Phenolic Compounds of Plants of the Scutellaria L. Genus. Distribution, Structure, and Properties

Information on flavones, flavanones, flavanonols, flavonols, chalcones, isoflavones, biflavonoids, lignoflavonoids, and lignane glycosides and stilbenes isolated from plants of the Scutellaria L. genus was systematized and reviewed. A list of 208 phenolic compounds was given according to flavonoid type with an indication of the plant sources, structures, and physicochemical properties and citations of the original articles.     

高效液相色谱法检测保健食品中大豆异黄酮含量

建立了保健食品中大豆异黄酮的高效液相色谱检测方法 ,通过正交试验法得出保健食品中大豆异黄酮的最佳水解条件为 :盐酸浓度2.0mol/L,酸体积40mL ,水解温度80℃ ,水解时间3h;采用HypersilODS2C18 色谱柱 (250mm×4.6mmID ,5μm) ,流动相为甲醇 -水(体积比47∶53) ,流速1.0mL/min ,检测波长260nm ,柱温40℃ ,线性范围在0.5～96mg/L ,相关系数r为0.999 ,相对标准偏差 (RSD)2.09% ,回收率在98.5 %～100.5 %。     

Prenylated isoflavones with potential antiproliferative activities from Mappianthus iodoides

Abstract

A phytochemical investigation on the stems of Mappianthus iodoides led to the isolation of a new naturally occurring prenylated isoflavone, mappianthone A (1), together with seven known analogues (2?8). The structure of 1 was elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods and the known compounds were identified by comparison with data reported in the literature. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative activities against five human cancer cell lines: HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7 and SW480 in vitro. Compounds 1?8 showed significant antiproliferative effects against several human cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.16 to 12.68?μM.

     

Mass spectrometric methods for the analysis of chlorinated and nitrated isoflavonoids: a novel class of biological metabolites

Electrospray ionization combined with tandem mass spectrometry was applied to a study of some representative chlorinated and nitrated isoflavones-potential metabolites of isoflavones in inflammatory cells. Upon collision-induced dissociation of deprotonated [M - H](-) ions of these compounds, a number of structurally characteristic product ions were produced. The product ion analysis of 3'- and 8-chlorodaidzein in the tandom mass spectra led to ready differentiation of these isomers. 3-Nitro derivatives of both genistein and daidzein have product ions due to the losses of HNO(2) and two OH groups. Chlorinated derivatives of isoflavones were detected in cell-based experiments and their structures were proposed by comparing the tandem mass spectra of their product ions with those of standards. This work provides a suitable analytical basis to aid the characterization of chlorinated and nitrated metabolites in studies in vivo and in vitro.     

Optimized Quantitative Method for Determining Isoflavones and Equol in Bovine Digestive Fluids and Feces

Many studies have been conducted on the impact of animal feed on isoflavones and their metabolite concentrations in bovine milk, but few studies have focused on the development and validation of analytical protocols for quantifying these compounds in biological matrices other than milk and plants. The purpose of this study was to develop a method that would enable four isoflavones and equol in cows’ feces and digestive fluids to be quantified simultaneously. The method is based on aglycones released by methanolic ultrasound-assisted extraction, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and high-performance liquid chromatography tandem–mass spectrometry analysis. The sample preparation was optimized using the Box–Behnken design. The selected extraction conditions were 80°C, 10?min, and 50% methanol for digestive fluids and 70°C, 35?min, and 60% methanol for feces. For hydrolysis, the selected conditions were 37°C, 1?h, and a pH of 6 for both matrices. The analytical method showed a good linear regression model ranging from 5 to 125?ng?mL^?1. Both inter- and intraday accuracy (≤8.5 and ≤12.3%) and precision (≤11.1 and ≤15.2%) were suitable. No matrix effects were found. There was good repeatability and extract stability for at least 4 days of storage at???20 and 6°C. All recoveries were in the acceptable range of 70–120% for both matrices, except for biochanin A in feces, where the value was approximately 43%. This sensitive and reliable method will be useful for monitoring the passage of isoflavones and equol in the digestive system of ruminants.     

