Cadinane Sesquiterpenoids and Their Glycosides from Alangium chinense That Inhibit Spontaneous Calcium Oscillations.

Nine new cadinane sesquiterpenoids, alanenses A-I (1-9), were isolated from the leaves of Alangium chinense together with three previously reported analogues (10-12). The structures of these molecules were elucidated by interpretation of spectroscopic and spectrometric data. Absolute configurations were established by the comparison of experimental and calculated ECD data, chemical degradation studies for sugar moieties, and a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 were isolated as racemates, and enantiopurification was achieved by chiral HPLC. Compounds 3-5 are glycosylated cadinanes bearing a ß-d-glucose unit, while compounds 6-9 incorporate a hydroxymethyl group in either the free form or additional ring fusion. The structure of compound 11 was originally misassigned and later revised using additional NMR data. The corrected structure is here supported by X-ray single-crystal analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 inhibit spontaneous calcium channel oscillations at low micromolar concentrations.

A Grand Challenge. 3. Unbiased Phenotypic Function of Metabolites from Australia Plants Gloriosa superba and Alangium villosum against Parkinson's Disease.

As part of a continuing research program aiming to identify chemical probes to interrogate Parkinson's disease (PD), we have investigated the Australian plants Gloriosa superba and Alangium villosum. The chemical investigations of G. superba resulted in the isolation of four new alkaloids, ß-lumicolchicosides A-C (1-3) and γ-lumicolchicoside A (4), together with four lumicolchicine derivatives (5-8) and six colchicine analogues (9-14) as known structures. The chemical investigations of A. villosum resulted in the isolation of four new benzoquinolizidine N-oxides, tubulosine Nß5-oxide (15), isotubulosine Nα5-oxide (16), 9-demethyltubulosine Nß5-oxide (17), and 9-demethylisotubulosine Nα5-oxide (18), together with five known benzoquinolizidine alkaloids (19-23). The chemical structures of the new compounds (1-4 and 15-18) were characterized unambiguously by extensive analysis of their NMR and MS data. Unbiased multidimensional profiling was used to investigate the phenotypic profiles of all of the metabolites. The results show that the lead probes have different effects on cellular organelles that are implicated in PD in patient-derived cells.

Antiproliferative Alkaloids from Alangium longiflorum, an Endangered Tropical Plant Species.

Alangium longiflorum is currently in extinction crisis, which will likely severely hamper further phytochemical investigation of this plant species from new collections. A crude extract of leaves of A. longiflorum (N33539), collected for the U.S. National Cancer Institute in 1989, showed potent cancer cell line antiproliferative activity. A phytochemical study resulted in the isolation of 17 secondary metabolites, including two new tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids, 8-hydroxytubulosine (1) and 2'- O- trans-sinapoylisoalangiside (2), as well as a new sinapolyloxylupene derivative (3). Using in-house assays and NCI-60 panel screening, compound 1 displayed broad-spectrum inhibitory activity at submicromolar levels against most tested tumor cell lines, except for drug-transporter-overexpressing cells. Compound 1 caused accumulation of sub-G1 cells with no effect on cell cycle progression, suggesting that this substance is an apoptosis inducer.

[A new cytotoxic alkaloid from roots of Alangium chinense].

We have carried out the chemical investigation on the roots of Alangium chinense. The chemical constituents from the roots of A.chinense were isolated and purified by various chromatographic techniques, such as silica gel, MCI-Gel resin, Sephadex LH-20 and high performance liquid chromatography. As a result, three alkaloids (1-3) were isolated from 90% EtOH extracts of the roots of this plant. Their structures were elucidated by physical-chemical properties and spectral data. Among them, compound 1 is a new compound, determined as 8-hydroxy-3-hydroxymethyl-6,9-dimethyl-7H-benzo[de]isoquinolin-7-one. Cytotoxicity of the compounds was evaluated by the MTT method. Compound 1 displayed cytotoxicity against NB4, A-549, SHSY5Y, PC-3 and MCF-7 cell lines with IC50 values of 4.2, 3.5, 5.7, 2.8 and 3.9 µmol•L⁻¹, respectively.

Terpenoids from the roots of Alangium chinense.

