Quality evaluation of Indigo Naturalis based on multi-component quantification combined with chemometrics / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the quality of Indigo Naturalis， and to provide reference for the quality control of Indigo Naturalis. METHODS UPLC-MS/MS method was used to determine the contents of 6 indole alkaloids （indigo， indirubin， isatin， tryptanthrin， indole and indole-3-carboxaldehyde） in Indigo Naturalis from different origins. Cluster analysis， principal component analysis and partial least squares-discriminant analysis （PLS-DA） were used to evaluate the quality of Indigo Naturalis from different origins. RESULTS The contents of indigo， indirubin， isatin， tryptanthrin， indole and indole-3-carboxaldehyde in Indigo Naturalis from different origins were 20 320.83-26 585.01， 1 327.69-3 102.25， 141.69-894.50， 2.17-5.27， 2.14-5.93 and 1.69-4.34 μg/g， respectively. The Indigo Naturalis from different areas were clustered into two categories by cluster analysis. Samples S1， S2， S4， S6， S7， S9 and S10 were clustered into category Ⅰ， and samples S3， S5， S8， S11 and S12 were clustered into category Ⅱ. Indigo Naturalis from different origins was evaluated with 3 principal components. The results showed that category Ⅰ sample scored higher and had better quality， while category Ⅱ sample scored lower and had worse quality. PLS-DA showed that indigo， indirubin， tryptanthrin and isatin were the main substances that reflected the quality difference of Indigo Naturalis. CONCLUSIONS The quality of Indigo Naturalis from different origins is different， and the quality of Indigo Naturalis of different batches from the same area is not stable. The quality evaluation method of Indigo Naturalis established in this paper is stable and reliable， which can provide a basis for the quality control of Indigo Naturalis.

Antimicrobial indole alkaloids from Tabernaemontana corymbosa / 中国天然药物

Four unreported monoterpene indole alkaloids, tabernaecorymines B-E (1-4), together with twenty-one known indole alkaloids (5-25) were obtained from the stem bark of Tabernaemontana corymbosa. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive spectroscopy, quantum chemical calculations, DP4+ probability analyses and Mo2(OAc)4-induced electronic circular dichroism experiment. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of these compounds were evaluated and some of them showed significant activity against Staphylococcus aureus,Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae and Candida albicans.

Diversity-oriented synthesis of marine sponge derived hyrtioreticulins and their anti-inflammatory activities / 中国天然药物

Diversity-oriented synthesis is aimed to increase the chemical diversity of target natural products for extensive biological activity evaluation. Indole ring is an important functional group in a large number of drugs and other biologically active agents, and indole-containing natural products have been frequently isolated from marine sources in recent years. In this paper, a series of indole-containing marine natural hyrtioreticulin derivatives, including 19 new ones, were designed, synthesized through a key Pictet-Spengler reaction, and evaluated for their inflammation related activity. Compound 13b displayed the most promising activity by inhibiting TNF-α cytokine release with an inhibitory rate of 92% at a concentration of 20 μmol·L-1. A preliminary structure-activity relationship analysis was also discussed. This research may throw light on the discovery of marine indole alkaloid derived anti-inflammatory drug leads.

Synthesis and evaluation on triglyceride inhibitory activities of novel indole alkaloids / 药学学报

Three tricyclic [6,5,7] and six tetracyclic [6,5,5,5] novel indole alkaloids were synthesized and evaluated on triglyceride inhibitory activities for the first time. Among them, compound 4c showed the most potent activity with IC50 value of 6.35 μmol·L-1. Meanwhile, compound 4c also exhibited a good safety profile at the cellular level. Preliminary mechanism study indicated that 4c might increase intracellular lipid metabolism by activating AMPK. These results provide a novel family of lead compounds for the discovery of anti-NAFLD candidates.

Bioinformatics and expressional analysis of WRKY transcription factor family in Baphicacanthus cusia / 药学学报

WRKY, a class of conserved transcription factors in plants, plays important roles in plant growth, development and secondary metabolism. In the present study, 65 WRKY members were identified from de novo transcriptome sequencing data of three different tissues (root, stems and leaves) of Baphicacanthus cusia. BcWRKY proteins contained from 221 to 706 amino acids and the isoelectric point is from 4.68 to 9.68. Molecular weights range from 25 711.8 to 75 475 Da. The main secondary structures of BcWRKYs protein are random coil. A subcellular localization prediction indicated that the putative BcWRKY proteins were enriched in the nuclear region. Phylogenetic analysis showed that BcWRKYs could be categorized into three groups and five subgroups (Group IIa, Group IIb, Group IIc, Group IId and Group IIe) in Group II. Structural analysis found that all BcWRKY proteins contained a highly conserved motif WRKYGQK. Finally, the transcriptional profiles of ten BcWRKY genes highly expressed in root, stem and leaf tissues under abscisic acid (ABA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), or salicylic acid (SA) treatment were systematically investigated using qRT-PCR analysis. Results showed that a total of ten BcWRKY genes were differentially expressed in response to ABA, MeJA, and SA treatment. This work would be provided a basis for further elucidating the molecular mechanism of WRKY transcription factors in the biosynthesis of indole alkaloids in B. cusia.

