Evaluation of Rhubarb using antioxidative activity as an index of pharmacological usefulness

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 91; no. 1; pp. 89 - 94
• Main Authors: Iizuka, Akira, Iijima, Osamu T, Kondo, Kazuo, Itakura, Hiroshige, Yoshie, Fumihiko, Miyamoto, Hiroko, Kubo, Masayoshi, Higuchi, Masami, Takeda, Hiroshi, Matsumiya, Teruhiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.03.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; antioxidant activity; Antioxidants - chemistry; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Antioxidative activity; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Drug Evaluation; General pharmacology; Herbal Medicine - methods; herbal medicines; HPLC; kampo medicine; Lipoproteins, LDL - blood; Lipoproteins, LDL - drug effects; Low density lipoprotein; Male; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; Multivariate statistical analysis; Oriental traditional medicine; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Rabbits; Rheum - chemistry; Rheum hybridum; Rhubarb; Phy; Antioxidative activity; emodin-G; Chr-G; Chr; Low density lipoprotein; SeA; Tri-G; Hy-M-G; rhein-G; SeB; aloe-E-G; aloe-E; Multivariate statistical analysis; Epi-G; Pro-G; Rhubarb; HPLC; Statistical analysis; Pharmacognosy; Polygonaceae; HPLC chromatography; Antioxidant; Kampo medecine; Medicinal plant; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Plant origin; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2003.11.021

We attempted to estimate the pharmacological activity by measuring the concentrations of a composition ingredient using a multivariate statistical analysis method. Medicinal herb of Rhubarb has been many largely unrecognized biochemical and pharmacological effect components. Therefore, we attempted to estimate the antioxidative activity of Rhubarb on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) of its components. Thirty specimens of Rhubarb from various origins were used, chose nine components of anthraquinones, two components of anthrones, two components of flavan-3-ols, one component of procyanidin, one component of naphthalene, two components of phenylbutanones and one component of stilbene. Quantitative analysis of 18 components was performed with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and antioxidative activities were measured with plasma taken from spontaneous familial hypercholesterolemia model rabbits. There was considerable variation among the specimens in the concentration of components and antioxidative activities on LDL. As a result of multiple regression analysis, significant multiple correlation coefficient for antioxidative activities on LDL ( R=0.914, P<0.01) was found in relation to the concentrations of five components: aloe-emodin, chrysophanol, emodin 1- O-β- d-glucoside, lindleyin and 6-hydroxymusizin 8- O-β- d-glucoside. Three of the five components were not active in promoting antioxidative activity and there was no significant correlation between the concentrations of the most active component and the activity. We consider this a useful method for selecting of Rhubarb and propose a new scientific approach for the selection of natural medicines.