Two new norditerpenoids (1 and 2), four new sesquiterpenoids (3-6), and 22 known compounds (7-28) were isolated from an ethanolic extract of roots of Alangium chinense. The absolute configurations of 1-6 were assigned by experimental and calculated ECD spectra. The skeleton of the compounds (1 and 2) has been reported only one time so far. Compounds 1, 13, and 23 exhibited antiviral activity against coxsackie virus B3 with IC50 values of 38-67 µM. Compounds 8 and 9 displayed neuritis inhibitory activity against microglial inflammation factor, with IC50 values of 6.4 and 10.1 µM, respectively. None of the compounds were cytotoxic in the MTT assay.

Structurally diverse isoquinoline alkaloids from the barks of Alangium salviifolium (L. f.) Wangerin and their cytotoxicity.

Eleven undescribed isoquinoline alkaloids (1-8, 14, 15, and 24), along with 19 analogues (9-13, 16-23, and 25-30) were isolated from the barks of Alangium salviifolium. The structures of the undescribed compounds were elucidated through the analysis of their HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR, IR, UV, and X-ray diffraction. The absolute configuration of 8 was established via the ECD calculation. Notably, compounds 1/2 and 3/4 were two pairs of C-14 epimers. The isolated alkaloids were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines, including SGC-7901, HeLa, K562, A549, BEL-7402, HepG2, and B16, ß-carboline-benzoquinolizidine (14-22) and cepheline-type (24-28) alkaloids exhibited remarkable cytotoxicity, with IC50 values ranging from 0.01 to 48.12 µM. Remarkably, compounds 17 and 21 demonstrated greater cytotoxicity than the positive control doxorubicin hydrochloride. Furthermore, a significant proportion of these bioactive alkaloids possess a C-1' epimer configuration. The exploration of their structure-activity relationship holds promise for directing future investigations into alkaloids derived from Alangium, potentially leading to novel insights and therapeutic advancements.

Sesquiterpenes and alkaloids from the roots of Alangium chinense.

Four new sesquiterpenes (1-4), four new alkaloids (5a, 6a, 6b, and 7), and nine known compounds (5b and 8-15) were isolated from an ethanolic extract of roots of Alangium chinense. The structure of 1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The configurations of 5 and 6 were assigned by chiral HPLC analysis and CD spectra. Compounds 3, 4, 8-13, and 15 exhibited antiviral activity against Coxsackie virus B3 with IC50 values of 1.4-15.4 µM. Compounds 2-4, 7, and 9-13 showed antioxidant activities against Fe(2+)-cysteine-induced rat liver microsomal lipid peroxidation, with IC50 values of 3.8-45.7 µM. Compound 5b displayed neuritis inhibitory activity against microglial inflammation factor, with an IC50 value of 6.7 µM. None of the compounds exhibited detectable cytotoxic activity toward any of five tumor cell lines (A549, Be-17402, BGC-823, HCT-8, and A2780) in the MTT assay.

Two new compounds with anti-inflammatory activity from Alangium chinense.

A new phenolic glycoside, chinenside A (1), and a new megastigmane glycoside, chinenionside A (2), together with twelve known compounds (3-14), were isolated from the roots of Alangium chinense. Their structures were deduced on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses and comparison with data reported in the literature. The anti-inflammatory activity in vitro of all 13 phenolic glycosides was evaluated against lipopolysaccharide-induced mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells. The compounds 1, 9, and 10 potentially inhibited the productions of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin (PEG2), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Compound 1 (50 µM) showed stronger anti-inflammatory activity than Triptolide (TPL, 20 nm).

Pharmacological studies on seeds of Alangium salvifolium Linn.

The seeds of Alangium salvifolium Linn. have been traditionally reported to exhibit a variety of biological activities, including antidiabetic, anticancer, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, laxative, and antiepileptic activities. The objective of this study was to verify the traditional claims and to evaluate the seeds of Alangium salvifolium in various organic extracts to screen the antidiabetic, antiepileptic, analgesic and antiinflammatory activities. The chloroform, ethanol, and water extracts of Alangium salvifolium seeds were obtained and subjected for phytochemical screening and evaluated for their pharmacological activities. From the acute toxicity study it was observed that chloroform, ethanol, and aqueous extracts of Alangium salvifolium seeds are non-toxic at a fixed dose of 2000 mg/kg. Among all three extracts ethanol extracts exhibited significant (p < 0.01) antidiabetic, antiepileptic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids, steroids and tannins. The results of present study verified the traditional claims made by ayurvedic practitioner. However, the chemical constituents responsible for the pharmacological activities remain to be investigated.

