Multiflorum Root Research Articles

Hydrophobic constituents of Polygonum multiflorum roots promote renal erythropoietin expression in healthy mice.

The roots of Polygonum multiflorum Thunberg (Polygonaceae) are used as a crude drug Kashu that is considered to improve blood deficiency based on a Kampo concept. Kashu has been included in Kampo formulas, such as Tokiinshi, which is used to treat eczema and dermatitis with itchiness by inhibiting inflammation and facilitating blood circulation in the skin. However, the effects of P. multiflorum roots on erythropoiesis are unclear. Previously, we isolated six phenolic constituents from an ethyl acetate (EtOAc)-soluble fraction of P. multiflorum root extract and identified them as (E)-2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside [(E)-THSG], emodin, emodin-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, physcion, physcion-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, and catechin. To examine whether P. multiflorum roots facilitate erythropoiesis, the EtOAc-soluble fraction was orally administered to healthy ICR mice. When compared with mice fed a standard diet alone (Controls), the mice fed a diet including the EtOAc-soluble fraction exhibited significantly higher serum erythropoietin (Epo) levels. The renal Epo mRNA levels in EtOAc-soluble fraction-administered mice were significantly higher than those in the control mice. Then, we administered roxadustat, which is a drug to treat the patient suffering with renal anemia by specifically inhibiting hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylases. Roxadustat slightly increased renal Epo mRNA levels in healthy mice. Administration of (E)-THSG, a major constituent, significantly increased serum Epo levels. It is likely that (E)-THSG may facilitate the process to convert inactive renal Epo-producing cells to active Epo-producing cells. Collectively, it is implied that (E)-THSG in the EtOAc-soluble fraction of P. multiflorum roots may primarily improve blood deficiency of Kampo concept by promoting erythropoiesis.

Antioxidant activity of the roots of rhodiola multiflorum and the catnip herb in Tajikistan

Aim. To study antioxidant activity of roots and rhizomes of Rhodiola heterodonta Boriss, and herbs of Nepeta tythantha Pojark. Materials and methods. Roots and rhizomes of Rhodiola heterodonta Boriss and herbs of Nepeta tythantha Pojark served as a material for experiments. The amount of total phenols was determined using the Folin-Czocalteu reagent. The activity of antioxidants was determined by ABTS (2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) analysis. Results and discussion. The results obtained show that the content of polyphenols in Rhodiola multiflorum (1.45 %) is higher than in the herb Nepeta tythantha Pojark (1.05 %). As for the antioxidant activity, it was found that the extracts of both plants obtained on the basis of methanol (81.21 and 32.27 µg/ml, respectively), it was higher than the extracts obtained on the basis of ethanol (72.65 and 26.16 µg/ml, respectively). The antioxidant activity of an extract of rhodiola multiflorum roots and rhizomes based on ethanol and methanol (respectively 72.65 and 81.21 µg/mg), higher than that of catnip herb (respectively 26.16 and 32.27 µg/mg). Conclusions. The study showed that the roots and rhizomes of Rhodiola multiflorum and herb Nepeta tythantha Pojark have good antioxidant activity and can be a potential source of phytoantioxidant drugs.

Simultaneously screening multiple UGT1A1 inhibitors from Polygonum multiflorum root using ultrafiltration LC-MS.

Liver injury induced by Polygonum multiflorum root (PMR) is an immediate issue requiring global attention. UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) inhibitors are suspected to additively contribute to the hepatotoxicity of PMR. This study was deliberately designed to simultaneously screen UGT1A1 inhibitors from PMR, and their co-contribution to hepatotoxicity was determined. Using ultrafiltration coupled to LC-MS method, four compounds, namely cis-2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-glucoside, trans-2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-d-glucoside, emodin-8-O-β-d-glucoside, and emodin, were screened, exhibiting the in vitro inhibitory activities against UGT1A1 with IC50 values of 76.23, 18.70, 62.18, and 34.02 μM, respectively. The varying activities of the screened UGT1A1 inhibitors were demonstrated by performing a molecular docking simulation. Finally, zebrafish larvae and mice assays demonstrated that the UGT1A1 inhibitors co-contributed to the hepatotoxicity of PMR. These findings are conducive to understand the role of UGT1A1 inhibitors in PMR-induced hepatotoxicity.

