Cycloartanol and Sutherlandioside C peracetate from Sutherlandia frutescens and their immune potentiating effects.

A novel cycloartanol (1) and an acylated Sutherlandioside D (2) together with two known cycloartane derivatives, Sutherlandioside B (3) and Sutherlandioside A (4), were isolated from the aerial parts of Sutherlandia frutescens. The structures of these compounds were established by a combination of 1- and 2-D NMR techniques and further confirmed by high resolution ToF mass spectrometry (HRToFMS). Preliminary biological studies were also conducted to assess the activity of different plant extracts, fractions and compounds on cytokine expression. Compounds 1 and 2 prompted an increase in IL-6 expression while compound 4 showed a reduced IL-6 expression compared to the controls. Compound 1 is an effective suppressor of IL-10 expression. The plant compounds inhibited the expression of the two cytokines, IL-10 and TNFα. The results of the assays suggested that some components in the plant extract influence the immune system by suppressing the expression of IL-6, IL-10 and TNFα.

A Review of the Ethnomedicinal Uses, Biological Activities, and Triterpenoids of Euphorbia Species.

The genus Euphorbia is one of the largest genera in the spurge family, with diversity in range, distribution, and morphology. The plant species in this genus are widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of diseases, ranging from respirational infections, body and skin irritations, digestion complaints, inflammatory infections, body pain, microbial illness, snake or scorpion bites, pregnancy, as well as sensory disorders. Their successes have been attributed to the presence of diverse phytochemicals like polycyclic and macrocyclic diterpenes with various pharmacological properties. As a result, Euphorbia diterpenes are of interest to chemists and biochemists with regard to drug discovery from natural products due to their diverse therapeutic applications as well as their great structural diversity. Other chemical constituents such as triterpenoids have also been reported to possess various pharmacological properties, thus supporting the traditional uses of the Euphorbia species. These triterpenoids can provide potential leads that can be developed into pharmaceutical compounds for a wide range of medicinal applications. However, there are scattered scientific reports about the anticancer activities of these constituents. Harnessing such information could provide a database of bioactive pharmacopeia or targeted scaffolds for drug discovery. Therefore, this review presents an updated and comprehensive summary of the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and the anticancer activities of the triterpenoids of Euphorbia species. Most of the reported triterpenoids in this review belong to tirucallane, cycloartanes, lupane, oleanane, ursane, and taraxane subclass. Their anticancer activities varied distinctly with the majority of them exhibiting significant cytotoxic and anticancer activities in vitro. It is, therefore, envisaged that the report on Euphorbia triterpenoids with interesting anticancer activities will form a database of potential leads or scaffolds that could be advanced into the clinical trials with regard to drug discovery.

Ent-abietane diterpenoids from Suregada zanzibariensis Baill. (Euphorbiaceae), their cytotoxic and anticancer properties.

The stem bark extract of Suregada zanzibariensis afforded a previously undescribed ent-abietane diterpenoid trivially named mangiolide (1) and a known jolkinolide B (2) via anticancer bioassay-guided fractionation. The CH2Cl2:MeOH extract of S. zanzibariensis was initially analysed for its anticancer properties against three cancer cell lines, renal (TK10), melanoma (UACC62), and breast (MCF7) and was found to be potent at low µg/mL ranges. Compound 1, 6α-acetoxy-14-keto-ent-abieta-7(8),13(15)-diene-16,12-olide (mangiolide) inhibited the growth of renal (TK10) with a GI50 of 0.02 µg/mL; a GI50 of 0.03 µg/mL for melanoma (UACC62) and a GI50 of 0.05 µg/mL for breast (MCF7) cancer cell lines. Compound 2, 8,13-diepoxy-13,15-ent-abietene-16,12-olide (jolkinolide B) inhibited the growth (GI50) of the cell lines at 3.31 µg/mL for renal (TK10), 0.94 µg/mL for melanoma (UACC62) and 2.99 µg/mL for the breast (MCF7). The structures were established on the basis of their spectroscopic analysis and the absolute stereostructures assigned using electronic circular dichroism (ECD).

Effects of TNT contaminated soil on vegetation at an explosive range by probing UPLC-qTOF MS profiling method.

Three tree species (Wild olive, Stinkwood and Cape Holy) and a shrub (Dovyalis caffra) were each potted in 20 L pots in order to evaluate the effect of 1,3,5-trinitrotoluene (TNT)-contaminated soil on vegetation. TNT contamination was established by dissolving flake TNT in acetone at 300 and 600 mg per kilogram soil concentrations. One pot for every species was left uncontaminated as control elements. A set of 16 samples, four contaminated, four uncontaminated aerial parts and their corresponding soils, were gathered. These were processed and subjected to a solid phase extraction method to isolate analytes of interest. A laboratory analytical method was applied using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-qTOF MS). For the UPLC-qTOF MS a gradient for the mobile phase was found which allowed the profiling and separation of metabolites in the aerial parts of the vegetation. This method allowed identification and quantification of major changes caused by TNT contaminated soil on vegetation. The Synapt High Definition Mass Spectrometer SYNAPT HDMS G1 was operated using the electrospray ionisation (ESI) technique in both positive and negative mode. A clear comparison of profiles was achieved and this has been demonstrated by the distinct newly-formed metabolites in the TNT contaminated vegetation understudy. The results have also shown that the chlorophyll region in the contaminated profile was also affected by the uptake of TNT degradation products. This has been observed in the contaminated profiles of Wild olive, Stinkwood and Cape Holly extracts indicating enhanced nutrient availability.

Venusol from Gunnera perpensa: structural and activity studies.

From the aqueous extract of the dry rhizomes of Gunnera perpensa the minor components pyrogallol, succinic acid, lactic acid, and the trimethyl ether of ellagic acid glucoside were isolated. The major constituent was identified as Z-venusol, a phenylpropanoid glucoside. Its structure was verified by X-ray diffraction. Tests on isolated uterine smooth muscle from rats showed that the whole extract stimulated a direct contractile response and induced a state of continuous contractility of the uterus once all additives had been removed from the organ bath. By contrast, venusol did not trigger the direct contractile response but induced the state of continuous contractility once the organ bath was flushed.