Competitive protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibitors, prenylated caged xanthones from Garcinia hanburyi and their inhibitory mechanism.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) plays important role in diabetes, obesity and cancer. The methanol extract of the gum resin of Garcinia hanburyi (G. hanburyi) showed potent PTP1B inhibition at 10µg/ml. The active compounds were identified as prenylated caged xanthones (1-9) which inhibited PTP1B in dose-dependent manner. Carboxybutenyl group within caged motif (A ring) was found to play a critical role in enzyme inhibition such as 1-6 (IC50s=0.47-4.69µM), whereas compounds having hydroxymethylbutenyl 7 (IC50=70.25µM) and methylbutenyl 8 (IC50>200µM) showed less activity. The most potent inhibitor, gambogic acid 1 (IC50=0.47µM) showed 30-fold more potency than ursolic acid (IC50=15.5µM), a positive control. In kinetic study, all isolated xanthones behaved as competitive inhibitors which were fully demonstrated with Km, Vmax and Kik/Kiv ratio. It was also proved that inhibitor 1 operated under the enzyme isomerization model having k5=0.0751µM-1S-1, k6=0.0249µM-1S-1 and Kiapp=0.499µM. To develop a pharmacophore model, we explored the binding sites of compound 1 and 7 in PTP1B. These modeling results were in agreement with our findings, which revealed that the inhibitory activities are tightly related to caged motif and prenyl group in A ring.

Human neutrophil elastase inhibitory potential of flavonoids from Campylotropis hirtella and their kinetics.

Campylotropis hirtella is used as a food supplement in the subtropical region of China. In an intensive hunt for human neutrophil elastase inhibitors, we isolated eight flavonoids from C. hirtella three of which (1-3) emerged to be elastase inhibitors. Geranylated flavonoids (1-3) displayed significant inhibitory activity with IC50s between 8.5 and 30.8 µM. The most striking example was geranylated isofavanone 3 that inhibited elastase significantly (IC50 = 30.8 µM) but its parent compound (dalbergioidin) and isoflavone analog (5) were inactive (IC50 > 200 µM). Compounds (1-3) displayed different kinetic mechanisms (noncompetitive, competitive, and mixed type, respectively) that were dependent upon the parent skeleton. The competitive inhibitor, isoflavan-3-ol-4-one 2 manifested an inhibition of isomerization profile for elastase with kinetic parameters K5 = 0.0386 M-1S-1, K6 = 0.0244 µM-1S-1 and Kiapp = 16.3427 µM. The specific identification of metabolites was accomplished by LC-DAD-ESI/MS that was also used to analyze abundance of active components (1-3) within the plant.

In vitro characterization of 4'-(p-toluenesulfonylamide)-4-hydroxychalcone using human liver microsomes and recombinant cytochrome P450s.

1. 4'-(p-Toluenesulfonylamide)-4-hydroxychalcone (TSAHC) is a synthetic sulfonylamino chalcone compound possessing anti-cancer properties. The aim of this study was to elucidate the metabolism of TSAHC in human liver microsomes (HLMs) and to characterize the cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes that are involved in the metabolism of TSAHC. 2. TSAHC was incubated with HLMs or recombinant P450 isoforms (rP450) in the presence of an nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, reduced form (NADPH)-regenerating system. The metabolites were identified and analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). P450 isoforms, responsible for TSAHC metabolite formation, were characterized by chemical inhibition and correlation studies in HLMs and enzyme kinetic studies with a panel of rP450 isoforms. 3. Two hydroxyl metabolites, that is M1 and M2, were produced from the human liver microsomal incubations (K(m) and V(max) values were 2.46 µM and 85.1 pmol/min/mg protein for M1 and 9.98 µM and 32.1 pmol/min/mg protein for M2, respectively). The specific P450 isoforms responsible for two hydroxy-TSAHC formations were identified using a combination of chemical inhibition, correlation analysis and metabolism by expressed recombinant P450 isoforms. The known P450 enzyme activities and the rate of TSAHC metabolite formation in the 15 HLMs showed that TSAHC metabolism is correlated with CYP2C and CYP3A activity. The P450 isoform-selective inhibition study in HLMs and the incubation study of cDNA-expressed enzymes also showed that two hydroxyl metabolites M1 and M2 biotransformed from TSAHC are mainly mediated by CYP2C and CYP3A, respectively. These findings suggest that CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 isoforms are major enzymes contributing to TSAHC metabolism.

