Natural Product Research最新文献

This study details the biochemical profiling of leaf, fruit, and seed extracts from Alangium salviifolium (L.f.) Wangerin (Cornaceae). Qualitative screening detected alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, glycosides, terpenoids, sugars, coumarins, proteins and amino acids. Quantitative assays revealed seeds with highest flavonoids (98.26 mg RE/g) and phenolics (72.42 mg GAE/g), fruits richest in alkaloids (69.46 mg AE/g) and leaves abundant in tannins (60.34 mg TAE/g) and phenolics (65.40 mg GAE/g). UV-Vis, FTIR and HPLC analyses highlighted organ-specific differences. Extracts showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity against A431 cells, with IC₅₀ values of 10, 8 and 6.8 µg/mL for leaf, fruit and seed, respectively-seed extract nearing doxorubicin (5.4 µg/mL). LC-MS identified conserved C18 unsaturated fatty acids (m/z 277-281), phenolics/glycosides (m/z 227-323) and escalating lipid fragments (m/z 455-610) from leaves to fruit/seed. These findings confirm anticancer potential, warranting isolation of active compounds for mechanistic studies and drug development.

A new triterpenoid saponin, 3β,16β,23α,28β-tetrahydroxyoleana-11,13(18)- dien-30β-oic acid-3-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)]-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)]-β-D- fucopyranoside, which was named clino-chinsaponin A (1), together with three known compounds, namely clinoposaponin D (2), naringenin (3), and narirutin (4), were isolated from Clinopodium chinense (Benth.) Kuntze. The structural assignments for the isolated compounds were elucidated by analysis of NMR data, and by comparison of the acquired spectroscopic data with values reported in the literature. Moreover, compounds 1, 2, and 4 were tested against five bacterial strains (Gram-positive and Gram-negative). Among them, compound 1 showed weak antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Three new flavonol compounds-kushenmin Q (1), kushenmin R (2), and kushenmin S (3)-along with two known compounds, 2S-sophoflavonoid B (4) and kushenol G (5), were isolated from the ethanol extract of Sophora flavescens root bark. Their structures were elucidated using UV spectroscopy, high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and comparison with published data. The antibacterial activity of compounds 1-5 was evaluated against eight bacterial strains (four Gram-positive and four Gram-negative) using the microbroth dilution method. Among the isolated compounds, the flavones 1, 3, and 4 exhibited significant antibacterial activity, with particularly strong effects against Gram-positive bacteria.

Inflammatory bowel disease imposes significant healthcare burdens, driving the search for natural therapeutic agents. This study investigated the protective effects of insect gall Methanol extract from Picea koraiensis Nakai (PK) against colitis. Using in vitro (H₂O₂-induced IEC-6 enterocytes) and in vivo (DSS-induced murine colitis) models, we assessed PK's impact on oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. In vitro, PK (0.6 mg/mL) significantly enhanced cell viability (∼40%) and key antioxidant enzyme activities, while reducing oxidative markers (MDA, LDH, ROS) by over 50%. It also suppressed apoptosis via caspase-3/9 inhibition and activated the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. In vivo, PK ameliorated colitis severity, improved histopathology. Transcriptomic and molecular analyses confirmed the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and inhibition of p53/p38-mediated apoptosis in colonic tissue. In conclusion, PK exhibits multimodal protection against colitis by alleviating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, primarily via Nrf2/HO-1 activation. Future studies should focus on its pharmacokinetics and long-term safety.

