title: Evaluation of Rhubarb using antioxidative activity as an index of pharmacological usefulness.
abstract: 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-beta-D-glucoside, lindleyin and 6-hydroxymusizin 8-O-beta-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.
authors.affiliation: Kampo and Pharmacognosy Laboratory, Tsumura and Co, 3586 Ami-machi, Yoshiwara, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki 300-1192, Japan. iiduka_akira@mail.tsumura.co.jp
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iizuka
authors.forename: Osamu T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Hiroshige
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itakura
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yoshie
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Teruhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumiya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D029001:Herbal Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D012250:Rheum / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL