Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb.f. is a species of genus Bletilla (Family Orchidaceae) and it is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. Bletilla striata polysaccharides (BSPs) were extracted from the tuber of Bletilla striata. Herein, we reviewed the extraction and purification methods of BSPs, compared the advantages and disadvantages of different methods comprehensively, and analyzed molecular weights and structural characterization of BSPs systematically. In addition, we analyzed hemostasis, anti-oxidation, anti-aging and other functional activities of BSPs to provide scientific basis for further study of BSPs.

Diterpenoid alkaloids are a diverse group of natural products with significant structural complexity and bioactivities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-arrhythmia, analgesia, local anesthetic, muscle relaxant, hypotensive, anti-tumor and immune regulation. In this article, we summarized the progress in antitumor activity of diterpenoid alkaloids to provide ideas for medicinal development prospects of antitumor.

^{Nicotiana tabacum} L., well known as tobacco, could be not only used for raw materials of producing cigarettes, but also as a folk Chinese herbal medicine. This paper offers a systematic review of newly reported compounds from N. tabacum over the past four years covering the literatures from the beginning of 2017 through the end of 2020 and describes their structural diversities and bioactivities. A total of 46 natural compounds and 42 references were updated and compiles in this review, which may be of interest to pharmacognosists and natural products chemists.

Fourteen arenecarbaldehyde 2-pyridinylhydrazone derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic potential against four cancer cell lines using the MTT assay. The products were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS, and the cytotoxicity results were expressed as the concentration that induced 50% inhibition of cell growth (IC₅₀) in μM. The most active compound was 2-pyridinecarbaldehyde 2-pyridinylhydrazone, with an IC50 value of 0.96 μM, which displayed potent and selective activity against the human prostate cancer cell line, PC3, similar to the antineoplastic drug doxorubicin.

This study explores the inhibitory effect of triptolide on ovarian cancer cells through in vitro cell and in vivo animal model experiments. We use the CCK-8 survival rate experiment to determine appropriate concentration of triptolide and the type of cell line including SF9, HEK293, A2780 and Skov-3. Furthermore, the cell invasion and migration of A2780 and Skov-3 cells shows that triptolide had a strong inhibitory effect on ovarian cancer cell line. In addition, flow cytometry is used to detect the apoptosis and cycle of A2780 cells. The results prove that the proliferation of ovarian cancer cell lines is significantly inhibited by triptolide at a 200 nmol/L concentration. Finally, in vivo animal model shows a strong inhibitory effect of triptolide with a 200 nmol/L concentration on ovarian cancer. However, HE staining of animal liver, kidney and ovarian tissue section reveals that there is a stronger effect of 200 nmol/L triptolide on the damage of living organs coming from its toxicity. The result offers a chance for reasonable safety use of triptolide.

Fifteen compounds, including 11 flavonoids, 2 phenylethanoids and 2 phenylpropanoids, were isolated from the roots of Rhodiola rosea L. Among them, quercetin (1) and quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside (2) were afforded from the genus Rhodiola for the first time. All isolates were evaluated for their agitating activities on receptor 5-HT_2A and four compounds (12—15) showed obvious agitating activities, which were probably the main lipid-lowering active components of R. rosea L.