Structurally diverse amides from Chloranthus henryi var. hupehensis and their anti-inflammatory activities by blocking Akt phosphorylation.

Eleven new amides, four racemic pairs of (±)-chlorahupetamides A, B, D, E (1, 2, 4, 5) and chlorahupetamides C, F, G (3, 6, 7), have been isolated from Chloranthus henryi var. hupehensis. Compounds 1-3 are the first naturally occurring dimers via an unprecedented [2 + 2] cycloaddition derived from two dissimilar cinnamic acid amides, while compounds 4 and 5 represent the first examples of lignanamides in Chloranthus; together with two new hydroxycinnamic acid amide monomers (6-7), these compounds were obtained. Their structures were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electronic circular dichroism (ECD), and X-ray diffraction analysis. Meanwhile, an LPS-induced BV-2 cell inflammatory model was used to determine the potential anti-inflammatory activity of all the isolated compounds. Intriguingly, compound -1 treatment showed a much greater inhibition of TNF-α expression with an EC50 value of 1.80 µM, while compound + 1 had more advantages in reducing IL-1ß expression with an EC50 value of 19.93 µM. Moreover, compounds + 1 and -1 could significantly suppress inflammation and inhibit the Akt signaling pathway by decreasing the phosphorylated protein levels of Akt.

Novel sesquiterpenoid glycosides and sesquiterpenes from the roots of Illicium henryi.

Seven new sesquiterpenoid glycosides, consisting of one thapsan-type (1), two capnellane-type (2 and 3), four floridanolide sesquiterpene glycosides (4-7), and one new azulene-type sesquiterpene (8), along with six known sesquiterpenes (9-14) were isolated from the roots of Illicium henryi. The structures of 1-8 were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses and chemical methods. The absolute configurations of 1, 2, and 8 were determined based on Rh2(OCOCF3)4-induced CD, Mo2(OAc)4-induced CD data, and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD), respectively. Compound 1 was found to exhibit weak neurotoxicant activity.

Modification of chitosan membrane with poly(vinyl alcohol) and biocompatibility evaluation.

This work aimed to overcome chitosan (CS) membrane' drawbacks: mainly stiffness and hydrophobic surface by adding poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and evaluate their biocompatibility. The chemical structure, crystalline and thermal properties were studied by FT-IR, XRD and DSC. The mechanical properties and wettability of CS/PVA membranes were studied by tensile test and static contact angle measurement. In vitro biocompatibility was also evaluated by MTS cytotoxicity assay and SEM examination. The results suggest that adding PVA into CS membrane could greatly improve CS membrane's flexibility and wettability. All the membranes prepared were biocompatible and have potential applications in GTR technology.