Herba Artemisiae Scopariae Research Articles

Phytoremediation strategies for heavy metal-contaminated soil by selecting native plants near mining areas in Inner Mongolia.

Phytoremediation technology, as an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach, is widely used to restore soil contaminated by heavy metal(loid)s. However, the adaptability and absorption capacity of plants to multiple elements are the crucial factors affecting the application of phytoremediation in mining areas. In this study, dominant native plant species and their paired soils were collected near a lead-zinc mine in Inner Mongolia, to assess the ecological risk of heavy metal(loid)s and phytoremediation potential. The results showed that Cd and As were the dominant soil pollutants, with levels of 90.91% and 100%, respectively, exceeding the risk intervention values for soil contamination of agricultural land. The rates of Pb, Cu, and Zn exceeding the risk screening values were 69.70%, 60.61%, and 96.97%, respectively. Extremely high ecological risk of heavy metal(loid)s was observed in this area. The ability of native plants accumulating heavy metals varied among species. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) varied from 0.14 to 2.59 for Cd, 0.02 to 0.45 for As, 0.06 to 0.76 for Pb, 0.05 to 2.69 for Cr, 0.15 to 1.00 for Cu, and 0.22 to 4.10 for Zn. Chinese Cinquefoil Herb (Potentilla chinensis Ser.) showed the potential to accumulate multiple toxic elements based on the biomass, shoot content, translocation factor (TF), BCF, and metal extraction rate (MER), while, other species showed the potential to accumulate single toxic element: goosefoot (Chenopodium album L.), Lespedeza daurica (Laxm.) Schindl. and peashrubs (Caragana korshinskii Kom.), Herba Artemisiae Scopariae (Artemisia capillaris Thunb.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and Moldavian Dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) for Cd, As, Cr, Cu, and Zn, respectively. Furthermore, wild leek (Allium ramosum L.), cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv.), fringed sagebrush (Artemisia frigida Willd.), and field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) were selected for phytostabilization of specific elements, considering the heavy metal contents in the roots and low TF values. This study provides a reference for selecting appropriate species for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils in certain mining areas.

Effects of Li-Dan-He-Ji on regulating oxidative stress and antagonising infantile cholestatic hepatic fibrosis

