Hilic MS/MS determination of amino acids in herbs of Fumaria schleicheri L., Ocimum basilicum L., and leaves of Corylus avellana L.

The aim of research was to study the content of amino acids using in extracts of Fumaria schleicheri L., Ocimum basilicum L., and Corylus avellana L. by HILIC MS/MS method. Separation of amino acids in the samples was carried out with Acquity H-class UPLC system (Waters, Milford, USA) equipped with SeQuant ZIC-Hilic collumn (2.1 × 150 mm, 3.5 μm) (Merck Millipore, Darmstadt, Germany). The MS/MS fragment ion chromatograms of the test solutions established the presence of 19 amino acids. The obtained results have shown that O. basilicum L. characterized the highest concentrations of different neurogenic amino acids (128.1 mg/kg), comparing with F. schleicheri L. and C. avellana L. (57.72 and 52.91 mg/kg, respectively).     

Isolation and identification of flower oil components from four <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylea</Emphasis> L. species

Chemical composition of the hydrodistilled volatile fraction from flowers of four Staphylea L. species (Staphylea colchica Stev., Staphylea elegans Zab., Staphylea holocarpa Hemsl., Staphylea pinnata L.) was determined by the GC/MS method. Compounds in fresh and dried flowers (stored for 1 year) were determined. Mostly, structures of different oxygenated aliphatic hydrocarbons in all four species were found. Different aldehydes, ketones, esters of higher fatty acids, and hexadecanoic acid were identified, with dominating content of tricosane, hexadecanoic acid and also of heneicosane, pentacosane, heptacosane, and nonacosane. In S. pinnata L. (fresh flowers) some nonaliphatic hydrocarbons, and in S. holocarpa Hemsl. (fresh flowers) esters of higher fatty acids were found.     

New glycosylsphingolipids from Psychotria serpens L

Abstract

In clinical, Psychotria serpens L. was often substitute for Caulis trachelospermi to treat cancer in China. Meanwhile, EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions of MeOH extract of P. serpens L. show power activity against H460, HepG2, Hela, and PC9/GR cell lines, and no toxic effects against normal 16HBE cell lines. In our ongoing search for bioactive novel compounds from Chinese material medica, one new type of glycosylsphingolipids Psychotramide (1a–1c) were isolated from P. serpens L., and their structures were identified through spectroscopic techniques including NMR (1D and 2D) and MS (LC-MS, and GC-MS).     

HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of phenolics and in vitro antioxidant activity of Epilobium angustifolium L.

The aerial parts of Epilobium plants are widely used as folk medicine and food around the world. The present study was aimed to investigate the antioxidant activities and active chemical constituents from Epilobium angustifolium L. The results revealed that the EtOAc extract, rich in phenolic compounds and flavonoids (16.81 ± 0.67 g GAE/100 g extract and 4.95 ± 0.21 g QE/100 g extract, respectively), possessed significantly antioxidant activities in reducing power, DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS radical scavenging activity and highly in inhibiting lipid peroxidation activity. Simultaneously, active fractions F to H from EtOAc extracts showing potent in vitro antioxidant activities also contained high content of total phenolic and flavonoid. Twenty-eight compounds were identified as phenolic compounds and flavonoids by LC-MS/MS. The results illustrate that the E. angustifolium L., which is rich in phenolics, could be used as a natural resource of antioxidant ingredient.     

Application of HPLC-PBMS to the identification of unknown components in a triterpenoid fraction of Arbutus unedo fruits

An extract fraction fruits of Arbutus unedo, L., was cleaned-up by column chromatography and shown by NMR to be a mixture of isomers that resists further attempts at separation by conventional chromatographic methods. High resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HRGC-MS) confirms the presence of triter-penoid isomers but does not allow separation of all the components. This can be improved by trimethylsilylation but the absence of molecular ions and the complex spectra are difficult to interpret. Complete separation can be achieved by high pressure liquid chro-matography (HPLC) coupled to a mass spectrometer by means of a particle beam interface (HPLC-PBMS). Four triterpene com-pounds are identified through analysis of the corresponding mass spectra: α-amyrin, β-amyrin, and Lupeol, have for the first time been identified in Arbutus unedo, L. Fruits. A new natural triterpene tentatively identified as olean-12-en-3β, 23-diol is described for the first time.     

