Hedscandines A-C, three undescribed indole alkaloids from Hedyotis scandens with their anti-MRSA activity.

Hedscandines A-C (1-3), three undescribed indole alkaloids were isolated from Hedyotis scandens Roxb, a traditional Chinese medicine widely used in the treatment of respiratory ailments. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data and electronic circular dichroism calculation. Hedscandine A (1), possessed a unique carbon skeleton with a 1,4-oxazonin-2(3H)-one core system and displayed a rapid bactericidal activity against MRSA with a MIC value of 16 µg/mL. Mechanistic studies showed that compound 1 could disrupt the integrity of bacterial cell membranes and thus lead to bacterial death.

Efficacy of physiological seawater nasal irrigation for the treatment of children with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 variant infection: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Saline nasal irrigation is an effective therapy for relieving common cold symptoms. This study aimed to investigate and explore the efficacy of physiological seawater nasal irrigation (PSNI) on children with mild and asymptomatic infection with Omicron. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in Shanghai, China, and 403 children with mild and asymptomatic infection with Omicron were included. These children were allocated into the PSNI group and the control group. The primary outcome was the duration of viral shedding (DVS), and the secondary outcome was the change in clinical symptoms. RESULTS: The median age of all participants was 5.59 (6.26) years old. The DVS was significantly shorter in the PSNI group [2.40 (1.13)] than in the control group [3.09 (2.14)] (P = 0.014). The multivariable Cox regression model also showed that patients in the PSNI group had an increased probability of shorter DVS compared with patients in the control group [hazard ratio (HR), 1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-1.55; P = 0.017]. Subgroup analysis suggested that the DVS of patients without full vaccination was significantly reduced in the PSNI group. The proportions of runny nose and stuffy nose were apparently reduced in the first three days in the PSNI group or the control group, but there was no evidence showing that PSNI contributes to the benefit compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: PSNI can reduce the DVS of patients with mild and asymptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 variant.

Huashi baidu granule in the treatment of pediatric patients with mild coronavirus disease 2019: A single-center, open-label, parallel-group randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background: Since late February 2022, a wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mainly caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant rapidly appeared in Shanghai, China. Traditional Chinese medicine treatment is recommended for pediatric patients; however, the safety and efficacy remain to be confirmed. We conducted a single-center, open-label, parallel-group randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of a Chinese herb compound, Huashi Baidu granule (HSBDG) in pediatric patients with laboratory-confirmed mild COVID-19. Methods: 108 recruited children (aged 3-18 years) with laboratory-confirmed mild COVID-19 were randomly allocated 2:1 to receive oral HSBDG for five consecutive days (intervention group) and to receive compound pholcodine oral solution for five consecutive days (control group). The negative conversion time of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid and symptom scores were recorded. Results: The median negative conversion time of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid was significantly shorter in the intervention group than in the control group (median days [interquartile range (IQR)]: 3 [3-5] vs. 5 [3-6]; p = 0.047). The median total symptom score on day 3 was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (median total symptom score [IQR]: 1 [0-2] vs. 2 [0-3]; p = 0.036). There was no significant differences in the frequency of antibiotic use and side effects between the two groups. Conclusion: HSBDG is a safe, effective oral Chinese herbal compound granule, which shows a good performance within the Omicron wave among pediatric patients.

Anti-ischemic Effect of Monoterpene Citronellol on Experimental Stroke Models Mediated by Pro-inflammatory Cytokines.

