Based on mass spectrometry(MS)-guided separation strategy, compound 1 was obtained from the roots of Rhus chinensis. By comprehensive analysis of high resolution-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry(HR-ESI-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) data, and quantum chemical calculation of NMR(qcc-NMR) parameters, compound 1 was elucidated as rhuslactone, a 17-epi-dammarane triterpenoid with a rare 17α-side chain. An HPLC-ELSD method for its quantification in R. chinensis was established and adopted for the quantification of rhuslactone in different batches of R. chinensis. Rhuslactone displayed a good linear relationship within the range of 0.021 3-1.07 μmol·mL~(-1 )(r=0.997 6), and the average recovery was 99.34% [relative standard deviation(RSD) 2.9%). Moreover, the results of the evaluation test of the preventive effects of rhusalctone on coronary heart disease(CHD) and thrombosis showed that rhuslactone(0.11 nmol·mL~(-1)) significantly alleviated heart enlargement and venous congestion and increased cardiac output(CO), blood flow velocity(BFV), and heart rate, thereby reducing thrombus formation in zebrafish with CHD. The effects of rhuslactone on CO and BFV were superior to that of digoxin(1.02 nmol·mL~(-1)), and its effect on improving heart rate was comparable to that of digoxin. This study provides experimental references for the isolation, identification, quality control, and application of rhuslactone from R. chinensis against CHD. It is worth mentioning that this study has discussed some omissions in the determination of the stereochemistry of C-17 in dammarane triterpenoids in the present coursebook Chemistry of Chinese Medicine and some research papers, that is, the compound may be 17-epi-dammarane triterpenoid. This paper has also proposed steps for the establishment of C-17 stereochemistry.
Animals ; Zebrafish ; Rhus/chemistry* ; Triterpenes/analysis* ; Coronary Disease ; Thrombosis

Rhus chinensis is an important resource plant. The aqueous extract of R. chinensis roots or stems was to produce Shuguantong Syrup, which is mainly used for the treatment of coronary heart disease and angina pectoris with definite curative effect. On this basis, the crude phenolic part of R. chinensis prepared by macroporous resin was evaluated for the cardio protective effect against myocardial ischemia in mice. The results showed that the phenolic part group with oral administration at the dosages of 190.8-381.6 mg·kg~(-1), compared with the model group, reduced the values of left ventricular end systolic diameter(LVEDs) and the left ventricular end diastolic diameter(LVEDd), and increased the cardiac ejection fraction(EF) and left ventricular fractional shortening(FS) rate, which could effectively improve cardiac function and exert its anti-myocardial ischemia effect, and reduce the rising levels of creatine kinase isoenzyme(CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) in serum. HE staining showed that the phenolic part group reduced the infiltration of myocardial inflammatory cells and alleviated the degree of myocardial fibrosis and collagen deposition. TUNEL staining showed that the blue-green fluorescence of the phenolic part group decreased successively, and the degree of myocardial cell apoptosis was reduced. Immunohistochemical staining suggested that it could reduce the number of positive cells for p53 protein expression and significantly improve myocardial cell damage. All above data suggested that the phenolic part group had an anti-mycardial ischemis effect. Related mechanism studies revealed that the crude phenolic part could regulate the expressions of the p53 gene(p53), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), B lymphoma-2 gene(Bcl-2), and caspase-3 protein(caspase-3) in myocardial tissue, suggesting that it could reduce cardiac remodeling and myocardial ischemic damage, and improve cardiac function by inhibiting myocardial apoptosis.This research laid a foundation for the elucidation of the pharmacological ingredients R. chinensis.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Mice ; Myocardial Ischemia/drug therapy* ; Myocardium ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Rhus ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein

Rhus chinensis is an important economic species, which could provide raw materials for pharmaceutical and industrial dyes. Rhus chinensis is famous for its resistance to drought, cold, and salt. It grows in temperate, warm temperate, and subtropical regions. We report here Rhus chinensis chloroplast genomes by de novo sequencing. The results show that the length of Rhus chinensis was 159 082 bp, exhibiting a typical four-part structure with two single-copy regions (long single copy [LSC] and short single copy [SSC] sections) separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs). The length of LSC and SSC was 85 394 bp and 18 663 bp, respectively. The genomes contained 126 genes, including 88 protein encoding genes, 8 rRNA and 30 tRNA genes. In the chloroplast genome, 61.97% of the sequence were gene coding region. In the sequence of gene encoding region, the vast majority of sequences were protein encoding region, accounting for 86.65%, followed by rRNA (10 620 bp, 10.77%) and tRNA (2 540 bp, 2.58%). In Rhus chinensis chloroplast genome, only 8 genes contain introns, all containing 1 intron except ycf3 gene (2 introns). The Rhus chinensis chloroplast genome contains 755 SSR locies. SSR mainly consists of dinucleotide and mononucleotide, accounting for 60% (453) and 28.74% (217) respectively. The clustering results show that Anacardiaceae were closest to Rhus chinensis, followed by Aceraceae and Sapindaceae. This study provides a molecular basis for the classification of Rhus chinensis.
Genome, Chloroplast ; genetics ; Open Reading Frames ; Phylogeny ; Rhus ; classification ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

The intestinal absorption properties of four main effective components(gallic acid, ocinolglucoside, ethyl gallate and penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose) in Rhus chinensis extracts were investigated by in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion model in rats. The liquid accumulation of perfusion was corrected by gravimetry. The HPLC method was established to determine the concentration of the four effective components in the intestinal perfusion. It showed significant differences(P<0.05) in absorption rate constant(K_a) and effective permeability(P_(eff)) among the three concentrations of components, and the absorption of the four effective components in different intestinal segments was saturated at high concentrations. At the same concentration, there were significant differences in K_a and P_(eff) of the four components in each intestinal segment(P<0.05). The order of K_a and P_(eff) of the four components in the intestine was penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose>ethyl gallate>gallic acid>ocinolglucoside, with significant differences between them(P<0.05). In conclusion, gallic acid, orpheolglucoside, ethyl gallate and pentacyl-glucose could be absorbed in the whole intestine. Their absorption rate and permeation ability were related to the intestinal section and the perfusate concentration. These results indicated potential active transport or facilitated diffusion in the intestinal transport process of the four effective components.
Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Hydroxybenzoates ; metabolism ; Intestinal Absorption ; Perfusion ; Phytochemicals ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rhus ; chemistry

Extrusion-spheronisation method was used to prepare Rhus chinensis total phenolic acid pellets. The formula and preparation of R. chinensis total phenolic acid pellets were optimized. The formulas( drug loading capacity,diluent,wetting agent and anti-sticking agent) were determined by the single factor test with yield,appearance and performance as the indexes. The preparation was optimized by Box-Behnken design and response surface method,with the rate of extrusion,rate of spheronization and time of spheronization as the independent variables and the overall desirability value of yield,friability and roundness as the dependent variables. The optimal formula of pellets was as follows: drug loading capacity 28. 7%,MCC-lactose 9 ∶1,silicon dioxide as anti-sticking agent,and 60% ethanol as wetting agent. The optimal preparation was determined as follows: the rate of extrusion was 43 r·min-1,the rate of spheronization was 1 800 r·min-1,and the time of spheronization was 4 min. The absolute deviation between predicted value and estimated value under the conditions was less than 5. 0%,with a high degree of model fit. The preparation parameters obtained were accurate,reliable and reproducible. Under scanning electron microscopy( SEM),R. chinensis total phenolic acid pellets were uniform in diameter,round and smooth. The optimal formulation and process are stable and feasible for preparing R. chinensis total phenolic acid pellets.
Drug Compounding ; methods ; Hydroxybenzoates ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Rhus ; chemistry ; Solubility

Flavonoids are a group of secondary metabolites found in plants. They have many pharmacological functions and play an important role in Chinese sumac( Rhus chinensis),which is a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal plant. Chalcone isomerase( CHI,EC 5. 5. 1. 6) is one of the key enzymes in the flavonoids biosynthesis pathway. In this paper,the full-length c DNA sequence encoding the chalcone isomerase from R. chinensis( designated as Rc CHI) was cloned by RT-PCR and rapid-amplification of c DNA Ends( RACE). The Rc CHI c DNA sequence was 1 058 bp and the open reading frame( ORF) was 738 bp. The ORF predicted to encode a 245-amino acid polypeptide. Rc CHI gene contained an intron and two exons. The sequence alignments revealed Rc CHI shared47. 1%-71. 6% identity with the homologues in other plants. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the total flavonoid levels were positively correlated with tissue-specific expressions of Rc CHI mRNA in different tissues. The recombinant protein was successfully expressed in an Escherichia coli strain with the p GEX-6 P-1 vector. In this paper,the CHI gene was cloned and characterized in the family of Anacardiaceae and will help us to obtain better knowledge of the flavonoids biosynthesis of the flavonoid compounds in R. chinensis.
Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; Flavonoids ; biosynthesis ; Intramolecular Lyases ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; enzymology ; genetics ; Rhus ; enzymology ; genetics

Toxicodendron vernicifluum, also called as Rhus verniciflua is a deciduous tree belonging to Anacardiaceae family. Two new caffeoyl threonate esters, rhuseols A (1) and B (2), together with 5-O-(E)-caffeoylquinic acid methyl ester (3) were isolated from the leaves of T. vernicifluum. The structures of isolated compounds were established by using 1D and 2D NMR in combination with HR-ESI-MS. Compounds 1 – 3 showed DPPH radical scavenging effects with IC₅₀ values of 47.9, 107.8 and 15.4 µM, respectively. Taken together, these compounds might contribute to the antioxidant properties of the leaves of T. vernicifluum, which will be useful for various oxidative stress mediated diseases.
Anacardiaceae ; Antioxidants ; Esters ; Humans ; Oxidative Stress ; Rhus ; Toxicodendron ; Trees

