Synthesis, estrogenic activity, and anti-osteoporosis effects in ovariectomized rats of resveratrol oligomer derivatives.

Three series of resveratrol oligomer derivatives were synthesized, including the indenone-type, indene-type and octahydropentalene-type derivatives, among which ten derivatives were novel compounds. Compounds 2, 14f, and 4d were confirmed as ERß agonists by yeast two-hybrid assay, and compound 2 (isopaucifloral F) was further chosen to evaluate its anti-osteoporosis activity in vivo. Compared with the sham-operated and the positive control groups, isopaucifloral F (10 µg/kg) showed a notable anti-osteoporosis effect in the ovariectomized (OVX) female rats based on a micro-CT analysis and the following measurements: bone mineral density, bone volume/tissue volume, trabecular thickness, trabecular separation/spacing, and the serum biochemical parameters. LD50 of isopaucifloral F was found to be greater than 5 mg/kg and its effective dose (ED) was found to be about 10 µg/kg. Therefore, isopaucifloral F may be a promising lead compound for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Chemical Constituents of Cordyceps cicadae.

One new bifuran derivative (1), together with fourteen known compounds, were isolated from Cordyceps cicadae X. Q. Shing. The known compounds included nine nucleosides, uracil (2), uridine (3), 2'-deoxyuridine (4), 2'-deoxyinosine (5), guanosine (6), 2'-deoxyguanosine (7), thymidine (8), adenosine (9), and 2'-deoxyadenosine (10); three amino acids tryptophan (11), phenylalanine (12), and tyrosine (13); and two dopamine analogues N-acetylnoradrenaline (14) and its dimer, trans-2-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-acetylamino-7-(N-acetyl-2"-amino-ethylene)-1,4-benzodioxane (15). Their structures were decisively elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR techniques.