A quality control (QC) strategy for quantitative and qualitative analysis of "common peaks" in chemical fingerprint was proposed to analyze Yuanhu Zhitong tablet (YZT), using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector and tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS). The chromatographic separation was achieved on an Agilent Eclipse plus C18 column with a gradient elution usin...

Aptamers, that exist naturally in living cells as functional elements and can switch nonfluorescent natural targets to fluorophores, are very useful in developing highly sensitive and selective biosensors and screening functional agents. This work demonstrates that human telomeric G-quadruplex (HTG) can serve as a potential fluorophore-switching aptamer (FSA) to target a natural isoquinoline al...

Gegen-Qinlian-Tang (GQT), a popular Chinese medicine prescription, consists of Puerariae Radix, Scutellariae Radix, Coptidis Rhizoma, and Glycyrrhizae Radix. This study investigated the pharmacokinetics of GQT in rats and compared the bioavailability between two dosage forms, that is, traditional decoction (TD) and concentrated powder (CP). Rats were given TD and CP of GQT in a crossover design...

K-601 is an herbal formulation for influenza consisting of Lonicera japonica, Isatis indigotica, Rheum palmatum, Phellodendron chinense, and Scutellaria baicalensis. In this work, we characterized the chemical constituents in K-601, identified the absorbed compounds and determined their pharmacokinetics in 6 Chinese and African volunteers by liquid chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectr...

Background: Coptis chinensis (C. chinensis) contains various antioxidants, including berberine, epiberberlin, ferulic acid, magnoflorine, palmatine, and worenine, which have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, haemostatic, hypotensive, and anticancer effects. In the present study, the melanogenesis-inhibiting effects of C. chinensis were investigated and the molecular mechanisms were elucidated. ...

Mahonia leschenaultia (ML) and Mahonia napaulensis (MN) are less known and unexplored medicinal plants of the family Berberidaceae. They are used by the Todas of Nilgiris in their religious and medical practices but chemically less identified. Hence, we decided to do extensive phytochemical analysis to explore the potential of these plant extracts. An ultrahigh performance electrospray tandem m...

Coptis chinensis rhizomes (CR) are one important ingredient of traditional Chinese herbal formulas such as San-Huang-Xie-Xin-Tang which is used for treatment of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies suggest that the extract of CR might be a potential therapeutic agent for amelioration of neurological disorders associated with oxidative stress. In the present study we aim...

Species of Phellodendron (Amur cork tree and its relatives) have been used as a source of traditional yellow dyes in East Asia. HPLC analyses of the dye has shown that the relative ratios of palmatine and jatrorrhizine to berberine, (the J/B and P/B ratios) in it, strongly reflect the differences between the species, Phellodendron amurense in Japan and Phellodendron chinense in China, respectiv...

Background Coptidis rhizoma (CR) is the dried rhizome of Coptis chinensis Franch., C. deltoidea C. Y. Cheng et Hsiao or C. teeta Wall. (Ranunculaceae) and is commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of various diseases including bacillary dysentery, typhoid, tuberculosis, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, empyrosis, pertussis, and other illnesses. Methods A literature ...