Radix Bryoniae

Bryoniae radix Bryony root Bryonia alba L. and B. cretica ssp. dioica PLANCH. Cucurbitaceae, MD Tetracyclic triterpenes cucurbitadn gliicosides 1,L,E and dihydro-cucurbitacins E,B and aglycones Bryonia alba and B. dioica qualitatively similar contents of cucurbitacins Fig. 11,12... 

Depending on the extraction solvents, either the glucosides or the aglycones are dominant in the extracts, as shown with Bryoniae radix (6-8). 

The total contents of cucurbitacins are generally lower in the extracts 1-4 than in Tayuae (5) and Bryoniae radix extracts (6-8). 

Bryoniae radix (6-8) The chloroform extract 6 contains the cucurbitadn aglycones and glucosides I,E,L in almost equal concentration. While glucosides dominate in the cthanolic extract 7, the water extract 8 contains more aglycones due to preceeded enzymatic degradation. 

Nine commercial laxative formulations are used for TLC (samples 1-9). They all represent mixtures of two to five anthraglycoside-containing drug extracts. In. some cases, extracts of other drugs are also present (e.g. Gentianae radix, Bryoniae radix or Curcumae rhizoma). 

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