No abstract

No abstract

In this study, the composition of fatty oil from Semen Ziziphi Spinosae and its cardiotonic activity on the heart isolated from a toad were studied. Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions of fatty oil were prepared by the perfusion method. The fatty oil had a positive inotropic effect on isolated rat hearts at a concentration between 5 × 10(-3) and 2 × 10(-2) mL/10 mL, and the effect was in positive correlation with the concentration of calcium ions. In addition, this effect was inhibited by 2 mg/mL nifedipine, suggesting that the cardiotonic mechanism could be responsible for accelerating the inflow of calcium ions. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed that the main constituents of the fatty oil were 9-octadecenoic acid (43.32%), 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (42.57%), hexadecanoic acid (4.76%), 9-eicosenoic acid (2.95%), stearic acid (2.41%) and arachidic acid (0.81%). This preliminary study revealed that the fatty oil of Semen Ziziphi Spinosae exhibited remarkable cardiotonic activity in the tested models, and it is necessary to further reveal the effective substances of the fatty oil.

Jujuboside A (JuA) is a representative saponin with significant sedative and hypnotic effects.Up to now, there were many arguments on its metabolic mechanism. In this study, a high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method was developed for investigating the degradation characteristics of JuA incubated with rat feces. With the method, the degradation kinetics of JuA was studied. The results showed JuA decomposed rapidly. It could decompose nearly 100% in only 4-6 h. The degradation regularity was consistent with the first dynamic process. In addition, seven metabolites were determined and identified to be the serial hydrolysis products of JuA. The results revealed that gastrointestinal microbiota played an indispensable role in the metabolic process of JuA. JuA may be a supplier of sugars under the hydrolysis effect induced by the bacterial enzymes. At the same time, its aglycone was produced as a by-product, which could be easier to be absorbed into the body to perform its specific bioactivities.