Quantitative determination of Aconitum alkaloids in blood and urine samples by high-performance liquid chromatography

An HPLC method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of the toxic Aconitum alkaloids, aconitine, mesaconitine and hypaconitine in blood and urine samples. The samples were initially subjected to solid phase extraction using Oasis MCX cartridges, and the alkaloids were separated on an XTerra RP18 column, gradient-eluted with acetonitrile: ammonium hydrogen carbonate buffer. Calibration curves were linear in the range 2.75-550 ng for aconitine and hypaconitine, and 3-600 ng for mesaconitine: the limit of detection was 0.1 ng (signal-to-noise ratio of 3) for each alkaloid. The described analysis proved to be sensitive, rapid and economical, and will be applied in the identification and determination of these alkaloids in forensic and therapeutic drug monitoring.     

Ultrastructure of endopolyploid antipodals inAconitum vulparia Rchb.

Summary The ultrastructure of antipodals ofAconitum vulparia Rchb. was studied at two stages of development: at the earlier stage the endosperm has several nuclei, at the later one the endosperm is multinucleate. Over the investigated period the antipodal size enlarges distinctly. The wall ingrowths increase in size and number. Finally, they occur throughout the antipodal walls except for a small area in the extreme chalazal part, sunk deep into the nucellar podium. There are no plasmodesmata in the antipodal cell walls. The cytoplasm is dense and rich in ribosomes; it shows weak vacuolation. The rough endoplasmic reticulum is well developed. At the later stage dilated cisternae of endoplasmic reticulum are formed. Mitochondria, plastids and active dictyosomes are abundant. At the later stage some giant mitochondria are present; their matrix contains a large clear area with fine fibrils and an aggregation of fibrillar material. At this stage of development plastids have two types of inclusions: electron-transparent vacuoles and aggregations of electron-dense granules. The giant endopolyploid nuclei are considerably larger than those at the mature embryo sac stage; they are lobed on all sides.During the studied periodA. vulparia antipodals seem to be at their most active state.     

Ultrastructure of endopolyploid antipodals inAconitum vulparia Rchb.

Summary The ultrastructure of the antipodals ofAconitum vulparia Rchb. was studied in mature embryo sacs. Antipodal cell wall thickness varies in different parts of the cells. The antipodals resemble transfer cells with distinctly marked wall ingrowths which are particularly well developed in the chalazal part and between the antipodals. A few plasmodesmata occur in the cell wall between the antipodals and the central cell. The cytoplasm is rich in ribosomes which occur free or bound to the membranes of the well developed endoplasmic reticulum. Only in the micropylar region of the cells are some larger vacuoles found. The antipodals contain numerous mitochondria, plastids and apparently active dictyosomes. Vesicles with electron dense contents, microbodies, multivesicular bodies as well as lipid droplets and small multiple concentric cisternae are also present in the cytoplasm. The giant endopolyploid nuclei have lobed outlines, especially at the chalazal side of the nuclei.Ultrastructural features, especially the occurrence of numerous free ribosomes and the development of extensive rough endoplasmic reticulum, suggest high metabolic activity in the growing and differentiating antipodals of this species.     

紫草乌中生物碱成分及其对H9c2细胞毒性研究

为了解我国特有药用乌头种紫草乌(Aconitum episcopale)的生物碱类化学成分及其对大鼠心脏细胞H9c2的细胞毒性,从紫草乌中分离出10个C19-二萜生物碱,根据理化性质和波谱数据,其结构分别鉴定为滇乌碱(1)、粗茎乌头碱甲(2)、黄草乌碱丙(3)、黄草乌碱甲(4)、丽乌亭(5)、猎鹰乌头碱(6)、14-O-乙酰萨卡可尼亭(7)、萨卡可尼亭(8)、查斯曼宁(9)和展毛黄草乌碱A (10)。化合物5、6和10为首次从该植物中分离得到。化合物1～4、6～7和9～10对大鼠心脏细胞H9c2增殖的半数抑制浓度为163.8～341.6μg/m L,表明紫草乌中的生物碱对H9c2细胞具有毒性作用。     