Method for Determining Color Characteristics of Plant Pigments

Pigments from petals ofRanunculus repensL. andCalendula officinalisL. are used to describe a method for determining color characteristics of pigments that is based on scanning the studied object on a flat scanner and defining the colors using Adobe Photoshop 5.0. Ten yellow pigments were found inR. Repens; 15 yellow and orange, inC. Officinalis     

N-Alkylamides from Piper longum L. and their stimulative effects on the melanin content and tyrosinase activity in B16 melanoma cells

Abstract

Piper longum L., known as long pepper, is an edible and medicinal plant used as spice and for the treatment of stomach disease and analgesia in traditional Chinese medicine. N-Alkylamides are the major secondary metabolites in this plant. Sixteen known N-alkylamides were isolated from P. longum. Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic data and comparison to reported literatures. Among them, five compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time. Ethanol extract, compounds 1, 2, 3, 7 and 11 exhibited potent ability to increase the melanin content and weak stimulative effect on the tyrosinase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, compound 2 also presented strong capacity to increase the tyrosinase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. These results indicated that P. longum might be a good natural source of lead compound for skin disorder diseases.     

Antioxidant Activity and Molecular Docking Study of Volatile Constituents from Different Aromatic Lamiaceous Plants Cultivated in Madinah Monawara,Saudi Arabia

A comparative study of volatile constituents, antioxidant activity, and molecular docking was conducted between essential oils from Mentha longifolia L., Mentha spicata L., and Origanum majorana L., widely cultivated in Madinah. The investigation of volatile oils extracted by hydrodistillation was performed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). A total number of 29, 42, and 29 components were identified in M. longifolia, M. spicata, and O. majorana representing, respectively, 95.91, 94.62, and 98.42, of the total oils. Pulegone (38.42%), 1,8-cineole (15.60%), menthone (13.20%), and isopulegone (9.81%) were the dominant compounds in M. longifolia oil; carvone (35.14%), limonene (27.11%), germacrene D (4.73%), and β-caryophyllene (3.02%) were dominant in M. spicata oil; terpin-4-ol (42.47%), trans-sabinene hydrate (8.52%), γ-terpinene (7.90%), α-terpineol (7.38%), linalool (6.35%), α-terpinene (5.42%), and cis-sabinene hydrate (3.14%) were dominant in O. majorana oil. The antioxidant activity, assessed using DPPH free radical–scavenging and ABTS assays, was found to be the highest in O. majorana volatile oil, followed by M. spicata and M. longifolia, which is consistent with the differences in total phenolic content and volatile constituents identified in investigated oils. In the same context, molecular docking of the main identified volatiles on NADPH oxidase showed a higher binding affinity for cis-verbenyl acetate, followed by β-elemene and linalool, compared to the control (dextromethorphan). These results prove significant antioxidant abilities of the investigated oils, which may be considered for further analyses concerning the control of oxidative stress, as well as for their use as possible antioxidant agents in the pharmaceutical industry.     

Two new taraxerane-type triterpenes from Ledum palustre L.

Abstract

Two new compounds, namely 6α-hydroxy-14-taraxerene-3,16,21-trione and 6α,26-dihydroxy-14-taraxerene-3,16,21-trione were isolated from the Ledum palustre L. Their chemical structures were confirmed after a combined analysis of IR, HR-ESI-TOFMS, 1D-NMR, and 2D-NMR. The compounds were evaluated for cell growth inhibitory activity against two cancer cell lines.     

Determination of Taurine in Lycium Barbarum L. and Other Foods by Capillary Electrophoresis with Electrochemical Detection

A method based on capillary electrophoresis (CE) with electrochemical detection (ED) was developed for the determination of taurine in Lycium Barbarum L., LIPOVIYAN beverage and milk powder. The effects of some important factors such as the acidity of the running buffer, separation voltage, injection time, and applied potential to working electrode were investigated. Operated in a wall‐jet configuration, a 300 μm diameter carbon‐disk electrode was used as the working electrode, which exhibits good responses at +1.05 V (vs. SCE) for taurine. Excellent linearity was obtained in the concentration range from 5.0×10^?4 mol/L to 5.0×10^?6 mol/L. The detection limit (S/N=3) was 1.0×10^?7 mol/L. This proposed method has been successfully applied to analyze the actual samples with satisfactory assay results.     

