OBJECTIVETo develop methods for qualitative and quantitative analyses of Flos Cartnami from three aspects, pigments, flavonoids and adenosine.

METHODA method using HPLC coupled with electrochemical detector was developed to determine the content of hydroxysafflor yellow A and fingerprint of Flos Carthami. The chromatographic separation was performed on a Zorbax SB C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) by gradient elution with phosphate buffer and acetonitrile at a flow-rate of 1.0 mL x min(-1), the column temperature was 35 degrees C, the reference electrode was ISAAC (in-situ silver/silver chloride), the working electrode was glassy carbon, the counter electrode was Pt, and the applied potential was + 800 mV. Concentration of adenosine was determined by HPLC-UV on an Diamonsil C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) with water-acetonitrile (95:5) as mobile phase, the flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1), the column temperature was 40 degrees C and the detection wavelength was 260 nm. The content of cartharmin was detected using a spectrophotometric method.

RESULTTwenty-one common chromatographic peaks were selected as characteristic peaks in the chromatogram of sample solution of Flos Cartnami. Seven peaks were identified as hydroxysafflor yellow A, 6-hydroxykaempferol-3-O-glucoside, rutin, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, quercetin, kaempferol. The contents of hydroxysafflor yellow A and adenosine were from 0.35% to 3.58% and from 0.03% per hundred to 0.49% per hundred, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe methods can be used to evaluate the quality of Flos Carthami.

Adenosine ; chemistry ; Chalcone ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quinones ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo establish a method for the determination of hydroxysafflor yellow A in Dedu Honghuaqiwei pill.

METHODThe determination was performed by HPLC method on Diamonsil C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) column at 403 nm using methanol-acetonitrile-0.7% phosphoric acid-water (26: 2: 72) as mobile phase. The column temperature was 30 degrees C and the flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1).

RESULTThe linear rang of hydroxysafflor yellow A was 0.068-0.408 microg and the recovery was 97.66%.

CONCLUSIONThe result is accurate with good resolution, and the established method can be applied to determine the content of hydroxysafflor yellow A in Dedu Honghuaqiwei pill.

Chalcone ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Medicine, Mongolian Traditional ; Quinones ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo develop an HPLC method to determine the contents of danshensu, hydroxysafflor yellow A, rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid, salvianolic acid B in the water extract of mixed Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Carthami Flos simultaneously.

METHODThe separation were carried out at 30 degrees C on a ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18 column (4.6 mm x 100 mm, 1.8 microm) with formic acid-500 mmol x L(-1) ammonium formate-water solution (0.5:10:90) as mobile phase A and acetonitrile-formic acid solution (100: 0.5) as mobile phase B in gradient mode at a flow rate of 0.5 mL x min(-1). Detection wavelengths were 280 nm for danshensu, rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid, salvianolic acid B, and 380 nm for hydroxysafflor yellow A.

RESULTThe 5 components were separated well with a good linearity (R2 > 0.999 3) in the range of the test concentration. The average recoveries of danshensu, hydroxysafflor yellow A, rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid, and salvianolic acid B were 99.1%, 102%, 102%, 98.5% and 101%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThis method is simple, accurate, and repeatable.

Benzofurans ; analysis ; Chalcone ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Cinnamates ; analysis ; Depsides ; analysis ; Lactates ; analysis ; Quinones ; analysis ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry

Selective adsorption of active ingredients liquiritin and isoliquiritin from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) has been studied. Distribution coefficients of liquiritin between ethanol solvent and r-MWNTs or o-MWNTs in 293K is 37.5 and 43.3, while the distribution coefficients of isoliquiritin between ethanol solvent and r-MWNTs or o-MWNTs is 717 and 1080, respectively. It was indicated that the distribution coefficient of isoliquiritin adsorbed by MWNTs was much larger than that of liquiritin, and oxidation treatment of MWNTs could obviously enhance their adsorption ability. The possible reasons that MWNTs can selectively adsorb isoliquiritin other than liquiritin were discussed on the bases of molecular structure of the active ingredients and their interaction with nanotubes.
Adsorption ; Chalcone ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Flavanones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; chemistry ; Nanotubes, Carbon ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo provide the basis for establishing evaluation criterion, selecting good strains and carring out good agricultural practice of the crude drug.

METHODRepresentative 22 varieties of Carthamus tinctorius were selected and cultivated in different ecological localities and different years. And the content of safflor yellow A in their corollas were measured by RP-HPLC to compare the differences and their genetic stabilities among varieties.

RESULTThe range of of safflor yellow A content was 0.70%-1.85% which were varied among varieties (P < 0.01). The content of safflor yellow A in varieties Yutai Honghua, Hefei Honghua, Rucheng Honghua were higher than in others.

CONCLUSIONThe effective compound safflor yellow A in C. tinctorius was one of the main quality evaluation criterions. Varieties Yutai Honghua, Hefei Honghua and Rucheng Honghua were good resources.