BACKGROUND: Phytomedicines are proven to treat various chronic diseases as these compounds are cost-effective with few or no side effects. Elucidating the ameliorative effect of phytomedicine on cerebral ischemia may be a potent alternative therapy. Citronellol, a monoterpene alcohol, is one such phyto compound present in the essential oils of Cymbopogon nardus and Pelargonium geraniums and has immense pharmacological properties such as antihyperalgesic, anticonvulsant and antinociceptive. OBJECTIVE: In the present work, the anti-ischemic effect of citronellol in both cellular and animal models of stroke was analyzed. METHODS: Citronellol-pretreated SH-SY5Y cells were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion. The cells were assessed for cell viability and LDH quantification. Inflammatory cytokines were estimated in the cell lysate of citronellol pretreated OGD-R induced cells. Healthy young SD rats were pretreated with citronellol and induced with MCAO-R. The control group was comprised of sham-operated rats treated with saline. Group II was comprised of MCAO/R-induced untreated rats. Groups III and IV rats were previously treated with 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg citronellol, respectively, for 7 consecutive days and induced with MCAO/R. Brain edema was analyzed by quantifying the water content and the percentage of infarct was assessed using the TTC staining technique. Acetylcholinesterase activity and neurological scoring were performed to assess the neuroprotective activity of citronellol. Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant levels were quantified to evaluate the antioxidant activity of citronellol. The anti-inflammatory activity of citronellol was assessed by quantifying proinflammatory cytokines using commercially available ELISA kits. RESULTS: Citronellol treatment significantly ameliorated neuronal damage in both cellular and animal stroke models. Prior treatment of citronellol significantly decreased the inflammatory cytokines and increased the antioxidants. Citronellol treatment effectively protected the rats from MCAO/R-induced brain edema. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm that citronellol is an effective anti-ischemic drug with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Seasonal Variation Characteristics and the Factors Affecting Plankton Community Structure in the Yitong River, China.

To explore how environmental factors affected the plankton structure in the Yitong River, we surveyed the water environmental factors and plankton population in different seasons. The results showed high total nitrogen concentrations in Yitong River throughout the year, while the total phosphorus, water temperature (WT), and chemical oxygen demand in summer were significantly higher than those in other seasons (p < 0.05), and the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and TN/TP ratio were significantly lower (p < 0.01) than those in other seasons. There was no significant seasonal change in other environmental factors. Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, and Bacillariophyta were the main phytoplankton phylum, while Protozoa and Rotifera were the main zooplankton phylum. The abundance and biomass of zooplankton and phytoplankton in the summer were higher than those in other seasons. Non-Metric Multidimensional scaling methods demonstrated obvious seasonal variation of phytoplankton in summer compared to spring and winter, while the seasonal variation of the zooplankton community was not obvious. The results of the redundancy analysis showed that WT, DO and nitrate nitrogen were the main environmental factors affecting phytoplankton abundance. In contrast to environmental factors, phytoplankton was the main factor driving the seasonal variation of the zooplankton community structure. Cyanophyta were positively correlated with the changes in the plankton community.

Climatotherapy for asthma: Research progress and prospect.

Asthma affects over 300 million people globally and is a cause of substantial burden of disease, including both premature death and reduced quality of life in people of all ages. Although both genetic and environmental factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma, the rising trend of asthma and other allergic diseases over recent decades is thought to be largely caused by alteration in environmental conditions. Thus, a considerable amount of attention has been paid to environmental modification for the treatment and management of asthma, including household allergen reduction and/or irritant removal. More advanced environmental modification strategies (e.g., health resort medical rehabilitation, high-altitude climate therapy and multiple-hit interventions) have also been suggested. Research advances have been made over the past decades, but major challenges and opportunities coexist in this emerging field. Concerted efforts are required to tackle these formidable challenges.

Efficacy and safety of Qinxiang Qingjie oral solution for the treatment of influenza in children: a randomized, double-blind, multicenter clinical trial.

