A review on ethno-medicinal uses and pharmacology of Vernonia cinerea Less.

Vernonia cinerea Less. (ash-coloured fleabane; Asteraceae) is a widely distributed plant throughout India. The plant has reputation as folklore medicine in various traditional systems of medicine. The plant has been evaluated for varied pharmacological activities to validate its traditional claims, and has been scientifically reported to possess anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, renoprotective, anticancer, antiviral, antimicrobial activities, etc. This review emphasises on ethnopharmacology and pharmacology of V. cinerea.     

Glucofructans from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taraxacum officinale</Emphasis> roots

The structure of glucofructans from Taraxacum officinale roots growing in Buryatia was studied by chemical, chromatographic, and spectral methods. It was found that fructose,glucose, saccharose, 1-kestose, and nystose were present in the free state. The structures of the two dominant polymeric compounds, TGf-1 (5.7 kDa) and TGf-2 (2.6 kDa), which were linear inulin-type macromolecules consisting of fructofuranose units bonded through β-(2→1)-bonds, were studied. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 125–127, March–April, 2009.     

New constituents from Mikania laevigata Shultz Bip. ex Baker

A new phenylpropanoid and two new diterpenes were isolated from the leaves of the plant Mikania laevigata Shultz Bip. ex Baker. The structures of these compounds were established by 1D- and 2D-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques and mass spectrometry data. Taraxerol, lupeol, coumarin, syringaldehyde, trans-melilotoside, cis-melilotoside, adenosine, patuletin 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, kaempferol 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, methyl 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl quinate, and 3,3′,5-trihydroxy-4′,6,7-trimethoxyflavone were isolated too. In addition, the compounds dihydrocoumarin, spathulenol, caryophyllene oxide, kaurenoic acid, beyerenoic acid, and lupeol acetate were identified by GC-MS.     

9β-hydroxy-11β(H),13-dihyhdrosantamarine, a new eudesmanolide fromArtemisia leucotricha

A new sesquiterpene lactone, 9-hydroxy-11(H),13-dihydrosantamarine, and known terpenes are isolated from the underground part ofArtemisia leucotricha Krasch ex Ladyg (Asteraceae). The structure is determined by spectral and x-ray structural analysis.Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 230–232, May–June, 2000.     

Identification of Kaurane-Type Diterpenes as Inhibitors of Leishmania Pteridine Reductase I

The current treatments against Leishmania parasites present high toxicity and multiple side effects, which makes the control and elimination of leishmaniasis challenging. Natural products constitute an interesting and diverse chemical space for the identification of new antileishmanial drugs. To identify new drug options, an in-house database of 360 kauranes (tetracyclic diterpenes) was generated, and a combined ligand- and structure-based virtual screening (VS) approach was performed to select potential inhibitors of Leishmania major (Lm) pteridine reductase I (PTR1). The best-ranked kauranes were employed to verify the validity of the VS approach through LmPTR1 enzyme inhibition assay. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values of selected bioactive compounds were examined using the random forest (RF) model (i.e., 2β-hydroxy-menth-6-en-5β-yl ent-kaurenoate (135) and 3α-cinnamoyloxy-ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (302)) were below 10 μM. A compound similar to 302, 3α-p-coumaroyloxy-ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (302a), was also synthesized and showed the highest activity against LmPTR1. Finally, molecular docking calculations and molecular dynamics simulations were performed for the VS-selected, most-active kauranes within the active sites of PTR1 hybrid models, generated from three Leishmania species that are known to cause cutaneous leishmaniasis in the new world (i.e., L. braziliensis, L. panamensis, and L. amazonensis) to explore the targeting potential of these kauranes to other species-dependent variants of this enzyme.     

