OBJECTIVETo analyze the chemical constituents of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction products from Cnidium monieri.

METHODFour-factor and three-level orthogonal experimental design was used to optimize the SFE conditions as guided by the content of total coumarins in the extract. The chemical constituents were separated and identified by recrystalization.

RESULTOptimum extraction process was established: 25 MPa as extraction pressure, 50 degrees C as extraction temperature, 6.5 MPa as separation pressure and 60 degrees C as separation temperature.

CONCLUSIONChanges in extraction pressure, temperature, time, pulverized degree and separation pressure affect the extracting results remarkably. The two kinds of chemical constituents were separated by recrystallization from C. monieri and identified by the methods of UV, IR, MS, NMR.

Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid ; Cnidium ; chemistry ; Coumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Furocoumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

There have been a few cases of occupational allergy caused by herb materials. In this study, we report a case of occupational asthma and rhinitis sensitized by six kinds of herb materials-Ostericum (Kangwhal), Angelica (Danggui), Cnidium (Chunkung), Pinellia (Banha), Zingerber (Kunkang) and Discoreae (Sanyak) in a pharmacist working at a pharmacy. The patient had shown negative responses to 80 common inhalant and food allergens, but strong positive responses to six herb material extracts, Kangwhal, Danggui, Chunkung, Banha, Kunkang and Sanyak, were noted on skin-prick test. Bronchoprovocation test showed a dual asthmatic response to Danggui extract. Serum specific IgE antibodies to Chunkung, Banha and Sanyak were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with no specific IgE binding to Kangwhal, Danggui and Kunkang extracts. In order to further characterize the allergic components of these three extracts, sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and electroblotting studies were performed. One IgE binding components (60 kDa) were detected within Chunkung extract, two (10, 25 kDa) in Banha and four (33, 34, 65, 98 kDa) in Sanyak. It is suggested that Chunkung, Banha and Sanyak may induce IgE-mediated bronchoconstriction in an exposed worker. Further studies are needed to investigate the pathogenic mechanisms induced by Kangwhal, Danggui and Kunkang.
Allergens ; Angelica ; Antibodies ; Asthma ; Asthma, Occupational* ; Bronchoconstriction ; Cnidium ; Electrophoresis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Occupational Diseases ; Pharmacists ; Pharmacy ; Pinellia ; Rhinitis ; Sodium

To establish the method of HPLC-fingerprint analysis for the quality control of Cnidium monnieri L. Cuss., and identify its active constituents by HPLC-MS, 35 batches of samples were analyzed on a Shimadzu C18 column with a gradient of acetonitrile and 0.1% aqueous aceticacid at a flow rate of 1.0 mL x min(-1) and detected at 245 nm and 322 nm. Furthermore, the typical samples were detected by HPLC-DAD-MS under negative ion mode. 35 batches of Cnidium monnieri L. Cuss. samples were classified into four types based on the results of similarity analysis. According to the comparison of the t(R), MS data and UV maximum absorbance (lambda(max)) values with the standards, 8, 7, 4 and 2 coumarins components were identified in four types of Cnidium monnieri L. Cuss. extracts, separately. The method is repeatable and reliable, and it is capable of effectively controlling the quality of Cnidium monnieri L.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Cnidium ; chemistry ; Coumarins ; analysis ; Ecosystem ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Seeds ; chemistry ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet

OBJECTIVESynthetical evaluation of promoting effect of some kinds of transdermal enhancers was carried through.

METHODDiclofenac sodium was used as model, and azone and l-menthol and synthetic borneol and olieic acid and essential oil from Cnidium monnieri were used as transdermal enhancers. Transdermal absorption experimentation of diclofenac sodium on the device of penetrating skins in vitro was done. Cumulation of permeation amount and penetrating rates and steady fluxes and lag times were observed, and grey relational cluster method was used to evaluate the promoting effect of some kinds of transdermal enhancers.

RESULTAs for promoting effect on diclofenac sodium, azone and l-menthol were the best, and synthetic borneol and olieic acid ranked behind.

CONCLUSIONGrey relational cluster method can evaluate promoting effect objectively and fairly.

Administration, Cutaneous ; Animals ; Azepines ; pharmacology ; Bornanes ; pharmacology ; Cluster Analysis ; Cnidium ; chemistry ; Diclofenac ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Menthol ; pharmacology ; Oils, Volatile ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Skin Absorption ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo develop an RP-HPLC method for simultaneous determination of 5 constituents in Fructus Cnidii.

METHODAnalysis was performed on an Alltech C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) column. The mobile phases were acetonitrile water and acetic acid with gradient elution. The flow rate was 1 mL x min(-1). The monitoring wavelength was 325 nm and 245 nm. The column temperature was 40 degrees C.

RESULTThe linear response ranges were 1-20 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.999 9) for xanthotoxin, 1-20 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.999 9) for isopimpinellin, 11-20 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.999 8) for bergapten, 100-1 200 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.999 7) for imperatorin, 100-2 000 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.999 9) for osthole. The average recoveries were all above 95%.

