Preliminary Phytochemical Analysis and Biological Evaluation of Some Medicinal Chinese Plant Extracts against Tribolium castaneum

Application of botanical pesticides is a new trend in pest control nowadays as an environmentally safe alternative measures for synthetic chemicals. Hence, this study was aimed to analyze the phytochemical constituents of four medicinal Chinese plants, namely Lonicera maackii, Platycladus orientalis, Viburnum opulus, and Crataegus pinnatifida, and to investigate the insecticidal potentialities of leaves extracts of these plants against Tribolium castaneum. The research was carried out under laboratory conditions, at the Institute of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Shanxi University, China. Ethyl acetate, methanol and water extracts of the plant leaves were tested at different concentrations (5, 2.5, and 1.25% w/v). Yields of extracting materials, mortality and repellent effects were the important parameters evaluated. The phytochemical screening showed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoid, and terpenoids in C. pinnatifida, but the other plants contain some of these compounds. The highest ethyl acetate extract concentration (5%) of V. opulus and C. pinnatifida obtained the best mortality means (5.00±0.41 and 4.75±0.25a, respectively), compared to the other treatments, but without significant differences from the middle concentration (2.5%) of both extracts. In repellency test, L. maackii methanol achieved the highest repellency percentage (91.38%). The findings proved that ethyl acetate extract of V. opulus and C. pinnatifida are the best insecticidal treatment, whereas methanol extract of L. maackii is the best repellent effect, against T. castaneum. These three plants require additional studies to be assessed as a component in pest management of store pests.

Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge: A Review on Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Applications

Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge (Sapindaceae) is a native Chinese plant with promising applications as a biofuel feedstock and a source of novel drugs. Historical records and documents from different periods have mentioned the use of X. sorbifolium and its botanical constituents in treating diseases, highlighting its central role in Chinese and Mongolian traditional medicinal therapies. Phytochemical research has focused on the husks, leaves, trunks, and branches of this herb. A total of 278 chemical compounds have been isolated and divided into 8 categories: triterpenoids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, steroids, phenols, fatty acids, alkaloids, and quinones. Modern pharmacological studies on X. sorbifolium have demonstrated positive effects on learning and memory, as well as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-oxidative properties. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the available research on X. sorbifolium, focusing on the relationship between chemical constituents, traditional uses, and pharmacological effects. We also assess the potential for therapeutic and other applications of this plant in support of further research and development of X. sorbifolium.

Carcinolysin for cancer

According to prof. Matsushita (ref. In Journal for mustache, doctors, 1924, No. 3) in Japan, experiments are being carried out on a large scale with the treatment of cancer with carcinolysin, a substance obtained from the Chinese plant Haisung (a genus of pine trees) and apparently having enzymatic properties.

Scutellaria baicalensis – a small plant with large pro-health biological activities

Scutellaria baicalensis, known also as Huang-Qin is a traditional Chinese plant used in medicine for at least 2000 years. The plant is widely distributed in Japan, Korea, Mongolia and Russia, and is listed in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, European Pharmacopoeia and British Pharmacopoeia. The interest in Huang-Qin results from various biological activities which are primarily related to secondary plants metabolites consisting of flavonoids, phenolic compounds and terpenes. It is known that the compounds are active against numerous diseases and protect the organism against harmful pathogenic agents. Particular attention is paid to baicalein, wogonin and oroxylin A – which are characteristic secondary metabolites of the plant. In this paper, we focused on phytochemical analysis and selected biological activities used in periodontal and cardiovascular problems. The presented studies confirm the ability of Huang-Qin to scavenge free radicals, moreover, that it presents anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and enzyme inhibitory activities.

Legends about plants as a refl ection of the worldview of the Chinese people

Flowers, fruits and trees grow everywhere. They are separated only by species diff erences and regional differences. After their birth, at the beginning of growth, they do not carry any cultural information. However, when a person begins to interact with nature more closely, a two-way connection is established between them. When plants came into the interest of ancient writers, they became the basis of a rich plant culture that was strongly associated with ancient diet, medicine, politics, folklore, and aesthetics. The relationship between people and plants has a long history: in constant contact with a person, plants gradually turn from material resources into cultural symbols associated with personal feelings, national character, folk traditions, etc. In addition, the legend of plants contains the traditional moral ideas of the Chinese nation, a description of family relationships and shows the development of human civilization. The object of this article is legends about plants. The article substantiates the cultural function and value of such legends, as well as the refl ection of the worldview of the Chinese people through these legends. In addition, the analysis and classifi cation of the types and characteristics of the national culture through the prism of legends about plants is carried out. This study provides new information needed to understand the Chinese nation and its culture, as Chinese plant legends carry people’s views on history, ethics and morality

Schisandra henryi C. B. Clarke in vitro cultures: a promising tool for the production of lignans and phenolic compounds

We initiated and optimized in vitro culture conditions of the endemic Chinese plant species—Schisandra henryi C. B. Clarke. Different types of in vitro solid cultures (microshoot and callus), cultivation periods (10, 20, and 30 days), and selected concentrations of BA, IBA, GA3 (0 to 3 mg/l) in the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium were tested. The presence of dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans (schisandrin, gomisin G, schisantherin A and B, deoxyschisandrin and schisandrin C), dibenzylbutane lignans (hernicine B), aryltetralin lignans (wulignan A1 and A2, epiwulignan A1, enshicine, epienshicine and dimethylwulignan A1), and triterpenoids: kadsuric acid and schisanhenric acid was confirmed by UHPLC–MS/MS analysis. Using HPLC–DAD, the qualitative and quantitative profiles of dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans, phenolic acids and flavonoids in methanolic extracts from biomass were estimated. The maximum total amounts of these groups of metabolites were 873.71, 840.89 and 421.98 mg/100 g DW, respectively. The main compounds were: schisantherin B (max. 622.59 mg/100 g DW), schisantherin A (max. 143.74 mg/100 g DW), neochlorogenic acid (max. 472.82 mg/100 g DW), caftaric acid (max. 370.81 mg/100 g DW), trifolin (max. 138.56 mg/100 g DW) and quercitrin (max. 122.54 mg/100 g DW). The highest total amounts of secondary metabolites estimated in the extracts from in vitro cultures were, respectively, 13.0, 7.0, and 1.4 times higher than in the leaf extracts analyzed for comparison. This is the first report on the biosynthetic potential of cells from Schisandra henryi in vitro cultures.

Eye on China

The following topics are under this section: First robotic prostatectomy conducted in Shanghai Leveraging on intelligent tech to assist patients to get back on their feet Research Fronts 2019 released: China is reducing its gap with the US in frontier research Human activity puts Chinese plant biodiversity at risk, study finds Structural understanding of alginate enzymes for bioconversion China’s National Vaccine Tracking System set to be completed in 2020 China’s amended drug administration law kicks in