Ranunculus tachiorei is a member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) which contains unsaturated lactone and protoanemonine. Protoanemonine is formed by the breakdown of the glycoside Ranunculin after injury to the plant and causes severe vesiculation and linear streaks after contact with field buttercups(Ranunculus spp.) The amount of protoanemonine in buttercups varies widely with the species of plant and its stage of growth, the highest content being at the time of flowering. We report a case of primary irritant dermatitis due to contact with Ranunculus Tachiorei which was applied for the folk treatment of Bell palsy.
Bell Palsy ; Dermatitis, Irritant* ; Flowers ; Humans ; Plants ; Ranunculus*

The Ranunculus sceleratus Linne is a plant which belongs to Ranunculus Linne, Ranu-nculaceae. We report a case of contact dermatitis due to Rannunculus sceleratus Linne. The patient developed painful, inflamed erythematous patches with a tense bullae on application sites of the crushed plant for the therapy of arthralgia on both knees. We did patch tests on a health volunteer and topical application of a rabbit's skin with its crushed leaf, stalk and root. Their results were compared with each other.
Arthralgia ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Humans ; Knee ; Patch Tests ; Plants ; Ranunculus* ; Skin ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; Volunteers

Irritant dermatitis is the most frequent type of plant-related dermatitis. Plant families most commonly associated with irritation are Ranunculaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Cruciferae, Brassicaceae, Urticaceae, and Solanaceae. We report a case of irritant contact dermatitis caused by Ranunculus japonicus for the treatment of arthralgia in a 78 year old female.
Aged ; Arthralgia ; Brassicaceae ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Dermatitis, Irritant* ; Euphorbiaceae ; Female ; Humans ; Plants ; Ranunculaceae ; Ranunculus* ; Solanaceae ; Urticaceae

OBJECTIVETo isolate and determine the chemical constituents from Ranunculus japonicus.

METHODCompounds were isolated by column chromatography, and identified by MS, NMR data.

RESULTNine compounds were obtained andelucidated as scoparone (1), tricin (2), protocatechuic acid (3), luteolin (4), anemonin (5), scopoletin (6), 5-hydroxy-6, 7-dimethoxyflavone (7), 5-hydroxy-7, 8-dimethoxyflavone (8), ternatolide (9), respectively.

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1-9 were isolated from R. japonicus for the first time while compounds 7, 8 were separated from Ranunculus genus first time.

Coumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Ranunculus ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the active constituents of Ranunculus ternatus.

METHODThe constituents were isolated with silica gel and Sephadex LH -20 gel column chromatography and purified by HPLC. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopy.

RESULTSixteen compounds were obtained and identified as Stigmasta4, 6, 8 (14), 22-tetraen-3-one (1), 5-hydroxymethyl furaldehyde (2), gamma-keto-delta-valerolactone (3), pantolactone (4), 5-hydroxymethyl-dihydro-furan-2-one (5), methyl 5-hydroxy-4-oxopentanoate (6), methyl hydrogen succinate (7), succinic acid monoethyl ester (8), 3, 4-dihydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester (9), p-hydroxycinnamic acid (10), 4-oxo-pentanoic acid (11), succinic acid (12), nonanedioic acid (13), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (14), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (15), stigmasterol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (16).

CONCLUSIONCompound 1, 4 -15 are obtained from this plant for the first time.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Ranunculus ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the in vitro anti-hypertrophic effect of total Glycosides of Ranunculus Japonius (TGRJ).

METHODSNeonatal rat cardiomyocytes were cultured and hypertrophy was induced by administrating isoproterenol (ISO, 10 µmol/L) or angiotensin 2 (Ang 2, 1 µmol/L) for 48 hours. In the treatment groups, cells were pretreated with TGRJ (0.3 g/L) for 30 minutes prior to hypertrophic stimuli. The anti-hypertrophic effects of TGRJ were examined by measuring cell size, total protein content, and protein synthesis. Intracellular free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]i) was evaluated using fluorescence dye Fura-2/AM. Sacroplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase 2a (SERCA2a), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and beta-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) protein expression levels were measured by Western blotting . SERCA2a activity was assayed by p-nitrophenal phosphate disodium salt hexahydrate method.

