Determination of breviflavone A and B in Epimedium herbs with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Two new types of minor flavonoids, breviflavone A and B, have been recently isolated and identified from Epimedium brevicornu in our previous research. Breviflavone B is a novel flavonoid with potent and specific estrogen receptor (ER) bioactivity. Its positional isomer, breviflavone A, is not ER active. Therefore, it is important to determine the two minor components, breviflavone A and B, in Epimedium herbs. In this report, a robust method for measurement of the two breviflavones in Epimedium ethanolic extracts has been developed by using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry via selected-reaction monitoring (m/z 437 → m/z 367 for breviflavone A and m/z 437 → m/z 351 for breviflavone B) under negative electrospray ionization mode. This method has been successfully used to determine the two breviflavones in ethanolic herbal extracts of five major Epimedium species (E. brevicornu, E. koreanum, E. pubescens, E. sagittatum, and E. wushanese) from various sources. The contents of the two breviflavones range from 0.0181 to 0.1791% for breviflavone A and 0.0026 to 0.0252% for breviflavone B in the dried ethanolic extracts of those Epimedium herbal samples.     

黔产淫羊藿中淫羊藿苷和淫羊藿定C的含量测定

目的建立同时测定淫羊藿中淫羊藿苷和淫羊藿定C含量的方法 ,为淫羊藿质量控制提供依据。方法采用RP-HPLC法测定含量。色谱柱为Spherisorb C18柱(4.6 mm×250 mm,5μm),以乙腈-水为流动相梯度洗脱,流速为1.0 mL.min-1,检测波长为270 nm,柱温为25℃。结果淫羊藿定C质量浓度在12.0~300.0 mg.L-1内与峰面积呈良好的线性关系,平均回收率为101.05%,RSD为3.01%;淫羊藿苷质量浓度在0.4~10.0 mg.L-1内与峰面积呈良好的线性关系,平均回收率为100.51%,RSD为2.53%。结论本方法分析时间短且重现性和稳定性较好,可作为控制淫羊藿质量的检测方法 。     

Pharmacokinetics of prenylflavonoids and correlations with the dynamics of estrogen action in sera following ingestion of a standardized Epimedium extract

To explore pharmacokinetic properties of prenylflavonoids from the Traditional Chinese Medicinal plant Epimedium, three doses of a standardized extract (100, 300 and 600 mg/kg body weight), were administered to ovariectomized rats and serial blood samples were obtained. Serum concentrations of the Epimedium prenylflavonoids icariin, icariside I, icariside II, icaritin and desmethylicaritin were determined by LC–MS/MS. Aliquots of sera were also applied to human cell lines that permanently express ERα and ERβ proteins for the ex vivo measurement of estrogenic activity. All five prenylflavonoids exhibit non-linear dose-dependent increases in the area under concentration versus time curves. Two distinct pharmacokinetic patterns were evident, an early phase wherein icariin and icariside II reached t_max 0.5–1 h, and a late phase wherein icariside I, icaritin and desmethylicaritin peaked at t_max 8 h. Total concentrations of icaritin and desmethylicaritin reached C_max ∼2 μM and ∼0.25 μM respectively. Estrogenic activity in Epimedium-treated rat sera lagged by several hours compared to animals treated with control drug estradiol benzoate, corresponding to the appearance of bioactive metabolites desmethylicaritin, icaritin and icariside I. Following glucuronidase/sulphatase treatment, prolonged estrogenic activity at higher Epimedium doses (300 and 600 mg/kg of body weight) was evident, and correlated with the persistence of micromolar levels of icaritin at the 48–72 h sampling period. The depot effect resulted in time–concentration bioactivity profiles at the three Epimedium doses (area under curve 374, 543, and 771 pM E2 h⁻¹) that exceeded that observed for estradiol benzoate (148 pM E2 h⁻¹). Our study correlated the pharmacokinetics of prenylflavonoids with the dynamics of their estrogenic effects and reveals the potential estrogenicity of this Epimedium extract. This study may aid the development of prenylflavonoids as drugs for menopause and other conditions requiring estrogenic action.     

