Antiplasmodial and cytotoxic activity of lanostane type triterpenoids isolated from Leplaea mayombensis

Leplaeric acid E 5, leplazarin 6a and 21-epileplazarin 6b, three new 3,4-seco-lanostane type triterpenes have been isolated from the stem bark of Leplaea mayombensis (Pellegr.) Staner along with fourteen known compounds from the fruits and roots. Leplaeric acid E, leplazarin and 21-epileplazarin, 15-α-hydroxy-3,4-seco-lanosta-4(28),8,24-triene-3,21-dioic acid, mayomlactones A and B, lanosta-7,24-dien-3-one, leplaeric acid A, B and C were screened in vitro for antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine-sensitive (Pf3D7) and chloroquine-resistant (PfINDO) strains of Plasmodium falciparum and for cytotoxicity against CAL-27, CaCo2, Skov-3, and HepG2 cells line. Three compounds including 15-α-hydroxy-3,4-seco-lanosta-4(28),8,24-triene-3,21-dioic acid (IC₅₀ 5.65–7.09 μM), lanosta-7,24-dien-3-one (IC₅₀ 7.18–9.07 μM), and leplaeric acid C (IC₅₀ 7.59–8.47 μM) were the most active against both strains of P. falciparum. All the compounds exhibited cytotoxicity against the three-cell lines with IC₅₀ ranging from 12.30 to 181.88 μM. These results confirm the usage of the medicinal plant L. mayombensis for the management of malaria and suggest that further lead optimization studies on potent compounds identified from this study could lead to the identification of potential of lead molecules as scaffold for new antimalarial drug discovery.     

A Novel Sulfated Holostane Glycoside from Sea Cucumber Holothuria leucospilota

A new sulfated holostane glycoside, leucospilotaside B ( 1 ), together with the two related structurally known compounds holothurin B₂ ( 2 ) and holothurin B ( 3 ), was isolated from sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota collected from the South China Sea. The structure of 1 was elucidated by spectral analysis (¹H‐, ¹³C‐, and 2D‐NMR, ESI‐MS, and HR‐ESI‐MS) and chemical methods. The compounds 1 – 3 possess the same disaccharide moiety, but were different in the side chains of the triterpene aglycone. Compound 1 showed significant cytotoxicities against four human tumor cell lines, HL‐60, MOLT‐4, A‐549, and BEL‐7402.     

Chemical constituents of leaves and stem bark of Plumeria obtusa

The continued studies on the constituents of the fresh leaves and stem bark of Plumeria obtusa Linn. have led to the isolation and characterization of four new triterpenoids, dammara-12,20(22)Z-dien-3-one (1), dammara-12,20(22)Z-dien-3beta-ol (2), olean-12-en-3beta,27-diol (3), and 27-hydroxyolean-12-en-3-one (4) and 12 known compounds, which included eight triterpenoids; dammara-3beta,20(S),25-triol (5), urs-12-en-3beta-hydroxy-27-Z-feruloyloxy-28-oic acid (6), 3beta-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (7), 3beta,27-dihydroxylupan-29-ene (8), 3beta-hydroxylupan-29-en-28-oic acid (9), 3beta-hydroxyursan-12-en-28-oic acid (11), 3beta-hydroxy-27-p-coumaroyloxy-olea-12-en-28-oic acid (12) and urs-12-en-3-one (15); an iridoid 1alpha-plumieride (10); a cardenolide 3alpha,14beta-dihydroxy-17beta-card-20(22)-enolide (13); a fatty acid ester methyl n-octadecanoate (14) and a steroid 3beta-hydroxy-delta5-stigmastane (16). The new constituents were characterized through spectroscopic studies including 1D (1H and 31C NMR) and 2D (COSY-45, NOESY, J-resolved, HMQC and HMBC) NMR and chemical transformations. This is the first report on the isolation of dammarane triterpenoids from P. obtusa. Compounds 5 and 6 are hitherto unreported from P. obtusa. The known compounds were identified by comparison of their spectral data with those reported in the literature.     

Terpenoids from Guarea guidonia

The volatile oil and the methanol extract from the leaves of Guarea guidonia, Meliaceae, were individually submitted to chromatographic separation. A sesquiterpene (2S*)-eudesma-5,7-dien-2-ol, together with six known ones, were isolated from the volatile oil. The methanolic extract afforded two known and two new triterpenes (23S*)-cycloart-24-ene-3 beta,23-diol and (23R*)-cycloart-24-ene-3 beta,23-diol, besides three known sesquiterpenes, one known diterpene and two steroids. Their structures were established on the basis of spectrocopic data, mainly by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic analyses.     

