Investigation of anti-aging and anti-infection properties of Jingfang Granules using the Caenorhabditis elegans model.

Jingfang Granule (JFG), a traditional Chinese medicine, is frequently employed in clinical settings for the treatment of infectious diseases. Nevertheless, the anti-aging and anti-infection effects of JFG remain uncertain. In the present study, these effects were evaluated using the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) N2 as a model organism. The results demonstrated that JFG significantly increased the median lifespan of C. elegans by 31.2% at a dosage of 10 mg/mL, without any discernible adverse effects, such as alterations in the pharyngeal pumping rate or nematode motility. Moreover, JFG notably increased oviposition by 11.3%. Subsequent investigations revealed that JFG enhanced oxidative stress resistance in C. elegans by reducing reactive oxygen species levels and significantly improved survival rates in nematodes infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027. These findings suggest that JFG delays reproductive senescence in C. elegans and protects them from oxidative stress, thereby extending their lifespan. Additionally, JFG improves the survival of P. aeruginosa-infected nematodes. Consequently, JFG has potential as a candidate for the development of anti-aging and anti-infection functional medicines.

Isolation and Characterization of Antiangiogenesis Compounds from the Fungus Aspergillus terreus Associated with Apostichopus japonicus Using Zebrafish Assay.

Three compouds, (+)-butyrolactone IV (1), butyrolactone I (2) and terrelactone A (3) were isolated from the fungus Aspergillus terreus associated with Apostichopusjaponicus from the Yellow Sea in China; their structures were elucidated by spectral methods. Compounds I and 2 were shown to have moderate antiangiogenesis activity when tested using-the zebrafish assay. This is the first report of butyrolactones with antiangiogenesis activity.

Polyketides with α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity from a Mangrove Endophytic Fungus, Penicillium sp. HN29-3B1.

Five new compounds, pinazaphilones A and B (1, 2), two phenolic compounds (4, 5), and penicidone D (6), together with the known Sch 1385568 (3), (±)-penifupyrone (7), 3-O-methylfunicone (8), 5-methylbenzene-1,3-diol (9), and 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methylbenzoic acid (10) were obtained from the culture of the endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. HN29-3B1, which was isolated from a fresh branch of the mangrove plant Cerbera manghas collected from the South China Sea. Their structures were determined by analysis of 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectroscopic data. Structures of compounds 4 and 7 were further confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiment using Cu Kα radiation. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-3 were assigned by quantum chemical calculations of the electronic circular dichroic spectra. Compounds 2, 3, 5, and 7 inhibited α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 28.0, 16.6, 2.2, and 14.4 µM, respectively, and are thus more potent than the positive control, acarbose.

Vermistatin derivatives with α-glucosidase inhibitory activity from the mangrove endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. HN29-3B1.

Three new vermistatin derivatives, 6-demethylpenisimplicissin (1), 5'-hydroxypenisimplicissin (2), and 2''-epihydroxydihydrovermistatin (3), along with five known vermistatin analogues, methoxyvermistatin (4), vermistatin (5), 6-demethylvermistatin (6), hydroxyvermistatin (7), and penisimplicissin (8), were isolated from the culture of the mangrove endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. HN29-3B1 from Cerbera manghas. Their structures were elucidated mainly by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The absolute configurations of compounds 1 and 2 were deduced on the basis of circular dichroism data. The absolute structures of compounds 3 and 5 were confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiment using Cu Kα radiation. In the bioactivity assay, compounds 1 and 3 exhibited α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 9.5 ± 1.2 and 8.0 ± 1.5 µM, respectively. The plausible biosynthetic pathways for all compounds are discussed.

Two new derivatives of griseofulvin from the mangrove endophytic fungus Nigrospora sp. (strain No. 1403) from Kandelia candel (L.) Druce.

Two new compounds, methyl 3-chloro-6-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxy-2-methoxy-6-methylphenoxy)-4-methoxybenzoate (1) and (2 S,5' R,E)-7-hydroxy-4,6-dimethoxy-2-(1-methoxy-3-oxo-5-methylhex-1-enyl)-benzofuran-3(2H)-one (2), together with four known compounds, griseofulvin (3), dechlorogriseofulvin (4), bostrycin (5), and deoxybostrycin (6), were isolated from the marine endophytic fungus NIGROSPORA sp. (No. 1403) collected from the South China Sea. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, 1D, 2D NMR, and HREIMS. Compounds 5 and 6 showed moderate antitumor and moderate antimicrobial activity.

Isolation and characterization of a new benzofuran from the fungus Alternaria sp. (HS-3) associated with a sea cucumber.

A new compound, 4-acetyl-5-hydroxy-3, 6, 7-trimethylbenzofuran-2(3H)-one (1), together with two known compounds, 2-carboxy-3-(2-hydroxypropanyl) phenol (2) and 5-methyl- 6-hydroxy-8-methyoxy-3-methylisochroman (3) were isolated from the fungus Alternaria sp. (HS-3) associated with a sea cucumber from the Yellow Sea in China. Their structures were elucidated by spectral methods.

The bioactive metabolites of the mangrove endophytic fungus Talaromyces sp. ZH-154 isolated from Kandelia candel (L.) Druce.

Bioactivity-directed fractionation of the extract of the mangrove endophytic fungus Talaromyces sp. ZH-154, which was isolated from the stem bark of Kandelia candel (L.) Druce, Rhizophoraceae, afforded two new metabolites, 7-epiaustdiol ( 1) and 8-O-methylepiaustdiol ( 2), together with the known compounds, stemphyperylenol ( 3), skyrin ( 4), secalonic acid A ( 5), emodin ( 6), and norlichexanthone ( 7). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidences including CD, MS, and 1D, 2D NMR techniques. The absolute configuration of 1 was unequivocally determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial and in vitro cytotoxic activities.