OBJECTIVETo investigate and arrange the ethno-pharmacological information of Schisandraceae plants in China.

METHODThe information was obtained by literature search, specimen inspection, field resource investigation and samples collection.

RESULTTwenty-six Schisandraece plants (inlcuding 4 varieties) have been used as folk medicines in different regions of China, the identical medicinal parts of different species in one genus show the similar usage, action and indications, and different medicinal parts with different administrated ways show different action and indications.

CONCLUSIONThe results provide reliable information for resource development and comprehensive utilization of Schisandraece plant resource in China.

China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Ethnopharmacology ; Schisandraceae

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of Shenmai Injection (SI) in treating congestive heart failure (CHF).

METHODSThe changes in cAMP, cGMP, serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT, a specific marker reflecting myocardial injury), creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) were simultaneously monitored in 62 chronic CHF patients, distributed in the two groups, the routine treatment group and the routine treatment + SI group, by randomized grouping method, and the therapeutic effect of the two groups was compared.

RESULTSThe plasma cAMP/cGMP ratio increased in early stage and decreased in late stage of the course of CHF. The serum cTnT level was progressively increased along with heart function deterioration. After treated with SI for 2 weeks, the CHF patients' hemodynamics got stable and heart function obviously improved. No serious adverse reaction was found in the therapeutic course.

CONCLUSIONThe level of serum cTnT might be taken as a reliable biochemical parameter to predict the prognosis of CHF patients. SI is an effective and safe agent in treating CHF.

Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers ; Creatine Kinase ; blood ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Heart Failure ; blood ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Panax ; Phytotherapy ; Schisandraceae ; Troponin T ; blood

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hematopoiesis ; drug effects ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Schisandraceae

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and side effects of combined Chinese drugs and chemotherapy in treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSSixty-three patients with stage III B and IV NSCLC hospitalized from October 2001 to October 2008 were enrolled and assigned to two groups using a randomizing digital table, with 33 patients in the treatment group and 30 in the control group. They were all treated with the Navelbine and Cisplatin (NP) chemotherapy, but to the treatment group the Chinese drugs Shengmai Injection () by intravenous dripping and Gujin Granule () by oral intake were given additionally. The main observation indexes were response rate (RR), median survival time, 1-year survival rate and median time to progression (TTP); secondary observation indexes were side effects and cycles of chemotherapy.

RESULTSAltogether, 61 patients (33 from the treatment group and 28 from the control group) completed the observation and were assessable. RR was 48.5% (16/33) in the treatment group and 32.2% (9/28) in the control group, and the median survival time were 13 months and 9 months, respectively; the difference between the two groups was significant (P=0.0373 and P=0.014 respectively). However, the differences between groups were insignificant in terms of 1-year survival rate [51.5% (17/33) vs 46.4% (13/28), P=0.4042], median TTP (5.95 months vs 4.64 months, P=0.3242), grade III or IV bone marrow inhibition occurrence rate [33.3% (11/33) vs 39.3% (11/28), P=0.3500], and mean cycles of chemotherapy applied (2.94+/-0.94 cycles vs 2.75+/-0.75 cycles, P=0.4100).

CONCLUSIONCombined Chinese drugs and chemotherapy can enhance the short-term therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of NSCLC and prolong patients' median survival time, but show no evident impact on TTP.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; mortality ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; mortality ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Panax ; Schisandraceae ; Survival Rate

In order to explore the scientific connotation of "Fangzhengduiying (formula corresponding to pattern types)", "Qiyinliangxuzheng (Qi and Yin deficiency pattern)" of myocardial ischemia rat model and GC-TOF/MS based metabonomic method were used for comparing the effects of Sheng-mai injection, Salvia injection and propranolol in the present study. After data processing and pattern recognition, Sheng-mai injection showed better efficacy than the other two drugs in accordance with not only visual observation from PLS-DA scores plots but also the number of abnormal endogenous compounds restored to the normal level. Further studies showed that Sheng-mai injection could normalize the level of plasma endothelin-1, the index related to cardiovascular diseases and sleep disorders, which verified the results of metabonomics. Finally, the regulated metabolites and related metabolic pathways were analyzed, and it was supposed that the effects of Sheng-mai injection involved in the alternation of energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, amino acids metabolism, and so on. These findings provided scientific evidence to Shengmai "Fang" used for "Qi and Yin deficiency pattern" correspondingly, indicating that metabonomics has great potential in traditional Chinese medical research, which provides a novel approach and way to modernization of traditional Chinese medicine.
Animals ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; pharmacology ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Endothelin-1 ; blood ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Injections ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Metabolomics ; methods ; Myocardial Ischemia ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology ; Panax ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Propranolol ; pharmacology ; Qi ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Salvia ; chemistry ; Schisandraceae ; chemistry ; Yin Deficiency ; metabolism

