Research Update:Motherwort or Leonurus Cardiaca.

  seminal trace...Motherwort Herb Extract.10:1.Herba Leonuri.leonurine and stachydrene.....

 


   Phytochemical info of Motherwort Herb:

 Product Name:
 Synonym:
 Definition:Motherwort Herb are majorly composed of
 Chemical information disclosed as following table:


   Research Update:Motherwort or Leonurus Cardiaca

  Ursolic acid: a potent Inhibitor of superoxides produced in the cellular system.:Phytother Res. 2007 Jun;21(6):558-61.Ali MS, Ibrahim SA, Jalil S, Choudhary MI.H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.

 Triterpenoids of ursane class: ursolic acid, ilelatifol D, corosolic acid and euscaphic acid were isolated for the first time from Leonurus cardiaca, a member of the family Lamiaceae. The isolated compounds were tested for their cell-based antiinflammatory potential by suppressing respiratory burst activity and superoxide scavenging property by using xanthine/xanthine oxidase system to produce superoxides in the cell-free system. Ursolic acid was found to be an excellent inhibitor for the superoxides produced in the cellular system, while the same was inactive in the superoxide scavenging activity in cell-free system.

  Accumulation of Furanic Labdane Diterpenes in Marrubium vulgare and Leonurus cardiaca.:Planta Med. 1998 May;64(4):357-61.Kn?ss W, Zapp J.Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.

 Accumulation of furanic labdane diterpenes has been investigated in different parts of field-grown plants of MARRUBIUM VULGARE (Lamiaceae) and LEONURUS CARDIACA (Lamiaceae). Furanic labdane diterpenes were produced and accumulated only in the aerial parts. Greatest amounts were measured in leaves and flowers. Up to 4 mg furanic labdane diterpenes per g fresh weight were found. Accumulation of furanic labdane diterpenes in plantlets seemingly depends on a developmental programme. No furanic labdane diterpenes were detected in plantlets during the first four to five weeks following germination. At this time the leaves became more differentiated and the number of trichomes on leaves was obviously increasing. Young leaves and buds contained most furanic labdane diterpenes. It was proven that at least a part of the non-volatile furanic labdane diterpenes is stored in peltate glandular trichomes. NMR signals of marrubiin were investigated with correlated spectra. Some (1)H- and (13)C-NMR assignments reported in literature were revised.

  Effects of melatonin and motherwort tincture on the emotional state and visual functions in anxious subjects.:Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2006 Nov-Dec;69(6):17-9.Ovanesov KB, Ovanesova IM, Arushanian EB.

 The chronic administration of melatonin (0.75 mg at night, 10 days) led to a significant decrease in the thresholds of retinal brightness sensitivity and improved the emotional state in anxious young subjects. Analogous changes were less pronounced after the treatment with common motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) tincture. It is suggested that there is a relation between the limitation of anxiety and the improvement of visual function (sensitivity).

  Toxicological approach to evaluation of bioavailability of powdered medicinal herbs.:Georgian Med News. 2006 May;(134):121-4.Gedevanishvili MD, Sikharulidze IS, Gogotidze NM.

 Neurotoxicity manifestations related to the extraction of active ingredients from "natural" powdered Atropa belladonna (NPB) and Leonurus cardiaca (NPL) in gastrointestinal tract and respectively of their bioavailability were studied in mice. The symptoms were compared with action of approved officinal extracts. In response to orally administered NPB suspension mice displayed well-defined symptoms of typical cholinolytic appearance. On p.o. administration NPB appeared approximately twice as active as officinal concentrated extract. Sequential administration of NPB and of neostigmine eliminated CNS toxicity confirming the bioavailability and notable cholinolytic activity of NPB. Behavioral, neurological and autonomic profiles developed in response to elevated p.o. doses of NPL were typical of sedative - hypnotic drugs, while maximum prolongation of barbiturate- induced sleep was achieved when "no-effect" doses of NPL and powdered valerian root suspensions were administered concurrently, demonstrating mutual potentiation of specific activity of these natural (non-processed) powders, and respectively excellent bioavailability of their active principles.

  Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of some medicinal plants from the Lamiaceae.:Fitoterapia. 2006 Jul;77(5):346-53. Epub 2006 May 19.Matkowski A, Piotrowska M. Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Botany, Medical University in Wroc?aw, Al. Jana Kochanowskiego 10, 51-601 Wroc?aw, Poland. am9@biol.am.wroc.pl

 Antioxidative effects of methanolic extracts from six wild European Lamiaceae species have been studied with the use of three in vitro assays. The ability of scavenging free radicals was measured by DPPH reduction spectrophotometric assay. The reducing potential towards transition metals was tested by phosphomolybdenum method and the inhibition of lipid oxidation was tested by Fe/ascorbate system with photometric TBARS detection. All studied herbs exposed strong antioxidant capability, but the results were different for each species depending on the applied test. In DPPH scavenging the order from strongest to the weakest was: Leonurus cardiaca, Lamium album, Marrubium vulgare, Stachys officinalis, Lamium purpureum, Galeopsis speciosa. With phosphomolybdenum method the extract of S. officinalis was the strongest in both 40 degrees Celsius and 90 degrees Celsius but other species acted differently in both temperatures. In lipid peroxidation assay, the maximum inhibition of 78% was reached by S. officinalis and M. vulgare, whereas for both Lamium sp. and L. cardiaca slightly exceeded 70% and for G. speciosa reached 65%. The observed differences indicate the complexity of involved mechanisms and support the necessity of combining several assays in studying the antioxidant potential of medicinal plants.


