Anti-allergic Hydroxy Fatty Acids from Typhonium blumei Explored through ChemGPS-NP.

Increasing prevalence of allergic diseases with an inadequate variety of treatment drives forward search for new alternative drugs. Fatty acids, abundant in nature, are regarded as important bioactive compounds and powerful nutrients playing an important role in lipid homeostasis and inflammation. Phytochemical study on Typhonium blumei Nicolson and Sivadasan (Araceae), a folk anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory medicine, yielded four oxygenated fatty acids, 12R-hydroxyoctadec-9Z,13E-dienoic acid methyl ester (1) and 10R-hydroxyoctadec-8E,12Z-dienoic acid methyl ester (2), 9R-hydroxy-10E-octadecenoic acid methyl ester (3), and 12R*-hydroxy-10E-octadecenoic acid methyl ester (4). Isolated compounds were identified by spectroscopic methods along with GC-MS analysis. Isolated fatty acids together with a series of saturated, unsaturated and oxygenated fatty acids were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activities in vitro. Unsaturated (including docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids) as well as hydroxylated unsaturated fatty acids exerted strong anti-inflammatory activity in superoxide anion generation (IC50 2.14-3.73 µM) and elastase release (IC50 1.26-4.57 µM) assays. On the other hand, in the anti-allergic assays, the unsaturated fatty acids were inactive, while hydroxylated fatty acids showed promising inhibitory activity in A23187- and antigen-induced degranulation assays (e.g., 9S-hydroxy-10E,12Z-octadecadienoic acid, IC50 92.4 and 49.7 µM, respectively). According to our results, the presence of a hydroxy group in the long chain did not influence the potent anti-inflammatory activity of free unsaturated acids. Nevertheless, hydroxylation of fatty acids (or their methyl esters) seems to be a key factor for the anti-allergic activity observed in the current study. Moreover, ChemGPS-NP was explored to predict the structure-activity relationship of fatty acids. The anti-allergic fatty acids formed different cluster distant from clinically used drugs. The bioactivity of T. blumei, which is historically utilized in folk medicine, might be related to the content of fatty acids and their metabolites.

The oestrogenic and anti-platelet activities of dihydrobenzofuroisocoumarins and homoisoflavonoids from Liriope platyphylla roots.

The ethanolic extract of Liriope platyphylla (Liliaceae) roots showed potential oestrogenic and anti-platelet activities. Twenty-six compounds were isolated and classified as 10 skeletons, including two unusual new dihydrobenzofuroisocoumarins, (+)-platyphyllarin A (1) and B (2), one new butanoate, ethyltributanoate (3), and two new homoisoflavanones, (-)-liriopein A (4) and B (5), along with 21 known compounds, including six homoisoflavonoids, one chalcone, six amides, one lignan, one fatty acid derivative, one alkaloid, three benzenoids, and two steroids. The biosynthetic pathway of compounds 1 and 2 was proposed in the current investigation. The oestrogenic activity of the isolates was evaluated utilising the pER8:GUS reporter assay system in transgenic Arabidopsis plant as well as the SEAP reporter assay system in MCF-7 breast cancer cell-line; the anti-platelet activity was evaluated using the anti-platelet aggregation assay. Several components exhibited significant oestrogenic and anti-platelet activities; demonstrating for the first time the potential use of L. platyphylla as a nutritional supplement for cardiovascular and endocrine diseases.

Aqueous extract of the edible Gracilaria tenuistipitata inhibits hepatitis C viral replication via cyclooxygenase-2 suppression and reduces virus-induced inflammation.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important human pathogen leading to hepatocellular carcinoma. Using an in vitro cell-based HCV replicon and JFH-1 infection system, we demonstrated that an aqueous extract of the seaweed Gracilaria tenuistipitata (AEGT) concentration-dependently inhibited HCV replication at nontoxic concentrations. AEGT synergistically enhanced interferon-α (IFN-α) anti-HCV activity in a combination treatment. We found that AEGT also significantly suppressed virus-induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression at promoter transactivation and protein levels. Notably, addition of exogenous COX-2 expression in AEGT-treated HCV replicon cells gradually abolished AEGT anti-HCV activity, suggesting that COX-2 down-regulation was responsible for AEGT antiviral effects. Furthermore, we highlighted the inhibitory effect of AEGT in HCV-induced pro-inflammatory gene expression such as the expression of tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, inducible nitrite oxide synthase and COX-2 in a concentration-dependent manner to evaluate the potential therapeutic supplement in the management of patients with chronic HCV infections.

Synthesis of chalcone derivatives as potential anti-diabetic agents.

Chalcones bearing electron donating or electron withdrawing substitutions were prepared and their glucose uptake activity was evaluated. Chalcone derivatives were synthesized in one step protocol with high purity and yield. Chalcones with chloro, bromo, iodo and hydroxy substitutions at position 2 on A-ring exhibited the highest activity with glucose medium concentration (210 to 236 mg/dl) compared to pioglitazone and rosiglitazone (230 and 263 mg/dl, respectively). Also chalcones with iodo substitution at position 3 on A-ring were comparably active (≤238 mg/dl). The structure-activity relationship of the tested chalcones was studied and the findings were supported statistically.

Recent Progress of Research on Herbal Products Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine: the Herbs belonging to The Divine Husbandman's Herbal Foundation Canon ( Shén Nóng Ben Cǎo Jing).

This article will review selected herbal products from Chinese Materia Medica that are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The herbs come from the upper, middle, and lower class medicines as listed in The Divine Husbandman's Herbal Foundation Canon ( Shén Nóng Ben Cǎo Jing). The review will focus on the active constituents of the herbs and their bioactivities, with emphasis on the most recent progress in research for the period of 2003 to 2011.

