The pentacyclic triterpenoids in herbal medicines and their pharmacological activities in diabetes and diabetic complications.

Pentacyclic triterpenoids including the oleanane, ursane and lupane groups are widely distributed in many medicinal plants, such as Glycyrrhiza species, Gymnema species, Centella asiatica, Camellia sinensis, Crataegus species and Olea europaea, which are commonly used in traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes and diabetic complications. A large number of bioactive pentacyclic triterpenoids, such as oleanolic acid, glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhetinic acid, ursolic acid, betulin, betulinic acid and lupeol have shown multiple biological activities with apparent effects on glucose absorption, glucose uptake, insulin secretion, diabetic vascular dysfunction, retinopathy and nephropathy. The versatility of the pentacyclic triterpenes provides a promising approach for diabetes management.

Kavalactone pharmacophores for major cellular drug targets.

A number of studies have identified differential kavalactone activity against a variety of molecular targets, including P-glycoprotein (Pgp), platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO-B), transcription factor binding domains, pregnane X (PXR) and GABA receptors, and cytochrome P450 and cyclo-oxygenase (COX) enzymes. The molecular structure of the kavalactones possesses a pharmacophore for several of these targets. In most cases, conformational stability is more significant than the substituents present. The analysis of these pharmacophores provides important insights for future medicinal chemistry-based approaches to kavalactone-type drugs.

Structure-activity studies on gossypol in tumor cell lines.

Gossypol [(2,2'-binaphthalene)-8,8'-dicarboxaldehyde-1,1',6,6',7,7'-hexahydroxy-5,5'-diisopropyl-3,3'-dimethyl] 1a is a naturally occurring compound extracted from the cotton plant and has been extensively studied as an oral male contraceptive. Its favorable toxicity profile, and the more recent demonstration of anti-tumor activity in animals and humans, prompted us to investigate the role of the aldehyde groups in a structure-activity study in cultured tumor cells. Four racemic compounds were evaluated: gossypol 1a, gossypolone 2, the bis Schiff's base of L-phenylalanine methyl ester with gossypol (bis Schiff's base) 1c and apogossypol 1b. The former two compounds both retain the aldehyde functional groups at positions 8 and 8' of the molecule whilst in the latter two compounds the aldehydes are blocked or absent, respectively. In addition, the l- and d-isomers of gossypol 1a, the bis Schiff's base 1c and the half Schiff's base 1d (one aldehyde blocked) were tested. The cell lines studied included melanoma (SK-mel-19), cervix (Sihas), small cell lung (H69) and myelogenous leukemia (K562). Cytotoxicity was measured using the MTT and flow cytometric viability assays. Racemic gossypol 1a and gossypolone 2 induced similar dose-dependent decreases in cell viability in all the cell lines with IC50 values of 23-46 and 28-50 microM, respectively. In contrast, the racemic bis Schiff's base derivative of gossypol 1c and apogossypol 1b showed minimal activity in any cell line up to 50 microM. The l-enantiomer of gossypol 1a was significantly more active than the d-enantiomer (IC50 of 20 versus > 50 microM, respectively). When one aldehyde of either enantiomer was blocked 1d cytoxicity was comparable to the l-enantiomer of gossypol. The data suggest that only one aldehyde group is required for the cytotoxicity of gossypol 1a, irrespective of the stereoconfiguration.

Molecular modelling and biological evaluation of a series of hydroxylated benzylideneanilines and benzylamines designed as tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

A series of hydroxylated benzylideneanilines and benzylamines were prepared and tested for inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor-associated protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity in vitro. Molecular modelling and analysis of the biological results lead us to propose a minimal structural pharmacophore for two distinct binding sites within the PTK domain.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of flavones designed as inhibitors of protein tyrosine kinases.

A series of flavones has been prepared, which are variously substituted in the 3,3',4',5 and 7 positions with halo-, alkoxy-, nitro-, amino-, hydroxy-, acyloxy- and azido-groups, for evaluation of their cytotoxicity to ANN-1 cells (3T3 murine fibroblasts transformed with the Abelson murine leukaemia virus) which contain a tyrosine kinase. This cytotoxicity was compared to their non-transformed 3T3 counterparts. 3'-Amino-4'-methoxyflavone was the most cytotoxic compound (IC50 = 1.6 microM) and was less inhibitory to the non-transformed parent 3T3 cell line (IC50 = 8 microM). The compound was inactive at 50 microM in assays of the inhibition of the cell-associated Abelson protein tyrosine kinase but inhibited an epidermal growth factor (EGF) protein tyrosine kinase by 42% at 50 microM. Quercetin (3,3',4',5,7-pentahydroxyflavone) was the most potent inhibitor of the Abelson protein tyrosine kinase but showed no selective inhibition of the growth of ANN-1 cells compared to the parent 3T3 cell line. Different structure-activity relationships were observed between the results of the cytotoxicity assays and inhibition of protein tyrosine kinases. Inhibitors of the Abelson protein tyrosine kinase which were competitive with respect to ATP showed different potencies for inhibition of the EGF receptor kinase.