The root of Hedyotis capitellata Wall. ex G.Don var. mollis Piere ex Pit. Rubiaceae, has been investigated chemical constituents. The roots contained alkaloids, saponin, tannin, anthranoid. Of these, 3 compounds were purified and their IR,UV, EIMS, NMR spectra were determined and showed that: They were Hedyocapitine, Capitelline and Di- (2’- ethyl-1’-hexyl) phthalate (or1,2- benzenedicarboxylic acid, Di- (2’-ethyl-1’-hexyl) ester).
Chemistry ; Plant Roots ; Pharmaceutical Preparations

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents roots of Saussurea lappa C. B. Clarke.

METHODIsolation and purification were carried out by silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and RP-18 column chromatography. The chemical structures of constituents were elucidated on the basis of spectral data.

RESULTEight compounds were isolated and identified as: 1beta-hydroxycolartin (1), 5alpha-hydroxy-beta-costic acid (2), 11alpha,13-dihydroxydehidrocostuslactone (3),11,13-dihydro-7,11-dehydro-13-hydroxy-3-desoxyzaluzanin C (4), 8alpha-hydroxyl-11betaH-11,13-dihydrodehydrocostuslactone (5), Soulangianolide A (6), Syringaresinol (7), Scopoletin (8).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1-4, 6-8 were isolated from the genus Saussurea for the first time, and compound 5 was isolated from this plant for the first time.

To understand the distribution and accumulation rules of polydatin, resveratrol, anthraglycoside B, emodin and physicion in different tissue structure of rhizome and root of Polygonum cospidatum, the content of 5 active compounds were analyzed simultaneously by HPLC, based on plant anatomy and histochemistry. The rhizome and root consist of different tissues, with an increased diameter, the proportions of the secondary xylem and phloem have increased. Resveratrol and polydatin mainly distributed in the pith, the secondary phloem and periderm of rhizome, and the secondary phloem and periderm of the root, while emodin and anthraglycoside B concentrated in the secondary structure and pith of rhizome mostly. In different thickness of the measured samples, the total contents of 5 compounds were correspondingly higher in thinner rhizome and root than those in the coarse ones.
Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Polygonum ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry

Ten Amaryllidaceae alkaloids were isolated from the bulbs of Lycoris radiata. Their structures were identified as oxovittatine (1), apohaemanthamine (2), 9-O-demethylhomolycorine N-oxide (3), incartine (4), ismine (5), 6-O-methylpretazettine (6), tazettine (7), ungeremine (8), homolycorine (9), and O-methyllycorenine (10) by spectroscopic data analyses. Compound 1 was a new natural product. Compounds 2 and 3 were reported form the genus Lycoris for the first time and compounds 4-6 were isolated form the title plant for the first time.
Alkaloids ; chemistry ; Lycoris ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the alkaloids in the roots of Dactylicapnos scanden (D. Don) Hutch.

METHODThe compounds were isolated by various column chromatographic methods. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis.

RESULTEight compounds were isolated and identified as d-isocorydine (1), protopine (2), d-magnoflorine (3), d-isocorydine-beta-N-oxide (4), d-corydine-alpha-N-oxide (5), d-corydine-beta-N-oxide (6), 6S, 6aS-N-methyllaurotetanine-alpha-N-oxide (7), and 6R, 6aS-N-methyllaurotetanine-beta-N-oxide (8).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 4-8 were isolated from this species and the genus Dactylicapnos for the first time.

The roots, barks, branches and pericarps of Juglans mandshurica were used as folk medicine in China and reputed for its treatment of several cancers, such as gastric cancer, liver cancer and leukemia. The extracts of the roots, branches, leaves and pericarps of J. mandshurica have been experimentally proved to show anti-tumor activities. Tannins, which exhibited antioxidant and anti-tumor activities, were the main constituents in J. mandshurica. In this paper, a simple spectrophotometric method was developed for the determination of total tannins in the roots, branches, leaves and pericarps of J. mandshurica collected in Dalian and Anshan of Liaoning Province. Gallic acid was used as standard compound and the content of total tannins was calculated as gallic acid equivalent. As a result of the method validation, a good linearity (r = 0.9997, n = 5) and a high recovery of gallic acid (99.02%, RSD 3.7%, n = 9) was achieved. Eight samples including four parts of J. mandshurica collected in two places were analyzed for their total tannins with the established method. In the corresponding parts of J. mandshurica, except the pericarps, the contents of total tannins showed no significant difference between samples collected in Dalian and Anshan, while the content of total tannins in different parts of J. mandshurica were significantly different. The average content of total tannins in the roots, branches, leaves and pericarps of samples collected in Dalian and Anshan was 45.66, 23.40, 58.24, 3.58 mg g(-1), respectively.
Juglans ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Tannins ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents in the dried roots of Saposhnikovia divaricata.

METHODThe chemical constituents were isolated by various column chromatographic methods and structurally elucidated by IR, UV, MS and NMR evidences.

