A review of antidiabetic active thiosugar sulfoniums, salacinol and neokotalanol, from plants of the genus Salacia.

During our studies characterizing functional substances from food resources for the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases, we isolated the active constituents, salacinol (1) and neokotalanol (4), and related thiosugar sulfoniums, from the roots and stems of the genus Salacia plants [Celastraceae (Hippocrateaceae)] such as Salacia reticulata Wight, S. oblonga Wall., and S. chinensis L., and observed their antidiabetic effects. These plant materials have been used traditionally in Ayurvedic medicine as a specific remedy at the early stage of diabetes, and have been extensively consumed in Japan, the United States, and other countries as a food supplement for the prevention of obesity and diabetes. Here, we review our studies on the antidiabetic effects of plants from the genus Salacia, from basic chemical and pharmacological research to their application and development as new functional food ingredients.

Elongation of the side chain by linear alkyl groups increases the potency of salacinol, a potent α-glucosidase inhibitor from the Ayurvedic traditional medicine "Salacia," against human intestinal maltase.

Four chain-extended analogs (12a-12d) and two related de-O-sulfonated analogs (13a and 13c) by introducing alkyl groups (a: R = C3H7, b R = C6H13, c: R = C8H17, d: R = C10H21) to the side chains of salacinol (1), a natural α-glucosidase inhibitor from Ayurvedic traditional medicine "Salacia", were synthesized. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of all the synthesized analogs were evaluated in vitro. Against human intestinal maltase, the inhibitory activities of 12a and 13a with seven-carbon side chain were equal to that of 1. In contrast, analogs (12b-12d, and 13c) exhibited higher level of inhibitory activity against the same enzyme than 1 and had equal or higher potency than those of the clinically used anti-diabetics, voglibose, acarbose, and miglitol. Thus, elongation of the side chains of 1 was effective for specifically increasing the inhibitory activity against human intestinal maltase.

Total Synthesis of γ-Alkylidenebutenolides, Potent Melanogenesis Inhibitors from Thai Medicinal Plant Melodorum fruticosum.

A hitherto unreported member of γ-alkylidenebutenolides in Melodorum fruticosum (Annonaceae), (4 E)-6-benzoyloxy-7-hydroxy-2,4-heptadiene-4-olide, named as isofruticosinol (4) was isolated from the methanol extract of flowers, along with the known related butenolides, namely, the (4 Z)-isomer (3) of 4, melodrinol (1), and its (4 E)-isomer (2). To unambiguously determine the absolute configuration at the C-6 position in these butenolides, the first total syntheses of both enantiomers of 2-4 were achieved over 6-7 steps from commercially available D- or L-ribose (D- and L-5). Using the same protocol, both enantiomers of 1 were also synthesized. Based on chiral HPLC analysis of all synthetic compounds ( S- and R-1-4), all naturally occurring butenolides were assigned as partial racemic mixtures with respect to the chiral center at C-6 (enantiomeric ratio, 6 S/6 R = ∼83/17). Furthermore, the melanogenesis inhibitory activities of S- and R-1-4 were evaluated, with all shown to be potent inhibitors with IC50 values in the range 0.29-2.9 µM, regardless of differences in the stereochemistry at C-6. In particular, S-4 (IC50 = 0.29 µM) and R-4 (0.39 µM) showed potent inhibitory activities compared with that of reference standard arbutin (174 µM).

In Vitro Regio- and Stereoselective Oxidation of ß-Ionone by Human Liver Microsomes.

The metabolism of the norisoprenoid ß-ionone was investigated in vitro using human liver microsomes and 11 different recombinant cytochrome P450 enzymes expressed in Trichoplusia ni cells. ß-Ionone was found to be oxidized via 4S-hydroxylation by CYP2B6 in human liver microsomes. CYP1A2 also regioselectively catalyzed the hydroxylation of ß-ionone to yield 4-hydroxylation; this conversion was not stereoselective. Further kinetic analysis revealed that CYP2B6 exhibited the highest activity for ß-ionone 4-hydroxylation. Kinetic analysis showed that Km and Vmax for oxidation of ß-ionone by CYP1A2 and CYP2B6 was 107.9 ± 36.0 µM and 3200.3 ± 323.0 nmol/min/nmol P450 and 5.6 ± 1.2 µM and 572.8 ± 29.8 nmol/min/nmol P450, respectively. The reaction rates observed using human liver microsomes and recombinant CYP2B6 were very high compared with those of other CYP2B6 substrates reported thus far. These results suggest that ß-ionone, a norisoprenoid present in nature, is one of the effective substrates for CYP2B enzymes in human liver microsomes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that 4-hydroxy ß-ionone has been described as a human metabolite of ß-ionone.

