Major Bioactive Constituents Research Articles

A validated HPLC-DAD method for simultaneous determination of major bioactive constituents of Antidiabetic herbal extracts; application to a newly Co-formulated nutraceutical product

The global nutraceutical industry is growing each year with the introduction of new products. Ficus deltoidea Jack, Cinnamomum cassia and Nigella sativa plants are well acknowledged for their high nutritional and medicinal values worldwide, nevertheless quality control of their herbal extracts and co-formulated nutraceutical products have yet to be fully reported. In this work, a simple and cost-effective high performance liquid chromatographic method coupled with diode array detection was developed. The major biomarker constituents, namely, vitexin, cinnamaldehyde and thymoquinone were simultaneously determined without the need for preceding separation or sample clean-up processes. The liquid chromatographic separation was achieved using a Microsorb-MV C18 column (4.6 × 250 mm, 5.0 µm). Gradient elution program was performed using a mixture of solvent A (phosphate buffer, pH 4.5) and solvent B (acetonitrile), at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection wavelength was optimized, displaying higher sensitivity of the separated peaks. Successful separation was attained within a reasonable run time ≈10 min without any interference from the matrix co-extractives. The developed method was optimized and validated as per the ICH guidelines. In addition, the identity authentication of the bioactive components was further confirmed using mass spectrometry. Clearly, the proposed and validated method provides an efficient and economic tool of improved selectivity and sensitivity for routine analysis and quality control, to ensure the safety and efficacy, of a complex matrix of nutraceutical preparation.

Saikosaponin d contributed to cancer chemotherapy induced neutropenia therapy by promoting neutrophil differentiation via activation CBL-dependent ERK pathway

Cancer chemotherapy induced neutropenia (CCIN) is one of the most common toxicity caused by cytotoxic anticancer agents. Despite granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) is widely used in clinical practice, the infection and infection-related mortality rate is still high for lack of functionally mature neutrophils. Saikosaponin d (SSD) is one of the major bioactive constituents of Radix Bupleuri (RB), which exerts immune-modulatory properties. We explored the function of SSD in CCIN therapy, we found that SSD contributed to generate functional mature neutrophils which capable of fighting infection both in vitro and in vivo. Network pharmacology was employed to explore the mechanism, 61 signal pathways might play an important role in CCIN treatment. Western Blot was employed to further confirm the potential pathway involved. We found CBL-ERK1/2 pathway was activated by SSD, followed by upregulating PU.1 and CEBPβ expression and leading to neutrophil differentiation. Our findings suggest a natural regimen SSD which could regenerate microbicidal neutrophils to effectively reduce CCIN-associated infection via activating CBL-ERK1/2, providing a rationale for future therapeutic approaches.

Unsaturated fatty acid promotes the production of triterpenoids in submerged fermentation of Sanghuangporus baumii

Sanghuangporus species are precious edible and medicinal fungi that are traditionally used in Asian countries. Triterpenoids, the major bioactive constituents of Sanghuangporus spp. are currently receiving a lot of attention from the scientific community due to their potent pharmacological activities. However, very few reports have been conducted about the possibility of adjusting the fermentation conditions to increase the triterpenoids yield from certain fungi such as Sanghuangporus baumii. In this study, we examined the effects of four different extracts from mulberry shavings on the production of triterpenoids and traced the major components from the effective extracts by GC-MS to provide a reference for further exploration of the triterpenoids synthetic mechanism. It was found that unsaturated fatty acids significantly promoted the production of triterpenoids. The results suggested a direct correlation between the degree of unsaturation of fatty acid and the triterpenoids yield. The best stimulatory additive was linolenic acid. It increased the triterpenoids yield to 573 mg/L, which was 2.53 times higher than the control. This study not only showed that addition of mulberry shavings extract was an efficient fermentation protocol to improve the triterpenoids yield of S. baumii, but it also highlighted the importance of fatty acid content in the production of triterpenoids.

Advances in Saponin Diversity of Panax ginseng.

