Hosimosines A-E, structurally diverse cytisine derivatives from the seeds of Ormosia hosiei Hemsl. et Wils.

Ormosia hosiei Hemsl. et Wils (Fabaceae family) is an arbor species endemic to China. The seeds of O. hosiei have been used as traditional Chinese medicine to treat hernia, abdominal pain, blood stasis and amenorrhea. Cytisine-like and angustifoline type alkaloids were main components identified from this plant. In our research on the bioactive alkaloids from the promising Chinese medicinal plants, four new angustifoline type alkaloids (1-4) and a new cytisine-like alkaloid (5), named hosimosine A-E, together with 13 known analogues (6-18) were isolated from the seeds of O. hosiei. Their structures were elucidated by the extensive spectroscopic methods, especially the interpretation of NMR spectra and specific rotations, along with the methods of NMR and ECD calculation. Compounds 1-4 were identified as two pairs of epimers, whose relative configurations were deduced from density functional theory (DFT) calculations of NMR chemical shifts and DP4+ analysis, and absolute configurations were determined by comparison of their experimental and theoretical ECD spectra. Compound 5 displayed two sets of NMR data caused by the existence of tautomeric forms. Compounds 14, 17 and 18 were determined to be enantiomers of literature compounds. Some of the isolates exhibited moderate cytotoxic effects against HepG2, A2780 and MCF-7 cells.

[Estimation of effects of liuwei Dihuang Wan on anti-inflammation in rat by HPLC-UV based metabonomic method].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the possibility of estimating the anti-inflammation effect of Liuwei Dihuang Wan (LWW) in rat by having developed HPLC-UV metabonomic technology. METHOD: The hydrophilic or lipophilic constituent group of LWW was extracted by distilled water or acetic ether respectively. The anti-inflammation effects of different LWW dosages and extractions were measured by traditional method respectively. Then, metabonomic analysis was performed. RESULT: The high dosage of LWW extraction (16.5 g x kg(-1))could inhibit the swell of rat palm significantly, but there are not statistically significant effect of low dosage group. Nevertheless, the metabonomic study showed that LWW extraction could restore obviously the rat HPLC-UV urinary profiling disturbed by inflammation in low dosage, especially the hydrophilic constituent group. CONCLUSION: Our study indicated that the developed metabonomic technology based on HPLC-UV might be used as a potentially powerful tool for estimating the anti-inflammation effect of LWW with sensitivity and integrity.