Polysaccharides and Bioactive Phenolics from Aconitum septentrionale Roots

Aconitum septentrionale is known to contain toxic diterpene alkaloids, while other bioactive compounds in the plant remain unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the phenolic compounds and polysaccharides from the water extract of A. septentrionale roots. Fifteen phenolic compounds were isolated and identified by NMR and MS, including fourteen known and one new dianthramide glucoside (2-[[2-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-5-hydroxybenzoyl]amino]-4,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester, 14 ). One neutral (complex of glucans with minor amounts of mannans) and two acidic polysaccharide fractions (complexes of pectic polysaccharides and glucans) were also obtained. Hydroxytyrosol ( 1 ), hydroxytyrosol-1-O-β-glucoside ( 2 ) and bracteanolide A ( 7 ) inhibited the release of nitric oxide by dendritic cells. Magnoflorine ( 8 ) and 2-[[2-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-5-hydroxybenzoyl]amino]-5-hydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester ( 12 ) inhibited 15-lipoxygenase, and bracteanolide A ( 7 ) was a moderate inhibitor of xanthine oxidase. This study is the first to describe the diversity of phenolics and polysaccharides from A. septentrionale and their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities.     

黄乌酮的X—衍射结构测定

从毛茛科乌头属植物黄草乌中分离出二个微量生物碱,经波谱和 X-衍射分析,确证其结构为含有三个羰基的新 C_(20)-二萜生物碱,命名为黄乌酮.     

Four New Diterpenoid Alkaloids from the Roots of Aconitum carmichaelii

Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine and an important source of clinical drugs, of which the parent and lateral roots are known as ‘Chuanwu’ and ‘Fuzi’, respectively. Four new C₁₉‐diterpenoid alkaloids, carmichasines A – D ( 1 – 4 ), were isolated from the roots of Aconitum carmichaelii, together with twelve known compounds ( 5 – 16 ). Their structures were elucidated via spectroscopic analyses, including HR‐ESI‐MS, IR, and NMR. Carmichasine A ( 1 ) is the first natural C₁₉‐diterpenoid alkaloid possessing a cyano group. Most of the diterpenoid alkaloids isolated were C₁₉‐category, which might provide further clues for understanding the chemotaxonomic significance of this plant. The cytotoxicity of the new compounds was also investigated against several human cancer cell lines, including MCF‐7, HCT116, A549, and 786‐0, and none of them showed considerable cytotoxic activity.     

乌头霜霉卵孢子的发现

本文第一作者于1979年发表乌头霜霉 Peronospora aconiti Yu新种时缺乏对卵孢子的描述,现在四川雅安的乌头 Aconitum cramichaeli Dexb.上发现了该菌的卵孢子,特予补充描述:藏卵器亚球形或卵形,平滑,直径25.8—51.6(平均39.42±4.47)μm;卵孢子球形,浅黄褐色,平滑,单生,不充满藏卵器,直径22.4—37.8(平均28.76±2.96)μm;卵孢子壁厚,其厚度为 2.84—5.04(平均3.77±0.61)μm。     

白喉乌头中的新二萜生物碱

通过柱层析和高效液相层析从白喉乌头（Ａｃｏｎｉｔｕｍ ｌｅｕｃｏｓｔｏｍ ｕｍ Ｗｏｒｏｓｃｈ．）的根中分离得到４种二萜生物碱,通过各种光谱数据的解析鉴定了它们的结构,其中一种是新化合物,命名为喉乌碱（ｌｅｕ－ｃｏｓｔｉｎｅ,Ⅱ）;其它为已知化合物ｌｅｕｃｏｎｉｎｅ （Ⅰ）、ｄｅｈｙｄｒｏａｃｏｓａｎｉｎｅ （Ⅲ）和ｓｅｐａｃｏｎｉｔｉｎｅ （Ⅳ）。