Transformation of 15-ene steviol by Aspergillus niger, Cunninghamella bainieri, and Mortierella isabellina.

Transformation of 15-ene steviol (ent-13-hydroxy-kaur-15-en-19-oic acid) by growth cultures of Aspergillus niger BCRC 32720, Cunninghamella bainieri ATCC 9244, and Mortierella isabellina ATCC 38063 was conducted to generate various derivatives for the development of bioactive compounds. Four previously undescribed compounds along with six known compounds were obtained. The newly identified isolates were characterized using 1D and 2D NMR, IR, and HRESIMS, and three compounds were further confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analyses. Subsequently, the effects of 15-ene steviol and its derivatives on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokine production by THP-1 cells were examined, with dexamethasone used as a positive control. Results indicated that most of the tested compounds showed lower inhibitory effects than those detected in the dexamethasone-treated group, except that 15-ene steviol showed better effects than dexamethasone on the reduction of LPS-induced monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, -2, and -3 release. Three specialized products similarly showed better effects than dexamethasone on the inhibition of LPS-induced secretion of regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES). Moreover, none of the tested compounds showed any cytotoxicity or triggered cell apoptosis, and none affected the protein integrity of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) or MyD88, suggesting that these compounds may exert the anti-inflammatory activity downstream of membrane-associated TLR4 and MyD88 molecules.

Synthesis and anti-hepatitis B virus activity of C4 amide-substituted isosteviol derivatives.

A series of novel isosteviol derivatives having C4-amide substituents were synthesized in order to test for antiviral effects against the hepatitis B virus (HBV) in vitro. Among them, IN-4 [N-(propylcarbonyl)-4α-amino-19-nor-ent-16-ketobeyeran] (5) exhibited inhibitory activity against secretion of HBsAg and HBeAg as well as inhibition of HBV DNA replication. Therefore, the mechanism of its antiviral activity was further analyzed using HBV-transfected Huh7 cells. Exposure to IN-4 produced minimal inhibitory effects on viral precore/pregenomic RNA expression. However, expression levels of the 2.4/2.1-kb preS/major S RNA of the viral surface gene significantly decreased, along with intracellular levels of HBV DNA. A promoter activity analysis demonstrated that IN-4 significantly inhibited viral X, S, and preS expression levels but not viral core promoter activities. In particular, IN-4 was observed to significantly inhibit HBV gene regulation by disrupting nuclear factor (NF)-κB-associated promoter activity. In addition, the nuclear expression of p65/p50 NF-κB member proteins was attenuated following IN-4 treatment, while cytoplasmic IκBα protein levels were enhanced. Meanwhile, IN-4 was observed to inhibit the binding activity of NF-κB to putative DNA elements. Furthermore, transfection of a p65 expression plasmid into Huh7 cells significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of IN-4 on HBV DNA levels, providing further evidence of the central role of NF-κB in its antiviral mechanism. It is therefore suggested that IN-4 inhibits HBV by interfering with the NF-κB signaling pathway, resulting in downregulation of viral gene expression and DNA replication.

Synthesis and antiviral effects of isosteviol-derived analogues against the hepatitis B virus.

Among several isosteviol-derived analogues, NC-8 (ent-16-oxobeyeran-19-N-methylureido) showed inhibitory potency against the hepatitis B virus (HBV) in HepG2 2.2.15 cells. Its anti-HBV mechanism was then next investigated in a human hepatoma cell culture system. Results showed that it specifically inhibited viral gene expression and reduced the level of encapsidated viral DNA intermediates in Huh7 cells that expressed replicating HBV. It also potently attenuated all viral promoter activity in HBV-expressing Huh7 cells, but not in cells lacking HBV expression. By examining its antiviral mechanism in cellular signaling pathways, NC-8 was found to inhibit the activity of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB element-containing promoter, but only slightly enhanced activities of activator protein (AP)-1- and interferon-sensitive response element (ISRE)-containing promoters in HBV-expressing cells. NC-8 also significantly eliminated NF-κB (p65/p50) and Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 proteins, but increased the IκBα protein level in a dose-dependent manner in HBV-transfected Huh7 cells, while these protein levels were apparently unchanged in non-transfected cells. Meanwhile, NC-8-treated nuclear extracts that co-expressed HBV inhibited the binding of NF-κB to the CS1 site of HBV major surface gene and specifically attenuated CS1-containing promoter activity. Taken together, this study suggests that the antiviral mechanism of NC-8 appears to be mediated by disturbing replication and gene expression of HBV and by inhibiting the host TLR2/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Oxygenated compounds from the bioconversion of isostevic acid and their inhibition of TNF-α and COX-2 expressions in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.

Fourteen oxygenated compounds were isolated from the preparative-scale biotransformation of isostevic acid (ent-beyeran-19-oic acid). Incubation of it with Aspergillus niger BCRC 32720 produced eight metabolites, four with Bacillus megaterium ATCC 14581, and another four with Mortierella isabellina ATCC 38063. In addition to their structural elucidation by NMR spectroscopy and HRMS, structures of four of these were further confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. Real-time reverse transcription PCR analysis found that 15 of these compounds displayed significant in vitro anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages by reducing the levels of both TNF-α and COX-2 mRNA relative to control cells stimulated by LPS alone. The activity of one metabolite was similar to that of dexamethasone in inhibiting the expression of TNF-α mRNA, while all test compounds except two of them were more potent than dexamethasone in inhibiting the expression of the COX-2 mRNA.

