Journal of Asian Natural Products Research最新文献

Chemical investigation of the mangrove-derived fungus Phomopsis sp. DHS-11 led to the isolation of three new pyrone derivatives (1-3), and a new natural product (4). Their structures were identified by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The configurations for the new pyrone derivatives were tentatively solved by comparison of ¹³C NMR data and analysis of the coupling constants and NOESY correlations. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited significant cytotoxicity against HepG2 with IC₅₀ values of 4.66 ± 0.35 µM and 6.07 ± 0.48 µM, respectively. Compound 3 showed moderate cytotoxicity against Hela cells with IC₅₀ value of 20.2 ± 4.93 µM.

Flavonoids are bioactive compounds derived from plants that play a crucial role in human health. Baicalein is a prominent phytoconstituent with multifaceted therapeutic potential against various diseases. This review explores recent advancements in understanding baicalein's hepatoprotective action against different toxicity models (acetaminophen, cisplatin, doxorubicin, CCL₄, monocrotaline, & d-galactosamine). Furthermore, we report the key pharmacological activities of baicalein against neurotoxicity (6-OHDA, rotenone, d-galactose, stroke, alzheimer, & sclerosis), inflammation (arthritis, pulmonary fibrosis, & LPS-induced sepsis), cancer (breast, prostate, gall bladder, gastric, & pancreatic), & diabetes. Overall, baicalein has potential to influence diverse biological networks, making it a promising candidate for both dietary supplementation and therapeutic development.

Totally twelve inhibitors of Survivin and Sp1 based on ursolic acid (UA) derivatives and oleanolic acid (OA) derivatives were designed and synthesized with modification at C-2, C-3 and C-28 of UA and OA. Their structures were confirmed by HRMS,¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR. In vitro activity assay showed that these compounds can inhibit cell proliferation of HeLa, SKOV3, BGC-823 and HT1080 cells, especially compounds IV and X showed better inhibitory activity on these tumor cells than that of the positive control drug Gefitinib and similar to Vp-16. Mechanistically, selected compound may inhibit the proliferation of SKOV3 cells and trigger apoptosis by activating Sp1 to inhibit Survivin protein expression, which may be promising leading compounds for cancer therapy.

Phytochemical investigation on cigar tobacco led to identification of 16 alkaloids including two undescribed nicotine dimeric analogs, cigatobines A-B (1-2), as well as new natural products pyridylnicotine (3), cis-5'-(2-oxopropyl)-nicotine (8) 4-(formamido)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (14), 5,6-dihydropyridin-2(1H)-one (15). Some chemical mechanisms including Minisci reaction and nucleophilic addition reaction were involved in formation of dimeric nicotine and its derivatives. Molecular docking on this type alkaloids with the α7-nAChR receptor disclosed five active compounds with binding affinity scores of -8.077 of 2, -7.805 of nicotine, -7.804 of 8, -5.788 of 1, -5.707 of 3, -7.452 of epibatidine. This study disclosed the difference in alkaloids between cigar and tobacco.

One new bergamotane-type sesquiterpeniod lactam brasilactam A (1) and one new bergamotane-type sesquiterpeniod spiroketal lactone brasiketalolide A (2), along with two known compounds ampullicin (3) and isoampullicin (4) were isolated from the crude extract of the plant endophytic fungus Paraconiothynium brasiliense Verkley. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive 2D NMR techniques. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were assigned by ¹³C NMR and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Furthermore, compounds 1 - 4 were tested for their cytotoxicity against four human cancer cell lines.

In our study, the functional and biological properties of the developed probiotic formulations containing Lactobacillus plantarum and isatin (Couroupita guianensis) have been evaluated. The developed probiotic formulations have demonstrated remarkable antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cholesterol-lowering properties (67.3 ± 0.57%). In addition, they exhibit high survivability in simulated oral fluid (98.8%). Furthermore, extracellular enzyme production iterates other health attributes of probiotic formulations to the human system by improving the utilization of nutrients in the intestine. In sum, the developed probiotic formulations have unveiled probiotic functions and safer applications, which could pave the way to develop functional foods or lead compounds for drug discovery.

We studied the protective effects of Radix Astragali (RA) on gastric ulcer (GU). A literature search was conducted using databases from Web of Science, PubMed, Springer, ScienceDirect, Science Direct Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang. The inclusion criteria for this study were limited to reports on the effects of RA, AS-IV, cycloastragenol, astragalus polysaccharide (APS), and astragalosides (AST) in the treatment of gastric ulcers. Any studies involving gastric lesions that were precancerous or cancerous were eliminated. The search period was from database inception through June 2024. The results suggested RA hold promiseas potential novel therapeutics for the therapy of GU.

Clinacanthus nutans (C. nutans) is a well-known herb in tropical Asia. Previous studies have reported the anticancer activity of C. nutans but the molecular mechanisms on cervical cancer are not fully understood. Therefore, our study aims to explore its effects on HeLa line and analyse the molecular interactions. Firstly, the RNA-Seq reads were processed for differentially expressed analyses. With Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) method, five cell death-related pathways with three significant genes (CASP9, FOXO4, TNFSF15) were identified. This study provides insight into the potential role of the DCM fraction of C. nutans mediating cell death mechanism in cervical cancer.

A new pyrrolopyrazine alkaloid, named lycipyrazine A (1), alone with seven known alkaloids (2-8), were isolated from the fruit of Lycium chinense. The structure of new compound 1 was determined using extensive 1D and 2D spectroscopic analyses, while its absolute configuration was determined by comparison of its experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity was screened using acarbose as a positive control. Compound 4 showed strong inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 3.04 ± 0.38 μM). This study enriched the structural diversity of alkaloids in L. chinense and provided further clues for searching new antidiabetic agents from natural sources.

Acute lung injury (ALI) has high morbidity and mortality. Lifei Qingchang Tang (LFQCT), a traditional Chinese medicine, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties but its mechanism in ALI remains unclear. In vitro, LFQCT reduced intracellular Ca²⁺, ROS, and NO in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells, suppressed pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), iNOS, and COX-2, and blocked phosphorylation of IKK-α/β, p65, ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38. It also inhibited p65 activation and nuclear translocation. In vivo, LFQCT attenuated ALI in mice by reducing cytokines in serum, BALF, and lung tissues, improving pulmonary function and survival rates, being a potential new treatment.