Ecdysteroid metabolism in mammals: The fate of ingested 20-hydroxyecdysone in mice and rats.

Phytoecdysteroids are molecules derived from sterol metabolism and found in many plants. They display a wide array of pharmacological effects on mammals (e.g. anabolic, anti-diabetic). Although these effects have been long established, the molecular targets involved remain to be identified. Like endogenous steroid hormones and bile acids, which are biochemically related, ingested or injected phytoecdysteroids undergo a set of reactions in mammals leading to the formation of numerous metabolites, only some of which have been so far identified, and it is presently unknown whether they represent active metabolites or inactivation products. In the large intestine, ecdysteroids undergo efficient 14-dehydroxylation. Other changes (reductions, epimerization, side-chain cleavage) are also observed, but whether these occur in the liver and/or large intestine is not known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), the most common phytoecdysteroid, when administered to mice and rats, using, when required, tritium-labelled molecules to permit metabolic tracking. Bioavailability, the distribution of radioactivity and the kinetics of formation of metabolites were followed for 24-48 hours after ingestion and qualitative and quantitative analyses of circulating and excreted compounds were performed. In mice, the digestive tract always contains the majority of the ingested 20E. Within 30 min after ingestion, 20E reaches the large intestine, where microorganisms firstly remove the 14-hydroxyl group and reduce the 6-one. Then a very complex set of metabolites (not all of which have yet been identified) appears, which correspond to poststerone derivatives formed in the liver. We have observed that these compounds (like bile acids) undergo an entero-hepatic cycle, involving glucuronide conjugation in the liver and subsequent deconjugation in the intestine. Despite the very short half-life of ecdysteroids in mammals, this entero-hepatic cycle helps to maintain their plasma levels at values which, albeit low (≤0.2 µM), would be sufficient to evoke several pharmacological effects. Similar 20E metabolites were observed in mice and rats; they include in particular 14-deoxy-20E, poststerone and 14-deoxypoststerone and their diverse reduction products; the major products of this metabolism have been unambiguously identified. The major sites of metabolism of exogenous ecdysteroids in mammals are the large intestine and the liver. The entero-hepatic cycle contributes to the metabolism and to maintaining a low, but pharmacologically significant, concentration of ecdysteroids in the blood for ca. 24 h after ingestion. These data, together with parallel in vitro experiments provide a basis for the identification of 20E metabolite(s) possibly involved in the physiological effects associated with ecdysteroids in mammals.

