Pharmacological Action and Safety Evaluation of Eleutheroside

Plant sources

Eleutheroside is an active substance extracted from the roots and rhizomes of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim) Harms. The main active ingredient is Acanthopanax B, E which has the function of replenishing yang and regulating the body.

Ingredients of crude drug

1.Eleutheroside

The chemical structural formula Eleutheroside A, B, B1, C, D, E, F, G, is shown in Figure 2. Eleutheroside A is a daucosterol, which is a steroidal glycoside. Eleutheroside B is Syringin which is a phenolic glycoside; Eleutheroside B1 is Isofraxidin-glycoside, which is coumarin glycosides; Eleutheroside E is a syringe resin phenol diglucoside, acanthopanax and Eleutheroside D is the isomer of Eleutheroside E, both of which are lignan glycosides. The content ratio of Eleutheroside A, B, C, D, E, F, G is about 8:30:10:12:4:2:1.

Isofraxidin, was isolated from the stems and leaves of Eleutheroside, i.e 7-hydroxy-6,8-dimethoxycoumarin 4,4-dihydroxy 3,3'-dimethoxyanthracene, , Feruloyl sucrose, Neociwu-jiaphenol, Ciwujiatone, and the like. Its leaves contain acanthopanax I, K, M, L and Sentico-side A, B, C, D, E, F, and the aglycones are all oleanolic acid, and also contain gold wire Peach glycosides.

2. Polysaccharides

Acanthopanax senticosus polysaccharide (ASPS) consists of glucose, fructose, arabinose and the like. It also contains sucrose, polysaccharides and the like.

3. Other ingredients

Vitamin C, E, l-sesamin, friedelin, betulinic acid, volatile oil, etc.

Toxicological Safety Eveluation

(1) Acute toxicity test: no abnormalities were found when intragastric injection of 350g/kg of acanthopanax alcohol infusion was administratd or intraperitoneal injection of 2.0g (raw drug) of Acanthopanax senticosus per mouse was administrated. When the dose was increased to 500g/kg, the mice jumped uneasily, turned to be quiet after 10min, and returned to normal state after 1h, which indicates that it has low toxicity. The average lethal dose of root, stem and leaf aqueous extracts to mice was 14.5 g/kg. It was also reported that the LD 50 of Acanthopanax senticosus extract ,similar to that of ginseng, was mostly 10-30 g/kg. The LD50 of acanthopanax senticosus in mice was 47.50%.

(2) Subacute toxicity test: No abnormalities were found in the naked eye and histological examination of blood, liver and kidney when intragastric injection of 18.3g/kg of acanthopanax alcohol infusion was administered daily (60-100 times the usual dose for human) for 15 days, or daily intramuscular injection of 6g/kg in rabbits was administered for 15 days. The mice were inoculated with 5.8 mg/kg of  acanthopanax alcohol flavonoid infusion for 7 days, and all the mice survived without abnormality (220 times the clinical dosage). It was also reported that no toxic reactions were found for the animals under test that were fed for several months. No embryo toxicity and teratogenicity except the prolonged average life expectancy were found after 6 months continuous administration.

Reference

National Research Council (NRC). 1995. Prudent practices in the laboratory handling and disposal of chemicals. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Goyer, R. A. 1997. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Toxic and essential metal interactions. Annual Review of Nutrition 17: 37–50.

Goyer, R. A. 1995. Nutrition and metal toxicity. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 61 (Suppl 3): 646S–650S.

Lewis, M., Worobey, J., Ramsay, D. S., and McCormack, M. K. 1992. Prenatal exposure to heavy metals: Effect on childhood cognitive skills and health status. Pediatrics 89 (6 Pt 1): 1010–1015.

National Academy of Sciences. 1987. Regulating pesticides in food: The Delaney paradox. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

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