Page 279 - 2025中醫藥與天然藥物聯合學術研討會-中醫藥與天然藥物的挑戰Ｘ機遇與未來大會手冊

CM-12

Isolation, structural characterization, and anti-dengue virus activity of

constituents from Lycii Radicis Cortex

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1
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Yi-Ting Sun, Wen-Xuan Pan, Cheng-Ming Tsai, Sio-Hong Lam* ,1,2

1 School of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University,
Tainan, 701401, Taiwan
2 School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701401,
Taiwan
* E-mail: shlam@mail.ncku.edu.tw

Abstract
Dengue fever is widely prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, with Asia, Latin
America, and Africa being as high-risk areas. In Taiwan, dengue fever is primarily caused by
dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2), with outbreaks most frequently occurring in the southern
regions. Despite being a major global public health concern, there are currently no effective
antiviral drugs available for dengue fever. Regarding vaccines, Dengvaxia and Qdenga have
been approved for use under specific conditions; however, their applicability and safety still
require further evaluation and improvement. Lycii Radicis Cortex (LRC) is a commonly used
herbal remedy derived from the root bark of Lycium chinense or Lycium barbarum, both
belonging to the family Solanaceae. Traditionally, it is used for clearing heat, cooling the blood,
and relieving internal heat symptoms, such as tidal fever due to yin deficiency, night sweats,
lung heat cough, hemoptysis, and various forms of non-traumatic bleeding. Preliminary studies
revealed that the methanolic extract of LRC exhibited moderate antiviral activity against
DENV-2, with inhibition rates of 25.6% at 25 µg/mL and 74.7% at 50 µg/mL. Subsequent
solvent partitioning of the methanol extract yielded an n-butanol layer and an aqueous layer.
The n-butanol layer showed a higher inhibition rate (44.4% at 25 µg/mL) than the crude extract,
indicating enrichment of the active components in this fraction. Ongoing research aims to
isolate active compounds from LRC using chromatographic techniques, including silica gel
column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20, and high-performance liquid chromatography. To
date, nine compounds have been isolated and identified from the n-butanol fraction of LRC,
comprising one coumarin, one flavonoid, four phenylpropanoids, one benzoic acid, one steroid,
and one lipid. The chemical structures of these compounds will be elucidated through
spectroscopic analyses, and their antiviral activities against dengue virus will be evaluated,
along with investigations into their underlying mechanisms of action.

Keywords: Lycii Radicis Cortex; Anti-dengue virus; DENV-2; Traditional Chinese Medicine