Atramacrolodes A-D (1-4), Four Undescribed Eudesmane-type Sesquiterpenes from the Rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala.

Four undescribed sesquiterpenes, atramacrolodes A-D (1-4), along with six known compounds 5-10 were isolated from the rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala. Compound 3 possessed a new skeleton based on an unprecedented carton-carton connection. Their structures were determined by UV, IR, HRESIMS, NMR spectra, 13C NMR calculation with DP4+ analysis, and the comparison of experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Compounds 5 and 8 showed protective effects against paracetamol-induced liver cell injury.

New monoterpene phenol dimers from the fruits of Psoralea corylifolia.

Three new monoterpene phenol dimers, bisbakuchiols V-X (1-3), and two bakuchiol ethers (4 and 5), along with four known compounds (6-9) were isolated from the fruits of Psoralea corylifolia. Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectral analysis. The absolute configurations of 1, 2, 4, and 5 were specified by quantum chemical calculations of ECD spectra.

Chiral separation and bioactivities of six pairs of enantiomeric dilignans from Magnolia officinalis var. biloba.

Six pairs of enantiomeric dilignans, (+)/(-)-magdiligols A-F, have been isolated from an ethanolic extract of the barks of Magnolia officinalis var. biloba. Their chemical structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses, NMR calculation with DP4+ analysis, and the electronic circular dichroism spectra calculation. (+)/(-)-1-3 possessed a dihydrobenzopyran ring, while a propyl chain of 1 was linked via ether bond. (+)/(-)-Magdiligols D and E ((+)/(-)-4 and 5) were dilignans possessing a furan ring. (+)-Magdiligol B ((+)/(-)-2), (+)/(-)-magdiligol C ((+)/(-)-3), and racemes 2, 3, and 5 showed potential hepatoprotective effects against APAP-induced HepG2 cell damage, increased the cell viability from 65.4% to 72.7, 78.7.76.6, 73.9, 77.9 and 73.2%, via decreasing the level of the live enzymes ALH and LDH consistently. (+)/(-)-Magdiligols B-D ((+)/(-)-2-4) and (+)/(-)-magdiligol F ((+)/(-)-6) exhibited significant antioxidative activity. (+)/(-)-Magdiligols B-C ((+)/(-)-2 and 3), (-)-magdiligol D ((-)-4), and (+)-magdiligol E ((+)-5) displayed significant PTP1B inhibitory activity with IC50 values 1.41-3.42 µM. (+)/(-)-Magdiligol B ((+)/(-)-2), and its raceme (2) demonstrated α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with the IC50 values 1.47, 2.88 and 1.85 µM, respectively.

Hypoglycemic oligostilbenes from the stems of Caragana sinica.

Six new oligostilbenes, carastilphenols A-E (1-5) and (-)-hopeachinol B (6), with three reported oligostilbenes were obtained from the stems of Caragana sinica. The structures of compounds 1-6 were determined by comprehensive spectroscopy analysis, and their absolute configurations were determined by electronic circular dichroism calculations. Thus, natural tetrastilbenes were determined as absolute configuration for the first time. Also, we did several pharmacological essays. In the antiviral tests, compounds 2, 4 and 6 showed moderate anti-coxsackie virus B3 type (CVB3) effect on Vero cells activities in vitro with IC50 values of 19.2 âˆ¼ 69.3 µM; and compounds 3 and 4 showed different levels of anti-respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) effect on Hep2 cells activities in vitro with IC50 values of 23.1 and 33.3 µM, respectively. As for hypoglycemic activity, compounds 6-9 (10 µM) showed the inhibition of α-glucosidase in vitro with IC50 values of 0.1 âˆ¼ 0.4 µM; and compound 7 showed significant inhibition (88.8%, 10 µM) of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) with IC50 value of 1.1 µM in vitro.

Unraveling the mechanism of ethyl acetate extract from Prismatomeris connata Y. Z. Ruan root in treating pulmonary fibrosis: insights from bioinformatics, network pharmacology, and experimental validation.