Background: Qinxiang Qingjie (QXQJ), an oral solution containing various Chinese herbs, is indicated for pediatric upper respiratory tract infections. The treatment of influenza also shows potential advantages in shortening the duration of illness and improving symptoms. However, there is still a lack of high-quality clinical evidence to support this. The trial was to explore the efficacy and safety of QXQJ for treating pediatric influenza and provide an evidence-based basis for expanding its applicability. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, positive-controlled, multicenter clinical trial was conducted in 14 hospitals in China. Children aged 1-13 years with influenza and "exterior and interior heat syndromes" as defined by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) were randomly assigned to two groups with 1:1 radio. Children in the test group received QXQJ oral solution and oseltamivir simulant, while the control group received oseltamivir phosphate granules and QXQJ simulant. The duration of treatment was five days, followed by a two-day follow-up period. The primary endpoint was the clinical recovery time. Secondary endpoints included the time to defervescence, incidences of complications and severe or critical influenza, negative conversion rate, improvement of TCM syndromes, and safety profiles of the therapeutics, which mainly contained the adverse clinical events and adverse drug reactions. Results: A total of 231 children were randomized to either the QXQJ (n=117) or oseltamivir (n=114) group. The FAS and PPS results showed that both groups experienced a median clinical recovery time of three days (P>0.05). The median time to defervescence of both groups were 36 hours in FAS and PPS (P>0.05), and two groups did not differ in terms of the other secondary endpoints (P>0.05). 14 patients (12.39%) in the QXQJ group and 14 patients (12.50%) in the oseltamivir group reported at least one adverse event, respectively. One serious adverse event occurred in the QXQJ group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events or adverse drug reactions between the groups. Conclusions: The efficacy of QXQJ oral solution was comparable to that of oseltamivir for treating influenza in children, with an acceptable safety profile. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900021060.

[Mechanism of Liangfu Pills in treatment of functional dyspepsia: based on network pharmacology and experimental verification].

This study aims to explore the potential mechanism of Liangfu Pills in the treatment of functional dyspepsia(FD) based on network pharmacology and molecular docking, and verify the mechanism by animal experiment. The active components of Liangfu Pills were screened from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP), and the targets of Liangfu Pills were predicted by SwissTargetPrediction. The targets of FD were retrieved from GeneCards. On this basis, the common targets of the disease and the pills were yielded and the protein interaction was retrieved based on STRING. The core targets were screened out, followed by Gene Oncology(GO) term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis with DAVID. Finally, molecular docking was carried out with the help of AutoDock Tools to predict the binding degree between the effective components of Liangfu Pills and core targets. A total of 19 active components of Liangfu Pills and 591 FD-related targets were screened out by network pharmacology, of which 253 were common targets of the disease and the prescription. Liangfu Pills was mainly involved in the biological processes of response to drug, negative regulation of transcription, positive regulation of apoptotic process, and cell surface receptor signaling pathway, and the KEGG pathways of hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1) signaling pathway, serotonergic synapse, tumor necrosis factor(TNF) signaling pathway, cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP) signaling pathway, calcium signal pathway, and inflammatory mediator regulation of transient receptor potential(TRP) channels. The results of molecular docking showed that the key active components of Liangfu Pills had certain binding activity to the targets mitogen-activated protein kinase 1(MAPK1), protein kinase B(AKT1), transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1(TRPV1), 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1 A(HTR1 A), and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2 A(HTR2 A). FD was induced in rats, and then Liangfu Pills was given to FD rats for 7 days. The results showed that Liangfu Pills could significantly relieve the symptoms of FD rats, significantly increase the expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), and down-regulate the expression of TRPV1. Through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental verification, this study proved that Liangfu Pills improved FD through multiple components and multiple targets. The result lays a basis for further research on the mechanism and clinical application of Liangfu Pills in the treatment of FD.

Effect of Ulinastatin Combined with Xingnaojing Injection on Severe Traumatic Craniocerebral Injury and Its Influence on Oxidative Stress Response and Inflammatory Response.