Carthamus tinctorius ; chemistry ; genetics ; Chalcone ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Ecosystem ; Flowers ; chemistry ; Genetic Variation ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; genetics ; Quality Control ; Quinones ; analysis

To optimize the separation process of liquirtin from glycyrrhiz by static, dynamic adsorption and desorption experiments on polyamide resin, with liquirtin, isoliquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid as the study index. The optimum process conditions were that the pH of solution was regulated to be 7.0, the concentration of liquirtin was 1.296 g x L(-1), the volume of loading buffer was 3 BV. After absorption, efforts shall be made to elute resin with water, 10%, 20%, 30% ethanol (3 BV for each), collect 20% ethanol eluted fraction, and recover solvents. The results showed lower contents of such impurities as isoliquiritin and isoliquiritin in extracts sepaprated under this process conditions, as well as an increase in purity of liquirtin from 4.86% to 88.5%. The method was simple and feasible, it could obtain a higher purity in extracts from liquirtin and provide basis for industrialized separation and preparation of liquirtin.
Chalcone ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Glucosides ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; chemistry ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Resins, Synthetic ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the optimum technical conditions of extracting Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) from Carthmus tinctorius by multi-stage countercurrent extraction technology.

METHODThe effects of extraction time of each stage, extraction temperature, ethanol concentration and solid-liquid ratio (g x mL(-1)) on extraction yield of HSYA were studied by orthogonal test design and the comparison of other extraction methods were presented.

RESULTExtraction time and solid-liquid ratio had significant influence on the extraction yield, and the optimum parameters were as follows: Extraction time of each stage was 120 min, solid-liquid ratio was 1 : 10 (g x mL(-1)), ethanol concentration was 30%, and extracted at room temperature. Under the optimum conditions, the extraction yield of HSYA was 1.56% and the purity of the extract was 6.06%. Compared with the traditional extraction method and the ultrasonic extraction method of the pharmacopoeia, the extraction yield was increased by 6.12% and 9.09%, the purity of extract was increased by 42.9% and 27.0%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe multi-stage countercurrent extraction technology has many advantages such as simple operation, less solvent consumption, higher extraction yield and purity of extract and it has wide industrial application prospect.

Carthamus ; chemistry ; Chalcone ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Countercurrent Distribution ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Quinones ; analysis ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the anti-HIV constituents from the root of Polygonatum kingianum.

METHODThe compounds were isolated by column chromatography on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, MCI-gel CHP-20P and their structures were determined on the basis of their spectroscopic evidence including IR, MS and NMR data.

RESULT13 compounds were isolated, of which nine compounds were identified as liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin, 4', 7-dihydroxy-3'-methoxyisoflavone, (6aR, 11aR)-10-hydroxy-3, 9-dimethoxypterocarpan, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxaldehyde, salicylic acid, n-butyl-beta-D-fructopyranoside, n-butyl-beta-D-fructofuranoside, n-butyl-alpha-D-fructofuranoside.

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1-6 were obtained from this plant for the first time.

Chalcone ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Chalcones ; Flavanones ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polygonatum ; chemistry ; Salicylic Acid ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo develop a RP-HPLC method for the determination of the concentration of hydroxysafflor yellow A in rat plasma, to study the pharmacokinetics of Carthamus tinctorius extration and Naodesheng tablet, and to investigate the effect of other components on the pharmacokinetics of hydroxysafflor yellow A.

METHODThe rats were orally treated with Carthamus tinctorius extration and Naodesheng capsule respectively. Blood samples were collected in heparinized eppendorf tube via the oculi chorioideae vein. Plasma was separated by centrifugation at 10 000 r x min(-1) for 10 min, and two-times methanol in volume was added to deposit proteins. After centrifugation, the upper liquid was transferred to filter. The concentration of hydroxysafflor yellow A in serum was determined by RP-HPLC. The stationary phase was C18, and methanol-acetonitrile-0.7% orthophosphoric acid (26: 2:72) was taken as the mobile phase, A UV detector was used at 403 nm. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated with 3p97 program.

RESULTA good linear relationship of hydroxysafflor yellow A was obtained in the range of 0.03 and 2.56 mg x L(-1), the lowest limit of determination was 10 microg x L(-1), and the lowest limit of quantitation was 30 microg x L(-1). The mean recoveries were (99.3 +/- 1.4)%, (92.8 +/- 1.8)%, (98.4 +/- 2.0)% for high, middle, low concentrations of the samples respectively. The plasma concentration-time curves of hydroxysafflor yellow A were fitted with two-compartments model. The AUC)0-t), AUC(0-infinity), C(max) and T(max) of hydroxysafflor yellow A were increased in the Naodesheng group, compared with 50 mg x kg(-1) C. tinctorius extract group.

CONCLUSIONThe HPLC method was selective, accurate and sensitive. The results indicated that the other herbs improved the absorption of hydroxysafflor yellow A and increased the bioavailability of hydroxysafflor yellow A significantly.

Animals ; Biological Availability ; Carthamus tinctorius ; chemistry ; Chalcone ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacokinetics ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacokinetics ; Quinones ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

AIMTo establish chromatographic fingerprint of Carthamus tinctorius L. by RP-HPLC in order to control the quality of Carthamus tinctorius L.

METHODSThe gradient elution mode was applied in chromatographic separation, and data were analysed by "Computer Aided Similarity Evaluation" software to compare the quality of Carthamus tinctorius L. samples from different habitats.

RESULTSSamples from different habitats were of high similarity, though a few samples showed evident difference in fingerprint graphics.

CONCLUSIONThe RP-HPLC fingerprint method is repeatable, feasible in analysis of Carthamus tinctorius L. and can be used in quality assessment of Carthamus tinctorius L. Chemical components in Carthamus tinctorius L. samples from various habitats are similar, and their ratios between each other are stable.

Carthamus tinctorius ; chemistry ; Chalcone ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Ecosystem ; Flowers ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Quinones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification