A gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(GC-MS) method was established for the simultaneous determination of eleven volatile components in Cinnamomi Oleum and the chemical pattern recognition was utilized to evaluate the quality of essential oil obtained from Cinnamomi Fructus medicinal materials in various habitats. The Cinnamomi Fructus medicinal materials were treated by water distillation, analyzed using GC-MS, and detected by selective ion monitoring(SIM), and the internal standards were used for quantification. The content results of Cinnamomi Oleum from various batches were analyzed by hierarchical clustering analysis(HCA), principal component analysis(PCA), and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) for the statistic analysis. Eleven components showed good linear relationships within their respective concentration ranges(R~2>0.999 7), with average recoveries of 92.41%-102.1% and RSD of 1.2%-3.2%(n=6). The samples were classified into three categories by HCA and PCA, and 2-nonanone was screened as a marker of variability between batches in combination with OPLS-DA. This method is specific, sensitive, simple, and accurate, and the screened components can be utilized as a basis for the quality control of Cinnamomi Oleum.
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Plant Oils ; Oils, Volatile ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Cluster Analysis

OBJECTIVE: Anxiety is one of the most common symptoms associated with autistic spectrum disorder. The essential oil of Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook. f. & Thomson, usually known as ylang-ylang oil (YYO), is often used in aromatherapy as a mood-regulating agent, sedative, or hypotensive agent. In the present study, the effects and mechanisms of YYO in alleviating anxiety, social and cognitive behaviors in autism-like rats were investigated. METHODS: The prenatal valproic acid (VPA) model was used to induce autism-like behaviors in offspring rats. The effectiveness of prenatal sodium valproate treatment (600 mg/kg) on offspring was shown by postnatal growth observation, and negative geotaxis, olfactory discrimination and Morris water maze (MWM) tests. Then three treatment groups were formed with varying exposure to atomized YYO to explore the effects of YYO on the anxiety, social and cognitive behaviors of the autistic-like offspring through the elevated plus-maze test, three-chamber social test, and MWM test. Finally, the monoamine neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine and their metabolites, in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the rats were measured using a high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Offspring of VPA exposure rats showed autism-like behaviors. In the VPA offspring, medium-dose YYO exposure significantly elevated the time and entries into the open arms in the elevated plus-maze test, while low-dose YYO exposure significantly enhanced the social interaction time with the stranger rat in session 1 of the three-chamber social test. VPA offspring treated with YYO exposure used less time to reach the platform in the navigation test of the MWM test. YYO exposure significantly elevated the metabolism of serotonin and dopamine in the PFC of VPA offspring. CONCLUSION YYO exposure showed the effects in alleviating anxiety and improving cognitive and social abilities in the offspring of VPA exposure rats. The role of YYO was related to the regulation of the metabolism of serotonin and dopamine. Please cite this article as: Zhang N, Wang ST, Yao L. Inhalation of Cananga odorata essential oil relieves anxiety behaviors in autism-like rats via regulation of serotonin and dopamine metabolism. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(2): 205-214.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Rats ; Animals ; Autistic Disorder/drug therapy* ; Oils, Volatile/therapeutic use* ; Serotonin/metabolism* ; Cananga/metabolism* ; Dopamine ; Anxiety/drug therapy* ; Valproic Acid/pharmacology* ; Plant Oils ; Disease Models, Animal

It is generally believed that high-quality Bupleurum scorzonerifolium roots possess specific morphological characteristics, being red, robust, and long with strong odor. However, the scientific connotation of these characteristics has not been elucidated. According to the theory of "quality evaluation through morphological identification", we studied the correlations between appearance traits(the RGB value of root surface, root length, root diameter, dry weight, and ratio of phloem to xylem) and content of main chemical components(volatile oils, total saponins, total flavonoids, total polysaccharides, and seven saikosaponins) of B. scorzonerifolium roots. Epson Scanner and ImageJ were used to scan the root samples and measure the appearance traits. Ultraviolet spectrophotometry and HPLC were employed to determine the content of chemical components. The correlation, regression, and cluster analyses were performed to study the correlations between the appearance traits and the content of chemical components. The results showed that the content of volatile oils and saikosaponins were significantly correlated with RGB value, root length, and root diameter, indicating that within a certain range, the roots being redder, longer, and thicker had higher content of volatile oils and saikosaponins. According to the appearance traits and chemical component content, the 14 samples from different producing areas were classified into four grades, and the differences in morphological traits and chemical component content were consistent among different grades. The findings in this study demonstrate that appearance traits(RGB value, root length, and root diameter) can be used to evaluate the quality of B. scorzonerifolium roots. Meanwhile, this study lays a foundation for establishing an objective quality evaluation method for B. scorzonerifolium roots.
Bupleurum/chemistry* ; Saponins/analysis* ; Oleanolic Acid/analysis* ; Oils, Volatile/analysis* ; Plant Roots/chemistry*

This study aims to investigate the impact of the invasive pest Corythucha marmorata on the growth and quality of Artemi-sia argyi. The signs of insect damage at the cultivation base of A. argyi in Huanggang, Hubei were observed. The pests were identified based on morphological and molecular evidence. The pest occurrence pattern and damage mechanism were investigated. Electron microscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS), and high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) were employed to analyze the microstructure, volatile oils, and flavonoid content of the pest-infested leaves. C. marmorata can cause destructive damage to A. argyi. Small decoloring spots appeared on the leaf surface at the initial stage of infestation. As the damage progressed, the spots spread along the leaf veins and aggregated into patches, causing yellowish leaves and even brownish yellow in the severely affected areas. The insect frequently appeared in summer because it thrives in hot dry conditions. After occurrence on the leaves, microscopic examination revealed that the front of the leaves gradually developed decoloring spots, with black oily stains formed by the black excrement attaching to the glandular hairs. The leaf flesh was also severely damaged, and the non-glandular hairs were broken, disor-ganized, and sticky. The content of neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acids A and B, hispidulin, jaceosidin, and eupatilin at the early stage of infestation was significantly higher than that at the middle stage, and the content decreased at the last stage of infestation. The content of eucalyptol, borneol, terpinyl, and caryophyllin decreased in the moderately damaged leaves and increased in the severely damaged leaves. C. marmorata was discovered for the first time on A. argyi leaves in this study, and its prevention and control deserves special attention. The germplasm materials resistant to this pest can be used to breed C. marmorata-resis-tant A. argyi varieties.
Artemisia/chemistry* ; Plant Breeding ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Oils, Volatile/analysis* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Plant Leaves/chemistry*

Artemisiae Argyi Folium is commonly used in clinical practice. Artemisiae Verlotori Folium, the dried leaves of Artemisia verlotorum, is often used as a folk substitute for Artemisiae Argyi Folium in Lingnan area. In this study, gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(GC-MS) was used to detect the volatile oil components of 27 samples of Artemisiae Verlotori Folium and 13 samples of Artemisiae Argyi Folium, and the volatile components were compared between the two species. The internal standard method was combined with multi-reaction monitoring mode(MRM) to determine the content of six major volatile components. Hierarchical clustering analysis(HCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were carried out for the content data. The results showed that the Artemisiae Argyi Folium samples had higher content and more abundant volatile oils than the Artemisiae Verlotori Folium samples. Artemisiae Argyi Folium mainly had the components with lower boiling points, while Artemisiae Verlotori Folium mainly had the components with higher boiling points. Terpenoids were the main volatile components in Artemisiae Verlotori Folium(mainly sesquiterpenoids) and Artemisiae Argyi Folium(monoterpenoids). In addition, Artemisiae Argyi Folium had higher content of oxygen-containing derivatives than Artemisiae Verlotori Folium. Furthermore, the stoichiometric analysis showed that the two species could be distinguished by both HCA and OPLS-DA, indicating that the volatile components of the two were significantly different. This study can provide a scientific basis for the quality evaluation and data support for the local rational application of Artemisiae Verlotori Folium in Lingnan.
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Chemometrics ; Oils, Volatile ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Plant Leaves ; Artemisia

