OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents of Psammosilene tunicoides.

METHODThe two chemical constituents were separated by various chromatographic methods, and their structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic analysis.

RESULTTwo beta-carboline alkaloids were separated from normal butanol fraction of P. tunicoides, and identified as 1-acetyl-3-methoxycarbonyl-beta-carboline (1) and 1-acetyl-3-methoxycarbonyl-4-hydroxyl-beta-carboline (2).

CONCLUSIONCompound 1 is separated from this plant as natural products for the first time, and compound 2 was a new compound.

Alkaloids ; analysis ; Carbolines ; analysis ; Caryophyllaceae ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo establish a new method for quality evaluation and validate its feasibilities by simultaneous quantitative assay of five alkaloids in Sophora flavescens.

METHODThe new quality evaluation method, quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS), was established and validated with S. flavescens. Five main alkaloids, oxymatrine, sophocarpine, matrine, oxysophocarpine and sophoridine, were selected as analytes to evaluate the quality of rhizome of S. flavescens, and the relative correction factor has good repeatibility. Their contents in 21 batches of samples, collected from different areas, were determined by both external standard method and QAMS. The method was evaluated by comparison of the quantitative results between external standard method and QAMS.

RESULTNo significant differences were found in the quantitative results of five alkaloids in 21 batches of S. flavescens determined by external standard method and QAMS.

CONCLUSIONIt is feasible and suitable to evaluate the quality of rhizome of S. flavescens by QAMS.

Alkaloids ; analysis ; Quinolizines ; analysis ; Sophora ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the dynamic accumulation of the effective components and biomass of Coptis chinensis, so to provide the experimental date of optimal harvest time for C. chinensis in Hongya county.

METHODThe samples of three to five years were gathered from the same field and time. The biomass was analyzed by weighed. The jatrorrhizine, columbamine, epiberberine, coptisine, palmatine and berberine in C. chinensis were analyzed by HPLC.

RESULTWith the increasing of years of growth, the rootstalk biomass of C. chinensis was increasing continuously. The biomass growth of four-year-old C. chinensis was the fastest in the year. From September to October was the fastest season of the growth of rootstalk. The dynamic accumulation in rootstalk C. chinensis had regularity in the certain extend. The contents of six alkaloids and all alkaloids in 4-year-old C. chinensis were more than that in 3-years-old and 5-year-old. The contents of six alkaloids were mostly highest in August. From July to December, there is no significant difference in the contents of columbamine, epiberberine, coptisine, palmatine, berberine and all alkaloids in 4-years-old C. chinensis.

CONCLUSIONAccording to the biomass and the accumulation pattern of the effective components in the C. chinensis, the optimal harvest time is from September to October of 4-year-old C. chinensis.

Alkaloids ; analysis ; Biomass ; Coptis ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Seasons

OBJECTIVETo find out the relativity among starch quantity, polysaccharides content and total alkaloid content of Dendrobium loddigesii.

METHODMicroscopy-counting process was applied to starch quantity statistics, sulfuric acid-anthrone colorimetry was used to assay polysaccharides content and bromocresol green colorimetry was used to assay alkaloid content. Pearson product moment correlation analysis, Kendall's rank correlation analysis and Spearman's concordance coefficient analysis were applied to study their relativity.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONExtremely significant positive correlation was found between starch quantity and polysaccharides content, and significant negative correlation between alkaloid content and starch quantity was discovered, as well was between alkaloid content and polysaccharides content.

Alkaloids ; analysis ; Dendrobium ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; analysis ; Starch ; analysis

According to the records of Chinese materia medica,Coptis chinensis var. brevisepala is an authentic Chinese medicinal plant highly recommended by ancient physicians since its rhizome is like a string of beads and has a good medicinal value. However,its medicinal components and values remain to be studied as it is endangered because of overexploitation. Therefore,this study aims to quantitatively determine its effective components based on UPLC-QTOF-MS,and to compare the contents of isoquinoline alkaloids in C.chinensis var. brevisepala with those in other Coptis species. Meanwhile,molecular methods accurately identified 12 batches of C. chinensis var. brevisepala,9 batches of C. chinensis,4 batches of C. deltoidea,and 1 batch of C. teeta. Gradient elution was performed with Waters CORTECS C18 column( 4. 6 mm× 150 mm,2. 7 μm) and the mobile phase acetonitrile-water with 0. 4% formic acid. Mass spectrometry was conducted in ESI positive mode. The quantitative results showed that 8 main alkaloids had a good linear relationship within the concentration range( R~2>0. 996),with the recovery rate of 95. 18%-105. 0% and the RSD of 0. 28%-3. 7%. Compared with that of other Coptis species,the rhizome of C. chinensis var. brevisepala had the highest contents of berberine and columbamine. The total content of the 8 alkaloids in C. chinensis var. brevisepala was similar to that in C. chinensis but higher than that of the other two species. PCA was performed to compare the alkaloids among the 4 species. Besides,the 8 alkaloids were evaluated in different parts of C. chinensis var. brevisepala. The results indicate that this method is reliable and efficient and can provide a reference for the quality research.
Alkaloids ; Berberine Alkaloids ; China ; Coptis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Plants, Medicinal

OBJECTIVETo determine the change pattern of alkaline and acid components of Dahuang and Fuzi in different combinations.

METHODThe contents of anthraquinones and aconite alkaloids were determined by HPLC in samples of Dahuang extracts, Fuzi extracts, Dahuang and Fuzi pair medicines extracts, and extracts of whole recipe.