Recent progress of research on medicinal mushrooms, foods, and other herbal products used in traditional Chinese medicine.

This article will review selected herbal products used in traditional Chinese medicine, including medicinal mushrooms ( ba xi mó gu; Agaricus blazei, yún zhi; Coriolus versicolor, líng zhi; Ganoderma lucidum, xiang xùn; shiitake, Lentinus edodes, niú zhang zhi; Taiwanofungus camphoratus), Cordyceps ( dong chóng xià cǎo), pomegranate ( shí liú; Granati Fructus), green tea ( lǜ chá; Theae Folium Non Fermentatum), garlic ( dà suàn; Allii Sativi Bulbus), turmeric ( jiang huáng; Curcumae Longae Rhizoma), and Artemisiae Annuae Herba ( qing hao; sweet wormwood). Many of the discussed herbal products have gained popularity in their uses as dietary supplements for health benefits. The review will focus on the active constituents of the herbs and their bioactivities, with emphasis on the most recent progress in research for the period of 2003 to 2011.

Bioactive components from the heartwood of Pterocarpus santalinus.

One new phenanthrenedione, pterolinus K (1), and one new chalcone, pterolinus L (2) were isolated from the heartwood extract of Pterocarpus santalinus. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Both 1 and 2 showed inhibitory effect on elastase release by human neutrophils in response to fMLP with an IC(50) value of 4.24 and 0.95 µM, and compound 1 also inhibited superoxide anion generation with IC(50) value of 0.99 µM. In addition, compound 1 showed selective cytotoxicity against HepG2 with IC(50) value of 10.86 µM, while compound 2 showed a moderate cytotoxicity against KB with IC(50) values of 17.18 µM.

Anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic neoflavonoids and benzofurans from Pterocarpus santalinus.

Five new benzofurans, pterolinuses A-E (1-5), six new neoflavonoids, pterolinuses F-J (8-13), and five known compounds (6, 7, 14-16) were isolated from an extract of Pterocarpus santalinus heartwood. All new structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, and configurations were confirmed by CD spectral data and optical rotation values. The isolates were evaluated for anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities. Six compounds (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 15) showed significant inhibition in at least one anti-inflammatory assay. Compound 2 showed the best selective effect against superoxide anion generation in human neutrophils with, an IC50 value of 0.19 µg/mL, and was 6.2-fold more potent than the positive control LY294002. Compound 14 showed the highest cytotoxicity against Ca9-22 cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 0.46 µg/mL.

A novel alkaloid, aristopyridinone A and anti-inflammatory phenanthrenes isolated from Aristolochia manshuriensis.

A novel alkaloid, aristopyridinone A (1) and a new phenanthrene, aristolamide II (2), were isolated from Aristolochia manshuriensis (Guanmutong) together with eight known phenanthrenes (3-10). All structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Compound 2 showed a selective inhibitory effect on elastase release by human neutrophils in response to fMLP with an IC(50) value of 4.11 µg/mL. Compound 7 exhibited significant inhibitory effects on superoxide anion generation and elastase release with IC(50) values of 0.12 and 0.20 µg/mL, respectively.

Anti-hepatitis C virus activity of Acacia confusa extract via suppressing cyclooxygenase-2.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection continues to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality by chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) throughout the world. It is of tremendous importance to discover more effective and safer agents to improve the clinical treatment on HCV carriers. Here we report that the n-butanol-methanol extract obtained from Acacia confusa plant, referred as ACSB-M4, exhibited the inhibition of HCV RNA replication in the HCV replicon assay system, with an EC(50) value and CC(50)/EC(50) selective index (SI) of 5 ± 0.3 µg/ml and >100, respectively. Besides, ACSB-M4 showed antiviral synergy in combination with IFN-α and as HCV protease inhibitor (Telaprevir; VX-950) and polymerase inhibitor (2'-C-methylcytidine; NM-107) by a multiple linear logistic model and isobologram analysis. A complementary approach involving the overexpression of COX-2 protein in ACSB-M4-treated HCV replicon cells was used to evaluate the antiviral action at the molecular level. ACSB-M4 significantly suppressed COX-2 expression in HCV replicon cells. Viral replication was gradually restored if COX-2 was added simultaneously with ACSB-M4, suggesting that the anti-HCV activity of ACSB-M4 was associated with down-regulation of COX-2, which was correlated with the suppression of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) activation. ACSB-M4 may serve as a potential protective agent for use in the management of patients with chronic HCV infection.

Camptothecinoids from the seeds of Taiwanese Nothapodytes foetida.

Two new alkaloids, 9-methoxy-18,19-dehydrocamptothecin (1) and 5- hydroxymappicine-20-O-beta-glucopyranoside (2a/2b as a racemic mixture), together with nine known compounds: camptothecin (3), 9-methoxy-camptothecin (4), 5-hydroxycamptothecin (5a/5b racemic mixture), 5-hydroxy-9-methoxycamptothecin (6a/6b racemic mixture), diosmetin (7), apigenin (8), apigenin-7-O-glucopyranoside (9), rosin (cinnamyl-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside) (10) and amarantholidoside IV (11) were isolated from the immature seeds of Nothapodytes foetida (Wight) Sleumer. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses. In the present research, compounds 1, 3, 4, 5a/5b and 6a/6b, also showed in vitro cytotoxicity against six cancer cell lines (HepG2, Hep3B, MDA-MB- 231, MCF-7, A549, and Ca9-22). Among them, compound 1 exhibited significant cytotoxicity against these cancer cell lines, with IC(50) of 0.24-6.57 microM. Furthermore, HPLC profiles were developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of these active constituents in different parts of this plant, including mature and immature seeds, leaves, stems and roots. The results revealed that compounds 3 and 4 have the highest concentrations, which are found in the roots part of the plant.