Phytochemical Composition,Antioxidant Activity,and Enzyme Inhibitory Activities (α-Glucosidase,Xanthine Oxidase,and Acetylcholinesterase) of Musella lasiocarpa

In this study, we aimed to investigate the chemical components and biological activities of Musella lasiocarpa, a special flower that is edible and has functional properties. The crude methanol extract and its four fractions (petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and aqueous fractions) were tested for their total antioxidant capacity, followed by their α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities. Among the samples, the highest total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were found in the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction (224.99 mg GAE/g DE) and crude methanol extract (187.81 mg QE/g DE), respectively. The EtOAc fraction of Musella lasiocarpa exhibited the strongest DPPH· scavenging ability, ABTS·⁺ scavenging ability, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with the IC₅₀ values of 22.17, 12.10, and 125.66 μg/mL, respectively. The EtOAc fraction also showed the strongest ferric reducing antioxidant power (1513.89 mg FeSO₄/g DE) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity ability (524.11 mg Trolox/g DE), which were higher than those of the control BHT. In contrast, the aqueous fraction demonstrated the highest acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 10.11 μg/mL), and the best xanthine oxidase inhibitory ability (IC₅₀ = 5.23 μg/mL) was observed from the crude methanol extract as compared with allopurinol (24.85 μg/mL). The HPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS analyses further revealed an impressive arsenal of compounds, including phenolic acids, fatty acids, esters, terpenoids, and flavonoids, in the most biologically active EtOAc fraction. Taken together, this is the first report indicating the potential of Musella lasiocarpa as an excellent natural source of antioxidants with possible therapeutic, nutraceutical, and functional food applications.     

Identification of α-Glucosidase Inhibitors from Scutellaria edelbergii: ESI-LC-MS and Computational Approach

The recent study investigated the in vitro anti-diabetic impact of the crude extract (MeOH) and subfractions ethyl acetate (EtOAc); chloroform; n-butanol; n-hexane; and aqueous fraction of S. edelbergii and processed the active EtOAc fraction for the identification of chemical constituents for the first time via ESI-LC-MS analysis through positive ionization mode (PIM) and negative ionization mode (NIM); the identified compounds were further validated through computational analysis via standard approaches. The crude extract and subfractions presented appreciable activity against the α-glucosidase inhibitory assay. However, the EtOAc fraction with IC₅₀ = 0.14 ± 0.06 µg/mL revealed the maximum potential among the fractions used, followed by the MeOH and n-hexane extract with IC₅₀ = 1.47 ± 0.14 and 2.18 ± 0.30 µg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the acarbose showed an IC₅₀ = 377.26 ± 1.20 µg/ mL whereas the least inhibition was observed for the chloroform fraction, with an IC₅₀ = 23.97 ± 0.14 µg/mL. Due to the significance of the EtOAc fraction, when profiled for its chemical constituents, it presented 16 compounds among which the flavonoid class was dominant, and offered eight compounds, of which six were identified in NIM, and two compounds in PIM. Moreover, five terpenoids were identified—three and two in NIM and PIM, respectively—as well as two alkaloids, both of which were detected in PIM. The EtOAc fraction also contained one phenol that was noticed in PIM. The detected flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenols are well-known for their diverse biomedical applications. The potent EtOAc fraction was submitted to computational analysis for further validation of α-glucosidase significance to profile the responsible compounds. The pharmacokinetic estimations and protein-ligand molecular docking results with the support of molecular dynamic simulation trajectories at 100 ns suggested that two bioactive compounds—dihydrocatalpol and leucosceptoside A—from the EtOAc fraction presented excellent drug-like properties and stable conformations; hence, these bioactive compounds could be potential inhibitors of alpha-glucosidase enzyme based on intermolecular interactions with significant residues, docking score, and binding free energy estimation. The stated findings reflect that S. edelbergii is a rich source of bioactive compounds offering potential cures for diabetes mellitus; in particular, dihydrocatalpol and leucosceptoside A could be excellent therapeutic options for the progress of novel drugs to overcome diabetes mellitus.     

Antiliperoxidant activity of pomegranate peel extracts on lard

Phenolics were extracted from powdered pomegranate peel using water, methanol, acetone and ethyl acetate (EtOAc), respectively. The antiliperoxidant activity of the extracts on lard was studied by peroxide value method. All the extracts showed enhanced inhibitory effect on lard peroxidation with the increase of phenolic concentrations. Acetone extract exhibited the highest antiliperoxidant activity followed by water, methanol and EtOAc extracts. Acetone extract at 0.1% (w/w) and water extract at 0.2% (w/w) demonstrated an antiliperoxidant effect close to that of tea polyphenols (0.02%, w/w) and higher than that of BHT (0.02%, w/w). At 0.2% (w/w), acetone extract showed a higher inhibitory activity on lard oxidation than that of tea polyphenols and BHT. Owing to the high antiliperoxidant property, acetone extract may have possible application in the food industry.     

