Ephedra Equisetina Research Articles

Studies on the Bioactivity (Antioxidant, Enzyme Inhibitory, Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic) and Chemical Composition of Aqueous Extracts of Some Plant Species Collected from Turkmenistan.

Alhagi persarum (AP), Alhagi persarum flowers (APF), Ephedra equisetina (EE) and Glycyrrhiza glabra root (GGR) have been utilized in Central Asian folk medicine for centuries. In the present study, antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects the aqueous extracts of these plants were studied. In addition, 23 compounds were identified in the extracts using UHPLC-DAD-QqQ-MS/MS analysis. The four plant samples demonstrated promising antioxidant activities in vitro for scavenging of 2, 20-azinobis-(3-ethylbenz-thiazoline-6-sulphonate) radical (ABTS), 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), and total reducing power. AP (DPPH: 47.39 mg TE/g; ABTS:108.58 mg TE/g; CUPRAC: 117.41 mg TE/g; FRAP: 82.22 mg TE/g) and EE (DPPH: 46.75 mg TE/g; ABTS: 110.51 mg TE/g; CUPRAC: 140.77 mg TE/g; FRAP: 91.00 mg TE/g) displayed the strongest antiradical and reduction abilities in the test system. In terms of enzyme inhibition efficacy, AP and EE showed higher bioactivity. Aqueous extracts demonstrated the most potent efficacy against eight different bacterial and fungal strains in antibacterial (MIC values: 1.5-4 mg/ml) and antifungal (MIC values: 1-8 mg/ml) testing. Contrary to other activities, these aqueous extracts did not show cytotoxic effects against HaCaT cells. All bioactivities suggested that the plants could be utilized as candidate resources in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Predicting the spatial distribution of three Ephedra species under climate change using the MaxEnt model

In the context of global warming, the habitats of Ephedra, including Ephedra sinica Stapf, Ephedra intermedia Schrenk ex Mey, and Ephedra equisetina Bunge, have been substantially threatened and deteriorated in recent years. Little is known about the potential geographic dynamics of economically renowned species, including those used in sand fixation and traditional Chinese medicine, under climate change. Therefore, evaluating their potential habitat and determining the crucial environmental variables affecting E. sinica, E. intermedia and E. equisetina under the driving force of global warming are extremely important. In this study, an optimized MaxEnt model in the kuenm package on the basis of occurrence records (a total of 103, 101 and 97 points for E. sinica, E. intermedia and E. equisetina, respectively) and 37 environmental factors were utilized to simulate the distribution of the three species. Two representative concentration pathways (SSP2.6 and SSP8.5) at 2041–2060 and 2061–2080, respectively, were used to establish a future distribution model of the three species. The results indicated that approximately 6.92 × 105 km2, 2.95 × 105 km2, and 11.5 × 105 km2 of suitable regions for E. sinica, E. intermedia and E. equisetina were obtained, which were mostly distributed in central and eastern Inner Mongolia, eastern and southern Gansu, and northern Xinjiang, respectively. Critical environmental variables, such as land cover and annual precipitation, were regarded as critical parameters for the three species. Future assessment revealed that over 60 % of the potential distribution area was affected, and the stability of E. sinica under the SSP8.5 scenario was the greatest. The spatial dynamic changes in suitable areas for E. intermedia were smaller than those for E. equisetina and E. sinica in the future. The comprehensive analysis revealed that the fluctuations in the distributions of the three Ephedra species under climate change are small and provide useful information for future conservation. Therefore, target conservation and management measures should be implemented in combination with the suitability thresholds of different environmental parameters. Our results provide useful recommendations for the current and future protection of Ephedra populations.

Distribution Pattern of Suitable Areas and Corridor Identification of Endangered Ephedra Species in China.

The suitable habitat of endangered Ephedra species has been severely threatened and affected by climate change and anthropogenic activities; however, their migration trends and restoration strategies are still relatively understudied. In this study, we utilized the MaxEnt model to simulate the suitable habitats of five endangered Ephedra species in China under current and future climate scenarios. Additionally, we identified significant ecological corridors by incorporating the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model. Under the current climate scenario, the suitable area of Ephedra equisetina Bunge, Ephedra intermedia Schrenk ex Mey, Ephedra sinica Stapf, and Ephedra monosperma Gmel ex Mey comprised 16% of the area in China, while Ephedra rhytidosperma Pachom comprised only 0.05%. The distribution patterns of these five Ephedra species were primarily influenced by altitude, salinity, temperature, and precipitation. Under future climate scenarios, the suitable areas of E. equisetina, E. intermedia, and E. sinica are projected to expand, while that of E. monosperma is expected to contract. Notably, E. rhytidosperma will lose its suitable area in the future. Our identified ecological corridors showed that the first-level corridors encompassed a wider geographical expanse, incorporating E. equisetina, E. intermedia, E. sinica, and E. monosperma, while that of E. rhytidosperma exhibited a shorter length and covered fewer geographical areas. Overall, our study provides novel insights into identifying priority protected areas and protection strategies targeting endangered Ephedra species.

