A contribution to pharmaceutical biology of freshwater sponges

In vitro anti-tumour and anti-radical activities of the acetone extract of the freshwater sponge Ochridaspongia rotunda were the subject of this study. The extract was found to be highly cytotoxic to human lung tumour cell line A-549 reaching IC₅₀ value of 5.01 ± 0.21 μg/mL. Indeed, it displayed only 2-fold less anti-tumour activity than doxorubicin (IC₅₀ value 2.42 ± 0.13 μg/mL) used as a positive control. The same extract was also found to be almost 37-fold more selective against A-549 vs. MRC-5 (normal) lung cells, in difference to weak selectivity of doxorubicin (less than 3-fold). Its profound anti-DPPH radical activity comparable to that of quercetin (IC₅₀ values 3.68 ± 0.19 and 3.14 ± 0.09 μg/mL, respectively) coupled with no signs of genotoxicity in the comet assay (MRC-5 cell line, vs. doxorubicin) has actually implicated the importance of this animal bioresource in searching for pharmaceutically useful bioactive compounds of natural origin.     

Extraction and Crystal Structure of Pedunculoside

The title compound of pedunculoside (C36H58O10), a main active triterpenoid saponin of Ilicis Rotundae Cortex, was isolated from the dried bark of Ilex rotunda Thunb., and characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group P212121 with C36H58O10, a=13.046(3), b=21.038(4), c=28.413(6) , V=7798.28(3) ·3, Z=8, Dc=1.109 g/cm3, Mr=650.82, F(000)=2832, and μ=0.080 mm-1. The final R=0.0765 and wR=0.1736 for 15117 observed reflections (I > 2σ(I)). The molecular crystal structure of pedunculoside shows relative stereochemistry of 3β,19α,23-trihydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid-28-O-β-D-glucopy- ranosyl ester. The molecule is composed of one glucopyranosyl ring and five six-membered rings with ring junctures of A/B trans, B/C trans, and D/E cis. There are two C36H58O10 molecules in an asymmetric unit, and the title compound is stacked into a 2D layer structure through hydrogen bonds.     

GC/MS profiling,in vitro anti-leptospiral and haemolytic activities of Boesenbergia rotunda (L.) Mansf. used as a medicinal plant by Nicobarese of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Leaves of the plant Boesenbergia rotunda are used by the Nicobarese tribe of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, to prepare traditional medicine for treating fever, headache and body ache. In the present investigation, methanol fraction of these leaves were analysed by GC/MS that revealed the presence of 25 compounds. The anti-leptospiral activity of methanol crude extract was determined by both microdilution and macrodilution methods. The MICs of the extract were tested against 24 pathogenic leptospiral strains and ranged between 62.5–125 μg/mL in both microdilution and macrodilution. The range of MBCs was 250 and 500 μg/mL in macrodilution and microdilution respectively. The crude extract was subjected to cytotoxic studies and found to have negligible or no haemolytic activity, exhibiting IC₅₀ values of greater than 4 mg/mL. Further in vivo studies are needed to investigate the pharmacological and toxicological properties of Boesenbergia rotunda, before it can be considered as a new anti-leptospiral agent.