Biomedical Applications of Scutellaria edelbergii Rech. f.: In Vitro and In Vivo Approach

In the current study, in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities and in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of Scutellaria edelbergii Rech. f. (crude extract and subfractions, i.e., n-hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), chloroform, n-butanol (n-BuOH) and aqueous) were explored. Initially, extraction and fractionation of the selected medicinal plant were carried out, followed by phytochemical qualitative tests, which were mostly positive for all the extracts. EtOAc fraction possessed a significant amount of phenolic (79.2 ± 0.30 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (84.0 ± 0.39 mg QE/g) content. The EtOAc fraction of S. edelbergii exhibited appreciable antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) strains and significant zones of inhibition were observed against Gram-positive bacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus). However, it was found inactive against Candida Albicans and Fusarium oxysporum fungal strains. The chloroform fraction was the most effective with an IC₅₀ value of 172 and 74 µg/mL against DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) and ABTS assays, in comparison with standard ascorbic acid 59 and 63 µg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the EtOAc fraction displayed significant in vivo anti-inflammatory activity (54%) using carrageenan-induced assay and significant (55%) in vivo analgesic activity using acetic acid-induced writing assay. In addition, nine known compounds, ursolic acid (UA), ovaul (OV), oleanolic acid (OA), β-sitosterol (BS), micromeric acid (MA), taraxasterol acetate (TA), 5,3′,4′-trihydroxy-7-methoxy flavone (FL-1), 5,7,4′-trihydroxy-6,3′-dimiethoxyflavone (FL-2) and 7-methoxy catechin (FL-3), were isolated from methanolic extract of S. edelbergii. These constituents have never been obtained from this source. The structures of all the isolated constituents were elucidated by spectroscopic means. In conclusion, the EtOAc fraction and all other fractions of S. edelbergii, in general, displayed a significant role as antibacterial, free radical scavenger, anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents which may be due to the presence of these constituents and other flavonoids.     

Conformational Dynamics and Absolute Configuration of Sawaranin

Chemistry of Natural Compounds - Butyrolactone 1 was isolated from the EtOAc fraction of the EtOH extract of the aerial part of Geranium charlesii (Aitch. & Hemsl.) Vved. The configurations...     

Antioxidant and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Compounds of Centella Asiatica

Centella asiatica, as known as Pegagan was previously reported to have anti-hyperglycemic effects in animal diabetic model rats. However, its α-glucosidase activity in vitro assay not yet reported. Our goal in this study is to isolate and identify active compounds as α-glucosidase inhibitor and antioxidant from aqueous ethanol 70% (v/v) extract of C. asiatica. The extract was partitioned by n-hexane, EtOAc, and n-butanol sequentially. Among the fractions tested, EtOAc fraction was showed the highest antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities with an IC₅₀ values of 45.42 and 73.17 μg/mL, respectively. The antioxidant activity was conducted by determination of DPPH radical scavenging activity, whereas α-glucosidase inhibitory activity was determined against yeast α-glucosidase. Furthermore, isolation of the ethyl acetate extract yielded two active compounds, which were identified as kaempferol (1) and quercetin (2). Both of the compounds showed good yeast α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ values of 16.50 and 21.61 μg/mL, respectively. In addition those compounds also could scavenge DPPH radical activity with IC₅₀ values of 9.64 and 11.97 μg/mL, respectively. Due to its ability in reducing α-glucosidase activity and scavenging free radical activity, the C. asiatica appears to be a potential as a good resource for future development of antioxidant and antidiabetic drug.     

Gastric anti-ulcer activity of leaf fractions obtained of polar extract from Wilbrandia ebracteata in mice

Leaf fractions of Wilbrandia ebracteata were investigated for anti-ulcerogenic effects in ethanol and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer assays in mice. Protective anti-ulcer effects were detected only in the ethanol-induced ulcer assay effects after pre-treatment with MeOH extract, MeOH chlorophyll-free, chlorophyll residue, HEX, DCM, aqueous MeOH fraction, ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and aqueous fractions. A potent anti-ulcerogenic effect was determined after pre-treatment of animals with EtOAc fraction, which was fractionated for isolation of active constituents. Seven flavonoids, 3',4',5,6,7,8-hexahydroxyflavonol, orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin, luteolin, 6-methoxi-luteolin were isolated from the leaves of W. ebracteata (Cucurbitaceae) by chromatographic methods and identified by their spectral data. The data suggest that flavonoids are active anti-ulcerogenic compounds from leaves of W. ebracteata. The ability of scavenging free radicals was evaluated by DPPH reduction assay by TLC of flavonoids isolated.     

An accurate and reproducible method for simultaneous determination of four flavonoids in EtOAc extracts from Sophora flavescens Ait. in rat plasma based on UHPLC Q‐Exactive Mass spectrometry: Application to a pharmacokinetics study

In previous studies, it was revealed that ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extracts from Sophora flavescens Ait. improved glucose tolerance, reduced hyperglycemia, and restored insulin levels in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to develop an accurate and sensitive UHPLC–MS method for simultaneous determination of flavonoids in EtOAc extracts of Kushen in rat plasma. Ethyl acetate–acetonitrile (2:1) was selected as the solvent to extract the four flavonoids from rat plasma. A BEH C₁₈ column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.7 μm) with a C₁₈ guard cartridge was chosen as the separation plant using a gradient elution with acetonitrile (solvent A) and 0.1% formic acid (solvent B) in water. For all four analytes, the method showed good linearity (r² > 0.991) in 1–500 ng/mL. The inter‐ and intra‐day accuracy ranged from ?13.78 to 7.19%, and the precision (RSD) was <8.75%. Recoveries of all four flavonoids ranged from 85.9 to 101.3%. According to the results of multitarget pharmacokinetic studies, four active flavonoids in EtOAc extracts from Kushen have similar absorption kinetics but very different metabolic kinetics, and a double peak phenomenon was observed in the concentration–time curve of norkurarinone, which is different from the previous study. In conclusion, detection and multitarget pharmacokinetic studies successfully determined active flavonoids after oral administration of EtOAc extracts from Kushen by an efficient, sensitive and selective UHPLC–MS method, and the results may provide a foundation for future studies of Kushen.     

Anti-Obesity Potential of Ponciri Fructus: Effects of Extracts,Fractions and Compounds on Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Preadipocytes

Background: Ponciri Fructus, a crude drug consisting of the dried immature fruits of Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf., is a popular folk medicine used for the treatment of allergy and gastrointestinal disorders in Korea and China. In this study, the anti-adipogenic activity of extracts and isolated compounds were evaluated using 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Methods: Dried immature fruits were extracted and fractionated into n-hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol and water-soluble fractions. The ethanol extract and fractions were tested for anti-adipogenic activity in the 3T3-L1 cell line. The active fractions (n-hexane and EtOAc fractions) were further subjected to chromatographic techniques to isolate and identify active compounds. Furthermore, the isolated compounds were evaluated for their anti-adipogenic activity. Results: Altogether, seven compounds, including two flavonoids, one phytosteroid and four coumarin derivatives, were isolated. Ethanol extract, n-hexane fraction, EtOAc fraction and three isolated compounds (phellopterin, oxypeucedanin and poncirin) showed significant anti-adipogenic activity as observed by reduced lipid deposition in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. Further, oxypeucedanin downregulated the key adipogenic markers, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors proteins γ (PPAR-γ), sterol response element binding proteins-1 (SREBP-1), CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins-α (C/EBP-α), adipocyte-specific lipid binding proteins (FABP-4), adipocyte fatty acid binding proteins (aP2), lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and leptin. Conclusion: This study indicated that the ethanol extract, hexane fraction and ethyl acetate fraction of P. trifoliata fruits possess strong anti-adipogenic activity, containing the active compounds such as phellopterin, oxypeucedanin and poncirin. Further research is recommended to explore their efficacy and safety in animal and clinical models.     

Two new lanostane triterpenoids from Abies sachalinensis

The continuous chemical investigation on the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) soluble fraction of the MeOH extract afforded two new lanostane triterpenoid derivatives including one with a rearranged lanostane skeleton. They were identified as 3,4-seco-8-(14→,13R)abeo-17,13-friedo-9β-lanosta-4(28), 7,14(30),24-tetraen-26,23-olide-23-hydroxy-3-oic acid (1) and 7,14-mariesa-dien-3a-hydroxy-25-methoxy-26-oic acid (2). Structural determination of these compounds were carried out by the spectral studies especially by the two digital (2D)-NMR and high-resolution MS experiences.     

