Isolation of triterpenoid saponins from Medicago sativa L. with neuroprotective activities.

Three new pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins (1-3), together with medicagenic acid (4) were isolated and purified from 70% EtOH extract of Medicago sativa L. by different column chromatographic and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were established by direct interpretation of their spectral data, mainly HR-ESI-MS, 1D-NMR, 2D-NMR, and chemical methods, as well as comparison with literature data. Additionally, all isolates were evaluated for their neuroprotective activities against H2O2-induced damage in human neuroblastoma SHSY5Y cells. As a results, compounds 1 and 2 (67.14% and 73.05%) exhibited potent neuroprotective activities. These findings provide new insights into developing better treatment of neurodegenerative diseases for M. sativa in the future.

Neuroprotective effects of triterpenoid saponins from Medicago sativa L. against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells.

Medicago sativa L. is a forage legume plant widely distributed in all continents. Six new triterpenoid saponins, Medicagosides A-F (1-6) and five known ones (7-11) were isolated from M. sativa. Their structures were determined via HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR analysis. Biologically, all the isolates displayed neuroprotective activities against H2O2-induced damage in SH-SY5Y cells. Among them, compounds 1, 3-5 and 10 exhibited striking neuroprotective activities at 100 µM, restoring cell viability range from 79.66% to 89.03%, relative to 79.46% (100 µM) of Trolox used as the positive control.

Unusual cadinane-type sesquiterpene glycosides with α-glucosidase inhibitory activities from the fruit of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zuuc.

Five novel and rare cadinane-type sesquiterpene glycosides, cornucadinoside A-E (1-5) were isolated from water extract of the fruit of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zuuc.. The new chemical structures, together with their absolute configurations, were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, including a comparison of their experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Their structures, which possess a naphthalene skeleton, are the first report on the occurrence of cadinane sesquiterpene glycosides in Cornus. Additionally, all the compounds exhibited marked α-glucosidase inhibitory activity except for 3in vitro.

Daturanolide A-C, Three New Withanolides from Datura metel L. and Their Cytotoxic Activities.

Three new withanolides (1-3), named as daturanolide A-C, along with six known withanolides (4-9) were isolated from the flowers of Datura metel L. Their structures with absolute configurations were elucidated by a series of spectroscopic methods, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) analyses, and X-ray crystallography. All the isolates were evaluated for cytotoxicity against five human cancer cell lines (HCT116, U87-MG, NCI-H460, BGC823, and HepG2), and 6 exhibited marked cytotoxicity.

Cytotoxic clerodane diterpenoids from Croton crassifolius.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer, and treatment options for HCC are limited. In addition, the discovery of new natural compounds with anti-hepatocarcinoma activity is attracting increasing attention. For this reason, phytochemical investigation of Croton crassifolius led to the isolation of 17 diterpenoids, including three new clerodane diterpenoids, named crassifolius A-C (1-3), along with 14 known ones (4-17). Their structures were established by 1D, 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, detailed calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra and the assistance of quantum chemical predictions (QCP) of 13C NMR chemical shifts. The cytotoxicities of all these compounds against human liver cancer lines (HepG2 and Hep3B) were determined. Among them, compound 1 exhibited good cytotoxicity with IC50 value of 17.91µM against human liver tumor cells Hep3B. Following further studies of the anti-tumor mechanism of compound 1-induced cell growth inhibition, we found that compound 1 caused apoptotic cell death in Hep3B cells by detecting morphologic changes and Western blotting analysis.

Coumarins from the bark of Juglans mandshurica exhibited anti-hepatoma activities via inducing apoptosis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer, has high morbidity and mortality rates, and its prognosis is poor. The treatment options of HCC are limited by the lack of effective chemotherapy. Therefore, looking for effective drugs with little toxicity is very urgent. The aim of this study was to search for small molecule targeting on liver cancer from Juglans mandshurica, which has been used to treat cancers for a long time in China. Under the guide of anti-hepatoma activity, a new coumarin (1), together with eight reported analogs (2‒9), was isolated from the 75% EtOH extract. The structures of these compounds were determined by 1D and 2D NMR experiments. The absolute configuration of 1 was established by comparison of experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. The in vitro cytotoxicity experiments on two liver cancer cell lines (HepG2 and Hep3B) showed that compounds 2 and 5 had moderate antitumor activities on both cell lines. And further studies of antitumor mechanisms by the observation of morphological changes and Western blot analyses exhibited that induction of apoptosis might be a possible way that inhibited cell growth.

A rapid extraction and analysis method for the simultaneous determination of 26 bioflavonoids in Portulaca oleracea L.