Five new compounds from the stems of Ephedra equisetina

Five new compounds were identified from the stems of Ephedra equisetina Bunge. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, involving UV, IR, NMR spectrum and HRESIMS analyses. The absolute configuration of compound 2 was proved by comparing their experimental and calculated ECD spectrum. The vitro bioactive assay of all compounds suggested that compound 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 may have potential anti-asthmatic activities.

Flavonoids and phenols from the stems of Ephedra equisetina

Twelve undescribed compounds, including five flavonoids and seven phenols, were isolated from the stems of Ephedra equisetina Bunge. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including NMR spectroscopy and HRESIMS analysis. Their absolute configurations were elucidated by comparing their experimental and calculated ECD spectra. In the in vitro bioactive assay, all compounds were tested for their anti-asthmatic activities by releasing β-Hex in C48/80-induced RBL-2H3 cells. The β-Hex release rates of compounds 3, 8, 10, and 11 were 0.8502 ± 0.0231, 0.8802 ± 0.0805, 0.7850 ± 0.0593, and 0.8361 ± 0.0728, respectively, suggesting that compounds 3, 8, 10, and 11 have potential anti-asthmatic activities.

Ephedrae herba: A comprehensive review of its traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology.

Ephedrae herba (called Mahuang in China) is the dried herbaceous stem of Ephedra sinica Stapf, Ephedra intermedia Schrenk et C. A. Mey., and Ephedra equisetina Bge. Ephedrae herba has a long history of use as an herb, and it was originally recorded in Sheng Nong's herbal classic. Ephedrae herba has also been widely used as both medicine and food. In the clinic, Ephedrae herba is commonly used for treating colds, bronchial asthma, nasal congestion, and other diseases. This review aims to provide a systematic summary on the traditional use, chemical constituents, pharmacological effects, clinical applications, quality control, toxicology, and pharmacokinetics of Ephedrae herba to provide a theoretical basis for further reasonable development of Ephedrae herba in clinical practice and creation of new drugs. Information on Ephedrae herba was gathered from various sources, including the scientific databases including CNKI, PubMed, SciFinder and ScienceDirect, classical books on traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Ph.D. and M.Sc. dissertations; Baidu Scholar; and from different professional websites. Ephedrae herba is distributed in regions of China and other areas. Ephedra and its compound preparations can be used for colds, bronchial asthma, nasal congestion and other diseases. Approximately 281 chemical constituents have been isolated from Ephedrae herba, including alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, polysaccharides, volatile oils, organic acids, and other compounds. Among these constituents, alkaloids and volatile oils are the most abundant and represent the major bioactive constituents. Ephedrae herba possesses multiple pharmacological activities, including diuretic effect, anti-allergic effect, blood pressure regulatory, anti-inflammatory effect, anti-oxidation effect and anti-viral effects. Ephedrine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride are generally selected as indicators for the quantitative determination of Ephedrae herba. The maximum dosage of Ephedrae herba should not exceed 10 grams. If overused, adverse reactions such as palpitations, sweating, irritability and insomnia will occur. Ephedrae herba is an ancient herbal medicine with a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities that has been used for thousands of years in China. It is one of the most commonly used herbal components of the TCM formulas. Hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine are the major bioactive constituents. However, there is a need to further understand the mechanisms of active components of Ephedrae herba. Future studies should perform an in-depth analyses of the pharmacokinetics and mechanisms of toxicity of Ephedrae herba. Quality standards should be developed to correspond to the various application methods to ensure the efficacy of drugs in actual treatment.

Modeling for Predicting the Potential Geographical Distribution of Three Ephedra Herbs in China.

