Bioactive abietane diterpenes and benzofuran neolignans from the resins of Toxicodendron vernicifluum.

Six new compounds (1-6), including two abietane diterpenes (1,2) and four benzofuran neolignans (3-6), along with five known compounds (7-11) were isolated and identified through phytochemical investigation on the resins of Toxicodendron vernicifluum (Toxicodendri Resina). The structures of the new compounds were fully elucidated by their 1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS, UV, and IR spectroscopic data analyses. The absolute configurations of 1-4 were deduced by comparison of the experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. The inhibitory effects of the isolates on myocardial fibrosis induced by TGF-ß were examined, and compounds 1, 5, and 7-10 showed the anti-proliferation of myocardial fibroblasts at the concentrations of 10-40 µM in a dose-dependent manner.

Three new coumarins and a new coumarin glycoside from Micromelum integerrimum.

Three new coumarins, integmarins A-C (1-3), and a new coumarin glycoside, integmaside A (4) were isolated from the leaves and stems of Micromelum integerrimum. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR and MS data, and their absolute configurations were assigned according to the ECD data of the in situ formed transition metal complexes and comparison of experimental and calculated ECD data. Compounds 1 and 2 are two rare coumarins with butyl and propyl moieties at the C-6 position; compound 3 is a novel coumarin with a highly oxidized prenyl group, and compound 4 is a rare bisdihydrofuranocoumarin glycoside.

Evaluation of the effects of notoginseng total saponins (NS), safflower total flavonoids (SF), and the combination of NS and SF (CNS) on the activities of cytochrome P450 enzymes using a cocktail method in rats.

Notoginseng total saponins (NS), safflower total flavonoids (SF), and the combination of NS and SF, namely CNS, are used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in clinic. This study developed a cocktail assay involving seven cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes to elucidate the effect of NS, SF, and CNS on CYP enzymes and to explore the synergistic effect of CNS in terms of CYP enzymes. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-MS and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction were applied to detect the activities and mRNA expression levels of CYP enzymes. SF exhibited inhibitory effects on CYP1A2, 2B1, 2E1, and 2C11 and induction effects on CYP2C19 and 2D4. NS exhibited induction effects on CYP1A2, 2B1, 2E1, 2C11, 2C19, and 2D4. CNS exhibited induction effects on CYP1A2, 2B1, 2E1, 2C19, and 2D4 and inhibitory effects on CYP3A1 in vivo. Moreover, mRNA expression results were consistent with pharmacokinetic results. Potential herb-drug interactions should be studied closely when SF, NS, or CNS with clinical drugs are metabolized by CYP1A2, 2B1, 2E1, 2C11, 2C19, 2D4, and 3A1. CNS could change the inhibition or induction effects of CYP compared to the NS group, which might be one of the causes for the synergistic effects of the combination of NS and SF.

Rapid identification, isolation, and evaluation on anti-neuroinflammatory activity of limonoids derivatives from the root bark of Dictamnus dasycarpus.

A total of 49 limonoids derivatives were rapidly identified by UNIFI software and three new limonoids derivatives, named dasycarinone (1, DAS), isodictamdiol C (2) and dasycarinone A (3), along with nineteen known compounds, were isolated from the root bark of Dictamnus dasycarpus, named as "Baixianpi" in Chinese. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data (UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, NMR, CD spectra and OR). All the compounds were tested for anti-inflammatory activities by suppressing the nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced BV-2 cells. DAS exhibited a strong anti-inflammatory activity with IC50 value of 1.8 µM. Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB) luciferase assay and enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay indicated that DAS can suppress the release of inflammatory cytokines such as Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6) via inactivating NF-κB signaling pathways. Moreover, we found that anti-inflammatory activities of obacunone-class are better than those of limonin-class by analyzing structure-activity relationship. Our results suggested that obacunone derivatives play an important role on anti-inflammation of Baixianpi. As a representative among them, DAS showed a strong anti-inflammatory activity via suppressing NF-κB signaling pathways.

A new prenylated coumarin diglycoside with insulin-release promoting activity from Clausena dunniana.

