Sesquiterpenoids from the Resina Commiphora Promoting the Apoptotic Activity of PC-3 Prostate Cancer Cells

Four new germacrane-type sesquiterpenes commiphoranes M1-M4 ( 1 - 4 ) together with eighteen sesquiterpenes were isolated from the Resina Commiphora. The structures and relative configurations of new substances were determined by using spectroscopic methods. Biological activity investigation revealed that nine compounds including 7 , 9 , 14 , 16 , (+)- 17 , (−)- 17 , 18 , 19 , and 20 could induce the apoptosis of prostate cancer originated PC-3 cells, through classic apoptosis signaling pathway, even using flow cytometry showed that the compound (+)- 17 caused apoptosis of PC-3 cells more than 40 %, suggesting their potential therapeutic application in the development of novel drugs against prostate cancer.     

细菌、真菌共代谢转化龙血树木质形成黄酮类化合物

利用龙血树产脂部位获得的真菌菌株和细菌菌株共同转化龙血树白木质,形成了木质成分中原来没有的黄酮类化合物,表明龙血树体内存在着一类能被转化成黄酮类化合物的前体物质,龙血树这种独特的抗性机制,可能与血竭形成有关。     

枫香树属二种香树脂类生药——苏合香与枫香脂的研究概况

本文对金缕梅科枫香树属两时树脂类生药苏合香和枫香脂的研究作了总结和比较,主要包括它们的分类学、化学成分、药理作用等,并对今后的工作提出设想。     

New entodiniomorphid ciliates from the intestine of the wild African white rhinoceros belong to a new family, the Gilchristidae

Gilchristia artemis n.g., n.sp. and Digilchristia draconis n.g., n.sp. in the order Entodiniomorphida are described from the large intestine of the African white rhinoceros, and a new family Gilchristidae is proposed to contain them. These new species have a C-shaped adoral polybrachykinety, a slender vestibular polybrachykinety, and paralabial kineties along the ventral side of the adoral polybrachykinety in their retractable adoral ciliary zone, showing the same arrangement as in the rumen ciliates in the family Ophryoscolecidae. G. artemis has two skeletal plates and D. draconis one plate. In both species the dorsal skeletal plate is bow-shaped, folded in half longitudinally, twisting in the anterior part, and lying along the dorsal left side of the macronucleus. The second plate of G. artemis is slender and lies along the ventral side of the macronucleus. G. artemis has three ciliary arches and D. draconis has four arches along the dorsal and ventral sides of the body. Their arches are long and non-retractable, closely resembling those of ciliates in the families, Spirodiniidae and Cycloposthiidae, and are not analogous to the single retractable ciliary arch of the rumen ciliates in the family Ophryoscolecidae.     

Analysis of pharmaceutical samples of Resina Draconis by HPLC-PAD

Introduction: The quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) represents a particular challenge owing to the complexity of the matrix, which renders separation and identification of the individual components extremely difficult. In recent years, fingerprinting of TCMs has played a dominant role in quality control. Resina Draconis was authorised as a new TCM in 1991, but a satisfactory HPLC fingerprint method for this preparation has not yet been published. Objective: To develop a simple and reliable protocol for the quality control of Resina Draconis using an HPLC‐PAD method. Methodology: The TCM was extracted with methanol at room temperature. Chromatography was carried out using a Lichrospher C₁₈ column eluted with a linear gradient of acetonitrile (A) and water containing 0.1% phosphoric acid (B), initially at 30:70 (A:B) and changing to 60:40 in 90 min. UV (PAD) spectra were acquired in the range 210–400 nm. Results: Four chromatograms of samples of Resina Draconis obtained from different pharmaceutical factories showed 20 peaks in common. The average chromatogram was taken as a template from which the correlation coefficients and cosine ratios of the samples were determined. Whereas the contents of individual components in each sample were different, overall the samples were extremely similar one to another, and the products from different pharmaceutical factories were consistent. Conclusion: A reliable and validated HPLC method has been developed for the fingerprint analysis of Resina Draconis that can be applied for the quality control of this TCM. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

枫香脂和苏合香的心血管药理学研究

本文比较了苏合香及枫香脂生药、精制枫香脂、枫香脂挥发油的毒性及其对心血管系统的药理作用。结果表明 ,枫香脂毒性小于苏合香。 4种样品均能提高小鼠常压下的心肌耐缺氧能力 ,其中精制枫香脂及枫香脂挥发油的作用最强 ;均可显著降低氯仿诱导的小鼠室颤发生率 ,其中精制枫香脂作用最强 ;对体外血栓干重的抑制率 ,精制枫香脂的作用强于苏合香 ;均可提高冠脉流量 ,其中精制枫香脂及枫香脂挥发油的作用强度及作用维持时间均优于苏合香 ;对离体豚鼠心功能的影响基本相似。提示以精制枫香脂取代苏合香应用于心血管疾病是可能的。     

赤霉属真菌诱导龙血竭形成的HPLC指纹图谱

龙血竭为百合科植物龙血树所产的树脂类药材,常常因树干部位受损伤后,经微生物侵染并分泌树脂,经提而成。本研究以活性菌株诱导所得龙血竭药材为研究对象,采用HPLC指纹图谱与对照药材相比较,为其质量控制提供评价及分析方法。采用ZORBAX SB-C18色谱柱（5μm,4.6mm×250mm）,流动相A为30%乙腈+0.3%乙酸,流动相B为100%乙腈,梯度洗脱,流速1.0mL/min,检测波长278nm与309nm,柱温25℃。结果发现,各龙血竭样品指纹图谱与对照样品相似度高,确定14个共有峰,并通过对照指认了7,4’-二羟基黄酮、龙血素A、龙血素B和白藜芦醇共4个特征性化学成分。本研究发现活性真菌菌株诱导产物可作为天然龙血竭的替代品,诱导药材质量佳,诱导效果好。     

Dracophane,a metacyclophane derivative from the resin of Dracaena cinnabari Balf

Dracophane, a novel structural derivative of metacyclophane, was isolated from the resin of Dracaena cinnabari Balf. The structure of this compound was determined by spectroscopic methods to be 3,12,21-trihydroxy-1,10,19-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5,14,23-trimethoxy[3.3.3]metacyclophane.     

Commiphoranes K−O,New Terpenoids from Resina Commiphora and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activities

Commiphorane K ( 1 ), a new dinorditerpenoid, commiphoranes L−N ( 2 – 4 ), three new germacrane-type sesquiterpenoids, and commiphorane O ( 5 ), one new guaiane-type sesquiterpenoid, were isolated from Resina Commiphora. Their structures were characterized by spectroscopic and computational methods. In particular, the structure of 4 was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Compounds 2 – 5 were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities. The result shows that compound 2 suppresses lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated production of TNF-α in RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner.