Two species of Ganoderma, G. sinense and G. lucidum, are used as Lingzhi in China. Howerver, the content of triterpenoids and polysaccharides, main actives compounds, are significant different, though the extracts of both G. lucidum and G. sinense have antitumoral proliferation effect. It is suspected that other compounds contribute to their antitumoral activity. Sterols and fatty acids have obvious bioactivity. Therefore, determination and comparison of sterols and fatty acids is helpful to elucidate the active components of Lingzhi.

Background: Siwu decoction categorized formulae (SWDCF) are widely used for treating gynecological diseases. This study aims to elucidate the differences of bioactive constituents in SWDCF by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC - QTOF - MS /MS) and HPLC-DAD. Methods: An efficient method based on UPLC - QTOF - MS /MS was developed for identifying the chemical profiles of SWDCF. HPLC-DAD method was used for quantifying seven chemical markers in SWDCF. Results: Eighty four components were identified or characterized, including ten organic acids, thirty glycosides (monoterpene or iridoid or phenylpropanoids glycosides), fourteen lactones, eighteen flavonoids, and eleven alkaloids in the complex system. The datasets of tR-m/z pairs, ion intensities and sample codes were processed with supervised orthogonal partial least squared discriminant analysis to compare these decoction samples. After a clear classification was established, OPLS-DA was performed and 16 common components with relative quantity in SWDCF samples were determined. Gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, paeoniflorin, ferulic acid, and senkyunolide I were selected as the chemical markers to identify SWDCF by HPLC-DAD. Conclusion: The chemical profiles with 84 components in SWDCF, including monoterpene glycosides, acetophenones, galloyl glucoses, even some isomers in the complex system were characterized by UPLC–QTOF–MS/MS.

Two novel oleanane-type triterpene saponins, licorice-saponin P2 (1) and licorice-saponin Q2 (3), together with nine known compounds 2, 4–11, have been isolated from the water extract of the roots of Glycyrrhiza inflata. The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including 2D-NMR experiments (¹H–¹H COSY, HSQC, HMBC and ROESY). In in vitro assays, compounds 2–4, 6 and 11 showed significant hepatoprotective activities by lowering the ALT and AST levels in primary rat hepatocytes injured by D-galactosamine (D-GalN). In addition, compounds 2–4, 6, 7 and 11 were found to inhibit the activity of PLA₂ with IC₅₀ values of 6.9 μM, 3.6 μM, 16.9 μM, 27.1 μM, 32.2 μM and 9.3 μM, respectively, which might be involved in the regulation of the hepatoprotective activities observed.

Peiminine is a compound isolated from Bolbostemma paniculatum (Maxim) Franquet (Cucurbitaceae family), which has demonstrated antitumor activities. But its precise molecular mechanism underlying antitumor activity remain elusive. In this study, peiminine-induced apoptosis towards human hepatocellular carcinoma and its molecular mechanism were investigated. MTT assay was employed to assess anticancer effects of peiminine upon Hela, HepG2, SW480 and MCF-7 cell lines. Nuclear staining and flow cytometry were carried out to detect apoptosis induced by peiminine. Mitochondrial membrane potential evaluation and Western blot analysis were performed to investigate the mechanism of peiminine-induced apoptosis. The results showed peiminine reduced the viability of HepG2 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner and had an IC₅₀ of 4.58 μg/mL at 24h. Peiminine significantly increased the percentage of apoptotic cells and the mitochondrial membrane potential dose-dependently in HepG2 cells. The results of Western blotting indicated the expressions of Bcl-2, procaspase-3, procaspase-8, procaspase-9, and PARP decreased in HepG2 cells treated with peiminine, while the expressions of Bax, caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, and cleaved PARP₁ increased. The result suggests that peiminine can induce apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells through both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways.