Neolignan and phenylpropanoid compounds from the fruits of Illicium simonsii Maxim

One new sesqui-neolignan compound, namely, sesqui-illisimonan A (1), one new neolignan, illisimonan A (2), and one new phenylpropanoid compound, illisimoid A (3) were isolated from the fruits of Illicium simonsii Maxim. The structures and absolute configurations of these compounds were determined by extensive spectroscopic, including NMR, circular dichroism and calculated electronic circular dichroism methods. The antioxidant activities of compounds 1–3 were also evaluated. Vitamin E was selected as the positive control (IC₅₀ = 49.73 ± 0.88 μM). Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited in vitro antioxidant activity with an IC₅₀ value of 55.76 ± 1.30 and 59.36 ± 0.50 μM, respectively. However, the compound 3 didn’t show obvious antioxidant activity.     

Sesquiterpenes from the fruits of Illicium Simonsii maxim

Abstract

A new allo-cedrane sesquiterpene glycoside (1) and nine known compounds (2–10) were isolated from the ethanol extract of the fruit of Illicium simonii Maxim. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 1D-, 2D-NMR, and HRESIMS. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was confirmed by CD experiments. Among them, compounds 1, 4, 5, and 7 displayed moderate anti-inflammatory activities by use of an in vitro bioassay.     

Illicium Sesquiterpenes: Divergent Synthetic Strategy and Neurotrophic Activity Studies

Majucin‐type sesquiterpenes from Illicium sp., such as jiadifenolide ( 2 ), jiadifenin ( 3 ), and (1R,10S)‐2‐oxo‐3,4‐dehydroxyneomajucin ( 4 , ODNM), possess a complex caged chemical architecture and remarkable neurotrophic activities. As such, they represent attractive small‐molecule leads against various neurodegenerative diseases. We present an efficient, enantioselective, and unified synthesis of 2 , 3 , and 4 and designed analogues that diverge from tetracyclic key intermediate 7 . The synthesis of 7 is highlighted by the use of an enantioselective Robinson annulation reaction (construction of the AB rings), a Pd‐mediated carbomethoxylation reaction (construction of the C ring), and a one‐pot oxidative reaction cascade (construction of the D ring). Evaluation of the neurotrophic activity of these compounds led to the identification of several highly potent small molecules that significantly enhanced the activity of nerve growth factor (NGF) in PC‐12 cells. Moreover, efforts to define the common pharmacophoric motif suggest that substitution at the C‐10 center significantly affects bioactivity, while the hemiketal moiety of 2 and 3 and the C‐1 substitution might not be critical to the neurotrophic activity.     

Two new sesquiterpene lactones from the fruits of Illicium jiadifengpi

Two new seco-prezizaane-type sesquiterpenes, 3,4-dehydroneomajucin (1) and 1,2,3,4-tetradehydroneomajucin (2), were isolated from the fruits of Illicium jiadifengpi. The structure of these compounds was determined using 1D and 2D NMR and ESI-MS. The isolates were evaluated for their anti-hepatitis B virus activities on the Hep G2.2.15 cell line. The inhibitory rates of compounds 1 and 2 on the HBeAg and HBsAg expression were 30.08 ± 3.09% and 11.43 ± 1.92% at a concentrations of 68.00 μM and 7.88 ± 1.21% and 16.96 ± 4.24% at a concentration of 68.50 μM, respectively.     

Phytoquinoids and Secoprezizaane‐Type Sesquiterpenes from Illicium arborescens

A phytochemical investigation of the MeOH extract of Illicium arborescens yielded the two new phytoquinoid epimers, 2,3‐didehydro‐5‐O‐methyl‐11‐epiillifunone E ( 1 ) and 2,3‐didehydro‐5‐O‐methylillifunone E ( 2 ), as well as five new sesquiterpene lactones (8,9‐secoprezizaane‐type sesquiterpenes). Two of them, i.e., 3 and 4 , were minwanensin‐type sesquiterpenes, the other two, i.e., 5 and 6 , had the anisatin‐type (or floridanolide type) skeleton, and the fifth, i.e., 7 , was a dunnianin‐type sesquiterpene. Their structures were established by analyses of 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR, HR‐MS, and chemical evidence. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of compounds 1 – 7 was tested against four human tumor cell lines, including HeLa (cervical epitheloid), WiDr (colon), Daoy (medulloblastoma), and Hep2 (liver carcinoma) human‐tumor cells.     

