Bioactivities and chemical constituents of a Vietnamese medicinal plant Che Vang, Jasminum subtriplinerve Blume (Oleaceae)

Five crude extracts were made from leaves and stems of Jasminum subtriplinerve Blume (Oleaceae) and investigated for antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. The extractions were done with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, ethanol, methanol or water. All extracts exhibited anti-bacterial activity except the water fraction. On the other hand, all extracts exhibit antioxidant activity except the petroleum ether fraction using the DPPH radical scavenging assay. Only the petroleum ether fraction showed a cytotoxicity activity against tested cell-lines, Hep-G2 and RD with IC(50) values of 19.2 and 20 microg mL(-1), respectively. From the petroleum ether and ethyl acetate extracts, two triterpenes namely 3beta-acetyl-oleanolic acid and lup-20-en-3beta-ol and a sterol, stigmast-5-en-3beta-ol were isolated. The structure of those compounds were elucidated by spectrometric methods IR, MS, 1D-NMR, 2D-NMR and simulated ACD/NMR spectra. The data presented here indicate that J. subtriplinerve do contain compounds with interesting biological activity.     

Analysis of the Products from the Oxidation of Geting Bituminous Coal by Atmospheric Pressure Photoionization–Mass Spectrometry

Geting bituminous coal was directly oxidized in aqueous sodium hypochlorite. The reaction mixture was sequentially extracted with ethyl ether and ethyl acetate. Both extracts were esterified with diazomethane to obtain methyl esterified products, which were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization or atmospheric pressure photoionization. A large number of low- and nonpolar products with relatively high molecular masses were determined using atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry. Toluene and a toluene/anisole mixture (vol/vol = 95:5) were added to the atmospheric pressure photoionization system as dopants. Toluene induced better ionization than the toluene/anisole mixture in both ion signal intensity and number of detected species. Most of the molecular associated compounds contained heteroatoms.     

Preliminary Characterization of the Composition and Phenolic Fragmentation of Olive Byproducts by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Olive waste is a potential resource due to its rich variety of biologically active compounds. To investigate chemical components of olive waste, the selected samples were extracted using ultrasound assisted enzyme hydrolysis and petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and n-butyl alcohol were used to obtain a series of solvent extracts. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis showed hydrocarbons, esters, acids, alcohols, and ketones present in the extracts. Some fatty acids were considered to be predominant; it is noteworthy that phenolic compounds were detected in the ethyl acetate extract fraction. Furthermore, the primary phenolic compounds were also determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The possible fragmentation patterns have been proposed in positive and negative ion modes; the main fragment ions were observed from the loss of methyl, hydroxyl, or carboxyl groups. The compounds showed different fragmentation ions types in both positive and negative ionization modes and gave structural information on the main phenolic compounds in olive waste. The results of this study may be used to identify valuable active compounds and guide commercial applications of olive waste.     

高效液相色谱-质谱分析指导下制备黄芩中系列黄酮成分对照品

在高效液相色谱-质谱分析指导下,针对性地分离制备了黄芩药材中系列黄酮成分对照品。首先对黄芩药材乙醇提取物进行液相色谱-质谱分析,获得各色谱峰的保留时间、紫外光谱和质谱特征。经波谱数据解析结合文献对比,鉴定了黄芩药材中的19种黄酮类成分。然后根据液相色谱-质谱分析结果和文献,设计了目标成分对照品的制备流程,采用低压制备柱色谱法依次制备了黄芩苷、汉黄芩苷、黄芩素、汉黄芩素和千层纸素A共5种黄酮类成分的对照品。结果表明这5种黄酮类成分对照品的纯度均大于98%。该方法可用于针对性地快速分离制备中药中的化学成分。     

Sequential ultrasonic extraction of a Chinese coal and characterization of nitrogen‐containing compounds in the extracts using high‐performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry

Dongming lignite was sequentially extracted with petroleum ether, carbon disulfide, methanol, acetone, and isometric carbon disulfide/acetone mixed solvent at room temperature to afford extracts 1–5, respectively. High‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry was used to separate and characterize heteroatomic species in the extracts at molecular level. Molecular mass of compounds in the extracts is mainly distributed from 300 to 800 u, and the relative abundance of compounds with molecular mass over 800 u in the carbon disulfide extract is 135 times of that in the petroleum ether extract. The acetone extract has the highest relative abundance for organonitrogen compounds. Double bond equivalence numbers of detected species indicate that most of the organonitrogen compounds contain N‐heterocyclic aromatic rings, including pyridine, quinoline and pyrrole. Some organonitrogen isomers in Dongming lignite were separated and identified by high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry, and the corresponding structural information was proposed.     

Identification of chemical ingredients of peanut stems and leaves extracts using UPLC‐QTOF‐MS coupled with novel informatics UNIFI platform

Peanut stems and leaves have been used traditionally as both herbal medicines and special food in Asia. In this study, the main functional compounds of peanut stems and leaves extracts were identified using UPLC separation coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (QTOF‐MS), and a traditional medicine library. Three different extraction solvents (ethyl acetate, petroleum ether and n‐butanol) were evaluated to prepare the extracts of peanut stems and leaves. A total of 283 chemical compounds were identified in peanut stems and leaves extracts, of which 207 compounds are tentatively new identifications in Genus Arachis. The integration of data acquisition and processing with the traditional medicine library provides a simple, efficient process to effectively facilitate the identification of chemical ingredients in complex natural product extracts. The integrated workflow for separation, detection and identification of functional compounds in natural products using UPLC/QTOF‐MS greatly improves productivity for development of traditional herbal medicines. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of pH-Zone Refining Countercurrent Chromatography for Preparative Separation of Fangchinoline and Tetrandrine from Stephania tetrandra

pH-Zone-refining countercurrent chromatography with a multilayer coil planet centrifuge has been successfully used for separation of fangchinoline and tetrandrine from crude extracts of Stephania tetrandra. The two target compounds were completely resolved by use of the two-phase solvent system petroleum ether (60–90 °C)–ethyl acetate–methanol–water 5:5:1:9 (v/v), with 10 mm triethylamine in the organic stationary phase and 5 mm hydrochloric acid in the aqueous mobile phase. Separation of 3.5 g sample yielded 126 mg fangchinoline (LC purity >93%) and 249 mg tetrandrine (LC purity >95%). The structures of the compounds were confirmed by use of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and ¹H NMR.     

胀果甘草提取物对蘑菇酪氨酸酶的抑制作用

筛选胀果甘草是对蘑菇酪氨酸酶抑制活性最强的提取物,并研究其对蘑菇酪氨酸酶的抑制类型,探究其抑制作用机理。 考察了胀果甘草7种不同溶剂包括甘草酸、提酸废液、石油醚、氯仿、乙酸乙酯、正丁醇及水提取物对蘑菇酪氨酸酶的抑制作用和对2,2-联氮-双(3-乙基苯并噻唑啉-6-磺酸)二胺盐(ABTS)自由基阳离子(ABTS·﹢)、羟基自由基(HO·)的清除作用,根据双倒数曲线图形判断对蘑菇酪氨酸酶的抑制作用类型,结合抗氧化能力探究对蘑菇酪氨酸酶的抑制作用机理。 在胀果甘草7种溶剂提取物中,以乙酸乙酯提取物对蘑菇酪氨酸酶具有最强的抑制作用,IC50为3.4775 g/L,双倒数曲线做图得到了一组纵轴截距不变的曲线,抑制常数K1为0.6667 g/L,胀果甘草乙酸乙酯提取物也具有最强的清除ABTS·﹢、HO·的能力,半清除浓度和速率常数分别为0.0442 g/L和4.634×108 L/(g·s)。 胀果甘草乙酸乙酯提取物对蘑菇酪氨酸酶的抑制作用是可逆竞争性抑制,推测其对酪氨酸酶的抑制是通过清除了氧自由基和作为竞争性底物而实现的。     

Antioxidant activity of papaya seed extracts

The antioxidant activities of the ethanol, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water extract fractions from the seeds of papaya were evaluated in this study. The ethyl acetate fraction showed the strongest DPPH and hydroxyl free radical-scavenging activities, and its activities were stronger than those of ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate, respectively. The n-butanol fraction demonstrated the greatest ABTS? radicals scavenging activity. The ethyl acetate fraction and the n-butanol fraction not only showed higher antioxidant activities than the petroleum ether fraction, water fraction and ethanol fraction, but also showed higher superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide radicals scavenging activities than those of the other extract fractions. The high amount of total phenolics and total flavonoids in the ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions contributed to their antioxidant activities. The ethyl acetate fraction was subjected to column chromatography, to yield two phenolic compounds, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillic acid, which possessed significant antioxidant activities. Therefore, the seeds of papaya and these compounds might be used as natural antioxidants.     

Analysis of Geting Bituminous Coal by Electrospray Ionization and Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry

Understanding the structure and composition of coals is important for effective, clean, and value-added utilization. In addition to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry which is commonly used to analyze coal, mass spectrometry (MS) may be used with other ion sources such as electrospray ionization (ESI) and direct analysis in real time (DART) for characterization. In this work, Geting bituminous coal was extracted sequentially and exhaustively with petroleum ether, carbon disulfide, methanol, acetone, an isometric acetone/carbon disulfide mixture, tetrahydrofuran, and an isometric tetrahydrofuran/carbon disulfide mixture. Raw coal, extracts, and the extraction residue were analyzed using MS equipped with ESI or DART. Organic heteroatomic species in the extracts were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry equipped with ESI. Molecular weight distributions of organic species in raw coal, extracts, and extraction residue were characterized by ESI-MS and DART-MS. Associated molecules and homologous compounds in coal extracts were identified.     

Antistress and antiallergic effects of Ficus bengalensis bark in asthma

Various extracts of Ficus bengalensis bark was screened for it's antiallergic and antistress potential in asthma by milk-induced leucocytosis and milk-induced eosinophilia. Aqueous, ethanol, and ethyl acetate extracts showed significant decrease in leucocytes and eosinophils in the order given while petroleum ether and chloroform extracts were inactive. This shows the application of polar constituents of F. bengalensis bark as antistress and antiallergic agents in asthma.     

Determination of the Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Lycium Extracts

Lycium species growing in Turkey have not so far been studied sufficiently. For this reason, non-polar and polar extracts obtained from the fruits of Lycium barbarum L. and L. Ruthenicum Murray (Solanaceae) were assessed both in vitro for their potential as free radical scavenger crude extracts and their phenolic composition. Fruits of Lycium species were sequentially extracted with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, methanol, n-butanol, and water in a Soxhlet extractor. All the extracts were assessed for the scavenging of the nitrogen-centered free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^.) by in vitro method. Furthermore, the composition of each extract was investigated both in terms of its Folin-Ciocalteau reactive components and its qualitative content. The phenolic compounds within the extracts were determined as benzoic acid and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, flavonoids, and anthocyanins according to their retention time and UV spectral data by HPLC-DAD system.     

Enthalpies and heat capacities of hematoporphyrin solutions in N,N-dimethylformamide and octanol-1

Heat effects of the dissolution of hematoporphyrin tetramethyl ether are measured on a variable-temperature calorimeter for the first time in N,N-dimethylformamide and octanol-1 in the temperature range of 298 to 318 K. Standard enthalpies and heat capacities of dissolution of bioligand are calculated and compared to data obtained earlier for deuteroporphyrin dimethyl ether and ethyl acetate. Partial molar heat capacities of hematoporhyrin are determined at infinite dilution using data from differential scanning calorimetry.     