Ginsenosides are the major bioactive constituents of Panax ginseng, which have pharmacological effects. Although there are several reviews in regards to ginsenosides, new ginsenosides have been detected continually in recent years. This review updates the ginsenoside list from P. ginseng to 170 by the end of 2019, and aims to highlight the diversity of ginsenosides in multiple dimensions, including chemical structure, tissue spatial distribution, time, and isomeride. Protopanaxadiol, protopanaxatriol and C17 side-chain varied (C17SCV) manners are the major types of ginsenosides, and the constitute of ginsenosides varied significantly among different parts. Only 16 ginsenosides commonly exist in all parts of a ginseng plant. Protopanaxadiol-type ginsenoside is dominant in root, rhizome, leaf, stem, and fruit, whereas malonyl- and C17SCV-type ginsenosides occupy a greater proportion in the flower and flower bud compared with other parts. In respects of isomeride, there are 69 molecular formulas corresponding to 170 ginsenosides, and the median of isomers is 2. This is the first review on diversity of ginsenosides, providing information for reasonable utilization of whole ginseng plant, and the perspective on studying the physiological functions of ginsenoside for the ginseng plant itself is also proposed.

Separation and identification of the fifteen constituents in forsythiae fructus

Forsythiae Fructus, a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine derived from the dried seeds of Oleaceae plants, contains rengyoside B (1), matairesinol (2), salidroside (3), quercitrin (4), suspensaside (5), rengyoside C (6), matairesinoside (7), forsythiaside (8), pinoresinol-β-D-glucoside (9), cornoside (10), acteoside (11), arctigenin (12), arctiin (13), phillyrin (14) and pinoresinol (15) as its major bioactive constituents. In this study, a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method using a Cosmosil 5C18-AR II column, and a mixture of phosphate solution and methanol-acetonitrile as the mobile phase with detection of absorbance at 254 or 280 nm was developed to successfully resolve these 15 compounds within 60 min. Peaks were identified by matching the UV spectra and MS information with those of authentic standards or literature data. The method was applicable to LC-MS if the phosphate was replaced with an acetate solution. Calibration curves for 4 of the 15 constituents were obtained around a concentration range of 2 orders of magnitude and showed good linearity. The reproducibility (RSD) of the proposed method was 0.23-1.50% (intraday) and 0.41-2.40% (interday). The detection limits (S/N = 3) for the constituents were determined to be 0.16-0.27 μg/mL.

Cycloartane-type triterpenoids from the root of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus

Three new (1–3) and 11 known (4–14) cycloartane-type triterpenoids were isolated from the root of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses and chemical methods. Cycloartane-type triterpenoids are a class of major bioactive constituents in the root of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus, and the discovery of compounds 1–3 added new members of this kind of natural product.

Contrive Himalayan Soft Gold Cordyceps Species: a Lineage of Eumycota Bestowing Tremendous Pharmacological and Therapeutic Potential

In the present review, two strain improvement strategies viz. transformation system development and inter-specific protoplast fusion for this mushroom are hypothesized. The entomopathogenic medicinal mushroom Cordyceps species has been bestowing health biologically and pharmacologically for years. It harbors a variety of bio-metabolites having far-ranging activities. One of the constituents, cordycepin alone, is involved in a plethora of biochemical and molecular processes. With this interest, the bottlenecks such as excessive harvesting, commercial cultivation, low frequency of artificial stromata formation are still on pace. The genus Cordyceps has characteristic genomic expansion and studies such as identification of mating-type genes, metabolite-producing genes, and strain improvement techniques are in great demand. In order to understand the present demand and current scenario regarding the genus Cordyceps, efforts have been made to elucidate the significance of its major bioactive constituent and underlying wide-spectrum applications. Furthermore, through this review, one may understand the situation and demand of mushroom in the present world. Furthermore, this article would certainly help to maneuver this fungus for developing drugs against dreadful human diseases.

Elucidation of bioactive compounds in hydroalcohol extract of Phyllanthus amarus Schum. and Thonn. leaf using GC-MS analysis

Phyllanthus amarus is one of the most important medicinal plant in tropical and subtropical nations which are used for stomach, liver, kidney and spleen diseases treatment. This work involves the elucidation of the phytochemical constituents in 70% ethanolic leaf extract of P. amarus. Phytochemical screening, quantitative and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses were carried out on the extract. The qualitative and quantitative analyses showed the presence of the following phytochemicals and their contents in mg/100g of extract as phenolic (34.31 ± 0.07), tannin (21.15 ± 0.16), phlobatanin (26.36 ± 0.19), terpernoid (14.71 ± 0.14), steroid (20.37 ± 0.13), cardiac glycoside (20.15 ± 0.19) and alkaloid (23.90±0.05), and absence of flavonoids and saponins. 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, ethyl ester (Z,Z,Z)- (22.47%), Benzenamine, N-[2-(3,4- dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-nitro- (12.68%), hexadecanoic acid, ethyl ester (12.63%), Beta Tocopherol (12.63%) and phytol (12.61%) were revealed by GC-MS as the major bioactive constituents. The results of this study validated the rich bioactive constituents in P. amarus which may be the reason the plant is being used for the treatment of various ailments.