Phytochemical constituents of the pericarps of Illicium difengpi and their anti-inflammatory activity

Abstract

Phytochemical investigation on the pericarps of Illicium difengpi lead to the isolation and structure elucidation of a new sesquiterpene, sesquicaranoic acid C (1), a new neolignan, difengpiol C (2), and 10 known compounds. The structures and absolute configurations of two new compounds were determined by a combination of NMR and CD spectroscopic analyses. All isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cells.     

Comparison of the Phytochemical Composition and Antibacterial Activities of the Various Extracts from Leaves and Twigs of Illicium verum

Previous studies have revealed the numerous biological activities of the fruits of Illicium verum; however, the activities of its leaves and twigs have remained undiscovered. The study aimed to investigate the phytochemical components and antibacterial activity of the various extracts from the leaves and twigs of Illicium verum. The herbal extracts were prepared by supercritical CO₂ extraction (SFE) and 95% ethanol extraction, followed by partition extraction based on solvent polarity. Analysis of antimicrobial activity was conducted through the usage of nine clinical antibiotic- resistant isolates, including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. Among the tested samples, the SFE extracts exhibited broader and stronger antibacterial activities against the test strains, with a range of MIC between 0.1–4.0 mg/mL and MBC between 0.2–4.5 mg/mL. Observations made through scanning electron microscopy revealed potential mechanism of the antimicrobial activities involved disruption of membrane integrity of the test pathogens. Evaluation of the chemical composition by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry indicated the presence of anethole, anisyl aldehyde, anisyl acetone and anisyl alcohol within the SFE extracts, demonstrating significant correlations with the antibacterial activities observed. Therefore, the leaves and twigs of Illicium verum hold great potential in being developed as new natural antibacterial agents.     

Monoterpenes and Sesquiterpenes of Essential Oils from Psidium Species and Their Biological Properties

Psidium (Myrtaceae) comprises approximately 266 species, distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Psidium taxa have great ecological, economic, and medicinal relevance due to their essential oils’ chemical diversity and biological potential. This review reports 18 Psidium species growing around the world and the chemical and biological properties of their essential oils. Chemically, 110 oil records are reported with significant variability of volatile constituents, according to their seasonality and collection sites. Monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes with acyclic (C₁₀ and C₁₅), p-menthane, pinane, bisabolane, germacrane, caryophyllane, cadinane, and aromadendrane skeleton-types, were the primary constituents. The essential oils showed various biological activities, including antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, phytotoxic, larvicidal, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic properties. This review contributes to the Psidium species rational and economic exploration as natural sources to produce new drugs.     

2,4,6-三硝基苯腙的合成及其抑菌活性

三硝基氯苯与水合肼反应,直接合成了2,4,6-三硝基苯肼(2),2与醛、酮试剂反应合成了6个新的苯腙化合物,其结构经1H NMR,IR和元素分析表征。抑菌试验表明,部分目标产物具有良好的抑菌活性。     

Sesquiterpenes and prenylated C_6–C_3 compounds from the stems of Illicium henryi

One new sesquiterpene compound, namely, illihenlactone A(1), and one new prenylated C_6–C_3 compound, illihenryione H(2), along with three known sesquiterpenes(3–5) were isolated from the stems of Illicium henryi. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic evidence including NMR, HRESIMS and circular dichroism(CD). Compound 2 exhibited a weak inhibitory ratio for bglucuronidase release induced by platelet-activating factor(PAF) in rat polymorphonuclear leukocytes(PMNs) in vitro.     

