Two inhibitors of platelet aggregation from a Panus species (Basidiomycetes)

Salvirrane A-F, six undescribed nordrimane sesquiterpene derivatives from Salvia castanea Diels f. tomentosa Stib and their cytotoxic activities

Six undescribed nordrimane sesquiterpene derivatives, salvirrane A-F (1-6), were isolated from the roots and rhizomes of Salvia castanea Diels f. tomentosa Stib. Comprehensive spectral analysis and a quantum chemical calculation strategy were employed to determine their structures. These compounds represent four previously unreported nordrimane carbon skeletal types in Salvia genus, including 15-nor-drimane, 11,15-di-nor-drimane, 14,15-di-nor-drimane, and 11,14,15-tri-nor-drimane sesquiterpenes. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against several human cancer cell lines (A549, H460, Hep3B, MCF7, PC3, and HeLa). The results showed that 3 exhibited low activity against MCF7 cells (IC50,72.72 ± 6.95 μM) and moderate activity against HeLa cells (IC50, 9.80 ± 0.64 μM). Moreover, the EdU (5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine) assay demonstrates that 3 displays dose-dependent efficacy in suppressing the proliferation of HeLa cells. Network pharmacology and molecular docking technology implied that 3 may potentially bind to Src (proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase) to exert anti-proliferative activity.

New meroterpenoid compounds from the culture of mushroom Panus lecomtei

Two new meroterpenoid compounds (1 and 2) together with five known meroterpenoid derivatives (3-7) were isolated from solid culture of mushroom Panus lecomtei. The structures of new compounds were confirmed by the analysis of NMR and HR-ESI-MS spectroscopic data. The biosynthetic pathway of 1-7 was postulated. All isolated compounds were evaluated for antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin. Compound 3 exhibited weak antibacterial activity against Bacillus Calmette-Guérin with the inhibition rate of 83.6% at 100 μmol·L^-1. Other compounds showed no antibacterial activities against all tested pathogens at 100 μmol·L^-1.

TRP modulation by natural compounds

The use of medicinal plants or other naturally derived products to relieve illness can be traced back over several millennia, and these natural products are still extensively used nowadays. Studies on natural products have, over the years, enormously contributed to the development of therapeutic drugs used in modern medicine. By means of the use of these substances as selective agonists, antagonists, enzyme inhibitors or activators, it has been possible to understand the complex function of many relevant targets. For instance, in an attempt to understand how pepper species evoke hot and painful actions, the pungent and active constituent capsaicin (from Capsicum sp.) was isolated in 1846 and the receptor for the biological actions of capsaicin was cloned in 1997, which is now known as TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 1). Thus, TRPV1 agonists and antagonists have currently been tested in order to find new drug classes to treat different disorders. Indeed, the transient receptor potential (TRP) proteins are targets for several natural compounds, and antagonists of TRPs have been synthesised based on the knowledge of naturally derived products. In this context, this chapter focuses on naturally derived compounds (from plants and animals) that are reported to be able to modulate TRP channels. To clarify and make the understanding of the modulatory effects of natural compounds on TRPs easier, this chapter is divided into groups according to TRP subfamilies: TRPV (TRP vanilloid), TRPA (TRP ankyrin), TRPM (TRP melastatin), TRPC (TRP canonical) and TRPP (TRP polycystin). A general overview on the naturally derived compounds that modulate TRPs is depicted in Table 1.

Novel natural vanilloid receptor agonists: new therapeutic targets for drug development

The discovery that compounds lacking a recognizable vanillyl-like motif might act as vanilloids has given new impetus to a search for novel vanilloid receptor agonists and antagonists in compound libraries. The availability of cell lines transfected with a cloned human vanilloid receptor will further expedite this search. In this article, the pharmacological properties of unsaturated dialdehydes and triprenyl phenols that represent two newly discovered chemical classes of vanilloids will be discussed. The existence of vanilloid receptors in several brain nuclei as well as in non-neuronal tissues predicts novel, innovative therapeutic indications for vanilloids. However, these findings also suggest that vanilloids might cause side-effects. An exploration of the uses of unsaturated dialdehydes in indigenous medicine might help identify new therapeutic targets for vanilloids and avoid unwanted actions.

11-Hydroxy-4-methyl-2,4,6-dodecatrienoic acid from fermentations of a Mucor species

11-Hydroxy-4-methyl-2,4,6-dodecatrienoic acid was isolated from fermentations of the Mucor species, strain KL 94-92 aq. The compound exhibits cytotoxic activity and the structural elucidation, as well as the biological properties of the new compound, are described.