Perilla frutescens is a widely used medicinal and edible plant with a rich chemical composition throughout its whole plant. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia categorizes P. frutescens leaves(Perillae Folium), seeds(Perillae Fructus), and stems(Perillae Caulis) as three distinct medicinal parts due to the differences in types and content of active components. Over 350 different bioactive compounds have been reported so far, including volatile oils, flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenes, sterols, and fatty acids. Due to the complexity of its chemical composition, P. frutescens exhibits diverse pharmacological effects, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antidepressant, and antitumor activities. While scholars have conducted a substantial amount of research on different parts of P. frutescens, including analysis of their chemical components and pharmacological mechanisms of action, there has yet to be a systematic comparison and summary of chemical components, pharmacological effects, and mechanisms of action. Therefore, this study overviewed the chemical composition and structures of Perillae Folium, Perillae Fructus, and Perillae Caulis, and summarized the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of P. frutescens to provide a reference for better development and utilization of this valuable plant.
Perilla frutescens/chemistry* ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Seeds/chemistry* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Oils, Volatile/analysis* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry*

Perilla (Perilla frutescens L.) is an important edible-medicinal oil crop, with its seed containing 46%-58% oil. Of perilla seed oil, α-linolenic acid (C18:3) accounts for more than 60%. Lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAT) is one of the key enzymes responsible for triacylglycerol assembly in plant seeds, controlling the metabolic flow from lysophosphatidic acid to phosphatidic acid. In this study, the LPAT2 gene from the developing seeds of perilla was cloned and designated as PfLPAT2. The expression profile of PfLPAT2 gene was examined in various tissues and different seed development stages of perilla (10, 20, 30, and 40 days after flowering, DAF) by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). In order to detect the subcellular localization of PfLPAT2 protein, a fusion expression vector containing PfLPAT2 and GFP was constructed and transformed into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves by Agrobacterium-mediated infiltration. In order to explore the enzymatic activity and biological function of PfLPAT2 protein, an E. coli expression vector, a yeast expression vector and a constitutive plant overexpression vector were constructed and transformed into an E. coli mutant SM2-1, a wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain INVSc1, and a common tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum, variety: Sumsun NN, SNN), respectively. The results showed that the PfLPAT2 open reading frame (ORF) sequence was 1 155 bp in length, encoding 384 amino acid residues. Functional structure domain prediction showed that PfLPAT2 protein has a typical conserved domain of lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase. qRT-PCR analysis indicated that PfLPAT2 gene was expressed in all tissues tested, with the peak level in seed of 20 DAF of perilla. Subcellular localization prediction showed that PfLPAT2 protein is localized in cytoplasm. Functional complementation assay of PfLPAT2 in E. coli LPAAT mutant (SM2-1) showed that PfLPAT2 could restore the lipid biosynthesis of SM2-1 cell membrane and possess LPAT enzyme activity. The total oil content in the PfLPAT2 transgenic yeast was significantly increased, and the content of each fatty acid component changed compared with that of the non-transgenic control strain. Particularly, oleic acid (C18:1) in the transgenic yeast significantly increased, indicating that PfLPAT2 has a higher substrate preference for C18:1. Importantly, total fatty acid content in the transgenic tobacco leaves increased by about 0.42 times compared to that of the controls, with the C18:1 content doubled. The increased total oil content and the altered fatty acid composition in transgenic tobacco lines demonstrated that the heterologous expression of PfLPAT2 could promote host oil biosynthesis and the accumulation of health-promoting fatty acids (C18:1 and C18:3). This study will provide a theoretical basis and genetic elements for in-depth analysis of the molecular regulation mechanism of perilla oil, especially the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, which is beneficial to the genetic improvement of oil quality of oil crops.
Acyltransferases ; Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli/metabolism* ; Fatty Acids ; Perilla frutescens/metabolism* ; Plant Oils ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism* ; Seeds/chemistry* ; Tobacco/genetics*

Attapulgite(ATP), as a fertilizer slow-release agent and soil conditioner, has shown remarkable effect in improving the utilization rate of fertilizer and the yield and quality of agricultural products and Chinese medicinal materials. This study aims to explore the effect of ATP on the growth and root quality of Angelica sinensis. To be specific, Mingui 1 was used, and through the pot(soil culture) experiment in the Dao-di producing area, the effects of conventional chemical fertilizer added with ATP on the morphology, photosynthesis, soil respiration, and content of ferulic acid and volatile oil in roots of Mingui 1 were detected. The underlying mechanism was discussed from the perspective of source-sink relationship. The results showed that ATP, via the fertilizer slow-release effect, could meet the needs of A. sinensis for nutrients at the root expansion stage, improve the net photosynthetic rate of leaves and aboveground biomass of plants, and promote the transfer and accumulation of nutrients from the aboveground part(source) to the underground root(sink) in advance during the dry matter accumulation period of roots, so as to improve the root weight per plant. ATP can increase the content of total ferulic acid(the sum of free ferulic acid and coniferyl ferulate), the main effective component of Angelicae Sinensis Radix, by promoting the synthesis of ferulic acid in the roots and the transformation to coniferyl ferulate. However, it had little effect on the content of volatile oil. ATP had certain influence on soil respiration, which needs to be further explored from root activity, rhizosphere microorganisms, and soil microorganisms. This study can lay a basis for soil remediation and improvement and ecological cultivation of A. sinensis.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Angelica sinensis/chemistry* ; Coumaric Acids ; Fertilizers/analysis* ; Magnesium Compounds ; Oils, Volatile/chemistry* ; Plant Roots/chemistry* ; Silicon Compounds ; Soil