Phytochemical screening of Nepeta cataria extracts and their in vitro inhibitory effects on free radicals and carbohydrate-metabolising enzymes

This research was performed to investigate in?vitro the biological activities of successive as well as 70% ethanol extracts of Nepeta cataria on some biochemical parameters including oxidative markers and carbohydrate-hydrolysing enzyme activities (α-amylase, β-galactosidase and α-glucosidase). Powdered N. cataria and its successive extracts were screened for their phytochemical constituents. Tests for tannins, carbohydrates, glycosides and flavonoids were positive in ethanolic extract, but those for steroids and terpenoids were positive in petroleum ether and chloroform extracts. Also, different extracts were chromatographically investigated. The results obtained demonstrated that different successive extracts of N. cataria exhibited an inhibitory effect on oxidative stress indices and carbohydrate-hydrolysing enzymes. It is observed that 70% ethanol, petroleum ether and chloroform extracts showed, respectively, the most potent inhibitory activities, while ethyl acetate and ethanol successive extracts appeared with moderate or low reducing activities.     

Identification of dissolved organic species in non-drinking tap water by solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

A method is presented for qualitative identification of dissolved volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in non-drinking tap water samples based on applications of both solid-phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometric (GC–MS) techniques. Water samples were collected and passed over a micro-column packed with acid treated active silica gel phase (pH = 2.6) for adsorption of dissolved organic species under this pH-condition. Silica-bound-organics were then divided into equal portions followed by suspension into organic solvents of different polarities such as methanol, ethanol, butan-1-ol, ethyl acetate, diethyl ether and chloroform. These suspensions were then automatically shaken for 1 h at room temperature. The organic extracts were subjected to GC–MS analysis under temperature programming conditions. The mass spectrum of each eluted chromatographic peak was library searched or manually interpreted to identify the correct name and structure. Blank solvent and silica samples were also subjected to the same GC–MS analysis for comparison.     

Effect of seasonal variation on the chemical composition and antioxidant and antifungal activities of Convolvulus althaeoides L. leaf extracts

The composition of polyphenols, chlorophylls and carotenoids of eight extracts of Convolvulus althaeoides L. leaves, harvested in two different seasons, winter and spring, and extracted by hot extraction method using four solvents (dichloromethane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and ethanol) with increasing polarity, were evaluated along with their antioxidant and antifungal activities. Qualitative and quantitative variations were observed in the composition based on two different high performance liquid chromatography systems, liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection coupled to either atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry or to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, permitting the identification of 22 polyphenols, 11 chlorophyll derivatives and 10 carotenoid compounds. Polyphenolic compounds were predominant in extracts from leaves collected in winter, whereas pigments were predominant in the spring collections. Antioxidant activities of the extracts were determined by DPPH radical scavenging method, revealing a half inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) ranging from 0.1369 ± 0.0272 mg g⁻¹ to 0.432 ± 0.0018 mg g⁻¹, with no correlation to seasonal fluctuation. Concerning antifungal assays, ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts have been shown to be the most active against dermatophytes (T. rubrum, T. menthagrophytes, M. canis), with inhibiting percentages reaching 100% with 50 mg mL⁻¹. Moreover, ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts showed a maximum inhibition potential with minimum inhibitory/fungicidal concentrations ranging from 0.78 to 6.25 mg mL⁻¹ on Candida spp. cultures. The winter collect of these extracts showed an inhibitory effect of 90% on Candida albicans germ tubes formation, at a concentration of 3.1 mg mL⁻¹. In conclusion, seasonality seems to influence the quality and the quantity of natural substances from leaves of C. althaeoides L., which have major importance on the antioxidant and the antifungal effectiveness.     

Anti-ulcer activity of Smithia conferta in various animal

Smithia conferta Sm. (Leguminasae), is a commonly used plant in Indian traditional medicine. In the current study anti-ulcer activity of its petroleum ether, alcohol and aqueous extracts of leaves were investigated using different animal models. All extracts were also subjected to phytochemical analysis and their toxic potential. Petroleum ether extract was found to contain steroids; alcohol extract revealed the presence of isoflavonoids, alkaloids and carbohydrates; while aqueous extract was found to contain amino acids, carbohydrates and flavonoids. S. conferta aqueous and alcoholic extracts were found to be non-toxic up to 5000 mg/kg dose level while petroleum ether extract was safe only up to a dose of 2000 mg/kg after single dose administration of the extracts.During confirmation of the claimed anti-ulcer activity, treatment with aqueous and alcoholic extracts showed significant reduction in ulcer index, free acidity as well as total acidity in pylorus ligated rats. However, petroleum ether extract showed relatively less profound reduction in all these indices. The anti-ulcer activity observed in aqueous extract treatment group was nearly equivalent to the standard group.     

南中国海海藻叶托马尾藻的化学成分研究

采自南中国海的海藻叶托马尾藻用乙醇提取、乙酸乙酯－水分配后,乙酸乙酯相中的提取物经硅胶减压柱色谱分离得到甾醇和脂肪酸两大组分。用ＧＣ／ＭＳ联用技术对它们进行了分离和鉴定。通过硅胶快速柱色谱,从混合甾醇中分离出一个主成分,经波谱分析鉴定为岩藻甾醇。     

Anti-fertility effects of fractions from Carica papaya (Pawpaw) Linn. methanol root extract in male Wistar rats

The methanol root extracts of Carica papaya (Pawpaw) are used in eastern Nigeria for the treatment of malaria, hepatitis and jaundice. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the fractions isolated from C. papaya methanol root extract on fertility in male Wistar rats using sperm counts, percentage defective sperm cells (morphology), biochemical and hormonal assays as biomarkers. The roots of C. papaya were extracted using 80% methanol for 72 h. Oral acute toxicity study was done with the crude extract for 24 h. The extract was fractionated by column chromatography using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol. The petroleum ether fraction was further fractionated on preparative TLC using ethyl acetate–methanol solvent systems to isolate CPFE 1, CPFE 2 and CPFM 1. The 3 fractions (75 mg/kg) were used to treat male Wistar rats orally for 60 days. Animals were euthanized and testes collected, homogenized and used for sperm count and motility. Plasma and serum were used to assay biochemical parameters including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), total bilirubin (TB), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), triglycerides, hormones (LH and FSH). Histopathological study of the testes, kidney, heart and liver were conducted. Acute toxicity result showed that C. papaya root extract produced no mortalities at the dose of 2000 mg/kg but induced CNS-related symptoms as well as diuresis. The fractions significantly (P < 0.01) produced decreases in sperm counts and increased the percentage of defective sperm cells. There were significant (P < 0.05) increases in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Histopathological studies showed mild kidney and cardiac hyperaemia, slight hepatic degeneration and severe necrosis of the germinal epithelium of the testes. This study calls for some level of caution in the use of these roots and its extracts/fractions in traditional medicine for treating diseases. On the other hand, it could be a good source of drug for birth control.     

Spectrum–effect relationship of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Laportea bulbifera based on multivariate statistical analysis

Laportea bulbifera, named Hong He Ma in Chinese, is a Chinese herbal medicine commonly used by the Miao nationality of China. In this study, 43 batches of L. bulbifera were collected from different origins in China. Ethanol, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether were used to prepare different extracts of the plant. UHPLC technique was used to establish the fingerprints, whereas DPPH assay and RAW264.7 inflammatory cell models were used to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, respectively. Moreover, the spectrum–effect relationship between relative peak area of common peaks and efficacy value was set up by multivariate statistical analysis. Furthermore, 10 batches were selected randomly for validation of those models. The results showed that ethyl acetate and petroleum ether extracts possess excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, respectively. Peaks A₆ and A₇ demonstrated the greatest antioxidant activity, while peak A₁₇ showed the strongest anti-inflammatory activity. After a verified experiment, the result was obtained and illustrated that the spectrum–effect relationship which we established could reliably infer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds of the Chinese herbal medicine.