Plant and animal derived secondary metabolites are the result of initiative and adaptability of natural evolution due to its adaptive stress responses. Based on countless attempts, rational thinking and thousands of years of clinical practice by ancient Chinese, the medicines were endowed with advantages for the treatment of diseases and keeping health balance through multiple components combination instead of single components, featured by a complex system with emergent properties. The emergence of traditional Chinese medicine is because of the integration of various components and its complex interactions. How to obtain the new multicomponent entities with the biological equivalent effect is an important and fundamental work for TCM-based new drug research and development. Currently, recognition of TCM emergence and development of related technical methods needs strengthened, and the understanding and research of TCM require a systematic integration of the holistic and reductive methods.
Animals ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

OBJECTIVETo investigate the chemical constituents of the dried buds of Lonicera confusa.

METHODChromatography and spectral analysis were respectively used to isolate and identify the constituents.

RESULTSeven compounds were isolated from the dried buds of L. confusa, and identified as rutin, quercetin, luteilin-7-O-beta-D-galactoside, lonicerin, chlorogenic acid, beta-sitosterol and tetratriacontane.

CONCLUSIONRutin was isolated from the genus for the first time, and the others were isolated from the species for the first time.

Chlorogenic Acid ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Flowers ; chemistry ; Lonicera ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quercetin ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Rutin ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Sitosterols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Litsea cubeba is one of aromatic medicinal plant belonging to family Lauraceae. The roots, stems and fruits of L. cubeba have been widely applied as folk medicines in some districts in China for relieving rheumatism and cold, regulating Qi (meridian) to alleviate pain. Previous studies revealed that this species contains major alkaloids, in specific aporphines, and minor flavonoids, lignans as well. Related pharmacological investigations demonstrated its activities and clinical applications on cardiovascular diseases, anti-cancer, against rheumatoid arthritis, relieving asthma and anti-allergic effects, as anti-oxidants, and so on. As an effort for further exploration of this bioactive ingredients and potential drug development, this paper summarizes most phytochemical and pharmacological results. Further, future prospects are also included.
Animals ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Litsea ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

The peeled stem of Syringa pinnatifolia is a Mongolia folk medicine, mainly distributed in Helan mountain, inner Mongolia and Ningxia provinces of China. It has been used for the treatment of cardiopalmus, angina pectoris, and cardiopulmonary diseases for a long history. Contemporary research revealed the presence of major lignans, sesquitepenes, and essential oils, and showed myocardial ischemia related diseases. This review summarizes the plant origins, taxonomic disputes, phytochemical and pharmacological research progress, hopefully to provide reference for full medicinal utilization, clarification of biological effective substance, and drug development.
Animals ; Drug Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Medicine, Mongolian Traditional ; Molecular Structure ; Syringa ; chemistry

A phytochemical investigation on the roots and stems of Litsea cubeba led to the isolation of seven isoquinolone alkaloids. By spectroscopic analysis and comparison of their 1H and 13C-NMR data with those in literatures, these alkaloids were identified as (+)-norboldine (1), (+)-boldine (2), (+)-reticuline (3), (+)-laurotetanine (4), (+)-isoboldine (5), (+)-N-methyl-laurotetanine (6), and berberine (7), respectively. Among them, 7 was isolated from the genus for the first time. The evaluation of these compounds showed weak anti-inflammatory activity against NO production in RAW 267.4 and BV-2 cells.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Litsea ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

In this article, the research of chemical constituents and bioactivities in recent ten years has been reviewed of plants from the 12 genera in Flacourtiaceae related to the medicinal resources in China. The research in China about the plants from Flacourtiaceae was done very little, but many literatures have been reported abroad. The plants from Flacourtiaceae mostly contain the constituents such as aromatic glucosides, lignanoid glucosides, diterpenoids and cyclopentenoid cyanohydrin glucosides et al. These compounds or plant extracts mainly show antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor, hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic activities. The research of plants from Carrierea, Itoa and Bennettiodendron of Flacourtiaceae in China is still blank. The systemic research about chemical constituents and bioactivities of plants from these genera will play important roles in the discovery of novel natural products and active constituents, and provide valuable reference for the classifying of plants from these genera.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; Diterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Flacourtiaceae ; chemistry ; classification ; Flavonolignans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification

It was estimated that about 428 species of genus Corydalis are distributed all worldwide, with about 298, especially 10 groups and 219 species being uniquely spread in China. The genus Corydalis have been widely employed as folk medicines in China, especially as traditional Tibetan medicines, for treatment of fever, hepatitis, edema, gastritis, cholecystitis, hypertension and other diseases. The phytochemical studies revealed that isoquinoline alkaloids are its major bioactive ingredients. The extensive biological researches suggested its pharmacological activities and clinic applications against cardiovascular diseases and central nervous system, antibacterial activities, analgesic effects, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation and anti-injury for hepatocyte, and so on. As an effort in promoting the research of pharmacodynamic ingredients, this article presents an overview focusing on the distribution, phytochemical and pharmacological results of Corydalis species that have been applied in traditional Tibetan medicinal, hopefully to provide a reference for the new Tibetan medicine development from Corydalis plant resource.
Alkaloids ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Anti-Infective Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Corydalis ; chemistry ; classification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Mice ; Molecular Structure ; Phytotherapy

A phytochemical investigation on the aerial parts of a Tibetan medicine Meconopsis horridula, by solvent extraction, repeated chromatographies on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and preparative TLC techniques, led to the isolation of 9 compounds. By spectroscopic analysis and comparison of its 1H and 13C-NMR data with those in literatures, their structures were identified as oleracein E(1), N-( trans-p-coumaroyl) tyramine (2), chrysoeriol (3), apigenin (4), hydnocarpin (5), p-coumaric acid glucosyl ester (6), stigmast-5-ene-3beta-ylformate (7), 3beta-hydroxy-7alpha-ethoxy-24beta-ethylcholest-5-ene (8), and beta-sitosterol (9), respectively, among which compounds 6-8 were isolated from the genus for the first time,and 1,3 were isolated from the species for the first time. A MTT method was applied to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of compounds 14 against the human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2), and compound 1 showed significant cytotoxicity against HepG2,with its inhibitory rate of 52.2% at 10 micromol x L(-1).
Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Molecular Structure ; Papaveraceae ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Flavonoids ; analysis ; Flowers ; chemistry ; Lonicera ; chemistry ; classification ; Luteolin ; analysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quercetin ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; Reproducibility of Results ; Rutin ; analysis ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Stroke is one of the major causes of death and disability in China and even worldwide.At present, treatment of stroke has been traditionally focused on reducing death of ischemic cells.However,clinical trials have shown that none of neuroprotective drugs tested achieve clinical benefit after acute stroke.Exosomes are 30~100 nm extracellular vesicles derived from cells with cell membrane structure.Many studies suggest exosomes play essential roles in intercellular communication by transferring their cargo between source and target cells in brain.Emerging data show that exsomes also make a contribution to brain recovery via regulating highly interactive process pathway after stroke.Here,we review these advances and highlight the potential therapeutic functions of exosomes in brain remodeling after stroke.