OBJECTIVE: This study is aimed at exploring the effect of ulinastatin combined with Xingnaojing injection on severe traumatic craniocerebral injury and its influence on oxidative stress response and inflammatory response in patients. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with severe traumatic craniocerebral injury admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to January 2020 were selected and equally assigned into a study group (50 cases) and a control group (50 cases) according to a random sampling method. Patients in study group received treatment of ulinastatin combined with Xingnaojing injection, while those in control group were treated with ulinastatin only. The study compared the two groups on the oxidative stress response, inflammatory response, the therapeutic effect, and the incidence rate of adverse reactions. RESULTS: It is observed that patients in study group obtained lower levels of free cortisol (FC) and norepinephrine (NE) in the serum and higher level of total thyroxine (TT4) after treatment compared with those in control group with significant difference (P < 0.05); in the meantime, they were examined to have significantly fewer oxidative stress response products, lower serum inflammatory factor level, and serum indicator levels of craniocerebral injury as opposed to those in control group, suggesting significant differences (P < 0.05); study group demonstrated higher treatment response rate and lower incidence rate of adverse reactions compared with control group with a significant difference (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study found that ulinastatin combined with Xingnaojing infection has a significant effect in the treatment of severe traumatic craniocerebral injury, which can reduce the degree of craniocerebral injury and the level of inflammatory factors in the serum of patients. It is worthy of being promoted and applied clinically.

Lignans with (N, N-diethyl)methyl amino group from Buxus rugulosa.

Buxrugulosides A-E, four lignan glycosides (1-4) and a protocatechuate derivative (5) featuring a rare (N, N-diethyl)methyl amino group at aromatic rings, were obtained from the aerial parts of Buxus rugulosa, which is famous for treating coronary heart disease. Their structures including absolute configurations were elucidated by HRMS, 1D and 2D NMR, and by comparing their CD data with previous reports. Compound 1 was a rare sesquilignan, and all of these compounds were the first example of lignans with (N, N-diethyl)methyl amino group.

The effect of coenzyme Q10 plus trimetazidine on acute viral myocarditis treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) plus trimetazidine (TMZ) in treating acute viral myocarditis (AVMC) and the combination's influence on the oxidative stress markers and the patients' quality of life (QoL). METHODS: This retrospective analysis enrolled 156 patients with AVMC admitted to the Department of Cardiology of the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between February 2018 and February 2019. Based on the treatment method each patient was administered, the patients were classified into a control group (n=72, CoQ10 therapy) and a combination group (n=84, CoQ10+TMZ therapy). The clinical effectiveness was observed in the two groups two weeks after the treatment, and the changes in the patients' serum inflammatory factor levels, oxidative stress indexes, myocardial enzyme levels, and cardiac function were compared. RESULTS: The combination group had a far superior total effective rate than the control group (90.5% vs. 77.8%, P<0.05). After the treatment, the serum inflammatory factor levels, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and C-reactive protein (CRP), decreased in both groups, and the index levels in the combination group were significantly better than they were in the control group (P<0.05). The oxidative stress indicators, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), improved more significantly in the combination group compared to the control group (P<0.05). The myocardial zymogram creatine kinase (CK), cardiac troponin (cTnI), creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were reduced in the two groups, with lower levels in the combination group. The left ventricular systolic function and the patients' QoL were better in the combination group compared with the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CoQ10 plus TMZ yields a favorable clinical effectiveness in the treatment of AVMC, and it can effectively promote cardiac function recovery, alleviate oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions, and bolster patients' QoL.

Removal and transformation of unconventional air pollutants in flue gas in the cement kiln-end facilities.

To understand the removal and transformation behaviors of unconventional air pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals and carbonyl compounds) in the flue gas in cement kiln-end facilities, including SP boiler, a slide stream SCR-DeNOx system, raw mill and baghouse filter, the gas and particle matter samples at the inlets and outlets of each kiln-end installation were collected and the contents of the unconventional air pollutants were measured. The results showed that the concentrations of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in particulate and gas-phase, heavy metals in the particulate matter were 17.5 µg m-3, 48.7 µg m-3 and 3113.1 µg m-3 at the inlet of the SP boiler, and decreased to 0.6 µg m-3, 17.7 µg m-3 and 39.7 µg m-3, respectively, while the concentrations of carbonyl compounds in gas-phase increased from 1988.5 µg m-3 to 2844.5 µg m-3 after flue gas successively passed through the kiln-end facilities. The cooling of flue gas and the precipitation of coarse particulate matter in the SP boiler resulted in a significant decrease of PAHs concentration in both gas-phase and particulate-phase, as well as the heavy metal concentration in the particulate-phase, while the SP boiler hardly had any influence on the removal and transformation of carbonyl compounds. Grinding and heat exchange in the raw mill accelerated the volatilization of compounds with the low boiling point in the raw meal, which increased concentrations of gas-phase PAHs and carbonyl compounds. When flue gas passed through the baghouse filter, almost all particulate-phase PAHs, heavy metals and most of the gas-phase PAHs, were removed while the carbonyl compounds concentration maintained unchanged. Furthermore, some portion of gas-phase PAHs and carbonyl compounds were removed by the SCR-DeNOx system.