RESULTSIncreased cell size, total protein content, and protein synthesis following ISO or Ang 2 stimulation were significantly inhibited by pretreatment with TGRJ (all P<0.05). This anti-hypertrophic effect of TGRJ was confirmed by its suppressing effect on elevated expression of the three hypertrophic related genetic markers, ANP, BNP, and β-MHC. In addition, TGRJ inhibited ISO or Ang 2 induced up-regulation of [Ca(2+)]i under chronic but not acute conditions. And ISO or Ang 2 induced down-regulation of SERCA2a expression and activity was also effectively rectified by TGRJ pretreatment.

CONCLUSIONSThe results of present study suggested that TGRJ could prevent ISO or Ang 2 induced cardiac hypertrophy through improving chronic [Ca(2+)]i disorder, might via normalizing SERCA2a expression and activity.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Glycosides ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Ranunculus ; chemistry ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo isolate and determine the chemical constituents from Ranunculus sceleratus.

METHODSix compounds were isolated and purified by extraction and different kinds of column chromatography. The structures were determined on the basis of extensive spectral analysis such as EI-MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, DEPT and NOEDS.

RESULTThe structures were elucidated as stigmasta-4-ene-3,6-dione I, stigmasterol II, isoscopoletin III, scoparone IV, protocatechuic aldehyde V and protocatechuic acid VI, respectively.

CONCLUSIONCompound I, III, IV, V and VI were isolated from R. genus for the first time.

Benzaldehydes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Catechols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Cholestenones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Coumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Hydroxybenzoates ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Ranunculus ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo isolate and determine the chemical constituents of Ranunculus japonicus in Liupan Mountain, Ningxia province, China.

METHODThe herb was extracted with ethanol by ultrasonic bath. The extractives were divided to petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol parts. The first two parts were separated and purified with silica gel and Sephadex LH -20 column chromatography. The structures of the separated compounds were idnetefied by physical and chemical properties and spectral analysis.

RESULTNine compounds were isolated and identified as follows: scoparone (1), tricin (2), protocatechuic acid (3), luteolin (4), anemonin (5), scopoletin (6), 5-hydroxy-6, 7-dimethoxyflavone (7), ternatolide (8), 5-hydroxy-7, 8-dimethoxy-flavone (9).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1-9 were isolated from Ranunculus japonicus for the first time.

1-Butanol ; chemistry ; Acetates ; chemistry ; Alkanes ; chemistry ; Coumarins ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Ethanol ; chemistry ; Flavones ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; Furans ; chemistry ; Hydroxybenzoates ; chemistry ; Luteolin ; chemistry ; Ranunculus ; chemistry ; Scopoletin ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

OBJECTIVETo study effects of polysaccharide of Radix Ranunculi Ternati (PRT) on immunological function and anti-oxidation activity of mouse.

METHODCell proliferations of splenocyte, thymocyte and peritoneal macrophage were measured by MTT colorimetry. The phagocytic function of peritoneal macrophage was measured by neutral red colorimetric method. The disoxidation power of PRT was measured by Prussian blue method. The clearing effect of PRT on hydroxyl radical was measured by salicylic acid capture method. The clearing effect of PRT on superoxide anion free radical was measured by pyrogallol auto oxidation method.

RESULTPRT among 25-400 mg x L(-1) could enhance thymocytes and spleen lymphocyte proliferation and macrophage phagocytosis. PRT(200 mg x L(-1)) has the strongest macrophage proliferation. PRT in different concentration has shown some disoxidation effects. PRT in 8 g x L(-1) has nearly the same ability of clearing x OH by Vit C with the same concentration. The clearance rate of PRT on O2*- is 95.39%.

CONCLUSIONPRT can enhance the cell proliferation capability of thymocytes, spleen lymphocytes and peritoneal macrophages. PRT can enhance macrophage phagocytosis in a dose-response relationship. PRT has saome disoxidation power and strong ability of clearing x OH and O2*-.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; cytology ; drug effects ; immunology ; Male ; Mice ; Oxidation-Reduction ; drug effects ; Phagocytosis ; drug effects ; Polysaccharides ; immunology ; pharmacology ; Ranunculus ; chemistry ; Spleen ; cytology ; drug effects ; immunology ; Thymus Gland ; cytology ; drug effects ; immunology