Immunostimulatory and cytotoxic activities of Indigofera suffruticosa (Fabaceae)

One of the major disadvantages of the current cancer therapy is the suppression of the immune system. Brazilian flora is considered one of the most diverse in the world and many plants were found to contain active constituents that can be valuable sources of new drugs. The plant Indigofera suffruticosa was studied to determine its potential to stimulate the immune system and also to be effective against tumour cells. We investigated the effects of the alkaloidal fraction and the pure alkaloid indigo obtained from I. suffruticosa on macrophage activation by measuring nitric oxide (NO) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production. Cytotoxic activity was also evaluated against the two tumour murine cells lines, LM2 (breast adenocarcinoma) and LP07 (lung adenocarcinoma). The alkaloidal fraction induced a high NO production and a moderated TNF-α release. The pure indigo demonstrated an elevated NO and TNF-α production. The fraction and the pure compound also exhibited cytotoxic activity against both adenocarcinoma cell lines and indigo showed the strongest cytotoxic activity with IC?? value of 0.89?μg mL?1 against LM2 and 1.44?μg?mL?1 against LP07. Our results presented the immunostimulatory and cytotoxic activity of I. suffruticosa, enhancing macrophage function and therefore contributing to the host defence against tumours.     

Two new diterpenoids from Suregada glomerulata(Blume) Baill

Two new diterpenoids,3,4,18β-cyclopropa-ent-abieta-8(14),13(15)-dien-16,12-olide(1) and 3-oxojolkinolide B(2),were isolated from the roots of Suregada glomerulata(Blume) Baill.Their structures were determined by spectroscopic evidences. Compound 2 showed moderate cytotoxicity.     

Unequivocal assignments of flavonoids from Tephrosia sp. (Fabaceae)

¹H and ¹³C NMR chemical shifts of praecansone B, pongaflavone and dehydrorotenone isolated from Tephrosia egregia Sandw and obovatin from T. toxicaria Pers. were unambiguously assigned by 1D and 2D NMR experiments including ¹H, ¹H COSY, gHMQC and gHMBC, allowing the correction of literature assignments.Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two antidiabetic constituents from Roylea cinerea (D.Don) Baill.

Two antidiabetic compounds named 4-methoxybenzo[b]azet-2(1H)-one (1) and 3β-hydroxy-35-(cyclohexyl-5′-propan-7′-one)-33-ethyl-34-methyl-bacteriohop-16-ene (2) together with stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were isolated from the aerial part of Roylea cinerea (D.Don) Baill. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by advanced spectroscopic methods, including two-dimensional NMR and MS techniques. These compounds were evaluated for their antidiabetic efficacy using in vitro and in vivo methods. Both compounds (1 and 2) showed a significant decline in blood glucose level of alloxan-induced diabetic rats at 10 mg/kg, p.o. when compared with glibenclamide at a similar dose. The in vitro studies revealed that compound 1 reduced α-amylase and α-glucosidase by 83.0 and 78.5%, respectively, whereas compound 2 reduced the same by 58.2 and 58.4%, respectively, at 100 μM. The present study supports the role of R. cinerea in Ayurvedic medicine for diabetes.     

A new phenylethanoid glycoside from Rabdosia lophanthoides （Buch.-Ham.ex D.Don） Hara.

A new phenylethanoid glycoside,3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-β-phenylethoxy-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-O-acetyl-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, named lophanthoside A,was isolated from Rabdosia lophanthoides(Buch.-Ham.ex D.Don) Hara.Its structure was determined by spectroscopic evidences.     

Cycloartane Glycosides from Three Species of Astragalus (Fabaceae)

Nine cycloartane‐type glycosides were isolated from three species of the genus Astragalus (Fabaceae): From the aerial parts of A. cicer L., two new saponins, cicerosides A and B ( 1 and 2 , resp.), i.e., a tetradesmosidic and tridesmosidic cycloartane‐type glycosides besides one known compound, from the roots of A. sempervirens Lam ., one known saponin, and from the roots of A. ptilodes Boiss . var. cariensis Boiss ., five known compounds. Their structures were established mainly by 600‐MHz 2D‐NMR techniques (¹H,¹H‐COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, HSQC, and HMBC) and mass spectroscopy.     

A New Diterpene from Suregada glomerulate （Blume） Baill

A new diterpene with an abietane skeleton, 3β-hydroxy-8α, 14α-epoxyabieta-11,13(15)-dien-16, 12-olide, was isolated from the root of Suregada glomerulate (Blume) Baill. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analysis.     

Structure elucidation and NMR assignments of a new dihydrochalcone from Empetrum nigrum subsp. asiaticum (Nakai ex H.Ito) Kuvaev

Abstract

A new dihydrochalcone, namely 2',5'-dimethyl-3'-methoxy-4',6'-dihydroxyl-dihydrochalcone (1) together with five known compounds were isolated from the CHCl₃ extract from Empetrum nigrum L. var. japonicum K. Koch (E. nigrum). The structures of 1 was elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS and extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques.     

