Wound healing effects of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) leaves: a mechanism involving its PDGF/A2A receptor ligand binding and promotion of wound closure.

Morinda citrifolia L. (Rubiaceae) commonly known as noni, has been used in Polynesia by traditional healers for the treatment of cuts, bruises and wounds. Our objective was to investigate the wound-healing mechanisms of the noni leaf. The investigations of its wound-healing mechanisms were carried out using fresh noni leaf juice (NLJ), noni leaf ethanol extract (NLEE) and its methanol (MFEE) and hexane (HFEE) fractions on the PDGF and A(2A) receptors in vitro and topically in mice. Fresh noni leaf juice showed significant affinity to PDGF receptors, and displayed 166% binding inhibition of the ligand binding to its receptors, while at the same concentration, it only had 7% inhibition of the ligand binding to the A(2A) receptors. NLEE, HFEE and MFEE showed significant affinity to A(2A) receptors, concentration dependently, with IC(50) values of 34.1, 42.9 and 86.7 µg/mL, respectively. However, MFEE significantly increased wound closure and reduced the half closure time in mice with a CT(50) of 5.4 ± 0.2 days compared with control (p < 0.05). These results suggest that noni leaf significantly accelerated wound healing in mice via its ligand binding to the PDGF and A(2A) receptors as its probable mechanisms of wound-healing and also support its traditional usage for wound-healing in Polynesia.

Identification of major aroma compounds in the leaf of Morinda citrifolia Linn.

Morinda citrifolia, commonly named noni, has been used as food and as a folk medicine throughout the tropics. The use of the leaves to make hot water beverages is increasing in popularity, especially in Japan and the United States. To better understand the effects of processing on the content of the major aroma compounds, volatile oils were collected from samples of frozen, dried and roasted leaves by steam distillation and then analyzed by GC-MS. Drying of the leaves reduces the quantity of aroma compounds by more than half. Palmitic acid and E-phytol were identified as the major components of the volatile oil. With the exception of E-phytol, all of the known volatile compounds identified in the leaf samples were done so for the first time.

Lipoxygenase inhibitory constituents of the fruits of noni (Morinda citrifolia) collected in Tahiti.

A phytochemical study of the fruits of noni (Morinda citrifolia) collected in Tahiti led to the isolation of two new lignans, (+)-3,4,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-9,7'alpha-epoxylignano-7 alpha,9'-lactone (1) and (+)-3,3'-bisdemethyltanegool (2), as well as seven known compounds, (-)-pinoresinol (3), (-)-3,3'-bisdemethylpinoresinol (4), quercetin (5), kaempferol (6), scopoletin (7), isoscopoletin (8), and vanillin. The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by spectroscopic techniques. Compounds 3, 6, and 8 were isolated for the first time from noni fruit. Compounds 1-8 were shown to inhibit 5- and/or 15-lipoxygenase, with IC50 values ranging from 0.43 to 16.5 microM. Compound 5 exhibited weak inhibitory activity toward cyclooxygenase-2.

DNA damaging activities of methanol extract of Ajuga postii and iridoid glucoside reptoside.

An iridoid glucoside reptoside (1) has been isolated as a DNA damaging active agent by bioassay-guided fractionation of the methanol extract of Ajuga postii. Furthermore, from the acetone extract of A. postii two known triterpenic compounds ursolic acid, alpha-amyrin and two steroidal compounds (24S)-24-ethylcholesta-5,25-dien-3beta-ol and beta-sitosterol were isolated. Their structures were elucidated based on 1D and 2D NMR techniques and mass data.

New lupane triterpenoids from Solidago canadensis that inhibit the lyase activity of DNA polymerase beta.

Bioassay-directed fractionation of a methyl ethyl ketone extract of Solidago canadensis L. (Asteraceae), using an assay to detect the lyase activity of DNA polymerase beta, resulted in the isolation of the four new lupane triterpenoids 1-4 and the seven known compounds lupeol, lupeyl acetate, ursolic acid, cycloartenol, cycloartenyl palmitate, alpha-amyrin acetate, and stigmasterol. The structures of the new compounds were established as 3beta-(3R-acetoxyhexadecanoyloxy)-lup-20(29)-ene (1), 3beta-(3-ketohexadecanoyloxy)-lup-20(29)-ene (2), 3beta-(3R-acetoxyhexadecanoyloxy)-29-nor-lupan-20-one (3), and 3beta-(3-hetohexadecanoyloxy)-29-nor-lupan-20-one (4), respectively, on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic interpretation and chemical modification studies. All 11 compounds were inhibitory to the lyase activity of DNA polymerase beta.

Cytotoxic and DNA damaging activity of some aporphine alkaloids from Stephania dinklagei.

Six aporphine alkaloids, liriodenine, corydine, isocorydine, atherospermidine, stephalagine and dehydrostephalagine, were isolated by bioassay-guided fractionation of the EtOH extract of the stems of Stephania dinklagei. Liriodenine showed strong cytotoxic activity while corydine and atherospermidine showed DNA damaging activity. Dehydrostephalagine and atherospermidine were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Studies on di- and triterpenoids from Salvia staminea with cytotoxic activity.

A new ursane-type triterpenoid, 3 beta,11 alpha,21 alpha-trihydroxyurs-12-ene, named salvistamineol (1), has been isolated from the methanol extract of Salvia staminea. In addition to 1, the methanol extract yielded four known compounds and the acetone extract yielded twelve known compounds consisting of two sesquiterpenes, six diterpenoids, a triterpenoid, two steroids and one flavone. DNA damaging properties of the extracts and some isolated diterpenes were investigated against three yeasts and only taxodione gave a positive response and also showed the highest cytotoxic activity against a panel of cell lines among the investigated compounds in this study.

Two new alkaloids of the crinane series from Pancratium sickenbergeri.

Two new alkaloids; ent-6alpha/6beta-hydroxybuphanisine, (-)-8-demethylmaritidine and seven known alkaloids were isolated from Pancratium sickenbergeri grown in Egypt. Three of the known alkaloids were tested in the NCI cytotoxicity screen, but were found to be inactive.

Some progress on the chemistry of natural bioactive terpenoids form Chinese medicinal plants

(1) Pseudolaric acids - Novel diterpenes, Pseudolaric acid A, B, C and D were isolated from Pseudolarix kaempferi Gorden (pinaceae). Their structures were assigned by spectroscopic data and chemical correlations. In the contineous studies, the absolute configurations, the conformations in the solutions, the framentation mechanisms of MS and assigments of all NMR spectral signals were also reported. They showed the antifungal and cytotoxic activities. (2) Daphnane diterpenes - In the further studies on the plants of Thymelaeaceae, besides 10 known diterpenes, 16 new daphnane diterpenes were isolated from Daphne genkwa, D. tangutica, D. giraldii, Wikstroemie chamaedaphne. They showed the antifertilities activities. (3) Tripterygium diterpenes 14 new diterpenes were isolated from Triperygium wilfordii, T. regeli and T. hypoglaucum. Some of them showed the antitumor activities. The CD spectra showed that A/B ring of all compoundshave trans configuration as same as tripdiolide and triptolide determined by X-ray diffraction (4) Pregnane glycosides from Marsdenia koi - Two new pregnane glycosides marsdenikoiside A and marsdenikoiside B which can terminate the early pregnancy were isolated from Marsdeia koi. Their structures were elucidated by hydrolysis and spectroscopic methods.