A new prenylated coumarin diglycoside, 6-prenylcoumarin-7-O-ß-D-apiofuranosyl-(1→6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1) and five known flavonoid glycosides (2-6) were isolated from the leaves and stems of Clausena dunniana. The structures of these isolates were elucidated based on comprehensive MS, UV, IR, and NMR spectroscopic data analysis and comparison with the data reported in literature. Compounds 2-6 are obtained from the title plant for the first time. All these isolates were evaluated for their insulin-release promoting effects, and compounds 1, 2, and 4 exhibited significant activities (2.0 to 3.3-fold higher in comparison with the control, p < 0.01) at 40 µM.[Formula: see text].

Isolation and structure characterization of cytotoxic alkaloids from Micromelum integerrimum.

Ten undescribed alkaloids, named integerrines A-J, including one racemic heterodimer of carbazole and indole, two racemic, two scalemic, and one enantiomerically enriched biscarbazoles, two aldoximes, and one racemic pyrrolone, were isolated from the dried leaves and stems of Micromelum integerrimum. The racemic or scalemic compounds were resolved using chiral-phase HPLC and their configurations were determined by comparison of experimental and calculated ECD data. Four compounds exhibited moderate to weak cytotoxicities against HepG2, HTC-116, HeLa, and PANC-1 cell lines, with IC50 values of 14.1-67.5 µM.

Anti-inflammatory quinoline alkaloids from the root bark of Dictamnus dasycarpus.

Six undescribed quinoline alkaloids, named dasycarines A-E, and 18 known ones were isolated from the root bark of Dictamnus dasycarpus. All the structures were elucidated on the basis of comprehensive analysis of UV, IR, NMR, and HRMS spectroscopic data, and the absolute configurations were assigned via comparison of the calculated and experimental ECD data. (+)-Dasycarine A (1a) and (-)-Dasycarine A (1b) are a pair of enantiomers of dimeric furoquinoline alkaloid, which are the first dimeric via [2 + 2] cycloaddition of furan. The structure and absolute configuration of (-)-dasycarine A was determined via X-ray crystallography. Additionally, all the isolated compounds were tested for their inhibitory effects on NO production stimulated by LPS in BV-2 microglial cells. Three compounds showed strong inhibition with IC50 values below 5.0 µM; nine compounds exhibited inhibition with IC50 values in the range of 7.8-28.4 µM. Furthermore, we demonstrated that preskimmianine suppressed the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in LPS-induced BV-2 microglial cells.

Allosteric regulation of protein 14-3-3ζ scaffold by small-molecule editing modulates histone H3 post-translational modifications.

Background: Histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) are involved in various biological processes such as transcriptional activation, chromosome packaging, and DNA repair. Previous studies mainly focused on PTMs by directly targeting histone-modifying enzymes such as HDACs and HATs. Methods and Results: In this study, we discovered a previously unexplored regulation mechanism for histone PTMs by targeting transcription regulation factor 14-3-3ζ. Mechanistic studies revealed 14-3-3ζ dimerization as a key prerequisite, which could be dynamically induced via an allosteric effect. The selective inhibition of 14-3-3ζ dimer interaction with histone H3 modulated histone H3 PTMs by exposing specific modification sites including acetylation, trimethylation, and phosphorylation, and reprogrammed gene transcription profiles for autophagy-lysosome function and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of editing histone PTM patterns by targeting transcription regulation factor 14-3-3ζ, and provide a distinctive PTM editing strategy which differs from current histone modification approaches.

Comparative study on metabolic profiling and excretion in rat bile between combination of notoginseng total saponins and safflower total flavonoids and its individual extracts by LC-MS/MS.