This study used UPLC-QE plus Orbitrap-MS to analyse metabolomic differences between Acanthopanax senticosus fruit (AHF) and Acanthopanax sessiliflorus fruit (ASF). 79 compounds were identified in AHF and 69 in ASF, with 47 shared. 1,282 differential factors (74 significant) involved 13 core pathways like phenylalanine metabolism, with key metabolites L-phenylalanine and kaempferol. via metabolomics and bioactivity evaluation, we revealed distinct differences in composition, metabolic mechanisms and bioactivities. AHF focuses on basal metabolism, showing cardiovascular protective advantages by regulating phenylalanine metabolism, synthesising chlorogenic acid, and inhibiting ACE/α-Ease activities. ASF centres on secondary metabolism: Eliminate photoreactive oxygen species to mitigate membrane lipid peroxidation. These metabolites synergistically activate the flavonoid pathway, maintaining membrane stability and high CAT/SOD/POD activities, enhancing antioxidant capacity. Future research may explore its potential applications in pharmaceuticals and functional foods through clinical trials.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a long-term metabolic disorder, which is characterised by insulin resistance and persistent hyperglycaemia. Natural polysaccharides exhibit promising hypoglycaemic potential; however, optimising their extraction and mechanistic understanding of polysaccharides from Gynura divaricata (GDP) remain limited. Here, GDP underwent hot-water extraction followed by ethanol precipitation. A response surface methodology known as Box-Behnken design was utilised to refine the extraction process (extraction time, 120 min; temperature, 90 °C; solid-to-liquid ratio, 1:20 [g/mL]). Under these optimal conditions, the polysaccharide yield was 0.42% ± 0.03%. A homogeneous polysaccharide, GDP1, isolated and purified from GDP, exhibited potent hypoglycaemic activity in T2DM mice. GDP1 effectively decreased fasting blood glucose levels, ameliorated dyslipidemia, reduced inflammation and oxidative stress, and enhanced insulin sensitivity. GDP1 upregulated the levels of phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), suggesting that its hypoglycaemic effect was partly owing to the activation of the PI3K/AkT/GLUT4 axis.

Unusual 1,2-cyclic acetal-type glycero-3-phosphoethanolamines, isolated from the EtOH extract of the Arctic starfish Asterias -microdiscus (Chukchi Sea), were analysed as constituents of a RP-HPLC fraction using extensive NMR, MS techniques, and chemical transformations. Four new ethanolamine glycerophospholipids were found to differ from each other in the positions of - CH = CH - CH(OOH/OH)- moieties in linear acetal-linked C₂₀ chains. The mixture of these compounds showed cardioprotective activity against CoCl₂-induced damage of H9c2 cardiomyocytes via partial restoration of mitochondrial membrane potential.

Ardisia japonica (Thunb.) Blume is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine to stop cough and uterine bleeding. However, it is difficult to separate and identify each component based on the traditional phytochemical methods, which hinders the clinical development and utilisation of A. japonica. In this case, a reliable ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) method was established to characterise and identify the chemical constituents in A. japonica. As a result, 42 compounds mainly including 9 phenols, 5 bergenin derivatives, 8 flavonoids and 20 triterpenoid saponins were identified in A. japonica. This is the first systematic and comprehensive chemical characterisation in A. japonica by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS. The results will enrich the component information of A. japonica and accelerate the development and utilisation of plant resources.

The genus Cyanthillium Blume is a small genus in the tribe Vernonieae within the family Asteraceae. It has a complex nomenclatural history as it has been considered as a synonym Vernonia Schreb. Cyanthillium cinereum (L.) H. Rob., native to Tropical and Subtropical Old World to Pacific, is a plant largely utilised in the popular medicine of many countries. This is the first report regarding the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) from aerial parts of this plant, collected in Oman. This EO (Cc) was characterised by large amounts of esters (46.00%) and acids (21.88%), being methyl linolenate (27.99%), and linolenic acid (19.97%) the main constituents of the two chemical classes, respectively. A comparison with previously published results regarding EOs of the Cyanthillium genus was discussed. Furthermore, a review of the use of Cyanthillium species in the popular medicine has been carried out.

The essential oil of B. morelensis is an ingredient used in traditional medicine that possesses various biomedical properties, making it attractive for the development of pharmaceutical forms. For this reason, it is important to generate information about its spectral patterns to develop analytical methods that allow it to be identified and quantified. This study reports, for the first time, the characterisation by ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infra-red (IR), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. The essential oil was obtained from young stems (yield 0.14% v/w) and the major compound is the terpene α-phellandrene (56.13%). A stability study was carried out to evaluate the chemical and spectral changes of the oil exposed to high temperature. After 6 months at 40 °C, α-phellandrene remained as the major compound, but the abundance decreased (15.9%) producing other terpenes such as β-phellandrene, β-pinene, and 3-thujene, and oxidation products, including α-terpineol and caryophyllene oxide.