(2R,4S,4aR)-3,4,8,10-tetrahydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-9-methoxy-3,4,4a,10b-tetrahydro-2H-pyrano[3,2-c]isochromen-6-one

DescriptionThe plant resources of bergenin are rich, mainly from Rock cabbage (Bergenia purpurascens) and thick leafy rock cabbage (Astilbe macroflora) from Saxifragaceae and the roots, stems, and leaves of bai liang jin (Ardisia crispa) from Ardisia japonica (Thunb.) Blume. In Chinese medicine Rock cabbage (Bergenia purpurascens) is the common folk medicine, with nourishing, stanching bleeding, relieving a cough, and other effects. Its earliest record is contained in the classified herbal in Qing Dynasty .There are ten kinds of Rock cabbage (Bergenia purpurascens) in Asia, mainly growing in East Asia, north of South Asia, and southeastern Central Asia. There are seven species (including three endemic species) in China, mainly distributed in Shaanxi (Qinling), Xinjiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Tibet .

HistoryIn 1958, Hay and Haynes first reported the complete synthesis of bergenin, using 4-methoxy gallate and A-D-bromo-2, 3, 4, 6-tetraacetylglucose as raw materials to synthesize bergenin successfully .In 1987, Chen Wendou determined the content of bergenin as 5.8% in the alcohol extract of Astilbe chinensis (Maxim.), Franch. et Savat.(Luoxinfu), and Rock cabbage (Bergenia purpurascens) by using high-performance liquid chromatography. In 1991, Wang Junping determined the content of bergenin in the alcohol extract of Rodgersia podophylla as 19.17% with spectrophotometry.By doing thin layer qualitative analysis, Liu Nunian discovered that bergenin could be found in seven kinds of plants including sour moss (Ardisia solanacea), Luosan tree (Ardisia quinquegona Bl.), Cinnabar root (Ardisia crenata Sims), Zijinniu (Ardisia japonica), Lianzuozijinniu (Ardisia primulaefolia), Jiujielong (Ardisia pusilla), and Xinyezijinniu (Ardisia maclurei) from Ardisia. In addition, Zhang Yi determined the content of bergenin in the medicinal plants from Ardisiawith high-performance liquid chromatography, and results showed that there were four species of plants with the content of bergenin of more than 1%, having great resource utilization value. There are 11 species of plants with the content of bergenin less than 1%, such as Xiaoqiaomuzijinniu (Ardisia arborescens), twist fruit, fine umbrella (Ardisia affinis Hemsl.), and so on. They had some useful value as well .In recent years, it has been found that both 8, 10-dimethylca bergenin and 11-0-gallate betaine had weak inhibitory effects on the tumor in mice, and their effects were stronger than that of bergenin. The effect of acetylated bergenin was stronger than that of bergenin on liver injury induced by chloroform in mice. The new bergenin derivatives from the Ardisia gigantifolia stapf had a certain degree of free radical-scavenging effect and anti-HIV viral activity .