  Leonurus cardiaca in vitro.:Ceska Slov Farm. 2004 Jan;53(1):39-41.Duskov¨¢ J, Dusek J.Katedra farmaceutick¨¦ botaniky a ekologie Farmaceutick¨¦ fakulty Univerzity Karlovy, Hradec Kr¨¢lov¨¦. duskova@faf.cuni.cz

 Segments of sterile germinating plants were used to derive the tissue culture. Tests of the optimal hormonal composition of the medium from the standpoint of the growth of cultures revealed that the highest growth in biomass was achieved in the medium with an addition of 2.4-D (0.1, 1.0 mg.l-1), NAA (10.0 mg.l-1), and a combination of IAA (1.0 mg.l-1) + K (1.0 mg.l-1). The difference between these values was statistically insignificant. Other tested concentrations of growth regulators showed statistically significantly lower increases. The effects of different types of growth regulators and their concentrations on the production of selected metabolites in the tissue cultures were also examined and compared with the results obtained from the extract of the drug. Of alkaloids, stachydrine was demonstrated both in the extract of the drug and the extracts from all tested calluses regardless of the type and concentration of the growth regulator. Of flavonoid substances, two stains were demonstrated in the extract from the drug as well as in the extracts from all tested calluses. Neither of them was identical with the employed standards of rutin and quercetin. The results of TLC of iridoid substances were different in the extract from the drug (12 stains) and in the extracts from calluses (4 stains--3 identical with the stains in the extract from the drug). As to saccharides, three of them--glucose, fructose, and sucrose--were identified in the extract of the drug as well as in the extracts from all calluses.

  Anti-Cad lectin from the seeds of Leonurus cardiaca.:Clin Lab Haematol. 1979;1(1):57-9.Bird GW, Wingham J.

 A predominantly Cad-specific lectin is present in the seeds of Leonurus cardiaca. Extracts of these seeds makes a valuable addition to reagents used in the elucidation of red cell polyagglutinability.

  Expression of a novel small antimicrobial protein from the seeds of motherwort (Leonurus japonicus) confers disease resistance in tobacco.:Appl Environ Microbiol. 2007 Feb;73(3):939-46. Epub 2006 Dec 8.Yang X, Xiao Y, Wang X, Pei Y.Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest Agricultural University, 400716 Chongqing, China. yangxy94@swu.edu.cn

 Medicinal plants are valuable resources of natural antimicrobial materials. A novel small protein with antimicrobial activities, designated LJAMP1, was purified from the seeds of a medicinal herb, motherwort (Leonurus japonicus Houtt). LJAMP1 is a heat-stable protein with a molecular mass of 7.8 kDa and a determined isoelectric point of 8.2. In vitro assays showed that LJAMP1 inhibits the growth of an array of fungi and bacteria. The hyphal growth inhibition by LJAMP1 was more evident against hyphomycete fungi, such as Alternaria alternata, Cercospora personata, and Aspergillus niger. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of LJAMP1 was determined, and its coding gene was consequently cloned by the rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The gene LJAMP1 has no intron and encodes a polypeptide of 95 amino acids, in which the first 27 residues was deduced as a signal peptide. The mature LJAMP1 shows relatively low identity to plant napin-like storage proteins. Northern blot assays revealed that LJAMP1 is expressed preferentially in seeds. Bioassays in transgenic tobacco demonstrated that that overexpression of LJAMP1 significantly enhanced the resistance of tobacco against not only the fungal pathogen A. alternata but also the bacterial pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum, while no visible alteration in plant growth and development was observed.

  A new labdane diterpene from Leonurus heterophyllus.:J Asian Nat Prod Res. 2006 Oct-Nov;8(7):599-603.Cai XH, Che CT, Lam CK, Mak TC, Wu LJ.School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, SAR, China.

 A new labdane diterpene, heteronone B (1), together with a known labdane diterpene, heteronone A (2), have been isolated from the aerial part of Leonurus heterophyllus. Their structures were established mainly by 1D and 2D NMR analysis and the stereochemistry of 2 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.

