Chemical constituents from Vietnamese mangrove Calophyllum inophyllum and their anti-inflammatory effects

In a search for anti-inflammatory activity in resources from Vietnamese mangroves, we found that a methanolic extract from the leaves of Calophyllum inophyllum (CIL) showed significant anti-inflammatory effects in vitro. Using various chromatographic techniques, we subsequently isolated 12 compounds (1–12) from a methanolic extract of CIL, including two novel compounds (1–2). The inhibitory effects of these compounds on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cells were also evaluated. Compound 1 significantly suppressed NO production (IC₅₀ = 2.44 ± 0.88 µM), the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (including interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha), and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase through downregulation of nuclear factor-kappa-B signaling cascades. These results suggest that C. inophyllum leaves might be a useful resource for the development of drugs for the treatment of inflammation.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of amino acid methyl ester conjugates of 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid against the production of nitric oxide (NO)

2-Cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO, 2) was condensed with various amino acid methyl esters at the C-28 carboxylic acid. The new amide conjugates were evaluated for their inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cells stimulated with interferon-γ (IFNγ). Of these new compounds, CDDO conjugates with alanine, valine, and serine are nearly equipotent to CDDO-ethyl amide (4), a triterpenoid with promising biological activity in numerous disease models. Some of these conjugates also induce the in vitro expression of heme oxygenase-1, and inhibit the proliferation of Panc-1343 pancreatic cells.     

Triterpenoid saponins from Eryngium yuccifolium ‘Kershaw Blue’

Phytochemical investigation on the root of Eryngium yuccifolium ‘Kershaw Blue’ resulted in the isolation and identification of two new polyhydroxyoleanene saponins, named eryngioside M and eryngioside N, together with 15 known triterpenoid saponins eryngiosides A-L, 21β-angeloyloxy-3β-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)]-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 3)]-β-d-glucuronopyranosyloxyolean-12-ene-15α,16α,22α,28-tetrol, saniculasaponin III, and saniculasaponin II. Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic and chemical analyses. Eryngioside M and saniculasaponin II showed week cytotoxicity against human non-small cell lung tumor cells (A549) with GI₅₀ values of 37.5 ± 1.59 μM and 35.5 ± 1.11 μM, respectively.     

Chemical constituents from Alismatis Rhizoma and their anti-inflammatory activities in vitro and in vivo

Six new compounds, including a new compound with an unusual 2, 4, 6-cycloheptatrien ketone skeleton (1), two new diphenylpropanoid ethers (2, 3), a new protostane-type triterpenoid (4), two new norsesquiterpene (5a, 5b), and two new natural products (6, 7), together with eleven known compounds (8–18) were isolated from the aqueous extract of Alismatis Rhizoma (AR). Their structures were elucidated by a combination of 1D and 2D NMR (¹H and ¹³C NMR, COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY), HRESIMS spectroscopic data, experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Some of the compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Two protostane-type triterpenoids, compounds 4 and 17, exhibited potent inhibitory activities with the IC₅₀ values of 39.3 and 63.9 μM compared with indomethacin. In the meanwhile, their anti-inflammatory effects were also confirmed by acute inflammation model induced by CuSO₄ in zebrafish.     

饲料中灵芝提取物对异育银鲫生长、饲料利用、免疫应答及抗病的影响

通过生长实验探求饲料中添加灵芝提取物饲料对异育银鲫（6.720.11） g生长、饲料利用及免疫应答的影响,以及停止灵芝提取物饲料后,使用效果的持续性。在实验进行的第21天（D21）、第46天（D46）、第65天（D65）进行取样,结果表明所有的灵芝提取物组的特定生长率在饲喂65d后与对照组无显著差异（P0.05）。摄食率随着灵芝提取物在饲料中含量的增加而增加（P0.05）,饲料效率则有着相反的趋势（P0.05）。在D46和D65时,随着灵芝提取物的含量增高,吞噬活力略有增高,但无显著差异（P0.05）。在D21、D46和D65时,呼吸暴发活力随着灵芝提取物的含量增高而增高（P0.05）,在D21时,（0.6%-21d、0%-44d）处理组和（3%-21d、0%-44d）处理组其呼吸暴发活力高于对照组（P0.05）。在D65时,（0.6%-21d、0%-44d）处理组和（3%-21d、0%-44d）处理组其呼吸暴发活力仍高于对照组（P0.05）,但差异不显著。D21、D46和D65时,替代途径补体溶血活力随着灵芝提取物的增高而降低（P0.05）。所有处理组溶菌酶活力在D21时没有产生显著差异。在D46时,对照组溶菌酶活力比最高添加组低但高于低添加组（P0.05）,（3%-1d、0%-44d）处理组也仍高于对照组（P0.05）。在D65时,所有添加组的溶菌酶活力均低于对照组（P0.05）。在D65时,髓过氧化物酶活力随着灵芝提取物的添加剂量升高而升高（P0.05）,（0.6%-21d、0%-44d）处理组仍高于对照组（P0.05）。灵芝提取物的能提高白细胞呼吸暴发活力,且在在高剂量摄入21d后（D46时）,仍可以保持较高的活力,说明灵芝提取物对免疫应答有一定时间延续效应。随着灵芝提取物添加量的升高,异育银鲫在经爱德华氏菌攻毒后的存活率显著提高。最高存活率组为3%添加组,显著高于对照组（P0.05）。实验周期为65d时,饲料中灵芝提取物推荐添加剂量为3%。       