Stimulation of tanshinone production in Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy roots by β -cyclodextrin-coated silver nanoparticles

Diterpenoid tanshinones, major bioactive constituents of Salvia miltiorrhiza roots are drug candidates against cardiocerebral diseases. To develop sustainable and effective elicitation strategies for the enhanced production of tanshinones, the spherical shaped β-cyclodextrin-coated silver nanoparticles (AgNP-β-CDs, Ø35.3 ± 8.3 nm) were synthesized and applied as elicitor to hairy root cultures of S. miltiorrhiza. The content of total tanshinones including tanshinone I, IIA and cryptotanshinone in the cultures was stimulated by AgNP- β-CD at 30 mg/L. The elicitation effects of AgNP-β-CD on tanshinone were found to be related to the released dissolved Ag+ and nanoparticle bumping to the root surface in the cultures. AgNP-β-CD treatment induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) including H2O2 and O2− production in the hairy roots, leading to enhance activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and up-regulated expressions of key biosynthetic genes for tanshinones in hairy roots. The nano-elicitor increased total production of tanshinones in 18-day-old hairy root cultures to 10.8 mg/L, a 1.8-fold over that of the control. These results indicate that AgNP- β-CD could be a novel effective elicitor in hairy root cultures for the production of pharmaceutical secondary metabolites.

Pathogenic Role of Air Pollution Particulate Matter in Cardiometabolic Disease: Evidence from Mice and Humans.

Significance: Air pollution is a considerable global threat to human health that dramatically increases the risk for cardiovascular pathologies, such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke. An estimated 4.2 million cases of premature deaths worldwide are attributable to outdoor air pollution. Among multiple other components, airborne particulate matter (PM) has been identified as the major bioactive constituent in polluted air. While PM-related illness was historically thought to be confined to diseases of the respiratory system, overwhelming clinical and experimental data have now established that acute and chronic exposure to PM causes a systemic inflammatory and oxidative stress response that promotes cardiovascular disease. Recent Advances: A large body of evidence has identified an impairment of redox metabolism and the generation of oxidatively modified lipids and proteins in the lung as initial tissue response to PM. In addition, the pathogenicity of PM is mediated by an inflammatory response that involves PM uptake by tissue-resident immune cells, the activation of proinflammatory pathways in various cell types and organs, and the release of proinflammatory cytokines as locally produced tissue response signals that have the ability to affect organ function in a remote manner. Critical Issues: In the present review, we summarize and discuss the functional participation of PM in cardiovascular pathologies and its risk factors with an emphasis on how oxidative stress, inflammation, and immunity interact and synergize as a response to PM. Future Directions: The impact of PM constituents, doses, and novel anti-inflammatory therapies against PM-related illness is also discussed.

Efficacy of the Green Tea, Camellia sinensis Leaves Extract on Some Biological Activities of Culex pipiens and the Detection of Its Phytochemical Constituents

The mosquitocidal and repellent activity of the green tea, Camellia sinensis leaves extract against Culex pipiens was evaluated. Toxicity of this extract increased with increasing the concentration, the recorded LC50 was 540 and 600 ppm for larvae and pupae, respectively. The extract showed a significant prolongation in both larval and pupal duration. In addition, it caused a great effect in pupation and adult emergence percent. The green tea, Camellia sinensis leaves extract was found to have a remarkable malformative effect on both larvae and pupae. The green tea leaves extract was effective in exhibiting antifeedant and repellent activity against Culex pipiens mosquitoes; it gave the highest protection (100%) from the bites of starved females at the dose of 6 mg/cm2. The major bioactive chemical constituents in green tea leaves extract were identified using HPLC and FT-IR analysis. These results suggest that the leaves extract of green tea, Camellia sinensis can be considered as alternative mosquitocide and repellent agent.