Ephedra species are beneficial for environmental protection in desert and grassland ecosystems. They have high ecological, medicinal, and economic value. To strengthen the protection of the sustainable development of Ephedra, we used occurrence records of Ephedra sinica Stapf., Ephedra intermedia Schrenk et C.A. Mey., and Ephedra equisetina Bge., combined with climate, soil, and topographic factors to simulate the suitable habitat of three Ephedra based on ensemble models on the Biomod2 platform. The results of the models were tested using AUC, TSS, and kappa coefficients. The results demonstrated that the ensemble model was able to accurately predict the potential distributions of E. sinica, E. intermedia, and E. equisetina. Eastern and central Inner Mongolia, middle and eastern Gansu, and northeastern Xinjiang were the optimum regions for the growth of E. sinica, E. intermedia, and E. equisetina, respectively. Additionally, several key environmental factors had a significant influence on the suitable habitats of the three Ephedra. The key factors affecting the distribution of E. sinica, E. intermedia, and E. equisetina were annual average precipitation, altitude, and vapor pressure, respectively. In conclusion, the results showed that the suitable ranges of the three Ephedra were mainly in Northwest China and that topography and climate were the primary influencing factors.

Quantitative Analysis and Enantiomeric Separation of Ephedra Alkaloids in Ma Huang Related Products by HPLC-DAD and UPLC-MS/MS

Ephedra is a genus of the Ephedraceae family and is found in temperate regions, such as Central Asia and Europe. Among the various ephedra species, Ma Huang (Ephedra herb) is derived from the aerial parts of Ephedra sinica S tapf, Ephedra equisetina Bunge, and Ephedra intermedia Schrenk & C.A. Mey. Ma Huang contains various ephedra alkaloids, including (-)-ephedrine, (+)-pseudoephedrine, (-)-norephedrine, (+)-norpseudoephedrine, (-)-methylephedrine, and (+)-methylpseudoephedrine, which are found naturally as single enantiomers, although they can be prepared as racemates. Although the use of Ma Huang in foods is prohibited in Korea, products containing Ma Huang can be imported, and so it is necessary to develop a suitable analytical technique for the detection of Ma Huang in foods. Herein, we report the development of analytical methods for the detection of ephedra alkaloids in products containing Ma Huang. Following sample purification by solid phase extraction, quantitative analysis was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Additionally, the enantiomers were successfully separated using HPLC-DAD. We successfully analyzed various food samples, where the ephedra alkaloids were qualitatively and quantitatively determined, and the enantiomers were separated. It is expected that these methods may contribute toward preventing the distribution of illegal products containing Ma Huang.

Chemical constituents from the stems of Ephedra equisetina

Five new compounds, including two naphthalenes ( 1 , 2 ), a phenolic derivative ( 3 ) and two glycosides ( 4 , 5 ) were isolated from the stems of Ephedra equisetina Bunge. Their chemical structures were identified by spectroscopic analyses (IR, UV, HRESIMS NMR and ECD). An in vitro bioassay suggested that compound 5 possesses potential anti-asthmatic activities. • Five previously undescribed compounds were isolated from the stems of E. equisetina . • Their structures were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. • The absolute configurations were deduced by interpretation of ECD. • Anti-asthmatic effects of all of the isolated compounds were evaluated.

Alkaloids from the stem of Ephedra equisetina

Two new cyclotrypyamine alkaloids equisetinines A and B, as well as three known alkaloids (3–5) were isolated from the stems of Ephedra equisetina Bunge. Their structures were characterized by spectroscopic methods, and the absolute configurations of the new compounds were determined by interpretation of their electronic circular dichroism. Anti-asthmatic activities of compounds were evaluated by releasing β-Hex in C48/80-induced RBL-2H3 cells, and compound 5 exhibited significant anti-asthmatic activities.

Lignans and terpenoids from the stem of Ephedra equisetina Bunge

Seven undescribed lignans, equiselignan A–F, and six undescribed terpenoids, equiseterpenoid A–E (including two pairs of enantiomers, (+/−)-equiselignan A and (+/−)-equiseterpenoid E), were isolated from the stems of Ephedra equisetina Bunge. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, and the absolute configurations of the undescribed compounds were determined by interpretation of their electronic circular dichroic (ECD) and optical rotation data. In β-hexosaminidase (β-Hex) release assay, anti-asthmatic activities of all of the compounds were evaluated by releasing β-Hex in C48/80-induced RBL-2H3 cells. The β-Hex release rates of equiselignan B and equiseterpenoid B were 0.86 ± 0.094 and 0.86 ± 0.012 by comparing with model group, whereupon equiselignan B and equiseterpenoid B exhibited significant anti-asthmatic activities.