Sideritis romana L. subsp. purpurea (Tal. ex Benth.) Heywood,a new chemotype from Montenegro

A study on essential oil fractions of the Western Balkan endemic Sideritis romana L. subsp. purpurea (Tal. ex Benth.) Heywood collected in Montenegro is reported. The 24-h systematic steam distillation extraction procedure was performed. The gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) analysis of the fractions showed γ-elemene and spathulenol as two main constituents, revealing a new chemotype of this plant species. Although varying in the content of these two main compounds, which makes the fractions quite different between each other, evaluation of the anti-Candida activity showed the lack of any significant efficacy.     

Schizonticidal antimalarial sesquiterpene lactones from Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex Pierre: microwave-assisted extraction,HPTLC fingerprinting and computational studies

The present study explored the schizonticidal potential of traditionally used Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex. Pierre flowers, identifying constituents of interest. The extraction of phytoconstituents was carried out by microwave-assisted technique, isolated via column chromatography, and characterised by various physicochemical, spectral (IR, 1H-NMR and Mass) and chromatographic (HPTLC) techniques. Both the isolated compounds (parthenolide and costunolide diepoxide) exhibited potent schizonticidal antimalarial activity during primary screening in rodent models, with maximum parasitaemia suppression (85.18% and 83.65%, respectively) at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight when compared to the standard drugs chloroquine and artesunate. In silico techniques were employed to identify the probable biological target and mechanism of action of these isolated compounds. Molecular docking studies also predicted the binding orientations and multi-targeted action of these compounds, in particular costunolide diepoxide with maximum affinity towards SERCA and DHFR proteins. Additionally, favourable in silico ADMET parameters were envisaged through various computational programmes.     

A new benzofuran from Artemisia halodendron Turcz. ex Bess.

A new benzofuran, methyl (2S,2″S,3′E)-[2-(1″-acetoxypropan-2-yl)-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-5-yl]acrylate (1), and 13 known compounds (2–14) were isolated from an ethanol extract of Artemisia halodendron Turcz. ex Bess. The chemical structures of these compounds were determined by 1D and 2D NMR (¹H-¹H COSY, HMBC, HMQC and NOESY) and HR-ESI-MS spectra, and results were compared with data from the literature. The effects of compounds 1–14 were measured on NF-κB activation, with compounds 2 and 3 exhibiting inhibitory activities against TNF-α-induced NF-κB reporter gene expression in HeLa cells from 10 to 100 μM.     

Absolute configuration of a rare dibenzoylmethane derivative from Dahlstedtia glaziovii (Fabaceae)

Dibenzoylmethanes (DBMs) belong to a small group of flavonoids, known as β-hydroxychalcones, rarely found in nature. Despite their biological and chemotaxonomic importance, the absolute configuration of C-8 substituted DBMs has never been reported. Herein, the absolute stereochemistry of 2′-methoxy-8-(α-α-dimethylallyl)-[3′,4′:4″,5″]-furan-dibenzoylmethane is determined using the VCD exciton chirality method, which may be safely applied to other members of this class.     

Phytochemical Analysis and Antiproliferative Activity of Ulex gallii Planch. (Fabaceae), a Medicinal Plant from Galicia (Spain)

The genus Ulex comprises thirteen accepted species of perennial shrubs in the family Fabaceae. In Galicia (Spain) many of these are considered spontaneous colonizing species, which are easy to establish and maintain. Among them, Ulex gallii Planch. is used in traditional medicine for the same anti-infective, hypotensive and diuretic purposes as Ulex europaeus L., which is the most studied species. Likewise, some studies have described the antitumoral properties of several species. However, there are few scientific studies that justify the use of Ulex gallii Planch. and nothing has been reported about its composition to date. In our study, the entire plant was extracted with methanol and the crude extract was subjected to liquid phase extraction with distinct solvents, yielding three fractions: hexane (H), dichloromethane (D) and methanol (M), which were subsequently fractionated. The dichloromethane (D5, D7 and D8) and methanol (M4) sub-fractions showed antiproliferative activity on A549 (lung cancer) and AGS (stomach cancer) cell lines, and caspase 3/7 activity assessment and DNA quantification were also performed. Targeted analysis via UHPLC-QToF, in combination with untargeted analysis via MS-Dial, MS-Finder and Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS), allowed us to tentatively identify different metabolites in these sub-fractions, mostly flavonoids, that might be involved in their antiproliferative activity.     