Root age influences failure location in grass species during mechanical testing

AimsRoot tensile tests are often rejected if failure location is outside the middle section of samples. This study aims to identify where and why failure occurs along a root axis, and hence to revisit current approaches to test-validity.MethodsRoots from Festuca arundinacea; Lolium multiflorum; Lolium perenne were sampled from field-grown plants. Roots were tensile tested using a universal testing machine. Root samples were randomly allocated into two groups for testing. Group 1 roots were orientated with the older tissue closest to the top clamp, group 2 roots were orientated oppositely. Tensile strength, Young’s modulus and failure location were recorded for each sample.ResultsLolium multiflorum roots were thinner and stronger than roots of Festuca arundinacea. Failure location in tensile tests depended significantly on tissue age with 75% of samples failing in the younger third of root tissue regardless of the root orientation in the testing frame. Only 7% of roots failed in the middle third of the sample.ConclusionsFibrous roots tested in tension were observed to consistently fail in the younger tissue along the root axis. Exclusion of samples which fail outside the middle region of the root axis needs re-evaluation for a range of species.

Advancing prediction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bioaccumulation in plants for historically contaminated soils using Lolium multiflorum and simple chemical in-vitro methodologies

This study compared chemical extraction methods for the prediction of PAH bioaccumulation in ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) roots in four Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) historically (>50 years) contaminated soils. The in-vitro methods compared were butanol (BuOH), non-buffered and buffered 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin extractions (HPCD, Buf-HPCD), potassium persulfate oxidation (KPS), solid phase extraction using Tenax resin (Tenax), and polyoxymethylene solid-phase extraction (POM). Extractions were directly compared with bioaccumulation and modelled using equilibrium partitioning theory (EqPT) with a combination of different partitioning parameters (KOC and KOW values) that aimed to improve predictions. The PAH accumulation in plant roots showed good correlation with concentrations in soils, and higher concentrations of the 4–6 ring PAHs compared with 2–3 ring PAHs. Plant accumulation of 16 PAHs in L. multiflorum was estimated within a factor of 5 using direct comparison for all bioaccessibility extraction methods. Accumulation values predicted using the calculation approach depended on the combination of KOC, KOW parameters and root components (total lipid vs total dry weight) used in calculations. Using KOC values derived from historically contaminated soils improved accuracy of predicted total root accumulation although precision was low. The combined contribution of PAH in lipid and carbohydrate root components (total dry weight) overestimated accumulation and a lipid only approach using generic partitioning parameters provided more accurate and precise approximation of bioaccumulation in roots of L. multiflorum in the soils. Overall, Tenax, POM and HPCD-based extractions showed promising results for predicting L. multiflorum root accumulation using the different approaches. This work significantly extends current knowledge for integrating simple chemical extractions into ecological risk assessment frameworks for the prediction of plant PAH bioavailability in historically contaminated soils.

Culture condition optimization and FT-IR analysis of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. adventitious root cultures grown in an air-lift bioreactor system

Bioreactor cultures have been used for biomass production and bioactive compounds accumulation in adventitious root cultures of medicinal plants. In this study, we evaluated the effects of different auxin types [indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA)] and concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mg·L−1), Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium salt strength (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5 and 2X), and sucrose concentrations (0, 1.5, 3, 5, 7 and 10%) on Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. adventitious root cultures in a 3-L balloon-type bubble bioreactor (BTBB). IBA (1, 2, and 4 mg·L−1) was more effective than NAA in promoting root growth. Additionally, low MS salt strength (0.25 and 0.5X MS) increased the accumulation of total phenolics and flavonoids but reduced biomass accumulation. Four weeks of culture in full-strength MS medium supplemented with 2 mg·L−1 IBA and 5% sucrose resulted in the highest root biomass [98.46 g·L−1 fresh weight (FW); 13.46 g·L−1 dry weight (DW)] and bioactive compounds accumulation (total phenolics compounds, 53.08 mg·g−1 DW; total flavonoids, 25.10 mg·g−1 DW). To determine whether metabolic fingerprinting of whole-cell extracts could be used to compare metabolic equivalence of P. multiflorum root samples, we treated adventitious roots with different culture conditions, and analyzed the treated adventitious roots and natural roots by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results showed that the metabolic pattern of adventitious root samples was similar under different culture conditions; however, these samples could be discriminated from each other in pilot-scale bioreactors. Overall, our study provides useful information for industrial-scale cultivation of P. multiflorum adventitious roots. The optimum condition for bioreactor culture of Polygonum multiflorum is full-strength MS medium supplemented with 2 mg·L-1 IBA and 5% sucrose after 4 weeks of culture. FT-IR analysis can rapidly discriminate among root samples based on total metabolite equivalence.