Testing the efficacy and safety of BIO101, for the prevention of respiratory deterioration, in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia (COVA study): a structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: As of December, 1st, 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2, resulted in more than 1 472 917 deaths worldwide and death toll is still increasing exponentially. Many COVID-19 infected people are asymptomatic or experience moderate symptoms and recover without medical intervention. However, older people and those with comorbid hypertension, diabetes, obesity, or heart disease are at higher risk of mortality. Because current therapeutic options for COVID-19 patients are limited specifically for this elderly population at risk, Biophytis is developing BIO101 (20-hydroxyecdysone, a Mas receptor activator) as a new treatment option for managing patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection at the severe stage. The angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) serves as a receptor for SARS-CoV-2. Interaction between ACE2 and SARS-CoV2 spike protein seems to alter the function of ACE2, a key player in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). The clinical picture of COVID-19 includes acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), cardiomyopathy, multiorgan dysfunction and shock, all of which might result from an imbalance of the RAS. We propose that RAS balance could be restored in COVID-19 patients through MasR activation downstream of ACE2 activity, with 20-hydroxyecdysone (BIO101) a non-peptidic Mas receptor (MasR) activator. Indeed, MasR activation by 20-hydroxyecdysone harbours anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, and anti-fibrotic properties. BIO101, a 97% pharmaceutical grade 20-hydroxyecdysone could then offer a new therapeutic option by improving the respiratory function and ultimately promoting survival in COVID-19 patients that develop severe forms of this devastating disease. Therefore, the objective of this COVA study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of BIO101, whose active principle is 20-hydroxyecdysone, in COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia. TRIAL DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-centre, group sequential and adaptive which will be conducted in 2 parts. Part 1: Ascertain the safety and tolerability of BIO101 and obtain preliminary indication of the activity of BIO101, in preventing respiratory deterioration in the target population Part 2: Re-assessment of the sample size needed for the confirmatory part 2 and confirmation of the effect of BIO101 observed in part 1 in the target population. The study is designed as group sequential to allow an efficient run-through, from obtaining an early indication of activity to a final confirmation. And adaptive - to allow accumulation of early data and adapt sample size in part 2 in order to inform the final design of the confirmatory part of the trial. PARTICIPANTS: Inclusion criteria 1. Age: 45 and above 2. A confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 infection, within the last 14 days, prior to randomization, as determined by PCR or other approved commercial or public health assay, in a specimen as specified by the test used. 3. Hospitalized, in observation or planned to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 infection symptoms with anticipated hospitalization duration ≥3 days 4. With evidence of pneumonia based on all of the following: a. Clinical findings on a physical examination b. Respiratory symptoms developed within the past 7 days 5. With evidence of respiratory decompensation that started not more than 4 days before start of study medication and present at screening, meeting one of the following criteria, as assessed by healthcare staff: a. Tachypnea: ≥25 breaths per minute b. Arterial oxygen saturation ≤92% c. A special note should be made if there is suspicion of COVID-19-related myocarditis or pericarditis, as the presence of these is a stratification criterion 6. Without a significant deterioration in liver function tests: a. ALT and AST ≤ 5x upper limit of normal (ULN) b. Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) ≤ 5x ULN c. Total bilirubin ≤ 5×ULN 7. Willing to participate and able to sign an informed consent form (ICF). Or, when relevant, a legally authorized representative (LAR) might sign the ICF on behalf of the study participant 8. Female participants should be: at least 5 years post-menopausal (i.e., persistent amenorrhea 5 years in the absence of an alternative medical cause) or surgically sterile; OR a. Have a negative urine pregnancy test at screening b. Be willing to use a contraceptive method as outlined in inclusion criterion 9 from screening to 30 days after last dose. 9. Male participants who are sexually active with a female partner must agree to the use of an effective method of birth control throughout the study and until 3 months after the last administration of the investigational product. (Note: medically acceptable methods of contraception that may be used by the participant and/or partner include combined oral contraceptive, contraceptive vaginal ring, contraceptive injection, intrauterine device, etonogestrel implant, each supplemented with a condom, as well as sterilization and vasectomy). 10. Female participants who are lactating must agree not to breastfeed during the study and up to 14 days after the intervention. 11. Male participants must agree not to donate sperm for the purpose of reproduction throughout the study and until 3 months after the last administration of the investigational product. 12. For France only: Being affiliated with a European Social Security. Exclusion criteria 1. Not needing or not willing to remain in a healthcare facility during the study 2. Moribund condition (death likely in days) or not expected to survive for >7 days - due to other and non-COVID-19 related conditions 3. Participant on invasive mechanical ventilation via an endotracheal tube, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), or high-flow Oxygen (delivery of oxygen at a flow of ≥16 L/min.). 4. Participant is not able to take medications by mouth (as capsules or as a powder, mixed in water). 5. Disallowed concomitant medication: Consumption of any herbal products containing 20-hydroxyecdysone and derived from Leuzea carthamoides; Cyanotis vaga or Cyanotis arachnoidea is not allowed (e.g. performance enhancing agents). 6. Any known hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients, or excipients of the study medication, BIO101. 7. Renal disease requiring dialysis, or known renal insufficiency (eGFR≤30 mL/min/1.73 m2, based on Cockcroft & Gault formula). 8. In France only: a. Non-affiliation to compulsory French social security scheme (beneficiary or right-holder). b. Being under tutelage or legal guardianship. Participants will be recruited from approximately 30 clinical centres in Belgium, France, the UK, USA and Brazil. Maximum patients' participation in the study will last 28 days. Follow-up of participants discharged from hospital will be performed through post-intervention phone calls at 14 (± 2) and 60 (± 4) days. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: Two treatment arms will be tested in this study: interventional arm 350 mg b.i.d. of BIO101 (AP 20-hydroxyecdysone) and placebo comparator arm 350 mg b.i.d of placebo. Administration of daily dose is the same throughout the whole treatment period. Participants will receive the study medication while hospitalized for up to 28 days or until a clinical endpoint is reached (i.e., 'negative' or 'positive' event). Participants who are officially discharged from hospital care will no longer receive study medication. MAIN OUTCOMES: Primary study endpoint: The proportion of participants with 'negative' events up to 28 days. 'Negative' events are defined as respiratory deterioration and all-cause mortality. For the purpose of this study, respiratory deterioration will be defined as any of the following: Requiring mechanical ventilation (including cases that will not be intubated due to resource restrictions and triage). Requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Requiring high-flow oxygen defined as delivery of oxygen at a flow of ≥16 L/min. Only if the primary endpoint is significant at the primary final analysis the following Key secondary endpoints will be tested in that order: Proportion of participants with events of respiratory failure at Day 28 Proportion of participants with 'positive' events at Day 28. Proportion of participants with events of all-cause mortality at Day 28 A 'positive' event is defined as the official discharge from hospital care by the department due to improvement in participant condition. Secondary and exploratory endpoints: In addition, a variety of functional measures and biomarkers (including the SpO2 / FiO2 ratio, viral load and markers related to inflammation, muscles, tissue and the RAS / MAS pathways) will also be collected. RANDOMIZATION: Randomization is performed using an IBM clinical development IWRS system during the baseline visit. Block-permuted randomization will be used to assign eligible participants in a 1:1 ratio. In part 1, randomization will be stratified by RAS pathway modulator use (yes/no) and co-morbidities (none vs. 1 and above). In Part 2, randomization will be stratified by centre, gender, RAS pathway modulator use (yes/no), co-morbidities (none vs. 1 and above), receiving Continuous Positive Airway Pressure/Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP/BiPAP) at study entry (Yes/No) and suspicion of COVID-19 related myocarditis or pericarditis (present or not). BLINDING (MASKING): Participants, caregivers, and the study team assessing the outcomes are blinded to group assignment. All therapeutic units (TU), BIO101 b.i.d. or placebo b.i.d., cannot be distinguished in compliance with the double-blind process. An independent data-monitoring committee (DMC) will conduct 2 interim analyses. A first one based on the data from part 1 and a second from the data from parts 1 and 2. The first will inform about BIO101 safety, to allow the start of recruitment into part 2 followed by an analysis of the efficacydata, to obtain an indication of activity. The second interim analysis will inform about the sample size that will be required for part 2, in order to achieve adequate statistical power. Numbers to be randomised (sample size) Number of participants randomized: up to 465, in total Part 1: 50 (to obtain the proof of concept in COVID-19 patients). Part 2: 310, potentially increased by 50% (up to 465, based on interim analysis 2) (to confirm the effects of BIO101 observed in part 1). TRIAL STATUS: The current protocol Version is V 10.0, dated on 24.09.2020. The recruitment that started on September 1st 2020 is ongoing and is anticipated to finish for the whole study by March2021. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered before trial start in trial registries: EudraCT , No. 2020-001498-63, registered May 18, 2020; and Clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT04472728 , registered July 15, 2020. FULL PROTOCOL: The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this Letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol.

