A capillary zone electrophoretic method has been developed for the determination of four coumarins-skimmin, scopolin, scopoletin, and umbelliferone-in Saussurea superba with UV detection at 254 nm. The capillary temperature was kept constant at 25 degrees C. Effects of buffer pH, electrolyte concentration, organic modifier, and applied voltage on migration behavior were studied systematically. The optimum conditions for separation were achieved by using 30 mM borate buffer at pH 9.02 containing 15% (v/v) methanol as the electrolyte and 25 kV as the applied voltage. For all analytes a good linear regression relationship (r>0.999) was obtained between peak area and concentration over a relatively wide range. The method was validated for repeatability, precision, and accuracy. The validated method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of the four analytes in S. superba.

α-D-Glucan (ASP-1) was isolated from the hot water extract of Angelica sinensis roots by ethanol precipitation, anion-exchange and gel-permeation chromatography. Smith degradation, NMR spectroscopy, composition and methylation analyses confirmed the ASP-1 structure comprises a (1→6) linked α-D-glucopyranosyl backbone, coupled with two branches per unit bonded through α(1→3) linkages, where each branch contains Glc-(1→3)-Glc-(1-and Glc-(1→4)-Glc-(1- chains at either end.

Butyllithium was directly added to the solution of polysaccharides in dimethyl sulfoxide. The methylsulfinyl carbanion, as a sugar alkoxide forming reagent, was generated from the solution. All the operations were performed as one-pot reactions. Five polysaccharides from different traditional Chinese medicines and three dextrans were methylated and satisfactory results have been achieved.

Butyllithium is directly added to the solution of polysaccharides in dimethyl sulfoxide. The methylsulfinyl carbanion, as sugar-alkoxide-forming reagent, is generated in the solution. All the operations are performed as one-pot reaction. Five polysaccharides from different traditional Chinese medicines and four dextrans have been methylatated and satisfactory results achieved.