The isolation, structural characterization, and anticancer activity from the aerial parts of Cymbopogon flexuosus.

This study investigated bioactive secondary metabolites from the aerial parts of Cymbopogon flexuosus (CF). Total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, the antioxidant activities including 2, 2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS+ ) and 2, 2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging systems, and cytotoxic effects were determined. 1, 3-O-di-E-caffeoylglycerol (SA3) and 1-O-p-coumaroyl-3-O-caffeoylglycerol (SA4) were firstly isolated from an ethanol extract of CF. Their chemical structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses, including MS and NMR spectra as well as by comparison to the data reported in the literature. DPPH and ABTS+ radical scavenging tests showed that the highest antioxidant potent was detected for compound SA3 with IC50 of 4.42 ± 0.18 and 21.84 ± 0.22 µg/ml, respectively. The compound SA3 stimulated the apoptotic factors of caspase-3, bax, and bcl-2 in HepG2 and caspase-3, caspase-9, P53 in A549. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: CF has been widely used as both a herbal drink and as a spice in diets. In the food processing industry, CF was used to process candy. In addition, it is used for the treatment of sore throat, cough, skin diseases, and other diseases in traditional oriental medicine. Recently, in Vietnam, CF has also been used to treat liver and lung cancer and consumed daily to process many dishes.

Amelioration of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic injury by emulsified Antrodia extract.

OBJECTIVES: Antrodia cinnamomea (AC) is found with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory biological activities. In this study, we investigated the anti-hepatitis effect of the emulsified AC extract from RO water or supercritical fluid CO2 with ethanol co-solvent extract methods of AC preparations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five groups of eight to ten weeks male rats with a count of ten for each group were studied to evaluate the protection of two kinds of AC extract from hepatic injury. Acute liver injury of rats was induced by injecting 40% carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) 1 mg/kg intraperitoneally. Positive and negative control groups rats were perfused with CCl4 or isotonic saline, respectively. Experimental groups received oral administration once/day of AC preparations before CCl4 treatment: water AC extract (WAE group), or emulsified AC extract from supercritical fluid extraction (EAE group) for 5 days, and sacrificed on the 6th day and the blood and liver samples were collected under chloral hydrate anesthesia. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant markers, and relevant signaling pathways were measured (AST, ALT, ROS, IL-1, IL-6, NO, and COX-2, MAPKs, and caspase-3). RESULTS: EAE at 50 mg/kg significantly decreased the serum AST, ALT, IL-1, IL-6, NO, and ROS levels. Both extracts reduced the activation of p-ERK in the liver samples, but EAE inhibited COX-2 and caspase-3 protein expression better than WAE. The EAE ameliorated CCl4-induced hepatic injury significantly; as compared with WAE and the positive control. CONCLUSION: The hepatoprotection of EAE could be attributed to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Antrodia.

4,7-Dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,3-benzodioxole from Antrodia camphorata inhibits LPS-induced inflammation via suppression of NF-κB and induction HO-1 in RAW264.7 cells.

Several benzenoid compounds have been isolated from Antrodia camphorata are known to have excellent anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of 4,7-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,3-benzodioxole (DMB), one of the major benzenoid compounds isolated from the mycelia of A. camphorata. DMB significantly decreased the LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory molecules, such as nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in RAW264.7 cells. In addition, DMB suppressed the protein levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in a dose dependent manner. Moreover, DMB significantly suppressed LPS-induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and this inhibition was found to be associated with decreases in the phosphorylation and degradation of its inhibitor, inhibitory κB-α (IκB-α). Moreover, we found that DMB markedly inhibited the protein expression level of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Furthermore, treatment with DMB significantly increased hemoxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression in RAW264.7 cells, which is further confirmed by hemin, a HO-1 enhancer, significantly attenuated the LPS-induced pro-inflammatory molecules and iNOS and TLR4 protein levels. Taken together, the present study suggests that DMB may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

A new hydroxychavicol dimer from the roots of Piper betle.

A new hydroxychavicol dimer, 2-(g'-hydroxychavicol)-hydroxychavicol (1), was isolated from the roots of Piper betle Linn. along with five known compounds, hydroxychavicol (2), aristololactam A II (3), aristololactam B II (4), piperolactam A (5) and cepharadione A (6). The structures of these isolated compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited inhibitory effects on the generation of superoxide anion and the release of elastase by human neutrophils.

Cytotoxic apigenin derivatives from Chrysopogon aciculatis.

Four new apigenin derivatives, 7-de-O-methylaciculatin, 8-C-ß-D-boivinopyranosylapigenin, aciculatinone, and 4'-O-glucosylaciculatin, along with eight known compounds, apigenin-8-carbaldehyde, kaempferol, tricin, taxifolin, 6,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone, trans-oxyresveratrol, aciculatin, and luteolin-7-sulfate, were isolated from an ethanolic extract of Chrysopogon aciculatis. Their chemical structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Among the known compounds, the natural occurrence of apigenin-8-carbaldehyde and luteolin-7-sulfate is demonstrated for the first time. Some of the isolates were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines including MCF-7, H460, HT-29, and CEM.

Simultaneous analysis of nine components in patch preparations of Ru-Yi-Jin-Huang-San by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A facile high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the resolution and quantitative measurement of nine marker substances, the active ingredients in patch preparations of Ru-Yi-Jin-Huang-San, was established using gradient elution in the reversed-phase mode. These marker substances included berberine (Phellodendri Cortex), curcumin (Curcumae Rhizoma), imperatorin (Angelicae Dahuricae Radix), magnolol (Magnoliae Cortex), hesperidin (Citri Leiocarpae Exocarpium), glycyrrhizin (Glycyrrhizae Radix), and emodin, sennoside A, sennoside B (Rhei Rhizoma). The ingredients in the water-based and oil-based patches of the formula from different manufactures were also analyzed for quality evaluation. Extracted samples were analyzed by HPLC using a reversed-phase column (Inertsil 5 ODS-2, 4.6-mm I.D. x 250 mm) at 30 degrees C and eluted with a mixture of 20 and 70% acetonitrile aqueous solution in gradient manner at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The detection wavelength varied with time as follows: 275 nm, 0-72 min; 250 nm, 72-105 min; 220 nm, 105-145 min. Relative coefficients of variations of intra- and interday analysis were less than 5%. All the recoveries were 93.30-113.63%. This method could be applied for the simultaneous determination of nine marker substances in Ru-Yi-Jin-Huang-San.