Four new steroidal glycosides from Lilium lancifolium Thunb. and their antitumor activity.

Four new steroidal glycosides (1-4), including two steroidal saponins named lililancifoloside B and C (1-2), one pregnane glycoside named lililancifoloside D (3), and one C22-steroidal lactone glycoside named lililancifoloside E (4), together with five known ones (5-9), were isolated from the bulbs of Lilium lancifolium Thunb. By using spectroscopic analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS, the structures of 1-4 were elucidated. All isolates were tested for their cytotoxic potential against the MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HepG2, and A549 cell lines. Compound 6 distinguished out among them, IC50 values of 3.31, 5.23, 1.78, and 1.49 µM against the four cell lines, respectively. Other compounds such as compound 3, 5, and 9 have also shown specific cytotoxic activity. Next, studies showed that compound 6 might cause HepG2 cells to undergo a cell cycle arrest during the G2/M phase and apoptosis.

Triterpenoid saponins and phenylpropanoid glycoside from the roots of Ardisia crenata and their cytotoxic activities.

Two new triterpenoid saponins, ardisicrenoside R and S (1 and 2), and one new phenylpropanoid glycoside, ardicrephenin (3), along with five known compounds (4-8), were isolated from roots of Ardisia crenata. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR spectroscopic data and chemical methods. Compounds 2-7 were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against A549, MCF-7, HepG2 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines by MTT assay. Ardicrenin (6) showed significant cytotoxicity, with IC50 values of 1.17 ± 0.01, 1.19 ± 0.06, 3.52 ± 0.23, and 16.61 ± 1.02 µmol·L-1, respectively.

Fast-track multidisciplinary treatment versus conventional treatment for colorectal cancer: a multicenter, open-label randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic surgery, fast-track perioperative treatment and XELOX chemotherapy are effective strategies for shortening the duration of hospital stay for cancer patients. This trial aimed to clarify the safety and efficacy of the fast-track multidisciplinary treatment (FTMDT) model compared to conventional surgery combined with chemotherapy in Chinese colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: This trial was a prospective randomized controlled study with a 2 × 2 balanced factorial design and was conducted at six hospitals. Patients in group 1 (FTMDT) received fast-track perioperative treatment and XELOX adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients in group 2 (conventional treatment) received conventional perioperative treatment and mFOLFOX6 adjuvant chemotherapy. Subgroups 1a and 2a had laparoscopic surgery and subgroups 1b and 2b had open surgery. The primary endpoint was total length of hospital stay during treatment. RESULTS: A total of 374 patients were randomly assigned to the four subgroups, and 342 patients were finally analyzed, including 87 patients in subgroup 1a, 85 in subgroup 1b, 86 in subgroup 2a, and 84 in subgroup 2b. The total hospital stay of group 1 was shorter than that of group 2 [13 days, (IQR, 11-17 days) vs. 23.5 days (IQR, 15-42 days), P = 0.0001]. Compared to group 2, group 1 had lower surgical costs, fewer in-hospital complications and faster recovery (all P < 0.05). Subgroup 1a showed faster surgical recovery than that of subgroup 1b (all P < 0.05). There was no difference in 5-year overall survival between groups 1 and 2 [87.1% (95% CI, 80.7-91.5%) vs. 87.1% (95% CI, 80.8-91.4%), P = 0.7420]. CONCLUSIONS: The FTMDT model, which integrates laparoscopic surgery, fast-track treatment, and XELOX chemotherapy, was the superior model for enhancing the recovery of Chinese patients with colorectal cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01080547 , registered on March 4, 2010.

Two new steroidal saponins isolated from Anemarrhena asphodeloides.

Two new steroidal saponins, named timosaponin P (1) and timosaponin Q (2), were isolated from the rhizome parts of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge using various chromatographic methods. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic and spectrometric data, including 1D, 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS and ECD calculations, and this is the first time the absolute configuration of C-23 of steroidal saponin was confirmed by ECD calculations.

New phenolic acids from Salvia yunnanensis C.H.Wright.

Two new phenolic acids, ethyl pro-lithospermate (1), n-butyl pro-lithospermate (2) were isolated from Salvia yunnanensis C.H.Wright, along with nineteen known compounds (3-21). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectrometry and by comparing their physical and spectroscopic data to the literature. Among them, compounds 11, 12 and 14-16 were firstly isolated from S. yunnanensis C.H.Wright. Some of the isolated compounds were evaluated for their neuroprotection. Compounds 10-12 showed significant neuroprotective effects in PC12 cells and compounds 1, 4-7 displayed moderate neuroprotective effects.

[Steroidal saponins and their pharmacological activities in Solanum plants].

The genus Solanum which is the largest genus in Solanaceae consists of more than 2 000 species, most of them are distributed in tropics and subtropics areas, and only a small amount in temperate regions throughout the world. Steroidal saponins could be found in many species of the Solanum, and they are an important group of natural products exhbiting a number of potent beneficent properties, such as anti-tumor, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and antihyperlipidemic effects. As supplement, this paper gives a review of different structural categories of steroidal saponins and their pharmacological effects from the solanum plants over the past decade, and it is intended to provide a point of reference for further research on steroidal saponins in Solanum plants.

Salvianolic acids T and U: a pair of atropisomeric trimeric caffeic acids derivatives from root of Salvia miltiorrhiza.

Two new trimeric caffeic acids, named salvianolic acids T and U (1 and 2), were isolated from the underground part of Salvia miltiorrhiza. Their structures, consisting of three caffeic acid units, were determined based on extensive 1D- and 2D-spectroscopic analyses and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations.

Constituents from the heartwoods of Osmanthus armatus.

A new ester, armatuside (1), along with 13 known compounds (2-14), were obtained from the ethanolic extract of the heartwoods of Osmanthus armatus. The structures of all compounds were deduced using 1D, and 2D NMR spectroscopic methods. The absolute configuration of 1 was deduced by chemical correlation with a known compound. Compounds 2-14 were isolated from the plant for the first time.

Triterpenoid saponins from Dianthus versicolor.

Seven new pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins, named dianversicosides A-G (1-7), together with nine known compounds, were isolated from the aerial parts of Dianthus versicolor. The structures of 1-7 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical evidence. The absolute configuration of the 3-hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl (HMG) group in 1-4 was ascertained by chemical analysis combined with a chiral HPLC method. Cytotoxic activities of the isolated compounds were evaluated against a small panel of cancer and other cell lines.

Three new pentasaccharide resin glycosides from the roots of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas).

Three new pentasaccharide resin glycosides, batatosides III-V (1-3), were isolated from the roots of Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). Saponification of the crude resin glycoside mixture yielded substituents and simonic acid B. The structures of the isolated compounds (1-3) were established through spectroscopic analyses, including high field NMR spectroscopy and HR-ESI-MS, and chemical correlation. The major characteristics of 3 are the presence of three different substituents, especially the substituent of cinnamic acid was seldom. The monosaccharides of 1-3 were proved by GC-MS and the absolute configuration of aglycone was further established as S by Mosher's method with R-methyloxyphenylacetic acid (MPA) and S-MPA.