Efficacy of the Horse Chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum Seeds Extract on some Biological Activities of Culex pipiens and the Detection of its Phytochemical Constituents

In the present study, mosquito larvicidal and repellent activity and phytochemical screening of the horse chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum seeds extract have been evaluated against Culex pipiens mosquito. The obtained results indicated that there was a positive correlation between the concentration of Aesculus hippocastanum seeds extract and the total larval and pupal mortality percent, the recorded LC50 was 122 and 76 ppm for larvae and pupae, respectively. In addition, a remarkable reduction in both the pupation and adult emergence percent were obtained. Also, the extract showed prolonged activity on both larval and pupal duration. Moreover, various degrees of morphogenic abnormalities were observed in the immature and adult stages. The antifeedant and repellent activity of the present plant extract was investigated, it exhibits the highest protection (100%) from the bites of starved females at the dose of 3mg/cm2. the major bioactive chemical constituents in Aesculus hippocastanum seeds extract were identified using HPLC and FT-IR analysis.These results suggested the Aesculus hippocastanum seeds extract as a promising adult emergence inhibitor and repellent agent against the vector mosquitoes and might be used in small volume aquatic habitats or other breeding sites of mosquitoes.

Biological and Phytochemicals Properties of Monotheca buxifolia: An Unexplored Medicinal Plant

Medicinal plants play essential role in improving the human health due to the presence of bioactive constituents. Monotheca buxifolia (family Sapotaceae) leaves and fruit ethanol extracts and their fractions were subjected to biological screening for antioxidant activities. The fractions of M. buxifolia fruit extract showed better DPPH radical scavenging activity (up to 81.5% for ethyl acetate fraction) than the leaf extract and its fractions. Aqueous and hexane fractions of the leaf extract showed highest values of total antioxidant potential and total reducing power potential (388.6 ± 1.51 and 31.05 μg AAE/mg, respectively). Ethyl acetate fraction of the leaf extract contained maximum amount of phenolics (72 ± 0.41 μg GAE/mg) and flavonoids (82.59 ± 0.14 μg QE/mg). Antibacterial activity was not observed for many fractions, except a few showing minor activity against different bacterial strains. Cytotoxicity assay showed that the aqueous fraction of leaf extract had minimum cytotoxic potential with median lethal concentration (LC50) of 61.51 μg/mL. Phytotoxic behavior was checked against Trifolium protense and Brassica napus seeds. The plant possessed potent phytotoxic behavior against both plant seedlings growth. On the basis of in vitro screening, it can be suggested that M. buxifolia possesses antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and phytotoxic properties, which might be due to the presence of bioactive compounds. Further studies are required to isolate the major bioactive constituents and to verify both in vitro and in vivo assays.

In Vitro and In Vivo Metabolic Activation of Obacunone, A Bioactive and Potentially Hepatotoxic Constituent of Dictamni Cortex.

Obacunone is one of the major bioactive constituents from Dictamni cortex, a traditional Chinese medicine widely used in China. Oral administration of obacunone or Dictamni cortex extract has been shown to cause liver injury in rats. Given that obacunone contains a furan ring, which is a structural alert, metabolic activation might be responsible for obacunone-induced liver injury. In this study, bioactivation pathways of obacunone in rat and human liver microsomes were investigated. Obacunone was first metabolized into cis-butene-1,4-dial, and then cis-butene-1,4-dial was captured by glutathione, N-acetyl-cysteine, and N-acetyl-lysine in the microsomal incubation system. A total of 13 adducts derived from the reaction of cis-butene-1,4-dial with glutathione and/or N-acetyl-lysine were detected and structurally identified by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry. The major metabolite (M7) was identified to be the cyclic mono-glutathione conjugate of cis-butene-1,4-dial, which was detected in bile and urine of obacunone-treated rats. M9 and M10, obacunone-derived glutathione-cis-butene-1,4-dial-NAL conjugates, were detected in the microsomal incubations of obacunone fortified with glutathione and N-acetyl-lysine as trapping agents. M3 and M4, pyrroline-2-one derivatives, were also detected in microsomal incubations. Further phenotyping studies indicated that ketoconazole showed a strong inhibitory effect on the production of cis-butene-1,4-dial in a concentration-dependent manner. CYP3A4 was demonstrated to be the primary enzyme responsible for the bioactivation of obacunone by using individual recombinant human CYP450 enzymes. The current study provides an overview of CYP450-dominated bioactivation of obacunone and contributes to the understanding of the role of bioactivation in obacunone-induced liver injury.