Plant active components characterized of many different structures and activities on multiple targets, have made them to be the important sources of inhibitors on HIV-1. For finding leading compounds with new structure against HIV-1, three key HIV-1 replicative enzymes (reverse transcriptase, protease and integrase) were used as screening models. The in vitro activities of 45 plant derived components isolated from Schisandraceae, Rutaceae and Ranunculaceae were reported. Within twelve triterpene components isolated, eight compounds were found to inhibit HIV-1 protease, in these eight active compounds, kadsuranic acid A (7) and nigranoic acid (8), inhibited both HIV-1 protease and integrase; Among fifteen lignans, meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid (15) and kadsurarin (16) were active on HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, and 4, 4-di(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenly)-2, 3-dimethylbutanol (13) active on HIV-1 integrase. All of the six alkaloids, seven flavones, and five others compounds were not active or only with low activities against HIV-1 replicative enzymes. Further studies of the triterpene components showing strong inhibitory activities on HIV-1 were warranted.
Alkaloids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Anti-HIV Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Flavones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Guaiacol ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; HIV Integrase ; drug effects ; HIV Protease ; drug effects ; HIV Reverse Transcriptase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Lignans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Ranunculaceae ; chemistry ; Rutaceae ; chemistry ; Schisandraceae ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

Family Schisandraceae is composed of two genera Schisandra and Kadsura, which are quite different in regard to the used part and medical function. Traditionally, the fruits of Schisandra plants were called 'Wuweizi' used as tonic for neurasthenia, antitussive, and sedative agents. The stems and roots of Kadsura plants, with names related to 'XueTeng', possess activating blood circulation and eliminating stasis and are used for the treatment of rheumatism, fractures and irregular menstruation. The dried fruit of Schisandra chinensis was recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 Edition) as 'Wuweizi', while the dried fruit of S. sphenanthera was recorded as an official origin of 'Nanwuweizi'. Historically, there was no evidence that the fruits of Kadsura plants were substituted as 'Wuweizi' either in ancient literatures or contemporary marketing. However, genus Kadsura is still popularly called 'Nanwuweizi' and plant K. longipedunculata is regarded as the origin of 'Nanwuweizi', thus this will cause confusion as well as misunderstanding of genus Kadsura. The authors recommended, therefore, the Chinese name of genus Kadsura should be 'Lengfantengshu' and K. longipedunculata with the name of 'Lengfanteng' in order to guarantee the drug authenticity.
Anticoagulants ; isolation & purification ; Antitussive Agents ; isolation & purification ; Drug Contamination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Kadsura ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; Schisandra ; classification ; Terminology as Topic

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents in the stems of Kadsura oblongifolia.

METHODThe chemical constituents were isolated by various column chromatographic methods. The structures were identified by spectral data.

RESULTSeven compounds named kaempferol-3-O-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside (1), kaempferol-3-O-alpha-D-arabinopyranoside (2), quercetin-3-O-alpha-D-arabinopyranoside (3), quercetin-3-O-alpha- L-arabinofuranoside (4), quercetin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), quercetin (6), kaempferol (7) were isolated and identified.

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1-7 were obtained from this plant for the first time. Compounds 1-4 were isolated from Schisandraceae family for the first time.

Acetates ; chemistry ; Kadsura ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Solubility

A new dibenzocyclooctadiene lignan, renchangianin E (1) was isolated from the stems of Kadsura renchangiana. Its structure and stereochemistry were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 2D-NMR techniques.
Cyclooctanes ; chemistry ; Kadsura ; chemistry ; Lignans ; chemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure

AIM: To study the dibenzocylooctadiene lignans from the stems of Kadsura heteroclita. METHOD: Chromatographic separations of silica gel and semi-preparative HPLC were used. All of the structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including 2D-NMR and HR-MS techniques. RESULTS: Four dibenzocylooctadiene lignans were isolated from K. heteroclita. Their structures were identified as heteroclitin R (1), heteroclitin S (2), gonisin O (3), and schisanlignone A (4). CONCLUSION Heteroclitin R (1) and heteroclitin S (2) are new natural lignans.
Kadsura ; chemistry ; Lignans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry