Identification and quantification of 13 components in Angelica sinensis (Danggui) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with pressurized liquid extraction

Angelica sinensis (Danggui in Chinese), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, is also used as a health food product for women's care in Europe and America. Therefore, the demand for Danggui is enormous throughout the world. Due to the shortage of Angelica sinensis, Angelica acutiloba and Angelica gigas are commonly used as the substitutes of Danggui in the market of southeast Asia. However, the three common Angelica roots showed variation in their genetic and chemical composition. Up to date, it is thought that ferulic acid, ligustilide and other phthalides such as butylidenephthalide are the biologically active components of Danggui. In this paper, the contents of 13 compounds including ferulic acid, Z-ligustilide, E-ligustilide, Z-butylidenephthalide, E-butylidenephthalide, 3-butylphthalide, 3-butylidene-4-hydroxyphthalide, senkyunolide A, 6,7-epoxyligustilide, senkyunolide F, senkyunolide H, senkyunolide I, and 6,7-dihydroxyligustilide were determined or estimated by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) coupled with pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). The results showed that GC-MS coupled with PLE offered a simple, rapid and high sensitive method to analysis of components in Angelica root. And the contents of investigated compounds in Angelica sinensis, Angelica acutiloba and Angelica gigas, which are used as Danggui in China, Japan and Korea, respectively, were highly variant. It is thought that interaction of multiple chemical compounds contributes to the therapeutic effects of Chinese medicines. However, the overall clinical efficacy of these different Danggui has not been determined. Therefore, comparison of chemical components and pharmacological activities of different Angelica root is helpful to elucidate the mechanism of therapeutic effects of Danggui.     

Ion-orbital coupling in Car-Parrinello calculations of hydrogen-bond vibrational dynamics: case study with the NH3-HCl dimer

We have performed Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics (CPMD) calculations of the hydrogen-bonded NH(3)-HCl dimer. Our main aim is to establish how ionic-orbital coupling in CPMD affects the vibrational dynamics in hydrogen-bonded systems by characterizing the dependence of the calculated vibrational frequencies upon the orbital mass in the adiabatic limit of Car-Parrinello calculations. We use the example of the NH(3)-HCl dimer because of interest in its vibrational spectrum, in particular the magnitude of the frequency shift of the H-Cl stretch due to the anharmonic interactions when the hydrogen bond is formed. We find that an orbital mass of about 100 a.u. or smaller is required in order for the ion-orbital coupling to be linear in orbital mass, and the results for which can be accurately extrapolated to the adiabatic limit of zero orbital mass. We argue that this is general for hydrogen-bonded systems, suggesting that typical orbital mass values used in CPMD are too high to accurately describe vibrational dynamics in hydrogen-bonded systems. Our results also show that the usual application of a scaling factor to the CPMD frequencies to correct for the effects of orbital mass is not valid. For the dynamics of the dimer, we find that the H-Cl stretch and the N-H-Cl bend are significantly coupled, suggesting that it is important to include the latter degree of freedom in quantum dynamical calculations. Results from our calculations with deuterium-substitution show that both these degrees of freedom have significant anharmonic interactions. Our calculated frequency for the H-Cl stretch using the Becke-exchange Lee-Yang-Parr correlation functional compares reasonably well with a previous second-order M?ller-Plesset calculation with anharmonic corrections, although it is low compared to the experimental value for the dimer trapped in a neon-matrix.     

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of gallic acid in Alchemilla vulgaris, Allium ursinum, Acorus calamus and Solidago virga-aurea by chip-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography

This study presents the results obtained from qualitative and quantitative analysis of gallic acid from hydro-alcoholic extracts (methanol, ethanol) of plants from Plantae regnum. Plant qualitative analysis was performed using a novel mass spectrometric (MS) method based on fully automated chip-nanoelectrospray ionization (nanoESI) high capacity ion trap (HCT) while quantitative analysis was carried out by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These methods were applied to Alchemilla vulgaris — common lady’s-mantle (aerial part), Allium ursinum — bear’s garlic (leaves), Acorus calamus — common sweet flag (roots), Solidago virga-aurea — goldenrod (aerial part). Obtained results indicated that methanol extracts (96%, 80%) have a gallic acid content ranging between 0.0011–0.0576 mg mL⁻¹ extract while the ethanol extracts (96%, 60%) exhibit a gallic acid concentration that varies between 0.0010–0.0182 mg mL⁻¹ extract.      