New phenylpropanoid-substituted and benzyl-substituted flavonols from Alangium chinense.

Two previously undescribed flavonols with phenylpropanoid or benzyl substitution, named alangsine A (1), and alangsine B (2), together with four known compounds (3-6) were isolated from the leaves of Alangium chinense. Alangsine A was a racemic mixture, which was further separated into two enantiomers via high-performance liquid chromatography on a chiral column. The absolute configurations of the enantiomer pairs were deduced from the circular dichroism (CD) spectra. The activity of the isolated compounds towards neuronal excitability was examined.

[Rapid identification of cortex dictamni pieces and its counterfeit alangium Chinense by spectral imaging method].

OBJECTIVE: The spectral imaging method was used to quickly identify the Cortex Dictamni pieces and its counterfeit alangium Chinese, which is a potential method would be applied to control the quality of the Cortex Dictamni pieces. METHOD: Standard sample, 5 cortex dictamni samples and its counterfeit alangium Chinese of different sources were tested by the liquid crystal imaging instrument. The spectrum resolution was 5 nm, the spectral range was from 405 nm to 680 nm, and the spatial resolution was 50 lp x mm(-1). The characteristic spectrum curves were picked up from spectral cube and principal analysis method was used to analyze the results. RESULT: The identification results by the spectral imaging method accorded well with the results by the traditional biology and chemistry analysis method. CONCLUSION: The spectral imaging analysis method can be used to identify the cortex dictamni pieces and its counterfeit alangium Chinense. The testing course is convenient, quick and noninvasive.

Genus Alangium - A review on its traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities.

The species from Alangium have been used as folk medicine to treat rheumatism, skin diseases, diabetes by the people of Southeast Asia. Previous phytochemical studies have shown this genus are rich sources of alkaloids, glycosides, and terpenoids, which have attracted considerable attention of many researchers due to their markedly diverse and complex architecture. The crude extracts as well as the monomeric compounds from the title genus possess anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-oxidant pharmacological activities. Besides, some isolates from Alangium exhibited the effects on skeletal, smooth muscle and the nervous system. As a large genus of medicinal plants, the medicinal value of Alangium has been widely reported, but there is no review that provide a systematic summary towards its chemical constituents and pharmacological activities, to our knowledge. This work aims to present a comprehensive overview on the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of medicinal plants in the genus Alangium, and to explore the evidence supporting its ethnopharmacological effectiveness.

Metabolite Profiling of Alangium salviifolium Bark Using Advanced LC/MS and GC/Q-TOFTechnology.

There is an urge for traditional herbal remedies as an alternative to modern medicine in treating several ailments. Alangium salviifolium is one such plant, used traditionally to treat several diseases. In several reports, there are findings related to the use of this plant extract that demonstrate its therapeutic value. However, very few attempts have been made to identify the extensive metabolite composition of this plant. Here, we performed metabolite profiling and identification from the bark of A. salviifolium by extracting the sample in organic and aqueous solvents. The organic and aqueous extracts were fraction-collected using the Agilent 1260 Analytical Scale Fraction Collection System. Each of the fractions was analyzed on Liquid Chromatogaphy/Quadrupole Time-of-Flight LC/Q-TOF and Gas Chromatography/Quadrupole Time-of-Flight GC/instruments. The Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) analyses were performed using Hydrophilic Ineraction Liquid Chromatography (HILIC), as well as reversed-phase chromatography using three separate, orthogonal reverse phase columns. Samples were analyzed using an Agilent Jet Stream (AJS) source in both positive and negative ionization modes. The compounds found were flavonoids, fatty acids, sugars, and terpenes. Eighty-one secondary metabolites were identified as having therapeutic potential. The data produced was against the METLIN database using accurate mass and/or MS/MS library matching. Compounds from Alangium that could not be identified by database or library matching were subsequently searched against the ChemSpider) database of over 30 million structures using MSMS data and Agilent MSC software.In order to identify compounds generated by GC/MS, the data were searched against the AgilentFiehn GCMS Metabolomics Library as well as the Wiley/NIST libraries.