Introduction: Pulmonary fibrosis is a terminal lung disease characterized by fibroblast proliferation, extracellular matrix accumulation, inflammatory damage, and tissue structure destruction. The pathogenesis of this disease, particularly idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), remains unknown. Macrophages play major roles in organ fibrosis diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis. The phenotype and polarization of macrophages are closely associated with pulmonary fibrosis. A new direction in research on anti-pulmonary fibrosis is focused on developing drugs that maintain the stability of the pulmonary microenvironment. Methods: We obtained gene sequencing data and clinical information for patients with IPF from the GEO datasets GSE110147, GSE15197, GSE24988, GSE31934, GSE32537, GSE35145, GSE53845, GSE49072, GSE70864, and GSE90010. We performed GO, KEGG enrichment analysis and GSEA analysis, and conducted weighted gene co-expression network analysis. In addition, we performed proteomic analysis of mouse lung tissue. To verify the results of bioinformatics analysis and proteomic analysis, mice were induced by intratracheal instillation of bleomycin (BLM), and gavaged for 14 days after modeling. Respiratory function of mice in different groups was measured. Lung tissues were retained for histopathological examination, Western Blot and real-time quantitative PCR, etc. In addition, lipopolysaccharide, interferon-γ and interleukin-4 were used to induce RAW264.7 cells for 12h in vitro to establish macrophage inflammation and polarization model. At the same time, HG2 intervention was given. The phenotype transformation and cytokine secretion of macrophages were investigated by Western Blot, RT-qPCR and flow cytometry, etc. Results: Through bioinformatics analysis and experiments involving bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice, we confirmed the importance of macrophage polarization in IPF. The analysis revealed that macrophage polarization in IPF involves a change in the phenotypic spectrum. Furthermore, experiments demonstrated high expression of M2-type macrophage-associated biomarkers and inducible nitric oxide synthase, thus indicating an imbalance in M1/M2 polarization of pulmonary macrophages in mice with pulmonary fibrosis. Discussion: Our investigation revealed that the ethyl acetate extract (HG2) obtained from the roots of Prismatomeris connata Y. Z. Ruan exhibits therapeutic efficacy against bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. HG2 modulates macrophage polarization, alterations in the TGF-ß/Smad pathway, and downstream protein expression in the context of pulmonary fibrosis. On the basis of our findings, we believe that HG2 has potential as a novel traditional Chinese medicine component for treating pulmonary fibrosis.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of pyranocarbazole derivatives against Alzheimer's disease, with antioxidant, neuroprotective and cognition enhancing properties.

A series of novel pyranocarbazole alkaloids were designed and synthesized as derivatives of Claulansine F and CZ-7. Some of the compounds showed strong neuroprotective effects and anti-lipid peroxidation capacity. Among these compounds, 10b, introduced leucine at the C-3 position of pyranocarbazole, was the most active in inhibiting the programmed death of SH-SY5Y cells. This compound exhibited stronger free radical scavenging activity than Edaravone. Furthermore, 10b could penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB). More importantly, 10b showed a tendency of improvement in learning and memory in the dose range of 10-40 mg/kg. The research on mechanisms indicated that 10b could reduce oxidative stress in the brain of Aß25-35-intoxicated mice, and then improve the cognitive function of Aß25-35-intoxicated mice. Our findings suggest that 10b may be promising for further evaluation as an intervention for Alzheimer's Disease.

A chromosome-level genome assembly for Dracaena cochinchinensis reveals the molecular basis of its longevity and formation of dragon's blood.

Dracaena, a remarkably long-lived and slowly maturing species of plant, is world famous for its ability to produce dragon's blood, a precious traditional medicine used by different cultures since ancient times. However, there is no detailed and high-quality genome available for this species at present; thus, the molecular mechanisms that underlie its important traits are largely unknown. These factors seriously limit the protection and regeneration of this rare and endangered plant resource. Here, we sequenced and assembled the genome of Dracaena cochinchinensis at the chromosome level. The D. cochinchinensis genome covers 1.21 Gb with a scaffold N50 of 50.06 Mb and encodes 31 619 predicted protein-coding genes. Analysis showed that D. cochinchinensis has undergone two whole-genome duplications and two bursts of long terminal repeat insertions. The expansion of two gene classes, cis-zeatin O-glucosyltransferase and small auxin upregulated RNA, were found to account for its longevity and slow growth. Two transcription factors (bHLH and MYB) were found to be core regulators of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, and reactive oxygen species were identified as the specific signaling molecules responsible for the injury-induced formation of dragon's blood. Our study provides high-quality genomic information relating to D. cochinchinensis and significant insight into the molecular mechanisms responsible for its longevity and formation of dragon's blood. These findings will facilitate resource protection and sustainable utilization of Dracaena.

Novel nitric oxide-releasing derivatives of pyranocarbazole as antitumor agents: Design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and nitric oxide release studies.