INTRODUCTION: Portulaca oleracea L. (P. oleracea, purslane) is an edible plant that is widely distributed around the world, and flavonoids are its main bioactive constituents. Therefore, the detection of flavonoids is very important for a better understanding of its pharmacological actions and to monitor the product quality control of P. oleracea. OBJECTIVE: To develop a rapid method to extract and determine 26 bioflavonoids in P. oleracea, based on microwave extraction (MWE) and triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry. METHODS: The optimal conditions of MWE for the extraction of flavonoids from P. oleracea involved the use of methanol as the extraction solvent, a microwave power of 300 W, an extraction time of 450 s, and a solvent-to-solid ratio of 30 mL/g. The samples were analysed using an ultra-performance liquid chromatograph coupled with a triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS) system. RESULTS: The calibration curves of all 26 analytes showed good linearity (r ≥ 0.999) and the intra- and interday precisions and repeatability were all within required limits. The mean recoveries measured at three concentrations were higher than 94.2%, with RSDs lower than 2.94% for the targets. CONCLUSION: The established MWE/UPLC-MS/MS method is a rapid and effective method for quality evaluation of P. oleracea from different production regions and different harvest periods.

Two new alkaloids from Portulaca oleracea and their cytotoxic activities.

Two new alkaloids named (3R)-3,5-bis(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-2(1H)-pyridinone (1) and 1,5-dimethyl-6-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-1,2,4-triazin-3(2H)-one (2), together with two known compounds (7'R)-N-feruloyl normetanephrine (3) and N-trans-feruloyl tyramine (4) were isolated from the air-dried aerial parts of Portulaca oleracea L. Their structures and configurations were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including 1D NMR, 2D NMR, and HR-MS techniques. In addition, compounds 1-4 were tested for in vitro cytotoxic activities against human lung (K562 and A549) and breast (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-435) cancer cell lines.

Two new compounds from Crataegus pinnatifida and their antithrombotic activities.

One new sesquiterpene, (1α,4aß,8aα)-1-isopropanol-4a-methyl-8-methylenedecahydronaphthalene (1), with one new phenylpropanoid, threo-2-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-ethoxypropan-1-ol (2), along with four known phenylpropanoids were isolated from Crataegus pinnatifida. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of 1D, 2D NMR analyses, and HR-ESI-MS. The antithrombotic activity in vitro of all isolates was assayed, and only compound 1 exhibited potent antithrombotic activity by inhibiting platelet aggregation in rat plasma by 81.4% at 1 mg/ml.

Two new glycosides from the fruits of Forsythia suspense.

Two new glycosides suspensaside C (1) and 2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-jacaranone-4-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (2), together with four known compounds suspensaside A (3), rengynic acid-1'-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (4), forsythoside A (5), and rengynic acid (6), were isolated from the fruits of Forsythia suspense (Thunb.) Vahl. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectral analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR analyses and HR-ESI-MS. All isolates were tested for their cytotoxicities against five human cancer cell lines (A549, Colo-205, Hep-3B, HL60, and KB). Compound 3 exhibited cytotoxicity against HL-60, Hep-3B, and A549 cancer cell lines.

Caffeoylquinic acids protect against alcoholic liver injury and rare C10 acetylenic acids from Erigeron breviscapus.

Three new compounds (1-2, 4) along with ten known ones (3, 5-13), were isolated from the whole plant of Erigeron breviscapus. Compounds 1 and 2, two novel C10 acetylenic acids and compound 4, a jasmone glucoside were elucidated by the detailed analysis of 1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS spectra, and experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD). Compounds 1-3 represent the first example of acetylenic acids incorporating C10 skeleton from E. breviscapus. In addition, the antioxidant effects of all compounds were evaluated by ferric reducing power, 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate acid) (ABTS) and 2.2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assays. Our results indicated the significant antioxidant activity of caffeoylquinic acids. Additionally, compounds 10-11 and 13 played protective role on alcoholic liver injury cells in a dose-dependent manner.

Study on characterization of Bupleurum chinense polysaccharides with antioxidant mechanisms focus on ROS relative signaling pathways and anti-aging evaluation in vivo model.

This study explored the structures of three polysaccharides from Bupleurum chinense DC. (BCPRs), and evaluated their antioxidant and anti-aging properties. The HPGPC and ion chromatography analyses revealed that the molecular weights of the BCPRs ranged from 12.05 to 21.20 kDa, and were primarily composed of rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, galactose, glucose and galacturonic acid. Methylation and NMR studies identified 10 PMAAs, establishing the various backbones of BCPRs 1-3. BCPR-3 demonstrated potent antioxidant activities, including DPPH, ABTS, hydroxy, and superoxide radicals scavenging in vitro. At concentrations between 125 and 500 µg/mL, BCPR-3 increased T-AOC, SOD and GSH-Px activities, while decreasing MDA levels in H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, RNA-seq results indicated that BCPR-3 considerably downregulated the expression of 49 genes and upregulated five genes compared with the control group. KEGG analysis suggested that these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were predominantly involved in the TNF and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Furthermore, in vivo experiment with Drosophila melanogaster showed that BCPR-3 could extend the average lifespan of flies. In conclusion, polysaccharides from B. chinense exhibited potential antioxidant and anti-aging activities, which could be developed as new ingredients to combat oxidative stress damage and slow the aging process.