Alangium longiflorum Merr. Leaf Extract Induces Apoptosis in A549 Lung Cancer Cells with Minimal NFκB Transcriptional Activation.

The chemotherapy drug doxorubicin (DOX) is effective in treating many types of cancers. However, due to its pro-inflammatory and cardiotoxic side effects, other remedies have also been explored as alternative treatments. The plant Alangium longiflorum was reported to contain cytotoxic activity against cancer cells, but it is unclear whether this plant would also yield side effects similar to doxorubicin. Hence,  this study investigated cytotoxic activity of A. longiflorum leaf extract against lung cancer cells and compared its pro-inflammatory and cardiotoxic side effects with those of DOX. METHODS: Cytotoxic activity of A. longiflorum in human lung (A549) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cells was initially assessed by MTT assay and then was compared with doxorubicin. Presence of secondary metabolites in the leaf extract was examined by phytochemical screening. The ability of the plant extract to induce apoptosis was determined by measuring caspase-3/7 activity and apoptosis-related gene expression. Pro-inflammatory response was assessed by quantifying NFκB transcriptional activity and nuclear translocation with dual luciferase reporter and immunofluorescence assays, respectively. Cardiotoxicity was measured using zebrafish as a model organism. RESULTS: A. longiflorum leaf extract displayed high cytotoxic activity against A549 versus MCF-7, which led this study to focus further on A549. Phytochemical screening showed that the extract contained terpenoids, alkaloids, phenols, cardiac glycosides, and tannins. The extract induced apoptosis through activation of caspase-3/7 and upregulation of pro-apoptotic genes without causing NFκB transcriptional activation and nuclear localization. The extract also did not significantly reduce heart function in zebrafish. CONCLUSION: Overall, our data suggested that extract from leaves of A. longiflorum can have the potential to serve as apoptotic agent towards lung cancer without inducing significant cardiotoxicity.

[The pathological observation of acute intoxication by Alangium Chinese in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the pathological change of mice organ intoxicated by Alangium Chinese and its poisoning mechanism. METHODS: Mice were intoxicated by gavage with extract of Alangium Chinese. Then the histopathologic examination was made for evaluating the pathological changes in the organs of the poisoned mice by HE staining. RESULTS: The main pathological changes included alveolar hemorrhage, pulmonary interstitial hemorrhage, sinus hepaticus expansion and congestion, hepatocyte edema, subarachnoid hemorrhage, congestion and hemorrhage of other organs. CONCLUSION: The main target organs or tissue of Alangium Chinese are the lungs, liver and vascular smooth muscle. There is correlation between the toxic effect and the dosage.

Development of an eco-friendly mosquitocidal agent from Alangium salvifolium against the dengue vector Aedes aegypti and its biosafety on the aquatic predator.

Plant extracts with their enriched chemical constituents have established potential alternative mosquito control agents. In this research, we developed an eco-friendly mosquitocidal agent from Alangium salvifolium leaves against the dengue and Zika virus vector Aedes aegypti and we investigated its biosafety on the mosquito aquatic predator Toxorhynchites splendens. Results showed that the methanolic extract of A. salvifolium leaves was composed by eight main compounds, with major peak area for hexadecenoic acid (21.74%). LC50 and LC90 values calculated on Ae. aegypti fourth instar larvae were 104.80 and 269.15 ppm respectively. The methanolic extract tested at 100 ppm decreased the α-ß carboxylesterase and SOD ratio significantly and upregulated the GST and CYP450 level. The A. salvifolium methanolic extract displayed significant repellent and adulticidal activity at 100 and 400 ppm respectively. The treatment with 100 ppm of the methanolic extract led to 210 min of protection from Ae. aegypti bites. Four hundred parts per million of the extract showed 98% adult mortality within 30 min from the treatment. Lastly, biosafety assays on the mosquito aquatic predator Tx. splendens showed that the toxicity of the A. salvifolium extract was significantly lower if compared to the cypermethrin-based treatments. The methanolic extract of A. salvifolium showed a maximum of 47.3% mortality rate at the concentration of 1000 ppm, while 0.7 ppm of cypermethrin achieved 91.3% mortality rate on Tx. splendens. Overall, our study enhances basic knowledge on how to improve natural larvicidal agents against dengue and Zika virus mosquito vector with harmless responses on non-target aquatic predators.

