Objective To compare the quality of Flos Farfarae from different habitats, and provide basis for the utilization and development of Tussilago farfara. Methods The contents of rutin and tussilagone were determinated by HPLC, the 100-bud dry weight and bud color were weighed and observed. And the data of different samples were compared and statistical analysed. Results The content of rutin, tussilagone and 100-bud dry weight in Flos Farfarae from different place has a significant difference, and there was a significant positive correlation between rutin and tussilagone. Principal component and factor analysis showed that the quality of Flos Farfarae from Yushe, Ningwu, Guangling was better than other areas. Conclusion The quality of Flos Farfarae from different areas is difference, and wild T. farfara in Yushe, Ningwu, Guangling could be used as high quality germplasm.

OBJECTIVETo determine the change pattern of alkaline and acid components of Dahuang and Fuzi in different combinations.

METHODThe contents of anthraquinones and aconite alkaloids were determined by HPLC in samples of Dahuang extracts, Fuzi extracts, Dahuang and Fuzi pair medicines extracts, and extracts of whole recipe.

RESULTAs for Dahuang, the contents of anthraquinones were decreased with changes of combination: higher contents were in decoctions of Dahuang alone, lower contents were in decoctions of pair medicines, and the lowest contents were in decoctions of whole recipe. As for Fuzi, monoester aconite alkaloids could be detected in water extracts, and both biester and monoester aconite alkaloids could be detected in ethanol extracts. The contents of aconite alkaloids were decreased with changes of combinations: from Fuzi alone to pair medicines, and to whole recipe. The change pattern was more apparent when extracted in water decoction.

CONCLUSIONThe contents of alkaline and acid components are changed with different extract methods and different combinations.

Acids ; analysis ; Aconitum ; chemistry ; Alkalies ; analysis ; Alkaloids ; analysis ; Anthraquinones ; analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Rheum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the change regularity of ephedrine and glyrihhzine acid in Ephedra sinila and Glycyrrhiza uralencis pair medicines and in Maxing Shigan decoction.

METHODThe contents of ephedrine and glycyrrhizic acid were determined by HPLC in samples of E. sinica extracts, G. uralencis extracts, pair medicines extracts of Maxing Shigao decoction sinica and G. uralencis, and extracts of E. sinica.

RESULTThere were no significant difference in ephedrine contents amoung different samples; the contents of glycyrrhizic acid were lower in decoctions of Maxing Shigan decoction than in G. uralencis decoction and pair medicines extracts.

CONCLUSIONMacromolecular complex was NOT formed by ephedrine and Glycyrrhizic acid in decoctions containing pair medicines of E. sinica and G. uralencis.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Ephedra sinica ; chemistry ; Ephedrine ; chemistry ; Glycyrrhiza ; chemistry ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo determine the change pattern of alkaline and acid components of Dahuang and Huangbai amoung different combinations in Dahuang Xiaoshi decotion.

METHODThe contents of anthraquinones and berberine were determined by HPLC in samples of Dahuang extracts, Huangbai extracts, Dahuang and Huangbai pair medicine extracts, and extracts of whole recipe.

RESULTThe contents of anthraquinones and berberine were decreased with the changes of combinations: from component medicinal material alone to pair medicines, and to whole recipe. the change pattern was more apparent in water decoctions than in ethanol extracts.

CONCLUSIONThe contents of alkaline and acid components are changed with different extract methods and different combinations.

Acids ; analysis ; Alkalies ; analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Phellodendron ; chemistry ; Rheum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo determine the change pattern of alkaline and acid components of Fuzi and gancao amoung different combinations in Sini Decotion.

METHODThe contents of aconite alkaloids and glycyrrhizic acid were determined by HPLC in samples of Fuzi extracts, gancao extracts, Fuzi and gancao pair medicines extracts, and extracts of whole recipe.

RESULTAs for Fuzi, monoester aconite alkaloids could be detected in water extracts, and both biester and monoester aconite alkaloids could be detected in ethanol extracts. The contents of aconite alkaloids were decreased with changes of combinations: from Fuzi alone to pair medicines, and to whole recipe. The change pattern was more apparent when extracted in water decoction. As for Gancao, the glycyrrhizic acid was lowered from single medicine to pair medicines, and to whole recipe.

CONCLUSIONThe contents of alkaline and acid components were changed with different extract methods and different combinations of Fuzi and Gancao.

Acids ; analysis ; Aconitum ; chemistry ; Alkalies ; analysis ; Alkaloids ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical structures of macromolecular complexes formed by aconitine and glycyrrhizic acid, aconitine and rhein, berberine and rhein, ephedrine and glycyrrhizic acid in decoctions.

METHODThe binding energy of reactants and products was determined by X-ray spectrography, the ground level charge distribution of products was caculated by density function theory of quantum chemistry.