Total synthesis, structural elucidation and anti-inflammatory activity evaluation of 2-deoxy-3,6-anhydro hexofuranoside derivatives isolated from Sauropus rostratus.

The first total synthesis of four 2-deoxy-3,6-anhydro hexofuranoside derivatives, namely sauropunols (A-D), isolated from the traditional Chinese medicinal plant Sauropus rostratus was accomplished. Structures of sauropunols A and B were clearly elucidated and reassigned. The anti-inflammatory activities of sauropunols (A-D) as well as the synthetic intermediates were evaluated, which is valuable for further structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies on this class of natural products.

Quantitative Determination of Alkaloids in Lotus Flower (Flower Buds of Nelumbo nucifera) and Their Melanogenesis Inhibitory Activity.

A quantitative analytical method for five aporphine alkaloids, nuciferine (1), nornuciferine (2), N-methylasimilobine (3), asimilobine (4), and pronuciferine (5), and five benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, armepavine (6), norarmepavine (7), N-methylcoclaurine (8), coclaurine (9), and norjuziphine (10), identified as the constituents responsible for the melanogenesis inhibitory activity of the extracts of lotus flowers (the flower buds of Nelumbo nucifera), has been developed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The optimum conditions for separation and detection of these 10 alkaloids were achieved on a πNAP column, a reversed-phase column with naphthylethyl group-bonded silica packing material, with CH3CN-0.2% aqueous acetic acid as the mobile phase and using mass spectrometry equipped with a positive-mode electrospray ionization source. According to the protocol established, distributions of these 10 alkaloids in the petal, receptacle, and stamen parts, which were separated from the whole flower, were examined. As expected, excellent correlations were observed between the total alkaloid content and melanogenesis inhibitory activity. Among the active alkaloids, nornuciferine (2) was found to give a carbamate salt (2'') via formation of an unstable carbamic acid (2') by absorption of carbon dioxide from the air.

Hydrophobic substituents increase the potency of salacinol, a potent α-glucosidase inhibitor from Ayurvedic traditional medicine 'Salacia'.

Using an in silico method, seven analogs bearing hydrophobic substituents (8a: Me, 8b: Et, 8c: n-Pent, 8d: n-Hept, 8e: n-Tridec, 8f: isoBu and 8g: neoPent) at the 3'-O-position in salacinol (1), a highly potent natural α-glucosidase inhibitor from Ayurvedic traditional medicine 'Salacia', were designed and synthesized. In order to verify the computational SAR assessments, their α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were evaluated in vitro. All analogs (8a-8g) exhibited an equal or considerably higher level of inhibitory activity against rat small intestinal α-glucosidases compared with the original sulfonate (1), and were as potent as or higher in potency than the clinically used anti-diabetics, voglibose, acarbose or miglitol. Their activities against human maltase exhibited good relationships to the results obtained with enzymes of rat origin. Among the designed compounds, the one with a 3'-O-neopentyl moiety (8g) was most potent, with an approximately ten fold increase in activity against human maltase compared to 1.

Highly Diastereoselective Route to α-Glucosidase Inhibitors, Neosalacinol and Neoponkoranol.

A facile and highly diastereoselective route to potent natural α-glucosidase inhibitors, i.e., neosalacinol (4) and neoponkoranol (6), isolated from the traditional Ayurvedic medicine "Salacia" was developed by intramolecular cyclization of appropriately substituted sulfides (9 and 12).

Total Synthesis of 4,5-Didehydroguadiscine: A Potent Melanogenesis Inhibitor from the Brazilian Medicinal Herb, Hornschuchia obliqua.

