Hepatoprotective Activity of the Constituents in Swertia pseudochinensis

Abstract

A new xanthone derivative was isolated together with other 13 known constituents from a Chinese natural medicine, Swertia pseudochinensis HARA. Their structures were determined based on the spectral and chemical evidences. Furthermore, respective hexane, ethyl acetate, 1-BuOH, MeOH and water extracts of S. pseudochinensis, and purified compounds were respectively evaluated for their hepatoprotective activities against hepatocyte injury induced by CCl 4 . All the extracts and isolated compounds exhibited significant hepatoprotective activities at a dose showing no hepatoxicity.

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Swertia Herbs by High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detector-Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS)

“…Although amaroswerin (3) and amarogentin (4) have been isolated from S. pseudochinensis, 1) their contents were below the limit of detection in the present study. On the other hand, 488 Vol.…”

“…Contrary to O-glycosyl xanthones, C-glycosyl flavonoids did not generate abundant aglycone ions, but produced characteristic ions owing to the fragmentation of the C-glycosyl group caused by the loss of 2(HCHO), 3(HCHO) and 4(HCHO). 29) Various characteristic fragmentations for iridoids (1)(2)(3)(4) were generated with the elimination of neutral molecules from either the aglycone or sugar moieties, cleavage of the aglycone or sugar moiety, and elimination of the substituents present in the sugar moiety.…”

“…31) The absence of amaroswerin (3) and amarogentin (4) in S. pseudochinensis might explain why this herb is less bitter than S. japonica as recorded in the Instruction Manual of the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (14th edition). 32) Pseudonolin (7) has been isolated from S. pseudochinensis, 1) but we also isolated it from S. japonica, and discovered it here in S. binchuangensis and S. punicea. S. japonica contained about 10-fold more pseudonolin (7) than S. pseudochinensis.…”

“…The structures of these compounds were identified by comparing their 1 H-and 13 C-NMR, MS (ESI), and UV spectral data with those reported, 1,[3][4][5][6][7][26][27][28] and the purities were checked by HPLC. Sample Preparation Samples of powdered Swertia herbs (1.0 g) were placed in 50 ml amber vials with extracted twice over a period of 1 h each with 15 ml of methanol.…”

“…15) Pseudonolin (7) exhibits strong hepatoprotective activity against cultured hepatocytes injured by CCl 4 . 1) Isoorientin (8) has powerful antiperoxidative activity towards linoleic acid and protects against the bactericidal action of the tert-butyl peroxyl radical. 16) Isoorientin (8) also has significant anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities.…”