RESULTThe binding energy of aconitine and glycyrrhizic acid, aconitine and rhein, berberine and rhein were changed after reaction. The characteristic atoms in the molecular structures of acid components have higher positive electric charge, while the ones in alkaline components have higher negative charge.

CONCLUSIONAconitine and glycyrrhizic acid, aconitine and rhein, berberine and rhein can form macromolecular complexes, ephedrine and glycyrrhizic acid can not.

Acids ; chemistry ; Alkalies ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry

Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS), a traditional Chinese medicine, is used in clinics for the treatment ofinsomnia in China and other Asian countries. Herein, we described for the first time a comparative pharmacokinetics study of the six major compounds of ZSS in normal control (NC) and para-chlor-ophenylalanine (PCPA)-induced insomnia model (IM) rats that were orally administered the aqueous extract of ZSS. An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole orbitrap mass (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of coclaurine, magnoflorine, spinosin, 6'''-feruloylspinosin, jujuboside A (JuA), and jujuboside B (JuB) in ZSS in rat plasma. The established approach was successfully applied to a comparative pharmacokinetic study. The systemic exposures of spinosin and 6'''-feruloylspinosin were decreased in the IM group compared to the NC group, while plasma clearance (CL) was significantly increased. The Tmax values of JuA and JuB in IM rats were significantly lower than those in NC rats. The T1/2 of JuA in the IM group was significantly accelerated. The pharmacokinetic parameters of coclaurine and magnoflorine were not evidently affected between the two groups. These results indicate that the pathological state of insomnia altered the plasma pharmacokinetics of spinosin, 6'''-feruloylspinosin, JuA, and JuB in the ZSS aqueous extract, providing an experimental basis for the role of ZSS in insomnia treatment. The comparative pharmacokinetics-based UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS using full-scan mode can therefore provide a reliable and suitable means for the screening of potentially effective substances applied as quality markers of ZSS.

Compatibility chemistry of acid-alkaline pair medicines in formulas of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an important research field which should merit to pay attention. The ideas and methods in prescription compatibility research on formulas containing alkaline-acid pair medicines were summarized from the aspect of chemical groups of alkaline and acid ingredients; the research results were introduced and analyzed; the research meaning was elaborated; and the expectation of the field was viewed.
Animals ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Drug Incompatibility ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Research

Objective To grasp the main environmental factors affecting the growth of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao;To predict the distribution of suitable areas of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao in Shanxi Province;To provide references for the rational distribution of the resources in Shanxi Province.Methods This study utilized the sample point longitude and latitude information collected in the"Fourth Survey of Chinese Materia Medica Resources"database in Shanxi Province.The data were supplemented by searching the China Digital Herbarium and retrieving related literature records.347 sample points distribution data and environmental factors were added to the MaxEnt model.The main environmental factors and contribution rates affecting the geographical distribution of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao were screened out.The ArcGIS software was used to divide the ecological suitable area of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao in Shanxi Province.Results The area under the ROC curve of the established MaxEnt model was 0.909,indicating that the model prediction results were accurate.The model screened 19 environmental factors.Among them,climate factor was the most important environmental factor,followed by biological factor and topographic factor,and soil factor had the least influence.The potential suitable areas of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao in Shanxi Province were mainly distributed in the northern mountainous areas,presenting a trend of gradually decreasing suitability levels from north to south.Under the current climate conditions,the most suitable area for Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao in Shanxi Province was 15 424 km2,the suitable area was 19 856 km2,the sub suitable area was 59 436 km2,and the unsuitable area was 61 894 km2.Conclusion Based on MaxEnt model and ArcGIS software,this study predicts the distribution of suitable areas of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao in Shanxi Province,which has certain reference value for the protection and rational distribution of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao resources in Shanxi Province.

Objective To establish ecological suitability zone of Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl in Shanxi Province;To study the quality regionalization of Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl from different producing areas in Shanxi Province;To provide reference for reasonable planting and wild tending of Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl.Methods Maximum entropy(MaxEnt)model and ArcGIS software were used to study the ecological suitability of Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl in Shanxi Province;By screening the main environmental factors and combining them with the content of forsythoside and forsythoside A in Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl of different regions,a quality zoning of Forsythia suspensa Thunb.Vahl medicinal materials in Shanxi Province based on forsythoside,forsythoside A and environmental factors was constructed.Results The ecological suitable areas of Forsythia suspensa Thunb.Vahl in Shanxi Province were mainly distributed in the southern part of Shanxi Province,mainly in Linfen,Yuncheng,Changzhi,and Jincheng.The general contents of forsythoside and forsythoside A in the Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl medicinal material were gradually reduced from southern part to northern part of Shanxi Province.The comprehensive quality was high in southern part of Shanxi Province,mainly in Linfen,Changzhi,Yuncheng and Jincheng.Conclusion The results of this study are consistent with the actual survey.The southern part of Shanxi province is a suitable planting area for high quality Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl,which provides a reference for the standardized planting and wild tending of Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl.