title: Identification and quantification of the major volatile constituents in antidepressant active fraction of xiaoyaosan by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Xiaoyaosan (XYS), a well-known formula for relieving depression, was originated from the book of "Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang" in Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD), composed of Radix Bupleuri, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Poria, Herba Menthae, Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens and Radix Glycyrrhizae with dose proportion of 6:6:6:6:6:3:2:2. It is commonly used for the treatment of depression-related syndromes in China. In the formula, Radix Bupleuri usually serves as the principal drug, Radix Angelicae Sinensis and Radix Paeoniae Alba serve as the ministerial drugs, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Poria, Herba Menthae and Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens serve as adjunctive drugs, Radix Glycyrrhizae serves as messenger drug, they coordinate with each other and enhance the effect of the formula. In our previous experiments, the antidepressant effect of XYS was revealed. However, the antidepressant part (or component) of this prescription was still obscure.
  
  
  METHODS
  An experimental despair animal model: the mice tail suspension test (TST) was used to evaluate the antidepressant activity of XYS and its fractions. GC-MS method was developed to identify the volatile components and determine 4 major volatile components in active fraction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the TST test, the effect of a low polar fraction (XY-EA) was superior to other fractions of XYS. 13 volatile compounds in the XY-EA were identified on the basis of standards, isolation and structural determination in our laboratory, NIST 05 database and literature data. The content of 4 major volatile compounds in XY-EA which is 6.703%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The petroleum ether fraction (XY-EA) appears to be the active fraction of XYS. 4 major components Z-ligustilide, palmitic acid, atractylenolide I, and atractylenolide II may be the antidepressant active compounds.
authors.affiliation: Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Shanxi University, No. 92, Wucheng Road, Taiyuan 030006, PR China. zhouyuzhi@sxu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Yuzhi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yanling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Zhijie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Guangcheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Xiaoxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Lizeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qin
mesh_terms: D015107:4-Butyrolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007783:Lactones / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007783:Lactones; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C424804:atractylenolide I; C458582:atractylenolide II; C532268:xiaoyaosan; D019308:Palmitic Acid; C027820:ligustilide; D015107:4-Butyrolactone