In this study, a series of novel furoxan-based nitric oxide (NO) releasing derivatives of pyranocarbazole alkaloids were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated against human cancer cell lines. The derivatives showed considerable antiproliferative activities (IC50 = 0.05-7.55 µM) and most compounds showed higher activity in MDA-MB-231 than H460 and HeLa. Especially, the most active derivative 7a (IC50 = 0.05 µM) against MDA-MB-231 was about 60 times stronger than lead compound, as well as equivalent to positive control taxol, and produced high levels of NO in MDA-MB-231. Furthermore, 7a could significantly inhibit the growth of MDA-MB-231 tumors in vivo with low toxicity and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. These results indicated that compound 7a could be a promising lead for further studies.

Meroterpenoids with unknown skeletons from the leaves of Psidium guajava including one anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant compound: psidial F.

Four unknown meroterpenoids named as psidials D-G (1-4) together with 5 known compounds (5-9) had been obtained from the leaves of Psidium guajava. Their absolute structures were elucidated by spectral and calculated methods. Psidials DF (1-3) represented unknown carbon skeleton of the 3,5-diformylbenzyl phloroglucinol-coupled sesquiterpenoid. The possible biosynthetic pathway for 1-3 was postulated. In the bioactivity assay, psidial F (3) was found to possess anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant activities.

Isolation and structural elucidation of bioactive obovatol dimeric neolignans from the bark of Magnolia officinalis var. biloba.

(+)/(-)-Diobolignans A-F, six pairs of enantiomeric obovatol dimeric neolignans, were isolated from the bark of Magnolia officinalis var. biloba. (+)/(-)-Diobolignans A to C possessed a dioxane ring between the benzene ring and the propyl side chain, while (+)/(-)-diobolignans D to F possessed a furan ring. Meanwhile, (+)/(-)-diobolignans B and C, as well as (+)/(-)-diobolignans E and F, were two epimeric pairs of enantiomers, respectively. Their structures were determined by extensive analyses of HRESIMS, UV, IR, NMR and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. The bioassay showed (+)-diobolignan A displayed cytotoxic activities against human cancer cell lines HGC27 and HT29 with the IC50 values of 9.43 and 9.45 µM, respectively. In addition, (-)-diobolignan A and (±)-diobolignan E showed neuroprotective effect on glutamic acid-induced cellular damage in SK-N-SH cell.

Dragon's Blood from Dracaena Worldwide: Species, Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology.

Dragon's blood (DB) refers mainly to the crimson resin of many Dracaena spp. DB has been used by different traditional medicine systems worldwide, including Arabic medicine, African medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, Thai medicine, etc. DB are mainly used to heal wounds, kill pain, stop bleeding, and cure various diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery and ulcers for over 1000 years. 11 Dracaena spp. and 3 subspecies are reported to be able to produce red resin. However, the resources are extremely deficient. Several Dracaena spp. are in threatened status. Over 300 compounds have been isolated from Dracaena spp., mainly including flavonoids, steroids, and phenolics. DB exhibits anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antithrombotic, anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties, which explain its wound healing effects, preventive effects on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, dual-directional regulation of blood flow, neuroprotection and radioprotective effects. No apparent side effects or toxicity have been reported. DB are restricted from being exploited due to limited resources and unclear resin formation mechanism. It is necessary to expand the cultivation of Dracaena spp. and fully understand the mechanism underlying the resin formation process to develop an effective induction method for the sustainable utilization of DB.

New amide alkaloids and carbazole alkaloid from the stems of Clausena lansium.

Five unreported alkaloids including four amide alkaloids (1a, 2a, 3a, and 3b) and one carbazole alkaloid (4) with two known compounds (1b, 2b) were obtained from the stems of Clausena lansium. Their structures were demonstrated by spectroscopic experiments. And the absolute configurations of compounds 1a, 1b, 2b, and 3b were determined by single X-ray diffraction analysis. The neuroprotection assay showed that compound 4 had moderate inhibition effect on PC12 cells induced by serum withdrawal at the concentration of 10 µM. And compounds 1a and 4 had weak protective effects on primary neurons against oxygen glucose deprivation injury at the concentration of 10 µM.