Steroidal saponins from Anemarrhena asphodeloides.

Two new steroidal saponins, named anemarnoside A and anemarnoside B, along with three known compounds, timosaponin J, timosaponin B II, and timosaponin B, have been isolated from Anemarrhena asphodeloides. Their structures were established by spectroscopic techniques (IR, MS, 1D NMR, and 2D NMR) and by comparison with published data.

Prenylated flavonoids with significant anti-hepatoma activity from Daphne giraldii and effects on Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 (FGFR1).

We report here the orchestration of molecular ion networking (MoIN) and a set of computational and informatics assisted structural elucidation approaches in the discovery of 23 new prenyl-flavonoids and 13 known molecules from Daphne giraldii Nitsche (Thymelaeaceae), some of which possess significant bioactivity against hepatoma carcinoma. Daphnegiratriprenylone A (DPTP-A) represents the class of polyprenyl-flavonoids possessing a triprenyl substitution, and was identified with the guidance of mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance combined with computational approaches. This approach illustrates a paradigm shift in the application of computational tools for the direct assignment of new natural product structures and it was demonstrated to be reliable compared to conventional 2D-NMR techniques. Seventeen compounds exhibited potent and selective activity against Hep3B cells (IC50 ranging from 0.42 to 7.08 µM). Tyrosine kinase FGFR1 has emerged as a potential target of polyprenyl-flavonoids by a reverse pharmacophore mapping approach. We validated that the prenyl-flavonoids effectively inhibit FGFR1 using the Mobility Shift Assay, Western blot and molecular dynamics simulations, and the results suggest significant potency of the compounds towards FGFR1. These findings provide a new chemical class with strong links to traditional medicines, possessing reasonable safety for developing potential therapeutic agents for FGFR1-related diseases.

Isolation of antithrombotic phenolic compounds from the leaves of Crataegus pinnatifida.

Four novel phenolic compounds (1-4) were isolated from the leaves of Crataegus pinnatifida, along with three known ones (5-7). Their structures were elucidated as: methyl 4-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-3-[(2E,6E)-8-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienyl] benzoate (1), biphenyl-5-ol-3-O-ß-D-glucoside (2), 3,4'-dimethoxy-biphenyl-5-ol-4-O-ß-D-glucoside (3), (E)-6-(benzoyloxy)-1-hydroxyhex-3-en-2-O-ß-D-glucoside (4), shanyenoside A (5), eriodectyol (6), and 2″-O-rhamnosyl vitexin (7), using a combination of mass spectroscopy, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, and chemical analysis. The antithrombotic activity of the isolated compounds was investigated on the transgenic zebra fish system. Among them, eriodectyol (6) potently inhibited the production of thrombus.

Network pharmacology-based approach to investigate the mechanisms of Zingiber officinale Roscoe in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are chronic neurological disorders associated with cognitive or motor dysfunction. As a common spice, Zingiber officinale Roscoe has been used as a medicine to treat a variety of NDDs. However, at the molecular level, the mechanisms of Z. officinale in treating of NDDs have not been deeply investigated. In this study, network pharmacology method, molecular docking, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were used to predict the mechanisms of Z. officinale in the treatment of NDDs. After a series of biological information analyses, five core targets were obtained, including heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT), and metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5). Compounds 75, 68, 46, 67, 69, 49, 66, 50, 34, and 64 were identified as the main components of Z. officinale in the treatment of NDDs. The crucial pathways mainly include neuroactive ligand-receptor signaling pathways, cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling pathways, dopamine synaptic signaling pathways, and so on. Besides, in vitro experiments by AChE inhibitory activities assay and neuroprotective activities against H2 O2 -induced injury in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells validated the reliability of the results of network analysis. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Zingiber officinale Roscoe is widely used as a traditional spice and herbal medicine. It contains a number of active ingredients, which have shown activities on anti-neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). In this paper, the potential mechanism of Z. officinale in the treatment of NDDs is explored through network pharmacology, and it was verified by in vitro experiments. The mechanism was not only clarified at the system level but also proved to be effective at the biological level. The results can be used as a reference for Z. officinale in the treating of NDDs.

Anti-inflammatory triterpenes from the leaves of Rosa laevigata.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of an EtOAc extract of the leaves of Rosa laevigata afforded two new 19-oxo-18,19-seco-ursane-type triterpenes (1 and 3), a new ursane-type nortriterpene (2), a new ursane-type triterpene lactone saponin (4), and two new oleanane-type triterpenoids (5 and 6), together with eight known triterpenoids (7-14). Compound 1, a 19-oxo-18,19-seco-28-norursane, possesses a conjugated diene between C-12 and C-17. Several of the isolated compounds (1, 5, 7, 11, and 13) exhibited moderate activities in anti-inflammatory assays in vitro.

