse peritoneal macrophages at the dosage of 4 - 200 μg/mL. The results demonstrated the therapeutic potential of Pendulous Monkshood Root on cancer and inflammatory diseases. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that EPMR has anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, suggesting that pendulous monkshood root may be a useful anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory reagent in the clinic.

Gentiopicroside and sweroside from Veratrilla baillonii Franch. induce phosphorylation of Akt and suppress Pck1 expression in hepatoma cells.

The use of phytochemicals and herbal medicines has accompanied human history. Advances in modern biomedical sciences have allowed us to investigate the functional mechanisms of herbal medicines and phytochemicals. Veratrilla baillonii Franch. has long been used as a medicinal herb in southwestern China. Here, we analyzed the effects of an ethanol extract from V. baillonii (VBFE) on the expression levels of the cytosolic form of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene (Pck1) mRNA and components of the insulin signalling cascade in HL1C hepatoma cells. Compared with the insulin control, VBFE treatment inhibited the expression of Pck1 mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. This was associated with the phosphorylation of Akt and Erk1/2 in a time-dependent manner. Further analysis of the purified components of VBFE indicated that gentiopicroside and sweroside from VBFE, alone and in combination, suppressed Pck1 expression and induced Akt and Erk1/2 phosphorylation. In conclusion, gentiopicroside and sweroside suppress Pck1 expression and induce phosphorylation of components in the insulin signalling cascade. This is the first study to demonstrate that gentiopicroside and sweroside show insulin-mimicking effects on the regulation of Pck1 expression. Further studies are warranted to explore the potential of gentiopicroside and sweroside in the control of blood glucose in animals.

Separation and preparation of xanthochymol and guttiferone E by high performance liquid chromatography and high speed counter-current chromatography combined with silver nitrate coordination reaction

Xanthochymol (XCM) and guttiferone E (GFE), a pair of π bond benzophenone isomers from Garcinia xanthochymus, were once reported to be difficult or impossible to separate. The present study reports the successful separation of these two isomers through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), as well as their effective isolation using high speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) based on the silver nitrate (AgNO3) coordination reaction. First, an effective HPLC separation system was developed, achieving a successful baseline separation with resolution of 2.0. Based on the partition coefficient (K) resolved by HPLC, the two-phase solvent system was determined as n-hexane, methanol and water with the uncommon volume ratio of 4:6:1. A crude extract of Garcinia xanthochymus (0.2g) was purified by normal HSCCC and refined with AgNO3-HSCCC. Monomers of XCM and GFE were identified by HPLC, mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The results demonstrate the separation and isolation of π bond benzophenone isomers using ordinary octadecyl silane (C18) columns and HSCCC.

Antitoxic effect of Veratrilla baillonii on the acute toxicity in mice induced by Aconitum brachypodum, one of the genus Aconitum ☆

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Aconitum brachypodum Diels (Family Ranunculaceae) is well known for both its good therapy and high toxicity in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in China. Noticeably, Veratrilla baillonii Franch (Family Gentianaceae), an ethnodrug used by Naxi and Lisu nationalities in Yunnan Province, has been widely considered to possess antitoxic effects on Aconitum plants in herbal therapy and folklore medicines. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study was conducted to determine the detoxic activities of the water decoction of Veratrilla baillonii Franch (WVBF) on the the chloroform fraction of Aconitum brachypodum Diels (CFA) induced acute toxicity in mice. The physiological (symptoms, body weight, etc.) as well as pathological and clinical biochemistry parameters were assessed and used as the markers for the toxicity. (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) based metabolic approach was adopted to further discuss the mechanism. RESULTS The acute poisoning effects of CFA on mice were observed at doses of 20-62.5mgkg(-1), resulting in an oral median lethal dose (LD50) of 41.3mgkg(-1). Histologically, distinct degenerative changes of the heart, liver and kidney were observed. The biochemistry parameters in the serum as well as metabolites in heart and brain were also altered. However, WVBF (25-200mg/kg) attenuated all the acute toxicity and pathological changes, properly regulated the biochemistry parameters, and reversed the concentration alterations for some metabolites in the heart and brain of mice induced by 40mg/kg of CFA to a certain extent. CONCLUSIONS WVBF significantly reduced the onset of the CFA toxicity. This study may contribute to further understanding of the toxicological and pharmacological profiles of Aconitum brachypodum and the detoxic property of Veratrilla baillonii.

Six New Triterpene Derivatives from Aralia chinensis Var. dasyphylloides

Aralia chinensis var. dasyphylloides is widely distributed in China and used as a traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of digestive and immune system diseases. The present study aimed to search for novel oleanolic-type triterpenoids in low-polarity fractions. Six new triterpene derivatives (1–6), together with two known compounds were isolated from the barks of A. chinensis var. dasyphylloides. Their structures were elucidated by 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. They were identified as 3-oxo-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28,30-dioic acid (1), 30-hydroxy-3-oxo-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid (2), 3β-hydroxy-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid-28-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (3), 3β,30-dihydroxy-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid-28-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (4), 3β-hydroxy-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid-3-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-d-glucopyranoside (5), 3β,29-dihydroxy-oleana-9(11),12-dien-28-oic acid-28-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (6), namely, araliachinolic acids I and II and araliachinosides I–IV. The cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds was tested against HepG2, A549, SGC7901, and MCF7 cell lines, but no apparent activity was observed at a concentration of 50 μM.