Phytochemical analysis and bioactivity of the aerial parts of Abutilon theophrasti (Malvaceae), a medicinal weed.

Phytochemical investigations of aerial parts of Abutilon theophrasti yielded (6S,9R)-roseoside (1) and (6S,9S)-roseoside (2) which are new for the genus. The elucidation of the chemical structures was established by mass spectrometry, 1D and 2D NMR experiments. Although methanol extracts contained 48.5 ± 7.2 mg of caffeic acid equivalents and 15.87 ± 4.6 mg of quercetin equivalents, the antioxidant activity, as revealed by DPPH and ABTS assays, was of medium strength (EC50 of 306.2 ± 16.3 and 394.3 ± 14.8 µg/mL, respectively). A. theophrasti extract inhibits soybean 5-LOX with IC50 value 2.89 ± 0.2 mg/mL. The cytotoxicity of the methanol extract against MCF-7, CCRF-CEM and CEM/ADR5000 cancer cells resulted in IC50 values of 505.8 ± 34.7 µg/mL for MCF-7, 75.6 ± 7.1 µg/mL for CCRF-CEM, and 89.5 ± 13.4 µg/mL for CEM/ADR 5000 cells.

The metabolism of 20-hydroxyecdysone in mice: relevance to pharmacological effects and gene switch applications of ecdysteroids.