Structure‐oriented UHPLC‐LTQ Orbitrap‐based approach as a dereplication strategy for the identification of isoflavonoids from Amphimas pterocarpoides crude extract

Hyphenated techniques and especially ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐MS) are nowadays widely employed in natural products research. However, the complex nature of plant extracts complicates considerably the analysis and the identification of their constituents. Nevertheless, new MS analyzers with increased resolving power and accuracy such as the orbital trap (Orbitrap) could facilitate drastically this process. The objective of this study is the development of a new structure‐oriented approach based on fast UHPLC‐high‐resolution (HR)MS and HRMS/MS methodologies for the identification of isoflavonoids in crude extracts. In addition, aims to assist dereplication procedures, to decrease the laborious isolation steps and orient the focused isolation of compounds of interest. As a proof of concept, the methanol extract of the stem bark of Amphimas pterocarpoides (Leguminosae) was selected. Based on chromatographic (retention time, polarity) and spectrometric features (ultraviolet spectra, accurate m/z, proposed elemental composition, ring double bond equivalent, and relative isotopic abundance) as well as HRMS/MS spectra, several isoflavonoids were identified. In order to verify the proposed structures, 11 isoflavonoids were selectively isolated and unambiguously identified using 1&2D nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Moreover, the isolated isoflavonoids were studied in HRMS/MS level, employing electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization sources, in both modes. Useful information regarding their fragmentation patterns was obtained, and characteristic diagnostic ions were defined for the identification of methoxylated isoflavones, dihydroisoflavones and 5‐hydroxylated isoflavonoids. Based on the current results, the proposed dereplication strategy was verified and could comprise a novel approach for the analysis of crude extracts in the future not only for isoflavonoids but also for other chemical classes of natural products. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prenylated Benzene Metabolites from Melicope pteleifolia

Chemical investigation on the stem and root of Melicope pteleifolia afforded three new prenylated benzene metabolites as racemic mixtures, named pteleifolins A–C ( 1 – 3 , resp.). Their gross structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, especially 2D‐NMR experiments. An enantiomer resolution of (±)‐ 1 using chiral HPLC was performed, and the absolute configuration of the enantiomers were determined to be (+)‐(S)‐ 1 and (?)‐(R)‐ 1 by means of circular‐dichroism analysis.     

Prenylated Flavonoid Glycosides with PCSK9 mRNA Expression Inhibitory Activity from the Aerial Parts of Epimedium koreanum

Phytochemical investigation on the n-BuOH-soluble fraction of the aerial parts of Epimedium koreanum using the PCSK9 mRNA monitoring assay led to the identification of four previously undescribed acylated flavonoid glycosides and 18 known compounds. The structures of new compounds were elucidated by NMR, MS, and other chemical methods. All isolated compounds were tested for their inhibitory activity against PCSK9 mRNA expression in HepG2 cells. Of the isolates, compounds 6, 7, 10, 15, and 17–22 were found to significantly inhibit PCSK9 mRNA expression. In particular, compound 7 was shown to increase LDLR mRNA expression. Thus, compound 7 may potentially increase LDL uptake and lower cholesterol levels in the blood.     

The Potential Effects of Phytoestrogens: The Role in Neuroprotection

Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring non-steroidal phenolic plant compounds. Their structure is similar to 17-β-estradiol, the main female sex hormone. This review offers a concise summary of the current literature on several potential health benefits of phytoestrogens, mainly their neuroprotective effect. Phytoestrogens lower the risk of menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis, as well as cardiovascular disease. They also reduce the risk of brain disease. The effects of phytoestrogens and their derivatives on cancer are mainly due to the inhibition of estrogen synthesis and metabolism, leading to antiangiogenic, antimetastatic, and epigenetic effects. The brain controls the secretion of estrogen (hypothalamus-pituitary-gonads axis). However, it has not been unequivocally established whether estrogen therapy has a neuroprotective effect on brain function. The neuroprotective effects of phytoestrogens seem to be related to both their antioxidant properties and interaction with the estrogen receptor. The possible effects of phytoestrogens on the thyroid cause some concern; nevertheless, generally, no serious side effects have been reported, and these compounds can be recommended as health-promoting food components or supplements.     

Regioselective para‐Carboxylation of Catechols with a Prenylated Flavin Dependent Decarboxylase

The utilization of CO₂ as a carbon source for organic synthesis meets the urgent demand for more sustainability in the production of chemicals. Herein, we report on the enzyme‐catalyzed para ‐carboxylation of catechols, employing 3,4‐dihydroxybenzoic acid decarboxylases (AroY) that belong to the UbiD enzyme family. Crystal structures and accompanying solution data confirmed that AroY utilizes the recently discovered prenylated FMN (prFMN) cofactor, and requires oxidative maturation to form the catalytically competent prFMN^iminium species. This study reports on the in vitro reconstitution and activation of a prFMN‐dependent enzyme that is capable of directly carboxylating aromatic catechol substrates under ambient conditions. A reaction mechanism for the reversible decarboxylation involving an intermediate with a single covalent bond between a quinoid adduct and cofactor is proposed, which is distinct from the mechanism of prFMN‐associated 1,3‐dipolar cycloadditions in related enzymes.