RESULTEighteen compounds were obtained and identified as 3'-O-angeloylhamaudol (1), isobergapten (2), imperatorin (3), pentacosane acid (4), anomalin (5), decursin (6), 5-methoxy-7-(3,3-dimethylallyl- oxy)coumarin (7), decursinol angelate (8), xanthotoxin (9), bergapten (10), tectochrysin (11), scopoletin (12), hamaudol (13), ledebouriellol (14), cimifugin (15), sec-O-glucosylhamaudol (16), 4'-O-beta-D-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol (17), and prim-O-glucosylcimifugin (18).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 2, 6-8, and 11 were isolated from the roots of S. divaricata for the first time. Compounds 1 and 13-18 were chromones, 2, 3, 5-10 and 12 were coumarins, 4 was fatty acid, and 11 was flavonoid.

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents in the roots of Pueraria lobata.

METHODVarious chromatographic methods were employed to separate of chemical constituents and the spectroscopic methods were used to elucidate the structure.

RESULTTwenty-two compounds were isolated and characterized as beta-sitosterol palmitate (1), beta-sitosterol (2), lupeol (3), lupeone (4) , puerarol (5), diisobutyl phthalate (6), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (7), sophoracoumestan A (8), coumestrol (9), allantion (10), dadzein (11), formononetin (12), 3'-methoxy daidzein (13), ononin (14), 3'-hydroxy dadzein (15), genistin (16), dadzin (17), 8-methoxy ononin (18), sissotorin (19), (-)-puerol B 2-O-glucopyranoside (20), (6S,9R)-roseoside (21) and sucrose (22), respectively.

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1, 5-8, 15, 18, 21 and 22 were isolated from P. lobata for the first time, and componds 1, 5-7, 15, 18, 21 and 22 were isolated from the genus Pueraria for the first time.

OBJECTIVETo make a comparative study on wild and cultivated Astragali Radix in Wuchuan, Neimenggu where is one of the geo-authentic producing areas of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus.

METHODThis comparative study focus on shapes and properties, microscopic features of transverse section and powder of roots, qualitative evaluation of wild and cultivated Astragali Radix.

RESULTWild Astragali Radix had a cylindrical main root, 2 or 3 root branches, dark brown color and many lenticels on the root bark. Cultivated Astragali Radix had a long cylindrical root, few root branches, yellowish white or light brown and fewer lenticels on the root bark. The differences of microscopic features were that the number of cork cells layers in wild Astragali Radix was bigger than that in cultivated Astragali Radix; stone cells were only observed in wild Astragali Radix; distinct annual rings in the xylem were only existed in cultivated Astragali Radix. The results of qualitative evaluation reveal that the contents of major active isoflavonoids and saponins in wild Astragali Radix are higher than those in cultivated Astragali Radix.

CONCLUSIONThere are some diagnostic differences in the main microscopic features of transverse section and powder between wild and cultivated Astragali Radix. The contents of major active isoflavonoids and saponins in wild Astragali Radix are higher than those in cultivated Astragali Radix. Our study provides important scientific evidence for reasonable and effective uses of wild and cultivated Astragali Radix in Wuchuan, and also provides a reliable basis for the quality control of Astragali Radix.

The study aimed to explore the effects of inoculation of Rhizophagus intraradices on the biomass, effective component content, and endogenous hormone content of Salvia miltiorrhiza through pot experiments. The number of leaves, plant height, dry weight of aboveground and underground parts, branch number, root number, root length, root diameter, and other biomass were mea-sured by weighing and counting methods. The content of salvianolic acid B, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, tanshinone Ⅰ, tanshinone Ⅱ_A, cryptotanshinone, and other effective components was determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. The content of ABA and GA_3 was determined by triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. The correlations between biomass and effective components and between effective components and plant hormones ABA and GA_3 were analyzed. The results showed that R. intraradices significan-tly increased the aboveground dry weight, leaf number, and root number of S. miltiorrhiza by 0.24-0.65 times, respectively. The content of salvianolic acid B and rosmarinic acid in the aboveground part and the content of salvianolic acid B, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, tanshinone Ⅰ, and tanshinone Ⅱ_A in the underground part were significantly increased by 0.44-1.78 times, respectively. R. intraradices infection significantly increased the GA_3/ABA values of aboveground and underground parts by 3.82 and 76.47 times, respectively. The correlation analysis showed that caffeic acid, the effective component of the aboveground part, was significantly positively correlated with plant height, tanshinone Ⅱ_A, the effective component of the underground part, was significantly positively correlated with biomass root number, cryptotanshinone, and dry weight, while rosmarinic acid was significantly negatively correlated with dry weight. There were significant positive correlations between cryptotanshinone and ABA, tanshinone Ⅱ_A and ABA and GA_3, and caffeic acid and GA_3. In conclusion, R. intraradices can promote the accumulation of biomass and secondary metabolites of S. miltiorrhiza and regulate the balance between plant hormones ABA and GA_3, thereby promoting the growth of S. miltiorrhiza.
Salvia miltiorrhiza/chemistry* ; Plant Growth Regulators/analysis* ; Plant Roots/chemistry*