Cynanotophyllosides E-F, two minor pregnane glycosides from the roots of cultivated Cynanchum otophyllum.

Cynanotophyllosides E-F, two new minor pregnane glycosides were isolated from the antidepressant active fraction of cultivated Cynanchum otophyllum, and their structures were determined as 12-O-vanilloyl-deacetylmetaplexigenin 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-digitoxopyranoside, and 12-O-nicotinoyl-deacetylmetaplexigenin 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranoside respectively, with the combination of spectroscopic and chemical analysis.

Two new secolignans from the roots of Urtica fissa.

Two new secolignans, 3,4-trans-3-hydroxymethyl-4-[bis(4-hydroxy-3- methoxyphenyl)methyl]butyrolactone (1) and 3,4-trans-3-hydroxymethyl-4- [bis(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)methyl]butyrolactone (2) have been isolated from the roots of Urtica fissa E.Pritz. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic methods, especially 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS. The inhibitory effects on N1 and N2, two subtypes of neuraminidases (NAs), of these two compounds were assayed.

Divergent Synthesis of Solanidine and 22-epi-Solanidine.

A divergent synthesis of solanidine and 22-epi-solanidine, two 25S natural steroidal alkaloids, from 25R-configured diosgenin acetate, is described. Initially, solanidine was synthesized through a series of transformations including a cascade ring-switching process of furostan-26-acid, an epimerization of C25 controlled by the conformation of six-membered lactone ring, an intramolecular Schmidt reaction, and an imine reduction/intramolecular aminolysis process. To address the epimerization issue during Schmidt reaction, an improved synthesis was developed, which also led to a synthesis of 22-epi-solanidine. In this synthesis, selective transformation of azido lactone to azido diol and amino diol was realized through a reduction relay tactic. The azido diol was transformed to solanidine via an intramolecular Schmidt reaction/N-alkylation/reduction process and to 22-epi-solanidine via an intramolecular double N-alkylation process.

The antidepressant effect of Cynanchum auriculatum in mice.

CONTEXT: Antidepressant effects of various plants are generally attributed to their anti-inflammation and antioxidant activities. Cynanchum auriculatum Royle ex Wight (Asclepiadaceae) is a traditional medicinal plant in China and India used for immunological regulation, anti-inflammation, and antioxidant purposes. However knowledge about its antidepressant activity has been poorly investigated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antidepressant activities of the total glycosides of C. auriculatum (TGC) and its CHCl3/MeOH (10:1) fractions (TGC-D and TGC-E) in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TGC, TGC-D and TGC-E (20, 40 and 80 mg/kg) were intragastrically administered to mice twice a day for 5 days. The tail suspension test, forced swimming test, and locomotor activity test in mice were used to evaluate the effect of C. auriculatum. The inhibition of [³H]-serotonin reuptake in rat brain synaptosomes was detected to investigate their mechanism. RESULTS: TGC, TGC-D and TGC-E (80 mg/kg) decreased the immobility time by 61.7, 64.5, and 61.9% in tail suspension test. TGC (80 mg/kg), TGC-D (80 mg/kg) and TGC-E (20 mg/kg) decreased the immobility time by 32.6, 47.3, and 48.7% in forced swimming test. TGC (80 mg/kg) and TGC-E (20 and 40 mg/kg) decreased the crossing distances by 28.8, 29.5, and 36.2% in locomotor activity test. TGC, TGC-D and TGC-E (10 mg/L) inhibited serotonin reuptake by 7.4, 4.5, and 71.1% in rat brain synaptosomes, and IC50 value of TGC-E was 5.2 mg/L. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: TGC, TGC-D and TGC-E have potential antidepressant activities. The antidepressive effect of TGC-E maybe attributed partly by the inhibiting effect on serotonin reuptake.

Acteoside attenuates acute lung injury following administration of cobra venom factor to mice.

Background: Acteoside, a water-soluble active constituent of diverse valuable medicinal vegetation, has shown strong anti-inflammatory property. However, studies on the anti-inflammatory property of acteoside in complement-induced acute lung injury (ALI) are limited. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of acteoside in cobra venom factor (CVF)-stimulated human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC) and in ALI mice model. Methods: In this study, we investigated the effects of acteoside (20, 10, and 5 µg/mL) in vitro in CVF induced HMECs and the activity of acteoside (100, 50, and 20 mg/kg/day bodyweight) in vivo in CVF induced ALI mice. Each eight male mice were orally administered acteoside or the positive drug PDTC (100 mg/kg/day) for 7 days before CVF (35 µg/kg) injection. After injection for 1 h, the pharmacological effects of acteoside were investigated by spectrophotometry, pathological examination, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunohistochemistry. Results: In vitro, acteoside (20, 10, and 5 µg/mL) reduced the protein expression of adhesion molecules and pro-inflammatory cytokines and transcriptional activity of NF-κB (P < 0.01). In vivo studies showed that acteoside dose-dependently alleviated lung histopathologic lesion, inhibited the production of the protein content of BALF, leukocyte cell number, lung MPO activity, and expression levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and ICAM-1, and suppressed the C5b-9 deposition and NF-κB activation in CVF-induced acute lung inflammation in mice (P < 0.05, 0.01). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that acteoside exerts strong anti-inflammatory activities in the CVF-induced acute lung inflammation model and suggests that acteoside is a potential therapeutic agent for complement-related inflammatory diseases.