To explore the clinical effect of Li-Dan-He-Ji in the treatment of infantile cholestatic hepatic fibrosis. Patients who met the diagnostic criteria of infantile cholestatic hepatic fibrosis in the department of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine and the department of gastroenterology of Wuhan Children's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January to December 2021 were included in the study by prospective randomized controlled trial. They were divided into the conventional treatment group and Li-Dan-He-Ji group according to the random number table. The patients in the conventional treatment group were given conventional treatment according to the guidelines. In the Li-Dan-He-Ji group, the self-made Chinese medicinal compound Li-Dan-He-Ji (prescription: Herba Artemisiae Scopariae, Fructus Forsythiae, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei preparata, Radix Polygoni Multiflori Preparata, Radix Paeoniae Rubra, Ramulus Cinnamomi, Fructus Aurantii, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis, Carapax Trionycis, and Radix Glycyrrhizae) was given on the basis of the routine treatment, by oral, enema or nasal feeding, 60 mL each day, divided into 2 or 3 times, for 28 days. Outpatient follow-up was maintained for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, serum liver fibrosis 4 items [type IV collagen (IV-C), hyaluronidase (HA), type III procollagen (PC III), laminin (LN)], liver function and cholestasis-related markers [total bilirubin (TBil), direct bilirubin (DBil), total bile acid (TBA), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST)], oxidative stress markers [superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH)], liver stiffness measurement (LSM) detected by transient elastography (TE), aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), and liver and spleen retraction time were recorded in the two groups. During the observation period, a total of 40 cases of cholestatic hepatic fibrosis were treated, including 21 cases in the conventional treatment group and 19 cases in the Li-Dan-He-Ji group. Before treatment, the differences in serum liver fibrosis 4 items, serum liver function and cholestasis-related markers, oxidative stress indexes, LSM and APRI of the two groups were not statistically significant. After treatment, the liver fibrosis 4 items, liver function and cholestasis-related markers, LSM, and APRI were all significantly decreased in both groups, and the indexes in the Li-Dan-He-Ji group were significantly lower than those in the conventional treatment group [HA (ng/L): 165.81±21.57 vs. 203.87±25.88, PC III (μg/L): 69.86±9.32 vs. 81.82±7.39, IV-C (μg/L): 204.14±38.97 vs. 239.08±24.93, LN (μg/L): 162.40±17.39 vs. 190.86±15.97, TBil (μmol/L): 37.58±27.63 vs. 53.06±45.09, DBil (μmol/L): 20.55±19.34 vs. 30.08±27.39, ALP (U/L): 436.50±217.58 vs. 469.60±291.69, γ-GGT (U/L): 66.78±35.84 vs. 87.00±32.82, ALT (U/L): 64.75±50.53 vs. 75.20±50.19, AST (U/L): 77.25±54.23 vs. 96.80±59.77, TBA (μmol/L): 74.35±44.44 vs. 85.45±39.50, LSM (kPa): 5.24±0.39 vs. 7.53±3.16, APRI: 0.52±0.39 vs. 0.98±0.29, all P < 0.05]. After treatment, MDA in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment, and SOD and GSH were significantly higher than those before treatment. The level of SOD in the Li-Dan-He-Ji group was significantly higher than that in the conventional treatment group (kU/L: 64.56±6.69 vs. 51.58±5.98, P < 0.05). In addition, the liver retraction time (day: 20.13±10.97 vs. 24.33±13.46) and spleen retraction time (day: 25.93±13.01 vs. 29.14±14.52) in the Li-Dan-He-Ji group were significantly shorter than those in the conventional treatment group (both P < 0.05). The use of Li-Dan-He-Ji in the treatment of cholestatic hepatic fibrosis can effectively improve the indicators of cholestasis, hepatic fibrosis, oxidative stress and clinical symptoms in children.

Can Yin-Chai-Xiao-Du decoction be useful of COVID-19? The mechanism research based on network pharmacology

Background: In this study, we preliminarily investigated the mechanism of Yin-Chai-Xiao-Du decoction for the treatment of COVID-19 by the method of network pharmacology. Methods: The potential targets and pathways of Yin-Chai-Xiao-Du decoction for the treatment of COVID-19 were examined using network pharmacology; the ingredient and active targets of Yin-Chai-Xiao-Du decoction were collected from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform and PharmMapper databases; the COVID-19-related targets were obtained from the online Mendelian inheritance in man, GeneCards, and GeneMANIA databases; the STRING database and Cytoscape were used to build a protein-protein interaction network, and a Network Analyzer tool was used to perform topology analysis to screen for the key ingredients and targets; the ClueGO and KOBAS 3.0 databases were for the enrichment analysis of gene function (Gene Oncology) and gene pathway (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes); the herb-ingredient-target-pathway network diagram was constructed by Cytoscape. Results: The core herbs screened by the network pharmacological analysis were Jinyinhua (Lonicerae japonicae flos), Lianqiao (Forsythia suspensa), Chaihu (Bupleuri radix), Huangqin (Scutellariae radix), Yinchen (Herba Artemisiae Scopariae), Guanghuoxiang (Pogostemonis herba), Roudoukou (Semen myristicae) and Qinghao (Artemisiae annuae herba). A total of 293 active ingredients were screened by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform, and the key ingredients were quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol, and luteolin. Yin-Chai-Xiao-Du decoction has 138 COVID-19-related targets, and the key targets were mitogen-activated protein kinase 3, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor, vascular endothelial growth factor A, and CC motif ligand 2. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed 120 enriched gene pathways, and the key pathways were signaling by interleukins, immune system, cytokine signaling in the immune system, and the signaling pathways of interleukin-17, tumor necrosis factor, and relaxin. Conclusion: The core herbs of Yin-Chai-Xiao-Du decoction are Jinyinhua (Lonicerae japonicae flos), Lianqiao (Forsythia suspensa), Chaihu (Bupleuri radix), Huangqin (Scutellariae radix), Yinchen (Herba Artemisiae Scopariae), Guanghuoxiang (Pogostemonis herba), Roudoukou (Semen myristicae) and Qinghao (Artemisiae annuae herba). The key ingredients are quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol; the critical targets are luteolin, interleukin-6, mitogen-activated protein kinase 3, tumor necrosis factor, and CC motif ligand 2; and the core signaling pathways are those mediated by interleukin-17, tumor necrosis factor, and relaxin.

