OBJECTIVETo analyze the content of tanshinone IIA in Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae from different habitats are regularly altered and find out the deviation between the studies.

METHODThe data of the content of tanshinone IIA in samples of Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae from different areas and related information since 1997 was collected and statistically analyzed.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONThe content of tanshinone IIA in wild Salvia was generally higher than that in the cultivated Salvia, and the content in nearly half cultivated Salvia was less than 0.2%. There existed a big difference between the used statistical model, and the data related the content in samples from Sichuan was the most divisive. The coefficient of variation of wild Salvia was below the cultivated Salvia, and the cultivated Salvia from different areas showed different coefficients of variation. The content of tanshinone IIA was lower when samples were extracted using the heating reflux method.

Diterpenes, Abietane ; Phenanthrenes ; analysis ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo compare the influence on the dissolution of tanshinone IIA (TS IIA) solid dispersions in complex carriers and single, which used in preparation of TS IIA solid dispersions, and further enhance the dissolution of TS IIA.

METHODThe TS IIA solid dispersions were prepared by solvent technique with polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 (PVPK30), poloxamer188 (F68) and combination of PVPK30 and F68 as carriers, respectively. The physical characteristics of TS IIA solid dispersions was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Dissolution rates were studied using small cup method (CHP XC III). The solubility of TS IIA with the solid dispersions and pure drug form were determined by HPLC method.

RESULTThe DSC analysis suggested that TS IIA was dispersed as an amorphous form in the combination of PVPK30 and F68. Dissolution profile of the prepared solid dispersions could be described by Weibull equation (R>0.99). For tested three carries, Td value (calculated time to 63.2% of total drug release according to Weibull equation) were (90.40 +/- 2.82) min, (204.5 +/- 8.20) min and (25.83 +/- 0.13) min, respectively. The PVPK30/F68-TS IIA solid dispersion resulted in a significant increase of TS IIA solubility compared with prepared PVPK30-TS IIA and F68-TS IIA solid dispersions (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONAs compared to single use of PVPK30 or F68, the combination of PVPK30 and F68 improve the dissolution rate and solubility of TS IIA significantly in the prepared solid dispersions (P<0.01). The application of complex carriers in solid dispersion technology should be paid more attention to improvement of poorly soluble drugs dissolution in the future.

Diterpenes, Abietane ; Phenanthrenes ; chemistry ; Solubility ; Temperature

Triptolide has wide clinical applications due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and immunosuppressive activities. In this study, we investigated the effect of blocking isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) translocation on the biosynthesis of triptolide by exogenously adding D,L-glyceraldehyde (DLG) to the suspension cells of Ttripterygium wilfordii at different stages (7 d, 14 d). Subsequently, the cell viability, biomass accumulation, triptolide contents, as well as the profiles of the key enzyme genes involved in the upstream pathway of triptolide biosynthesis, were analyzed. The results showed that IPP translocation is involved in the biosynthesis of triptolide. IPP is mainly translocated from the plastid (containing the MEP pathway) to the cytoplasm (containing the MVA pathway) in the early stage of the culture, but reversed in the late stage. Blocking the translocation of IPP affected the expression of key enzyme genes involved in the upstream pathway of triptolide, which in turn affected the accumulation of triptolide. Understanding the characteristics and mechanism of IPP translocation provides a theoretical basis for further promoting triptolide biosynthesis through synthetic biology.
Diterpenes ; Epoxy Compounds ; Hemiterpenes ; Organophosphorus Compounds ; Phenanthrenes

The fibrous roots are the residues of production of cut crude drug of Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza). Enzymatic pretreatment and ultrasonic extraction are beneficial to extract effective constituents from fibrous roots more effectively. The present research was to optimize the enzymatic parameters by the central composite design and response surface method. Under the best conditions, the yields of total tanshinones and total salvianolic acids in the extracts of enzymatic pretreatment increased by 113.92% and 30.64%, comparing with the non-enzymatic extraction, respectively. TLC analysis also showed that the types of effective constituents in the two samples were not affected by enzymatic hydrolysis. Meanwhile, the complex correlation coefficients of the mathematical models were high, which provided a good prediction.
Diterpenes, Abietane ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Phenanthrenes ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo isolate and elucidate the constituents from rhizome of Arundina graminifolia.

METHODTheconstituents were extracted with 95% alcohol and isolated by chromatography on silica gel, Sephedax LH-20. The structures were determined by UV, IR, NMR and MS spectral analysis.

RESULTFive phenanthrene constituents were identified as 7-hydroxy-2, 4-dimethoxy-9, 10-dihydrophenanthrene( I ), 4, 7-dihydroxy-2-methoxy-9, 10-dihydrophenanthrene ( II ), 2, 7-dihydroxy-4-methoxy-9, 10-dihydrophenanthrene ( III ), 7-hydroxy-2-methoxyphenanthrene-1,4-dione ( IV ), 7-hydroxy-2-methoxy-9, 10-dihydrophenanthrene-1,4-dione (V), respectively.

CONCLUSIONAll compounds were isolated from rhizome of A. graminifolia for the first time.