A rapid method for simultaneous determination of 15 flavonoids in Epimedium using pressurized liquid extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography

Herba Epimedii (family Berberidaceae), Yinyanghuo in Chinese, is one of commonly used Chinese medicines. Flavonoids are considered as its active components. In this study, a rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method was developed for simultaneous determination of 15 flavonoids, including hexandraside E, kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside, hexandraside F, epimedin A, epimedin B, epimedin C, icariin, epimedoside C, baohuoside II, caohuoside C, baohuoside VII, sagittatoside A, sagittatoside B, 2'-O-rhamnosyl icariside II and baohuoside I in different species of Epimedium. The analysis was performed on Waters Acquity UPLC system with an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (50 mm x 2.1mm I.D., 1.7 microm) and gradient elution of 50mM acetic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile within 12 min. All calibration curves showed good linearity (R2>0.9997) within test ranges. The LOD and LOQ were lower than 0.13 and 0.52 ng on column, respectively. The R.S.D.s for intra- and inter-day of 15 analytes were less than 5.0% at three levels, and the recoveries were 95.0-103.7%. The validated method was successfully applied to quantitatively analyze 15 flavonoids in different species of Epimedium. The results showed there were great variations among the contents of investigated flavonoids. Hierarchical clustering analysis based on characteristics of 15 investigated compounds peaks in UPLC profiles showed that 37 samples were divided into 3 main clusters, which were in accordance with their flavonoids contents. The simulative mean chromatogram of the high content cluster was generated to compare the samples from different species and/or locations of Epimedium. Four flavonoids including epimedin A, B, C and icariin were selected as markers for quality control of the species of Epimedium used as Yinyanghuo.     

高效液相色谱法对淫羊藿及人参复方产品的定性定量分析

目的　建立一种快速有效的分析方法 ,达到鉴定淫羊藿及人参复方产品中黄酮苷类及人参皂苷类成分 ,并测定各成分含量的目的 ,最终控制复方中淫羊藿及人参的比例。方法　通过反相液相色谱 ,对包括药典所收载的淫羊藿药材及其产品进行分析。淫羊藿中的主要黄酮苷类成分 ,以淫羊藿定A、淫羊藿定B、淫羊藿定C、淫羊藿苷为对照品 ;对主要的人参皂苷类成分 ,以人参皂苷Rg1 、Re、Rf、Rb1 、Rb2 、Rd为对照品。结果　在同一色谱条件下 ,对主要黄酮苷类及人参皂苷类成分均可同时测定且分离良好。结论　该方法适用于淫羊藿、人参及其复方产品中淫羊藿黄酮苷类、人参皂苷类成分的定性、定量分析     

不同厂家炙朝鲜淫羊藿饮片主成分含量比较

目的:对不同厂家炙朝鲜淫羊藿饮片主成分进行比较。方法:以反相高效液相色谱(PR-HPLC)法同时测定炙朝鲜淫羊藿饮片中5种主要黄酮类成分朝藿定A、朝藿定B、朝藿定C、淫羊藿苷和宝藿苷I的含量。结果:朝藿定A以亳州千草药业有限公司的炙朝鲜淫羊藿饮片含量最高;朝藿定B、朝藿定C以药都集团茗都中药饮片有限公司的炙朝鲜淫羊藿饮片含量最高;淫羊藿苷、宝藿苷I以安徽滕王药业有限公司的炙朝鲜淫羊藿饮片含量最高。结论:建立多种成分的含量测定方法可全面控制炙朝鲜淫羊藿饮片质量。     

不同采收季节的淫羊藿中朝藿定C和淫羊藿苷的含量比较

目的比较3个贵州主流产淫羊藿药材在不同采收季节中朝藿定C和淫羊藿苷的含量。方法用高效液相色谱（HPLC）法测定粗毛淫羊藿、巫山淫羊藿、黔岭淫羊藿中朝藿定c和淫羊藿苷的含量。采用EliteSinoChromODS—AP柱（250mm×4．6mm,5．0Ixm）,流动相为乙腈（A）一水（B）梯度洗脱（0—22rain,27％_29％A;22～23rain,29％_÷100％A;23～34rain,100％A;34～36rain,loO％一27％A;36～50min,27％A）。结果朝藿定c和淫羊藿苷进样量分别在13．22～396．6Ixg（r=0．9999）和3．026～151．3斗g范围内与峰面积均呈良好线性关系（r=0．9999）,平均回收率均在98．0％一105．O％范围内;粗毛淫羊藿中朝藿定c和淫羊藿苷的含量分别为0．516％～2．973％,0．096％～0．216％;黔岭淫羊藿中朝藿定C和淫羊藿苷的含量分别为0．071％～0．185％,0．081％～0．164％;巫山淫羊藿含朝藿定c和淫羊藿苷中朝藿定c和淫羊藿苷的含量分别为1．015％～4．219％,0．080％～0．190％。结论巫山淫羊藿中朝藿定c和淫羊藿苷的含量最高,其次为粗毛淫羊藿、黔岭淫羊藿,说明不同产地、不同品种的淫羊藿药材中朝藿定c和淫羊藿苷的含量差异较大．     