A new biflavonoid from Selaginella labordei Hieron.ex Christ

A new biflavonoid,2,3-dihydro-5,5″,7,7″,4′-pentahydroxy-6,6″-dimethyl-[3′-O-4′″]-biflavone 1 and two known biflavonoids 2,3″-dihydroochnaflavone 2 and 2″,3″-dihydro-3′,3′″-biapigenin 3 were isolated from the herb of Selaginella labordei Hieron.ex Christ.Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.     

A New Isoflavanol from the Fruits of Kotschya strigosa (Fabaceae)

The phytochemical investigation of the MeOH extract from fruits of Kotschya strigosa using repeated normal and reversed‐phase column chromatography and Sephadex LH‐20 chromatography led to the isolation and characterization of a new isoflavanol, named kotstrigoisoflavanol ( 1 ), together with three known compounds, diosmetin ( 2 ), β‐sitosterol ( 3 ), and the 3‐O‐β‐d‐glucopyranoside of β‐sitosterol ( 4 ). The antioxidant activity of crude extract, 1, and 2 was determined using the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH˙) method. The crude extract (IC₅₀ 61.7 ± 0.2 μg/ml) and 2 (IC₅₀ 70.2 ± 0.1 μg/ml) showed moderate antioxidant activities, while 1 was weakly active (IC₅₀ 153.1 ± 0.1 μg/ml), as compared with the standard reference l ‐ascorbic acid (IC₅₀ 21.9 ± 0.0 μg/ml).     

Two new oplopane sesquiterpenes from Artemisia gmelinii Web. ex Stechm.

Two new oplopane sesquiterpenes, gmelinin A（1） and gmelinin B（2）, were isolated from Artemisia gmelinii Web. ex Stechm. Their structures were established by spectroscopic techniques（mainly 1D and2 D NMR） and application of the modified Mosher method.     

Glebionis coronaria (L.) Cass. ex Spach (Asteraceae)- a new fabric dye with potential antibacterial properties

The paper elucidates first ever report on Glebionis coronaria (L.) Cass. ex Spach as a new dyeing agent with high antibacterial activity. Glebionis coronaria (L.) Cass. ex Spach which is also known as Garland/Crown Daisy belonging to the flowering plant family Asteraceae has been identified as a new precursor/candidate to produce highly efficient natural textile dye and a potential antibacterial agent. Natural dye from garland daisy was extracted from the dried petals using DCM and MeOH solvent system. Change in mordants yielded 12 different shades of colours. Spectroscopic analysis of these extracts revealed the presence of carotenoids and flavonoids pigments and hence giving varied shades of yellow, greenish yellow colours (Code No. is assigned to each colour). Alum and stannous chloride have been found to give bright colours while ferrous sulphate gave dark shades of colour. Antibacterial activity of the extracts was studied against non-pathogenic bacteria's, Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacteria) and for the first time for Aeromonas sp. (Gram-negative bacteria). Two different concentrations of 10 ​mg/ml DCM and methanol extracts using methanol as solvent were tested. Both DCM and methanol extracts have shown inhibition in Aeromonas sp. while only DCM extract was inhibiting S. aureus. The flower extracts has not been evaluated till date for its dyeing properties with different mordants along with their bactericidal activity. Therefore, our present work was to extract natural dye from the flowers of Glebionis Coronaria (L.) Cass. ex Spach. and to do a detailed study.     

Analgesic properties of extracts and fractions from Erythrina crista-galli (Fabaceae) leaves

The present study describes the analgesic activity of extracts and some fractions obtained from Erythrina crista-galli leaves in different in vivo analgesic models, using mice as experimental animals. The results showed that extract E(2) was the most active, inhibiting 48% of the abdominal constrictions when evaluated against the writhing test at 10 mg kg(-1), intraperitoneal. It also caused dose-dependent inhibition in the same model, with a calculated ID(50) value and respective confidence interval of 10 (9-14) mg kg(-1), and was more potent than reference drugs. Administered orally, E(2) caused potent antinociceptive action, with a calculated ID(50) value of 35 (26-47) mg kg(-1). The fractions F(1) and F(2) obtained from E(2) were evaluated against the writhing test at 10 mg kg(-1), causing inhibitions of 41 and 88%, respectively. The most active fraction, F(2), presented ID(50) calculated value of 3 (2-4) mg kg(-1), being about 7-fold more active than the reference drugs (acetyl salicylic acid and acetaminophen). In the formalin test, F(2) inhibited both phases of pain (44%, first phase; 58%, second phase). However, in contrast to the results observed for E(2), it was not active against the hot-plate test. The phytochemical results showed that at least four main components are present in F(2), which show a positive reaction of terpenes with TLC spray reagents.     

Two isomeric compounds of C_(13)-norisoprenoids from Saururus chinensis(Lour.) Baill

Two new isomeric compounds of rare acyclic C_(13)-norisoprenoids,along with two known lignans sauchinone and licarin A,were isolated from the herb of Saururus chinensis(Lour.) Baill.Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral analysis.