Transformation of isosteviol lactam by fungi and the suppressive effects of its transformed products on LPS-induced iNOS expression in macrophages.

From the screening of 21 microbial strains, Absidia pseudocylindrospora ATCC 24169 and Aspergillus niger BCRC 32720 were found to reproducibly transform isosteviol lactam (4α-carboxy-13α-amino-13,16-seco-ent-19-norbeyeran-16-oic acid 13,16-lactam) (3) into various compounds. Preparative-scale transformation of 3 with Abs. pseudocylindrospora yielded two new hydroxylated compounds (4 and 5), with conservation of the lactam ring. Preparative-scale transformation of 3 with Asp. niger afforded seven new compounds, 6 and 9-14, together with the known compounds 7 and 8. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiment confirmed the structure of 14. The suppressive effects of compounds 1-14 on the lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase gene in RAW 264.7 macrophages were examined by a reverse-transcription real-time PCR analysis. With the exception of 7, all other compounds significantly reduced levels of iNOS mRNA relative to control cells, which were induced by LPS alone. Compounds 2, 3, and 5 were similar in activity to dexamethasone, while 9 was more potent.

Microbial transformation of isosteviol oxime and the inhibitory effects on NF-kappaB and AP-1 activation in LPS-stimulated macrophages.

Microbial transformation of isosteviol oxime (ent-16-E-hydroxyiminobeyeran-19-oic acid) (2) with Aspergillus niger BCRC 32720 and Absidia pseudocylindrospora ATCC 24169 yielded several compounds. In addition to bioconverting the d-ring to lactone and lactam moieties, 4alpha-carboxy-13alpha-hydroxy-13,16-seco-ent-19-norbeyeran-16-oic acid 13,16-lactone (7) and 4alpha-carboxy-13alpha-amino-13,16-seco-ent-19-norbeyeran-16-oic acid 13,16-lactam (10), one known compound, ent-1beta,7alpha-dihydroxy-16-oxo-beyeran-19-oic acid (6), and five new compounds, ent-7alpha-hydroxy-16-E-hydroxyiminobeyeran-19-oic acid (3), ent-1beta,7alpha-dihydroxy-16-E-hydroxyiminobeyeran-19-oic acid (4), ent-1beta-hydroxy-16-E-hydroxyiminobeyeran-19-oic acid (5), ent-8beta-cyanomethyl-13-methyl-12-podocarpen-19-oic acid (8), and ent-8beta-cyanomethyl-13-methyl-13-podocarpen-19-oic acid (9), were isolated from the microbial transformation of 2. Elucidation of the structures of these isolated compounds was primarily based on 1D and 2D NMR, and HRESIMS data, and 3-5 were further confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analyses. Additionally, the inhibitory effects of all of these compounds were evaluated on NF-kappaB and AP-1 activation in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Among the compounds tested, 5 and 10 significantly inhibited NF-kappaB activation, with 5 showing equal potency to dexamethasone; 3 and 6-9 significantly inhibited AP-1 activation, particularly 8, which showed more inhibitory activity than dexamethasone.

Fungal transformation of isosteviol lactone and its biological evaluation for inhibiting the AP-1 transcription factor.

A number of hydroxylated diterpenoids were obtained from the microbial transformation of isosteviol lactone (4alpha-carboxy-13alpha-hydroxy-13,16-seco-ent-19-norbeyeran-16-oic acid 13,16-lactone) (2) with Mucorrecurvatus MR 36, Aspergillusniger BCRC 31130, and Absidiapseudocylindrospora ATCC 24169. Incubation of 2 with M. recurvatus and Asp.niger led to isolation of seven known compounds (1 and 3-8). Incubation of 2 with Abs. pseudocylindrospora produced 5 and six previously unreported compounds (9-14). The structures of these isolated compounds were deduced by high-field NMR techniques ((1)H, (13)C, DEPT, COSY, NOESY, HSQC, and HMBC), and those of 9 and 11 were further confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analyses. Subsequently, the inhibitory effects on activator protein-1 (AP-1) activation in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages of all of these compounds were evaluated. Compounds 2-5, 8, 9, 11, and 12 exhibited significant inhibitory activity, while 3 was more potent than the reference compound of dexamethasone.

Microbial transformation of isosteviol lactone and evaluation of the transformation products on androgen response element.

Two filamentous fungi, Cunninghamella bainieri ATCC 9244 and Aspergillus niger BCRC 32720, were used to investigate the biotransformation of isosteviol lactone (4alpha-carboxy-13alpha-hydroxy-13,16- seco-ent-19-norbeyeran-16-oic acid 13,16-lactone) ( 2), which was derived by reacting isosteviol ( ent-16-oxobeyeran-19-oic acid) ( 1) with m-chloroperbenzoic acid. Incubation of 2 with C. bainieri afforded metabolites 3- 6, which involved isomerization, hydroxylation, and ring cleavage reactions followed by oxidation and selective O-methylation. Incubation of 2 with A. niger afforded mono-, di-, and trihydroxylated metabolites 3, 4, and 7- 12. The structures of 3- 12 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, and structures 3, 4, and 6 were confirmed by X-ray crystallographic studies. Compounds 2- 6, 8- 10, and 12 were assayed as androgen agonists using an ARE (androgen response element)-mediated luciferase reporter gene assay. Compounds 3, 6, and 10 were significantly active, with 6 showing more activity than testosterone.