Dracocephalum jacutense Peschkova from Yakutia: Extraction and Mass Spectrometric Characterization of 128 Chemical Compounds.

Dracocephalum jacutense Peschkova is a rare and endangered species of the genus Dracocephalum of the Lamiaceae family. The species was first described in 1997 and listed in the Red Data Book of Yakutia. Significant differences in the multicomponent composition of extracts from D. jacutense collected in the natural environment and successfully introduced in the Botanical Garden of Yakutsk were identified by a team of authors earlier in a large study. In this work, we studied the chemical composition of the leaves, stem, and inflorescences of D. jacutense using the tandem mass spectrometry method. Only three cenopopulations of D. jacutense were found by us in the territory of the early habitat-in the vicinity of the village of Sangar, Kobyaysky district of Yakutia. The aboveground phytomass of the plant was collected, processed and dried as separate parts of the plant: inflorescences, stem and leaves. Firstly, a total of 128 compounds, 70% of which are polyphenols, were tentatively identified in extracts of D. jacutense. These polyphenol compounds were classified as 32 flavones, 12 flavonols, 6 flavan-3-ols, 7 flavanones, 17 phenolic acids, 2 lignans, 1 dihydrochalcone, 4 coumarins, and 8 anthocyanidins. Other chemical groups were presented as carotenoids, omega-3-fatty acids, omega-5-fatty acids, amino acids, purines, alkaloids, and sterols. The inflorescences are the richest in polyphenols (73 polyphenolic compounds were identified), while 33 and 22 polyphenols were found in the leaves and stems, respectively. A high level of identity for polyphenolic compounds in different parts of the plant is noted for flavanones (80%), followed by flavonols (25%), phenolic acids (15%), and flavones (13%). Furthermore, 78 compounds were identified for the first time in representatives of the genus Dracocephalum, including 50 polyphenolic compounds and 28 compounds of other chemical groups. The obtained results testify to the unique composition of polyphenolic compounds in different parts of D. jacutense.

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Tánara Ótó (Dracocephalum palmatum Stephan), a medicinal plant used by the North-Yakutian nomads.

Dracocephalum palmatum Stephan (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant used by the North-Yakutian nomads. From the crude ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of this plant, 23 compounds (phenylpropanoids, coumarins, flavonoids, and triterpenes) were isolated. Among these, eight compounds (salvianolic acid B, caftaric acid, cichoric acid, umbelliferone, aesculetin, apigenin-7-O-ß-D-glucuronopyranoside, isorhoifolin, and luteolin-4'-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside) were detected for the first time in the genus Dracocephalum. Their structures were elucidated based on chemical and spectral data. The levels of most of the compounds detected in the cultivated sample were close to that of the wild sample, indicating the reproducibility of the biologically active compounds of D. palmatum through cultivation. Investigation into the biological activity of D. palmatum under in vitro conditions demonstrated that its extracts have a strong antioxidant effect due to the presence of high concentrations of phenolic compounds.

Angelica gigas Nakai and Decursin Downregulate Myc Expression to Promote Cell Death in B-cell Lymphoma.

Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) is an oriental traditional medicine to treat anemia, dysmenorrhea, and migraine. However, its anti-lymphoma effect is yet to be tested. Here, we demonstrated that AGN and its major component decursin target Myc to suppress lymphomagenesis in vitro and in vivo. AGN inhibited cell viability in multiple B lymphoma cells, while sparing normal splenocytes and bone marrow cells. Increased cleaved PARP level and caspase 3/7 activity and the repression of survival-promoting AKT/mTOR and MAPK pathways downstream of BCR, were responsible for the pro-apoptotic effects of AGN. We found that Myc, a prominent downstream target of these signaling pathways, contributes to AGN-induced cell death. Moreover, co-treatment with AGN and a Myc inhibitor, JQ1 or 10058-F4 yielded synergistic cytotoxic activities against cancer cells with markedly reduced Myc expression. AGN downregulated Myc expression and suppressed tumorigenesis in Eµ-myc transgenic mice. The proapoptotic activities of AGN were recapitulated by decursin, indicating that the anti-tumor effect of AGN was mainly caused by decursin. These findings suggest that AGN and decursin possess potent anti-lymphoma activity, and combination therapies with AGN/decursin and a Myc inhibitor to target Myc more efficiently could be a valuable avenue to explore in the treatment of B-cell lymphoma.