ABSTRACT
Bioactivity guided fractionation of the ethanolic extract of the whole plants of Lespedeza virgata (Thunb.) DC. resulted in the isolation of a novel flavonoid (1) along with five known compounds 2-6. The molecular and structural formula as well as the stereochemistry of compound 1 were determined using data obtained from (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra, DEPT135 and by 2D HSQC, HMBC, (1)H-(1)H correlated spectroscopy ((1)H-(1)H COSY), and nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) experiments. The superoxide anion scavenging activities of all isolated compounds were evaluated by the hypoxanthine nitro blue tetrazolium and ESR methods and the new compound 1 showed the strongest antioxidative activity 95.79% (IC(50)=0.14 mg/ml).
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/chemistry , Flavonoids/chemistry , Lespedeza/chemistry , Antioxidants/isolation & purification , Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy , Ethanol/chemistry , Flavonoids/isolation & purification , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Molecular Structure , Solvents/chemistry , Superoxides/chemistryABSTRACT
The effects of three diosgenyl saponins isolated from Paris polyphylla on the immuno-stimulating activity in relation to phagocytosis, respiratory burst, and nitric oxide production in mouse macrophage cells RAW 264.7 have been investigated. Our results showed that all three diosgenyl saponins significantly enhanced phagocytic activity that increased with the concentration of saponins to reach a maximum, and then tended to decrease with higher concentrations. Saponins with sugar moiety directly induced respiratory burst response in RAW 264.7 cells that increased with the concentrations and reached a maximum, then decreased with higher concentrations after 2-h incubations, however, diosgenin had no PMA-triggered respiratory burst response. Treatment of RAW 264.7 cells with saponins with sugar moiety for 24-h caused a significant increase in the production of nitric oxide, while diosgenin had no effect at all. Consequently, relationship between molecular structures of three diosgenyl saponins and their immunomodulatory activities was discussed, and a possible mechanism of immuno-stimulating function of diosgenyl saponins was accordingly explored.
