Enhanced Glucose Uptake in Human Liver Cells and Inhibition of Carbohydrate Hydrolyzing Enzymes by Nordic Berry Extracts.

A Western lifestyle with low physical activity and a diet rich in sugar, fat and processed food contribute to higher incidences of diabetes and obesity. Enhanced glucose uptake in human liver cells was observed after treatment with phenolic extracts from different Nordic berries. All berry extracts showed higher inhibition against α-amylase and α-glucosidase than the anti-diabetic agent acarbose. Total phenolic content and phenolic profiles in addition to antioxidant activities, were also investigated. The berries were extracted with 80% methanol on an accelerated solvent extraction system (ASE) and then purified by C-18 solid phase extraction (SPE). Among the ASE methanol extracts, black chokeberry, crowberry and elderberry extracts showed high stimulation of glucose uptake in HepG2 cells and also considerable inhibitory effect towards carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes. SPE extracts with higher concentrations of phenolics, resulted in increased glucose uptake and enhanced inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase compared to the ASE extracts. Crowberry and cloudberry were the most potent 15-lipoxygenase inhibitors, while bog whortleberry and lingonberry were the most active xanthine oxidase inhibitors. These results increase the value of these berries as a component of a healthy Nordic diet and have a potential benefit against diabetes.

Isolation and synthesis of pulmonarins A and B, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors from the colonial ascidian Synoicum pulmonaria.

Pulmonarins A and B are two new dibrominated marine acetylcholinesterase inhibitors that were isolated and characterized from the sub-Arctic ascidian Synoicum pulmonaria collected off the Norwegian coast. The structures of natural pulmonarins A and B were tentatively elucidated by spectroscopic methods and later verified by comparison with synthetically prepared material. Both pulmonarins A and B displayed reversible, noncompetitive acetylcholinesterase inhibition comparable to several known natural acetylcholinesterase inhibitiors. Pulmonarin B was the strongest inhibitor, with an inhibition constant (Ki) of 20 µM. In addition to reversible, noncompetitive acetylcholinesterase inhibition, the compounds displayed weak antibacterial activity but no cytotoxicity or other investigated bioactivities.

The antibacterial ent-eusynstyelamide B and eusynstyelamides D, E, and F from the Arctic bryozoan Tegella cf. spitzbergensis.

The brominated tryptophan-derived ent-eusynstyelamide B (1) and three new derivatives, eusynstyelamides D, E, and F (2-4), were isolated from the Arctic bryozoan Tegella cf. spitzbergensis. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR and analysis of mass spectrometric data. The enantiomer of 1, eusynstyelamide B, has previously been isolated from the Australian ascidian Eusynstyela latericius. Antimicrobial activities are here reported for 1-4, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) as low as 6.25 µg/mL for 1 and 4 against Staphylococcus aureus. Eusynstyelamides 2 and 3 showed weak cytotoxic activity against the human melanoma A 2058 cell line.

Screening for antibacterial and antifungal activities in marine benthic invertebrates from northern Norway.

Benthic marine invertebrates collected from sub-Arctic regions of northern Norway, were found to be a promising source of novel bioactive compounds against human and fish pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Lyophilized material from seven species of ascidians, six sponges and one soft alcyonid coral were extracted with 60% acidified acetonitrile (ACN). After separation into an ACN-rich phase (ACN-extract) and an aqueous phase, and subsequent solid-phase extraction of the aqueous phase, fractions differing in polarity were obtained and screened for antibacterial and antifungal activities, along with the more lipophilic ACN-extracts. Antimicrobial activity was determined against two gram-negative, two gram-positive bacteria, and two strains of fungi. Notably, all the invertebrate species in the study showed activity against all four strains of bacteria and the two strains of fungi. In general, the aqueous fractions displayed highest antimicrobial activity, and the most potent extracts were obtained from the colonial ascidian Synoicum pulmonaria which displayed activity against bacteria and fungi at a concentration of 0.02 mg/ml; the lowest concentration tested.

Authentication of Garcinia fruits and food supplements using DNA barcoding and NMR spectroscopy.

Garcinia L. (Clusiaceae) fruits are a rich source of (-)-hydroxycitric acid, and this has gained considerable attention as an anti-obesity agent and a popular weight loss food supplement. In this study, we assessed adulteration of morphologically similar samples of Garcinia using DNA barcoding, and used NMR to quantify the content of (-)-hydroxycitric acid and (-)-hydroxycitric acid lactone in raw herbal drugs and Garcinia food supplements. DNA barcoding revealed that mostly G. gummi-gutta (previously known as G. cambogia) and G. indica were traded in Indian herbal markets, and there was no adulteration. The content of (-)-hydroxycitric acid and (-)-hydroxycitric acid lactone in the two species varied from 1.7% to 16.3%, and 3.5% to 20.7% respectively. Analysis of ten Garcinia food supplements revealed a large variation in the content of (-)-hydroxycitric acid, from 29 mg (4.6%) to 289 mg (50.6%) content per capsule or tablet. Only one product contained quantifiable amounts of (-)-hydroxycitric acid lactone. Furthermore the study demonstrates that DNA barcoding and NMR could be effectively used as a regulatory tool to authenticate Garcinia fruit rinds and food supplements.

A new benzophenanthridine alkaloid and other bioactive constituents from the stem bark of Zanthoxylum heitzii.

Heitziquinone (7), a new benzophenanthridine alkaloid, together with five known compounds; isoarnottianamide (5), rhoifoline B (6), isobauerenol (8), 6-hydroxypellitorine (9) and sylvamide (10), were isolated as minor compounds from the hexane extract of stem bark from Zanthoxylum heitzii. Four previously reported compounds (1-4) were found, as well. Compounds 5 and 7 were both found to exist as 4:1 mixtures of two atropisomers. The structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and by mass spectrometry. Compounds 5-10 were identified for the first time in this species, and they are all rare natural compounds. Pellitorine (4), one of the main compounds from the hexane bark extract, was found to be responsible for the brine shrimp larvae toxicity (LC50 37 µM, 8 µg/ml) of the crude extract (LC50 24 µg/ml). Low cytotoxicity against a macrophage cell line was observed.

Synoxazolidinones A and B: novel bioactive alkaloids from the ascidian Synoicum pulmonaria.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the sub-Arctic ascidian Synoicum pulmonaria collected off the Norwegian coast led to the isolation of a novel family of brominated guanidinium oxazolidinones named synoxazolidinones A and B (1 and 2). The backbone of the compounds contains a 4-oxazolidinone ring rarely seen in natural products. The structure of the compounds was determined by spectroscopic methods. The synoxazolidinones exhibited antibacterial and antifungal activities.