Identification of eupatilin and ginkgolide B as p38 ligands from medicinal herbs by surface plasmon resonance biosensor-based active ingredients recognition system

Screening of bioactive ligands for a certain protein target from medicinal herbs is a highly important yet challenging task during drug discovery process. In this study, a surface plasmon resonance biosensor-based active ingredient recognition system (SPR-AIRS) was applied to screen p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38) ligands from herbal extracts. After p38 protein was immobilized on a SPR chip and the suitability of SPR-AIRS was validated, thirty-four p38-related medicinal herbs were selected and pre-screened. Two medicinal herbs having high response signal with p38-immobilized chip, Folium Ginkgo and Herba Artemisiae Scopariae, were injected into SPR system for ligand fishing. Among them, two active compounds, eupatilin (EPT) and ginkgolide B (GKB), were identified as p38 ligands, and then the KD values of EPT and GKB were measured as 21.68 ± 2.21 and 44.71 ± 1.80 μM, respectively. They can inhibit p38 activities significantly and bind to the ATP binding site on p38. Furthermore, EPT and GKB can inhibit cell proliferation (IC50 = 30.31 ± 6.84 and 42.97 ± 0.83 μM), induce apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest against K562 cell line. This is the first time that EPT and GKB are reported as effective p38 binding ligands. These results prove that SPR-AIRS could be an effective method to screen active compounds acting on a specific protein from complex systems.

Comparison of Three Multi‐Dimensional Solid‐Phase Extraction Methods with IL‐based Silica Sorbent for Separation of Rutin, Quercetin, and Scoparone from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae

Five types of ionic liquid‐based silica (SilprBImCl, SilprImNH2, SilprPy, SilmPS, and SiImBr) with different radical groups were synthesized and applied to the separation of three bioactive compounds (rutin, quercetin, and scoparone) from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae by three multi‐dimensional solid‐phase extraction (MDSPE) methods combined with high‐performance liquid chromatography. After comparing the comprehensive adsorption capacity test of the five types of ionic liquid‐based silica materials, SilprPy and SilmPS, with the highest adsorption capacity were selected and applied in the packing of three different types of MDSPE process (layered MDSPE, blended MDSPE, and stacked MDSPE). With 2.0 mL of ethanol as the washing solution and 2.0 mL of methanol as the elution solution, blended MDSPE achieved the highest recoveries of all three target compounds (91.2% for rutin, 84.3% for scoparone, and 89.7% for quercetin).

Exploration of a ternary deep eutectic solvent of methyltriphenylphosphonium bromide/chalcone/formic acid for the selective recognition of rutin and quercetin in Herba Artemisiae Scopariae.