  Experimental study of estrogenic activities of five kinds of Chinese herbal medicines.:Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2006 Aug;31(15):1254-7.Zheng XK, Lv PF, Wang LQ, Feng WS, Wang JF, Niu JZ.Henan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou. zhengxk@hactcm.edu.cn

 OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the estrogenic activity of several kinds of Chinese herbal medicines. METHOD: Use zoopery and reporter gene technique to study the estrogenic activity of five Chinese herbal medicines. Zoopery: weanling female Kunming mice weight 9-12 g were administrated botanical extracts of Selaginella tamariscina, Pinus Massoniana, Corallodiscus flabellate, Dryopteris sublaeta and Leonurus heterophyllus, the positive control group with Nilestriol tablets and control group with water, respectiely. On the eighth day, the animals were sacrificed and the uteri were separated solely and weighed. Reporter gene technique: Induce the expression of reporter gene controlled by ERE and measure the activity of luciferase on cell's clear supernatant. RESULT: The botanical extracts of S. tamariscina can increase weights of mice (P < 0.01); In the expression of reporter gene controlled by ERE, Either ERalpha or ERbeta's has estrogenic activity (P < 0.01). Follow in the zoopery we find the water part and the n-butanol part of S. tamariscina are the two active parts. CONCLUSION: S. tamariscina and it's water part and n-butanol part have estrogenic activities, effect on ERbeta is greater than ERalpha.

  Experimental and clinical study of preparation Iridol action on the central nevros system.:Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2006 May-Jun;69(3):23-5.Makarov VG, Aleksandrova AE, Shikov AN, Shiler LV, Ryzhenkov VE.

 In experiment on adult rats male the anxiolitic action of new plant origin drug Iridol, enriched with compounds iridoids, is shown. This effect of Iridol was approximately the same as by diazepam. In patients with arterial hypertension I - II degree, accompanied by psychoemotional disturbances, the use of Iridol in complex treatment increases efficacy of therapy.


  Antinociceptive, antiinflammatory and antidiabetic effects of Leonotis leonurus (L.) R. BR. [Lamiaceae] leaf aqueous extract in mice and rats.:Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 2005 May;27(4):257-64.Ojewole JA.Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. ojewolej@ukzn.ac.za

 The present study was undertaken to investigate the antinociceptive, antiinflammatory, and antidiabetic properties of the aqueous leaf extract of Leonotis leonurus (L.) R. BR. (Lamiaceae) in mice and rats, to scientifically appraise some of the plant's ethnomedical uses, and its safety and efficacy. The leaf powder of the plant was Soxhlet extracted with distilled water and used. The antinociceptive effect of the plant's extract was evaluated by the "hot-plate" and "acetic acid" test models of pain in mice, while the antiinflammatory and antidiabetic effects of the leaf extract were investigated in rats, using fresh egg albumin-induced paw edema, and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes mellitus, respectively. Morphine (MPN, 10 mg/kg i.p.), diclofenac (DIC, 100 mg/kg i.p.), and chlorpropamide (250 mg/kg p.o.) were used, respectively, as reference analgesic, antiinflammatory, and hypoglycemic agents for comparison. L. leonurus leaf aqueous extract (LLE, 50-800 mg/kg i.p.) produced dose-dependent and significant (p < 0.05-0.001) antinociceptive effects against thermally and chemically induced nociceptive pain stimuli in mice. LLE (50-800 mg/kg i.p.) also significantly (p < 0.05-0.001) inhibited fresh egg albumin-induced paw edema, and caused significant (p < 0.05-0.001) hypoglycemic effects in rats. It is suggested that the analgesic effects of LLE (50-800 mg/kg i.p.) may be peripherally and centrally mediated. The different flavonoids, diterpenoids, polyphenolics, and other chemical constituents of the plant may be involved in the observed antinociceptive, antiinflammatory, and antidiabetic effects of the plant's extract. However, the results of this experimental animal study suggest that the aqueous leaf extract of L. leonurus possesses antinociceptive, antiinflammatory, and hypoglycemic properties, and thus lend pharmacological credence to the suggested folkloric uses of the herb in the management and/or control of painful, arthritic, and other inflammatory conditions, as well as for adult-onset, type-2 diabetes mellitus in some communities of South Africa.

  The effect of tofisopam and tinctura leonuri on the color-discrimination function in young humans.:Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2005 May-Jun;68(3):56-9.Ovanesov KB.

 Enhanced anxiety state is accompanied by limitation of the color-discrimination function of retina in young humans. Chronic administration of tofisopam (grandaxin) or tinctura leonuri decreased anxiety and significantly improved the color discrimination function of retina with respect to all four colors studied. It is suggested that this improvement is related to the drug action upon the GABAergic processes both in the retina and in the related cerebral structures.

  The analysis of tincture for improvement of blood circulation.:Medicina (Kaunas). 2004;40(8):758-61.Bernatoniene R, Bernatoniene J, Ramanauskiene K.Department of Drug Technology and Pharmaceutical Management, Kaunas University of Medicine, A. Mickeviciaus 9, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania.

 The article describes qualitative and quantitative analysis of tincture for improvement of blood circulation. Flavonoids have been qualitatively determined by methods of thin-layer chromatography, high-pressure liquid chromatography and color reaction with magnesium powder and concentrated hydrochloric acid. Ferments were identified with ferric ammonium sulphate solution; glycosides--with dimethylaminobenzaldehyde solution in sulphur acid; saponin--with lead subacetate solution; reductive materials - with silver nitrate ammoniacal solution; albumen--with ninhydrin solution; and caffeic acid--by method of thin-layer chromatography. An optimal spectrophotometrical method for determining the quantity of quercetin was applied. The refractive index, relative density, loss of drying and ethanol concentration were determined according to European Pharmacopoeia Requirements.

  Effect of leonurine on the activity of creatine kinase.:J Asian Nat Prod Res. 2004 Dec;6(4):281-7.Wang Z, Zhang PL, Ju Y.Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. zwang@tsinghua.edu.cn

 The effects of leonurine (1) on the activity of creatine kinase (CK) have been studied. The results show that leonurine inhibits enzyme activity in concentration- and time-dependent manners (at 0.75 and 1.51 mmol from 12 to 72 h). There are two mechanisms for the inhibition process. Compound 1 first acts as a non-competitive inhibitor and then as an irreversible inhibitor. Changes of CK were not found in 10% SDS-PAGE, but the amount of dimeric CK decreased in 10% non-SDS gel. The results suggest that 1 can inhibit CK activity by degrading its dimeric structure.

  Determination of stachydrine and leonurine in Herba Leonuri by ion- pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.:Di Yi Jun Yi Da Xue Xue Bao. 2004 Nov;24(11):1223-6.Chao Z, Ma LL, Zhou XJ.Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. chaozhi1971@yahco.com.cn

 OBJECTIVE: To establish a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for determining stachydrine and leonurine contents in the crude drug of Yimu Cao, a Chinese motherwort herb(Herba Leonuri, the aerial part of Leonurus japonicus). METHODS: The sample was obtained from the crude drug by ultrasonic extraction with ethanol after decolorization with ethyl acetate. YMC-Park CN column (250.0 mm x 4.6 mm) was used with the mobile phase for stachydrine of 0.00125 mol/L SDS:C2H5CN (90:10) at the flow rate of 1.5 ml/min with the wavelength for detection of 201.7 nm, and that for leonurine of 0.00125 mol/L SDS (containing 0.05% HClO4):CH4OH(90:10) at the flow rate of 1 ml/min with the wavelength for detection of 282 nm. The sensitivity was 0.1 AUFs and the column temperature was 20 degrees Celsius;. RESULTS: With the injection amount (mg) as the abscissa and the peak area as the ordinate, the regression equation of the calibration curve for stachydrine was Y=1,187.542 3X-168.9822, and that for leonurine was Y=5,202.654X-221.141 (r=0.9998) with the linearity scope of 2.5-12.5 mg, detective limit of 0.15 mg, and recovery of (99.03+/-2.744) %. The analysis of extracted drug samples from 18 regions indicated that the alkaloids contents in Yimu Cao varied significantly, i.e. stachydrine within a range of 0.1%-0.2% while leonurine content, which was much lower, within 0.01%-0.05%. In general, the alkaloid contents were higher in the drug produced in northern China than in those produced in southern China. L. japonicus and the variant L. japonicus albiflorus had total alkaloid contents around 0.3%, which was higher than the contents of other species. CONCLUSION: As a convenient and feasible means for determining the alkaloid contents in Yimu Cao, HPLC produces accurate and reliable results and can be more effective than the formerly used methods.


  Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of some medicinal plants from the Lamiaceae.:

 Antioxidative effects of methanolic extracts from six wild European Lamiaceae species have been studied with the use of three in vitro assays. The ability of scavenging free radicals was measured by DPPH reduction spectrophotometric assay. The reducing potential towards transition metals was tested by phosphomolybdenum method and the inhibition of lipid oxidation was tested by Fe/ascorbate system with photometric TBARS detection. All studied herbs exposed strong antioxidant capability, but the results were different for each species depending on the applied test. In DPPH scavenging the order from strongest to the weakest was: Leonurus cardiaca, Lamium album, Marrubium vulgare, Stachys officinalis, Lamium purpureum, Galeopsis speciosa. With phosphomolybdenum method the extract of S. officinalis was the strongest in both 40 degrees Celsius and 90 degrees Celsius but other species acted differently in both temperatures. In lipid peroxidation assay, the maximum inhibition of 78% was reached by S. officinalis and M. vulgare, whereas for both Lamium sp. and L. cardiaca slightly exceeded 70% and for G. speciosa reached 65%. The observed differences indicate the complexity of involved mechanisms and support the necessity of combining several assays in studying the antioxidant potential of medicinal plants.