The first total synthesis of the 7,7-dimethylaporphinoid, 4,5-didehydroguadiscine (6), originally isolated from the stems and roots of Hornschuchia oblique (Annonaceae), was achieved by the condensation of homopiperonylamine (7) with an α,α-dimethylphenylacetic acid derivative (8) and subsequent Pschorr reaction of the resulting benzylisoquinoline intermediate (22). The reported (13)C NMR data were partially revised on the basis of the analysis of HMBC spectra measured under different conditions. The melanogenesis inhibitory activity (IC50 = 4.7 µM) of 6 was 40 times stronger than that of arbutin (174 µM), which was used as reference standard. Furthermore, 6 was the most potent natural melanogenesis inhibitor within this class of compounds.

Salacinol and related analogs: new leads for type 2 diabetes therapeutic candidates from the Thai traditional natural medicine Salacia chinensis.

The antidiabetic effect of a hot water extract of stems of Salacia chinensis (SCE) was evaluated in vivo in KK-Ay mice, a typical type 2 diabetes mellitus mice model. Administration of CE-2 dietary feed containing 0.25 and/or 0.50% of SCE for three weeks to KK-Ay mice significantly suppressed the elevation of both blood glucose and HbA1c levels without significant changes in body weight or food intake. Glucose tolerance was improved by administration to KK-Ay mice for 27 days of AIN93M purified dietary feed containing 0.12% of SCE. No suppressive effect with respect to HbA1c level was observed when AIN93M/Glc dietary feed in which all digestible glucides were replaced with glucose was administered with SCE. Thus, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity approved as the mechanism of action of the antidiabetic effect of SCE by in vitro investigation was reconfirmed also in in vivo studies. Evaluation of the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the active constituents, salacinol (1), kotalanol (3), and neokotalanol (4), by employing human α-glucosidases revealed that these compounds inhibited them as potently (IC50 = 3.9-4.9 µM for maltase) as they inhibited rat small intestinal α-glucosidase. The principal sulfonium constituents (1-4) were highly stable in an artificial gastric juice. In addition, 1-4 were hardly absorbed from the intestine in an experiment using the in situ rat ligated intestinal loop model. The results indicate that these sulfoniums are promising leads for a new type of anti-diabetic agents.

Evaluation of Salacia species as anti-diabetic natural resources based on quantitative analysis of eight sulphonium constituents: a new class of α-glucosidase inhibitors.

INTRODUCTION: Stems and roots of Salacia genus plants have been used in Ayurveda as a specific remedy for early stage diabetes. Previous investigations identified four sulphonium sulphates, that is, salacinol (1), kotalanol (3), ponkoranol (5) and salaprinol (7), as the compounds responsible for the anti-diabetic activity. Their desulphonates (2, 4, 6 and 8) were also isolated as active constituents. Two separate quantitative analytical protocols, that is, for 1 and 3 and for 2 and 4, have been developed recently. OBJECTIVE: To: validate the two analytical protocols with respect to all eight sulphoniums; evaluate the quality of a variety of Salacia samples collected in different geographical regions, that is, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India; and determine their distribution in each part of the plant, that is, stems/roots, leaves and fruits. METHODS: Analyses of four sulphonium sulphates in 32 Salacia extracts were carried out on an Asahipak NH2P-50 column, and those of the corresponding desulphonates were conducted on an Inertsil ODS-3 column. RESULTS: Neokotalanol (4) was the major constituent in Salacia samples from Thailand, whereas 1 was the primary constituent in extracts of the stems/roots of plants from Sri Lanka and India. These sulphoniums were only present in trace amounts in leaves and fruits of the plants. CONCLUSION: Two analytical protocols were successfully applied to analyse 32 Salacia samples, and revealed that sulphoniums (1-8) had characteristic distributions due to the plant part and/or due to geographical region.

Structure-activity relationship studies on acremomannolipin A, the potent calcium signal modulator with a novel glycolipid structure 2: Role of the alditol side chain stereochemistry.

Five alditol analogs 1b-1f of a novel glycolipid acremomannolipin A (1a), the potential Ca(2+) signal modulator isolated from Acremonium strictum, were synthesized by employing a stereoselective ß-mannosylation of appropriately protected mannose with five hexitols with different stereochemistry, and their potential on modulating Ca(2+) signaling were evaluated. All these analogs were more potent compared to the original compound 1a, and proved that mannitol stereochemistry of 1a was not critical for the potent calcium signal modulating.

Total synthesis of neokotalanol, a potent α-glucosidase inhibitor isolated from Salacia reticulata.

Neokotalanol, a potent α-glucosidase inhibitor isolated from Salacia reticulata, was synthesized through a key coupling reaction between a perbenzylated thiosugar and an appropriately protected perseitol triflate derived from D-mannose. This key step was found to be quite temperature dependent, and a simultaneous cyclization of the triflate leading to a characteristic 2,4,7-trioxabicyclo[4.2.1]nonane system was detected.

In silico design, synthesis and evaluation of 3'-O-benzylated analogs of salacinol, a potent α-glucosidase inhibitor isolated from an Ayurvedic traditional medicine "Salacia".

With the aid of an in silico method, α-glucosidase inhibitors with far more potent activities than salacinol (1), a potent natural α-glucosidase inhibitor isolated from an Ayurvedic traditional medicine Salacia reticulata, have been developed.

Role of the side chain stereochemistry in the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of kotalanol, a potent natural α-glucosidase inhibitor.

Synthesis and evaluation of four diastereomers (9a, 9b, 9c and 9d) of kotalanol, a potent α-glucosidase inhibitor isolated from an Ayurvedic medicinal plant Salacia species, are described. Stereo-inversion at C-3' and C-4' of kotalanol (2) caused significant decrease of the inhibitory activities against maltase and sucrase, whereas inhibitory activity against isomaltase sustained, thus resulted in exerting selectivity against isomaltase.

Facile synthesis of de-O-sulfated salacinols: revision of the structure of neosalacinol, a potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor.

Facile synthesis of de-O-sulfated salacinols (3) was developed by employing the coupling reaction of an epoxide, 1,2-anhydro-3,4-di-O-benzyl-D-erythritol (9) with 2,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-1,4-dideoxy-1,4-epithio-D-arabinitol (10) as the key reaction. The reported structure of a potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor named neosalacinol (8), isolated recently from Ayurvedic medicine Salacia oblonga, was proved incorrect, and revised to be de-O-sulfated salacinol formate (3c) by comparison of the spectroscopic properties with those of the authentic specimen synthesized. Discrepancies and confusion in the literature concerning the NMR spectroscopic properties of salacinol (1) have also been clarified.

Potential antitumor-promoting diterpenes from the cones of Pinus luchuensis.

A new nor-labdane-type diterpene, 15-nor-labda-8(17),12E-dien-13,19-dienoic acid (1), along with five known diterpenes, 15-nor-14-oxolabda-8(17),12E-dien-19-oic acid (2), trans-communic acid (3), sandaracopimaric acid (4), dehydroabietic acid (5), and abieta-8,11,13-triene-15,18-diol (6), was isolated from the cones of Pinus luchuensis. The structure of 1 was established by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Among these isolates, compounds 2, 4, and 6 showed potent inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation induced by the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate.

Absolute stereostructure of potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, Salacinol, with unique thiosugar sulfonium sulfate inner salt structure from Salacia reticulata.

A most potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor named salacinol has been isolated from an antidiabetic Ayurvedic traditional medicine, Salacia reticulata WIGHT, through bioassay-guided separation. The absolute stereostructure of salacinol was determined on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence, which included the alkaline degradation of salacinol to 1-deoxy-4-thio-D-arabinofuranose and the X-ray crystallographic analysis, to be the unique spiro-like configuration of the inner salt comprised of 1-deoxy-4-thio-D-arabinofuranosyl sulfonium cation and 1'-deoxy-D-erythrosyl-3'-sulfate anion. Salacinol showed potent inhibitory activities on several alpha-glucosidases, such as maltase, sucrase, and isomaltase, and the inhibitory effects on serum glucose levels in maltose- and sucrose-loaded rats (in vivo) were found to be more potent than that of acarbose, a commercial alpha-glucosidase inhibitor.