Secondary metabolites, cytotoxic response by neutral red retention and protective effect against H2O2 induced cytotoxicity of Sedum caespitosum

The EtOAc, n-BuOH and H20 subextracts of the crude MeOH extract of the aerial parts of Sedum caespitosum (cav.) Dc. were screened for cytotoxicity using the neutral red assay in Chinese hamster ovary cells as well as their protective effect against H2O2 induced cytotoxicity in human red blood cells. While the extracts did not show cytotoxicity, they displayed a protective effect compared to a blank and ascorbic acid. Gallic acid (1), kaempferol 3-O-alpha-rhamnopyranoside (2), quercetin 3-O-beta-glucopyranoside (3), quercetin 3-O-alpha-rhamnopyranoside (4) and myricetin 3-O-alpha-rhamnopyranoside (5) were isolated from the EtOAc extract and identified by 1D- and 2D-NMR. The protective effects of the isolated compounds against H2O2 induced cytotoxicity in human red blood cells were evaluated and 5 was the most active.     

Comparative chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Calamintha nepeta (L.) Savi subsp. glandulosa (Req.) Nyman and Calamintha grandiflora (L.) Moench (Labiatae)

The two studied Calamintha species showed different polyphenolic content and sterol composition. Calamintha grandiflora possessed twice the polyphenolic content of Calamintha nepeta subsp. glandulosa, while the latter contained a higher number of sterols. Among them, stigmast-5-en-3β-ol was found to be the major constituent. The methanolic extract of C. grandiflora was more potent than the C. nepeta subsp. glandulosa methanolic extract in a DPPH assay, while the activity of the C. grandiflora EtOAc fraction was weaker than its C. nepeta subsp. glandulosa counterpart. Fractions of C. nepeta subsp. glandulosa showed higher activity using a β-carotene bleaching test. The petrol ether fraction of C. grandiflora showed significant inhibition of NO production.     

Elucidation of Antioxidant Compounds in Moroccan Chamaerops humilis L. Fruits by GC–MS and HPLC–MS Techniques

The aim of this study was to characterize the phytochemical content as well as the antioxidant ability of the Moroccan species Chamaerops humilis L. Besides crude ethanolic extract, two extracts obtained by sonication using two solvents with increased polarity, namely ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and methanol-water (MeOH-H₂O) 80:20 (v/v), were investigated by both spectroscopy and chromatography methods. Between the two extracts, the MeOH-H₂O one showed the highest total polyphenolic content equal to 32.7 ± 0.1 mg GAE/g DM with respect to the EtOAc extract (3.6 ± 0.5 mg GAE/g DM). Concerning the antioxidant activity of the two extracts, the EtOAc one yielded the highest value (1.9 ± 0.1 mg/mL) with respect to MeOH-H2O (0.4 ± 0.1 mg/mL). The C. humilis n-hexane fraction, analyzed by GC–MS, exhibited 69 compounds belonging to different chemical classes, with n-Hexadecanoic acid as a major compound (21.75%), whereas the polyphenolic profile, elucidated by HPLC–PDA/MS, led to the identification of a total of sixteen and thirteen different compounds in both EtOAc (major component: ferulic acid: 104.7 ± 2.52 µg/g) and MeOH-H₂O extracts (major component: chlorogenic acid: 45.4 ± 1.59 µg/g), respectively. The attained results clearly highlight the potential of C. humilis as an important source of bioactive components, making it a valuable candidate to be advantageously added to the daily diet. Furthermore, this study provides the scientific basis for the exploitation of the Doum in the food, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.     

Flavonoids from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cirsium japonicum</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">maackii</Emphasis> pappus as inhibitors of aldose reductase and their simultaneous determination

Aldose reductase is an enzyme in the polyol pathway which is associated in the progression of diabetic complications. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory activity of Cirsium japonicum var. maackii pappus (CJP) against rat lens aldose reductase (RLAR). The ethanolic extract, fractions and isolated flavonoids were subjected to an RLAR assay. Isolation of chloroform (CHCl₃) and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fractions led to the identification of four flavonoids: hispidulin (1), cirsimaritin (2), apigenin (3), and cirsimarin (4). The RLAR assay results suggested that the EtOAc fraction and flavonoids 1 and 3 promoted better AR inhibition than did TMG (control). The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of compounds 1 and 3 was 0.77 and 3.19 μM, respectively. A simultaneous determination of flavonoid content using HPLC–UV indicated that CJP contained large amounts of compounds 2 and 3 (1.65 and 1.84 mg/g, respectively). Flavonoids from Cirsium species have been widely reported to show various pharmacological activities. This study indicated that CJP has the potential to prevent diabetic complications and was a potential source of flavonoids.     

