Investigation On Chemical Constituents Of Jin-Fei-Cao And Yi-Mu-Cao Of Traditional Chinese Medicines

The genus Inula, belonging to the Asteraceae family, consisted of about 100 species throughout the world, which widely distributed in Europe, Africa and Asia, predominantly in Mediterranean. Many species of the genus have long been used as folk medicine widely in many regions for its promoting digestion, relieving phlegm, anti-inflammatory, vermifuge properties. Sesquiterpenes and flavones are the main active secondary metabolites in the genus. Inula japonica belongs to the genus Inula, whose aerial parts have been used as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (called Jin-Fei-Cao) to treat furunculosis, cough, digestive and bronchitis.The genus Leonurus, belonging to the Labiatae family, consisted of about 23 species throughout the world, which distributed predominantly in Europe, Asia. Few species distributed in America, Africa. Chemical constituents of this genus comprise diteprenes, iridoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, Phenylpropanoids, etc. Leonurus heterophyllus belongs to the genus Leonurus, whose aerial parts have also been used as TCM in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (called Yi-Mu-Cao) for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, gynaecological problems and nephritis.In this paper, we reported the systematic phytochemical studies of the two kinds of TCM Jin-Fei-Cao and Yi-Mu-Cao, which are both recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 ed). The compounds were isolated from their ethanolic extract respectively by means of silica gel column chromatography (CC), preparative thin layer chromatography (PTLC) and recrystallization, etc. The structures of these compounds, including sesquiterpenoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, steroids, were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods. From Jin-Fei-Cao,23 compounds were isolated,4 of which are new eudesman-type sesquiterpenoids; from Yi-Mu-Cao,8 compounds were isolated,6 of which are new labdane-type diterpenoids.Because of its diversity of structure, huge amount, and good biological activity, especially antitumour activity, sesquiterpenoids lactones has always been widely concerned. This paper concluded the structure-activity relations of antitumour activity of sesquiterpene lactones and its merchanism.