Oplopanax elatus(Nakai) Nakai: chemistry, traditional use and pharmacology

Oplopanax elatus(Nakai) Nakai, a member of the ancient angiosperm plant family Araliaceae, is used for the treatment of different disorders in the medicine systems of China, Russia, and Korea, and was designated in Russia as a classical adaptogen. Despite extensive studies of classical adaptogens, there are comparatively few reports concerning the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of O. elatus in English. The plant is a potential source of saponins, flavonoids, anthraquinones, terpenes, and other active compounds. Experimental studies and clinical applications have indicated that O. elatus possesses a number of pharmacological activities, including adaptogenic, anti-convulsant, anti-diabetic, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, blood pressure modulating, and reproductive function effects. In this review, the chemistry, safety, and therapeutic potential of O. elatus are summarized and highlighted to encourage the further development of this plant.

Simultaneous determination and assignment of 13 major flavonoids and glycyrrhizic acid in licorices by HPLC-DAD and Orbirap mass spectrometry analyses

To determine 13 flavonoids and glycyrrhizic acid in licorice(Glycyrrhiza spp.), several samples from different areas were examined by HPLC-DAD analysisT he analysis was performed on a Zorbax Extend-C18(250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column connected with a Zorbax Extend guard column(20 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm). The mobile phase consisted of(A) acetonitrile and(B) 0.026% aqueous H3PO4(V/V) using a gradient elution of 20%-25% A at 0-20 min, 25%-33% A at 20-30 min, 33%-50% A at 30-55 min, 50%-60% A at 55-65 min, and 60% A between 65 min and 80 min, and peaks were detected at 280 nm. The fourteen compounds were assigned by HPLC-Orbitrap MS methods. The regression coefficient for the linear equations for the 14 compounds ranged between 0.9998 and 1. The limits of detection and quantification lay in the range of 0.032-2.461 and 0.154-8.202 μg·mL-1, respectively. The relative recovery rates for the 14 compounds were in the range of 93.90%-106.73% with RSDs being less than 5%. Coefficient variations for intra-day and inter-day precisions were in the range of 0.27%-2.38% and 0.31%-3.51%, respectively. In summary, the validated method was applied to the simultaneous determination of the 14 components in 29 different licorice samples and was proven to be suitable for quality evaluation of licorices and their active fractions.

TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE IS MARCHING TOWARDS EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has over 3000 years of history treating diseases in China and has played a pivotal role in the Chinese health system.But the experience-based feature of traditional Chinese medicine requires for its scientific evidence in quality,safety and efficacy to evolve into evidence-based medicine.In the past 20 years or so,great progress has been achieved on the modernization