Characteristic and phylogenetic analyses of chloroplast genome for Ephedra monosperma (Ephedraceae), an important medicinal species

Ephedra monosperma is an important medicinal plant of Ephedra (Ephedraceae). The complete chloroplast genome of E. monosperma was assembled from Illumina pair-end sequence reads. The whole chloroplast (cp) genome is 109,548 bp in length and presents a quadripartite structure consisting of two copies of inverted repeat (IR) regions (20,398) separated by a large single copy (LSC) region (60,674 bp) and a small single copy (SSC) region (8078 bp). The cp genome of E. monosperma encodes a total of 118 genes, including 73 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes. The overall GC content of E. monosperma cp genome is 36.6%. A maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analysis revealed that E. monosperma was close to Ephedra equisetina. The ML tree also showed Ephedraceae appeared more closely related to Gnetaceae than to the other families in Gymnospermae.

Predicting the current and future suitable habitats of the main dietary plants of the Gobi Bear using MaxEnt modeling

Ephedra equisetina, the Nitraria species complex (N. sibirica, N. roborowskii and N. sphaerocarpa), and Rheum nanum are the main dietary plants of the Gobi Bear (Ursus arctos gobiensis), a subspecies of the brown bear, found in the Gobi desert of Mongolia. Their location and distribution range are closely related to the Gobi Bear survival. Analyzing the impact of climate change on the possible distribution of these species is essential for the future conservation and management of the Gobi Bear. In this study, we modeled the current and future distribution of the main dietary plants of the Gobi Bear based on one representative concentration pathway (RCP2.6) for the period from 2041 to 2060 (2050s) and 2061-2080 (2070s) using a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) species distribution model. Our results showed that the precipitation-associated variables had the strongest effect on the distributions of these species. Among these variables, the precipitation of the coldest quarter (Bio19) was the most important variable affecting the suitability of the habitats. Under the current climate conditions, the areas of the highly suitable (>0.6) habitat for E. equisetina, the Nitraria species complex, and R. nanum were 3,888.51, 23,727.78 and 13,816.88 km2, respectively, accounting for 8%, 52% and 30% of the Great Gobi “A” Strictly Protected Area. In the year 2050s and 2070s, the highly suitable habitat areas for E. equisetina and R. nanum will continue to increase and eventually reach to 23% and 36%, respectively. The Nitraria species complex would first be reduced to 33% in the 2050s and then increase to 36% in the 2070s. With the climate warming, the highly suitable habitats of the Gobi Bear’s main dietary plants would shift to the southeast. These results, together with previous studies about the Gobi Bear distribution can provide useful information and a reasonable reference for managers to put forward suggestions for better protection of the Gobi Bear.

Diversity and Expression Patterns of MADS-Box Genes in Gnetum luofuense—Implications for Functional Diversity and Evolution

MADS-box transcription factors are essential mediators of the vegetative and reproductive development of seed plants. Although MADS-box genes have been extensively characterized in angiosperms, their functions are not well-understood in gymnosperms, especially the Gnetales, due to an ambiguous phylogeny of seed plants. Here, we performed a genome-wide search for MADS-box genes in Gnetum luofuense and found 11 Type I and 38 Type II MADS-box members (i.e. three MIKC* and 35 MIKCc genes). The relative abundance of the Type I Mα and Type II MIKCC subgroups (including the DEF/GLO and TM8-like genes) were mainly contributed by tandem duplications. Comparisons of the gene expression levels among members of the MIKCc subgroup reveal that the DEF/GLO-like genes and several TM8-like genes were exclusively expressed in reproductive organs, whereas TM3-like, StMADS11-like and other TM8-like genes exhibited a broad expression pattern in both vegetative and reproductive organs in G. luofuense. In addition, 14 Type II MIKCc genes were found in the stem transcriptome of Ephedra equisetina and we made an attempt to assess the homology to the MIKCc genes within Gnetales. The results of this study provide valuable information for understanding the phylogenies and functions of MADS-box genes in seed plants.

The Adverse Effects of Ephedra Herb and the Safety of Ephedrine Alkaloids-free Ephedra Herb Extract (EFE)

Ephedra Herb is defined in the 17th edition of the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP) as the terrestrial stem of Ephedra sinica Stapf., Ephedra intermedia Schrenk et C.A. Meyer, or Ephedra equisetina Bunge (Ephedraceae). The stems of Ephedra Herb contain greater than 0.7% ephedrine alkaloids (ephedrine and pseudoephedrine). Despite its high effectiveness, Ephedra Herb exert several adverse effects, including palpitation, excitation, insomnia, and dysuria. Both the primary and adverse effects of Ephedra Herb have been traditionally believed to be mediated by these ephedrine alkaloids. However, our study found that several pharmacological actions of Ephedra Herb were not associated with ephedrine alkaloids. We prepared an ephedrine alkaloid-free Ephedra Herb extract (EFE) by eliminating ephedrine alkaloids from Ephedra Herb extract (EHE) using ion-exchange column chromatography. EFE exerted analgesic, anti-influenza, and anticancer activities in the same manner as EHE. Moreover, EFE did not induce adverse effects due to ephedrine alkaloids, such as excitation, insomnia, and arrhythmias, and showed no toxicity. Furthermore, we evaluated the safety of EFE in healthy volunteers. The number of adverse event cases was higher in the EHE-treated group than in the EFE-treated group, although the difference was not significant. Our evidence suggested that EFE was safer than EHE.

