Glycolipids from Leaves of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eminium Lehmanii</Emphasis>

The quantitative composition of glycolipids from leaves of Eminium Lehmanii (Araceae) was established. It was shown that the predominant glycolipids were monogalactosyldiglycerides and digalactosyldiglycerides. The fatty-acid compositions of six glycolipids, of which digalactosyldiglycerides and sterylglycoside esters contained greater than 70% linoleic acid, were determined by GC. The main carbohydrate component of the leaf glycolipids was galactose. __________ Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 409–410, September–October, 2005.     

Piperazirum, a novel bioactive alkaloid from Arum palaestinum Boiss.

A novel alkylated piperazine (3α,5α-diisobutyryl-6α-isopropyl-piperazine-2-one, 1) has been isolated from the n-butanol soluble part of the leaves extract of Arum palaestinum Boiss., the chemical structure and the relative stereochemistry of 1 were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data. Piperazirum showed a significant cytotoxicity against cultured tumor cell lines in vitro.     

Comparative Studies of Two Araceous Lectins by Steady State and Time-Resolved Fluorescence and CD Spectroscopy

Transitions in the tryptophan microenvironment and secondary structure of two monocot lectins from Sauromatum guttatum and Arisaema tortuosum under different denaturing conditions were studied by steady state and time resolved fluorescence and CD spectroscopy. The lectins exist as tetramers with a single tryptophan residue estimated per monomer, present in a polar environment. Quenching with ionic quenchers showed predominantly electropositive environment for tryptophan residues. Acrylamide had maximum quenching effect. A decrease in KI quenching due to lectin denaturation indicated redistribution of charges as a result of possible conformational change. The two values for lifetimes of tryptophanyl population (1.2–1.4 and 6.3–6.4 ns) reduced substantially on quenching or denaturation. Similarly, both the lectins showed a drastic loss of secondary structure in 5 M Gdn-HCl or 6 M Urea or at pH 2.0 and below. For the first time araceous lectins, like legume lectins are shown to bind adenine. The presence of a compact structure at alkaline pH 10.0–12.0 was observed in CD spectra.     

In vitro and in vivo comparison of the biological activities of two traditionally and widely used Arum species from Jordan: Arum dioscoridis Sibth & Sm. and Arum palaestinum Boiss.

Arum dioscoridis and A. palaestinum (Araceae) are indigenous plant species in Jordan. HPLC-MS analysis of A. dioscoridis revealed the presence of apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, quercetin-3-O-β-glucoside, vitexin, isoorientin, esculin, and caffeic and ferulic acids. Both Arum spp., influenced gastrointestinal carbohydrate and lipid digestion and absorption. Orlistat inhibited dose dependently and highly substantially pancreatic lipase (PL) in vitro. Similar to orlistat, Arum species aqueous extracts (AEs), apigenin, caffeic acid and esculin exhibited a concentration related PL inhibition. Comparable to acarbose, dual inhibition of α-amylase/α-glucosidase was observed for both Arum species. Like guar gum, A. dioscoridis AE minimised substantially area under 24 h glucose curve. Acute starch-induced postprandial hyperglycaemia in overnight fasting rats was highly significantly (p?<?0.001) decreased by A. dioscoridis AE. A. palaestinum could not perform effectively in either starch- or glucose-fed fasting rats. No antiproliferative effects against colorectal cancer cell lines HT29, HCT116 and SW620 were detected for tested Arum spp.     

Acorafuran, a new sesquiterpenoid from Acorus calamus essential oil

The structure of acorafuran (6-isopropyl-4-methyl-7,8-dihydro-6H-naphtho[1,8-bc]furan), a new cadalin-type sesquiterpenoid from Acorus calamus essential oil, was established using spectral data (NMR, mass spectrometry). __________ Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 566–568, November–December, 2006.