Higenamine [1-(4-hydroxy-6, 7-dihydroxy-l, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroisoquinoline) is a cardiotonic constituent of Aconiti tuber, one of the most widely prescribed oriental medicines. S-(-)higenamine was reported to have a stronger cardiotonic activity than R-(+)-higenamine and known as a central intermediate in the biosynthesis of various benzyl isoquionoline alkaloids in plants. The separation of higenamine enantiomers has been accomplished with capillary electrophoresis using cyclodextrins (CDs) as chiral selectors. Good resolution of this enantiomers was obtained using a 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer containing hydroxypropyl β-CDs using 27 cm fused silica capillary (50μm i.d., 20 cm to detector) at 25 ℃. With the electric field of 340 V/cm, the separation time of higenamine enantiomers was less than 6 min. Under this optimum conditions, the relative standard deviations of migration time and peak area were less than 1.6% and 3.2%. A 512-channel diode array detector was confirmed for the higenamine. The detection limits (S/N = 3) of these enantiomers are 1.5mutextrmm/mL. We confirmed the chiral form of higenamine in medicinal plants.

In this study, as preliminary research for the development of natural estrogen supplement the chemical properties of Iranian black pomegranate juice concentrate and seeds were evaluated. Proximate compositions of pomegranate juice concentrate and seeds were as follows; crude lipid 0.4% and 8.2%, moisture 39.9% and 6.6%, crude protein 0.9% and 12.2%, ash 1.4% and 1.7%, and carbohydrate 42.0% and 84.5% respectively. Major amino acids are glutamic acid (1310.0ppm) and aspartic acid (896.2ppm) in juice concentrate, and glycine (611.1ppm) and arginin (401.6ppm) in seeds. Ascorbic acid has the highest concentration of 20.0mg/l00g in juice concentrate and 0.23mg/l00 in seeds. The compositions of unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid and linolenic acid were higher than those of saturated fatty acids such as stearic palmitic acid. Major minerals were potassium, calcium and sodium, potassium was highest in both juice concentrate and seeds. Vitamins were composed of ascorbic acid (20.0mg/l00g), vitamin B1(0.12mg/100g) and niacin (0.80mg/l00g) in juice concentrate, and only ascorbic acid(0.23mg/l00g) in seeds. Organic acids such as citric and L-malic acid were detected only in pomegranate juice concentrate. The contents of total polyphenols were 4.55g/L in juice concentrate and 3.5mg/l00g in seeds, respectively. Phytoestrogens detected in pomegranate juice concentrate and seeds were daidzein, quercetin, genistein and 17 β-estradiol.