<p><strong>Taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of <em>Thyrostroma ephedricola</em> sp. nov. (Dothidotthiaceae) and proposal for <em>Thyrostroma jaczewskii </em>comb. nov.</strong></p>

Thyrostroma ephedricola, isolated from Ephedra equisetina from Uzbekistan is introduced as a new species and a new combination, Thyrostroma jaczewskii (B. Sutton) is proposed. Both species are characterised by sporodochial, punctiform conidiomata, and brown cylindrical to subcylindrical, 1–3-septate conidiophores, cylindrical, clavate, or ellipsoid to pyriform brown conidia. Phylogenetic reconstruction based on analyses of ribosomal DNA (ITS, LSU and SSU regions) of Thyrostroma species, strongly supports the recognized taxa as a monophyletic group. The introduction of the new species is supported by both morphological and molecular data.

The chloroplast genome of an important herb species, Ephedra sinica (Ephedraceae)

Ephedra sinica has been utilized by humans for over 5000 years as Chinese herbal medicine in China. In this study, we reported the complete chloroplast genome of E. sinica. The chloroplast genome of E. sinica is 109,550 bp in length as the circular, which harbors a large single-copy (LSC) region of 59,962 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 8106 bp and separated by a pair of inverted-repeat (IR) regions of 20,742 bp each. The overall nucleotide content of the chloroplast genome: A of 31.2%, T of 32.1%, C of 18.4% G of 18.3%, and 36.7% GC content. This chloroplast genome contains 118 genes, which includes 74 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 36 transfer RNA (tRNAs) and 8 ribosome RNA (rRNAs). Phylogenetic analysis result showed that E. sinica was most closely related to Ephedra equisetina in the family Ephedraceae using the Neighbor-Joining (NJ) method.

Germination and morphological features of bluestem joint fir (Ephedra equisetina) seeds under different LED light conditions

Germination and morphological features of bluestem joint fir (<i>Ephedra equisetina</i>) seeds under different LED light conditions

EFEの薬理作用と臨床応用へ向けた取り組み

Ephedra Herb is defined in the 17th edition of the Japanese Pharmacopoeia as the terrestrial stem of Ephedra sinica STAPF., Ephedra intermedia SCHRENK et C.A. MEYER, or Ephedra equisetina BUNGE (Ephedraceae) which contains more than 0.7% ephedrine alkaloids (ephedrine and pseudoephedrine). The primary effects and adverse effects of Ephedra Herb are traditionally believed to be mediated by ephedrine alkaloids. We recently reported that Ephedra Herb extract (EHE) exhibits antimetastatic and antitumor effects by suppressing the hepatocyte growth factor-c-Met signaling pathway through the inhibition of c-Met tyrosine kinase activity. We confirmed that the non-alkaloidal fraction of EHE had c-Met-inhibitory activity. Moreover, we discovered herbacetin glycosides in EHE and demonstrated that herbacetin, the aglycone of the glycosides, shows c-Met-inhibitory activity and analgesic action. These findings suggest that some pharmacological actions of EHE may be produced by its non-alkaloidal fraction, which does not cause the adverse effects of ephedrine alkaloids. Therefore, we prepared ephedrine alkaloids-free EHE (EFE) by removing ephedrine alkaloids from EHE using ion-exchange column chromatography. EFE had c-Met-inhibitory action, analgesic effects, and antiinfluenza activity similar to EHE but had no toxicity. Now, we are evaluating the safety of EFE in healthy volunteers and its efficacy in patients to obtain licensing approval for its therapeutic use in the future.

Pteromalids (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) of the Sajram-Ugam State National Nature Park in Western Tien Shan

A list of pteromalids (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae) of the Sajram-Ugam State Natural Park in Western Tien Shan comprising 60 species is given. All the species are recorded from this territory for the first time, Mesopolobus arcanus Askew is new to Kazakhstan; it was reared for the first time from fruits of Ephedra equisetina Bunge (Ephedraceae).