Cytotoxic Triterpenoids from Roots of Actinidia chinensis.

Phytochmical investigation of roots of Actinidia chinensisPlanch. led to the isolation triterpenoids 1 - 16, including a new compound 2α,3α,23,24-tetrahydroxyursa-12,20(30)-dien-28-oic acid (1). Their structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including 1D- and 2D-NMR, HR-ESI mass spectrometry, and by comparison with the literatures. The cytotoxicities of triterpenoids 1 - 16 against a panel of cultured human cancer cell lines (HepG2, A549, MCF-7, SK-OV-3, and HeLa) were evaluated. The new compound 1 exhibited moderate antitumor activities with IC50 values of 19.62 ± 0.81, 18.86 ± 1.56, 45.94 ± 3.62, 62.41 ± 2.29, and 28.74 ± 1.07 µm, respectively. The experiment data might be available to explain the use of roots of A. chinensis to treat various cancers in traditional Chinese medicine.

Two New Chromone Glycosides from the Roots of Saposhnikovia divaricata.

Five chromone glycosides were isolated from the water-soluble portions of 70% EtOH extract of the roots of Saposhnikovia divaricata, including two new chromone glycosides 1 and 2. The structures of the chromone glycosides were identified as (3'S)-3'-O-ß-d-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-d-glucopyranosylhamaudol (1), (2'S)-4'-O-ß-d-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-d-glucopyranosylvisamminol (2), 3'-O-glucopyranosylhamaudol (3), 4'-O-ß-d-glucopyranosylvisamminol (4), and 4'-O-ß-d-glucopyranosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol (5) on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods, and the absolute configurations of the new compounds were elucidated by the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation and acid hydrolysis. The cytotoxic activities of the glycosides 1 - 5 against three human cancer cell lines (PC-3, SK-OV-3, and H460) were evaluated. The result showed that compounds 1 - 5 had weak cytotoxic activities against the human cancer cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 48.54 ± 0.80 - 94.25 ± 1.45 µm.

[Chemical constituents from roots of Actinidia rufa and their cytotoxicity].

To investigate the chemical compounds from the roots of Actinidia rufa, nine compounds were isolated by various column chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Their structures were elucidated as 2α, 3ß, 19α, 23, 24-pentahydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid-28-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1), 2α, 3α, 19α, 24-tetrahydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid-28-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (2), 2α, 3α, 24-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (3), 2α, 3α, 24-trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (4), 2α, 3α, 23, 24-tetrahydroxyurs -12-en-28-oic acid (5), 2α, 3ß, 23, 24-tetrah-ydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (6), 2α, 3ß, 23-trihydroxy-12-en-28-oic acid (7), 2α, 3ß, 23-trihydroxyurs-12, 20(30)-dien-28-oic acid (8), and 2α, 3α, 23-trihydroxyurs-12, 20(30)-dien-28-oic acid (9). Compounds 1 and 2 were isolated from the Actinidia genus for the first time. Compounds 2, 3, and 4 showed cytotoxic activity against human SKVO3 and TPC-1 cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 10.99 to 16.41 µmol•L⁻¹, compounds 3 and 4 have cytotoxic activity against human HeLa cancer cell line with IC50 values of 15.53 and 13.07 µmol•L⁻¹, respectively.

A flavonoid 8-C-glycoside and a triterpenoid cinnamate from Nervilia fordii.

One new flavonoid glycoside (1) and one new triterpenoid cinnamate (2) were isolated from Nervilia fordii. The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by extensive NMR and HRESIMS to be 7-O-ß-d-glucopyranosylapigenin-8-C-ß-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 â†’ 2)-ß-d-glucopyranoside and 24(S/ß)-dihydrocycloeucalenol-3-(Z)-p-hydroxycinnamate, respectively.

Three new cycloartane glycosides from Nervilia fordii.

From the water-soluble extract of the aerial part of herbal plant Nervilia fordii, three new cycloartane glycosides, named as nervisides A (1), B (2), and C (3), were isolated. Their structures were elucidated through a combination of spectroscopic analysis and hydrolysis. At the same time, the new compounds were tested for their cytotoxicities in vitro against human tumor cell lines (CNE, Hep-2, and HepG2) using MTT method.