CHINESE JOURNAL OF NATURAL MEDICINES Volume 12, Number 2, February 2014 Hypericin: chemical synthesis and biosynthesis 81-88 HUANG Lin-Fang, WANG Zeng-Hui, CHEN Shi-Lin In this review, specific significant advances in total synthesis, semi-synthesis, and biosynthesis of Hy- pericin in the past decades are summarized. In total, 11 schemes of synthesis are presented clearly. Chemistry and pharmacology of Siraitia grosvenorii: A review 89-102 LI Chun, LIN Li-Mei, SUI Feng, WANG Zhi-Min, HUO Hai-Ru, DAI Li, JIANG Ting-Liang This article has systematically summarized the advances in chemistry, biological effects, and toxicity re- search of S. grosvenorii during the past 30 years. And provided both some suggestions for further research on specific chemical and pharmacological properties and potentially important information on how to apply this herb reasonably. Lobelia chinensis: chemical constituents and anticancer activity perspective 103-107 CHEN Mei-Wan, CHEN Wen-Rong, ZHANG Jin-Ming, LONG Xiao-Ying, WANG Yi-Tao Lobelia chinensis Lour. (L. chinensis) contains many chemical constituents dominated by piperidine alkaloids and flavonoids. It possesses many pharmacological activities (e.g. diuretic, choleretic, breathing excitement, anti-venom, anti-bacterial, and anticancer), which have the potential to be further research and development. Comparison of anti-bacterial activity of three types of di-O-caffeoylquinic acids in Lonicera japonica flowers based on microcalorimetry 108-113 HAN Jin, LV Qing-Yuan, JIN Shi-Ying, ZHANG Tian-Tian, JIN Shi-Xiao, LI Xian-Yi, YUAN Hai-Long The anti-bacterial activities of three types of di-O-caffeoylquinic acids (diCQAs) in Lonicera japonica flow- ers on Bacillus shigaegrowth were investigated and compared by microcalorimetry. The results of this study illustrated the possibility that the caffeoyl ester group at C-5 is the principal group that has a higher affinity for the bacterial cell, and that the intramolecular distance of the two caffeoyl ester groups also has an important in- fluence on the anti-bacterial activities of the diCQAs. Anticancer activity of Sargassum wightii Greville on Dalton's ascitic lymphoma 114-120 Ashwini Anjana, K.F.H Nazeer Ahamed, V. Ravichandiran, M. Sumithra, Jayaraman Anbu The ethanolic extract of Sargassum wightii (EESW) at two dose levels was used to examine the anticancer activity in mice using DAL cell lines to induce cancer. It suggested that administration of extract offers enhanced antioxidant potential. Therefore it can be concluded from this study that EESW possesses anticancer activity. Cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory effects of root bark extracts of Acanthopanax henryi 121-125 KIM Jong-Hwan, LIU Xiang-Qian, DAI Ling, YOOK Chang-Soo, LEE Kyung-Tae The anti-inflammatory activity of A. henryi was found at the first, moreover The 80% MeOH fraction shows sig- nificant effect. The results support the basis on folk use of the root of this plant for treatment of imflammation. Barringtonia acutangula improves the biochemical parameters in diabetic rats 126-130 Marslin Gregory, Vinoth Kumar Megraj Khandelwal, Revina Ann Mary, V.K.Kalaichelvan, V. Palanivel The results suggest that the leaf aqueous and ethanolic extracts of B. acutangula have anti-diabetic effects. The aqueous extract of B. acutangula produced a similar effect when compared with the ethanol extract. It is proposed that consumption of B. acutangula in some form like tea may help the management of diabetes. Inhibitory effect of medicinal plant-derived carboxylic acids on the human transporters hOAT1, hOAT3, hOATP1B1, and hOATP2B1 131-138 ZHANG Zhi-Yu, SI Duan-Yun, YI Xiu-Lin, LIU Chang-Xiao The purpose of this study is to clarify the inhibitory effect of carboxylic acids derived from medicinal plants in liver and kidney. And the carboxylic acids in this study are the food ingredients or additives, it may prove a new food-drug interactions. A new dimeric diarylheptanoid from the rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum 139-141 LIU Dan, QU Wei, ZHAO Ling, GUAN Fu-Qin, LIANG Jing-Yu Compound 1 is a new dimeric diarylheptanoid. The biosynthetic pathway of 1 was speculated to originate from a Michael reaction between compounds 2 and 3. Two new steroidal saponins from the rhizomes of Dioscorea zingiberensis 142-147 ZHENG Lu, ZHOU Yuan, ZHANG Jia-Yu, SONG Min, YUAN Ye, XIAO Yan-Jiao, XIANG Ting Two new steroidal saponins were isolated from Dioscorea zingiberensis. Sinensioside A, a new sesquilignan glycoside from Selaginella sinensis 148-150 CHEN Hui, HAO Zhi-You, WANG Xiao-Lan, ZHENG Xiao-Ke, FENG Wei-Sheng, WANG Yan-Zhi Compound 1 is a new dihydrobenzofuran sesquilignan glycoside from Selaginella sinensis. Metabolites from the endophytic fungus HP-1 of Chinese eaglewood 151-153 ZUO Wen-Jian, JIN Peng-Fei, DONG Wen-Hua, DAI Hao-Fu, MEI Wen-Li Compound 1 was a new compound. An HPLC-MS/MS method for the quantitative determination of platycodin D in rat plasma and its application to the pharmacokinetics of Platycodi Radix extract 154-160 ZHAN Qin, ZHANG Feng, GAO Shou-Hong, CAI Fei, JIANG Bo, SUN Lian-Na, CHEN Wan-Sheng Mean plasma concentration-time pro?le of PD in rats after i.v. administration of PD (0.4 mg?kg?1 ), and oral administration of PD (80 mg?kg?1 ) and PRE (15 mL?kg?1 ). x ± s, n = 6