Methyltriphenylphosphonium bromide/chalcone/formic acid, a green ternary deep eutectic solvent, was applied as a functional monomer and dummy template simultaneously in the synthesis of a new molecularly imprinted polymer. Ternary deep eutectic solvent based molecularly imprinted polymers are used as a solid-phase extraction sorbent in the separation and purification of rutin and quercetin from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae combined with high-performance liquid chromatography. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy were applied to characterize the deep eutectic solvent based molecularly imprinted polymers synthesized using different molar ratios of chalcone. The static and competitive adsorption tests were performed to examine the recognition ability of the molecularly imprinted polymers to rutin and quercetin. The ternary deep eutectic solvent consisting of formic acid/chalcone/methyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (1:0.05:0.5) had the best molecular recognition effect. After optimization of the washing solvents (methanol/water, 1:9) and eluting solvents (acetonitrile/acetic acid, 9:1), a reliable analytical method was developed for strong recognition towards rutin and quercetin in Herba Artemisiae Scopariae with satisfactory extraction recoveries (rutin: 92.48%, quercetin: 94.23%). Overall, the chalcone ternary deep eutectic solvent-based molecularly imprinted polymer coupled with solid-phase extraction is an effective method for the selective purification of multiple bioactive compounds in complex samples.

An effective separation and purification of rutin and scoparone from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae by solid-phase extraction cartridges packed with an ionic liquid-based silica

ABSTRACTFive types of ionic liquid-based silica were synthesized as solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbents for separation and purification of bioactive compounds, that is, rutin and scoparone extracted from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae. The SilprBImCl material with the highest adsorption capacity was selected as the sorbent for SPE packing. Ethyl acetate and water were found to be suitable washing and eluting solvents, respectively. SilprBImCl was then applied to multi-phase extraction, and its superiority as a sorbent over the commercial cartridge was proven with high rutin and scoparone recoveries of 90.5% and 83.9%, respectively. This highlights the potential of ionic liquid-based silica materials applied to SPE and MPE.

Determination of Chlorogenic Acid and Rutinum in Herba Artemisiae Scopariae with Multitemplate Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Solid-phase Extraction with High-performance Liquid Chromatography

ABSTRACTNovel multitemplate molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared using mixtures of chlorogenic acid and rutinum as molecular templates, acrylamide as a functional monomer, divinylbenzene as the cross-linker, and 20:80 methanol:acetone as the porogen. The polymers were assessed for solid-phase extraction (SPE) for the purification of two compounds from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae. The synthesized molecularly imprinted polymers were identified by infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Systematic characterization of the functional monomer and porogens on the recognition properties of the molecularly imprinted polymers were carried out. Comparison with single-template molecularly imprinted polymers showed that the multitemplate molecular polymers exhibited higher selectivity and adsorption capacity for multiple analytes. The optimization of washing solvent as 1:9 acetone:water and the elution solvent as 9:1 acetonitrile:acetic acid provided a reliable analytical method with strong recognition toward multiple analytes in Herba Artemisiae Scopariae extracts with satisfactory recoveries of 89.6% for chlorogenic acid and 93.8% for rutinum. These results demonstrate that the multitemplate molecularly imprinted polymers coupled with SPE are effective for the selective purification of bioactive compounds in complex samples.

Optimized extraction of bioactive compounds from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae with ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents

ABSTRACTIonic liquids with length of alkyl chain and different anions, deep eutectic solvents with choline chloride and 7 different hydrogen bond donors were applied as extraction additives after optimizing the extraction conditions to increase the extraction amounts of rutin, quercetin, and scoparone from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae. The extraction conditions were optimized as follows: refluxing with methanol with a solid/liquid ratio of 1:120 under 60°C for 60 min after changing the different extraction conditions of: extraction methods (dipping, ultrasonic, reflux and soxlet), extraction solvents (methanol, water and ethanol), extraction temperature (30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80°C), extraction time (30, 60, 80, 100 and 120 min), extraction ratio of solid to liquid (1:5, 1:10, 1:20, 1:50, 1:100, 1:120 and 1:150). Under these optimal conditions, the best preformed extraction additive among the 7 kinds of ionic liquids and 7 kinds of deep eutectic solvents extraction additives were selected and optimized with its contraction of 0.5mg/mL. Using the most effective extraction additive, [BMIM][Br], 10275.92 µg/g rutin, 899.73 µg/g quercetin, and 554.32 µg/g scoparone were obtained. Overall, ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents have potential applications as extraction additives for the extraction of bioactive compounds from nature plants.

