Content Determination of Cistanches Herba in Zhenrongdan Mixture by HPLC

[Objectives]To establish a HPLC-UV method for the determination of Cistanches Herba in Zhenrongdan mixture.[Methods]According to the content determination method of Cistanches Herba in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia,using HPLC-UV method,the content determination method of Cistanches Herba in Zhenrongdan mixture was established,and the content of echinacoside was determined.The related chromatographic conditions were explored,and the methodological investigation was carried out.[Results]The chromatographic conditions were determined as follows:octadecylsilane bonded silica gel as filler(C_(18));80%acetonitrile solution(containing 0.2%phosphoric acid)-0.2%phosphoric acid aqueous solution(15∶85)as mobile phase;detection wavelength was 330 nm.The number of theoretical plates should not be less than 3000 according to the peak of echinacoside.The methodological investigation showed that the method had better precision,accuracy and repeatability.Under the conditions of this study,echinacoside had better linear relationship in the range of 74.9-1498 ng,and the average recovery was 99.1%,RSD=0.5%(n=6).[Conclusions]A method for the determination of Cistanches Herba in Zhenrongdan mixture by HPLC-UV was established.The method is sensitive,rapid,accurate and suitable for the determination of Cistanches Herba in Zhenrongdan mixture.

Simultaneous determination of five phenylethanoid glycosides in Cistanches Herba using quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker

In the present study, a method for the quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker(QAMS) has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of echinacoside(ECH), tubuloside A, acteoside, isoacteoside, and2’-acetylacteoside in Cistanches Herba. ECH was used as the internal standard(IS) to obtain the relative correction factors(RCFs) of the other four phenylethanoid glycosides(PhGs);meanwhile, various influencing factors on RCFs were investigated under different conditions. The content of each component was calculated with RCF. The results were compared with those obtained by the external standard method(ESM) to verify the feasibility and accuracy of the established QAMS method. No significant difference was found in the quantitative results of 10 batches of Cistanches Herba between QAMS and ESM. The proposed QAMS method for simultaneous determination of PhGs in Cistanches Herba is accurate and feasible, providing an efficient and economical approach for the quality control of Cistanches Herba.

Cistanches Herba:Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Effects

Cistanches Herba, known as ‘‘Ginseng of the desert’’, is authenticated from the dried succulent stems of Cistanche deserticola and Cistanche tubulosa. As a famous remedy in China for tonic the kidney, it is used to treat ＂kidney-deficiency syndrome＂-induced diseases such as infertility, forgetfulness, hearing lost, chronic constipation, etc.. As various biological activities, including anti-aging, antioxidant, estrogenic, anti-osteoporotic, and anti- inflammation effects, have been discovered, here we reviewed Cistanches Herba in biological characteristics, chemical constituents, and pharmacological activities.

DNA metabarcoding analysis of fungal community on surface of four root herbs

Objective: Angelicae Sinensis Radix(ASR, Danggui in Chinese), Cistanches Herba(CH, Roucongrong in Chinese), Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma(PG, Renshen in Chinese), and Panacis Quinquefolii Radix(PQ,Xiyangshen in Chinese), widely used as medicine and dietary supplement around the world, are susceptible to fungal and mycotoxin contamination. In this study, we aim to analyze their fungal community by DNA metabarcoding.Methods: A total of 12 root samples were collected from three main production areas in China. The samples were divided into four groups based on herb species, including ASR, CH, PG, and PQ groups. The fungal community on the surface of four root groups was investigated through DNA metabarcoding via targeting the internal transcribed spacer 2 region(ITS2).Results: All the 12 samples were detected with fungal contamination. Rhizopus(13.04%-74.03%),Aspergillus(1.76%-23.92%), and Fusarium(0.26%-15.27%) were the predominant genera. Ten important fungi were identified at the species level, including two potential toxigenic fungi(Penicillium citrinum and P. oxalicum) and eight human pathogenic fungi(Alternaria infectoria, Candida sake, Hyphopichia burtonii, Malassezia globosa, M. restricta, Rhizopus arrhizus, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, and Ochroconis tshawytschae). Fungal community in ASR and CH groups was significantly different from other groups,while fungal community in PG and PQ groups was relatively similar.Conclusion: DNA metabarcoding revealed the fungal community in four important root herbs. This study provided an important reference for preventing root herbs against fungal and mycotoxin contamination.