Paeoniflorin exerts neuroprotective effects in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease via activation of adenosine A1 receptor

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, characterised by advanced cognitive and memory deterioration with no effective treatments available. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that paeoniflorin (PF), a major bioactive constituent of Radix Paeoniae, might possess anti-dementia properties; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The aim of the current study was to determine the therapeutic effects of PF in a transgenic mouse model of AD and to identify its mechanism. Transgenic mice with five familial AD mutations (5XFAD) were used in this study. We showed that 28 days of PF (5 mg/kg, ip) treatment significantly decreased the escape latency and path length in the Morris water maze test and increased the alternation rate in the T-maze test, compared to the vehicle treatment group. In addition, PF treatment significantly alleviated amyloid β plaque burden, inhibited astrocyte activation, and decreased IL-1β and TNF-α expression in the brain of 5XFAD mice. However, the anti-cognitive deficits, anti-amyloidogenic, and anti-inflammatory effects of PF were abolished by 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX, 0.3 mg/kg), an adenosine A1 receptor (A1R) antagonist. In conclusion, our results suggest that PF might act as a potential therapeutic agent for AD via activation of adenosine A1R.

Simultaneous Determination of 17 Constituents of Chinese Wild Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza from Different Geographical Areas by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry

Background and Objective: Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza (RSM) has been used clinically for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases; therefore, it is important to strengthen its quality management. Considering multiple constituents when assessing RSM quality is essential. We established a simple, rapid method to identify and quantify the major bioactive constituents in RSM using ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to a triple quadruple mass spectrometry (QqQ-MS). Methods: We analyzed 17 markers from 50 batches of wild S. miltiorrhiza samples that were collected from different locations in China. The ultrasonic extracts of all samples were determined using the UPLC-QqQ-MS method and were assessed by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). Results: We used this method to analyze 50 sample batches of the 17 compounds and obtained results with excellent linearity (R2, 0.9915-0.9997), precision (relative standard deviation, RSD, 0.15-1.94%), repeatability (RSD, 1.28-4.71%), stability (RSD, 0.97-5.60%) and recovery (RSD, 0.305-6.40%). The hierarchical cluster analysis was used to classify the 50 samples based on the characteristics of the 17 compound markers. Conclusion: We demonstrated that the developed method was simple, reproducible and sensitive, and it is capable of systematic and scientific evaluation for quality control of RSM. The HCA clearly demonstated that the RSM samples from different locations were significantly different and the quality of wild Radix S. miltiorrhiza could generally be judged according to its geographical origin.

Anti-Estrogenic Activity of Guajadial Fraction, from Guava Leaves (Psidium guajava L.).

The research of natural products has allowed for the discovery of biologically relevant compounds inspired by plant secondary metabolites, which contributes to the development of many chemotherapeutic drugs used in cancer treatment. Psidium guajava leaves present a diverse phytochemical composition including flavonoids, phenolics, meroterpenoids, and triterpenes as the major bioactive constituents. Guajadial, a caryophyllene-based meroterpenoid, has been studied for potential anticancer effects tested in tumor cells and animal experimental models. Moreover, guajadial has been reported to have a mechanism of action similar to tamoxifen, suggesting this compound as a promisor phytoestrogen-based therapeutic agent. Herein, the anti-estrogenic action and anti-proliferative activity of guajadial is reported. The enriched guajadial fraction was obtained by sequential chromatographic techniques from the crude P. guajava dichloromethane extract showing promising anti-proliferative activity in vitro with selectivity for human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MCF-7 BUS (Total Growth Inhibition = 5.59 and 2.27 µg·mL−1, respectively). Furthermore, evaluation of anti-estrogenic activity in vivo was performed demonstrating that guajadial enriched fraction inhibited the proliferative effect of estradiol on the uterus of pre-pubescent rats. These results suggest a relationship between anti-proliferative and anti-estrogenic activity of guajadial, which possibly acts in tumor inhibition through estrogen receptors due to the compounds structural similarity to tamoxifen.

Major Contribution of Caspase-9 to Honokiol-Induced Apoptotic Insults to Human Drug-Resistant Glioblastoma Cells.

