Isolation of Flavonoids From Wild Aquilaria sinensis Leaves by an Improved Preparative High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography Apparatus.

Four flavonoids including apigenin-7,4'-dimethylether, genkwanin, quercetin, and kaempferol were isolated in a preparative or semi-preparative scale from the leaves of wild Aquilaria sinensis using an improved preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography apparatus. The separations were performed with a two-phase solvent system composed of hexane-ethyl acetate, methanol-water at suitable volume ratios. The obtained fractions were analyzed by HPLC, and the identification of each target compound was carried out by ESI-MS and NMR. The yields of the above four target flavonoids were 4.7, 10.0, 11.0 and 4.4%, respectively. All these four flavonoids exhibited nitrite scavenging activities with the clearance rate of 12.40 ± 0.20%, 5.84 ± 0.03%, 28.10 ± 0.17% and 5.19 ± 0.11%, respectively. Quercetin was originally isolated from the Thymelaeaceae family, while kaempferol was isolated from the Aquilaria genus for the first time. In cytotoxicity test these two flavonoids exhibited moderate inhibitory activities against HepG2 cells with the IC50 values of 12.54 ± 1.37 and 38.63 ± 4.05 µM, respectively.

A microbial model of mammalian metabolism: biotransformation of 4,5-dimethoxyl-canthin-6-one using Cunninghamella blakesleeana CGMCC 3.970.

1. A filamentous fungus, Cunninghamella blakesleeana CGMCC 3.970, was applied as a microbial system to mimic mammalian metabolism of 4,5-dimethoxyl-canthin-6-one (1). Compound 1 belongs to canthin-6-one type alkaloids, which is a major bioactive constituent of a traditional Chinese medicine (the stems of Picrasma quassioides). 2. After 72 h of incubation in potato dextrose broth, 1 was metabolized to seven metabolites as follows: 4-methoxyl-5-hydroxyl-canthin-6-one (M1), 4-hydroxyl-5-methoxyl-canthin-6-one (M2), canthin-6-one (M3), canthin-6-one N-oxide (M4), 10-hydroxyl-4,5-dimethoxyl-canthin-6-one (M5), 1-methoxycarbonl-ß-carboline (M6), and 4-methoxyl-5-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-canthin-6-one (M7). 3. The structures of metabolites were determined using spectroscopic analyses, chemical methods, and comparison of NMR data with those of known compounds. Among them, M7 was a new compound. 4. The metabolic pathways of 1 were proposed, and the metabolic processes involved phase I (O-demethylation, dehydroxylation, demethoxylation, N-oxidation, hydroxylation, and oxidative ring cleavage) and phase II (glycosylation) reactions. 5. This was the first research on microbial transformation of canthin-6-one alkaloid, which could be a useful microbial model for producing the mammalian phase I and phase II metabolites of canthin-6-one alkaloids. 6. 1, M1-M5, and M7 are canthin-6-one alkaloids, whereas M6 belongs to ß-carboline type alkaloids. The strain of Cunninghamella blakesleeana can supply an approach to transform canthin-6-one type alkaloids into ß-carboline type alkaloids.

Same data, different structures: diastereoisomers with substantially identical NMR data from nature.

Fusarins G1/G2 (1/2) and G3/G4 (3/4), two sets of interesting examples of diastereoisomers with substantially identical NMR data, were discovered from natural products. The reason was discussed and the generally applicable determinant conditions were proposed. The minimum interval for stereoclusters to be entirely segregated was also discussed.

[Chemical Constituents of Alkaloids from the Bark of Sophora japonica].

Objective: To study the chemical constituents in the bark of Sophora japonica. Methods: The chemical constituents were separated and purified by silica gel,Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography,and HPLC. Their structures were identified by various spectroscopic analyses. Results: Eleven compounds were obtained from the bark of Sophora japonica. Their structures were identified as( +)-oxymatrine( 1),isosophoridine( 2),lupanine( 3),( +)-matrine( 4),( +)-sophoramine( 5),(-)-14ß-hydroxymatrine( 6),(-)-7,11-dehydromatrine( 7),alopecurin A( 8),( +)-sophoranol( 9),α-isolupanine( 10) and( +)-allomatrine( 11). Conclusion: Compounds 2,3,5 and 7 ~ 11 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Psiguadials A and B, two novel meroterpenoids with unusual skeletons from the leaves of Psidium guajava.

Psiguadials A (1) and B (2), two novel sesquiterpenoid-diphenylmethane meroterpenoids with unusual skeletons, along with a pair of known epimers, psidial A (3) and guajadial (4), were isolated from the leaves of Psidium guajava. Their structures with absolute configurations were elucidated by means of NMR, X-ray diffraction, and quantum chemical CD calculation. Compounds 1, 2, and 4 exhibited potent inhibitory effects on the growth of human hepatoma cells.