Triterpenoid saponins from a cytotoxic root extract of Sideroxylonfoetidissimum subsp. gaumeri

Evaluation of the cytotoxicity of an ethanolic root extract of Sideroxylonfoetidissimum subsp. gaumeri (Sapotaceae) revealed activity against the murine macrophage-like cell line RAW 264.7. Systematic bioassay-guided fractionation of this extract gave an active saponin-containing fraction from which four saponins were isolated. Use of 1D (¹H, ¹³C, DEPT135) and 2D (COSY, TOCSY, HSQC, and HMBC) NMR, mass spectrometry and sugar analysis gave their structures as 3-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-28-O-(α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 3)[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-l-arabinopyranosyl)-16α-hydroxyprotobassic acid, 3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-28-O-(α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 3)[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-l-arabinopyranosyl)-16α-hydroxyprotobassic acid, 3-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-28-O-(α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)[β-d-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 3)]-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-l-arabinopyranosyl)-16α-hydroxyprotobassic acid, and the known compound, 3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-28-O-(α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 3)[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-l-arabinopyranosyl)-protobassic acid. Two further saponins were obtained from the same fraction, but as a 5:4 mixture comprising 3-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)-28-O-(α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)[β-d-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 3)]-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-l-arabinopyranosyl)-16α-hydroxyprotobassic acid and 3-O-(β-d-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 3)-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-28-O-(α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 3)[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-l-arabinopyranosyl)-16α-hydroxyprotobassic acid, respectively. This showed greater cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ = 11.9 ± 1.5 μg/ml) towards RAW 264.7 cells than the original extract (IC₅₀ = 39.5 ± 4.1 μg/ml), and the saponin-containing fraction derived from it (IC₅₀ = 33.7 ± 6.2 μg/ml).     

In silico analysis of squalene synthase in Fabaceae family using bioinformatics tools

Triterpenoid saponins are a diverse group of bioactive compounds, which are used for possessing of many biomedical and pharmaceutical products. Generally, squalene synthase (SQS) is defined as an emerging and essential branch point enzyme far from the major pathway of isoprenoids biosynthetic and a latent adjusting point, which manages carbon flux into triterpenes biosynthesis and sterols. The present study deals with the detailed characterization of SQS by bioinformatics approaches to evaluate physicochemical properties, structural characteristics including secondary and 3D structure prediction and functional analysis from eight plants related to Fabaceae family and Arabidopsis thaliana. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that SQS proteins have two transmembrane regions in the C-terminal. The predicted motifs were used to design universal degenerate primers for PCR analysis and other molecular applications. Phylogenetic analysis showed conserved regions at different stretches with maximum homology in amino acid residues within all SQSs. The secondary structure prediction results showed that the amino acid sequence of all squalene synthases had α helix and random coil as the main components. The reliability of the received model was confirmed using the ProSA and RAMPAGE programs. Determining of active site by CASTp proposes the possibility of using this protein as probable medication target. The findings of the present study may be useful for further assessments on characterization and cloning of squalene synthase.     

层迭灵芝子实体的体外抗肿瘤及免疫活性

【背景】层迭灵芝Ganoderma lobatum是灵芝属中的一个种,在民间有药用历史,但缺乏对其化学成分和药理活性的科学研究。【目的】以赤芝Ganoderma lingzhi子实体为参照,研究对比层迭灵芝子实体的抗肿瘤及免疫活性的强弱,探讨层迭灵芝的药用价值。【方法】采用化学分析及仪器分析的方法,比较2种灵芝子实体中三萜及多糖含量差异,并进行体外抗肿瘤及免疫活性研究。【结果】层迭灵芝和赤芝的子实体中三萜含量差异不大,分别为1.14%和1.21%,但2种灵芝中三萜化合物的种类差异较大。层迭灵芝子实体中的多糖含量较赤芝稍高,分别为3.60%和2.67%,2种子实体中多糖的重均分子量分布特征有所差别。2种灵芝醇提物对肿瘤细胞K562及SW620的增殖均具有一定的抑制活性,其中,层迭灵芝对SW620细胞具有较强的抑制活性,其IC50值达到了52.5μg/mL。2种灵芝水提物可以促进RAW 264.7细胞释放NO,说明两者均具有一定的免疫活性。【结论】层迭灵芝具有较好的抗肿瘤及免疫活性,可以作为药用开发的原料来源。     

Anti-inflammatory activities of triterpenoid saponins from Polygala japonica

Bioassay-guided investigation was performed to identify the active constituents from a methanol extract of Polygala japonica, a folk medicinal plant widely used in China to treat inflammatory diseases. The n-BuOH and EtOAc fractions of the P. japonica methanol extract, which show significant anti-inflammatory activity in in vivo test, were further subjected to column chromatography to afford six triterpene glycosides, marked here as saponins 1–6. All compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity in the carageenan-induced mouse paw edema test, and saponins 1, 4 and 5 showed significantly anti-inflammatory effects on both phases of carageenan-induced acute paw edema in mice. Saponin 5 was also found to significantly inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators – nitric oxide (NO) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages, with no obvious effects on macrophage viability.