Terpenoids and hexenes from the leaves of Crataegus pinnatifida.

Crataegus pinnatifida have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine and European herbal medicine, and are widely consumed as food, in the form of juice, drink, jam and canned fruit. Four new compounds, a sesquiterpene and its glycoside (1-2), two monoterpene glycosides (3-4), together with eight known compounds (5-12), were isolated from the leaves of C. pinnatifida. Their structures were elucidated as (5Z)-6-[5-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2-methyltetrahydrofuran-2-yl]-3-methylhexa-1,5-dien-3-ol (1), (5Z)-6-[5-(2-O-ß-d-glucopyranosyl-propan-2-yl)-2-methyl tetrahydrofuran-2-yl]-3-methylhexa-1,5-dien-3-ol (2), 5-ethenyl-2-[2-O-ß-d-glucopyranosyl-(1″→6')-ß-d-glucopyranosyl-propan-2-yl]-5-methyltetrahydrofuran-2-ol (3), 4-[4ß-O-ß-d-xylopyranosyl-(1″→6')-ß-d-glucopyranosyl-2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl]-butan-2-one (4), (Z)-3-hexenyl O-ß-d-glucopyranosyl-(1″→6')-ß-d-glucopyranoside (5), (Z)-3-hexenyl O-ß-d-xylopyranosyl-(1″→6')-ß-d-glucopyranoside (6), (Z)-3-hexenyl O-ß-d-rhamnopyranosyl-(1″→6')-ß-d-glucopyranoside (7), (3R,5S,6S,7E,9S)-megastiman-7-ene-3,5,6,9-tetrol (8), (3R,5S,6S,7E,9S)-megastigman-7-ene-3,5,6,9-tetrol9-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside (9), (6S,7E,9R)-6,9-dihydroxy-4,7-megastigmadien-3-one 9-O-[ß-d-xylopyranosyl-(1″→6')-ß-d-glucopyranoside] (10), Linarionoside C (11), and (3S,9R)-3,9-dihydroxy-megastigman-5-ene 3-O-primeveroside (12), using a combination of mass spectroscopy, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and chemical analysis. Cytotoxicity of the new compounds was assayed against selected human glioma (U87) cell lines.

Structural characteristics of Medicago Sativa L. Polysaccharides and Se-modified polysaccharides as well as their antioxidant and neuroprotective activities.

Medicago Sativa L., a nutrient-rich plant used as feed for cattle and sheep, is widely planted globally. This study investigated the structural characteristics and activities of three kinds of novel polysaccharides (APS1, APS2 and APS3) isolated from the stems of M. sativa as well as its two selenium modified products (Se-APS2 and Se-APS3). APS1 (Mw = 13.4 KDa) and APS2 (Mw = 11.2 KDa) were composed of rhamnose, arabinose, mannose and galactose with different molar ratio, APS3 (Mw = 18.6 KDa) was composed of rhamnose, arabinose, fructose, mannose and galactose. All APS1-3 contained 1 â†’ 3 : 1 â†’ 6 : 1 â†’ 4 : 1 â†’ 2 glycosidic bonds in a ratio of 0.74:0.09:0.05:0.12, 0.34:0.20:0.36:0.10 and 0.63:0.17:0.06:0.14, respectively. The selenium content of Se-APS2 (Mw = 9.0 KDa) and Se-APS3 (Mw = 10.2 KDa) were 1.05 and 2.57 µg/mg, respectively. Their surface morphology and thermal stability were determined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and thermal analysis (TGA), respectively. Further, the antioxidant and neuroprotective activities of the three natural polysaccharides and two Se-polysaccharides were studied. Interestingly, Se-polysaccharides not only exhibited higher antioxidant activity, but also higher neuroprotective activity compared to natural polysaccharides.

Neogenkwanine I from the flower buds of Daphne genkwa with its stereostructure confirmation using quantum calculation profiles and antitumor evaluation.

Neogenkwanine I (1), a new daphnane-type diterpene with 4,7-ether group, along with four known ones (2-5), were isolated from Daphne genkwa. The structure including absolute configurations of 1 was established on the basis of NMR, 13C-NMR and ECD calculations and CD exciton chirality analysis. 13C-NMR and ECD calculations of daphnane-type diterpenes were reported here for the first time. All of the diterpenes were screened for their cytotoxic activities against MCF-7 and Hep3B cell lines. The cytotoxicity structure- activity relationship of compounds was illustrated with the absence of ortho-ester group of daphnane-type diterpenes.