  Pharmacological effects of lavandulifolioside from Leonurus cardiaca.:

 Lavandulifolioside was detected for the first time in Leonurus cardiaca var. vulgaris [Moench] Briquet (Lamiaceae). The isolation was performed from the butanolic extract of the aerial parts and the identification by NMR and MS. The pharmacological properties of lavandulifolioside consist of significant negative chronotropism, prolongation of the P-Q, Q-T intervals and QRS complex, and decrease of blood pressure. Contrary to the butanolic extract lavandulifolioside did not reduce the spontaneous locomotor activity. In conclusion, the pharmacological pattern of lavandulifolioside did not explain the pharmacological effects of L. cardiaca L. alone.

  Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of some medicinal plants from the Lamiaceae.:

 Antioxidative effects of methanolic extracts from six wild European Lamiaceae species have been studied with the use of three in vitro assays. The ability of scavenging free radicals was measured by DPPH reduction spectrophotometric assay. The reducing potential towards transition metals was tested by phosphomolybdenum method and the inhibition of lipid oxidation was tested by Fe/ascorbate system with photometric TBARS detection. All studied herbs exposed strong antioxidant capability, but the results were different for each species depending on the applied test. In DPPH scavenging the order from strongest to the weakest was: Leonurus cardiaca, Lamium album, Marrubium vulgare, Stachys officinalis, Lamium purpureum, Galeopsis speciosa. With phosphomolybdenum method the extract of S. officinalis was the strongest in both 40 degrees Celsius and 90 degrees Celsius but other species acted differently in both temperatures. In lipid peroxidation assay, the maximum inhibition of 78% was reached by S. officinalis and M. vulgare, whereas for both Lamium sp. and L. cardiaca slightly exceeded 70% and for G. speciosa reached 65%. The observed differences indicate the complexity of involved mechanisms and support the necessity of combining several assays in studying the antioxidant potential of medicinal plants.

  Antibacterial activity of Leonurus sibiricus aerial parts.:

 Different solvent extracts (carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, acetone and methanol) of Leonurus sibiricus were studied for their antibacterial activity. Carbon tetrachloride and chloroform extracts showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity.


  Labdane diterpenes from Leonurus japonicus leaves.:

 Three labdane diterpenes 15,16-epoxy-6-hydroxylabda-5,8,13(16),14-tretraen-7-one (leojaponin), (9alpha,13S);15,16-diepoxy-7beta-hydroxylabd-14-en-6-one (13-epi-preleoheterin), and (9alpha,13R);15,16-diepoxy-6beta-hydroxylabd-14-en-7-one (iso-preleoheterin) were isolated from the leaves of Leonurus japonicus, in addition to the previously reported preleoheterin. The structure elucidations were made based on analysis of their spectroscopic data.

  Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of Leonurus sibiricus.:

 The methanolic extract of Leonurus sibiricus aerial parts injected intraperitoneally at dose of 250 and 500 mg/kg showed a significant analgesic effect in acetic acid-induced writhing in mice. Moreover, when given orally to rats at dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg, it showed a significant anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenin induced rat paw edema in rats.

  Anti-oxidative stress effects of Herba leonuri on ischemic rat hearts.:

 Our current study was to test the hypothesis that the extract of Herba leonuri (HL) would have antioxidant and cardioprotective effects on ischemic myocardium. The extract of HL (400 mg/kg/day) was administered orally (daily) starting from 1 week before and continuing until 3 weeks after myocardial infarction (MI). Surviving rats were sacrificed at different time points to obtain left ventricles for biochemical assays. Our study demonstrates for the first time that HL does have antioxidant effects both in vitro and in vivo. The antioxidant effects of HL are exerted only under the condition of oxidative stress, by selectively preserving the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, as well as depressing the formation of malondialdehyde, especially in the acute phase of acute MI. Its effects of scavenging free radicals and inhibiting the formation of reactive oxygen species may play a key role in protecting the endogenous antioxidant system from oxidative stress in vivo.
 


  A new flavonoside from Leonurus heterophyllus.:

 In a chemical investigation on the flavone composition of Leonurus heterophyllus a new flavonoside has been isolated. By means of physico-chemical evidences and spectral analysis its structure has been established as quercetin-3-O-[3-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzyl)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl]-(1-->6)-beta-D-galactopyranoside.

  Determination of stachydrine and leonurine in Herba Leonuri by ion- pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.:

 OBJECTIVE: To establish a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for determining stachydrine and leonurine contents in the crude drug of Yimu Cao, a Chinese motherwort herb(Herba Leonuri, the aerial part of Leonurus japonicus). METHODS: The sample was obtained from the crude drug by ultrasonic extraction with ethanol after decolorization with ethyl acetate. YMC-Park CN column (250.0 mm x 4.6 mm) was used with the mobile phase for stachydrine of 0.00125 mol/L SDS:C2H5CN (90:10) at the flow rate of 1.5 ml/min with the wavelength for detection of 201.7 nm, and that for leonurine of 0.00125 mol/L SDS (containing 0.05% HClO4):CH4OH(90:10) at the flow rate of 1 ml/min with the wavelength for detection of 282 nm. The sensitivity was 0.1 AUFs and the column temperature was 20 degrees Celsius;. RESULTS: With the injection amount (mg) as the abscissa and the peak area as the ordinate, the regression equation of the calibration curve for stachydrine was Y=1,187.542 3X-168.9822, and that for leonurine was Y=5,202.654X-221.141 (r=0.9998) with the linearity scope of 2.5-12.5 mg, detective limit of 0.15 mg, and recovery of (99.03+/-2.744) %. The analysis of extracted drug samples from 18 regions indicated that the alkaloids contents in Yimu Cao varied significantly, i.e. stachydrine within a range of 0.1%-0.2% while leonurine content, which was much lower, within 0.01%-0.05%. In general, the alkaloid contents were higher in the drug produced in northern China than in those produced in southern China. L. japonicus and the variant L. japonicus albiflorus had total alkaloid contents around 0.3%, which was higher than the contents of other species. CONCLUSION: As a convenient and feasible means for determining the alkaloid contents in Yimu Cao, HPLC produces accurate and reliable results and can be more effective than the formerly used methods.

  Chromatographic identification of a compound similar to ferulic acid in the decoction of Herb Leonuri.:

 Objective: To identify whether there is ferulic acid in decoction of Herb Leonuri. METHODS: By TLC and HPLC. RESULTS: The chromatogram of the sample showed a dark brown fluorescent spot at the same Rf value of ferulic acid in TLC identification test. The retention time of a peak in the HPLC of the sample corresponded to that of ferulic acid. CONCLUSION: There is a compound which is very similar to ferulic acid in the decoction of Herb Leonuri.

  Labdane diterpenes of Leonurus sibiricus.:

 Seven new labdane diterpenes, sibiricinones A-E (1-4, 6) and 15-epi-sibiricinones D and E (5 and 7), and the flavone genkwanin were isolated from the aerial parts of Leonurus sibiricus. Sibiricinone D (4) and 15-epi-sibiricinone D (5), and sibiricinone E (6) and 15-epi-sibiricinone E (7), respectively, were isolated as C-15 epimeric pairs. These secondary metabolites were identified on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR including (1)H-(1)H COSY, HSQC, and HMBC spectroscopic techniques. The stereochemical configurations of compounds 4-7 were assigned through 2D T-ROESY and selective NOE experiments.


  In vitro anticancer activities of Leonurus heterophyllus sweet (Chinese motherwort herb).:

 OBJECTIVES: To investigate the anticancer activities of Chinese motherwort herb (Leonurus heterophyllus Sweet; LHS). DESIGN: Dried LHS was extracted and reconstituted in phosphate-buffered saline. The in vitro antiproliferation activities of the extract were tested against seven human cancer cell lines. The DNA ladder assay and cell morphologic studies were performed to verify the drug's apoptotic activities. The possible pathway by which LHS induced apoptosis was also explored by examining mitochondrial depolarization, cytochrome c release, and caspase-3 activation. RESULTS: The LHS extract was effective in inhibiting the growth of all seven cancer cell lines tested. The IC(50) (50% inhibition concentrations, milligrams of raw material per milliliter) were in the range of 8.0-40.0 when the drug exposure time was 48 hours. The inhibitory action of the herbal extract was time- and dose-dependent. A significant decrease in activity was seen when the drug exposure time was shortened. Microscopic examination of the LN CaP and other cancer cell lines after treatment with LHS revealed morphologic changes that are typical of cells undergoing apoptosis. DNA fragmentation was obvious in the DNA latter assay and this confirmed the induction of apoptosis of the cancer cells by LHS. The mitochondria of the LHS-treated cells were found to undergo depolarization. Cytochrome c was released into the cytosol from the LHS-treated cells but not from the control cells. Cells treated with LHS showed cleavage of the full-length poly[ADP(ribose)] polymerase (PARP; 112 kd) to generate the 85-kd cleaved PARP fragment indicating the activation of caspase-3. CONCLUSIONS: LHS was able to induce apoptosis of all the tumor cell lines tested. The antiproliferation effect was dose- and time-dependent. The mitochondrion was found to be involved in the apoptosis induced by the LHS extract.

  Studies on the constituents of Leonurus sibiricus L.:

 Two new furanoditerpene-lactones, LS-1 (1) and LS-2 (2), were isolated along with four known furanoditerpene-lactones 3, 4, 5 and 6 from the aerial part of Leonurus sibiricus L. The structures of the new compounds were determined by spectroscopic means. Compounds 1-6 isolated here exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity (IC(50)=50-60 microg/ml) against leukemia cells (L 1210) in tissue culture.