巫山淫羊藿主要成分朝藿定C和双藿苷A抗炎作用研究

目的研究淫羊藿主要成分朝藿定C和双藿苷A对实验大鼠炎性病变的影响。方法采用蛋清致大鼠足肿胀炎症法测定主要成分双藿苷A和朝藿定C对大鼠足肿胀的影响,计算肿胀度,并与蒸馏水组、吲哚美辛组进行比较。结果主要成分朝藿定C和双藿苷A与蒸馏水组进行比较,两者均能明显减少蛋清所致大鼠足肿胀(P<0.01);与吲哚美辛组比较,低剂量朝藿定C组差异无统计学意义,而高剂量朝藿定C组差异则有统计学意义。结论朝藿定C和双藿苷A具有抗炎作用。     

Antivenomics and venom phenotyping: A marriage of convenience to address the performance and range of clinical use of antivenoms

Toxins from the same protein family present in venoms from snakes belonging to different genera often share antigenic determinants. A practical consequence of this circumstance is that it might be possible to formulate on an immunologically sound basis a mixture of venoms for generating antivenoms against a wide range of species. A deep insight into the inter- and intraspecific variation of the antigenic constituents of venoms from snakes of different geographic origin represents the key for designing novel polyvalent pan-generic antivenoms. This review illustrates how proteomic protocols (‘venomics’ and ‘antivenomics’) can aid in assessing the crossreactivity of antivenoms against homologous and heterologous venoms, establishing thus the range of clinical application. Recent work showing how the knowledge of evolutionary trends along with venom phenotyping may have an impact in designing a mixture of venoms for immunization aimed to produce a pan-American anti-crotalic antivenom is discussed.     

药典内5种淫羊藿中黄酮类成分的反相高效液相色谱分析

报道了药典规定的5种淫羊藿──淫羊藿、箭叶淫羊藿、巫山淫羊藿、柔毛淫羊藿和朝鲜淫羊藿中9种黄酮──淫羊藿甙(icariin)、宝藿甙-Ⅰ(baohuosideI)、宝藿甙-Ⅱ(baohuosideⅡ)、淫羊藿甙A(epimedosideA)、箭藿甙B(sagittatosideB)、朝藿定B(epimedinB)、朝藿定C(epimedinC)、大花淫羊藿甙C(ikarisosideC)和大花淫羊藿甙F(ikarisosideF)的反相高效液相色谱测定。色谱柱为DISK-C_phenlyl,流动相为乙腈-乙酸液(水:36%乙酸=100:4),梯度洗脱,检测波长为272nm。     

Dimensions and disorder specificity of impulsivity in pathological gambling

Impulsivity is a core characteristic of pathological gambling (PG), even though the underlying structure and disorder specificity is unclear. This study aimed to explore different dimensions of impulsivity in a clinical sample including PG. Furthermore, we aimed to test which alterations of the impulsivity-related dimensions are disorder specific for PG. Participants were individuals diagnosed with PG (n = 51) and two groups also characterized by various impulsive behaviors: an alcohol dependence (AD; n = 45) and a Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS; n = 49) group. A healthy control (HC; n = 53) group was recruited as comparison group. A comprehensive assessment was used including impulsivity-related and antipodal parameters of the Stop Signal Task, Stroop Task, Tower of London Task, Card Playing Task, Iowa Gambling Task and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11. Principal axis factor analysis revealed four impulsivity-related dimensions that were labeled ‘self-reported impulsivity’, ‘prepotent response impulsivity’, ‘choice impulsivity’ and ‘motor impulsivity’. The PG group scored significantly higher on all four dimensions compared to the HC group. In contrast, the PG group did not differ on any of the dimensions from the AD or the GTS group, except for ‘choice impulsivity’ where the PG group exhibited higher factor scores compared to the GTS group. Altogether, PG is associated with generally heightened impulsivity profiles compared to a HC group, which may be further used for intervention strategies. However, heightened scores in the impulsivity dimensions are not disorder specific for PG. Further research on shared or different underlying mechanisms of these overlapping impulsivity impairments is necessary.     