Effect of BMI on Central Arterial Reflected Wave Augmentation Index, Toe-Brachial Index, Brachial-Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity and Ankle-Brachial Index in Chinese Elderly Hypertensive Patients with Hemorrhagic Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage seriously endangers the health of the elderly. However, the relationship between obesity and arterial elasticity in hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage remains to be clarified. The purpose of our study is to explore the associations between body mass index (BMI) and central arterial reflected wave augmentation index (cAIx), toe-brachial index (TBI), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), and ankle-brachial index (ABI) in the elderly hypertensive patients with hemorrhagic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 502 elderly hypertensive patients with hemorrhagic stroke and 100 healthy controls were collected. According to the BMI, patients were divided into normal BMI, overweight, obesity, and obese groups. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to establish a risk model for elderly hypertensive hemorrhagic stroke. RESULTS: Compared with the normal BMI group, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), cAIx, and baPWV in the abnormal BMI group were significantly increased (P < 0.05), while TBI and ABI were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Logistic regression showed that BMI (OR = 1.031, 95%CI: 1.009-1.262), cAIx (OR = 1.214, 95%CI: 1.105-1.964), TBI (OR = 0.913, 95%CI: 0.885-0.967), baPWV (OR = 1.344, 95%CI: 1.142-2.147), and ABI (OR = 0.896, 95%CI: 0.811-0.989) are important factors for the occurrence of hemorrhagic stroke in the elderly hypertensive patients. ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of cAIx, TBI, baPWV, ABI, and BMI were 0.914, 0.797, 0.934, 0.833, and 0.608, respectively. The final prediction model of hemorrhagic stroke elderly hypertensive patients was Y(P)= 65.424 + 0.307(cAIx) - 13.831(TBI) + 0.012(baPWV) - 0.110(ABI) + 0.339(BMI). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is associated with decreased arterial elasticity. Therefore, reasonable weight management of the elderly may be of great significance for reducing the risk of hemorrhagic stroke in patients with hypertension.

Bioactive monoterpene phenol dimers from the fruits of Psoralea corylifolia L.

Nine undescribed monoterpene phenol dimers, bisbakuchiols D-L (1-9), were isolated from the fruits of Psoralea corylifolia L. Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectral analysis. The absolute configurations of 1-9 were specified by experimental and quantum chemical calculations of ECD spectra, and that of 1 was further established by X-ray diffraction analysis using Cu Kα radiation. Bisbakuchiols (1-4) were composed of two bakuchiols, one of which was cyclized via a C-7'/ C-12' single bond to form a six-member ring, and connect to each other by C-4-O-C-13' bonds. Bisbakuchiols (7-9) had a pyran ring by linkage of C-8-O-C-12. In the enzyme assay, compounds 5 and 9 exhibited significant PTP1B inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 0.69 and 0.73 µM, and compounds 1 and 3 showed moderate PTP1B inhibitory activities. Furthermore, a molecular docking simulation of PTP1B and active compounds 5 and 9 showed that these active compounds possess low binding affinities ranging from -6.9 to -7.1 kcal/mol.

Chemical constituents of Psidium guajava leaves and their antibacterial activity.

Seven undescribed compounds, namely (+)-psiflavanone A, (-)-psiflavanone A, (+)-psiflavanone B, (-)-psiflavanone B, (+)-psiketide, (-)-psiketide, and psidinone, were isolated and chirally separated from the 95%-ethanol extract of Psidium guajava leaves. (+)/(-)-Psiflavanone A and (+)/(-)-psiflavanone B are two pairs of rare enantiomeric C-benzoylated flavanones isolated from the title plant for the first time. (+)/(-)-Psiketide are a pair of enantiomeric aromatic polyketides, and psidinone is the first example of a C18 phenanthrenediquinone with an angle-type 6/6/6 tricyclic skeleton. Their structures were identified by extensive analysis of HRESIMS, UV, IR, NMR, and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. Particularly, the structures of (+)-psiflavanone A, (-)-psiflavanone A, (+)-psiflavanone B, and psidinone were further confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Psidinone exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Mycobacterium Smegmatis mc2 155, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 16, 8, and 0.5 µM, respectively. These results not only highlight the chemical diversity and biological activity of P. guajava but are also expected to pave way for its further expansion to other applications in future.

Claulansine F-Donepezil Hybrids as Anti-Alzheimer's Disease Agents with Cholinergic, Free-Radical Scavenging, and Neuroprotective Activities.