  Study on the biological assay of Herba Leonuri--analysis the dosage response curve of Herba Leonuri and oxytocin and establishment of adequate potency pattern.:

 OBJECTIVE: To establish the effective patten of Herba Leonuri to be suitable for biological assay. METHODS: By comparing the dosage-effect curve of Herba Leonuri and oxytocin the suitable effective pattern was set up. RESULTS: The experiment suggest that the uterus contract height from 20 mm to 85 mm is the adequate effective range. In this range, the effect both Herba Leonuri and oxytocin should plot as a straight line against the log dose and two lines are basically parallel. CONCLUSION: In the light of establishing effective pattern, the biological assay of Herba Leonuri may pattern the method of oxytocin biological assay to regard oxytocin as standard. The result error of Herba Leonuri assay is under 20%, not exceed the demand limits of biological assay.

  Study on the biological assay of Herba Leonuri(I)--Establishment of standard uterus models and optimizing uterus environment conditions.:

 OBJECTIVE: To study the contracting uterus effect of Herba Leonuri, establish the standard uterus models, and optimize the environment conditions which could influence Herba Leonuri actions on uterus. METHODS: By comparing the contracting uterus effect of Herba Leonuri in mice, rats and rabbits, the standard uterus models was established. The optimum extra conditions of uterus were selected by orthogonal design methods. RESULTS: The isolated rat uterus pre-oestrus was selected for the standard uterus, the optimum uterus environment conditions as follows: the pre-burden of uterus was 1.0 g, the temperature of uterus nutrition solution is 32 degrees C, the assay of CaCl2 and NaHCO3 per 1000 ml nutrition solution was respectively 0.06 g and 0.25 g. CONCLUSION: Under the selected conditions, the contracting uterus effect of Herba Leonuri were more obvious and the errors of bioassay were less smaller.
 


  The descriptions identification of "yimu cao".:

 Remained but entire bracts beneath the inflorescence and the persistent calyxes were selected as primary characteristics to distinguish "Yimu Cao", which derived from 8 species and 1 variety in the same genus Leonurus. The results were reliable.

  Enhancement of phenylephrine-induced contraction in the isolated rat aorta with endothelium by H2O-extract from an Oriental medicinal plant Leonuri herba.:

 Leonuri herba (I-mu-ts'ao, the Chinese motherwort) is an ancient Chinese traditional herb. Although the pharmacological effects of extracts of Leonuri herba have been shown in platelets and uteri, the effect on the vascular system has not been determined. In the present study, we investigated the effects of extracts of Leonuri herba on the contraction of the isolated rat aorta. Although the H20-extract (0.3-3 mg/ml) by itself showed a limited effect, the extract enhanced phenylephrine-induced contraction of the aorta with endothelium, but not without endothelium. The H20-extract, like N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase), significantly inhibited the relaxation induced by acetylcholine in the aorta with endothelium. The inhibitory effect of H20-extract on the relaxation decreased by co-addition with 1 mM L-arginine. The vasoconstrictive effect of H20-extract was not due to leonurine, which is a constituent in Leonuri herba and shows uterotonic activity. Intravenous injection of the H20-extract (1.5 mg/kg) to rats caused an increase in blood pressure for 5 min, like L-NAME (1.35 mg/kg). These findings suggest that there is a component(s) in Leonuri herba, which shows a vasoconstrictive activity in rat aorta in vitro and in vivo and has similar pharmacological profile to that of L-NAME.

  Endothelium-independent vasorelaxation by leonurine, a plant alkaloid purified from Chinese motherwort.:

 Leonurine, a plant alkaloid present in Chinese motherwort, induced concentration- dependent and endothelium-independent relaxation of phenylephrine (PE)- pretreated rat aortic arterial rings. The IC50 values for leonurine were 86.4+/-10.4 and 85.9+/-17.2 microM in the presence and absence of endothelium respectively. It inhibited the responses of aortic smooth muscle to PE in Ca2+ free medium containing 100 microM EGTA, suggesting a possible action on the release of intracellular Ca2+. Leonurine is not a specific alpha-adrenoceptor blocker, since it also caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of vascular contractile responses to KCl with an IC50 value of 96.4+/-13.4 microM, suggesting that leonurine also blocks the L-type Ca2+-channel. In addition, leonurine relaxed the aortic contraction induced by prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha). These inhibitory effects of leonurine were reversible and did not affect the resting tension. In conclusion, these findings suggest that leonurine is an effective inhibitor of vascular smooth tone, probably acting by inhibiting the Ca2+ influx and the release of intracellular Ca2+.

 

  Further study on the effects of motherwort (Leonurus sibiricus L) on preneoplastic and neoplastic mammary gland growth in multiparous GR/A mice.:

 To evaluate further the chemopreventive role of motherwort (Leonurus sibiricus L; MW) in lesions of the mammary gland and uterus of GR/A mice, the effects on these lesions of the adsorbed (MW1) and unadsorbed (MW2) fractions of MW separated by ion-exchange resins were studied. The incidence of palpable mammary tumours was suppressed and their growth was retarded by both MW1 and MW2, between whose effects no apparent difference was seen. However, neither of them showed effects on pregnancy-dependent mammary tumours (PDMT), mammary hyperplastic alveolar nodules (HAN) or uterine adenomyosis, whereas MW promoted PDMT and inhibited HAN and adenomyosis. All these findings indicate the importance of the synergistic action of several components, specified and unspecified, for the full manifestation of the effects of Chinese medicine.

  Effects of motherwort (Leonurus sibiricus L) on preneoplastic and neoplastic mammary gland growth in multiparous GR/A mice.:

 Chronic ingestion of methanol extract of the above-ground part of motherwort (Leonurus sibiricus L) in drinking water at the concentration of 0.5% enhanced the development of both pregnancy-dependent mammary tumours (PDMT) and mammary cancers originated from PDMT. By contrast, the treatment markedly suppressed the development of mammary cancers that originated from hyperplastic alveolar nodules (HAN) associated with the decreased formation of HAN. The incidence of uterine adenomyosis was also inhibited in mice given motherwort. The urinary excretion of allantoin, creatine and creatinine and glucose tolerance were stimulated by motherwort. The cause of discrepancy of the effects of motherwort on mammary cancers due to their origins is not clear at present. However, the stimulation by the agent of the excretion of any carcinogenic factors may at least partly contribute to its inhibition of mammary cancers originating from HAN.

  Effect of motherwort on blood hyperviscosity.:

 The effect of motherwort (Leorunus Heterophyllus Sweet, MW) on blood hyperviscosity was investigated in 105 patients. The experimental and clinical study indicated that MW has a favorable clinical impact and an effective improvement of hemorheology. MW 10 ml (5g/ml) in 250 ml of 5% glucose was given intravenously daily for 15 days. 94.5% of cases showed improvements in the form of a decrease in blood viscosity and in fibrinogen volume and an increase in the deformability of Rbc, a shorting of the time of Rbc electrophoresis and an increase in antiplatelet aggregation.

  Isolation of the uterotonic principle from Leonurus artemisia, the Chinese motherwort.:

 A search in ancient Chinese medicinal literature and modern phytochemical references indicates that the therapeutic value of Leonurus artemisia (I-mu ts'ao, the Chinese motherwort) might reside in a uterotonic principle present in leaves. Leonurine (4-guanidino-n-butyl syringate) was isolated from fresh and dry leaves of Leonurus artemisia. The uterotonic effect of leonurine was demonstrated in rat uterus in vitro. Results from this study suggest that functional phytochemistry based on ethnobotanical experience could lead to development of new and effective drugs from Chinese medicine.


  A contribution to our knowledge of Leonurus L., i-mu-ts'ao, the Chinese motherwort..:

 This article deals with the ethnobotanical aspects of the Chinese motherwort. Since time immemorial the Chinese people have used various parts of motherwort to meet different physical needs. By the time a written language was developed and the medical uses were recorded. , motherwort was treated as an article of superior quality. At present, under the name of i-mu-ts'ao, the plant is used for improving bloodflow both by official physicians and herbal practitioners throughout the country as well as by villagers in isolated areas. According to Chinese classical literature on materia medica, the early uses were limited to the parts of the plant which met the most obvious needs of the prehistorical people in their struggle for existence-food and pain reliever. Evidently, in their search for food, the ancient people found that the four nutlets contained in the dry and spinose calyx of the Chinese motherwort resemble the seasame seed in size and oil content. They gathered them and used them for food in similar manner as with the sesame. Consequently, they discovered the good effects to the eyesight, the improvement of strength, and the uplift of spirit. These discoveries led to the use of the seed of the species as an eye medicine for improving the eyesight, and as a tonic for the increase of strength and the elevation of spirit. Contagious skin diseases caused serious problems for the ancient people. The use of the leafy shoot for a bath to release the discomfort of itches and shingles was also recorded in the 42-word first medicinal record of the species in the earliest known Chinese materia medica-the Shen-nung pen-ts'ao-ching. Translators of the Chinese classics have included the records of i-mu-ts'ao. According to my knowledge, these works are all partial translations with the selections of the medicinal properties and the omissions on the methods of preparation. They have the outline and abandon the details. Consequently most of them are not clear. In order to provide complete information on the discoveries of the ancient Chinese people on the uses of i-mu-ts'ao, all the records up to the end of the sixteenth century are organized and translated under the following headings: ecological and morphological observations; preparations; physical and therapeutical properties; special prescriptions for internal and external uses-including pills for pregnant women, for mothers post partum, as an emmenagogue, and as a corrective agent, condensed liquid, powder, fresh juice, baby bath and washes, poultices, charred shoots, gargles, drops and cakes; other economic uses-including cosmetics and food; and etymology. The distribution of i-mu-ts'ao is significant in photogeography and in the nomenclature of the species. I-mu-ts'ao was purposely introduced from South China to Linnaeus in Sweden before the publication of the Species Plantarum in 1753. Linnaeus planted the seed in the botanical garden of the University of Uppsala...


  Scientific References:

  1.Research Update:Motherwort or Leonurus Cardiaca.