A new alkaloid from Portulaca oleracea L. and its antiacetylcholinesterase activity

A new alkaloid, (10E, 12E)-9-ureidooctadeca-10, 12-dienoic acid, named oleraurea (1) and 10 known compounds, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (2), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (3), p-hydroxyacetophenone (4), benzamide (5), (E)-p-coumaramide (6), (E)-ferulamide (7), soyalkaloid A (8), β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (9), 2, 3, 4, 9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrido [3, 4-b] indole-3-carboxylic acid (10), (1S, 3S)-1-methyl-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (11) were obtained from Portulaca oleracea L., in which, compounds 4, 5, 8–11 were isolated from the plant for the first time. The structure of the compound 1 was identified using spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-TOF-MS. The compounds 1, 5–11 presented anticholinesterase activities, but the P. oleracea extract (POE) presented very low anticholinesterase activity.     

A new flavanone glycoside isolated from Tournefortia sibirica

A new flavanone glycoside, (2S)-dihydrooroxylin A 7-O-[β-D-apiosyl(1→2)]-β-D-glucoside (1), and four known compounds (2–5) were isolated from Tournefortia sibirica L. The chemical structures of these compounds were determined by 1?D and 2?D NMR and HR-ESI-MS spectra, and results were compared with data from the literature. These five compounds (1–5) were isolated from the family Boraginaceae for the first time. Anti-inflammatory effects of compounds (1–5) were evaluated in terms of inhibition of production of NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells.     

TG-DTG as an effective method for the characterization of rutin extracted from the buds of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sophora japonica</Emphasis> L.

The thermal behavior of rutin extracted from the buds of Sophora japonica L. by different methods and conditions have been investigated using TG and DTG. The results showed that every sample had different mass loss, curve shape, and peak location related to varied extraction technology. The TG-DTG characteristics of the rutin sample extracted by alkali-dissolution and acid-sedimentation with the solution adjusted to pH 9 and simply borax as stabilizer were highly similar to that of standard rutin, with the maximal purity determined by spectrophotometry. Therefore, the TG-DTG patterns could be served to characterize rutin extracted from the buds of Sophora japonica L.     

Organic Acid Composition of Native Black Mulberry Fruit

Using HPLC, organic acids from the fruit of black mulberry (Morus nigra L., Moraceae) were quantified. Malic acid was predominant with a range of 35.4-198.5 mg/g. Citric acid was the second in abundance, with a range of 5.5-23.4 mg/g, followed by tartaric, oxalic, and fumaric with an average of 4.16, 0.62, and 0.019, respectively.     

From salmon pink to blue natural sensitizers for solar cells: Canna indica L., Salvia splendens, cowberry and Solanum nigrum L.

Study on dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with extracts of Canna indica L., Salvia splendens, Solanum nigrum L. as sensitizers is firstly reported in this paper. DSSCs were assembled by using natural dyes extracted from C. indica L., S. splendens, cowberry and S. nigrum L. as sensitizers. The energy conversion efficiency of the cells sensitized with dyes of C. indica L., S. splendens, cowberry and S. nigrum L. was 0.29%, 0.26%, 0.13% and 0.31%, respectively. A novel technique was taken to fabricate TiO₂ electrode films by electrophoresis. We present FTIR and UV–vis spectroscopy studies of structures and light absorption of these four kinds of natural dyes. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to analyze the interface resistance of cells. The result indicated that high resistance existed in the interfaces of cell with cowberry extract as sensitizer.     

Characterisation of betalain patterns of differently coloured inflorescences from Gomphrena globosa L. and Bougainvillea sp. by HPLC–DAD–ESI–MS n

In the present study, the betaxanthin (bx) and betacyanin patterns of differently coloured inflorescences from Gomphrena globosa L. and Bougainvillea sp. have been investigated in detail by applying reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection (HPLC–DAD) coupled with positive ion electrospray mass spectrometry. Histidine-bx was found to be the predominant betaxanthin of Gomphrena globosa inflorescences. Furthermore, arginine-bx was detected as a novel betaxanthin, which to the best of our knowledge has not been reported as a pigment that occurs naturally so far. Dopa-bx was the major betaxanthin of Bougainvillea sp., although several minor betaxanthins were also present, including lysine-bx and putrescine-bx, novel betaxanthins hitherto not observed naturally. Remarkable differences in the betacyanin patterns between the purple, red and orange varieties were observed for both Gomphrena and Bougainvillea inflorescences. Hence, both the betacyanin profiles and the relative betaxanthin:betacyanin ratios determine the broad colour palette of Gomphrena petals and Bougainvillea bracts.     