Orchidaceae ; chemistry ; Phenanthrenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo establish a method to determine the dissolution of Tanshinone IIA in xianling gubao capsules, and compare the dissolution of Xianling Gubao capsules prepared by different processes.

METHODThe small cup method was used at a rotary speed of 100 r x min(-1), the dissolubility was inspected in the following 6 mediums: (1) water; (2) 0.1 mol x L(-1) hydrochloric acid solution; (3) pH 6.8 phosphate buffer; (4) pH 6.8 phosphate buffer solution + 0.5% cholic acid; (5) pH 6.8 phosphate buffer solution + 1.0% cholic acid; (6) pH 7.6 phosphate buffer solution + 4. 0% cholic acid. A HPLC method was used to determine the dissolution samples of tanshione IIA in different dissolution mediums. The accumulative dissolution percentages were calculated, and the resemblance of release curves were compared by similarity factors (f2).

RESULTThe accumulative dissolution percentage was the highest while pH 7.6 phosphate buffer solution + 4.0% cholic acid was used as medium. The similarity factor values (f2) of tanshinone IIA dissolution curves of different preparation processes of Xianling Gubao capsules were all less than 50.

CONCLUSIONThere is significant difference in tanshinone IIA dissolution between Xianling Gubao capsules of different preparation processes. The accumulative dissolution percentages of the tanshinone IIA in new Xianling Gubao capsules is higher than that in the capsules prepared by other preparation processes.

Capsules ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Phenanthrenes ; chemistry ; Solubility

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and possible mechanism of low concentration of triptolide (TPL) combined with homoharringtonine (HHT) on the proliferation and apoptosis of KG-1α cells.

METHODSCCK-8 method was used to detect the antiproliferating effects of different concentrations of TPL and HHT single-use and combined use on KG-1α cells, and the combined index (CI) was calculated. The colony formation ability was also determined by methylcellulose colony formation assay, cell surface molecules, apoptosis rate and cell cycle changes were detected by flow cytometry. Westerrn blot was used to detect the expression of Akt signaling pathway related proteins before and after low dose TPL combined with HHT using.

RESULTSHigh expression of CD34 and CD123 were on KG-1a cells, which being lack expression of CD38. TPL and HHT dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of KG-1α cells. Compared with low dosage TPL and HHT single-use groups, the cell proliferation and colony formation efficiency were lower, and the cell apoptosis rate was higher in the combined group. CI values also indicated that low concentration TPL combined with HHT possessed highly synergistic effect. After the combination of the 2 drugs, the expressions of P-Akt, P-Akt, BCL-2, PARP and survivin protein were down-regulated and the cleavage of PARP protein was increased.

CONCLUSIONLow concentration of TPL combined with HHT can synergistically inhibit KG-1α cell proliferation and induce its apoptosis through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and downstream protein.

Apoptosis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Diterpenes ; Epoxy Compounds ; Harringtonines ; Homoharringtonine ; Humans ; Phenanthrenes ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cisplatin (CP) is a widely used agent for chemotherapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma but some tumor cell shows resistance to CP. Accordingly, it is necessary to seek a method to increase the sensitivity of tumor cell to CP. This study was conducted to investigate whether Triptolide (TP) is effective in the inhibition of proliferating head and neck cancer cell and sensitizes cancer cells to CP. MATERIALS AND METHOD: To assess how the combination of TP and CP influence apoptosis of head and neck cancer cell, AMC-HN4 cells were treated with different concentrations of TP and/or CP. Then, their growth was analyzed by XTT assay and the degree of apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The combination of TP and CP increased suppression of the growth of tumor cells more significantly and enhanced apoptosis more than that of TP or CP alone, and suppressed expression of anti-apoptotic protein. CONCLUSION: This study showed that TP alone had antitumor activity in AMC-HN4 cells, and the combination of TP or CP also might sensitize head and neck cancer cell to CP by suppressing the expression of antiapoptotic protein.
Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cisplatin ; Diterpenes ; Epoxy Compounds ; Flow Cytometry ; Head ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Neck ; Phenanthrenes

Objective To observe the effect of cryptotanshinone on the ferroptosis of human liver cancer HepG2 cells. Methods The viability of the HepG2 cells cultured
Ferroptosis ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; Phenanthrenes/pharmacology* ; Reactive Oxygen Species

Overtaking lung cancer,breast cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer seriously threatening people's health and life. As the main effective component of Tripterygium wilfordii,triptolide( TP) has attracted increasing attention due to its multitarget and multi-pathway anti-tumor activity. Recent studies have revealed that breast cancer-sensitive TP enables the inactivation of breast cancer cells by inducing tumor cell apoptosis and autophagy,interfering in tumor cell metastasis,resisting drug resistance,arresting tumor cell cycle,and influencing tumor microenvironment. It has been recognized as a promising clinical antitumor agent by virtue of its widely accepted therapeutic efficacy. This paper reviewed the anti-breast cancer action and its molecular mechanisms of TP on the basis of the relevant literature in the past ten years,and proposed application strategies in view of the inadequacy of TP to provide a reference for further research on the application of TP in the treatment of breast cancer.
Breast Neoplasms/genetics* ; Diterpenes/pharmacology* ; Epoxy Compounds ; Female ; Humans ; Phenanthrenes ; Tumor Microenvironment