Ecdysteroids exert many pharmacological effects in mammals (including humans), most of which appear beneficial, but their mechanism of action is far from understood. Whether they act directly and/or after the formation of metabolites is still an open question. The need to investigate this question has gained extra impetus because of the recent development of ecdysteroid-based gene-therapy systems for mammals. In order to investigate the metabolic fate of ecdysteroids in mice, [1α,2α-(3)H]20-hydroxyecdysone was prepared and injected intraperitoneally to mice. Their excretory products (urine+faeces) were collected and the different tritiated metabolites were isolated and identified. The pattern of ecdysteroid metabolites is very complex, but no conjugates were found, in contrast to the classical fate of the (less polar) endogenous vertebrate steroid hormones. Primary reactions involve dehydroxylation at C-14 and side-chain cleavage between C-20 and C-22, thereby yielding 14-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone, poststerone and 14-deoxypoststerone. These metabolites then undergo several reactions of reduction involving, in particular, the 6-keto-group. A novel major metabolite has been identified as 2ß,3ß,6α,22R,25-pentahydroxy-5ß-cholest-8(14)-ene. The formation of this and the other major metabolites is discussed in relation to the various effects of ecdysteroids already demonstrated on vertebrates.

Practical uses for ecdysteroids in mammals including humans: an update.

Ecdysteroids are widely used as inducers for gene-switch systems based on insect ecdysteroid receptors and genes of interest placed under the control of ecdysteroid-response elements. We review here these systems, which are currently mainly used in vitro with cultured cells in order to analyse the role of a wide array of genes, but which are expected to represent the basis for future gene therapy strategies. Such developments raise several questions, which are addressed in detail. First, the metabolic fate of ecdysteroids in mammals, including humans, is only poorly known, and the rapid catabolism of ecdysteroids may impede their use as in vivo inducers. A second set of questions arose in fact much earlier with the pioneering "heterophylic" studies of Burdette in the early sixties on the pharmacological effects of ecdysteroids on mammals. These and subsequent studies showed a wide range of effects, most of them being beneficial for the organism (e.g. hypoglycaemic, hypocholesterolaemic, anabolic). These effects are reviewed and critically analysed, and some hypotheses are proposed to explain the putative mechanisms involved. All of these pharmacological effects have led to the development of a wide array of ecdysteroid-containing preparations, which are primarily used for their anabolic and/or "adaptogenic" properties on humans (or horses or dogs). In the same way, increasing numbers of patents have been deposited concerning various beneficial effects of ecdysteroids in many medical or cosmetic domains, which make ecdysteroids very attractive candidates for several practical uses. It may be questioned whether all these pharmacological actions are compatible with the development of ecdysteroid-inducible gene switches for gene therapy, and also if ecdysteroids should be classified among doping substances.

Phytoecdysteroids from the juice of Serratula coronata L. (Asteraceae).

Seven phytoecdysteroids have been isolated from Serratula coronata L. One of them is a new phytoecdysteroid, 3-epi-20-hydroxyecdysone. Two further ecdysteroids, 20-hydroxyecdysone 22-acetate and taxisterone, are isolated from this species for the first time in addition to the typical S. coronata ecdysteroids, 20-hydroxyecdysone, ecdysone, ajugasterone C and polypodine B. The juice squeezed from aerial parts of fresh plants of S. coronata was extracted with ethyl acetate. The ecdysteroids were isolated by a combination of chromatographic techniques (mainly HPLC) and identified by 1D and 2D (1)H and (13)C NMR experiments and mass-spectrometry. The biological activities of 3-epi-20-hydroxyecdysone (EC(50)=1.6 x 10(-7) M), taxisterone (EC(50)=9.5 x 10(-8) M) and ajugasterone C (EC(50)=6.2 x 10(-8) M) have been determined in the Drosophila melanogaster B(II) bioassay for ecdysteroid agonist activity.

Sub-ambient temperature effects on the separation of monosaccharides by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulse amperometric detection. Application to marine chemistry.

The effects of column temperature in the range 10-45 degrees C using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) and pulse amperometric detection are described for the determination of monosaccharides. The influence of temperature was tested with an isocratic elution of NaOH at concentrations varying from 2.5 to 20 mM and with a post-column addition of 1 M NaOH. The results showed that small changes of temperature greatly affect retention times and resolution (Rs) of monosaccharides and particularly those of the both pairs xylose-mannose and rhamnose-arabinose which cannot be simultaneously detected at usual room temperature (approximately 25 degrees C). Our results suggest that a subambient temperature of 17 degrees C and an eluent concentration of 19 mM are the more appropriate conditions for an acceptable separation (R(s rha/ara) = 1.02, R(s man/xyl) = 0.70) in a short analytical run time (35 min). The results showed that within the range of temperatures studied, enthalpy and entropy are invariant of temperature indicating that changes in the retention processes are mainly due to temperature than other associated changes in the system. This study demonstrated the importance of controlling temperature during HPAEC of monosaccharides, both to accomplish highly reproducible retention times and to achieve optimal separation of sugars. This method gave acceptable results for detection of marine sugars.

