Chalcone synthase( CHS) and chalcone isomerase( CHI) are key enzymes in the biosynthesis pathway of flavonoids. In this study,unigenes for CHS and CHI were screened from the transcriptome database of Arisaema heterophyllum. The open reading frame( ORFs) of chalcone synthase( Ah CHS) and chalcone isomerase( Ah CHI) were cloned from the plant by RT-PCR. The physicochemical properties,expression and structure characteristics of the encoded proteins Ah CHS and Ah CHI were analyzed. The ORFs of Ah CHS and Ah CHI were 1 176,630 bp in length and encoded 392,209 amino acids,respectively. Ah CHS functioned as a symmetric homodimer. The N-terminal helix of one monomer entwined with the corresponding helix of another monomer. Each CHS monomer consisted of two structural domains. In particular,four conserved residues define the active site. The tertiary structure of Ah CHI revealed a novel open-faced β-sandwich fold. A large β-sheet( β4-β11) and a layer of α-helices( α1-α7) comprised the core structure. The residues spanning β4,β5,α4,and α6 in the three-dimensional structure were conserved among CHIs from different species. Notably,these structural elements formed the active site on the protein surface,and the topology of the active-site cleft defined the stereochemistry of the cyclization reaction. The homology comparison showed that Ah CHS had the highest similarity to the CHS of Anthurium andraeanum,while Ah CHI had the highest similarity to the CHI of Paeonia delavayi. This study provided the basis for the functional study of Ah CHS and Ah CHI and the further study on plant flavonoid biosynthesis pathway.
Acyltransferases ; chemistry ; genetics ; Arisaema ; enzymology ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; Intramolecular Lyases ; chemistry ; genetics ; Plant Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics

The fingerprint chromatograms of Arisaematis Rhizoma were established by HPLC. The analysis was performed on a Lichrospher C18 (4.6 mm x 200 mm, 5 microm) column with acetonitrile-water (containing 0.1% acetic acid) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL x min(-1). The detection wavelength was set at 270 nm, and the column temperature was 30 degrees C. The similarities of the fingerprint chromatograms were calculated over 0.9 between 11 batches of Arisaematis Rhizoma samples by analyzing 14 common peaks with adenosine as reference substance. However, their fingerprint chromatograms were significantly different from those of Pinellia pedatisecta and P. ternate. Adenine, hypoxanthine, xanthine, uridine, guanosine, adenosine, schaftoside, and isoschaftoside were identified by comparing the retention times and their ultraviolet spectra. The method is repeatable, exclusive and can be used for identification and evaluation of Arisaematis Rhizoma.
Arisaema ; chemistry ; Chromatography ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; standards ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results

OBJECTIVETo explore the utility of principle component analysis (PCA) on chromatographic data for quality control to Dannanxing (Pinellia Cum Bile).

METHODChromatographic fingerprints of sample were determined by TLC, PCA and multivariat analysis were used for data processing.

RESULTThe quantitative differences among samples procesed with different biles and heating time were found with the method.

CONCLUSIONPCA could be used in data processing for chromato-gramphic fingerprints of Dannanxing.

Arisaema ; chemistry ; Bile ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Drug Compounding ; Hot Temperature ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Principal Component Analysis ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVETo develop an HPLC method for the determination of hyodeoxycholic acid in Bile Arisaema.

METHODThe methanol extracts were separated on a Diamonsil ODS column eluted at 35 degrees C with a mixture of methanol-water-glacial acetic acid (75:25:0.01) at flow-rate 1.0 mL x min(-1). The drift-tube temperature of ELSD was 85 degrees C, and the flow rate of air was 3.0 L x min(-1).

RESULTHyodeoxycholic acid in methanol extract was well separated, the relationship of logarithms of injection amount and peak area was linear (r = 0.9998) over the range of 2.4-24 microg. The average recovery was 97.1% (RSD 2.9%, n=5).

CONCLUSIONThe method could be used for quality control of Bile Arisaema.

