Sonneralignan A, a new lignan from the fruit of mangrove Sonneratia apetala.

A new lignan, sonneralignan A (1), along with two known lignan compounds, (+)-lariciresinol-9-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (2) and (-)isolariciresinol-9-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3) were isolated from the n-butanol extract of the mangrove Sonneratia apetala fruit. The structures of the compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectral analysis. The evaluation of activity showed that compound 1 exhibited significant anti-aging activity, which extended the mean lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans by up to 19.13% (p < 0.05) and 55.29% (p < 0.01) under normal and heat stress cultivation conditions, respectively. Molecular docking studies showed that compound 1 was bound to the DNA binding domain of DAF-16 and promoted the conformation of DAF-16, thus strengthening the interaction between the DAF-16 and related DNA. TRP-252, SER-250 and SER-249 of the binding region might be the key amino residues during the interaction.

Sonneradon A Extends Lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans by Modulating Mitochondrial and IIS Signaling Pathways.

Aging is related to the lowered overall functioning and increased risk for various age-related diseases in humans. Sonneradon A (SDA), a new compound first extracted from the edible fruits of mangrove Sonneratia apetala, showed remarkable antiaging activity. However, the role of SDA in antiaging remains unclear. In this article, we studied the function of SDA in antiaging by using the animal model Caenorhabditis elegans. Results showed that SDA inhibited production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by 53%, and reduced the accumulation of aging markers such as lipids and lipofuscins. Moreover, SDA also enhanced the innate immune response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Genetic analysis of a series of mutants showed that SDA extended the lifespan of the mutants of eat-2 and glp-1. Together, this effect may be related to the enhanced resistance to oxidative stress via mitochondrial and insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling (IIS) pathways. The results of this study provided new evidence for an antiaging effect of SDA in C. elegans, as well as insights into the implication of antiaging activity of SDA in higher organisms.

Marinoid J, a phenylglycoside from Avicennia marina fruit, ameliorates cognitive impairment in rat vascular dementia: a quantitative iTRAQ proteomic study.

CONTEXT: Fruit of Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. (Acanthaceae) is used as a Chinese herb. Studies have found that it contains marinoid J, a novel phenylethanoid glycoside (PG) compound, but its neuroprotective functions are largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effects of marinoid J on vascular dementia (VD) and determined its potential mechanisms of action. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The VD model was established by the ligation of the bilateral common carotid artery in Sprague-Dawley rats, who received daily intragastrically administration of saline, marinoid J (125 or 500 mg/kg body weight/d), or oxiracetam (250 mg/kg body weight/d) for 14 days (20 rats in each group). The Morris water maze (MWM) was used to evaluate cognitive performance. The hippocampus was subjected to histological and proteomic analyses. RESULTS: Marinoid J shortened the escape latency of VD rats (31.07 ± 3.74 s, p < 0.05). It also decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) (27.53%) and nitric oxide (NO) (20.41%) while increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) (11.26%) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (20.38%) content in hippocampus tissues. Proteomic analysis revealed 45 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in marinoid J-treated VD rats, which included angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), keratin 18 (KRT18), cluster of differentiation 34 (CD34), and synaptotagmin II (SYT2). CONCLUSIONS: Marinoid J played a role in protecting hippocampal neurons by regulating a set of proteins that influence oxidative stress and apoptosis, this effect may thereby alleviate the symptoms of VD rats. Thus, pharmacological manipulation of marinoid J may offer a novel opportunity for VD treatment.

Nocardioides kandeliae sp. nov., an endophytic actinomycete isolated from leaves of Kandelia candel.