Temozolomide (TMZ)-induced chemoresistance to human glioblastomas is a critical challenge now. Our previous studies showed that honokiol, a major bioactive constituent of Magnolia officinalis (Houpo), can kill human glioblastoma cells and suppresses glioblastoma growth. This study was further aimed to evaluate the effects of honokiol on human drug-resistant glioblastoma cells and the possible mechanisms. The results by data mining in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database and immunohistochemistry displayed that expression of caspase-9 mRNA and protein in human glioblastomas was induced. Human TMZ-resistant U87-MG-R9 glioblastoma cells were selected and prepared from human drug-sensitive U87-MG cells. Compared to human drug-sensitive U87-MG cells, TMZ did not affect viability of U87-MG-R9 glioblastoma cells. Interestingly, treatment with honokiol suppressed proliferation and survival of human drug-resistant glioblastoma cells in concentration- and time-dependent manners. Compared to caspase-8 activation, honokiol chiefly increased activity of caspase-9 in U87-MG-R9 cells. Successively, levels of cleaved caspase-3 and activities of caspase-3 and caspase-6 in human TMZ-tolerant glioblastoma cells were augmented following honokiol administration. In parallel, honokiol triggered DNA fragmentation of U87-MG-R9 cells. Accordingly, treatment of human TMZ-resistant glioblastoma cells with honokiol induced cell apoptosis but did not affect cell necrosis. Fascinatingly, suppressing caspase-9 activity using its specific inhibitors repressed honokiol-induced caspase-6 activation, DNA fragmentation, and cell apoptosis. Taken together, this study has shown the major roles of caspase-9 in transducing honokiol-induced mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in human drug-resistant glioblastoma cells. Thus, honokiol may be clinically applied as a drug candidate for treatment of glioblastoma patients with chemoresistance.

The effect of icariin for infertile women with thin endometrium: A protocol for systematic review.

Background:Thin endometrium, defined as <7 mm of the endometrial thickness around ovulation period, had been identified as a negative factor on pregnancy rate of infertile women. It was considered to be the toughest part in treatment of infertility, because there was a lack of significant effect, although many drugs had been already used. Icariin was one of the major bioactive pharmaceutical constituent extracted from the Chinese herb “Ying Yang Huo,” in the genus of Epimedium, and some randomized controlled trials reported its application for thin endometrium. There is no systematic review focusing on the effective of icariin in treating infertile women with thin endometrium, so our review aims to explore it.Methods:The bibliographic database and electronic library will be systematically searched online, such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Clinicaltrails.org., China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Wan fang Database, China Biology Medicine Database (CBM), VIP Science Technology Periodical Database, and Cochrane Library. And the reference listed for potential literatures of included studies will be scanned additionally. Related randomized controlled trials (RCTs) will be collected and selected before January 4, 2020. Trials will be screened by independent reviewers, and the literature will be search in English or Chinese, with the search terms as “Icariin,” “Epimedium,” “infertile women,” “female infertility,” “endometrium,” “pregnancy rate.” The software for Systematic review and Meta-analysis is RevMan 5.3. The protocol and the systematic review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) statement.Result and conclusion:The efficacy of icariin to treat thin endometrium will be evaluated, and the conclusion will be published to help clinicians determine treatment strategy for infertile women with thin endometirum by providing medical evidence.Registration information:PROSPERO CRD42019148977.

Insecticidal activity of triterpenoids and volatile oil from the stems of Tetraena mongolica

Tetraena mongolica Maxim is a species of Zygophyllaceae endemic to China. Because few insect pests affect its growth and flowering, we speculated that this plant produces defensive chemicals that are insect repellents or antifeedants. The effects of different fractions from crude stem and leaf extracts on Pieris rapae were examined. The results confirmed that the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction from the stems had insecticidal potential. Five compounds were isolated from the EtOAc fraction: a volatile oil [bis(2-ethylhexyl) benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate (1)], three triterpenoids 2E-3β-(3,4-dihydroxycinnamoyl)-erythrodiol (2), 2Z-3β-(3,4-dihydroxycinnamoyl)-erythrodiol (3), and 2E-3β-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-propenoate (4)], and one steroid [β-sitosterol (5)]. Compounds 1–5 exhibited different degrees of insecticidal activity, including antifeedant and growth-inhibition effects. Compounds 1–5 inhibited the activity of carboxylesterase (CarE) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to different degrees. Compound 1 had the strongest antifeedant and growth-inhibition effects, and significantly inhibited the activity of CarE and AChE. Our results indicate that compounds 1–4 are the major bioactive insecticidal constituents of Tetraena mongolica. This work should facilitate the development and application of plant-derived botanical pesticides.