Periconceptional use of cod liver oil, a vitamin D source, could decrease the risk of CHD in offspring.

OBJECTIVE: To explore if there is association between vitamin D supplementation through cod liver oil ingestion around the periconceptional period and the risk of developing severe CHD in offspring. Furthermore, we would examine the interaction between vitamin D and folic acid supplementation in the association. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted in Shanghai Children's Medical Center, in which, a total of 262 severe CHD cases versus 262 controls were recruited through June 2016 to December 2017. All children were younger than 2 years. To reduce potential selection bias and to minimise confounding effects, propensity score matching was applied. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, vitamin D supplementation seemed to be associated with decreased odds ratio of severe CHD (odds ratio = 0.666; 95% confidence intervals: 0.449-0.990) in the multivariable conditional logistic analysis. Furthermore, we found an additive interaction between vitamin D and folic acid supplementation (relative excess risk due to interaction = 0.810, 95% confidence intervals: 0.386-1.235) in the association. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that maternal vitamin D supplementation could decrease the risk of offspring severe CHD; moreover, it could strengthen the protective effect of folic acid. The significance of this study lies in providing epidemiological evidence that vitamin D supplementation around the periconceptional period could be a potential nutritional intervention strategy to meet the challenge of increasing CHD.

[Ecology suitability study of Polygonatum cyrtonema].

Using the 260 geographical distribution records of Polygonatum cyrtonema in China, combined with 53 environmental factors, the maximum entropy modeling(MaxEnt) was used to study the ecological factors affecting the suitability distribution of P. cyrtonema. The ArcGIS software was used to predict the potential distribution of the population of P. cyrtonema. The dominant factors were chosen by using the Jackknife test and the Receiver Operating Characteristic(ROC) curve was used to evaluate the simulation. The results showed that high value of area under curve(AUC) denoted good results, which significantly differed from random predictions. Based on the evaluation criterion, the accuracies of the predictions of P. cyrtonema potential distribution in the current periods were excellent. The main environmental factors affecting the suitable growth of P. cyrtonema were the monthly precipitation, the wettest monthly precipitation, the annual average temperature range and the precipitation of November, March, February, April, May and October. There are 9 environmental factors in soil type. The potential fitness of P. cyrtonema in China is high, mainly concentra-ted in Hunan, western Hubei, Guangdong, northeastern Guangxi, southeastern Guizhou, Jiangxi, southwestern Anhui, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shaanxi, southwestern Henan and Chongqing. The growth distribution of the potential distribution area of P. cyrtonema was divided, and the zoning map of the growth suitability of P. cyrtonema was formed. Through the comparative analysis of the potential distribution range based on MaxEnt and the distribution range of literature records, the understanding of the distribution range of P. cyrtonema was expanded.

Highly oxygenous trichilin-type limonoids from Trichilia sinensis.

Six new trichilin-type limonoids (1-6) with C-19/29 lactol or acetal bridge and a new ring intact limonoid (7) were isolated from the desiccative ripe fruits of Trichilia sinensis. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic methods including 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HSQC, HMBC, ROESY experiments as well as HRESI-MS data. All isolated compounds were evaluated for toxicities against human pulmonary carcinoma A549 and Hela cell lines by sulforhodamine B (SRB) method. Compound 7 showed weak inhibitory activity in Hela cell line at 40 µmol·L-1.

