Characterization of diterpene metabolism in rats with ingestion of seed products from Euphorbia lathyris L. (Semen Euphorbiae and Semen Euphorbiae Pulveratum) using UHPLC-Q-Exactive MS

Previous pharmacological studies have indicated that diterpenoids are the primary effective chemical cluster in the seeds of Euphorbia lathyris L. The seed products are used in traditional Chinese medicine in the forms of Semen Euphorbiae (SE) and Semen Euphorbiae Pulveratum (SEP). However, the metabolism of the plant's diterpenoids has not been well elucidated, which means that the in vivo metabolite products have not been identified. The current study screened the physiological metabolites of six diterpenes [Euphorbia factor L₁ (L1), L₂ (L2), L₃ (L3), L_7a (L7a), L_7b (L7b), and L₈ (L8)] in feces and urine of rats after oral administration of SE and SEP using UHPLC-Q-Exactive MS. A total of 22 metabolites were detected in feces and 8 in urine, indicating that the major elimination route of diterpenoids is via the colon. Hydrolysis, methylation, and glucuronidation served as the primary metabolic pathways of these diterpenoids. In sum, this study contributed to the elucidation of new metabolites and metabolic pathways of SE and SEP, and the new chemical identities can be used to guide further pharmacokinetic studies.     

Determination of 12 potential nephrotoxicity biomarkers in rat serum and urine by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry and its application to renal failure induced by Semen Strychni

In previous nephrotoxicity metabonomic studies, several potential biomarkers were found and evaluated. To investigate the relationship between the nephrotoxicity biomarkers and the therapeutic role of Radix Glycyrrhizae extract on Semen Strychni‐induced renal failure, 12 typical biomarkers are selected and a simple LC–MS method has been developed and validated. Citric acid, guanidinosuccinic acid, taurine, guanidinoacetic acid, uric acid, creatinine, hippuric acid, xanthurenic acid, kynurenic acid, 3‐indoxyl sulfate, indole‐3‐acetic acid, and phenaceturic acid were separated by a Phenomenex Luna C₁₈ column and a methanol/water (5 mM ammonium acetate) gradient program with a runtime of 20 min. The prepared calibration curves showed good linearity with regression coefficients all above 0.9913. The absolute recoveries of analytes from serum and urine were all more than 70.4%. With the developed method, analytes were successfully determined in serum and urine samples within 52 days. Results showed that guanidinosuccinic acid, guanidinoacetic acid, 3‐indoxyl sulfate, and indole‐3‐acetic acid (only in urine) were more sensitive than the conventional renal function markers in evaluating the therapeutic role of Radix Glycyrrhizae extract on Semen Strychni‐induced renal failure. The method could be further used in predicting and monitoring renal failure cause by other reasons in the following researches.     

苦杏仁的炮制及有效成分提取和分析进展

苦杏仁为常用中药,用途广泛,人们对其研究热潮方兴未艾．本文介绍了苦杏仁的炮制及有效成分提取和分析进展,引用文献55篇．     

Fermentation characteristics and the dynamic trend of chemical components during fermentation of Massa Medicata Fermentata

As a representative of traditionally fermented Chinese medicine, Massa Medicata Fermentata (MMF) shows the functions of invigorating the spleen and stomach and promoting digestion, which plays an important role in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. The fermentation mechanism and the key factors that affect the quality of MMF have not been revealed yet, which has become an urgent issue that limits its clinical application. This article aims to systematically and comprehensively reveal the transformation of physical properties and the dynamic trend of chemical components including substrate components, volatile components, and lactic acid as anaerobic fermentation product during MMF fermentation. Along with obvious hyphae growth observed for MMF, the weight of MMF decreased, and the moisture and temperature increased. Through the quantified 14 components from substrate, ferulic acid increased from 45.53 ± 6.94 to 141.89 ± 78.40 μg/g, while glycosides and phenolic acids declined except caffeic acid. Also, within the 66 volatile components analyzed, alcohols and acids increased, while aldehydes and ketones decreased. Lactic acid was not detected in the fermentation substrate, but an apparent increase in lactic acid content was observed along with the increased fermentation days, resulting in 2.54 ± 0.15 mg/g on day 8. Based on the tested components, the fermentation process of MMF was discriminated into three distinct stages by principal component analysis, and an optimal fermentation time of four days was proposed. The results of this study will be of great significance to clarify the characteristics of fermentation and conduce to improving quality standards of MMF.     

