Chemical constituents on the aerial parts of Artemisia selengensis and their IL-6 inhibitory activity.

Ten compounds, 1',3'-propanediol,2'-amino-1'-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl) (1), artanomaloide (2), canin (3), eupatilin (4), quercetin-3-O-ß-D-glucoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnoside (5), 1,3-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (6), isoquercitrin (7), pinoresinol-4-O-ß-D-glucoside (8), scopolin (9), and isofraxidin-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (10) were isolated from the aerial parts of A. selengensis. The structures of compounds (1-10) were identified based on 1D and 2D NMR, including (1)H-(1)H COSY, HSQC, HMBC and NOESY spectroscopic analyses. Among them, compound 1 was isolated from this plant for the first time as a naturally occurring compound. The inhibitory activity of these isolated compounds against interleukin-6 (IL-6) production in TNF-α stimulated MG-63 cells was also examined.

A new megastigmane glycoside from Akebia quinata.

A new megastigmane glycoside, 8S*,9R*-megastigman-3-one-4,6-diene-8,9-diol-9-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside, named akequintoside D (1), as well as six known compounds, roseoside II (2), 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3), methyl-3-O-caffeoylquinate (4), 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside (5), cuneataside D (6), 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl-6-O-(α-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (7) were isolated from the stem of Akebia quinata. The structures of compounds (1-7) were identified based on 1D and 2D NMR, including (1)H-(1)H COSY, HSQC, HMBC and NOESY spectroscopic analyses. The inhibitory activity of these isolated compounds against interleukin-6 (IL-6) production in TNF-α stimulated MG-63 cells was also examined.

Effects of Morus alba L. and Natural Products Including Morusin on In Vivo Secretion and In Vitro Production of Airway MUC5AC Mucin.

BACKGROUND: It is valuable to find the potential activity of regulating the excessive mucin secretion by the compounds derived from various medicinal plants. We investigated whether aqueous extract of the root bark of Morus alba L. (AMA), kuwanon E, kuwanon G, mulberrofuran G, and morusin significantly affect the secretion and production of airway mucin using in vivo and in vitro experimental models. METHODS: Effect of AMA was examined on hypersecretion of airway mucin in sulfur dioxide-induced acute bronchitis in rats. Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with ethanolic extract, kuwanon E, kuwanon G, mulberrofuran G, or morusin for 30 minutes and then stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 24 hours. The MUC5AC mucin secretion and production were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: AMA stimulated the secretion of airway mucin in sulfur dioxide-induced bronchitis rat model; aqueous extract, ethanolic extract, kuwanon E, kuwanon G, mulberrofuran G and morusin inhibited the production of MUC5AC mucin induced by PMA from NCI-H292 cells, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that extract of the root bark and the natural products derived from Morus alba L. can regulate the secretion and production of airway mucin and, at least in part, explains the folk use of extract of Morus alba L. as mucoregulators in diverse inflammatory pulmonary diseases.

Effect of Kuwanon G isolated from the root bark of Morus alba on ovalbumin-induced allergic response in a mouse model of asthma.

The root bark of Morus alba L. (Mori Cortex Radicis; MCR) is traditionally used in Korean medicine for upper respiratory diseases. In this study, we investigated the antiasthmatic effect of kuwanon G isolated from MCR on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma in mice. Kuwanon G (1 and 10 mg/kg) was administered orally in mice once a day for 7 days during OVA airway challenge. We measured the levels of OVA-specific IgE and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) in the sera or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids and also counted the immune cells in BAL fluids. Histopathological changes in the lung tissues were analyzed. Kuwanon G significantly decreased the levels of OVA-specific IgE and IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in the sera and BAL fluids of asthma mice. Kuwanon G reduced the numbers of inflammatory cells in the BAL fluids of asthma mice. Furthermore, the pathological feature of lungs including infiltration of inflammatory cells, thickened epithelium of bronchioles, mucus, and collagen accumulation was inhibited by kuwanon G. These results indicate that kuwanon G prevents the pathological progression of allergic asthma through the inhibition of lung destruction by inflammation and immune stimulation.

Three new lignan glycosides with IL-6 inhibitory activity from Akebia quinata.

Three new lignan glycosides, akeqintoside A [(7S,8S)-7,8-dihydro-8-hydroxymethyl-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1'-benzofuranpropanol 2'-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside] (1), akeqintoside B [(7R,8R)-7,8-dihydro-8-hydroxymethyl-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1'-(9'-methoxy-7'-propenyl) benzofuran 2'-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside] (2), and akequintoside C [7R*,8R*-dihydroxy-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-glycerol 9-O-ß-D-(6'-O-caffeoyl)-glucopyranoside] (3) were isolated from Akebia quinata along with five known compounds, syringin (4), vanilloloside (5), salidroside (6), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethyl alcohol 8-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (7), and calceolarioside B (8). The structures of the compounds were identified based on one dimensional (1D)- and 2D-NMR, including (1)H-(1)H correlation spectroscopy (COSY), heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC), heteronuclear multiple bond connectivity (HMBC) and nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) spectroscopic analyses. The inhibitory activity of these isolated compounds against interleukin-6 (IL-6) production in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) stimulated MG-63 cells was also examined.

Phenolic compounds with IL-6 inhibitory activity from Aster yomena.

A new biflavonoid, named asteryomenin (1), as well as six known phenolic compounds, esculetin (2), 4-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside-3-hydroxy methyl benzoate (3), caffeic acid (4), isoquercitrin (5), isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside (6), and apigenin (7) were isolated from the aerial parts of Aster yomena. The structures of compounds (1-7) were identified based on 1D and 2D NMR, including (1)H-(1)H COSY, HSQC, HMBC and NOESY spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 2-7 were isolated from this plant for the first time. For these isolates, the inhibitory activity of IL-6 production in the TNF-α stimulated MG-63 cell was examined. Among these isolates, compounds 4 and 7 appeared to have potent inhibitory activity of IL-6 production in the TNF-α stimulated MG-63 cell, while compounds 1-3 and 5-6 showed moderate activity.

Synergistic antibacterial and antibiofilm effect between (+)-medioresinol and antibiotics in vitro.

In this study, antibacterial effects of (+)-Medioresinol isolated from stem bark of Sambucus williamsii and its synergistic activities in combination with antibiotics such as ampicillin, cefotaxime, and chloramphenicol were tested by antibacterial susceptibility testing and checkerboard assay. (+)-Medioresinol possessed antibacterial effects against antibiotics-susceptible- or antibiotics-resistant strains. Most of combinations between (+)-Medioresinol and each antibiotic showed synergistic interaction (fractional inhibitory concentration index ≤ 0.5) against bacterial strains including antibiotics-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Furthermore, the antibiofilm effect of (+)-Medioresinol alone or in combination with each antibiotic was investigated. The results indicated that not only (+)-Medioresinol but also its combination with each antibiotic had antibiofilm activities. It concludes that (+)-Medioresinol has potential as a therapeutic agent and adjuvant for treatment of bacterial infection.