Spectroscopic characterisation and identification of ecdysteroids using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with on-line UV--diode array, FT-infrared and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and time of flight mass spectrometry.

A prototype multiply hyphenated reversed-phase HPLC system has been applied to the analysis of a mixture of pure ecdysteroids and an ecdysteroid-containing plant extract. Characterisation was achieved via a combination of diode array UV, 1H NMR, FT-IR spectroscopy and time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. This combination of spectrometers allowed the collection of UV, 1H NMR, IR and mass spectra for a mixture of pure standards enabling almost complete structural characterisation to be performed. The technique was then applied to a partially purified plant extract in which 20-hydroxyecdysone and polypodine B were identified despite incomplete chromatographic resolution and the presence of co-chromatographing interferents. The experimental difficulties in the use of such a systems for these analytes are described.

Molecular cloning of a novel crustacean member of the aldoketoreductase superfamily, differentially expressed in the antennal glands.

Biochemical studies on ecdysteroid metabolism in arthropods suggest that aldoketoreductase enzymes (AKRs) may be involved in this pathway, but very few molecular data are available on these oxidoreductases in invertebrates. Looking for such enzymes in the crayfish Orconectes limosus, we have used a PCR strategy with primers deduced from a recent insect 3beta-reductase sequence, and from mammalian 5beta-reductase sequences. A full-length cDNA, corresponding to a putative AKR, was isolated from crayfish antennal gland. This cDNA contains an open-reading frame of 1008 bp, encoding a predicted protein of 336 amino acids. Northern blots indicated a restricted expression of the transcript in the antennal glands, quite constant during the molting cycle, and in situ hybridization demonstrated a strong expression of the transcript in the labyrinth. This is to date the first member of the AKRs superfamily characterized in a crustacean species, and the putative function of the corresponding enzyme is discussed.

Chromatographic procedures for the isolation of plant steroids.

In this review, we consider the general principles and specific methods for the purification of different classes of phytosteroids which have been isolated from plant sources: brassinosteroids, bufadienolides, cardenolides, cucurbitacins, ecdysteroids, steroidal saponins, steroidal alkaloids, vertebrate-type steroids and withanolides. For each class we give a brief summary of the characteristic structural features, their distribution in the plant world and their biological effects and applications. Most classes are associated with one or a few plant families, e.g., the withanolides with the Solanaceae, but others, e.g., the saponins, are very widespread. Where a compound class has been extensively studied, a large number of analogues are present across a range of species. We discuss the general principles for the isolation of plant steroids. The predominant methods for isolation are solvent extraction/partition followed by column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography/HPLC.

Identification and quantitative analysis of the phytoecdysteroids in Silene species (Caryophyllaceae) by high-performance liquid chromatography. Novel ecdysteroids from S. pseudotites.

Many species in the genus Silene (Caryophyllaceae) have previously been shown to contain ecdysteroids and this genus is recognised as a good source of novel ecdysteroid analogues. We have used ecdysteroid-specific radioimmunoassays and the microplate-based Drosophila melanogaster B(II) cell bioassay for ecdysteroid agonist and antagonist activities to identify further phytoecdysteroid-containing species in this genus. The main ecdysteroid components from 10 Silene species (S. antirrhina, S. chlorifolia, S. cretica, S. disticha, S. echinata, S. italica, S. portensis, S. pseudotites, S. radicosa, S. regia) were isolated and identified, mainly by normal-phase and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The amount of each ecdysteroid was determined by comparing chromatogram peak areas with those for reference 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) on reversed-phase HPLC. 20E is the most abundant ecdysteroid in each of the Silene extracts. Polypodine B, 2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone and ecdysone are also common ecdysteroids in these Silene species, but the proportions of these ecdysteroids vary between the Silene species. HPLC proved to be a quick and effective way to screen Silene species, determine ecdysteroid profiles and, hence, identify extracts containing novel analogues. An extract of the aerial parts of S. pseudotites was found to contain several new ecdysteroids. These have been isolated and identified spectroscopically (by NMR and mass spectrometry) as 2-deoxyecdysone 22beta-D-glucoside, 2-deoxy-20,26-dihydroxyecdysone and 2-deoxypolypodine B 3beta-D-glucoside. Additionally, (5alpha-H)-2-deoxyintegristerone A (5alpha-2H 91%, 5alpha-1H 9%) was isolated as an artefact. This study contributes to the understanding of ecdysteroid distribution in Silene species and provides further information on the chemotaxonomic significance of ecdysteroids in Silene species.