Crystal growth of calcium oxalate induced by the extracts of Semen Plantaginis and Folium Pyrrosiae

The crystallization of calcium oxalate (CaOxa) in aqueous solutions of the extracts of Semen Plantaginis and Folium Pyrrosiae has been investigated, focusing on the inhibition mechanism of some herbs on stone formation. It has been shown that in the presence of extracts of above two herbs, calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) crystals with typical morphologies of tetragonal bipyramids were obtained. This suggests that the extracts of Semen Plantaginis and Folium Pyrrosiae can promote the formation of thermodynamically unstable COD, and inhibit the formation of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM), a major component of urinary stone. The formation mechanism of COD crystals induced by Semen Plantaginis and Folium Pyrrosiae is also discussed, indicating that the bioorganic molecules in the extracts of the herbs can induce the nucleation and growth of COD crystals. This study can help us make clear the inhibition mechanism of some herbs on stone formation that is in favor of the prevention and treatment of urolithiasis. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

沙苑子提取液对不同体系中草酸钙晶体生长影响的研究

通过与水、氯化钠、正常人尿液体系的比较,重点研究了结石患者尿液体系中加入中药沙苑子提取液对草酸钙晶体生长的的影响,利用SEM,FTIR和XRD等测试手段对所得晶体进行表征。结果发现:在结石患者尿液体系中形成的草酸钙晶体为一水草酸钙(COM)晶体,而在这4种体系中加入沙苑子提取液后,只形成二水草酸钙(COD)晶体,表明沙苑子提取液能抑制COM晶体生长,并且随着沙苑子提取液浓度增大,抑制作用增强。沙苑子抑制草酸钙晶体生长的可能机理进行了探讨。     

不同提取方法对菟丝子总黄酮和金属元素锌的含量比较研究

分别采用常规回流提取法、石油醚脱脂-索氏提取法和微波辅助萃取法对中药菟丝子进行提取;以芦丁为对照品,紫外分光光度法测定提取物中总黄酮的含量;原子吸收光谱法测定提取液中金属元素锌的含量,以总黄酮的含量和金属元素锌的含量为考察指标,明确金属元素锌的提取与黄酮类总含量之间的关系。结果表明,3种提取方法中,微波辅助萃取法具有高效、省时等优点,提取效果最好,锌元素的含量与总黄酮的含量成正比。     

麻黄与杏仁混合汤剂红外光谱分析

测试了单味药麻黄、杏仁及麻黄+杏仁混合汤剂的红外光谱。经分析：在麻黄+杏仁汤剂中保留了麻黄、杏仁单味药物汤剂中的某些吸收峰,见麻黄+杏仁光谱1 402和1 076 cm-1处等;麻黄、杏仁光谱中的某些吸收峰并未在麻黄+杏仁光谱中出现,见麻黄+杏仁光谱1 394和682 cm-1处等;在麻黄+杏仁汤剂光谱中,出现了新的吸收峰,见麻黄+杏仁光谱688和1 187 cm-1处等。同时,因吸收峰位置的改变,说明各基团在麻黄、杏仁、麻黄+杏仁汤剂中所处的化学环境不同, 汤剂中生化物质的结构发生了变化,或麻黄+杏仁汤剂中可能新生成了麻黄、杏仁单味药物汤剂中所没有的化学成分。麻黄+杏仁汤剂所包含的药物成分并非是单味麻黄、杏仁汤剂所含药物成分的简单相加。     

化学计量学用于决明子色谱指纹图谱峰纯度的鉴别

应用化学计量学方法鉴别色谱指纹图谱的峰纯度。对背景进行扣除后,用对照组分光谱构建正交投影矩阵对目标色谱峰的光谱进行投影,以目标色谱峰投影后的残余光谱与投影前的原始光谱的夹角余弦为判据鉴别目标色谱峰的峰纯度：用该方法对决明子药材色谱指纹图谱的峰纯度进行识别,鉴别出大黄素、大黄酚和大黄素甲醚三个纯色谱峰。此方法用于色谱指纹图谱峰纯度的鉴别,结果可靠。     

Studies on chemical constituents of Flos Puerariae-Semen Hoveniae medicine pair by HPLC and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Alcoholic liver disease is currently the most clinically concerning liver disease, which occurs from chronic alcohol abuse. Flos Puerariae and Semen Hoveniae have been used to treat alcohol drinking excessively for thousands of years in China. In this study, the ethanol extract of the medicine pair was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. First, the high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprint was established to obtain the overall chromatographic data of its chemical constituents. Next, high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was applied to identify its chemical constituents. Then, the characteristic constituents were simultaneously quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. In addition, the chemical constituents that were absorbed into rat plasma were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. As a result, a total of 48 chemical constituents in the medicine pair were detected and identified in vitro. Meanwhile, the content of seven representative constituents, including dihydromyricetin, glycitin, genistin, tectoridin, glycitein, genistein, and tectorigenin were simultaneously determined. Furthermore, a total of 19 chemical constituents were detected in rat plasma after oral administration. In short, the chemical constituents of the medicine pair were initially investigated in this study, which will lay the foundation for the discovery of its pharmacodynamic substances in further works.