Structural characters and protecting β-cells of a polysaccharide from flowers of Inula japonica.

Our previous studies found that the crude polysaccharides (IJP) from flowers of Inula japonica exhibited significantly anti-diabetic activity in alloxan or MLD-STZ induced diabetic mice. In this study, we will trace an active polysaccharide from IJP and investigate its physico-chemical property and its protective mechanism on islet cell damage. The result showed that an active polysaccharide (IJP-B-1) was isolated from IJP, its molecular mass was 3.

A polysaccharide from the stems of Rubus amabilis Focke and its immunological enhancement activity.

A water-soluble polysaccharide (named RAP) was newly isolated from the stems of Rubus amabilis. Structural confirmation of the polysaccharide was provided by hydrolysis, periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, and methylation analysis, combined with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), capillary electrophoresis (CE), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and gas chromatography-mass spectra (GC-MS). In vitro immunological enhancement activity was characterized using the proliferative activity of spleen lymphocytes and phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages in mice.

A new comprehensive procedure for the quality control of Semen Cassiae and its application in evaluating commercially available material in China.

Aim: To establish a more comprehensive and suitable procedure for the quality control of Semen Cassiae which can be used to supplement the evaluation procedure adopted by the Pharmacopoeia of the Peoples Republic of China.

Methods: A HPLC assay-based comprehensive quality evaluation procedure for Semen Cassiae using three bioactive compounds including anthraquinones and naphthopyrones, i.e.