Antibacterial and Oxidative Stress-Protective Effects of Five Monoterpenes from Softwood

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) affect the quality of indoor air. Terpenes and especially monoterpenes are the main molecules emitted from softwood material (coniferous species), which is widely used in construction. The corneal epithelium is one of the first human membranes to encounter VOCs in the air. Moreover, the industrial use of pleasant-scented monoterpenes in cosmetics, food, and detergents exposes people to monoterpenes in their daily lives. In the present study, the health effective properties of five monoterpenes from softwood were tested; cytotoxicity and oxidative stress-protective effects of α- and β-pinenes, R- and S-limonene, and 3-carene were tested in a human corneal epithelial (HCE) cell model system and with two additional in vitro antioxidant tests: oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) scavenging. Antibacterial efficacies were tested with two bioluminescent bacterial biosensor strains (Escherichia coli K12+pcGLS11 and Staphylococcus aureus RN4220+pAT19) and with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test against Escherichia coli. Only very high concentrations of monoterpenes (0.3–0.5 mg/mL) demonstrated cytotoxicity against HCE cells. Contrary to the original hypothesis, monoterpenes did not exhibit strong antioxidant properties in tested concentrations. However, biosensors and MIC tests indicated clear antibacterial activities for all tested monoterpenes.     

Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles from Two Varieties of Agaricus bisporus and Their Antibacterial Activity

Agaricus bisporus, the most widely cultivated mushroom, is safe to eat and enriched with protein and secondary metabolites. We prepared silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from two varieties of A. bisporus and tested their antibacterial activity The synthesized AgNPs were initially confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy peaks at 420 and 430 nm for white and brown mushrooms AgNPs, respectively. AgNPs were further characterized by zeta sizer, transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) prior to antibacterial activity by the well diffusion method against six bacterial strains which include Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermis, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. TEM results revealed a spherical shape with an average diameter of about 11 nm in the white mushroom extract and 5 nm in the brown mushroom extract. The presence of elemental silver in the prepared AgNPs was confirmed by EDS. The IR spectrum of the extract confirmed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, carboxylic, or amide groups which aided in the reduction and capping of synthesized AgNPs. The AgNPs from both extracts showed almost the same results; however, nanoparticles prepared from brown mushrooms were smaller in size with strong antibacterial activity.     

Polycyclic Phenol Derivatives from the Leaves of Spermacoce latifolia and Their Antibacterial and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity

Three new polycyclic phenol derivatives, 2-acetyl-4-hydroxy-6H-furo [2,3-g]chromen-6-one (1), 2-(1′,2′-dihydroxypropan-2′-yl)-4-hydroxy-6H-furo [2,3-g][1]benzopyran-6-one (2) and 3,8,10-trihydroxy-4,9-dimethoxy-6H-benzo[c]chromen-6-one (8), along with seven known ones (3–7, 9 and 10) were isolated for the first time from the leaves of Spermacoce latifolia. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis and comparison with literature-reported data. These compounds were tested for their in vitro antibacterial activity against four Gram-(+) bacteria: Staphyloccocus aureus (SA), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus cereus (BC), Bacillus subtilis (BS), and the Gram-(−) bacterium Escherichia coli. Compounds 1, 2, 5 and 8 showed antibacterial activity toward SA, BC and BS with MIC values ranging from 7.8 to 62.5 µg/mL, but they were inactive to MRSA. Compound 4 not only showed the best antibacterial activity against SA, BC and BS, but it further displayed significant antibacterial activity against MRSA (MIC 1.95 µg/mL) even stronger than vancomycin (MIC 3.9 µg/mL). No compounds showed inhibitory activity toward E. coli. Further bioassay indicated that compounds 1, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 showed in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, among which compound 9 displayed the best α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ value (0.026 mM) about 15-fold stronger than the reference compound acarbose (IC₅₀ 0.408 mM). These results suggested that compounds 4, 8 and 9 were potentially highly valuable compounds worthy of consideration to be further developed as an effective anti-MRSA agent or effective α-glucosidase inhibitors, respectively. In addition, the obtained data also supported that S. latifolia was rich in structurally diverse bioactive compounds worthy of further investigation, at least in searching for potential antibiotics and α-glucosidase inhibitors.     

