Sweritranslactone D, a hepatoprotective novel secoiridoid dimer with tetracyclic lactone skeleton from heat-transformed swertiamarin.

Swertia mileensis, known as Qing-Ye-Dan (QYD), has been documented in Chinese Pharmacopoeia to cure hepatitis. Interestingly, its announced main active component, swertiamarin, could not be detected in the decoction, which indicated that the efficacy of QYD might be attributed to heat-transformed products of swertiamarin (HTPS). Further investigation on HTPS led to the isolation of sweritranslactone D (1), a novel secoiridoid dimer possessing a tetracyclic lactone skeleton, with better hepatoprotective activity than N-acetyl-L-cysteine in vitro.

Basal interferon signaling and therapeutic use of interferons in controlling peste des petits ruminants virus infection.

Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) is a morbillivirus which causes severe disease in ruminants. Since interferons (IFNs) serve as the important defense line against viral infection, we have investigated the roles of types I and III IFNs in PPRV infection in vitro. Upon PPRV infection, IFN-λ3 was strongly induced, while IFN-ß and IFN-λ2 were moderately induced at transcriptional level in human embryonic kidney 293 T (HEK293T) cells. Although the transcription of type I and III IFNs were triggered, the production of functional IFN products was not detected. Importantly, the replication of PPRV was strongly inhibited in HEK293T cells treated by the exogenous IFNs (IFN-α-2b, IFN-ß and IFN-λ3). Consistently, these IFNs significantly activate a panel of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). The inhibition of JAK-STAT pathway by JAK I inhibitor can abrogate the anti-PPRV activity of IFNs. Thus, our study shall contribute to better understanding of the complex PPRV-host interactions and provide rationale for therapeutic development of IFN-based treatment against PPRV infection.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Aconitum austroyunnanense W. T. Wang (Ranunculaceae): a medicinal plant endemic to China.

The complete chloroplast (cp) genome of Aconitum austroyunnanense W. T. Wang, a rare and endangered medicinal plant endemic to southwestern China, was sequenced to be 155,818 bp in length, including two inverted repeat (IR, 26,128 bp) regions, one large single-copy region (LSC) and one small single-copy region (SSC) of 86,555 bp and 17,007 bp, respectively. The cp genome has 131 annotated genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, 8 rRNA genes, and a pseudogene (ycf1). The overall GC content of it is 38.1%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the cp genome of A. austroyunnanense is closely related to that of Aconitum hemsleyanum.

DV21 decreases excitability of cortical pyramidal neurons and acts in epilepsy.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders and the administration of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is the most common treatment. Although there are more than 15 AEDs available, a third of epilepsy patients remain refractory to available drugs, so novel effective drugs are needed. Here, we found that DV21, which is a natural triterpenoid compound extracted from plants of the Asclepiadaceae family, significantly decreased the incidence and stages of seizures in three classical drug-induced acute seizure models in C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, we also found that the antiepileptic effect of DV21 might be partly mediated through reducing the excitability of cortical pyramidal neurons by increasing M current, which are low-threshold non-inactivating voltage-gated potassium currents. Moreover, the application of XE991, an inhibitor of M current, could block most the antiepileptic effect of DV21. Taken together, our results indicated that DV21 might be a novel leading compound for the treatment of epilepsy.

New norditerpenoid alkaloids from Aconitum vilmorinianum Komarov.

Aconitum vilmorinianum Komarov is a local medicinal plant used in many well-known clinical preparations to treat rheumatism and pains in Yunnan Province, China. Phytochemical examination of the roots of A. vilmorinianum led to the isolation of three novel imine-type norditerpenoid alkaloids named vilmorrianines E-G (1-3), and a new natural alkaloid N-desethyl-N-formyl-8-O-methyltalatisamine (4), together with 14 known alkaloids. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. Vilmorrianine E is the first known norditerpenoid alkaloid containing both an imine group and a three-membered ring formed by C8, C9, and C10.

[Chemical constituents of Aconitum bulleyanum].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of chloroform fraction from Aconitum bulleyanum. METHODS: The compounds were isolated by various chromatographic techniques and identified by spectroscopic methods. RESULTS: 7 compounds were obtained and identified as yunaconitine (1), crassicaudine (2), foresaconitine (3), chasmaconitine (4), bulleyaconitine A (5), franchetine (6), and beta-sitosterol (7), CONCLUSION: Compounds 2-7 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Antiviral triterpenoid saponins from the roots of Ilex asprella.

Two new sulfur-containing triterpenoid saponins, asprellanosides A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the roots of Ilex asprella, together with 10 known compounds (3-12). An in vitro anti-HSV-1 activity test of the isolates (1-4, 6-7, and 9-12) showed that only asprellanoside A (1) and oblonganoside H (6) exhibited anti-HSV-1 activity with TIC values of 0.14 and 0.18 mM, respectively.