Transcriptional analysis of Rhazya stricta in response to jasmonic acid

BACKGROUND: Jasmonic acid (JA) is a signal transducer molecule that plays an important role in plant development and stress response; it can also efficiently stimulate secondary metabolism in plant cells. RESULTS: RNA-Seq technology was applied to identify differentially expressed genes and study the time course of gene expression in Rhazya stricta in response to JA. Of more than 288 million total reads, approximately 27% were mapped to genes in the reference genome. Genes involved during the secondary metabolite pathways were up- or downregulated when treated with JA in R. stricta. Functional annotation and pathway analysis of all up- and downregulated genes identified many biological processes and molecular functions. Jasmonic acid biosynthetic, cell wall organization, and chlorophyll metabolic processes were upregulated at days 2, 6, and 12, respectively. Similarly, the molecular functions of calcium-transporting ATPase activity, ADP binding, and protein kinase activity were also upregulated at days 2, 6, and 12, respectively. Time-dependent transcriptional gene expression analysis showed that JA can induce signaling in the phenylpropanoid and aromatic acid pathways. These pathways are responsible for the production of secondary metabolites, which are essential for the development and environmental defense mechanism of R. stricta during stress conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis and aromatic acid synthesis pathways were upregulated during JA stress. However, monoterpenoid indole alkaloid (MIA) was unaffected by JA treatment. Hence, we can postulate that JA plays an important role in R. stricta during plant development and environmental stress conditions.

A new alkaloid from Ervatamia hainanensis / 中国中药杂志

In order to study the alkaloids from branches and leaves of Ervatamia hainanensis, silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 and HPLC chromatography were used to obtain six alkaloids from the branches and leaves of E. hainanensis with use of. Based on the physicochemical properties and spectral data, their structures were identified as 10-hydroxydemethylhirsuteine(1), 3R-hydroxycoronaridine(2), 3-(2-oxopropyl)coronaridine(3), pandine(4), 16-epi-vobasine(5), and 16-epi-vobasinic acid(6). Among them, compound 1 was a new monoterpenoid indole alkaloid, and compounds 5 and 6 were obtained from this plant for the first time.

Indole alkaloid glycosides with a 1'-(phenyl)ethyl unit from leaves

Seven indole alkaloid glycosides containing a 1'-(4″-hydroxy-3″,5″-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl unit (-) were isolated from an aqueous extract of leaves (da qing ye). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data analysis combined with enzymatic hydrolysis as well as comparison of their experimental CD (circular dichroism) and calculated ECD (electrostatic circular dichroism) spectra. Based on analysis of and/or Cotton effect (CE) data of -, two simple roles to assign location and/or configuration of -glycopyranosyloxy and 1'-(phenyl)ethyl units in the indole alkaloid glycosides are proposed. Stereoselectivity in plausible biosynthetic pathways of - is discussed. Compounds and and their mixture in a 3:2 ratio showed activity against KCNQ2 in CHO cells. The mixture of and (3:2) exhibited antiviral activity against influenza virus H1N1 PR8 with IC 64.7 μmol/L (ribavirin, IC 54.3 μmol/L), however, the individual or was inactive. Preliminary structure-activity relationships were observed.

Whole-genome sequencing and analysis of the Chinese herbal plant

Background@# () (2n = 2x = 16) is genus of flowering plants belonging to the Gelsemicaeae family.@*Method@#Here, a high-quality genome assembly using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) platform and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture techniques (Hi-C) were used.@*Results@#A total of 56.11 Gb of raw GridION X5 platform ONT reads (6.23 Gb per cell) were generated. After filtering, 53.45 Gb of clean reads were obtained, giving 160 × coverage depth. The genome assemblies 335.13 Mb, close to the 338 Mb estimated by k-mer analysis, was generated with contig N50 of 10.23 Mb. The vast majority (99.2%) of the assembled sequence was anchored onto 8 pseudo-chromosomes. The genome completeness was then evaluated and 1338 of the 1440 conserved genes (92.9%) could be found in the assembly. Genome annotation revealed that 43.16% of the genome is composed of repetitive elements and 23.9% is composed of long terminal repeat elements. We predicted 26,768 protein-coding genes, of which 84.56% were functionally annotated.@*Conclusion@#The genomic sequences of could be a valuable source for comparative genomic analysis in the Gelsemicaeae family and will be useful for understanding the phylogenetic relationships of the indole alkaloid metabolism.

