Journal of Asian Natural Products Research最新文献

The study investigates Panax ginseng nanoemulsion role in counteracting male infertility in rats. Nanoemulsion was prepared by oil in water method, then it was characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), Zeta sizer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The serum total testosterone, free testosterone, Luteinizing Hormone (LH), and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) were measured. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Protein kinase B (AKT), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), E-cadherin (E-cad), and connexin 43 (Cx43) expression were analyzed. A histological examination of testes was also carried out. Nanoemulsion exhibited a spherical morphology, with diameter from 5.98 to 51.80 nm. Additionally, Zeta sizer determined size distribution by number from 97.74 to 147.4 nm. Zeta potential revealed negatively charged surface. FTIR showed common active groups. Nanoemulsions demonstrated thermal stability up to 207 °C. Biological experiments indicated that adverse effects of bisphenol A (BPA) were counteracted by Panax ginseng in either nanoemulsion or free form and vitamin E (Vit.E). Panax ginseng nanoemulsion recovers male infertility in rats. These outcomes may have a significant impact on developing a new therapeutic entity to treat male infertile patients.

Chemical investigation of the edible roots of Codonopsis pilosula yielded a new lignan (1), together with twenty-nine known compounds, including twenty-one lignans (2-22) and eight phenylpropanoids (23-30). The structure of the new lignan, including its absolute configuration, was determined using a combination of extensive spectroscopic analysis, NMR and ECD calculations, and comparison with literature values. The isolated lignans and phenylpropanoids (excluding 1, 20, 21 and 28) were evaluated for their antioxidant activities using ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging assays. Among them, compounds 2-6, 18 and 23 exhibited strong scavenging activities in ABTS and DPPH assays with SC₅₀ values ranging from 9.73 to 47.26 μM compared with the positive control L-ascorbic acid.

Renal fibrosis is a global health challenge with limited therapies. 7-O-methyesculin (7-ME), derived from Cortex Fraxini (Qinpi), shows notable anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties. To enhance its membrane permeability and biological activity, we performed structural optimization and synthesized 18 6'-O-acyl 7-ME esters to improve lipophilicity and efficacy. Most derivatives displayed significant anti-fibrotic effects. Among them, EA-8 and EA-10 were more active than 7-ME against key fibrosis markers, including α-SMA, fibronectin and P-Smad3, while upregulating the protective protein E-cadherin. Mechanistic studies indicated that these compounds suppress the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway, providing a promising strategy for developing effective anti-fibrotic therapeutics.

ALI is a severe clinical syndrome with limited treatment options beyond corticosteroids, which cause significant adverse effects. This study demonstrates that the herbal combination EAC significantly attenuates LPS-induced ALI through dual pathway inhibition. EAC suppresses TLR4/NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling, thereby inhibiting MyD88-mediated NF-κB activation, NLRP3 inflammasome assembly, caspase-1 activation, and GSDMD-|mediated pyroptosis. Consequently, EAC reduces proinflammatory cytokine production (IL-1β, IL-18) and restores the balance between inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses, offering a promising therapeutic alternative to conventional corticosteroids for ALI treatment.

10-Methoxycamptothecin (MCPT), a natural camptothecin derivative, shows notable anticancer activity. Using UPLC-QTOF-MS, this study characterized MCPT metabolite profiles in rats, detecting 14 metabolites in urine, 5 in bile, 7 in feces, and 2 in plasma. The findings indicated that phase I metabolites of MCPT were primarily formed via demethylation, demethoxylation, and hydroxylation, while phase II metabolites mainly included glucuronide and sulfate of MCPT and its phase I metabolites. MCPT, hydroxycamptothecin, and the subsequent glucuronide conjugates were the predominant forms of MCPT in rats. This study provided a comprehensive overview of the metabolite profile of MCPT in rats.

In this research, HS-CoFe₂O₄/Cu(ΙΙ) has been synthesized as a novel, natural based and recoverable magnetic composite with high catalytic activity. The structure of this magnetic natural based catalyst was investigated and approved using various analytical tools such as FT-IR, EDX-map, X-ray diffraction (XRD), VSM and FE-SEM. Among the advantages of the developed catalyst, one can point to compatibility with the environment, easy preparation and separation, reusability and low production cost. According to the principles of green chemistry, this study seeks to highlight the possibility of applying renewable and cheap materials and preparing catalysts with waste materials. The synthesized HS-CoFe₂O₄/Cu(ΙΙ) has shown high catalytic activity for the preparation of bis(indolyl)methane and dihydropyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole derivatives.

Anemarrhenae Rhizoma was investigated to establish an effect-constituent index (ECI) for quality control by analyzing its chemical and bioactivity changes after processing. Antiinflammatory effects were assessed via COX-2 inhibition. Chemical profiles of 30 batches were analyzed using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, followed by spectrum-effect modeling and molecular docking. Processing increased mangiferin and decreased neomangiferin (p < .05). COX-2 inhibition rose by ∼180% (p < .01); mangiferin potency increased 2.8-fold (p < .05). Mangiferin showed the strongest correlation (Wi = 0.97326) and high COX-2 binding affinity (-5.67 kcal mol^-1). This study identifies mangiferin as a key quality marker and establishes a quality control model based on the ECI.

Phytochemical investigation of M. pteleifolia branches and leaves led to the isolation of seven benzopyran derivatives, including five new ones named melicopols A - E (2 - 6). The chemical structures were confirmed by extensive analysis of the 1D, 2D NMR, CD, and HR-QTOF mass spectra. The absolute configuration 1'S of leptol A (1) was firstly confirmed by experimental and calculated ECD data. Their cytotoxic activity on three human cancer cell lines HepG2 (hepatoma), SK-LU-1 (lung), and MCF7 (breast) was also evaluated using SRB assay.