Hepatoprotective activity of fresh Polygonum multiflorum against HEP G2 hepatocarcinoma cell proliferation

The modulatory activity of water extracts from fresh roots of Polygonum multiflorum (WRP) on oxidative stress in two liver cell lines was investigated for the first time. WRP increased antioxidant enzyme activities in Clone 9 cells, including catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). The intracellular glutathione (GSH) level was also increased in the Clone 9 cells owing to antioxidase activity elevating effect by WRP treatment for 24 h. On the other hand, reactive oxygen species (ROS) were generated in abundance upon WRP treatment in Hep G2 cells, resulting in the suppression of cell proliferation. Apoptosis was increased to 78% and 77% after WRP (1000 μg/mL) treatment for 24 and 48 h, respectively. Moreover, WRP stimulated the activation of caspase-8, caspase-9, and ultimately caspase-3. Hep G2 cell growth suppression and caspase induction by WRP were greater than that by emodin-like substances (WRPE), a major active compound. These results indicated that phytochemicals present in extracts of P. multiflorum root act synergistically to promote apoptosis, suggesting the possible use of these extracts for hepatoprotection.

Effects of root growth on dynamics of microbes and enzyme activities during litter decomposition.

To understand the influence of roots of understory plant entering litter layer on litter decomposition in forest ecosystems, we examined the effects of different treatments of Lolium multiflorum root biomass on microorganisms and enzyme activities during leaf litter decomposition of Symplocos setchuensis, a dominant species in a mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, through a litter bag simulation experiment. Results showed that diversity index of bacterial and fungal communities of leaf litter surface under three treatments, i.e. no root (N), less roots (L), more roots (M), in a 240-day decomposition process showed the following pattern: M > L > N. The effects of these different root biomass treatments on the composition and quantity of fungal community were more significant than those on bacterial community. The biomass of living roots growing in the litter bag gradually decreased at the end of the growing season of L. multiflorum. The impacts of root growth on the composition of the fungal community gradually decreased during decomposition. At the same decomposition stage, the activities of acid phosphatase, β-glucosidase, polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase on the litter surface were higher in the treatments with roots than that without roots. These results indicated that root growth could change the composition and quantity of microbial communities and increase the extracellular enzyme activities of microbes, and thus stimulating litter decomposition.

반응표면 분석법에 의한 표고균사체발효 적하수오 열수 추출조건의 최적화

This study was performed to determine optimal extraction conditions of fermented Polygonum multiflorum root by Lentinula edodes (JMI10079) Pegler mycelials using response surface methodology. The independent factors were extraction temperature (X1: 40–100oC), extraction time (X2: 2–10 hrs.), and the ratio of water to sample (X3: 33–100 mg/mL). Their effects were assessed on dependent variables of the extract properties, which included soluble solid contents (Y1), °Brix of sample extract (Y2), total polyphenol content (Y3), total flavonoid content (Y4), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation scavenging activity (Y5) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity (Y6). The experimental data obtained were fit to a second-order polynomial equation. The optimal extraction conditions for fermented P. multiflorum root were: X1: 91.22°C, X2: 7.72 hrs, and X3: 39.71 mg/mL.

Polygonum multiflorum root extract as a potential candidate for treatment of early graying hair.

Despite Polygonum multiflorum (PM) has been experiencely used as a drug to treat early graying hair phenomenon in Asian countries for a long time, there is limited study examined the real biological effects of PM on hair graying in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we investigated the effects of PM root extract (PM-RE) on melanin synthesis in human melanoma SKMEL-28 cells and embryos/larvae of wild-type strain AB zebrafish. We also preliminary revealed the molecular mechanism of early hair graying phenomenon in both in vitro and in vivo models. Our results showed that PM-RE significantly induced melanin synthesis in melanin-producing SKMEL-28 melanoma cells and also in zebrafish embryos/larvae at 4-day postfertilization through activation of MC1R/MITF/tyrosinase-signaling pathway. We also investigated the differences in genotype between graying hair follicle and black hair follicle of young peoples and found that early hair graying phenomenon may be related to downregulation of MC1R/MITF/tyrosinase pathway. Taken together, we suggested that PM-RE at safe doses could be used as a potential agent for the treatment of early hair graying and other loss pigmentation-related diseases.