A new indole alkaloid from bulbils of Dioscorea opposite Thunb / 药学学报

This study was designed to study the chemical constituents from bulbil of Dioscorea opposite Thunb.. Four compounds were isolated by silica gel column chromatography. On the basis of physic-chemical characters and spectroscopic data analysis, these compounds were identified as lyzalkaloid (3,4-dihydro-6-hydroxy-4-methyl-6H-pyrido[6,5-b]indol-5(1H)-one) (1), anoectochine (2), ginsenine (3), and 2-hydroxy-3-(1H-indol-3-yl) propanoic acid methyl ester (4). Compound 1 is a new indole alkaloid, named as lyzalkaloid. Compounds 2-4 were isolated from this plant for the first time. The cytotoxic activities were assessed by MTT assay. All compounds exhibited the cytotoxic activity against HepG2 and MDA-231 with IC50 values of over 100 μmol·L-1, respectively. All compounds show no significant cytotoxic activities against HepG2, MDA-231 cancer cell.

Indole alkaloid sulfonic acids from an aqueous extract ofroots and their antiviral activity

Six new indole alkaloid sulfonic acids (-), together with two analogues (and) that were previously reported as synthetic products, were isolated from an aqueous extract of theroot. Their structures including the absolute configurations were determined by spectroscopic data analysis, combined with enzyme hydrolysis and comparison of experimental circular dichroism and calculated electronic circular dichroism spectra. In the preliminary assay, compoundsandshowed antiviral activity against Coxsackie virus B3 and influenza virus A/Hanfang/359/95 (H3N2), respectively.

A new monoterpenoid indole alkaloid from Gardneria multiflora Makino / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To study the monoterpenoid indole alkaloids in Gardneria multiflora Makino. METHODS: The dried plants of G. multiflora Makino were extracted with 95% ethanol. After removal of solvent, the residue was diluted with water, then extracted with petroleum ether and chloroform to obtain crude alkaloids. Column chromatograghy on silica gel, Rp-18, and Sephadex LH-20 were applied for the isolation and purification of crude alkaloids. The structure was elucidated based on detailed spectroscopic evidence. RESULTS: One monoterpenoid indole alkaloid was isolated from this plant. CONCLUSION: Compound gardmultimine A (1) is a new compound.

A new monoterpenoid indole alkaloid from Winchia calophylla / 中草药

To investigate the alkaloid constituents from the trunk barks of Winchia calophylla. The constituents were isolated and purified by column chromatography over silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 columns. The structure of the isolated compound was elucidated by MS and NMR spectra, and then confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. The isolated compound was also evaluated for its in vitro cytotoxicity against the proliferation of seven kinds of human cancer cell lines (lung cancer: A549, breast cancer: MCF-7, prostate cancer: PC-3, glioma: U87MG, multiple myeloma: U266, MM1. S, and MM1. R). A new monoterpenoid indole alkaloid, identified as calophyline B (1), was isolated from the ethanol extract of the trunk barks of W. calophylla. Compound 1 is a new compound, which shows no cytotoxicity against the proliferation of the above human tumor cells.

Chemical constituents from Gelsemium elegans / 中草药

Objective: To study the chemical constituents from Gelsemium elegans aiming at searching for bioactive natural products. Methods: Column chromatography techniques were used for separation and purification of the compounds and extensive spectral analysis spectrum were employed for structural elucidation. Results: Eight compounds were isolated from the aerial part of G. elegans and their structures were identified as gelsemoxonmine II (1), koumine (2), gelsemine I (3), humantenine IV (4), 19-(Z)-koumidine (5), 19-(Z)-akuammidine (6), 4-(R)-gelsemine-N-oxide (7), and 4-(S)-gelsemine-N-oxide (8). Conclusion: Compounds 1-7 are isolated from the aerial part of this plant. Compound 8 is isolated for the first time as natural substance.

Studies on chemical constituents of Amsonia sinensis / 中草药

Object To study the chemical constituents of alkaloids of Amsonia sinensis Tsiang extracted with methanol. Methods Compounds were separated by exchange resin, macroporous resin and silica gel column chromatography. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. Results Three compounds were isolated from total alkaloids of A. sinensis extracted with methanol. They were identified as: rhazidigenine (Ⅰ), amsonic acid (Ⅱ), trans-sinapic acid methylester (Ⅲ). Conclusion Compound Ⅱ is a new one, and compound Ⅰ and Ⅲ are obtained from this plant for the first time.