BACKGROUND: Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RV) has traditionally been used in Korea as an indigenous food (Rhus chicken soup) and as an herbal medicinal plant. While the anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties of RV have been actively studied in the medical field, its antioxidant effects in the skin that resist the reactive oxygen species in keratinocytes and fibroblasts is less understood. OBJECTIVE: We designed to evaluate the effects of R. verniciflua Stokes extract (RVE) on the photo-aged skin by an in vitro experiment using human fibroblasts and an in vivo experiment using a photo-aged murine model. METHODS: For the in vitro experiments, human fibroblasts irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) B were treated with RVE or vehicle, and the growth levels and the expression level of type 1 procollagen were compared. For the in vivo experiment, photo-aged mice irradiated with UVB and UVA were administered drinking water with or without RVE, and histological changes and the expression level of type 1 procollagen and matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-13 were compared. RESULTS: In vitro experiments using fibroblasts irradiated with UVB showed that RVE promoted growth and significantly increased the expression of type 1 procollagen as compared to the control group. In the photo-aged mice, RVE increased collagen content in the dermis and promoted the synthesis of type 1 procollagen without any visible decrease in MMP-13 as compared to control group. CONCLUSION: In addition to the previously reported antioxidant effects of RVE, oral intake of RVE effectively inhibited photo-aging in hairless mice by enhancing collagen synthesis.
Aging ; Animals ; Antioxidants ; Chickens ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Drinking Water ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Keratinocytes ; Korea ; Mice* ; Mice, Hairless ; Plants, Medicinal ; Procollagen ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Rhus* ; Skin*

Post-menopausal osteoporosis (PMO) is a major global human health concern. Owing to the need for therapeutic drugs without side effects, natural extracts containing various polyphenolic compounds that may exert estrogenic effects have been studied in depth. Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS), which has been used as a traditional herbal medicine for centuries in Korea, was recently revealed to exert estrogenic effects attributable to its bioactive ingredients sulfuretin and butein, which have strong estrogen receptor–binding affinities. In this study, the protective potential of RVS in PMO was evaluated by using an experimental animal model of PMO, which was established by ovariectomy (OVX) of female Sprague Dawley rats. The oral administration of RVS at 20 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg for 8 weeks markedly protected against OVX-induced atrophy of the uterine tube and reversed the elevation in the ratio of serum receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand to osteoprotegerin, which is a marker of disease severity. In addition, RVS inhibited OVX-induced tibia bone loss, activated osteogenic activity, and suppressed osteoclastic activity in the tibial epiphyseal plate, a region of bone remodeling. Collectively, these factors indicated that the oral intake of RVS might be beneficial for the prevention of PMO.
Administration, Oral ; Atrophy ; Bone Remodeling ; Estrogens ; Fallopian Tubes ; Female ; Growth Plate ; Herbal Medicine ; Humans ; Korea ; Models, Animal ; Models, Theoretical* ; Osteoclasts ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal* ; Osteoprotegerin ; Ovariectomy ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rhus* ; Tibia

Cholestatic liver cirrhosis (CLC) eventually proceeds to end-stage liver failure by mediating overwhelming deposition of collagen, which is produced by activated interstitial myofibroblasts. Although the beneficial effects of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) on various diseases are well-known, its therapeutic effect and possible underlying mechanism on interstitial fibrosis associated with CLC are not elucidated. This study was designed to assess the protective effects of RVS and its possible underlying mechanisms in rat models of CLC established by bile duct ligation (BDL). We demonstrated that BDL markedly elevated the serological parameters such as aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin, all of which were significantly attenuated by the daily uptake of RVS (2 mg/kg/day) for 28 days (14 days before and after operation) via intragastric route. We observed that BDL drastically induced the deterioration of liver histoarchitecture and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM), both of which were significantly attenuated by RVS. In addition, we revealed that RVS inhibited BDL-induced proliferation and activation of interstitial myofibroblasts, a highly suggestive cell type for ECM production, as shown by immunohistochemical and semi-quantitative detection of α-smooth muscle actin and vimentin. Finally, we demonstrated that the anti-fibrotic effect of RVS was associated with the inactivation of Smad3, the key downstream target of a major fibrogenic cytokine, i.e., transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). Simultaneously, we also found that RVS reciprocally increased the expression of Smad7, a negative regulatory protein of the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway. Taken together, these results suggested that RVS has a therapeutic effect on CLC, and these effects are, at least partly, due to the inhibition of liver fibrosis by the downregulation of Smad3 and upregulation of Smad7.
Actins ; Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Bile Ducts ; Bilirubin ; Collagen ; Down-Regulation* ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibrosis* ; Ligation ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Failure ; Liver* ; Models, Animal ; Myofibroblasts ; Negotiating ; Rhus* ; Transforming Growth Factors ; Up-Regulation* ; Vimentin