Rhizomes Of Ligusticum Chuanxiong Research Articles

Preparation, characterization and evaluation of self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDSs) of Ligusticum chuanxiong oil

Ligusticum chuanxiong oil is a kind of volatile oil from rhizome of ligusticum Chuanxiong (VOC). It is pharmacologically active in treating a variety of diseases. However, the instability and poor water solubility have limited its further clinical application. In the present study, a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) was developed and SMEDDS based formulation – VOC-SMEDDS capsules were prepared to improve the water solubility of Ligusticum chuanxiong oil as well as to enhance VOC oral absorption. The VOC microemulsions were composed of chuanxiong oil, Tween-80 and propylene glycol at the optimized ratio of 0.6:0.32:0.08 (w/w), the average size of which was less than 50 nm upon dilution with water, and the particles of which were observed round-shaped under microscopy. The solubility study indicated that up to 90% of VOC-SMEDDS capsules dissolved in 20 minutes. The stability test showed the VOC-SMEDDS capsules maintained stable in 6 months. In situ absorption study demonstrated the absorption rate of VOC-SMEDDS capsules was 2.53 and 1.59 times higher than that of VOC and VOC/β-Cyclodextrin inclusion (β-CD), and the percent absorption (PA) of which was 1.55 and 28.19 times higher than that of VOC and VOC/β-CD, respectively.

A new sesquiterpenoid from Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort

A new sesquiterpenoid named (−)-alloaromadendrane-4β,10α,13,15-tetrol was isolated from the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., together with two known compounds, campest-4-en-3-one and 3-carboxyethyl-phthalide. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical analysis. All the compounds showed mild antimicrobial activity.

Determination of free ferulic acid and total ferulic acid in Chuanxiongby high-performance liquid chromatography for quality assessment

Ferulic acid (FA) is one of the main bioactive compounds in Chuanxiong (CX), the dried rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong, but its amount in this herb is difficult to determine accurately. An accurate quantificational method was developed to investigate on the available amount of FA (free FA and total FA). Herbal samples were extracted in methanol-formic acid (95:5) and methanol-0.24 mol x L(-1) sodium hydrogen carbonate in water (95:5), respectively and then quantitatively analyzed by HPLC method. Thirty three CX samples were quantified on free and total FA. Total FA was found more abundant than free FA with an average ratio of 2.38 (n = 32) in the range of 1.03- 4.98 in 32 CX herbs, and a highest ratio of 19.6 was estimated in a rhizome seedling. Results showed that total FA content would be a better marker for the quality assessment of CX herbs. Fifteen CX typical samples were collected from the trueborn cultivating areas in Sichuan province of China. The amount of total FA in these herbs was estimated to be 1.42 mg x g(-1) (n = 15). The proposed limit of total FA in CX samples should not less than 1.25 mg x g(-1) calculated on the dried basis. It was also found that the level of total FA was related to the quality, processing method and store duration of CX samples.

Two new compounds from the roots of Ligusticum chuanxiong

Two new compounds, named ligusticoside A (1), a novel phthalide derivative with a lactone ring, and 4-pentylcyclohex-3-ene-1α,2β-diol (2), were isolated from the rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong. Their structures were determined by spectral methods (MS, IR, UV, 1D and 2D NMR). An X-ray diffraction experiment was performed to confirm the structure of compound 1.

Fingerprinting Analysis of Rhizoma Chuanxiong of Commercial Types using 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and High Performance Liquid Chromatography Method

The (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR) fingerprints of fractionated non-polar extracts (control substance for a plant drug (CSPD) A) from Rhizoma chuanxiong, the rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., of seven specimens from different sources were measured on Fourier Transform (FT)-NMR spectrometer and assigned by comparing them with the (1)H NMR spectra of the isolated pure compounds. The (1)H NMR fingerprints showed exclusively characteristic resonance signals of the major special constituents of the plant. Although the differences in the relative intensity of the (1)H NMR signals due to a discrepancy in the ratio of the major constituents among these samples could be confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography analysis, the general features of the (1)H NMR fingerprint established for an authentic sample of the rhizomes of L. chuanxiong exhibited exclusive data from those special compounds and can be used for authenticating L. Chuanxiong species.

Comparative Analysis of Ligusticum chuanxiong and Related Umbelliferous Medicinal Plants by High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

A highly precise and accurate method, based on high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS), was developed for the qualitative and quantitative comparison of the main constituents in the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong (LC) and three related umbelliferous medicinal plants. A comprehensive validation of the developed method was conducted, and the method was highly sensitive, reproducible and accurate. The unique properties of the present method were validated by analyzing 20 related herbal samples including 5 LC samples, 5 Cnidium officinale samples (CO), 5 Angelica sinensis samples (AS) and 5 Angelica acutiloba samples (AA). Twelve compounds including phenolic constituents, alkylphthalides and phthalide dimers were identified by online ESI-MS and by comparison with literature data and standard compounds, and six of them were quantified by HPLC-DAD simultaneously. The results demonstrated that identical compound types were identified as the main constituents of LC, CO, AS and AA herbs. The results also support the alternative application of these medicinal plants in Chinese and Japanese folk medicines. In the present study, it was found that the variation in the abundance of senkyunolide A was significant in these related herbs; it is therefore feasible to choose senkyunolide A as a characteristic compound for quality evaluation and chemical authentication of these herbs.

