Objective To investigate the chemical constituents and activities of Linum usitatissimum L.aboveground. Meth-ods The chemical constituents were separated through silica gel,ODS,Sephadex LH-20,and semi-preparative RP-HPLC chroma-tography and identified by optical rotation and spectroscopic analysis. All of the isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory activities by the luciferase assay. Results Eight dibenzylbutyrolactone lignans were separated from L. usitatissimum and identified as(-)-hinoki-nin(1),(-)-bursehernin(2),(-)-dimethylmatairesinol(3),(-)-yatein(4),(-)-thujaplicatin trimethyl ether(5),nemerosin (6),(+)-E-7,8-dehydromatairesinol dimethyl ether(7),and E-7,8-dehydrothujaplicatin trimethyl ether(8),respectively. Conclu-sion Compounds 7 and 8 were isolated from L. usitatissimum for the first time,and NMR spectral data of compound 8 were reported for the first time. Compounds 1 and 3 showed moderate inhibitory activities on IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway with IC50 values of 42.12 and 43.43μmol/L,respectively.

Angelica polymorpha Maxim. is a plant of the Angelica genus (Umbelliferae). The root and stem of this plant is a folk medicine known to have the actions of relieving rheumatism and cold and subsiding swelling and pains. To investigate the chemical constituents in the root of A. polymorpha Maxim., seven compounds were isolated from an 80% ethanol extract by column chromatography. Their structures were elucidated according to the spectroscopic analysis. Compound 1 is a new sesquiterpene, named as bisabolactone. Its absolute configuration was determined by 1D NOESY and CD analysis. The others were identified as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (2), hycandinic acid ester 1 (3), ferulic acid (4), isooxypeucedanin (5), noreugenin (6) and cimifugin (7). Compound 2 and 3 were isolated from this genus for the first time and compound 4 was isolated from this plant for the first time.

OBJECTIVETo establish HPLC fingerprint for identification and evaluation of the quality of Trachelospermum jasminoides.

METHODThe analysis was performed on a ZORBAX Eclipse XDB-C18 analytical column (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microm) with H2O (A) and methanol (B) as mobile phases in gradient mode. The elutin conditions were 0-15 min, changed from 10% B to 30% B; 15-40 min, to 40% B; 40-60 min, to 60% B. The column temperature was set at 30 degrees C and the flow rate was 0.8 mL x min(-1) with the detection wavelength of 230 nm.

RESULTThe HPLC chromatographic fingerprint of T. jasminoides, showing 19 characteristic peaks, was established from 14 lots of T. jasminoides. The similarity of every lot of T. jasminoides was calculated as good in general, the similarity of 10 lots was above 0.9 and the other 4 lots had low similarity.

CONCLUSIONThe chromatographic fingerprint of T. jasminoides with high characteristics and specificity can be used to control its quality.

AIM Xiaobuxin-Tang (XBXT) is a traditional Chinese herbal decoction which is composed of Haematitum, Flos Inulae, Folium Phyllostachydis Henonis and Semen Sojae Preparatum. The present study was to investigate if the total flavonoids extracted from XBXT (XBXT-2) had antidepressant effect. METHODS Forced swimming tests in mice and rats, and learned helplessness (LH) model of rats were adopted to affirm the antidepressant effect of XBXT-2 with the test on spontaneous motor activity. Plasma corticosterone level in the LH rats was measured with ELISA. RESULTS Single administraton of XBXT-2 at the doses of 50 and 100 mg·kg-1 (ig) significantly decreased the duration of immobility time in the forced swimming tests in mice and rats. Researches on LH model of rats indicated that XBXT-2 at doses of 50 and 25 mg·kg-1 markedly reduced the number of escape failure in shuttle box. Meanwhile, the plasma corticosterone level of the LH rats was significantly decreased. XBXT-2 50-200 mg·kg-1 had no effects on spontaneous motor activity in mice. CONCLUSION XBXT-2 possesses significant antidepressant-like effect. The mechanism may involve the inhibition of the hyperaction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

