Plants of the exposition of the flora of the Far East of the N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden RAS, listed in the Red Book of Russia

At present, the exposition of the flora of the Far East of the GBS RAS is represented by 626 specimens of 379 species belonging to 197 genera belonging to 76 families. The collection includes 20 plant species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation: Adlumia asiatica Ohwi, Aralia continentalis Kitag., Aralia cordata Thunb., Aristolochia manshuriensis Kom., Betula schmidtii Regel, Deutzia glabrata Kom., Dioscorea nipponica , Epimedium macrosepalum Stearn, Hydrangea petiolaris Siebold & Zucc., Iris ensata Thunb., Kalopanax septemlobus Koidz., Larix gmelinii var. olgensis (A. Henry) Ostenf. & Syrach, Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Paeonia obovata Maxim., Prinsepia sinensis (Oliv.) Hallier, Quercus dentata Thunb., Rhododendron schlippenbachii Maxim., Sanguisorba magnifica I. Schischk. & Kom., Rhodiola rosea L. Taxus cuspidata Siebold & Zucc. The tested species belong to the following categories: 1 - endangered (Aristolochia manshuriensis, Sanguisorba magnifica), 2 - decreasing in numbers and / or distribution (Adlumia asiatica, Aralia continentalis, A. cordata, Deutzia glabrata, Dioscorea gippmeonica, Larix gmelinii var.olgensis, Paeonia lactiflora, Prinsepia sinensis, Rhododendron schlippenbachii). The remaining 9 species belong to category 3 - rare plant species. According to the integrated indicator of introduction resistance, all tested species can be classified as resistant and highly resistant under culture conditions. Keywords: PLANT INTRODUCTION, NATIVE FLORA OF THE FAR EAST, RARE AND ENDANGERED PLANTS, RED DATA BOOK OF RUSSIA, MOSCOW, N. V. TSITSIN MAIN BOTANICAL GARDEN RAS

Anti-inflammatory effects of 18-nor-ent-pimara-9(11),15-diene-4β-ol isolated from the roots of Aralia continentalis on LPS-induced in RAW264.7 cells

Aralia continentalis (A. continentalis) is a medicinal plant belonging to Araliaceae, it has been reported to exert anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet and anti-oxidative activities. But the potential mechanism for the anti-inflammatory effect of compounds isolated from the roots of A. continentalis is still insufficient. So, we evaluated whether compounds isolated from the roots of A. continentalis exert anti-inflammatory effects and elucidated its potential mechanism in RAW264.7 cells. The concentrated residue was subsequently suspended in H2O and partitioned with n-hexane, methylene chloride (CH2Cl2), ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and n-butanol (n-BuOH). The fractions were subjected to sequential column chromatography over silica-gel, RP-18, MPLC, recycling and preparative HPLC to isolated the novel compound. The novel compound was identified as 18-nor-ent-pimara-9(11),15-diene-4β-ol and confirmed anti-inflammatory activity. The 18-nor-ent-pimara-9(11),15-diene-4β-ol dose-dependently blocked NO production and inhibited iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α and IL-1β expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The 18-nor-ent-pimara-9(11),15-diene-4β-ol inhibited LPS-stimulated degradation of IκB-α and nuclear accumulation of p65, which resulted in the suppression of NF-κB activation in RAW264.7 cells. Also, the 18-nor-ent-pimara-9(11),15-diene-4β-ol attenuated the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2 in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. These results suggest that the nor-ent-pimara-9(11),15-diene-4β-ol isolated from the roots of A. continentalis may have grate potential for the development of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Optimization of Extraction Conditions of Continentalic and Kaurenoic Acids from Aralia continentalis by HPLC/UV and Their Validation

Aralia continentalis (AC) is a perennial herb that has long been used as a traditional medicine for many diseases. Continentalic acid (CA) and kaurenoic acid (KA) are major diterpenoids in AC, which are known to exert various pharmacological activities. This study focuses on the optimization of the extraction of CA and KA from dried AC roots by evaluating the influence of different extraction conditions on their yield. Five extraction variables were examined: sample weight, solvent concentration, extraction time, solid matrix and the number of repeated extractions. The analytical method used in this study was also validated in terms of linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, precision and accuracy. The CA and KA yields were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The results show that CA and KA were the highest when unpulverized samples (3.75 g) were subjected to a single extraction for 5 h using 50% ethanol (300 mL) as the solvent. These conditions are proposed for the optimization of the extraction of CA and KA from AC.

Aralia continentalis kitagawa Extract Attenuates the Fatigue Induced by Exhaustive Exercise through Inhibition of Oxidative Stress

The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-fatigue effects of Aralia continentalis kitagawa (AC) extract during exhaustive exercise of rats by forced swimming. Rats were subjected to forced swimming until exhausted after pre-treatment with AC extract for 21 days. Exhaustion time significantly increased in rats treated with AC extract. AC treatment also preserved blood homeostasis during fatigue due to exhaustive exercise. For fatigue-related serum biomarkers, AC extract significantly fail to decrease glucose and triglyceride (TG), but ameliorated increased lactate levels compared with levels in control rats. Metabolic acidosis, a major cause of fatigue, was effectively attenuated by AC extract, according to metabolic acidosis-related blood parameters. AC extract suppressed muscle injury and attenuated gastrocnemius muscle apoptotic responses due to exhaustive exercise. To investigate the mechanisms behind the AC extract anti-fatigue effect, we evaluated its effect on oxidative stress-related fatigue. We showed that pro-oxidants were inhibited, while antioxidants were preserved by AC extract treatment. Therefore, the anti-fatigue effect of AC extract was mediated by suppression of oxidative stress. Overall, the study demonstrated that AC extract effectively attenuates fatigue from exhaustive exercise through oxidative stress inhibition. AC extract, as an antioxidant, could be utilized as a therapeutic or preventive strategy against exhaustive exercise fatigue.