The development of molecular pharmacology and neuropharmacology accelerated the studies on molecular mechanism of Hypericum perforatum for depression. The clinical trials indicated that this galenical was superior to the traditional synthetic drugs for antidepression. This preparation had good tolerability and safety. Clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics provided further evidence for clinical application of Hypericum. The clinical efficacy of Hypericum for depression was notable and credible.

AIM: To compare the release and percutaneous penetration in vitro among 2 kinds of the psoralen ointments and its gel. METHODS: Dissolution tester and Franz diffusion cells were adopted as the release and percutaneous penetration in vitro, and HPLC was used to measure the amount of psoralen in the releasing solution, receiving solution and the skin. RESULTS: The release and percutaneous penetration of psoralen from the 3 kinds of preparation conformed to the zero kinetic equation. The steady-state penetration rate of psoralen in the gel was higher than that of the ointment, and there was no significant difference between 2 kinds of ointments. CONCLUSION: Gel is a better choice for percutaneous penetration of psoralen.

An efficient method for the isolation and purification of 12,13-dihydroxyeuparin from Radix Eupatorii Chinensis by high speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was established in this paper.The ether extracts of Radix Eupatorii Chinensis were purified by HSCCC with a solvent system of hexyl hydride ethyl acetate-methanol-water (1∶2∶1∶2,v/v/v/v).The upper phase was used as the stationary phase and the lower phase as the mobile phase.About 8.4 mg of 12,13-dihydroxyeuparin was obtained from 200 mg of ether extracts from Radix Eupatorii Chinensis in one-step HSCCC separation,with the purity of 96.71％,as determined by HPLC.After methanolwater recrystallization,the purity of 12,13-dihydroxyeuparin reached 99.83％.Such a simple and effective method was fairly useful to prepare pure compound as reference substances for related study on Radix Eupatorii Chinensis.

Progresses in the studies on chemical constituents of Clematis L. (belonging to the family Ranunculaceae) were systematiically reviewed in this article. The plants in this genus have a wide spectrum of constituents as follows: triterpenes, flavonoids, lignans, coumarins, alkaloids, volatile oils, steroids, organic acids, macrocyclic compounds and phenols, etc., among which triterpenoid saponins, flavonoids and lignans are the main components. The triterpenoid saponins are mainly oleanolic type and hederagenin type, most of which are bidesmosidic saponins, substituted with oligosaccharide chains at both C-3 and C-28, and some are substituted with acetyl, caffeoyl, isoferuloyl, p-methoxy cinnamyl and 3,4-dimethoxy cinnamyl groups in the oligosaccharide chains. The flavonoids from Clematis species are mainly flavones, flavonols, flavanones, isoflavones, xanthones and their glucosides (sugar moieties are connected to the aglycone through either the oxygen or the carbon atoms), the aglycones of which are mainly apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin and quercetin. The lignans from Clematis are mainly eupomatene lignans, cyclolignans, monoepoxylignans, bisepoxylignans and lignanolides. Clematis spp. are rich in resources, however, studies on their chemical constituents have only been carried out on twenty or so spp. As a result, it is necessary to expand our study on other spp. from this genus for better utilization of medicinal resources.
Clematis ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry

Bao-Xie-Ning (BXN), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) formula composed of Fructus Evodiae, Flos Caryophylli and Cortex Cinnamomi, and used for the treatment of infant diarrheal illness, was subject to systematic assessment for its putative multiple pharmacodynamic effects and pharmacological antidiarrheal mechanisms.

Quality standardization of complementary medicine is fundamental for industry and practice as it underpins the quality,safety and efficacy of Chinese herbal medicines.Current herbal standardizations are often based on the quantitative analysis of a single compound,which may not reflect the total characteristic,bioactive and toxic nature of the herbs or products.Therefore,there is a need to establish an internationally recognized methodology for quality standardization of Chinese herbal medicines.The analytical methods reviewed in this article are pharmacognosy,TLC,HPLC,LCMS,CE and chemo-metrics.This article also covers the developments and applications of these methods in quality standardization.Recent advances show that a combination of these methods creates an overall chemical profile of each herb.This iS supported by results reviewed in this article and obtained in our laboratory tests on medicinal herbs including Hypericum perforatum,Morinda officinalis and Centella asiatica.Significant variations in active components have been observed between herbal samples and products.It is proposed that the identification of active components,pharmacological activities and eventual clinical applications are required for a comprehensive quality standardization system.Our findings indicate that the combination of various chromatographic and chemometric methods will advance the methodology of quality standardization and enhance the overall confidence in herbal medicine for the health practitioner and the public.

Objective To optimize the extraction process of total phenolic acids from Cibotii rhizoma using Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology and evaluate antioxidant activity of total phenolic acid in vitro.Methods Taking the liquid-solid ratio,ethanol concentration and extraction temperature as influencing factors,and the extraction rate of total phenolic acids as evaluation indicator,the extraction process of total phenolic acids from Cibotii rhizoma was optimized using a three-factor and three-level Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology on the basis of single factor tests.Meanwhile,the scavenging effects of total phenolic acid extract from Cibotii rhizoma on ABTS·+and DPPH· was determined.Results The optimized extraction process for total phenolic acids from Cibotii rhizoma was as follows:the ethanol concentration of 55％,the extraction temperature of 88℃ and the liquid-solid ratio of 60∶1 mL/g.Under these conditions,the extraction rate could reach 8.67％.When the mass concentration of total phenolic acids extract were 2 mg/mL and 1 mg/mL,the clearance rates of ABTS·+and DPPH·were 92.76％and 88.66％,respectively.Conclusion The theoretical values obtained from the response surface optimization method are consistent with the actual measured values,and the extraction process of total phenolic acids from Cibotii rhizoma was simple and feasible.The total phenolic acids extract from Cibotii rhizoma exhibit strong antioxidant activity in vitro.

Cibotii Rhizoma has a long history of folk usage and clinical applications,which is commonly used to treat symptoms such as waist and knee soreness,numbness of hands and feet.Its chemical components mainly include sugars and glycosides,aromatics,volatile oils,pterosins,flavonoids,steroids,pyranones,amino acids and inorganic elements.Pharmacological studies have shown that Cibotii Rhizoma has antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,anti-osteoporosis,gastrointestinal protection,antibacterial,liver protection,anticancer,analgesic and other effects.This paper systematically reviews the research status of chemical constituents,pharmacological effects and quality control of Cibotii Rhizoma,which provides reference for the development and rational use of Cibotii Rhizoma.