A HPLC method was developed for simultaneouly quantitative analyses of aviprin (1), gosferol (2), 3'R-(+)-hamaudol (3), 3'-O-acetylhamaudol (4) and iso-imperatorin (5) in the rhizome of Angelica polymorpha. The analysis was performed at 25 degrees C on an Agilent Eclipse XDB-C18 analytical column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) with the mobile phase of methanol and H2O in gradient elution [55:45 (0 min)-65:35 (25 min)-95:5 (35 min)]. And the flow rate was 1.0 mL min(-1) with the detection wavelengths of 312 nm (1), 306 nm (2), 300 nm (3), 294 nm (4) and 310 nm (5). Consequently, the reqresion equations were Y = 1.81 x 10(3) X + 7.93 x 10(2) (r = 0.9996), Y = 2.49 x 10(3) X - 2.17 x 10(2) (r = 0.9993), Y = 2.02 x 10(3) X - 1.42 x 10(2) (r = 0.9991), Y = 1.57 x 10(3) X - 0.66 x 10(2) (r = 0.999 7), Y = 2.65 x 10(3) X - 1.47 x 10(2) (r = 0.999 6). And the average recoveries were 99.7% (RSD 0.57%), 100.1% (RSD 1.3%), 100.0% (RSD 1.6%), 99.6% (RSD 1.3%), 99.2% (RSD 0.59%), respectively. The precision, repeatability and stability were all consistent with the request of quantitative analysis. The contents of compound 1-5 in A. polymorpha were determined as 0.525%, 0.044%, 0.046%, 0.043%, 0.15%, respectively. Accordingly, this quantitative analysis method is good for the quality control of A. polymorpha.
Angelica ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Chromones ; analysis ; Coumarins ; analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Furans ; analysis ; Furocoumarins ; analysis ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Ultraviolet Rays

OBJECTIVETo study trace chemical constituents contained in traditional Chinese medicine Trachelospermum jasminoides.

METHODThe chemical constituents were separated and purified by using such column chromatographic methods as ployamide, silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and ODS, and their structures were identified on the basis of spectral data analysis.

RESULTEleven compounds were separated from T. jasminoides and identified as bergenin (1), chrysoeriol-7-O-beta-D-glucoside (2), arctigenin-4'-O-beta-gentiobioside (3), matairesinol 4'-O-beta-gentiobioside (4), traxillagenin (5), traxillaside (6), 4-demethyltraxillagenin (7), luteolin-7-O-beta-gentiobioside (8), arctiin (9), trachelogenin-4'-O-beta-gentiobioside (10) and luteolin-7-O-beta-D-glucoside (11).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1 and 2 were separated from Trachelospermum genus for the first time, while compounds 3-7 were separated from this plant for the first time.

Aim To investigate the effect of the total flaconoids extracted from Xiaobuxin-Tan g ( XBXT-2 )
on the hyperactivity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in mouse learned helplessness model. Methods Learned helplessness was induced by inescapable foot shock stress over 1h session for 5 days. After screen-ing, we divided learned helplessness mice into five groups:IS, inescapable shock;Dlx, dulxetine(20 mg ·kg-1);XBXT-2(25,50 mg·kg-1). Latency to es-cape shocks and escape failure had been recorded. During the test, Dlx(20 mg·kg-1 ) and XBXT-2(25, 50 mg·kg-1 ) were administered intragastrically once daily for four days. Serum corticosterone level and ad-renocorticotropic hormone ( ACTH ) level were meas-ured by ELISA, and expression of glucocorticoids re-ceptor ( GR) α/β and brain-derived neurotrophic fac-tor ( BDNF ) in hippocampus was determined using Western blot method. Results XBXT-2 (25,50 mg·
kg-1 ) or duloxetine treatment showed antidepressant effect in mouse learned helplessness model, as demon-strated by the decreased escape failure and escape la-tency. Our ELISA results showed that XBXT-2 or du-loxetine significantly decreased serum corticosterone level and its upstream stress hormone ACTH level in learned helplessness mice. Furthermore, Western blot result demonstrated XBXT-2 treatment increased GRs and BDNF expression in hippocampus. Conclusions XBXT-2 produces significant antidepressant effect on learned helplessness mice. In addition, the modulation of HPA axis produced by XBXT-2 may be important mechanism underlying its antidepressant-like effect in mouse learned helplessness model.