Naphthalene Derivatives and Quinones from Ventilago denticulata and Their Nitric Oxide Radical Scavenging, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Antibacterial, and Phosphodiesterase Inhibitory Activities.

New naphthalene derivatives (1 and 2) and a new isomer (3) of ventilagolin, together with known anthraquinones, chrysophanol (4), physcion or emodin 3-methyl ether (5), and emodin (6), were isolated from vines of Ventilago denticulata. The isolated compounds exhibited cytotoxic activity with IC50 values of 1.15 - 40.54 µg/ml. Compounds 1 - 3 selectively exhibited weak antibacterial activity (MIC values of 200.0 - 400.0 µg/ml), while emodin (6) displayed moderate antibacterial activity with MIC value of 25.0 µg/ml. The isolated compounds showed nitric oxide and DPPH radical scavenging activities. Compounds 1 - 3 and 6 exhibited weak xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity, while emodin (6) acted as an aromatase inhibitor with the IC50 value of 10.1 µm. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 8.28 µm and 6.48 µm, respectively.

Oxidative DNA damage and repair in children exposed to low levels of arsenic in utero and during early childhood: application of salivary and urinary biomarkers.

The present study aimed to assess arsenic exposure and its effect on oxidative DNA damage and repair in young children exposed in utero and continued to live in arsenic-contaminated areas. To address the need for biological specimens that can be acquired with minimal discomfort to children, we used non-invasive urinary and salivary-based assays for assessing arsenic exposure and early biological effects that have potentially serious health implications. Levels of arsenic in nails showed the greatest magnitude of difference between exposed and control groups, followed by arsenic concentrations in saliva and urine. Arsenic levels in saliva showed significant positive correlations with other biomarkers of arsenic exposure, including arsenic accumulation in nails (r=0.56, P<0.001) and arsenic concentration in urine (r=0.50, P<0.05). Exposed children had a significant reduction in arsenic methylation capacity indicated by decreased primary methylation index and secondary methylation index in both urine and saliva samples. Levels of salivary 8-OHdG in exposed children were significantly higher (~4-fold, P<0.01), whereas levels of urinary 8-OHdG excretion and salivary hOGG1 expression were significantly lower in exposed children (~3-fold, P<0.05), suggesting a defect in hOGG1 that resulted in ineffective cleavage of 8-OHdG. Multiple regression analysis results showed that levels of inorganic arsenic (iAs) in saliva and urine had a significant positive association with salivary 8-OHdG and a significant negative association with salivary hOGG1 expression.

UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS-Based Molecular Networking Guided Isolation and Dereplication of Antibacterial and Antifungal Constituents of Ventilago denticulata.

Ventilago denticulata is an herbal medicine for the treatment of wound infection; therefore this plant may rich in antibacterial agents. UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS-Based molecular networking guided isolation and dereplication led to the identification of antibacterial and antifungal agents in V. denticulata. Nine antimicrobial agents in V. denticulata were isolated and characterized; they are divided into four groups including (I) flavonoid glycosides, rhamnazin 3-rhamninoside (7), catharticin or rhamnocitrin 3-rhamninoside (8), xanthorhamnin B or rhamnetin 3-rhamninoside (9), kaempferol 3-rhamninoside (10) and flavovilloside or quercetin 3-rhamninoside (11), (II) benzisochromanquinone, ventilatones B (12) and A (15), (III) a naphthopyrone ventilatone C (16) and (IV) a triterpene lupeol (13). Among the isolated compounds, ventilatone C (16) was a new compound. Moreover, kaempferol, chrysoeriol, isopimpinellin, rhamnetin, luteolin, emodin, rhamnocitrin, ventilagodenin A, rhamnazin and mukurozidiol, were tentatively identified as antimicrobial compounds in extracts of V. denticulata by a dereplication method. MS fragmentation of rhamnose-containing compounds gave an oxonium ion, C6H9O3+ at m/z 129, while that of galactose-containing glycosides provided the fragment ion at m/z 163 of C6H11O5+. These fragment ions may be used to confirm the presence of rhamnose or galactose in mass spectrometry-based analysis of natural glycosides or oligosaccharide attached to biomolecules, that is, glycoproteins.