Chemical Constituents from Leaves of Acanthopanax henryi (II)

Nineteen compounds, including one organic acid (1), one anthraquinone (2), one amide (3), and sixteen triterpenoid saponins (4 - 19) were isolated from the leaves of Acanthopanax henryi (Oliv.) Harms (Araliaceae). Their structures were determined on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectral analyses (HR-MS and NMR). Among them, compounds 2, 3, 7, 12 and 19 were new within Araliaceae. Compounds 4, 5, 9 - 11, 13, 14, 16 and 18 were reported for the first time from the Acanthopanax genus. Except for compounds 4 and 9, other compounds were isolated from A. henryi (Oliv.) Harms for the first time. The rare anthraquinone, compound 2, significantly decreased the production of NO and the levels of other inflammatory factors, such as TNF-alpha and IL-6, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. This is the first time to report anti-inflammatory effect of this compound.

The Effect of Extract of Paeonia lactiflora on the Improvement of Ischemic Acute Renal Failure / 대한신장학회지

PURPOSE:The present study was undertaken to investigate whether the extract or the ethyl acetate fraction of Paeonia lactiflora, which improves cell survival under ischemic condition by inhibiting apoptosis, can prevent ischemic acute renal failure, using rats as an animal model. METHODS:In the control group, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by clamping of left renal pedicle for 45 minutes after removal of the right kidney, and subsequent reperfusion of the pedicle for 24 hours. In the experimental group, the water extract or ethyl acetate fraction of methanol extract Paeonia lactiflora was injected 1 hour prior to ischemia/reperfusion injury. We measured serum concentrations of creatinine at 24 hours after I/R injury. And the kidneys were extracted, fixed in a 10 % neutral-buffered formalin solution, embedded in paraffin and used for histopathological examination. RESULTS:Rats in the experimental group, treated with water extract or ethyl acetate fraction of methanol extract of Paeonia lactiflora, exhibited significant decrease in the serum concentrations of creatinine (approx. 2.0 mg/dL), compared with those in the control group (approx. 4.0 mg/dL). Finally, the cell morphology of the kidney of rats treated with ethyl acetate fraction of Paeonia lactiflora was well preserved, when judged from histopathological point of view. CONCLUSION:Pretreatment of rats with the water extract or ethyl acetate fraction of Paeonia lactiflora might be beneficial for the treatment of acute renal failure in humans.

Inhibitory effects of tilianin on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in low density lipoprotein receptor deficiency mice

We investigated the effect of tilianin upon inducible nitric oxide synthesis in the plasma of low-density lipoprotein receptor knock-out (Ldlr-/-) mice fed with high cholesterol diet and in primary peritoneal macrophages of Ldlr-/- mice. High cholesterol diet induced nitric oxide production in the plasma of Ldlr-/- mice. Tilianin reduced the level of nitric oxide (NO) in plasma from Ldlr-/- mice induced by the high cholesterol diet. Tilianin also inhibited the NO production from the primary culture of peritoneal macrophages treated with lipopolysaccharide. The inhibition of NO production was caused by the suppression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression in peritoneal macrophages isolated from Ldlr-/- mice. Moreover, tilianin inhibited the transcriptional activation of iNOS promoter that has NF-kappa B binding element. Thus, these results provide the first evidence that tilianin inhibit iNOS expression and production of NO and may act as a potential anti-inflammatory agent.