Triterpenoids from Fragaria ananassa calyx and their inhibitory effects on melanogenesis in B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells.

Column chromatographic technology was applied to isolate six purified ursane triterpenoids from the calyx of Fragaria ananassa and they were identified on the basis of spectroscopic methods to be ursolic acid (1), pomolic acid (2), 2-oxo-pomolic acid (3), 3-O-acetyl pomolic acid (4), fupenzic acid (5) and euscaphic acid (6). This is the first study in which these compounds have been isolated from the calyx of F. ananassa. Compared to a well-known inhibitor, α-arbutin, compounds 2-6 showed a significant decrease in intracellular melanin content in B16-F10 cells, and in culture media melanin.

Pseudogulbenkiania gefcensis sp. nov., isolated from soil.

A novel strain, yH16, was isolated on nutrient agar from soil samples collected at KyungHee University, Suwon City, Republic of Korea. Cells of strain yH16(T) were short rods, Gram-negative-staining, motile and non-spore-forming, with a polar flagellum. Biochemical and molecular characterization revealed that this strain was most similar to Pseudogulbenkiania subflava BP-5(T). Further 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies revealed that the new strain clustered with Pseudogulbenkiania subflava BP-5(T) (95.9 % similarity), Paludibacterium yongneupense 5YN8-15(T) (95.2 % similarity), Gulbenkiania mobilis E4FC31-5(T) (94.6 % similarity) and Chromobacterium aquaticum CC-SE-YA-1(T) (93.9 % similarity). The isolate was able to grow at 25-40 °C, 0.3-2 % NaCl and pH 5.5-7. The DNA G+C content was 65.9 ± 1.0 mol%. The predominant fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C(16 : 1)ω7c and/or iso-C(15 : 0) 2-OH) and C(16:0). Ubiquinone 8 was the major respiratory quinone. It was evident from the data obtained that the strain should be classified as a novel species of the genus Pseudogulbenkiania. The name proposed for this taxon is Pseudogulbenkiania gefcensis sp. nov., and the type strain is yH16(T) (=KCCM 90100(T) = JCM 17850(T)).