The combination of notoginseng total saponins (NS) and safflower total flavonoids (SF), namely CNS, presents a synergistic protection effect on the myocardial ischemia rats. The aim of this study was to find the clues for their synergistic actions by comparing the biliary metabolism and excretion profiles after oral administration of CNS and its individual extracts. An ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometer (UPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) platform was used to identify and quantify the CNS-derived components in bile. The neutral losses, precursor ions, and predictive multiple reaction monitoring (pMRM) scans were firstly used to detect the CNS-derived ingredients in vivo. A total of 43 components, including 38 flavonoids and 5 ginsenosides were tentatively identified according to the previously established chemical and metabolic profiles of NS and SF. Afterwards, the primary circulating and biological components, hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), ginsenosides Rg1 (GRg1), Re (GRe), and Rd (GRd) were chosen to compare the bile excretion between CNS and its individual extract groups, by using a validated LC-MRM-MS/MS method. The approach was proved to be well satisfied the related requirements from the guidelines of FDA (specificity, calibration curve, sensitivity, precision, accuracy, matrix effect, recovery, and stability). Comparing with the SF and NS groups, the combination group did not affect the metabolic pathways of the CNS-related components, however, it decreased the cumulative excretion ratios of HSYA, GRg1, GRe, and GRd. In conclusion, the compatibility of SF and NS could reduce the bile excretion of the CNS-derived compounds, which may be one of the reasons for the enhancement of anti-myocardial ischemia after combination.

Three new compounds from Dictamnus dasycarpus and their anti-inflammatory activities.

Three new compounds (1-3), named dasycarine G (1), dasycarether (2), and dasycarester (3), along with seven known compounds (4-10) obtained from the genus Dictamnus for the first time, were isolated from the root bark of Dictamnus dasycarpus. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data (UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR, and CD). In the in vitro assay, compounds 1, 5, 6, 9, and 10 exhibited NO inhibitory effects of LPS-induced BV-2 cells with IC50 values in the range of 10.4 µM to 27.2 µM.

The Ethanolic Extract of Caesalpinia sappan Heartwood Inhibits Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in a Rat Model Through a Multi-Targeted Pharmacological Mechanism.

Background: Caesalpinia sappan L. (C. sappan) is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant. The dried heartwood of C. sappan (also known as Sappan wood) has been widely used for the folkloric medical treatment of ischemic cerebral stroke in China. However, the detailed underlying pharmacological mechanism still remains largely unexplored. Methods: In this study, a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat model was employed to elucidate the mechanism of the anti-cerebral ischemic effects of C. sappan ethanolic extract (CEE). Moreover, systemic multi-target identification coupled with gene ontology biological process (GO BP) and reactome pathway analysis was used to investigate the potential neuroprotective mechanism. Furthermore, the presumed mechanism was confirmed through biological analysis by determining the effects of CEE on the identified signaling pathways in PC12 cells model-induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R). Results: Our study demonstrates that CEE (both through in vivo administration at a dosage of 300 mg/kg and through in vitro incubation at a dosage of 2.4 µg/mL) is a neuroprotective agent that can effectively inhibit neuronal damage, promote synaptic generation, and suppress the activation of neutrophils, microglia, and astrocytes. Moreover, the neuroprotective mechanism of CEE is mediated via regulating 150 potential target proteins, which are associated with 6 biological processes and 10 pathways, including JAK-STAT, HSP90 and DNA damage/telomere stress. Conclusion: CEE can exert neuroprotective effect through multi-target pharmacological mechanisms to prevent ischemia/reperfusion-induced cerebral injury.

LC-MS-Guided Isolation of Insulin-Secretion-Promoting Monoterpenoid Carbazole Alkaloids from Murraya microphylla.

Fifteen new structurally unique monoterpenoid carbazole alkaloids, including two pairs of epimers (1/2 and 3/4), three pairs of enantiomers (6a/6b, 7a/7b, and 8a/8b), and five optically pure analogues (5, 9-12), were obtained from a 95% aqueous EtOH extract of Murraya microphylla by a combination of bioassay- and LC-MS-guided fractionation procedures. Their structures were established based on NMR and HRESIMS data interpretation. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined via X-ray crystallographic data analysis and for all compounds by comparison of experimental and calculated ECD data. Compounds 1-5 were assigned as five new thujane-carbazole alkaloids, and compounds 6-12 as 10 new menthene-carbazole alkaloids linked through an ether or carbon-carbon bond. Compounds 1-12 promoted insulin secretion in the HIT-T15 cell line, 1.9-3.1-fold higher than the gliclazide control at 100 µM.