Comparative Determination of the Volatile Components of Prunella vulgaris L. from Different Geographical Origins by Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

The volatile components of Prunella vulgaris L. were determined by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The optimal conditions for HS-SPME were 1.5 g of sample, extraction using a polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene fiber for 50 min at 90°C, and a desorption time of 5 min. The volatile compounds of Prunella vulgaris L. from different parts of the herb (cultivated in Jiangsu) and from different geographical regions (Jiangsu, Fujian, Guangxi, Hunan, and Zhejiang) were comparatively analyzed. There were 26, 28, 28, 28, and 34 compounds identified in Prunella vulgaris L. from Jiangsu, Fujian, Guangxi, Hunan, and Zhejiang, respectively. Among them, the following 12 were found in all origins: 1-nonanol, dodecane, tridecane, α-bourbonene, tetradecane, geranyl acetone, pentadecane, caryophyllene oxide, hexadecane, tetradecanal, isobutyl phthalate, and n-butyl hexadecanoate. In addition, Prunella vulgaris L. cultivated in Guangxi and Zhejiang had a high similarity in volatile components as did Prunella vulgaris L. cultivated in Fujian and Hunan. The results provided valuable information for the application of Prunella vulgaris L. and suggested that the HS-SPME method was suitable for differentiating and determining the volatile components of Prunella vulgaris L.     

A new triterpenoid saponin from the leaves and stems of Panax quinquefolium L.

One new triterpenoid saponin,quinquenoside L_(17)(1),was isolated from the leaves and stems of Panax quinquefolium L.,and its structure was elucidated as 20-O-[(β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-6)-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl)]-6-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-dammar-24-ene- 3,6,12,20-tetraol,by the combination analysis of one-dimensional NMR and two-dimensional NMR,mass spectrometry,CD spectrum and chemical evidences.     

TLC–direct bioautography as a method for evaluation of antibacterial properties of Thymus vulgaris L. and Salvia officinalis L. essential oils of different origin

ABSTRACT

The dot-blot bioautography was used to evaluate the antibacterial properties of Thymus vulgaris L. and Salvia officinalis L. essential oils (EOs) produced by three different manufacturers. The whole samples were applied at three concentrations on thin-layer chromatography (TLC) plates which were then subjected to bioautography against Bacillus subtilis. The samples of the highest activity were found. Then, they were separated using TLC and once again subjected to bioautography against B. subtilis. As was proved, only the essential oils of T. vulgaris L. possessed strong antibacterial properties for which mostly thymol and carvacrol were responsible. Their contents were calculated using TLC–UV densitometry. The highest contents were found in the essential oils of the highest antibacterial activity revealed in the dot-blot test. It means that a dot-blot test can be used for simple and fast evaluation of antibacterial properties of essential oils.     

Determination of a novel diarylheptanoid (Juglanin B) from green walnut husks (Juglans regia L.) in rat plasma by high‐performance liquid chromatography

A simple and reliable analytical method based on high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with a diode array detector (DAD) was developed for the determination of a novel diarylheptanoid (Juglanin B) from green walnut husks (Juglans regia L.) in rat plasma using rhoiptelol as an internal standard. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a Sinochrom ODS‐AP C₁₈ column (250 × 4.6 μm i.d., 5 mm) with acetonitrile–10 mM postassium dihydrogen phosphate (pH = 3; 55:45, v/v) as mobile phase, and the detection wavelength was set at 214 nm. The plasma samples were prepared using methanol as protein precipitator. The extraction recovery of Juglanin B ranged from 70.26 to 78.59%, and the calibration curve had a good linearity in the range 0.08–50 μg/mL (r² = 0.9932). The RSDs of intra‐ and inter‐day precision ranged from 1.19 to 4.92% and 4.35 to 4.54%, respectively. The HPLC‐DAD method described is a simple, rapid and reliable method for the determination of Juglanin B level and for use in studies involving pharmacokinetics. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.