Hybrid molecularly imprinted polymers modified by deep eutectic solvents and ionic liquids with three templates for the rapid simultaneous purification of rutin, scoparone, and quercetin from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae.

Different kinds of deep eutectic solvents based on choline chloride and ionic liquids based on 1-methylimidazole were used to modify hybrid molecularly imprinted polymers with the monomer γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane-methacrylic and three templates (rutin, scoparone, and quercetin). The materials were adopted as solid-phase extraction packing agents, and were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The hybrid molecularly imprinted polymers modified by deep eutectic solvents had high recoveries and a strong recognition of rutin, scoparone, and quercetin in Herba Artemisiae Scopariae than those modified by ionic liquids. In the procedure of solid-phase extraction, deep eutectic solvents-2-hybrid molecularly imprinted polymers were obtained with the best recoveries with rutin (92.27%), scoparone (87.51%), and quercetin (80.02%), and the actual extraction yields of rutin (5.6 mg/g), scoparone (2.3 mg/g), and quercetin (3.4 mg/g). Overall, the proposed approach with the high affinity of hybrid molecularly imprinted polymers might offer a novel method for the purification of complex samples.

Simultaneous Determination of 11 Components in Yinzhihuang Preparations and Their Constituent Herbs by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detector.

A simple and sensitive liquid chromatography method with diode array detector was established for simultaneous determination of 11 components (geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, geniposide, luteoloside, isochlorogenic acid C, baicalin, luteolin, wogonoside, baicalein and wogonin) in various commercial Yinzhihuang preparations and their herbs by optimizing the extraction, separation and analytical conditions. Eleven components were identified on the basis of their retention times and mass spectra. Chromatographic separation was performed on a C18 analytical column with a gradient elution of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid water solution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The linearity, precision and accuracy of the data obtained were acceptable. The method was used to analyze four Yinzhihuang preparations (powder, capsule, oral liquid and injection) and related herbs (Radix Scutellariae, Flos Lonicerae, Herba Artemisiae Scopariae and Fructus gardeniae). Results suggested that the optimized method could be considered as a good approach to control the quality of Yinzhihuang preparations and their herbs.

Application of Deep Eutectic Solvents as Additives in Ultrasonic Extraction of Two Phenolic Acids from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae

This paper reports the extraction of two phenolic acids from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae using deep eutectic solvents that were synthesized with various salt and hydrogen bond donors. The optimal conditions were found to be 50% of a synthesized deep eutectic solvent from tetramethyl ammonium chloride and urea (1:4) mixed with methanol/water (60:40, v/v). Phenolic acid extraction was optimized using an ultrasonic power of 89 W for 30 min with a solid/liquid ratio of 1:10. Under the optimized conditions, good calibration curves were observed at phenolic acid concentrations ranging from 10.0 to 500.0 µg/mL. The method recovery ranged from 97.3% to 100.4%, and the inter-day and intra-day relative standard deviations were less than 5%. Under the optimal extraction conditions, the amounts of chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid extracted from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae were 9.35 mg/g and 0.31 mg/g, respectively.

HPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS for analysis of major chemical constituents of Yinchen–Zhizi herb pair extract

The Yinchen-Zhizi herb pair (YZHP) consists of Herba Artemisiae Scopariae (Yinchen in Chinese) and Fructus Gardeniae (Zhizi in Chinese), and is mainly used to treat icteric hepatitis, itching skin and eczema. However, the bioactive constituents responsible for the pharmacological effects of YZHP are still unclear to date. In this work, a rapid and sensitive method was established to comprehensively study the constituents in YZHP extract by HPLC-Q-TOF MS/MS. The analysis was performed on an HPLC system equipped with an Agilent poroshell 120 EC-C18 column (100 × 2.1 mm, 2.7 mm) working in a gradient elution program coupled to quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry operating in the negative ion mode. As a result, a total of 46 compounds including 17 from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae and 36 from Fructus Gardeniae were detected and tentatively identified in YZHP extract by comparing the retention time and mass spectrometry and retrieving the reference literature. More importantly, a series of constituents, such as many iridoid glycosides, were reported for the first time in this formula. The HPLC-Q-TOF MS/MS method was developed and utilized successfully to identify the major constituents in YZHP extract and would be helpful for further metabolism and pharmacology research on YZHP.

A Method of Hepatocyte Extraction Conjugated with HPLC is Established for Screening Potential Active Components in Chinese Medicines—Probing Herba Artemisiae Scopariae as an Exemplifying Approach

In order to establish an effective and quick method for screening potential bioactive compounds in Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs), hepatocytes were employed for extracting either bifendate, a clinical medicine for liver diseases, or chemicals in Herba Artemisiae Scopariae (A. Scopariae), a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine for remedying liver diseases such as hepatitis induced by viruses, chemicals or alcohol. After hepatocyte extraction the compounds were analyzed by HPLC, therefore this method was referrred to as hepatocyte extraction conjugated with HPLC (HE-HPLC). In the first part of this study, HE-HPLC showed that bifendate was extracted by hepatocytes and detected by HPLC-DAD which indicated the feasibility of this method. Then in the second part of the study, the potential active components in the A. scopariae extract were studied using HE-HPLC. Six chemicals in the A. scopariae extract, which could bind to hepatocytes in vitro, were detected by HPLC-DAD and three were identified as 7-hydroxy-coumarin (7-OH-C), capillartemisin A and 7-methoxy-coumarin, respectively. In vitro assays showed that 7-OH-C protected HL-7702 hepatocytes from H2O2 injury. The results indicated that these compounds could be extracted by hepatocytes, could be detected by HPLC and more importantly were bioactive. It is suggested that HE-HPLC is a useful method for screening potent active components in Chinese medicines used to treat liver diseases.

Antioxidant Activities and Essential Oil Composition of Herba Artemisiae Scopariae from China

The essential oil in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Herba Artemisiae Scopariae (HAC) grown in China was obtained by hydrodistillation and studied by GC and GC-MS. Twenty compounds were identified representing 96.6% of the essential oil, of which the most prominent were n-hexadecanoic acid (33.1%), caryophyllene oxide (19.1%) and spathulenol (9.9%). The antioxidant activity of the essential oil (25-400 µg/ml) of HAC was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The essential oil of HAC exhibited a strong antioxidant activity, which possess a good potential for use in the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Effect of Mobile Phase Additives on the Resolution of Four Bioactive Compounds by RP-HPLC

The use of mobile phase additives enhances the separation and resolution of the bioactive compounds on the C18 column. Chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, rutin, and scoparone from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae were investigated as the target compounds. Acetic acid, triethylamine, inorganic salts, and several ionic liquids were added as mobile phase additives into methanol/water (40:60, v/v). The result revealed that a mobile phase with 0.01 mol/L of ionic liquid [BMIM][BF4] enabled the optimum separation of the four target compounds.

Isolation of Four Compounds from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae by Preparative Column HPLC

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was applied on a preparative scale to purify chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, scoparone, and rutin from Herba Artemisiae Scopariae. By changing the different extraction solvents, procedures, and times, the optimum extraction condition was established using methanol/water (60:40, v/v) as the extraction solvent followed by ultrasonic extraction for 40 min. Extraction amounts of the four compounds were 4.37 mg/g, 0.27 mg/g, 0.56 mg/g, and 0.083 mg/g, respectively. The column with 40/63 µm C18 as the particles successfully isolated the extract by using acetonitrile/water/acetic acid (20:80:0.1, v/v/v) as the mobile phase.