Comparative Study on Excretive Characterization of Main Components in Herb Pair Notoginseng-Safflower and Single Herbs by LC⁻MS/MS.

The herbal medicine combination of notoginseng-safflower has been commonly used clinically for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. A reliable liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC⁻MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of six bioactive components (hydroxysafflor yellow A, notoginsenoide R1, ginsenoside Rb1, Re, Rd, and Rg1) in rat urine and feces after oral administration of notoginseng total saponins (NS), safflower total flavonoids (SF), and the combination of NS and SF (CNS). The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters HSS T3 column under gradient elution with acetonitrile and water containing formic acid as the mobile phase. The calibration curves were linear, with correlation coefficient (r) > 0.99 for six components. The intra- and interday precision (RSD) and accuracy (RE) of QC samples were within -14.9% and 14.9%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to study of the urinary and fecal excretion of six bioactive constituents following oral administration of NS, SF, and CNS in rats. Compared to the single herb, the cumulative excretion ratios of six constituents were decreased in the herbal combination. The study indicated that the combination of notoginseng and safflower could reduce the renal and fecal excretion of the major bioactive constituents and promote their absorption in rats.

Alkaloids from the stems and rhizomes of Sinomenium acutum from the Qinling Mountains, China.

Thirteen undescribed alkaloids (sinotumines A-M), including five oxoisoaporphine, a benzo[h]quinoline, an aporphine, two protoberberine, two hasubanane, and two proaporphine alkaloids, and 50 known analogues were isolated from the 95% aqueous EtOH extract of the stems and rhizomes of Sinomenium acutum. The structures and absolute configurations of the isolates were elucidated on the basis of comprehensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR, HRMS, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and comparison of the experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. Sinotumine F, a rare benzo[h]quinoline alkaloid, was speculated as an oxidation product of the oxoisoaporphine alkaloid, and its putative biosynthetic pathway is proposed. Sinotumines L and M are the first samples of proaporphine-based heterodimers coupled with 1-heptanone and coniferol alcohol moiety, respectively. The T-cell suppression and NO inhibition effects of the isolates were evaluated.

Effects of Baoyuan decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine formula, on the activities and mRNA expression of seven CYP isozymes in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Baoyuan decoction (BYD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, is composed of four herbs and widely used with western drugs to treat coronary heart disease, aplastic anemia and chronic renal failure in clinic. However, no study of the effect of BYD on the cytochrome P450 (CYP) activities has been reported. AIM OF THE STUDY: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the potential influences of BYD on the activities of seven CYP isozymes (CYP1A2, 2B6, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4) in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sensitive and selective UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of seven probe drugs and internal standard (IS) in rat plasma was developed and validated. The influence of BYD on the activities of CYP isozymes and mRNA expression levels were carried out by comparing plasma pharmacokinetics and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of probe drugs between control and BYD treatment groups respectively. RESULTS: The calibration curve were linear, with correlation coefficient (r) > 0.99 for seven probe drugs. The intra and inter-assay accuracy and precision of the method were within ±â€¯14.9% and the recoveries ranged from 83.2% to 106.1%. Compared with control group, BYD at low (1.46 g/kg) and high (7.30 g/kg) dosages could significantly increase Cmax and AUC0-t of chlorzoxazone and testosterone, while decrease AUC0-t of phenacetin at high dosage and increase AUC0-t of tolbutamide and metoprolol. Additionally, BYD had increased AUC0-t of bupropion at low dosage and decreased it at high dosage. The mRNA expression results were in accordance with those of pharmacokinetic. CONCLUSION: BYD exhibited inhibitory effects on CYP2C9, CYP2E1, and CYP3A4. Moreover, BYD had induction effects on CYP1A2, and CYP2D6 activities. However, no significant change in CYP2C19 activity was observed. It would be useful for the safe and effective usage of BYD in clinic.