표고균사체 발효하수오 배양적 특성 및 이화학적 성분

This study was performed to determine the optimal condition for Lentinula edodes JMI-10079 mycelium cultivation on the root of Polygonum multiflorum. We also analyzed the proximate composition, total amino acids, and minerals in the root of P. multiflorum cultivated with L. edodes JMI-10079 mycelia. The optimal temperature and pH for L. edodes JMI-10079 mycelium cultivation on the P. multiflorum root were 25oC and pH 5–6 respectively, whereas the optimal carbon and nitrogen sources were glucose and maltose, respectively. The content of crude protein, crude fat, and ash in the P. multiflorum root cultivated with L. edodes JMI-10079 mycelia was higher than that in the uncultivated P. multiflorum root. The content of crude fiber was the highest in the control. Total amino acid analysis revealed that the contents of total amino acids and total essential amino acids were increased by higher root of P. multiflorum concentration.

Toxicological and melanin synthesis effects of Polygonum multiflorum root extracts on zebrafish embryos and human melanocytes

Polygonum multiflorum (PM) has been commonly used as folk medicine for treatment of various conditions, such as early graying of hair in humans. However, there have been limited studies which have evaluated the toxicological and biological effects of PM in vitro as well as in vivo. In this study, PM root extracts in ethyl acetate (PM-E) and in distilled water (PM-W) were examined for their effects on the development of teratogenic defects/deaths. Additionally, they were evaluated for their effects on melanin formation in human melanocytes and pigmentation in embryos/larvae of wild type strain AB zebrafish (Danio rerio). Phytochemicals in PM roots were extracted in several solvents with increasing in their polarities. Chemical exposure tests were performed to investigate the toxic effects of PM root extracts on Zerbrafish embryos/larvae. Total melanins formed in zebrafish embryos/larvae as well as in human melanocytes were measured by spectrophotometer using dual wavelengths of 415 and 400 nm. Gene expressions were analyzed by realtime PCR. All experiments were independently repeated three times and statistical analyzed. Our results showed that PM root extracts at concentrations of 40 mg/L and 105 mg/L induced the development of teratogenic defects, including yolk sac edema (or heart edema), hemovascular defects, necrosis and abnormal trunk in zebrafish embryos at 4 days post fertilization; teratogenic indexes (TIs) were 1.43 and 0.63 for ethyl acetate extract and distilled water extract, respectively. Our results also demonstrated that PM-W significantly increased the pigmentation level of embryos/larvae and induced melanin formation in human melanocytes. The amount of melanin in PM-W-exposed embryos/larvae was 2.2-fold and 1.71-fold greater than those in the control embryos/larvae and control melanocytes, respectively. Our study also showed that the increased level of pigmentation in PM-W embryos/larvae or melanin biosynthesis in melanocytes were both regulated by activation of tyrosinase. Conclusively, our study suggests that PM root extracts could be used as potential agents for treatment of early hair graying as well as various other diseases related to loss of pigmentation. However, these PM root extracts may also have some negative effects on embryos; therefore it should be careful when using for women during pregnancy.