RESULTAs for Dahuang, the contents of anthraquinones were decreased with changes of combination: higher contents were in decoctions of Dahuang alone, lower contents were in decoctions of pair medicines, and the lowest contents were in decoctions of whole recipe. As for Fuzi, monoester aconite alkaloids could be detected in water extracts, and both biester and monoester aconite alkaloids could be detected in ethanol extracts. The contents of aconite alkaloids were decreased with changes of combinations: from Fuzi alone to pair medicines, and to whole recipe. The change pattern was more apparent when extracted in water decoction.

CONCLUSIONThe contents of alkaline and acid components are changed with different extract methods and different combinations.

Acids ; analysis ; Aconitum ; chemistry ; Alkalies ; analysis ; Alkaloids ; analysis ; Anthraquinones ; analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Rheum ; chemistry

This review presents the most recent chemical and biological investigations on one of the marine invertebrates, gorgonian octocoral. It summarizes all 432 new compounds published in 2002-2009, which consists of 46 sesquiterpenoids (including 2 new natural products, NNP), 282 diterpenoids (including 4 from Pennatulacea octocoral and one artifact), 76 steroids, and 29 alkaloids or other types (2 NNP included). In this paper, according to the structure division, the new compounds are described in combination with the taxonomy of the investigated animals, and its simultaneous bioactivity results. Novel skeletons and complex structures are paid most emphasis on its features, means of structural elucidation and the proposed biogenesis pathway. The source of all new compounds and the different diterpenoid skeleton types are all listed and analyzed, as well as the commonly used Chinese names or some proposed ones for diterpenoid skeletons. Furthermore, this papers deals with all biological test toward the gorgonian new metabolites, i.e. anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial(against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis etc), anti-malaria, and anti-fouling as well, in which anti-cancer activity and cytotoxicity were additionally, a discussion and prospect are proposed regarding chemical overview on gorgonian. This review, hopefully, can be useful in proving data and references for further chemical and biological research of China sea gorgonian, for the studies on chemical ecology, and for the discovery of new and bioactive compounds or the marine-derived leading targets.
Alkaloids ; analysis ; Animals ; Anthozoa ; chemistry ; physiology ; Diterpenes ; analysis ; Sesquiterpenes ; analysis ; Steroids ; analysis

AIM: To develop and validate a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with diode array and evaporative light scattering detectors (DAD-ELSD) method for the quantitative determination and fingerprint analysis of ten active constituents in three chemical classes (namely, xanthone glycosides, steroidal saponins, and alkaloids) in Zhimu-Huangbai herb pair (ZB). METHOD: Chromatographic separation was performed on a Diamonsil C18 column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm, Dikma) by gradient elution using acetic acid in acetonitrile solution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min(-1) at 260 nm. The drift tube temperature of ELSD was set to 60 °C and nebulizer gas pressure was 4.0 Bar. Method validation was performed to assure its linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision, repeatability, stability, and accuracy. RESULTS: The HPLC-DAD-ELSD method allowed the quantification of ten compounds (phellodendrine, jatrorrhizine, palmatine, berberine, neomangiferin, mangiferin, timosaponin E-I, timosaponin B-II, timosaponin B, and timosaponin A-III), and was successfully applied to fingerprint analysis for ten batches of ZB samples. CONCLUSION This was the first time to apply the combination of DAD and ELSD for the simultaneous determination of ten active ingredients in ZB. The results showed that the combination of quantitative analysis for marker ingredients and chemical fingerprint for the TCM herb pair provides a potentially powerful, widely introduced, and internationally accepted strategy for assessment of complex TCM formulas.
Alkaloids ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; instrumentation ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Glycosides ; analysis ; Xanthones ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo compare the chemical compositions between Dendrobium candidum (D. candidum) and Dendrobium nobile (D. nobile).

METHODRelative area and content of every chromatographic peak in the ammonic chloroform extracts of D. candidum were compared with those of D. nobile with high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

RESULTSThe relative area of alkaloids accounted for 2.34% and 41.87% in D. candidum and D. nobile, respectively. The relative area of 25 identical compositions took up 97.12% in the total area of D. candidum and 50.09% in that of D. nobile, and contents of 23 composition were higher in D. candidum than those in D. nobile.

CONCLUSIONSThe quantity and contents of alkaloids are remarkably different between D. candidum and D. nobile. However, D. candidum has a higher quality than D. nobile in terms of the same chemical compositions.

Alkaloids ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Dendrobium ; chemistry ; classification

OBJECTIVETo study the alkaloids of the Chinese medicinal herbs Daphniphyllum macropodum for in search for new bioactive substances.

METHODThe CHCl3 extract of D. macropodum was subjected to repeated column chromatography on silica gel to afford four pure compounds (1-4). Their structures were determined on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis and comparison with the data reported in the literature.

RESULTThe four known compounds were isolated and elucidated as Daphniphyllum alkaloids with different carbon skeletons, namely longistylumphylline A (1), deoxycalyciphylline B (2), daphnicyclidin B (3) and H (4), respectively.

CONCLUSIONAll compounds were isolated from the titled plant for the first time. The discovery of daphnicyclidin B (3) and H (4) further confirmed the biogenetic relationship between the two compounds and the previously reported macropodumines A-C, found in the same plant.

Alkaloids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Magnoliopsida ; chemistry