[Structural diversity of ecdysteroids of Lychnis flos-cuculi]. / A Lychnis flos-cuculi ekdiszteroidjainak szerkezeti diverzitása.

Eleven ecdysteroids have been isolated from Lychnis floscuculi; we are the first who report eight ecdysteroids of the eleven compounds in this plant. Two of these ecdysteroids, dihydrorubrosterone and 20-hydroxyecdysone 3-acetate are newly discovered natural products. The success of isolation of these new ecdysteroids has been based on the use of separation methods in a proper order; these separation procedures were completing each others. At the beginning steps of isolation simple separation methods were used, such a solvent-solvent distribution and fractionated precipitation. Two third of the contaminants were removed thereby. High capacity low resolution methods were used then, such as classical adsorption column chromatography and preparative thin-layer chromatography. The major component (20-hydroxyecdyssone) and certain minor ecdysteroids (polypodine B and rubrosterone) were isolated in pure form here. Purification of the further minor components (poststerone, 2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone, vitikosterone E, dihydrorubrosterone, makisterone A, taxisterone, 20-hydroxyecdysone 2-acetate, 20-hydroxyecdysone 3-acetate) required HPLC and other absorption chromatographic methods. Our recent separation scheme means a generally applicable guiding principle for isolation of any plant ecdysteroid, major and minor alike. Structural identification of the known ecdysteroids was based on their spectral data and that of their literature information. Structural elucidation of 20-hydroxyecdysone 3-acetate was done by the help of a standard component prepared by acetylation of 20-hydroxyecdysone. From the mixture of seven acetates the corresponding compound (20-hydroxyecdysone 3-acetate) was isolated, and used for identification. Structural diversity of ecdysteroids of Lychnis flos-cuculi is evaluated, and a tentative explanation is introduced for the formation and biosynthesis of the versatility of phytoecdysteroids.

Isolation of 5 alpha- and 5 beta-dihydrorubrosterone from Silene otites L. (Wib).

5 alpha-Dihydrorubrosterone (2 beta, 3 beta, 14 alpha, 17 beta-tetrahydroxy-5 alpha-androst-7-ene-6-one), a new 19-carbon 5 alpha-ecdysteroid, was isolated together with its 5 beta counterpart from the aerial parts of Silene otites L. (Wib.) (Caryophyllaceae) by a combination of solvent partition, low-pressure column chromatography, thin-layer chromatography (normal-phase and reversed-phase) and finally HPLC. Mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic procedures were used for compound characterization.

Sileneoside H, a new phytoecdysteroid from Silene brahuica.

Sileneoside H (1), a new phytoecdysteroid, has been isolated from the roots of Silene brahuica and identified as 22-O-alpha-D-galactosylintegristerone A 25-acetate by MS and NMR analysis.

Biotransformations of putative phytoecdysteroid biosynthetic precursors in tissue cultures of Polypodium vulgare.