Dimeric progestins from rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong

Five dimeric phthalides were isolated from rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong and their structures deduced based on spectral data. All compounds and their parent extracts were assessed for progesterone-like activity using a progesterone receptor driven reporter-gene bioassay. Among all the compounds, riligustilide, displayed weak progesterone-like activity (EC 50 ∼ 81 μM), whereas, (3 Z′)-(3a′ R,6′ R,3 R,6 R,7 R)-3,8-dihydro-6.6′,7.3a′-diligustilide ( M r: 382, EC 50 ∼ 90 nM), was found to be a potent and specific activator of the progesterone receptor. Levistolide A, although having a very similar plenary structure, was inactive indicating the importance of stereochemistry of chiral centers and flexibility of butylidene side chain for progestogenic activity. These bioactive phthalides and their parent extracts (EC 50 ∼ 8 μg/ml) may have utility for treatment of conditions requiring progesterone action.

Time-Course Accumulation of Main Bioactive Components in the Rhizome ofLigusticum chuanxiong

Fresh rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal herb, were collected monthly from a cultivating base in China practicing good agriculture practice (GAP). These samples were analyzed by HPLC-UV for their main chemical ingredients. Senkyunolide A (6), coniferyl ferulate (7) and Z-ligustilide (8) were identified as the major ingredients. The accumulation of the main ingredients with time in the herb was elucidated. Both individual and total contents of all main components gradually increased from the beginning of October to the middle of next April. The weight of a single rhizome reached a plateau at the end of May, whilst the content of the major ingredients peaked in the middle of April. Based on these results, it is recommended that Rhizoma Chuanxiong be harvested between the middle of April and the end of May.

Identification and Comparative Determination of Senkyunolide A in Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plants Ligusticum chuanxiong and Angelica sinensis by HPLC Coupled with DAD and ESI-MS

Using the HPLC/DAD/ESI/MS method, the qualitative and quantitative analysis of senkyunolide A (SA) in the rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong (Rhizoma chuanxiong; CX) and roots of Angelica sinensis (DG) was established. As a result, it was found that SA is a characteristic standard compound for the quality evaluation and chemical differentiation between CX and DG. Methanol was chosen in the preparation of standard solutions and extraction of samples based on the stability data. The identity of SA in CX and DG was unambiguously determined based on the quasimolecular ions in ESI-MS. A comprehensive validation of the method, including sensitivity, linearity, reproducibility and recovery, was conducted using the optimized chromatographic conditions. The linear calibration curve was acquired with R2>0.999 and limit of detection (S/N=3) was estimated to be 12.5 mug/g. The reproducibility was evaluated by repeated sample injection and replicated analysis of samples with the relative standard deviation (RSD) value found within 0.68%. The recovery rates of SA varied within the range of 96.91-101.50% with RSD less than 2.38%. In the present work, the contents of SA were quantified within 3.94-9.14 mg/g and 0.108-0.588 mg/g for 12 batches each of CX and DG. The results demonstrated that SA is a useful standard compound for the quality evaluation and chemical differentiation between CX and DG. The analytical procedure is precise and reproducible and thus suitable for the analysis of a large number of samples.

Characterization of phthalides in Ligusticum chuanxiong by liquid chromatographic-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry.

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode-array detection interfaced to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI)-mass spectrometry (MS) is applied to analyze phthalides from Chuanxiong (the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong). This herb material, containing plenty of phthalide compositions, is selected as the analytical target in this paper for its hematological activity. Some of the phthalides are not stable and are difficult to analyze by gas chromatography-MS. Under optimized LC-MS-MS conditions, six phthalides in the methanol extract of Chuanxiong are unambiguously identified, and characteristic fragments are obtained using homemade reference standards. Ten other phthalides in the extract are confirmed by means of LC-APCI-MS with positive-negative ion mode and collision-induced dissociation in combination with UV spectrophotometry. The results show that LC-MS-MS is a method of choice for fast detection and detailed structural analysis of such mixtures in the crude extract of Chuanxiong.

Two phthalides from Ligusticum chuanxiong

Two new phthalides, senkyunolides R and S, were isolated from the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong. On the basis of spectral analyses and chemical methods, the structures of senkyunolide R and senkyunolide S were proved to be (6 RS,7 RS,9 SR)-3-butylidene-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-6,7,9-trihydroxyphthalide and (6 RS,7 RS,9 RS)-3-butylidene-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-6,7,9-trihydroxyphthalide, respectively.