ABSTRACT
Methanolic extracts of 41 plant species belonging to 27 families used in the traditional medicine in Nepal have been investigated for in vitro antiviral activity against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and influenza virus A by dye uptake assay in the systems HSV-1/Vero cells and influenza virus A/MDCK cells. The extracts of Astilbe rivularis, Bergenia ciliata, Cassiope fastigiata and Thymus linearis showed potent anti-herpes viral activity. The extracts of Allium oreoprasum, Androsace strigilosa, Asparagus filicinus, Astilbe rivularis, Bergenia ciliata and Verbascum thapsus exhibited strong anti-influenza viral activity. Only the extracts of A. rivularis and B. ciliata demonstrated remarkable activity against both viruses.
ABSTRACT
Taxus wallichiana, collected from the Himalayan region of Nepal, yielded, among others, three different endophytic fungi including Sporormia minima, Trichothecium sp., and an unidentified dimorphic fungus. Each was shown to produce paclitaxel in a culture medium. Each of these fungi represents a new report as a paclitaxel producer. The production of paclitaxel was confirmed by an immunoassay that utilized monoclonal antibodies, TLC chromatography as well as high performance liquid chromatography combined with on-line mass spectrometry.
Subject(s)
Fungi/chemistry , Paclitaxel , Plants, Medicinal , Taxus/chemistry , Antibodies, Monoclonal , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Mass Spectrometry , Molecular Structure , Nepal , Paclitaxel/chemistry , Paclitaxel/isolation & purification , Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray IonizationABSTRACT
Two new steroidal alkaloids, (-)-vaganine D (1) [(20S)-20-(N,N-dimethylamino)-3 beta-(senecioylamino)-5 alpha-pregn-16-en-4 beta-yl acetate], and (+)-nepapakistamine A (2) [(20S)-20-(N-methylamino)-3 beta-(tigloylamino)-5 alpha-pregn-16-en-2 beta,4 beta-diacetate], were isolated from the leaves of Sarcococca coriacea. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of their spectral properties. Compounds 1 and 2 were found to be cholinesterase inhibitors.
Subject(s)
Cholinesterase Inhibitors/chemistry , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/pharmacology , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Progesterone/chemistry , Progesterone/pharmacology , Animals , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/isolation & purification , Electrophorus , Horses , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Mass Spectrometry , Nepal , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Progesterone/analogs & derivatives , Spectrophotometry, Infrared , Spectrophotometry, UltravioletABSTRACT
An ethanolic extract of Podocarpus neriifolius D. Don (Podocarpaceae) showed antiproliferative activity against two major tumor cell lines, viz. human HT-1080 fibrosarcoma and murine color 26-L5 carcinoma. Bioassay guided fractionation showed the highest antiproliferative activity in chloroform-soluble fraction. Nagilactone C, the major constituent of this fraction was isolated and characterized by using NMR, IR and FAB-MS spectroscopic methods. Nagilactone C possessed potent antiproliferative activity against human fibrosarcoma and murine colon carcinoma tumor cell lines exhibiting ED50 values of 2.3 and 1.2 microg/ml, respectively. Hence, nagilactone C could be the active constituent present in this plant.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology , Cycadopsida , Diterpenes/pharmacology , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/isolation & purification , Cell Division/drug effects , Diterpenes/chemistry , Diterpenes/isolation & purification , Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor , Humans , Mice , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Tumor Cells, Cultured/drug effectsABSTRACT
[formula: see text] Epicalyxin F (1) and calyxin I (2), two novel diarylheptanoids, were isolated from a residual fraction of an EtOH extract of Alpinia blepharocalyx. Calyxin I (2) represented a new carbon skeleton, and epicalyxin F (1) possessed potent antiproliferative activity toward HT-1080 fibrosarcoma and colon 26-L5 carcinoma with ED50 values of 1.71 and 0.89 microM, respectively.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/isolation & purification , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology , Diarylheptanoids , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Pyrans/isolation & purification , China , Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Seeds/chemistry , Stereoisomerism , Tumor Cells, CulturedABSTRACT
From a Kshara Sutra thread which is used in the therapy of fistula in the Ayurvedic medicinal system, euphol, 3,12-di-O-acetyl-8-O-benzoylingol, 3,12-di-O-acetyl-8-O-tigloylingol, curcumin, p-coumaroylferuloylmethane and di-p-courmaroylmethane were isolated and characterized. In addition, GLC and GC/MS confirmed the presence of euphol, antiquol B, cycloeucalenol and 24-methylene cycloartanol in the thread.