Novel chromenedione derivatives displaying inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) from Flemingia philippinensis.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is an important target to treat obesity and diabetes due to its key roles in insulin and leptin signaling. The MeOH extracts of the root bark of Flemingia philippinensis yielded eight inhibitory molecules (1-8) capable of targeting PTP1B. Three of them were identified to be novel compounds, philippin A (1), philippin B (2), and philippin C (3) which have a rare 3-phenylpropanoyl chromenedione skeleton. The other compounds (4-8) were known prenylated isoflavones. All compounds (1-8) inhibited PTP1B in a dose dependent manner with IC50s ranging between 2.4 and 29.4µM. The most potent compound emerged to be prenylated isoflavone 5 (IC50=2.4µM). In kinetic studies, chromenedione derivatives (1-3) emerged to be reversible, competitive inhibitors, whereas prenylated isoflavones (5-8) were noncompetitive inhibitors.

Inhibition of tyrosinase activity by polyphenol compounds from Flemingia philippinensis roots.

Flemingia philippinensis is used as a foodstuff or medicinal plant in the tropical regions of China. The methanol (95%) extract of the roots of this plant showed potent tyrosinase inhibition (80% inhibition at 30µg/ml). Activity-guided isolation yielded six polyphenols that inhibited both the monophenolase (IC50=1.01-18.4µM) and diphenolase (IC50=5.22-84.1µM) actions of tyrosinase. Compounds 1-6 emerged to be three new polyphenols and three known flavanones, flemichin D, lupinifolin and khonklonginol H. The new compounds (1-3) were identified as dihydrochalcones which we named fleminchalcones (A-C), respectively. The most potent inhibitor, dihydrochalcone (3) showed significant inhibitions against both the monophenolase (IC50=1.28µM) and diphenolase (IC50=5.22µM) activities of tyrosinase. Flavanone (4) possessing a resorcinol group also inhibited monophenolase (IC50=1.79µM) and diphenolase (IC50=7.48µM) significantly. In kinetic studies, all isolated compounds behaved as competitive inhibitors. Fleminchalcone A was found to have simple reversible slow-binding inhibition against monophenolase.

Bacterial neuraminidase inhibitory effects of prenylated isoflavones from roots of Flemingia philippinensis.

Bacterial neuraminidase (NA) is one of the key enzymes involved in pathogenesis of inflammation during infection. The organic extract of the roots of Flemingia philippinensis showed high bacterial NA inhibitory activity with an IC50 of around 5µg/mL. Activity-guided separation of the methanol extract yielded nine prenylated isoflavones together with the novel species isoflavone (2) which was given the name flemingsin. Isolated prenylated isoflavones (1-9) were evaluated for NA inhibition and their IC50 values were determined to range between 0.30 and 56.8µM. The most potent inhibitor 4 (IC50=300nM, Ki=130nM) features a catechol motif in the B-ring and a furan in the A-ring. Structure-activity analysis also showed a 4-hydroxyl group within the B-ring was essential for NA inhibitory activity, because isoflavone (9) having protected 4-hydroxyl group was much less potent than its hydroxylated counterpart. All neuraminidase compounds screened were found to be reversible noncompetitive inhibitors. Furthermore, the most active NA inhibitors (1-9) were proven to be present in the native roots in high quantities by HPLC and LC-DAD-ESI/MS.