Exploration research on hepatotoxic constituents from Polygonum multiflorum root

By observing the cytotoxic effects of anthraquinones on HepG2 cell and using the precision-cut liver slices technique to authenticate the cytotoxic constituents, the paper aims to explore the material basis of Polygonum multiflorum root to cause liver toxicity. Firstly, MTT method was used to detect the effect of 11 anthraquinone derivatives on HepG2 cell. Then, the clear cytotoxic ingredients were co-cultured with rat liver slices for 6h respectively, and the liver tissue homogenate was prepared. BCA method was used to determine the content of protein in the homogenate and continuous monitoring method was used to monitor the leakage of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamine amino transpeptidase (GGT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The toxic effect of these ingredients on liver tissue was tested by calculating the leakage rate of the monitored enzymes. As a result, rhein, emodin, physcion-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and physcion-8-O-(6'-O-acetyl)-β-D-glucopyranoside showed cytotoxic effects on HepG2 cell and their IC₅₀ values were 71.07, 125.62, 242.27, 402.32 μmol•L⁻¹ respectively, but the other 7 compounds are less toxic and their IC₅₀ values can not be calculated. The precision-cut liver slices tests showed that rhein group of 400 μmol•L⁻¹ concentration significantly increased the leakage rate of ALT, AST and LDH (P<0.01), and the rhein group of 100 μmol•L⁻¹ concentration only increased the leakage rate of LDH (P<0.05). With the increase of rhein concentration, the protein content in liver slices decreased significantly (P<0.05) with a certain range of does. Emodin group of 400 μmol•L⁻¹ concentration significantly increased the leakage rate of ALT, GGT and LDH (P<0.01). Physcion-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside group of 800 μmol•L⁻¹ concentration also significantly increased the leakage rate of ALT, AST and LDH (P<0.01 or P<0.05), but the group of 200 μmol•L⁻¹ concentration only significantly increased the LDH leakage (P<0.05). Along with the increase of the concentration of physcion-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, the leakage rate of ALT, AST and LDH showed a trend of increase, but the protein content in liver slices was in decline. Furthermore, MTT reduction ability of liver slices significantly decreased (P<0.01) in the physcion-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside group of 800 μmol•L⁻¹ concentration. The results suggested that rhein, emodin and physcion-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside at high concentrations (≥400 μmol•L⁻¹) can produce some damage to the liver tissue. However, the exposure levels of these constituents are very low, so to reach the toxic concentration (400 μmol•L⁻¹ or 800 μmol•L⁻¹) an adult of 65 kg body weight will need at least a single oral 4 898 g, 339 g and 5 581 g of P.multiflorum root respectively, which is far from the statutory dose of crude P. multiflorum root (3-6 g) or its processed product (6-12 g). Therefore, the conclusion that anthraquinones are the prime constituents of the hepatotoxicity of P. multiflorum root are still not be proved.

Structure–activity relationships of functional absorbents: Effects of absorption capacity, selective and retention behavior

The functional absorbents modified by hydroxyl, phenolic hydroxyl, resorcinol and hydroquinone were designed and prepared to purify stilbene glucoside from Polygonum multiflorum root. It is noted that the adsorption capacity and retention behavior of functional absorbents to stilbene glucoside depended on the specific surface area, hydrophilia and better geometrical matching between absorbate and spatial structure of absorbents micropore. In addition, the hydrophilia and better geometrical matching can make functional absorbents exhibit excellent selective adsorption performance. Thus, except for conventional hydrophilia and the specific surface area, better geometrical matching between absorbate and spatial structure of absorbent micropore should be considered as an important factor in design functional absorbents. These results provided new insight into the design of functional absorbents for efficient isolation and purification of complex product.

Deep sequencing reveals transcriptome re-programming of Polygonum multiflorum thunb. roots to the elicitation with methyl jasmonate

The phytohormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA) has been successfully used as an effective elicitor to enhance production of stilbenoid which is induced in plants as a secondary metabolite possibly in defense against herbivores and pathogens. However, the mechanism of MeJA-mediated stilbenoid biosynthesis remains unclear. Genomic information for Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (P. multiflorum) is currently unavailable. To obtain insight into the global regulation mechanism of MeJA in the steady state of stilbene glucoside production (26 h after MeJA elicitation), especially on stilbene glucoside biosynthesis, we sequenced the transcriptomes of MeJA-treated and untreated P. multiflorum roots and obtained more than 51 million clean reads, from which 79,565 unigenes were obtained by de novo assembly. 56,972 unigenes were annotated against databases including Nr, Nt, Swiss-Prot, KEGG and COG. 18,677 genes expressed differentially between untreated and treated roots. Expression level analysis indicated that a large number of genes were associated with plant–pathogen interaction, plant hormone signal transduction, stilbenoid backbone biosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. 15 known genes involved in the biosynthesis of stilbenoid backbone were found with 7 genes showing increased transcript abundance following elicitation of MeJA. The significantly up (down)-regulated changes of 70 genes in stilbenoid biosynthesis were validated by qRT-PCR assays and PCR product sequencing. According to the expression changes and the previously proposed enzyme functions, multiple candidates for the unknown steps in stilbene glucoside biosynthesis were identified. We also found some genes putatively involved in the transcription factors. This comprehensive description of gene expression information could greatly facilitate our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of MeJA-mediated stilbenoid biosynthesis in P. multiflorum roots. Our results shed new light on the global regulation mechanism by which MeJA regulates the physiology of P. multiflorum roots and is helpful to understand how MeJA elicits other plant species besides P. multiflorum.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00438-015-1112-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Pharmacopeial methods for potential confounding herbal medicines

In order to promote the quality of herbal medicines, USP launched Herbal Medicine Compendium (HMC) in May 2013. The monographs in HMC include selective analytical procedures to reduce the possibility of adulteration by substitutes with potential confounders, mainly based on chromatographic techniques, such as, HPLC, UPLC, HPTLC. We present examples in this work based on the monographs developed for Lonicera japonica Flower, Schisandra chinensis Fruit, Polygonum multiflorum Root, Antrodia camphorata Fruiting Body and Terminalia chebula Fruit. Orthogonality between HPLC and HPTLC procedures provide greater assurances in this matter. The HPLC and HPTLC identification sections of the monograph efficiently distinguish the potential confounding materials for each plant.