Unusual metal complex of cadinane sesquiterpene alkaloid and new neolignan glycosides from Alangium alpinum.

One unusual metal complex of cadinane sesquiterpene alkaloid (1), one new cadinane sesquiterpene alkaloid (2) and two new neolignan glycosides (3-4) along with six known cadinane sesquiterpene derivatives (5-10), nineteen known phenolic glycosides (11-29) were isolated from the aerial parts of Alangium alpinum. Structures of new crystals of metal complex were characterized by X-Ray diffraction and ICP-AES analysis. Other new compounds were elucidated by combined use and detailed analysis of HR-ESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR and CD spectroscopic method. In addition, all isolated compounds were tested for their inhibitory effects against TNF-α induced NF-κB activation in Hela cells and NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Salicin from Alangium chinense Ameliorates Rheumatoid Arthritis by Modulating the Nrf2-HO-1-ROS Pathways.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder linked to oxidative stress of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLSs). The effects and potential mechanism of salicin on inflammation and oxidative stress of RA-FLSs were examined by MTT, ELISA, and Western blot methods. Salicin significantly reduced cell viability (82.03 ± 7.06, P < 0.01), cytokines (47.70 ± 1.48 ng/L for TNF-α, 30.03 ± 3.49 ng/L for IL-6) ( P < 0.01), and matrix metalloproteinases-1/-3 expression ( P < 0.01) in IL-1ß-induced RA-FLSs and inhibited ROS generation and p65 phosphorylation ( P < 0.01) as compared with IL-1ß-induced treatment. Moreover, salicin promoted Nrf2 nuclear translocation (2.15 ± 0.21) and HO-1 expression (1.12 ± 0.05) and reduced ROS production in IL-1ß-induced RA-FLSs ( P < 0.01). Salicin not only reduced the collagen-induced arthritis by reducing the clinical score ( P < 0.01), inflammatory infiltration, and synovial hyperplasia in vivo but also suppressed the oxidative damage indexes (SOD 155.40 ± 6.53 U/mg tissue, MDA 152.80 ± 5.89 nmol/g tissue, GSH 50.98 ± 3.45 nmol/g tissue, and CAT 0.92 ± 0.10 U/g protein) ( P < 0.01) of ankle joint cells. Conclusively, our findings indicate that salicin ameliorates rheumatoid arthritis, which may be associated with oxidative stress and Nrf2-HO-1-ROS pathways in RA-FLSs.

Seven new lignan glycosides from the branches of Alangium kurzii Craib var. laxifolium.

Seven new lignan glycosides (1-3, 8-10, and 14) and 17 known compounds were isolated from the branches of Alangium kurzii Craib var. laxifolium. Their structures were established by spectroscopic analysis and circular dichroism (CD) and X-ray analysis. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus CI1011, Streptococcus suis CI1608, Salmonella gallinarum CI0912, Enterococcus faecalis CI1304, Aeromonas hydrophila CI1008, Escherichia coli CI151012, Vibrio parahaemolyticus CI150506, Klebsiella pneumoniae CI131216, Pseudomonas aeruginosa CI1011, Staphylococcus epidermidis CI1110, and Streptococcus agalactiae CI1302. Their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by serial dilution in 96-well culture plates.

Cytotoxic Alangium alkaloids from Alangium longiflorum.

Seven alkaloids (1-7) were isolated from the stem bark of Alangium longiflorum. Compound 1, (-)-10-O-demethylisocephaeline, was isolated for the first time as a naturally occurring product from a plant source. All structures were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analysis. Biological evaluation showed that 2, 10-O-demethylcephaeline, exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against human lung carcinoma (A549) and breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) with ED(50) values of 0.013 and 0.062 microM, respectively. The stereoisomer 1 was less potent than 2, and related compounds with different hydroxy/methoxy substitution patterns were also less potent or inactive. Thus, compound 2 merits attention as a cytotoxic lead for further study.