Animals ; Arisaema ; chemistry ; Bile ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; instrumentation ; methods ; Deoxycholic Acid ; analysis ; Drug Combinations ; Hot Temperature ; Light ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; standards ; Plant Tubers ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Scattering, Radiation

Fifty-eight samples belonging to 7 species of Arisaematis Rhizoma and its adulterants were collected. The ITS2 locus was employed as a DNA barcode and amplified, sequenced and assembled for all of the collected samples. Then, ITS2 sequences have been annotated using HMM-based method. The intra- and inter-specific variations were calculated and NJ tree was constructed using MEGA 6.0 software. The results showed that inter-specific K2P distances were significantly larger than intra-specific distances for all of the three origin species of Arisaematis Rhizoma. Furthermore, three origin species, Arisaema amurense, A. erubescens and A. heterophyllum, can be respectively formed to be a single branch with high bootstrap values. It is concluded that ITS2 can be used to correctly identify Arisaematis Rhizoma from its adulterants and the application of ITS2 in the identification of traditional Chinese medicine has an important prospective.
Arisaema ; classification ; genetics ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; classification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Quality Control ; Rhizome ; classification ; genetics

Arisaema heterophyllum Blume is one of the three medicinal plants known as traditional Chinese medicine Rhizoma Arisaematis (RA). RA has been popularly used to treat patients with convulsions, inflammation, and cancer for a long time. However, the underlying mechanisms for RA effects are still unclear. The present study was designed to determine the cytotoxicity of agglutinin isolated from Arisema heterophyllum Blume (AHA) and explore the possible mechanisms in human non-small-cell lung cancer A549 cells. AHA with purity up to 95% was isolated and purified from Arisaema heterophyllum Blume using hydrophobic interaction chromatography. AHA dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells and induced G phase cell cycle arrest. AHA induced apoptosis by up-regulating pro-apoptotic Bax, decreasing anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, and activating caspase-9 and caspase-3. In A549 cells treated with AHA, the PI3K/Akt pathway was inhibited. Furthermore, AHA induced increase in the levels of ER stress markers such as phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (p-eIF2α), C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α), and phosphorylated c-Jun NH-terminal kinase (p-JNK). AHA also induced autophagy in A549 cells. Staining of acidic vesicular organelles (AVOs) and increase in the levels of LC3II and ATG7 were observed in AHA-treated cells. These findings suggested that AHA might be one of the active components with anti-cancer effects in Arisaema heterophyllum Blume. In conclusion, cytotoxicity of AHA on cancer cells might be related to its effects on apoptosis and autophagy through inhibition of PI3K/Akt pathway and induction of ER stress.
A549 Cells ; Agglutinins ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Arisaema ; chemistry ; Autophagy ; drug effects ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ; drug effects ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; drug effects ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; drug effects ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; genetics ; metabolism

This paper clarified the scientific connotation of the changes in cold and heat properties of Arisaematis Rhizoma and Arisaema Cum Bile through investigating the changes of substance and energy metabolism after drug intervention in the rats with normal and cold/heat syndrome, so as to improve the method of evaluating the drug properties of Chinese medicine. After one week of adaptive feeding, healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into three parts: normal rats, heat syndrome rat models, and cold syndrome rat models. Through ice water bath and oral euthyrox(120 μg·kg~(-1)), the models of cold syndrome and heat syndrome were induced, respectively. The models were made at 9:00 am. and administrated by gavage at 3:00 pm. every day. All administration groups were administrated with Arisaematis Rhizoma and Arisaema Cum Bile decoction, respectively, and the blank group was given the same dose of normal saline. After continuous administration for 15 d, the rats were anesthetized by chloral hydrate, blood was taken from abdominal aorta, and the hearts and livers were removed and stored at-80 ℃. The changes in the body weight and anal temperature of rats during administration were detected, and the liver coefficient of rats was detected after removing the liver. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was adopted to detect the expression level of the indexes related to substance and energy metabolism in liver and heart of rat, and Western blot was used to detect the expression of key proteins in AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway for further verification. The results showed that Arisaematis Rhizoma enhanced the expression level of enzymes related to substance and energy metabolism in the normal and cold and heat syndrome rat models, and increased anal temperature, which exhibited warm(hot) drug property. Arisaema Cum Bile inhibited the level of substance and energy metabolism in rats, and reduced anal temperature, which showed cold(cool) drug property. Chinese Pharmacopoeia has recorded "Arisaematis Rhizoma has warm property and Arisaema Cum Bile has cool property", which is consistent with the phenomenon in this study. Therefore, it is feasible to evaluate the drug properties of Chinese medicine based on the substance and energy metabolism of normal and cold/heat syndrome model rats, which completes the method of evaluating drug properties of Chinese medicine.
AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; Animals ; Arisaema/chemistry* ; Bile ; Chloral Hydrate ; Cold-Shock Response/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Energy Metabolism ; Heat Stroke/therapy* ; Hot Temperature ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Saline Solution ; Syndrome ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases ; Thyroxine ; Water