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-spore-forming, atrichous and short rod-shaped endophytic actinomycete, designated strain BGMRC 2075T, was isolated from the leaves of Kandelia candel, and was subjected to polyphasic characterization to unravel its taxonomic position. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain BGMRC 2075T belongs to the genus Nocardioides ,showing the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Nocardioides aestuarii JC2056T (96.1 %), Nocardioides agariphilus MSL-28T (95.1 %) andNocardioides islandiensis MSL-26T (95.1 %). The predominant cellular fatty acids of strain BGMRC 2075T were iso-C16 : 0, C17 : 1ω8c and C17 : 0. The major menaquinone was MK-8(H4). The diagnostic diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan was ll-2,6-diaminopimelic acid. The predominant cell-wall sugars were composed of ribose and glucose. The polar lipid pattern contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, five unknown phospholipids, one phospholipid of unknown structure containing glucosamine, and an unknown polar lipid. The DNA G+C content was 70.8 mol%. All these data support the allocation of the novel strain to the genus Nocardioides. The results of physiological and biochemical characterization allow the phenotypic differentiation of strain BGMRC 2075T from N. aestuarii JC2056T, N. agariphilus MSL-28T and N. islandiensis MSL-26T. Strain BGMRC 2075T represents a novel species of the genus Nocardioides, for which we propose the name Nocardioides kandeliae sp. nov. The type strain is BGMRC 2075T (=KCTC 39886T=DSM 104480T).

Four New Cyclohexylideneacetonitrile Derivatives from the Hypocotyl of Mangrove (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza).

Four new cyclohexylideneacetonitrile derivatives 1-4, named menisdaurins B-E, as well as three known cyclohexylideneacetonitrile derivatives--menisdaurin (5), coclauril (6), and menisdaurilide (7)--were isolated from the hypocotyl of a mangrove (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza). The structures of the isolates were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1-7 showed anti-Hepatitis B virus (HBV) activities, with EC50 values ranging from 5.1 ± 0.2 µg/mL to 87.7 ± 5.8 µg/mL.

[Study on Chemical Constituents from Hypocotyls of Mangrove Bruguiera gymnorrhiza].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents from the hypocotyls of mangrove Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. METHODS: The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by recrystallization, silica gel column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic analysis and comparison with literatures. RESULTS: Seven compounds were isolated and their structures were identified as 3-ß-(Z)-coumaroyllupeol (1), dioslupecin (2), cholesterol (3), menisdaurillide (4), aquilegiolide (5) vomifoliol (6) and roseoside II (7). CONCLUSION: Compounds 1,2 and 4 - 7 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

An update on 2,5-diketopiperazines from marine organisms.

2,5-Diketopiperazines (2,5-DKPs) are an important category of structurally diverse cyclic dipeptides with prominent biological properties. These 2,5-DKPs have been obtained from a variety of natural resources, including marine organisms. Because of the increasing numbers and biological importance of these compounds, this review covers 90 marine originated 2,5-DKPs that were reported from 2009 to the first half-year of 2014. The review will focus on the structure characterizations, biological properties and proposed biosynthetic processes of these compounds.

New antioxidative secondary metabolites from the fruits of a Beibu Gulf mangrove, Avicennia marina.

Further chemical investigation of the fruits of the mangrove, Avicennia marina, afforded three new phenylethyl glycosides, marinoids J-L (1-3), and a new cinnamoyl glycoside, marinoid M (4). The structures of isolates were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis and by comparison of the data with those of related secondary metabolites. The antioxidant activity of the isolates was evaluated using the cellular antioxidant assay (CAA), and compounds 1-4 showed antioxidant activities, with EC50 values ranging from 23.0 ± 0.71 µM to 247.8 ± 2.47 µM.

Four new Jacaranone analogs from the fruits of a Beibu Gulf mangrove Avicennia marina.

Four new jacaranone analogs, marinoids F-I (1-4), were isolated from the fruits of a Beibu Gulf mangrove Avicennia marina. The structures were elucidated based on analysis of spectroscopic data. Marinoids F and G are shown to be diastereoisomers of chlorocornoside, a new halogen containing marine secondary metabolite. The antioxidant activity of the isolates was evaluated using a cellular antioxidant assay, and 4 showed good antioxidant activity (EC50 = 26 µM).