CONCLUSIONThe method is simple, sensitive and accurate with good reproducibility.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Cnidium ; chemistry ; Coumarins ; analysis ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Furocoumarins ; analysis ; Methoxsalen ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Reproducibility of Results

The main pharmacological constituents of Chinese traditional medicine herb Cnidium monnieri are coumarin compounds and volatile oil. In addition, it contains monoterpene polyols, glucides, as well as recently discovered sesquiterpene components. In recent years, rather active investigations of its anti-tumor were performed at home and abroad. C. monnieri possesses multi-aspect and comprehensive anti-tumor functions, involving directly tumor-inhibitory activity, anti-mutagenicity, reversing multi-drug tolerance of tumor, as well as improving immune functions and so on. In this review, chemical constituents, anti-tumor activities and relevant investigations of Fructus Cnidii were summarized recent decade.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Cnidium ; chemistry ; Coumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Furocoumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure

Psoriasis is an auto-immune skin disease, which is characterized by the excessive generation of plaques on the skin with typically a long-lasting red, itchy and scaly symptoms. Imiquimod, which has been used for the treatment of external genital warts, actinic keratosis, and superficial basal cell carcinoma, induced of psoriasis-like skin disorders with skin erythema and thickness in mice. In the present study, we tried to find the bioactive herbal extract against imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin disorder in mice. During the searching of the herbal extract with anti-psoriatic effect, the ethanolic extract of Cnidium officinale ameliorated imiquimodinduced psoriasis-like skin disorder in mice. The morphological evaluation, H&E staining and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score showed that ear and back thickness, and erythema induced by imiquimod were significantly reversed after the treatment of the cream of the ethanolic extract of C. officinale. The overexpressed myeloperoxidase (MPO) and keratin 6A levels were decreased by the treatment of C. officinale cream. Also, IFN-γ, c-fos and IκB-α mRNA levels, which are related to the progression of psoriasis, were reduced by C. officinale cream. Thus, the ethanolic extract of C. officinale ameliorated psoriasis-like skin disorder induced by imiquimod and might be the therapeutic agent for psoriasis.
Animals ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Cnidium ; Condylomata Acuminata ; Ear ; Erythema ; Ethanol ; Keratin-6 ; Keratosis, Actinic ; Mice ; Peroxidase ; Psoriasis ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin Diseases ; Skin

AIMTo investigate the pharmacokinetics of osthole in rabbits and obtain the main pharmacokinetic parameters.

METHODSA simple high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to study the pharmacokinetics of osthole in rabbits by joining an internal standard (paeonal). Methanol-water (80:20) was used as the mobile phase. According to the 3P87 pharmacokinetic program, the main parameters were calculated.

RESULTSThe osthole pharmacokinetics conforms to a two compartment open model after i.v. administration, T1/2 alpha = 5.81 min, T1/2 beta = 42.2 min, K21 = 0.036 0.min-1, K12 = 0.045 0.min-1, K10 = 0.054 0.min-1, AUC = 235 mg.min.L-1, CLs = 0.043 0 L.min-1.kg-1, Vc = 0.780 L.kg-1.

CONCLUSIONThe pharmacokinetics of osthole after i.v. administration showed a rapid distribution and elimination process in rabbits.

Animals ; Area Under Curve ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; blood ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cnidium ; chemistry ; Coumarins ; blood ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Male ; Metabolic Clearance Rate ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Tissue Distribution

This paper is to study the inhibitory effect of water soluble polymers--methyl cellulose (MC), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC-M), poloxamer (F68) and polyvidon (PVP) on osthole (OST) crystallization and investigate the impact of polymer concentration and viscosity on crystallization behavior. Also, UV spectrophotometry method was used to determine the drug concentration at different time point to draw the OST concentration-time curve. Results show that HPMC has the most significant inhibition effect on OST crystallization, and drug concentration level is 1.61 times higher than that in control solution within 8 h followed by PVP (1.54) and MC (1.45) respectively. The kinetics of OST recrystallization can be described using first-order reaction, and the crystallization rate constants obtained by analyzing the regression equation indicate that HPMC-60SH-4000 and HPMC-60SH-10000 can greatly influence OST crystal formation. The dissolution rate of drugs precipitated from water-soluble polymer solutions is faster compared with controls in pH 1.2 HCl and pH 6.8 phosphate buffers, which demonstrated that water-soluble polymers can not only change the behavior of drug crystallization but markedly improve the dissolution rate of water insoluble drugs.
Cellulose ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; Cnidium ; chemistry ; Coumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Crystallization ; Hypromellose Derivatives ; Kinetics ; Methylcellulose ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Poloxamer ; chemistry ; Polymers ; chemistry ; Povidone ; chemistry ; Solubility ; Viscosity

AIMTo provide more molecular evidences for species relationship between Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.) from China and Japanese Chuanxiong (Senkyu in Japanese) (Cnidium officinale Makino).

METHODSTo sequence such two genes as internal transcribed spacer (ITS) from nuclear rDNA and maturase for lysine (matK) in tRNA(lys) (UUU) intron from chloroplast DNA of both Ligusticum chuanxiong and Cnidium officinale using PCR direct sequencing and to analyze the sequence variation of two genes between these two species.

RESULTSThe matK gene sequence of Ligusticum chuanxiong and Cnidium officinale is 1268 bp in length, coding 422 amino acids of maturase protein. ITS gene sequence 699 bp, consisting of 54 bp of 18S rRNA-3', 215 bp of ITS1, 162 bp of 5.8S rRNA, 222 bp of ITS2, 46 bp of 26S rRNA-5'. Multiple sequence alignment shows that the sequence of two genes between dried crude drug and fresh voucher material of Ligusticum chuanxiong and Cnidium officinale, there is 1 variable site (T-->C) in matK (upstream at 595 nt) and ITS (ITS1 at 54 nt) between Ligusticum chuanxiong and Cnidium officinale.

CONCLUSIONBased on homology analysis of two genes plastid matK and nuclear ITS, the origin of Chuanxiong from China and Japan ought to be identical, the scientific name Cnidium officinale of Japanese Chuanxiong should be changed to Ligusticum chuanxiong.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; China ; Cnidium ; genetics ; DNA, Plant ; analysis ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Endoribonucleases ; genetics ; Japan ; Ligusticum ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nucleotidyltransferases ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis ; Sequence Homology ; Terminology as Topic