Many Chinese medicinal materials, vegetable oils and extracts, and even Chinese patent medicines are spicy, which influences the medication compliance of patients, especially children. Different from the sour, sweet, bitter, salty, and umami tastes, it is a painful sensation formed when the spicy substances stimulate the nerve endings. At the moment, there are a few studies on the spicy components and mechanism and masking technology for the spicy flavor of Chinese medicine in the pharmaceutical industry, and the findings in food science are usually taken as a reference, which fail to guide the masking of the spicy flavor in Chinese medicine preparations. According to literature research, the exterior-releasing medicine, dampness-resolving medicine, and interior-warming medicine are spicy, especially some vegetable oils and extracts. Taking Zingiberis Rhizoma and prescriptions containing this medicinal as an example, the spicy components in Chinese medicine and the structure-activity characteristics were analyzed to reveal the mechanism for the spicy flavor: spicy components activate the transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily member 1(TRPV1). The advantages and disadvantages of separation, neutralization with sugar, and inclusion for the masking of the spicy flavor were summarized and the applicability in Chinese medicine was analyzed. Moreover, the future development direction was put forward. This study is expected to promote the development of spicy masking technology for Chinese medicine prescriptions for children.
Child ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Spices ; Technology ; Plant Oils ; Plant Extracts

OBJECTIVE: To determine the volatile constituents and their contents in the roots of 5 cultivated Angelica dahurica and one wild A. dahurica and analyze the chemical relationship among the plants of A. dahurica. METHODS: The essential oil was extracted from the roots of 5 cultivated plants of Angelica dahurica and one wild A. dahurica by water steam distillation. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to separate and identify all the volatile oil components in the extracts, and their relative contents were calculated with area normalization method. We also conducted clustering analysis and principal component analysis of the volatile oil components. RESULTS: We identified a total of 81 compounds from the roots of the 6 plants of Angelica dahurica, including 27 in Chuanbaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv. 'Hangbaizhi'), 34 in Hangbaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv. 'Hangbaizhi'), 24 in Qibaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv. 'Qibaizhi'), 32 in Yubaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv.'Qibaizhi'), 28 in Bobahizhi (Angelica dahurica cv.'Qibaizhi'), and 34 in Xinganbaizhi (Angelica dahuirca). These compounds included, in the order of their relative contents (from high to low), alkanes, olefins, esters, organic acids and alcohols. Among the common components found in the roots of all the plants of A. dahurica, nonylcyclopropane, cyclododecane and hexadecanoic acid were identified as the volatile oil components that showed the highest relative contents. Clustering analysis of the volatile oil components showed that wild Angelica dahurica (Xing'anbaizhi) and the 5 cultivated Angelica dahurica (Chuanbaizhi, Hangbaizhi, Qibaizhi, Yubaizhi, Bobaizhi) could be divided into two groups, and the cultivated Angelica dahurica could be divided into two subgroups: Chuanbaizhi, Yubaizhi and Hangbahizhi were clustered in one subgroup, and Qibaizhi and Bobaizhi in another. The results of principal component analysis was consistent with those of clustering analysis. CONCLUSION The main volatile oil components and their contents vary among the 6 plants of A. dahurica. Nonylcyclopropane, cyclododecane and hexadecanoic acid are the most abundant volatile oil components in all the plants of A. dahurica, which can be divided into two clusters.
Angelica/chemistry* ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Oils, Volatile/analysis* ; Palmitic Acid/analysis* ; Plant Roots/chemistry*