Wild ginseng grows in Myanmar

Ginseng, the underground parts of plants of Panax species, has been used in oriental traditional medicine for centuries. Unfortunately, because of extensive exploitation over thousands of years, the natural source of these species has been almost exhausted. Recently, we have found a wild ginseng growing in Myanmar. Here, by a combination of chemical composition study and gene sequence analysis, we unambiguously demonstrate that the wild ginseng is actually P. zingiberensis, commonly known as ginger ginseng. This ginseng was an indigenous to the southwestern China. However, now it is seriously threatened to brink of extinction and is put on the highest level of protection in China. Therefore, an appropriate protection measure is highly recommended to preserve this valuable resource, since this Myanmar ginseng might turn out to be the last P. zingiberensis, which could ever be seen in the planet.     

Highly-oxygenated isopimarane-type diterpenes from Orthosiphon stamineus of Indonesia and their nitric oxide inhibitory activity

From the methanolic extract of Indonesian Orthosiphon stamineus, nine new highly-oxygenated isopimarane-type diterpenes [7-O-deacetylorthosiphol B (1), 6-hydroxyorthosiphol B (2), 3-O-deacetylorthosiphol I (3), 2-O-deacetylorthosiphol J (4), siphonols A-E (5-9)] have been isolated together with nine known diterpenes [orthosiphols H (10), K (11), M (12) and N (13); staminols A (14) and B (15); neoorthosiphols A (16) and B (17); norstaminol A (18)]. Their structures were determined based on the spectroscopic data. The isolated diterpenes inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophage-like J774.1 cells. Compounds 4-7, 9, 10, 14, and 17 showed inhibitory activities more potent (IC(50), 10.8-25.5 microM) than a positive control N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA; IC(50), 26.0 microM).     

Saffron Pre-Treatment Promotes Reduction in Tissue Inflammatory Profiles and Alters Microbiome Composition in Experimental Colitis Mice

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract with an incompletely understood pathogenesis. Long-standing colitis is associated with increased risk of colon cancer. Despite the availability of various anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory drugs, many patients fail to respond to pharmacologic therapy and some experience drug-induced adverse events. Dietary supplements, particularly saffron (Crocus sativus), have recently gained an appreciable attention in alleviating some symptoms of digestive diseases. In our study, we investigated whether saffron may have a prophylactic effect in a murine colitis model. Saffron pre-treatment improved the gross and histopathological characteristics of the colonic mucosa in murine experimental colitis. Treatment with saffron showed a significant amelioration of colitis when compared to the vehicle-treated mice group. Saffron treatment significantly decreased secretion of serotonin and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, in the colon tissues by suppressing the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. The gut microbiome analysis revealed distinct clusters in the saffron-treated and untreated mice in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis by visualization of the Bray–Curtis diversity by principal coordinates analysis (PCoA). Furthermore, we observed that, at the operational taxonomic unit (OTU) level, Cyanobacteria were depleted, while short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as isobutyric acid, acetic acid, and propionic acid, were increased in saffron-treated mice. Our data suggest that pre-treatment with saffron inhibits DSS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, modulates gut microbiota composition, prevents the depletion of SCFAs, and reduces the susceptibility to colitis.     

Constituents of the Vietnamese medicinal plant Orthosiphon stamineus

From the MeOH extract of the aerial part of Vietnamese Orthosiphon stamineus, five new isopimarane-type diterpenes [orthosiphols F-J (1-5)] and two new diterpenes [staminols A (6) and B (7)] with a novel carbon-framework, to which we proposed the name "staminane", and three new highly-oxygenated staminane-type diterpenes [staminolactones A (8) and B (9) and norstaminol A (10)1 were isolated. Moreover, staminolactone A (8) is 8,14-secostaminane-type and staminolactone B (9) is 13,14-secostaminane-type, while norstaminol A (10) is 14-norstaminen-type. Together with these new diterpenes, sixteen known compounds were also isolated and identified to be: 7,3',4'-tri-O-methylluteolin (11), eupatorin (12), sinensetin (13), 5-hydroxy-6,7,3',4'-tetramethoxyflavone (14), salvigenin (15), ladanein (16), tetramethylscutellarein (17), 6-hydroxy-5,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone (18), vomifoliol (19), aurantiamide acetate (20), rosmarinic acid (21), caffeic acid (22), oleanolic acid (23), ursolic acid (24), betulinic acid (25), and beta-sitosterol (26). All the isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity towards highly liver metastatic murine colon 26-L5 carcinoma cells, and the new diterpenes, except for 4, and flavonoids (11, 12, 16, 18) showed cytotoxicity with an ED50 value between 10 and 90 microg/ml.     

Staminolactones A and B and norstaminol A: three highly oxygenated staminane-type diterpenes from Orthosiphon stamineus

[formula: see text] Staminolactones A (1) and B (2) and norstaminol A (3), three highly oxygenated staminane-type diterpenes having mild cytotoxic activities against highly liver-metastatic colon 26-L5 carcinoma cells, were isolated from the aerial part of the Vietnamese medicinal plant Orthosiphon stamineus (Lamiaceae). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of the extensive spectral analyses.     

Epicalyxin F and calyxin I: two novel antiproliferative diarylheptanoids from the seeds of Alpinia blepharocalyx

[formula: see text] Epicalyxin F (1) and calyxin I (2), two novel diarylheptanoids, were isolated from a residual fraction of an EtOH extract of Alpinia blepharocalyx. Calyxin I (2) represented a new carbon skeleton, and epicalyxin F (1) possessed potent antiproliferative activity toward HT-1080 fibrosarcoma and colon 26-L5 carcinoma with ED50 values of 1.71 and 0.89 microM, respectively.