淫羊藿多糖提取、分离纯化、结构特征和生物活性研究进展

淫羊藿为我国传统补益中药，具有补肝肾、抗氧化、抗衰老、抗肿瘤等功效。淫羊藿多糖是淫羊藿发挥临床功效的主要成分之一，具有增强机体免疫力、抗病毒、抗衰老、抗氧化、抗辐射等药理作用。本文对淫羊藿多糖提取分离纯化、生物活性以及结构特征等方面的研究进展进行综述，为淫羊藿多糖进一步研究与开发利用提供依据。     

Reconstitution of biosynthetic pathway for mushroom-derived cyathane diterpenes in yeast and generation of new “non-natural” analogues

Mushroom-derived cyathane-type diterpenes possess unusual chemical skeleton and diverse bioactivities. To efficiently supply bioactive cyathanes for deep studies and explore their structural diversity, de novo synthesis of cyathane diterpenes in a geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae is investigated. Aided by homologous analyses, one new unclustered FAD-dependent oxidase EriM accounting for the formation of allyl aldehyde and three new NADP(H)-dependent reductases in the biosynthesis of cyathanes are identified and elucidated. By combinatorial biosynthetic strategy, S. cerevisiae strains generating twenty-two cyathane-type diterpenes, including seven “unnatural” cyathane xylosides (12, 13, 14a, 14b, 19, 20, and 22) are established. Compounds 12–14, 19, and 20 show significant neurotrophic effects on PC12 cells in the dose of 6.3–25.0 μmol/L. These studies provide new insights into the divergent biosynthesis of mushroom-originated cyathanes and a straightforward approach to produce bioactive cyathane-type diterpenes.     

PLGA nanoparticles loaded with the antileishmanial saponin β-aescin: factor influence study and in vitro efficacy evaluation

Colloidal carriers are known to improve the therapeutic index of the conventional drugs in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) by decreasing their toxicity whilst maintaining or increasing therapeutic efficacy. This paper describes the development of poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) for the antileishmanial saponin β-aescin. NPs were prepared by the W/O/W emulsification solvent evaporation technique and the influence of five preparation parameters on the NPs’ size (Z_ave), zeta potential and entrapment efficiency (EE%) was investigated using a 2⁵⁻² fractional factorial design. Cytotoxicity of aescin, aescin-loaded and blank PLGA NPs was evaluated in J774 macrophages and non-phagocytic MRC-5 cells, whereas antileishmanial activity was determined in the Leishmania infantum ex vivo model. The developed PLGA NPs were monodispersed with Z_ave < 500 nm and exhibited negative zeta potentials. The process variables ‘surfactant primary emulsion’, ‘concentration aescin’ and ‘solvent evaporation rate’ had a positive effect on EE%. Addition of Tween^® 80 to the inner aqueous phase rendered the primary emulsion more stable, which in its turn led to better saponin entrapment. The selectivity index (SI) towards the supporting host macrophages increased from 4 to 18 by treating the cells with aescin-loaded NPs instead of free β-aescin. In conclusion, the in vitro results confirmed our hypothesis.     

Extraction of amino acids by reverse iontophoresis in vivo

Reverse iontophoresis across the skin is a potentially useful alternative for non-invasive clinical and therapeutic drug monitoring. In this work, the reverse iontophoretic extraction of 17 amino acids was studied in vivo in healthy volunteers. Charged amino acids were primarily extracted towards the electrode of opposite polarity, while zwitterionic species were extracted, more or less equally, to both anode and cathode, suggesting that the net charge on the skin, under the conditions of the experiment, was close to zero. The significant presence of a ‘skin reservoir’ of several amino acids, presumably originating from the barrier’s so-called ‘natural moisturising factor’, was deduced from the results. While this phenomenon had been observed in an earlier in vitro investigation, the levels of certain amino acids (including serine and glycine) in the skin were found to be much higher in vivo. Hence, while the results of this study confirm the feasibility of extracting some amino acids at physiologically relevant levels in vivo, the objective of achieving a correlation between iontophoretically extracted fluxes and blood plasma levels may not be a practically realisable goal in all cases.     

The spiny dogfish (‘cação-bagre’): description of an envenoming in a fisherman, with taxonomic and toxinologic comments on the Squalus gender

The authors report an injury caused by a spiny dogfish (Squalus sp) in a professional fisherman that was got hurt in the left hand for a spine in the dorsal fin of the fish and felt excruciating local pain for 6 h and manifested local edema and erythema. The sharks of the Squalus gender, in a similar way to the gender Heterodontus, present two spines in position previous to the dorsal fins, with channels presenting a whitish mass, composed of great and vacuolated cells that produce venom. The Squalus gender has a complex taxonomy, with five nominal species mentioned in Brazil: S. acanthias, S. blainvillei, S. cubensis, S. megalops and S. mitsukurii. The species associated to the injury belongs to the group ‘megalops/cubensis’. A detailed study on the taxonomy and toxinology of the Squalus gender in Brazil would be of vital importance in the resolution of those problems and it would serve as subsidy for any other works involving their representatives, besides with aspects of envenoming that this gender can cause and that has rare citations in the literature.     

RP-HPLC法测定朝鲜淫羊藿提取物中4种成分的含量

目的建立HPLC法同时测定朝鲜淫羊藿提取物中淫羊藿苷A、淫羊霍苷、朝藿定B、淫羊藿次苷Ⅱ含量的方法。方法色谱柱为Diamonsil C18(250 mm×4.6 mm,5μm),流动相为甲醇-水梯度洗脱[0~25 min,w(甲醇)=55%~70%;25~40 min,w(甲醇)=70%~90%;40~45 min,w(甲醇)=90%~55%;45~60 min,w(甲醇)=55%],流速为0.8 mL.min-1,检测波长为270 nm,柱温为25℃。结果淫羊藿苷A、淫羊霍苷、朝藿定B、淫羊藿次苷Ⅱ的线性关系良好,线性范围分别为16.5~82.5、96.0~480.0、30.6~153.0、1.5~7.5 mg.L-1,平均回收率分别为103.7%、100.9%、102.2%、100.1%,RSD分别为1.4%、2.9%、1.2%、2.5%(n=5)。结论该方法可作为朝鲜淫羊藿提取物的含量测定方法 ,为其质量控制提供参考依据。     

Metabolic profiling and biological capacity of Pieris brassicae fed with kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala)

Phenolic and organic acid profiles of aqueous extracts from Pieris brassicae material and the host kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) leaves were determined by HPLC/UV–DAD/MSⁿ-ESI and HPLC–UV, respectively. The identified phenolics included acylated and nonacylated flavonoid glycosides, hydroxycinnamic acyl gentiobiosides, and sulphate phenolics. Kale exhibited the highest content (11 g/kg lyophilized extract), while no phenolics were identified in the butterflies or exuviae. Nine different organic acids were characterized in the materials, with kale showing the highest amount (112 g/kg lyophilized extract). With the exception of the exuviae extract, the rest were screened for bioactivity. Using spectrophotometric microassays, all exhibited antiradical capacity against DPPH and NO in a concentration-dependent way, whereas only kale and excrement extracts were active against superoxide. All displayed activity on intestinal smooth muscle, albeit with distinct relaxation–contraction profiles. Larvae and butterfly extracts were more efficacious for intestinal relaxation than was kale extract, whereas excrement extract evoked only contractions, thus evidencing their different compositions. Collectively, these results show that P. brassicae sequesters and metabolizes kale’s phenolic compounds. Moreover, the extract’s bioactivities suggest that they may constitute an interesting source of bioactive compounds whose complex chemical structures preclude either synthesis or isolation.     

Extraction temperature affects the activities of antioxidation,carbohydrate-digestion enzymes,and angiotensin-converting enzyme of Pleurotus citrinopileatus extract

Extraction temperature can potentially affect the chemical compositions and bioactivities of the extracts obtained. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of extraction temperature on the distribution of bioactive compounds and the bioactivities of Pleurotus citrinopileatus. The antioxidant activities (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)⁺ scavenging capabilities) and the inhibitory capabilities on pancreatic α-amylase, intestinal α-glucosidase, and hypertension-linked angiotensin-converting enzyme of hot water P. citrinopileatus extract and cold water P. citrinopileatus extract were determined. The results showed that the antioxidant capabilities and inhibitory effects on α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and angiotensin-converting enzyme of cold water P. citrinopileatus extract were significantly higher than those of hot water P. citrinopileatus extract. The cold water P. citrinopileatus extracted was further precipitated with 100% ammonium sulfate to obtain a polysaccharide fraction or with 75% ethanol to obtain a protein fraction. The inhibitory activities of the protein fraction of the cold water P. citrinopileatus extract on α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and angiotensin-converting enzyme were significantly higher than those of the polysaccharide fraction. In conclusion, the protein fraction of the cold water P. citrinopileatus extract could be responsible for its bioactivities.