ZnO纳米颗粒的生物合成法及其抗菌功能

ZnO纳米颗粒（nanoparticles,NPs）的生物合成法具有高效、简易、环境相容性良好等特点,备受研究者的广泛关注。总结了近些年ZnO NPs的生物合成法及其抗菌活性方面的研究进展。     

Antibacterial Activity of Hydroxytyrosol Acetate from Olive Leaves (Olea Europaea L.)

Vibrio spp. are pathogens of many bacterial diseases which have caused great economic losses in marine aquaculture. The strategy of alternative medical treatment that is utilised by herbalists has expanded in the past decade. The aim of our study is to discover the antibacterial molecules against Vibrio spp. Bacterial growth inhibition, membrane permeabilisation assessment and DNA interaction assays, as well as agarose gel electrophoresis, were employed to elucidate the antibacterial activity of hydroxytyrosol acetate. Results showed that hydroxytyrosol acetate had antibacterial activity against Vibrio spp. and it played the role via increasing bacterial membrane permeabilisation. The DNA interaction assay and agarose gel electrophoresis revealed that hydroxytyrosol acetate interacted with DNA. Hydroxytyrosol acetate enhanced the fluorescent intensity of DNA binding molecules and mediated supercoiled DNA relaxation. The present study provides more evidence that hydroxytyrosol acetate is a novel antibacterial candidate against Vibrio spp.     

A new flavane acid from the fruits of Illicium verum

A new compound, illiciumflavane acid (1), along with 13 known compounds (2–14), were isolated from the fruits of Illicium verum Hook. F. Their structures were elucidated through various spectroscopic methods, including 1D NMR (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR), 2D NMR (HMQC, HMBC and NOESY) and HRMS. The stereochemistry at the chiral centres was determined using CD spectrum as well as analyses of coupling constants and optical rotation data. Cytotoxicity evaluation of four compounds showed that illiciumflavane acid and (E)-1,2-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)ethene exhibited potential against A549 activities with IC₅₀ values of 4.63 μM and 9.17 μM, respectively.     

New Sesquiterpenes from the Roots and Stems of Aristolochia Mollissima

Two new sesquiterpenes, madolins Y ( 1 ) and Z ( 2 ) were isolated from the dried roots and stems of Aristolochia mollissima, and their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods.     

新型薁类-1-酰腙化合物的合成及抗菌活性研究

为了合成和研究具有薁类结构物质的新的生物活性, 以1-薁类羧酸甲酯为起始原料, 经过酰肼化、与芳香醛及酮类化合物的缩合, 合成了含有酰腙类结构的薁类衍生物, 其结构经1H NMR, IR和元素分析确证. 对所得化合物进行了抗菌活性测试, 初步表明它们具有一定的活性.     

Sesquiterpenes from Myrrh and Their ICAM-1 Inhibitory Activity In Vitro

By using various chromatographic steps (silica flash, CPC, preparative HPLC), 16 sesquiterpenes could be isolated from an ethanolic extract of myrrh resin. Their chemical structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and HRESIMS. Among them, six previously unknown compounds (1–6) and another four metabolites previously not described for the genus Commiphora (7, 10, 12, 13) could be identified. Sesquiterpenes 1 and 2 are novel 9,10-seco-eudesmanes and exhibited an unprecedented sesquiterpene carbon skeleton, which is described here for the first time. New compound 3 is an 9,10 seco-guaian and the only peroxide isolated from myrrh so far. Compounds 1, 2, 4, 7–9, 11, 13–16 were tested in an ICAM-1 in vitro assay. Compound 7, as well as the reference compound furanoeudesma-1,3-diene, acted as moderate inhibitors of this adhesion molecule ICAM-1 (IC₅₀: 44.8 and 46.3 μM, respectively). These results give new hints on the activity of sesquiterpenes with regard to ICAM-1 inhibition and possible modes of action of myrrh in anti-inflammatory processes.