Histological and chemical comparison of triterpene and phenolic deterrent contents of juvenile shoots of Betula species

Summary Defence-related epithelial structures of juvenile stems and their phytochemistry were compared between six woody species of Betula from different geographical areas. The shoots of B. pendula, B. papyrifera, B. platypylla and B. ermanii are covered by resin droplets secreted by multicellular peltate glands. The seedlings of B. papyrifera and B. pubescens are covered with long epithelial hairs. Closer topical examination also revealed smaller glands on B. papyrifera and B. pubescens. The glands of B. ermanii are oval while the other species have a round shape. Phenol-specific histochemical staining indicated phenolic compounds in the cells in active glands of the resinous birches, but not in those of the pubescent birches. The epithelial hairs were strongly positive to the phenol stain. Analysis of the triterpenoids (3- and 3-papyriferic acid and pendulic acid) and a phenolic (platyphylloside) deterrent indicated that the morphological differences are accompanied by chemical ones. Pendulic acid was the main triterpene in B. ermanii instead of the 3-papyriferic acid of the other resinous species. Concentrations of the triterpenes ranged from about 0.3 to 12 mg/g, while the platyphylloside level was around 0.5 mg/g in all of them. Some triterpenes were also detected in B. papyrifera, but none in B. pubescens. The former contained only about 0.05 mg/g of platyphylloside, but B. pubescens contained 4 mg/g of this compound.     

Triterpenoids from Momordica balsamina: Reversal of ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance

The ability as P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1) modulators of thirty (1–30) triterpenoids of the cucurbitane-type was evaluated on human L5178 mouse T-lymphoma cell line transfected with the human MDR1 gene, through the rhodamine-123 exclusion assay. Compounds (1–26, and 29, 30) were previously obtained from the African medicinal plant Momordica balsamina, through both isolation (1–15) and molecular derivatization (16–26 and 29, 30). Compounds 27–28 are two new karavilagenin C (34) derivatives having succinic acid moieties. Apart from 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11, most of the isolated compounds (1–15) displayed strong MDR reversing activity in a dose-dependent mode, exhibiting a many-fold activity when compared with verapamil, used as positive control. At the lowest concentration tested, compounds 2 and 7 were the most active. However, a decrease of activity was found for the acyl derivatives (16–30). In a chemosensitivity assay, the MDR reversing activity of some of the most active compounds (1–3, 5, 7, 12–15) was further assessed on the same cell model. All the tested compounds, excepting 15, corroborated the results of the transport assay, revealing to synergistically interact with doxorubicin. Structure–activity relationship studies, taking into account previous results, showed that different substitution patterns, at both the tetracyclic nucleus and the side chain, play important role in ABCB1 reversal activity. An optimal lipophilicity was also recognized.     

Chemical constituents from leaves of Lagerstroemia speciosa L.

This work describes the isolation and characterization of fourteen compounds from Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers, including four triterpenes (1–4), eight ellagic acids (5–12), one coumarin (13) and one neolignan (14). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of various spectroscopic methods (UV, IV and NMR, including 2D experiments). It was the first report of compounds 14 from the genus Lagerstroemia and the first report of compounds 9–12 from the family Lythraceae.     

温度胁迫对白桦悬浮细胞中三萜积累及防御酶活性的影响

以白桦悬浮培养细胞为试材,悬浮培养第7d进行高温(50℃热处理1h)和低温(4℃冷胁迫3h)胁迫处理,此后不同时间(0h～7d)收获白桦细胞,研究细胞干重、三萜积累及防御酶活性的变化。研究结果表明,高温和低温胁迫后均表现在24h～3d收获细胞显著促进了白桦总三萜的合成,且以高温处理效果最佳,48h收获细胞时分别比对照(25℃)和冷胁迫处理提高36.4%和12.87%;而在冷胁迫处理后4d～7d表现显著刺激了总三萜的合成,其中在第7d总三萜的含量比对照增加了22.1%,且两温度胁迫处理后15h～4d显著促进了齐墩果酸三萜的积累,24h收获时,热处理和冷胁迫均比对照提高38.1%和39.65%。两温度胁迫后不同程度促进了超氧化物岐化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、苯丙氨酸裂解酶(PAL)、过氧化物酶(POD)活性提高及丙二醛的积累,但各酶活性出现高峰及变化规律存在差异,明确各酶相互协调、补充是保证细胞适应温度胁迫,减轻自由基伤害,并促进次生产物合成的原因。