Emodin induces neurite outgrowth through PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β-mediated signaling pathways in Neuro2a cells

In this study, a neurite outgrowth-inducing substance was isolated from the ethylacetate extract of the Polygonum multiflorum roots and identified as emodin by gas–liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and 1H NMR and 13C NMR. Emodin displayed remarkable neurite outgrowth-inducing activity in Neuro2a cells, as demonstrated by morphological changes and immunocytochemistry for class III β-tubulin. Emodin exhibited a stronger neutrophic activity than retinoic acid (RA) known as inducer of neurite outgrowth in Neuro2a cells. Emodin treatment resulted in marked increases in phosphorylation of Akt a direct downstream signaling molecule of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), but upstream of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB). These augmentations and neurite-bearing cells induced by emodin were remarkably reduced by the addition of PI3K inhibitor LY294002. These results demonstrate that emodin induces neuronal differentiation of Neuro2a cells via PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway.

Chemical constituents from the root of Polygonum multiflorum and their soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitory activity.

Fourteen compounds were isolated from a methanol extract of Polygonum multiflorum roots, and their structures were elucidated by comparing spectroscopic data to published spectra. The inhibitory effects of the isolated compounds on soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) were then evaluated. Compounds 1-7 inhibited sEH activity potently, with IC50 values ranging from 6.2 ± 0.5 to 48.6 ± 3.1 μM. Moreover, a kinetic analysis of compounds 1-7 revealed that the inhibitory actions of compounds 1, 3 and 4 were non-competitive, whereas those of compounds 2 and 5-7 were mixed-type.

A dual-task method for the simultaneous detoxification and enrichment of stilbene glycoside from Polygonum multiflorum roots extract by macroporous resin

In this study, a dual-task method for the simultaneous detoxification and enrichment of the pharmacologically active compound, 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glycoside (TSG) from crude extract of Polygonum multiflorum roots was established by macroporous resin. The performances of TSG on six macroporous resins were compared with regard to their adsorption and desorption properties. Kinetics tests indicated that the adsorption process fitted the pseudo-second-order model much better than the pseudo-first-order model. The solute affinity of TSG towards the AB-8 resin at different temperatures was described in terms of Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The optimal adsorption conditions were: 2.24mg/mL of TSG in feed solution, 4.5bedvolume (BV) of loading volume, loading time no less than 120min. The elution conditions were as follows: 6.0BV of water, followed by 2.5BV of 40% ethanol with flow rate of 1.5BV/h. After the AB-8 resin treatment, the concomitant hepatotoxic anthraquinones were almost completely removed. Meanwhile, the purity of TSG was 8.6-fold increased from 7.51% to 64.76% with a recovery of 68.34%. The process fulfilled the task of detoxification and enrichment of TSG, and proved to be a promising basis for pharmaceutical preparations.

Promotion effect of constituents from the root of Polygonum multiflorum on hair growth

Two new compounds, gallic acid ester of torachrysone-8-O-β-d-glucoside (1) and (E)-2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-d-xyloside (4), along with eight known compounds (2, 3, 5–10) were isolated from a 70% ethanol extract of Polygonum multiflorum roots. The structures were determined by 1H and 13C NMR, HMQC, and HMBC spectrometry. Extracts of P. multiflorum have been reported to promote hair growth in vivo. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of isolated compounds from P. multiflorum on promoting hair growth using dermal papilla cells (DPCs), which play an important role in hair growth. When DPCs were treated with compounds (1–10) from P. multiflorum, compounds 1, 2, 3, 6, and 10 increased the proliferation of DPCs compared with the control. Specifically, compound 2 (10 and 20μM) induced a greater increase in the proliferation of DPCs than minoxidil (10μM). Additionally, treatment of vibrissa follicles with compound 2 for 21days increased hair-fiber length significantly. On the basis of this result, further investigation and optimization of these derivatives might help in the development of therapeutic agents for the treatment of alopecia.