New pregnane glycosides from the roots of Cynanchum otophyllum.

Six new pregnane glycosides with an acyl at C-12 and a straight sugar chain at C-3, namely otophyllosides H-M (1-6), were isolated from the roots of Cynanchum otophyllum (Asclepiadaceae) collected from Eryuan County in Yunnan province of China. Their structures were characterized to be qingyangshengenin 3-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-oleandropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-digitoxopyranoside (1), qingyangshengenin 3-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-oleandropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-digitoxopyranoside (2), qingyangshengenin 3-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-oleandropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-digitoxopyranoside (3), qingyangshengenin 3-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-thevetopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-digitoxopyranoside (4), caudatin 3-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-oleandropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-cymaropyranoside (5), caudatin 3-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-oleandropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-d-cymaropyranoside (6), respectively, on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis and chemical method.

Cytotoxic steroidal saponins from Polygonatum punctatum.

Four new steroidal saponins, polypunctosides A-D (1-4, resp.), were isolated from the rhizomes of Polygonatum punctatum, together with five known steroidal saponins. On the basis of chemical and spectral evidence, the structures of the new saponins were established as (3beta,23S,25R)-23-(alpha-L-arabinopyranosyloxy)spirost-5-en-3-yl 4-O-(6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl)-D-glucopyranoside (1), (3beta,23S,25R)-23-[(2-O-acetyl-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl)oxy]spirost-5-en-3-yl 4-O-(6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl)-D-glucopyranoside (2), (3beta,23S,25R)-23-[(3-O-acetyl-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl)oxy]spirost-5-en-3-yl 4-O-(6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl)-D-glucopyranoside (3), and (3beta,23S,25R)-23-[(4-O-acetyl-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl)oxy]spirost-5-en-3-yl 4-O-(6-deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl)-D-glucopyranoside (4). The cytotoxic activity of the isolated saponins was evaluated towards HeLa cells.

Pregnane glycosides from the antidepressant active fraction of cultivated Cynanchum otophyllum.

Based on the bioactive screening results, four new pregnane glycosides, namely cynanotophyllosides A-D (1-4) were isolated from the anti-depressant active fraction of cultivated Cynanchum otophyllum, along with thirteen known compounds (5-17). The new compounds were characterized as qingyangshengenin 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranoside (1), qingyangshengenin-3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-α-L-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranoside (2), caudatin-3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-thevetopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-digitoxopyranoside (3) caudatin-3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl -(1→4)-ß-D-thevetopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranoside (4), by detailed spectroscopic analysis and acidic hydrolysis.

Polyhydroxylated steroidal constituents from the fresh rhizomes of Tupistra yunnanensis.

Six new polyhydroxylated steroidal saponins, tupistrosides A-F (1-6), together with nine known steroids, were isolated from the fresh rhizomes of Tupistra yunnanensis. Their structures were elucidated to be (25S)-1beta,4beta,5beta-trihydroxy-spirostane-3beta-yl O-alpha-l-arabinopyranoside (1), 1beta,24beta-dihydroxy-spirost-5,25(27)-dien-3alpha-yl O-beta-d-glucopyranoside (2), (22S,25S)-1alpha,2beta,3alpha,5alpha-tetrahydroxy-furo-spirostane-26-yl O-beta-d-glucopyranoside (3), 1beta,3alpha,22 xi-trihydroxy-furost-5,25(27)-dien-26-yl O-beta-d-glucopyranoside (4), 26-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-1beta,22-dihydroxy-furost-5-en-3alpha-yl O-beta-d-glucopyranoside (5) and 22-methoxy-1beta,2beta,3beta,4beta,5beta,7alpha-hexahydroxy-furost-25(27)-en-6-one-26-yl O-beta-d-glucopyranoside (6), respectively, by means of spectroscopic analysis and the results of acid hydrolysis.

Bicyclic polyketide lactones from Chinese medicinal ants, Polyrhacis lamellidens.

Two new bicyclic polyketide lactones, polyrhacitides A ( 1) and B ( 2), were isolated from Chinese medicinal ants, Polyrhacis lamellidens, which have been used as an effective therapeutic agent to treat rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis in China. Their absolute structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses and chemical evidence. The occurrence of polyketides with similar structures in plants of the Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, and Staphyleaceae indicates their significance in the study of chemical ecology.