[Four new cis-phenylethanoid glycosides from stems of Cistanche deserticola cultured in Tarim desert].

In order to clarify the chemical constituents of Cistanche deserticola cultured in Tarim desert, a systematically phytochemical investigation was carried out. The chemical constituents were isolated by column chromatography, such as silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, MCI gel, ODS and semi-preparative HPLC, and their structures were determined on the basis of MS, NMR spectroscopic analysis, and comparison with literature data. Four compounds were isolated from the 85% ethanol extract of the stems of C. cultured in Tarim desert. Their structures were identified as cis-tubuloside (1), cis-cistanoside (2), cis-cistanoside J (3), and cis-isocistanoside C(4). Compounds 1-4 were four new cis-phenylethanoid glycosides. Herein, we firstly report the ¹H, ¹³C-NMR data of the new compounds(1-4) for the first time. This study will provide the scientific evidence for comprehensively analyzing the chemical constituents of C. deserticola cultured in Tarim desert.

Nitric Oxide Inhibitory Sesquiterpenoids and Its Dimers from Artemisia freyniana.

Two new disesquiterpenoids (1 and 2) and 11 new (3-13) and 10 known (14-23) sesquiterpenoids were isolated from the whole plants of Artemisia freyniana. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis and comparison with published NMR data. The absolute configurations of the new isolates (1-13) were assigned based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction data and comparison of the experimental and calculated ECD data. The eremophilane derivatives 8 and 9 possess an unprecedented 2-isopropyl-3,7,7a-trimethyl-2,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1 H-indene scaffold, and a putative biosynthetic pathway for these compounds is proposed. Compounds 4, 5, and 9 exhibited inhibitory effects against LPS-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells with IC50 values of 10.8, 12.6, and 11.7 µM, respectively.

Sesquiterpenoids from Artemisia vestita.

Eleven previously undescribed sesquiterpenoids, arvestolides D-J, arvestonates A-C, and arvestonol were isolated from the aerial parts of Artemisia vestita W. Their structures were elucidated by extensive analysis of HRMS, UV, IR, and NMR spectroscopic data, and the absolute configurations were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction, empirical rules, and comparison of calculated and experimental ECD data. Arvestolides H and I showed inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production in BV-2 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide with IC50 values of 43.2 and 39.9 µM, respectively.

Anti-Inflammatory Prenylated Phenylpropenols and Coumarin Derivatives from Murraya exotica.

Three new prenylated phenylpropenols, exotiacetals A-C (1-3), 10 new coumarin derivatives, exotimarins A-I (4-13), and 35 known analogues (14-48) were isolated from the roots of Murraya exotica. The absolute configurations of the new compounds were assigned via comparison of their specific rotations, single-crystal X-ray diffraction data, Mosher's method, the ECD exciton coupling method, comparison of experimental and calculated ECD data, and the ECD data of the in situ formed transition metal complexes. Compounds 1-3, which possess an unprecedented hexahydro-1H-isochromen-1-ol system, are presumably biosynthesized from two prenylated p-coumaryl alcohol moieties via Diels-Alder [4+2] cycloaddition and cyclic hemiacetal formation reactions. Compounds 1, 28, 33, and 35 demonstrated inhibition against LPS-induced NO production in BV-2 microglial cells with IC50 values of 8.6 ± 0.3, 11.8 ± 0.9, 15.5 ± 0.9, and 16.9 ± 1.0 µM, respectively.

Three new indole alkaloid derivatives from the roots of Murraya paniculata.

Three new indole alkaloid derivatives, named paniculidines D‒F (1‒3), and six known analogs (4‒9) were isolated from the roots of Murraya paniculata. The structures were elucidated on the basis of comprehensive HRESIMS, UV, IR, and NMR spectroscopic data analysis and comparison with the data reported in literature. The absolute configurations of new compounds were assigned via the determination of specific optical rotation, Mosher's method, and ECD spectra. Compound 3 is the first heterodimer of C-N linked indole and coumarin derivatives.