Effect of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium-based ionic liquid on the resolution of three components in Herba Artemisiae Scopariae by RP-HPLC

The chromatographic behavior of three components of Herba Artemisiae Scopariae, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and rutin on C 18 column was examined using different concentrations of a 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid as an additive in acetonitrile/water (20/80, v/v) mobile phase. The results showed that 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, optimal concentration 0.5 mM, was quite effective in retaining the three components. The mechanism of retention of three components on C 18 column in the presence of ionic liquid additive has been discussed.

Simultaneous determination of 13 bioactive compounds in Herba Artemisiae Scopariae (Yin Chen) from different harvest seasons by HPLC–DAD

Herba Artemisiae Scopariae is a Chinese herbal medicine widely used for the remedy of liver diseases. A high performance liquid chromatography method coupled with diode array detection was developed to simultaneously determine 13 different bioactive compounds in Herba Artemisiae Scopariae (Yin Chen) including chlorogenic acid (1), 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin (2), caffeic acid (3), 4-hydroxyacetophenone (4), scopoletin (5), rutin (6), hyperoside (7), isoquercitrin (8), scoparone (11), 7-methoxycoumarine (12) and quercetin (13). By using four different wavelengths in the HPLC analysis, the developed method was able to determine the bioactive compounds with excellent resolution, precision and recovery. The method was applied to determine the amounts of the bioactive compounds in nine samples from different cultivated regions and harvest seasons in China, and significant variations were revealed. Chlorogenic acid was the most abundant among the analyzed compounds. The samples harvested in the spring contained higher contents of chlorogenic acid than those collected in other seasons. Other phenolic acids as caffeic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and 4-hydroxyacetophenone accumulated at much higher amounts in about May to July. The samples analyzed contained a much lower level of the amount of other flavonoids and coumarins as rutin, hyperoside, isoquercitrin and scoparone.

Anticomplementary principles of a Chinese multiherb remedy for the treatment and prevention of SARS

Aim of the study To elucidate the anticomplementary principles of a Chinese multiherb remedy used for the treatment and prevention of SARS, which contains five ingredients of Herba Houttuyniae, Flos Chrysanthemi Indici, Herba Artemisiae Scopariae, Herba Eupatorii and Fructus Tsaoko. Materials and methods The anticomplementary activity was evaluated from hemolytic assays through the classical pathway (CP) and the alternative pathway (AP) of complement system in vitro. Compounds were isolated using bioactivity-guided fractionation and tested in vitro for their complement-inhibiting properties on the CP and AP. HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS was used to assign the isolated compounds in the five ingredient herbs. Results 15 compounds, including chlorogenic acid ( 1), rutin ( 2), hyperoside ( 3), p-hydroxyacephenone ( 4), scopoletin ( 5), quercitrin ( 6) (3 R,4 R,6 S)-3,6-dihydroxy-1-menthene ( 7), acaciin ( 8), scoparone ( 9), luteolin ( 10), quercetin ( 11), apigenin ( 12), acacetin ( 13), aristolactam ( 14), and apigenin-7,4′-dimethyl ether ( 15) were isolated and identified. Nine flavonoids ( 2, 3, 6, 8, 10– 13, 15) were found to show inhibitory effects towards the CP and AP of complement system, luteolin ( 10) was the most potent with the CH 50 and AP 50 values of 0.19 and 0.17 mM. The bioactive flavonoids were mainly derived from Herba Houttuyniae, Flos Chrysanthemi Indici and Herba Artemisiae Scopariae. Conclusions A Chinese multiherb remedy used for the treatment and prevention of SARS has robust inhibitory effect on complement system through the CP and AP, and its anticomplementary activity could be attributed to the flavonoids present in some ingredient herbs. Luteolin could be a potential anticomplementary agent.