Three resin glycosides isolated from Argyreia acuta, including two isomers.

In the present study, three compounds were isolated from Argyreia acuta, among them, compounds 1 and 2 were new and Compounds 1 and 3 were isomers. They were separated by several types of columns, such as normal phase, RP, size exclusion and preparative HPLC, and their structures were elucidated by several spectroscopic methods, such as 1D- and 2D-NMR and HR-TOF-MS.

Mutual detoxification of mercury and selenium in unicellular Tetrahymena.

Selenium (Se) is commonly recognized as a protective element with an antagonistic effect against mercury (Hg) toxicity. However, the mechanisms of this Hg-Se antagonism are complex and remain controversial. To gain insight into the Hg-Se antagonism, a type of unicellular eukaryotic protozoa (Tetrahymena malaccensis, T. malaccensis) was selected and individually or jointly exposed to two Hg and three Se species. We found that Se species showed different toxic effects on the proliferation of T. malaccensis with the toxicity following the order: selenite (Se(IV))>selenomethionine (SeMeth)>selenate (Se(VI)). The Hg-Se antagonism in Tetrahymena was observed because the joint toxicity significantly decreased under co-exposure to highly toxic dosages of Hg and Se versus individual toxicity. Unlike Se(IV) and Se(VI), non-toxic dosage of SeMeth significantly decreased the Hg toxicity, revealing the influence of the Se species and dosages on the Hg-Se antagonism. Unexpectedly, inorganic divalent Hg (Hg2+) and monomethylmercury (MeHg) also displayed detoxification towards extremely highly toxic dosages of Se, although their detoxifying efficiency was discrepant. These results suggested mutual Hg-Se detoxification in T. malaccensis, which was highly dependent on the dosages and species of both elements. As compared to other species, SeMeth and MeHg promoted the Hg-Se joint effects to a higher degree. Additionally, the Hg contents decreased for all the Hg-Se co-exposed groups, revealing a sequestering effect of Se towards Hg in T. malaccensis.

Trichiconlides CF, four new limonoids with 1,2-seco phragmalin-type carbon skeleton from the fruits of Trichilia connaroides.

Phytochemical investigation of the fruits from Trichilia connaroides led to the isolation of four rare 1,2-seco phragmalin-type limonoids (1-4) with C-7/28 δ-lactone ring along with two known triterpenoids (5-6). An oxygen bridge between C-1 and C-2 formed an rare 9-oxa-tricyclo[3.3.2.17,10]undecane-2-ene moiety in structure of 1 and 2, and 3-4 possessed a bicyclo[5.2.14,10]decane skeleton. Their structures were established based on extensive spectroscopic methods and their absolute configurations of 1 were confirmed by TDDFT/ECD calculation and comparative analysis. Compounds 5-6 showed moderate inhibitory effects on Hela tumor cell lines with inhibition ratio values of 83.8% and 87.1% at concentration 40µM, respectively.

Nigegladines A-C, Three Thymoquinone Dimers from Nigella glandulifera.

Nigegladines A-C (1-3), three thymoquinone dimers, were isolated from the seeds of Nigella glandulifera. Racemic 1 possesses a unique tricyclo[5.4.0.12,6]dodecane carbon skeleton, and compounds 2 and 3 are two unusual diterpenoid alkaloids with indole cores. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analyses, and that of 1 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both (+)-1 and (-)-1 exhibited significant protective effects against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced H9c2 myocardial cell injury.

Four Pentasaccharide Resin Glycosides from Argyreia acuta.

Four pentasaccharide resin glycosides, acutacoside F-I (1-4), were isolated from the aerial parts of Argyreia acuta. These compounds were characterized as a group of macrolactones of operculinic acid A, and their lactonization site of 11S-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid was esterified at the second saccharide moiety (Rhamnose) at C-2. The absolute configuration of the aglycone was S. Their structures were elucidated by established spectroscopic and chemical methods.