Six new constituents from an Ascomycete,Chaetomium quadrangulatum,found in a screening study focused on monoamine oxidase inhibitory activity

A screening study focusing on monoamine oxidase inhibitory activity on the EtOAc extract of an Ascomycete Chaetomium quadrangulatum, which previously gave five unique chromones possessing this activity (chaetoquadrins A-E (1-5)), this time afforded six new constituents termed chaetoquadrins F-K (6-11) in addition to 1-5. The structures of 6-11 have been deduced on the basis of spectral and chemical data, and 7 and 8 have shown appreciable monoamine oxidase inhibitory activity.     

Phenolic compounds in field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) as natural antioxidants

In this paper, the study of antioxidant activity and phenolic composition of three different extracts (EtOAc, n-BuOH and H(2)O) of field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) is presented. The antioxidant activity has been evaluated measuring the total reducing power (expressed by Ascorbate Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity - AEAC), inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and free radical scavenging capacity (RSC) towards 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH radical) and nitric oxide (NO), respectively. In addition, the total flavonoid content (TFC) and phenolic constituents of each extract have been determined. The results obtained show that the highest RSC regarding both DPPH and NO radicals is expressed by EtOAc extract (EC(50)=2.37 microg/mL and EC(50)=90.07 microg/mL, respectively), and the lowest by H(2)O extract (EC(50)=37.2 microg/mL and EC(50)>333.33 microg/mL, respectively). n-BuOH extract showed the highest total reducing power (AEAC=13.40 microg/mL). Differences in the phenolic composition of examined extracts are found comparing the HPLC chemical profiles. Although, isoquercitrin is the main flavonoid in both EtOAc and n-BuOH extracts, a considerable amount of di-E-caffeoyl-meso-tartaric acid was presented in the n-BuOH extract. In H(2)O extract high content of phenolic acids and low percentage of flavonoids were detected.     

Three new cassane diterpenes from the seeds of Caesalpinia minax Hance

Four fractions were prepared from the crude extract of Caesalpinia minax Hance and the inhibitory activity of nitric oxide (NO) production release of RAW 264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was evaluated. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction showed obvious inhibitory effect. Bioassay-guided fractionation led to the isolation of three new cassane diterpenes, caesalmin X (1), caesalmin Y (2) and caesalmin Z (3), together with 19 known cassane diterpenoids (4–22). Their structures were mainly characterised on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses and comparison with reported data. Moreover, three compounds (20–22) which possessed furanditerpenoid 7,17-lactone structures, displayed moderate activities, with IC₅₀ value of 29.85, 27.38 and 25.40 μM, respectively.     

A new phlorotannin from the brown alga Ecklonia stolonifera

A new phlorotannin, named eckstolonol (1), was isolated from the EtOAc soluble fraction of the methanolic extract of the brown alga, Ecklonia stolonifera OKAMURA, along with three known phlorotannins, eckol (2), phlorofucofuroeckol A (3), and dieckol (4). The structure of eckstolonol was identified as 5,8,13,14-tetraoxa-pentaphene-1,3,6,9,11-pentaol on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. The new compound was found to be a radical scavenger on the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical.     

南中国海海藻叶托马尾藻的化学成分研究

采自南中国海的海藻叶托马尾藻用乙醇提取、乙酸乙酯－水分配后,乙酸乙酯相中的提取物经硅胶减压柱色谱分离得到甾醇和脂肪酸两大组分。用ＧＣ／ＭＳ联用技术对它们进行了分离和鉴定。通过硅胶快速柱色谱,从混合甾醇中分离出一个主成分,经波谱分析鉴定为岩藻甾醇。     

Medicinal Flowers. XXXI. Acylated oleanane-type triterpene saponins, Sasanquasaponins I-V, with antiallergic activity from the flower buds of Camellia sasanqua

The methanolic extract and its 1-butanol-soluble fraction from the flower buds of Camellia sasanqua THUNB. were found to show inhibitory activities on the release of β-hexosaminidase from rat basophile leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells. From the 1-butanol-soluble fraction, five new acylated oleanane-type triterpene saponins, sasanquasaponins I-V, were isolated together with a known saponin and their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence. The principal saponin constituents, sasanquasaponins I-III, with an acyl group at the 22-position of the aglycon part showed the inhibitory effects on the release of β-hexosaminidase and some structure-activity relationships were reported.