Adsorption of uranium ions from aqueous solution by amine-group functionalized magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticle

The magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle was functionalized by covalently grafting amine group with (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxy silane, and the Fe₃O₄–NH₂ nanoparticle and the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray diffraction. And the results indicated the amine-group was immobilized successfully on the surface of Fe₃O₄. The adsorption behavior of uranium from aqueous solution by the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle and the Fe₃O₄–NH₂ nanoparticle was investigated using batch experiments. The pH of initial aqueous solution at 5.0 and 6.0 were in favour of adsorption of uranium, and the adsorption percentage of uranium by the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle and the Fe₃O₄–NH₂ nanoparticle were 81.2 and 95.6 %, respectively. In addition, the adsorption of uranium ions could be well-described by the Langmuir, Freundlich isotherms and pseudo-second kinetic models. The monolayer adsorption maximum capacity of the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle and the Fe₃O₄–NH₂ nanoparticle were 85.35 and 268.49 mg/g at 298.15 K, respectively, which indicate the adsorption capacity the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle was improved by amine functionalization.     

Characterization of major flavonoids, triterpenoid, dipeptide and their metabolites in rat urine after oral administration of Radix Astragali decoction

To characterize of the constituents in rat urine after oral administration of Radix Astragali decoction, a HPLC-DAD-MS/MS technique had been developed. Urine collected from 0 to 24 h, after administration, was purified using a C18 solid-phase extraction cartridge, and then detected by an on-line MS/MS detector. By comparing the retention times and MS/MS data with those obtained from authentic compounds and the published data, a total of 11 compounds including six flavonoids, one dipeptide, one triterpenoid and three of their metabolites in urine were identified. Compounds daidzein, genistein, quercetin, L-asparamide-D-phenylalanine, 4,2′,4′-trihydroxychalcone, Astragaloside-IV, daidzein sulfate, and kaempferol sulfate were for the first time detected by HPLC-MS/MS technique in urine. The present research results success-fully narrowed the range of effective constituents to be found in Astragalus membranaceus and would be useful for the following action mechanism research of this traditional Chinese medicine in treating various diseases.     

Determination of Osmium(VIII) by Flow Injection-Kinetic Methods Using Bromopyrogallol Red and Hydrogen Peroxide

A new flow injection-kinetic method has been developed for the determination of trace amount of osmium(WI), based on its catalytic effect on the bromopyrogallol red and hydrogen peroxide reaction. The reaction is followed spectrophotometrically by measuring the decrease in absorbance at 559 nm. The calibration graph for osmium(VIII) is linear over the range from 0.0040 to 0.10 μg/ml and the detection limit and sampling frequency are 0.0030 μg/ml and 47 per hour, respectively. The proposed method was applied to the determination of trace amounts of osmium in refined ores and chlorination residues with satisfactory results.     

Effect of γ-radiation on ointment cold cream

In this paper, Co-60γ ray was used to irradiate the ointment cold cream at room temperature (25°C). We also used FTIR, GC and thin film chromatogram to analyse various irradiated samples. It was found that the ointment cold cream can be irradiated at dose of 5–35 kGy and at dose rate from 0.2 to 0.6 kGy/h at room temperature (25°C) without evident decomposition. At dose of 5–15 kGy, the number of bacteria can be reduced to hygienic standard value. The radiation sterilization is a safe method for killing the bacteria in the ointment cold cream.     

Integral equation approach to multiphoton ionization by intense fields

We discuss the integral equation for an electron bound by a potential in a monochromatic, spatially homogeneous laser field which is turned on adiabatically. We outline a method for the solution of this equation, and, as a numerical example, present results for the photoionization of hydrogen in the weak field limit.