Chen Guofang, Huo Yushu, Tan Dun Xian, Liang Zhen, Zhang Weibing, Zhang Yukui
Dalian Institute of Chemistry and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 161 Zhong Shan Road, Dalian 116011, China.
Life Sci. 2003 May 23;73(1):19-26. doi: 10.1016/s0024-3205(03)00252-2.
Melatonin is a highly conserved molecule that not only exists in animals, but also is present in bacteria, unicellular organisms and in plants. Since melatonin is an antioxidant, in plants melatonin was speculated to protect them from intrinsic and environmental oxidative stress. More importantly, melatonin in edible plants inevitably enters animals and human through feed and food. In this study, more than 100 Chinese medicinal herbs were analyzed using the methods of solid phase extraction and HPLC-FD on-line with MS to determine whether melatonin is present in these commonly used herbs. Melatonin was detected in majority of these plants. Sixty-four of them contain melatonin in excess of 10 ng per gram dry mass. Melatonin levels in several herbs are in excess of 1000 ng/g. It is well known that normal average physiological plasma levels of melatonin are only 10-60 pg/mL. These high level-melatonin containing plants are traditionally used to treat diseases which presumably involve free radical damage. The current study provides new information concerning one potentially effective constituent present in a large number of medicinal herbs. The results suggest that these herbs should be reevaluated in reference to their nutritional and medicinal value.
褪黑素是一种高度保守的分子，不仅存在于动物体内，也存在于细菌、单细胞生物和植物中。由于褪黑素是一种抗氧化剂，因此推测在植物中它能保护植物免受内在和环境氧化应激的影响。更重要的是，可食用植物中的褪黑素不可避免地会通过饲料和食物进入动物和人体。在本研究中，采用固相萃取和HPLC-FD在线联用MS的方法对100多种中草药进行分析，以确定这些常用草药中是否含有褪黑素。在大多数这些植物中都检测到了褪黑素。其中64种植物每克干物质中褪黑素含量超过10纳克。几种草药中的褪黑素水平超过1000纳克/克。众所周知，正常生理状态下血浆中褪黑素的平均水平仅为10 - 60皮克/毫升。这些富含高水平褪黑素的植物传统上用于治疗可能涉及自由基损伤的疾病。本研究提供了有关大量草药中一种潜在有效成分的新信息。结果表明，这些草药的营养和药用价值应重新评估。
