Development and utilization of indigenous Taiwanese herbal medicine - Uncaria hirsuta Haviland

Chinese herbal medicine – Uncaria Ramulus et Uncus is a Rubiaceae plant. The sources in mainland China is mainly Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Jacks. In traditional utility, it belongs to anticonvulsives or drugs for subduling the hyperactivity of the liver and the endogenous wind. Efficacy for clearing up heat, subduing hyperactivity of the liver, and relieving convulsion. It mainly used in heat dispelling, exogenous wind-heat, shock in children epilepsy, high blood pressure, dizziness. In this project, the application of Taiwanese Chinese herbal medicine development as the main objective, to achieve this goal, we chose Uncaria hirsuta Haviland from Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station, COA as the material. The active ingredient extraction, neural protection, and its application will be evaluation in this project. And to compare with the active ingredients and neuroprotective effects of the two materials from different sources. Upon completion, we hope to achieve the goal of application of Taiwanese herbs. The program intends to complete the project are as follows: 1. The original identification and preparation of extracts in different solvents from U. rhynchophylla and U. hirsuta. 2. The use of in vivo animal model as a platform for activity assessment of the extracts. 3. To obtain the active partially purified extracts or pure compounds by using liquid - liquid partition, column chromatography, or other methods. The chemical fingerprint analysis of index components of the active materials will be analyzed. 4. To assess the neuroprotective effect in in vitro and their chemical fingerprint of the most active target. 5. To investigate the mechanism of the most active target in human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) in vitro.