Studies On A Part Of Chemical Constituents And Antibacterial Activity In Vitro Of Picrorhiza Scrophulariiflora Pennell

The plant Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora Pennell (Scrophulariaceae) grows in high-altitude regions (above 4400 m) in southeast Tibet and northwest Yunnan province in China. The root of this plant is used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of damp-heat dysentery, jaundice, indigestion, common fever, acute viral hepatitis, and steaming of bone. It used to the gallbladder, malaria, bitter spleen, urinary tract infection and hepatitis in our country. The scholars of domestic and foreign have studied on the pharmacological effects of the plant.,and found that the plant will be one of the most effective preparation in protecting the liver. The resources of the plant are limited. In order to better development and utilization of the plant, to identify its chemical composition, to clarify its material foundation of its pharmacological. Our study on the chemical compounds of the dried roots of Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora Pennell.The dried roots were extracted with 95%EtOH then solution was evaporated to dryness under vacuum to give a residue. Dissolve the extractum with water, then use light petroleum, acetic ether and n-butanol extraction from water, concentrate the matter dissolve in water, it is water layer. The water layer was repeatedly chromatographed on silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20, HPLC and so on. fourteen compounds were obtained and the structures of twelve of them were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence. They are bergenin (1), picrosideⅡ(2), D-mannitol(3), sweroside(4), gentiopicroside(5), androsin(7), syringin (8), coniferin(9), scroneoside(10), syringaresinol-di-O-β-D- glucopyranoside(11), ferulic acid 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (12), 6-O-(E)-4′(1-O-β-D-glucopyrano- side)-caffeoylglucose (α,β)(14). The antibacterial activities in vitro of five compounds [sweroside(4), gentiopicroside(5), syringin (8), coniferin(9), ferulic acid 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (12)] were evaluated using micro-broth dilution method. Experimental results show that all of these compounds have a certain degree of antibacterial activity in vitro.