Incubation of calli and prothalli of Polypodium vulgare with different tritium-labelled ecdysteroids has led to modification of some previous assumptions about the biosynthesis of ecdysteroids in plants. Thus, 25-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone was transformed efficiently in both tissues into 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), but no 25-deoxyecdysteroids such as pterosterone and inokosterone were formed. Likewise, incubation of 2-deoxyecdysone (2dE) produced exclusively ecdysone (E) and 20E, indicating a high 2-hydroxylase activity in both tissues, despite calli not producing phytoecdysteroids. This 2-hydroxylation was also evident in the transformation of 2,22-dideoxyecdysone (2,22dE) into 22-deoxyecdysone (22dE). Different ecdysteroids that do not occur in P. vulgare were formed in the incubation of 3-dehydro-2,22,25-trideoxyecdysone (3D2,22,25dE) by 3alpha-reduction and 3beta-reduction and 25-hydroxylation processes. The fact that 22,25-dideoxyecdysone and 22dE were the only 2-hydroxylated products formed in this case suggests that only compounds bearing a 3beta-hydroxyl group are substrates for the 2-hydroxylase. Surprisingly, 22-hydroxylation was never observed with either 2,22dE or 3D2,22,25dE, raising the possibility that it could occur at an early step in the biosynthetic pathway. In this respect, labelled 22R-hydroxycholesterol was efficiently converted into E and 20E, whereas 22S-hydroxycholesterol was not transformed into ecdysteroids, because of its unsuitable configuration at C22. Finally, the conversion of 25-hydroxycholesterol into E and 20E was greatly enhanced after thermal treatment of prothalli which induces the release of previously stored ecdysteroids. Thus, P. vulgare prothalli and calli appear to be particularly suitable models for the study of ecdysteroid biosynthesis and its regulation in plants.

Cloning of a novel cytochrome P450 (CYP4C15) differentially expressed in the steroidogenic glands of an arthropod.

Biosynthesis of ecdysteroids, arthropod steroid molting hormones, proceeds from dietary cholesterol through a complex and still incompletely elucidated pathway. Most of the known steps are catalyzed by cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) but none of their genes has yet been identified. We have established a cDNA library of crayfish steroidogenic glands (Y organs). A full length CYP-cDNA was characterized containing a 1539 bp open reading frame encoding a predicted protein of 513 amino acid residues. This novel CYP was assigned to the CYP4 family and designated CYP4C15. Northern blots demonstrated predominant expression of this gene in the active molting glands, suggesting a role in ecdysteroid biosynthesis rather than detoxification.

Improvement in the Iatroscan thin-layer chromatographic-flame ionisation detection analysis of marine lipids. Separation and quantitation of monoacylglycerols and diacylglycerols in standards and natural samples.

Mono- and diacylglycerols are important intermediates in glycerolipid biodegradation and intracellular signalling pathways. A method for mass determination of these lipid classes in marine particles was developed using the Iatroscan, which combines thin layer chromatography (TLC) and flame ionisation detection (FID) techniques. We improved existing protocols by adding two elution steps: hexane-diethyl-ether-formic acid (70:30:0.2, v/v/v) after triacylglycerol and free fatty acid scan, and acetone 100% followed by chloroform-acetone-formic acid (99:1:0.2, v/v/v) after 1,2 diacylglycerols. Diacylglycerol isomers 1,2 and 1,3 were separated from each other, as well as from free sterols in standards and marine lipids from sediment trap particles. Monoacylglycerols were separated from pigments and galactosyl-lipids in the same trap samples and in a rich pigment phytoplankton extract of Dunaliella viridis. Quantitation of each class in samples was performed after calibration with 0.5 to 2 micrograms of standards. As many as 17 lipid classes can be identified and quantified in samples using this proposed six-step development.

Isolation and Structural Elucidation of Two Plant Ecdysteroids, Gerardiasterone and 22-Epi-20-hydroxyecdysone

Two minor plant ecdysteroids, 22-epi-20-hydroxyecdysone (1) and gerardiasterone (2), were isolated from Serratula tinctoria L. (Compositae). The first compound, a new natural product, was characterized by an unusual stereochemistry at C-22 (i.e., 22S). The second compound was identified as (20R,23S)-20,23-dihydroxyecdysone, a compound previously isolated from the Zooanthid Gerardia savaglia.

New minor ecdysteroids from Silene otites (L.) Wib.

Six minor new ecdysteroid components have been isolated from Silene otites (L.) Wib. by a combination of chromatographic methods. Three of them (2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone 3,22-diacetate, 5 alpha-2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone 3-acetate, and 2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone 3-crotonate) are new natural products.

24(24(1))[Z]-dehydroamarasterone B, a phytoecdysteroid from seeds of Leuzea carthamoides.

A new phytoecdysteroid, 24(24(1))[Z]-dehydroamarasterone B, has been isolated from seeds of Leuzea (Rhaponticum) carthamoides. It has been unambiguously identified by CIMS, 13C NMR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The biological activity of the ecdysteroid has been determined in the Drosophila melanogaster BII bioassay. The ED50 (5.2 x 10(-7) M) is 70-fold higher than that for 20-hydroxyecdysone (7.5 x 10(-9) M).