The multifactorial nature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) calls for the development of multitarget agents addressing key pathogenic processes. A total of 26 Claulansine F-donepezil hybrids were designed and synthesized as multitarget drugs. Among these compounds, six compounds exhibited excellent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity (half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) 1.63-4.62 µM). Moreover, (E)-3-(8-(tert-Butyl)-3,3-dimethyl-3,11-dihydropyrano[3,2-a]carbazol-5-yl)-N-((1-(2-chlorobenzyl)piperidin-4-yl)methyl)acrylamide (6bd) exhibited better neuroprotective effects against OGD/R (oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation) than lead compound Claulansine F. Furthermore, 6bd could cross the blood-brain barrier in vitro. More importantly, compared to edaravone, 6bd had stronger free-radical scavenging activity. Molecular docking studies revealed that 6bd could interact with the catalytic active site of AChE. All of these outstanding in vitro results indicate 6bd as a leading structure worthy of further investigation.

Neuroprotective triterpene saponins from the leaves of Panax notoginseng.

Two new triterpene saponins, namely notoginsenoside Ng5 (1) and notoginsenoside Ng6 (2) were isolated from the leaves of Panax notoginseng, along with five known ones. Their structures were determined by chemical methods, NMR and X-ray experiments. The absolute configuration of compound 3 with four sugar units was confirmed by single crystal X-ray analysis. Compounds 2-4 and 6 inhibited PC12 cell damage induced by serum deprivation, and increased cell viability from 58.7 ± 6.7% to 66.7 ± 4.5%, 76.1 ± 6.1%, 64.7 ± 5.2% and 67.2 ± 5.0% at 10 µM, respectively.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of pyranocarbazole derivatives as Anti-tumor agents.

A series of pyrano[3,2-a]carbazole alkaloids were designed and synthesized as derivatives of Girinimbine. The anticancer activities of these derivatives (3, 4a-j, 5a, 5c, 5f, 5i, 6c, 7a, 7c, 7f, 7i) against 10 cancer cell lines were studied. Among them, compounds 3 and 7i with N-methyl piperazine showed significant anticancer activity against MCF-7 cell lines with the IC50 values of 1.77 and 4.32 µM, respectively. Furthermore, their effects on altering cell morphology, inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MCF-7 cells were studied in vitro. In addition, the molecular docking study was carried out by using Discovery Studio software to predict the interactions between these derivatives and tubulin. All in all, these consequences reveal that pyranocarbazole derivatives with N-methyl piperazine can be used as potential anticancer lead compounds and provide useful points for the further optimization of pyranocarbazole alkaloids.

Nine prenylated acylphloroglucinols with potential anti-depressive and hepatoprotective activities from Hypericum scabrum.

In our screening program for new biologically active secondary metabolites, nine new polycyclic polyprenyled acylphloroglucinols, hyperscabins D-L, together with three known compounds, were obtained from the aerial parts of Hypericum scabrum. The chemical structures of 1-9 were characterized by extensive spectroscopic analyses, nuclear magnetic resonance calculation with DP4+ probability analysis, and the electronic circular dichroism spectra were calculated. Compound 1 was an unusual prenylated acylphloroglucinol decorated with a 5-oxaspiro [4,5] deca-1,9-dione skeleton. Compound 2 was a newly identified spirocyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinol possessing a rare 5,5-spiroketal segment. Compounds 3, 8, and 10 (10 µM) exhibited pronounced hepatoprotective activity against d-galactosamine-induced WB-F344 cell damage in vitro assays. All test compounds (1, 3, and 7-12) demonstrated potential inhibitory effects at 10 µM against noradrenalinet ([3H]-NE) reuptake in rat brain synaptosome.

Novel oligomeric neolignans with PTP1B inhibitory activity from the bark of Magnolia officinalis var. biloba.

The barks of Magnolia officinalis var. biloba, Magnoliae cortex, have been used as traditional Chinese medicines for several centuries. In this study, phytochemical investigation of M. officinalis var. biloba bark extract afforded five pairs of novel enantiomeric oligomeric neolignans, (±)-mooligomers A-E (1-5). (±)-1 and (±)-2 were two diastereomeric pairs of enantiomers with six C6-C3 subunits, and (±)-4 was a pair of previously unreported tetrameric neolignans bearing eight C6-C3 subunits. (±)-5 is the first example of a naturally occurring trilignan featuring an eight-membered ring with a magnolol moiety. The absolute configurations of (±)-1-(±)-5 were elucidated on the basis of HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Among the compounds tested for their PTP1B inhibitory activities, (±)-2, (±)-4 and (±)-5 displayed significant PTP1B inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 0.14-2.10 µM. Furthermore, a Molecular docking simulation of PTP1B and active compounds [(±)-2, (±)-4 and (±)-5] exhibited that these active compounds possess low binding affinities ranging from - 5.9 to - 7.7 kcal/mol.