Chemical composition of the essential oil of Jacobaea maritima (L.) Pelser & Meijden and Jacobaea maritima subsp. bicolor (Willd.) B. Nord. & Greuter (Asteraceae) collected wild in Croatia and Sicily,respectively

In this study, the chemical compositions of the essential oils from aerial parts (JmA) and radices (JmR) of Jacobaea maritima (L.) Pelser & Meijden, collected in Croatia, and of Jacobaea maritima subsp. bicolor (Willd.) B. Nord. & Greuter, collected in Sicily, were evaluated by using gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The main components of the essential oil from J. maritima, both in JmA and JmR, were pentacosane (15.7%), heptacosane (13.1%) and nonacosane (8.1%) whereas the essential oil from J. maritima subsp. bicolor was characterised by the presence of hexadecanoic acid (14.6%), caryophyllene oxide (9.3%) and hexahydrofarnesylacetone (6.5%). The comparison of the essential oil with other studied oils of the genus Jacobaea is discussed.     

NMR Spectral Data of Benzofurans and Bithiophenes from Hairy Root Cultures of Tagetes Patula Andthe Molecular Structure of Isoeuparin

In the course of our biosynthetic studies of constituents of hairy root cultures of Tagetes patula, we isolated four bithiophenes,[5-(3-buten-1-yny1)]-2,2′-bithiophenes(BBT),5-(4-acetoxy-1-butyny1)-2,2′-bithiophenes (BBTOAc),5-(4-hydroxy-1-butyny1)-2,2′bithiophenes (BBTOH) and 5-(3,4-diacetoxy-1-butyny1)-2,2′-bithiophenes [BBT(OAc)2]. In addition, stigmasterol, α-farnesene, three known benzofurans, of which only one was previouly isolated from T.patula, as well as a new benzofuran were obtained. The structures of the componds were determined by spectral analysis and comparison with published data. The molecular structure of the benzofuran isoeuparin was established by single crystal x-ray diffraction.     

Sesquiterpenes from Chrysoma Pauciflosculosa

Abstract

The aerial parts of Chrysoma pauciflosculosa (syn. Solidago pauciflosculosa) gave two new sesquiterpenes, (+)-β-turmerone and a bisabolane endoperoxide, together with the known (-)-α-trans-bergamotene and (+)-β-sesquiphellandrene. When exposed to air and light, (+)-β-turmerone and (+)-β-sesquiphellandrene gave oxidative degradation products, involving hydroperoxide intermediates. Photosensitized singlet oxygen reactions of (+)-β-turmerone provided a series of bisabolane-type endoperoxides. The structures of the natural compounds as well as those of the degradation products and derivatives were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic methods, mainly NMR and MS. Aqueous solutions of (+)-β-turmerone,(+)-β-sesquiphellandrene and (-)-α-trans-bergamotene were tested for their effects on the germination and radicle growth of three Florida sandhill species, Rudbeckia hirta, Schizachyrium scoparium, Leptochloa dubia, as well as Lactuca sativa. (+)-β-Turmerone significantly inhibited germination of L. sativa, stimulated radicle growth of L. sativa and S. scoparium at the 10^?4 M level, and mildly inhibited radicle growth of R. hirta, as did (+)-β-sesquiphellandrene. (-)-α-trans-Bergamotene stimulated germination of S. scoparium and L. sativa and significantly enhanced radicle growth of S. scoparium.     

Chemical composition and biological activities of the essential oil from Pulicaria undulata (L.) C. A. Mey. growing wild in Egypt

Abstract

Pulicaria undulata is used as a traditional herbal remedy in Egypt. We used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for analysis of essential oil of this plant growing wild in Egypt and 64 compounds were identified. The oil was rich in oxygenated monoterpenes (64.0%) and aromatic derivatives (18.8%). The major components were carvacrol (46.5%), xanthoxylin (18.1%) and carvotanacetone (8.7%). The oil of the Egyptian plant showed significant differences from the oil results reported on this species derived from different accessions. Antioxidant activity was performed by FRAP, DPPH and ABTS assays, and the oil demonstrated a powerful antioxidant properties. Furthermore, cytotoxicity was assessed using MTT assay against three cell lines (A375, T98G, HCT116) and the oil showed moderate results with IC₅₀ of 18.53, 40.64 and 22.23?μg/ml; respectively. The oil showed a good anti-acetylcholinesterase activity (IC₅₀?=?139.2?μg/ml) using Ellman method. In conclusion, the studied oil exhibited a peculiar fingerprint and promising biological activities.