Megastigmane glycosides from Streblus ilicifolius (S.Vidal) Corner and their anti-inflammatory activity

Twelve undescribed megastigmane glycosides, streilicifolosides A-L (1-12), together with 8 known analogues (13-21) were isolated from the leaves of Streblus ilicifolius (S.Vidal) Corner. Their plannar structures were elucidated using extensive NMR spectroscopic methods (1D and 2D-NMR spectroscopy), and HRESIMS spectroscopic data analyses. The absolute configurations of the undescribed compounds were determined by the glucose-induced shift-trend, calculated and experimental circular dichroism spectroscopy. All the compounds were tested for inhibitory effects on the production of NO in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells, and streilicifoloside E and platanionoside D exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity comparable to that of the positive control, with IC₅₀ values of 26.33 and 21.84 μM, respectively. Furthermore, these two compounds markedly decreased the secretion of PGE2 and TNF-α and inhibited the expression of COX‒2, iNOS and NF-κB/p65 in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the structure-activity relationships of the isolates were also discussed. The results suggest that streilicifoloside E and platanionoside D could be used as potential candidates for the development of new anti-inflammatory agents.

Treatment with Gold Nanoparticles Using Cudrania tricuspidata Root Extract Induced Downregulation of MMP-2/-9 and PLD1 and Inhibited the Invasiveness of Human U87 Glioblastoma Cells

In this study, we aimed to elucidate the anti-invasive effects of Cudrania tricuspidata root-gold nanoparticles (CTR-GNPs) using glioblastoma cells. We demonstrated the rapid synthesis of CTR-GNPs using UV-vis spectra. The surface morphology, crystallinity, reduction, capsulation, and stabilization of CTR-GNPs were analyzed using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Furthermore, CTR-GNPs displayed excellent photocatalytic activity as shown by the photo-degradation of methylene blue and rhodamine B. Cell migration and invasion assays with human glioblastoma cells were performed to investigate the anti-invasive effect of CTR-GNPs on U87 cells that were treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. The results show that CTR-GNPs can significantly inhibit both basal and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced migration and invasion ability. Importantly, treatment with CTR-GNPs significantly decreased the levels of metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/-9 and phospholipase D1 (PLD1) and protein but not PLD2, which is involved in the modulation of migration and the invasion of glioblastoma cells. These results present a novel mechanism showing that CTR-GNPs can attenuate the migration and invasion of glioblastoma cells induced by PMA through transcriptional and translational regulation of MMP-2/-9 and PLD1. Taken together, our results suggest that CTR-GNPs might be an excellent therapeutic alternative for wide range of glioblastomas.

Nutritional evaluation, bioaccumulation and toxicological assessment of heavy metals in edible fruits of FicussurForssk (Moraceae)

Ficussur (Moraceae) is an indigenous medicinal plant with a wide distribution in Africa. In this study, the nutritional potential fruit of this indigenous plant to meet domestic food demands and reduce food insecurity in KwaZulu-Natal. South Africa, was investigated. The proximate composition and concentrations of metals in the edible fruits collected from eight different sites in KwaZulu-Natal were determined to assess for nutritional value and the concentrations of metals in the growth soil was determined to evaluate the impact of soil quality on elemental uptake. The fruits contained high levels of moisture (88.8%) and carbohydrates (65.6%). The concentrations of elements in the fruits were found to be in decreasing order of Ca>Mg >Fe >Zn>Cu >Mn> Se with low levels of toxic metals (As, Cd, Co and Pb). This study shows that the consumption of the fruits of F. sur can contribute positively to the nutritional needs of rural communities in South Africa for most essential nutrients without posing the risk of adverse health effects.

Effects of Zn Deficiency and Bicarbonate on the Growth and Photosynthetic Characteristics of Four Plant Species

Calcareous soils are characterized by low nutrient contents, high bicarbonate (HCO3-) content, and high alkalinity. The effects of HCO3- addition under zinc-sufficient (+Zn) and zinc-deficient (-Zn) conditions on the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of seedlings of two Moraceae species (Broussonetia papyrifera and Morus alba) and two Brassicaceae species (Orychophragmus violaceus and Brassica napus) were investigated. These four species were hydroponically grown in nutrient solution with 0 mM Zn (-Zn) or 0.02 mM Zn (+Zn) and 0 mM or 10 mM HCO3-. The photosynthetic response to HCO3- treatment, Zn deficiency, or both varied according to plant species. Of the four species, Broussonetia papyrifera showed the best adaptability to Zn deficiency for both the 0 mM and 10 mM HCO3- treatments due to its strong growth and minimal inhibition of photosynthesis and photosystem II (PS II). Brassica napus was sensitive to Zn deficiency, HCO3- treatment, or both as evidenced by the considerable inhibition of photosynthesis and high PS II activity. The results indicated different responses of various plant species to Zn deficiency and excess HCO3-. Broussonetia papyrifera was shown to have potential as a pioneer species in karst regions.

New Insights on Wood Dimensional Stability Influenced by Secondary Metabolites: The Case of a Fast-Growing Tropical Species Bagassa guianensis Aubl

Challenging evaluation of tropical forest biodiversity requires the reporting of taxonomic diversity but also the systematic characterization of wood properties in order to discover new promising species for timber industry. Among wood properties, the dimensional stability is regarded as a major technological characteristic to validate whether a wood species is adapted to commercial uses. Cell structure and organization are known to influence the drying shrinkage making wood density and microfibrils angle markers of choice to predict wood dimensional stability. On the contrary the role of wood extractive content remains unclear. This work focuses on the fast-growing tropical species Bagassa guianensis and we report herein a correlation between heartwood drying shrinkage and extractive content. Chemical extractions and shrinkage experiments were performed on separate wood twin samples to better evaluate correctly how secondary metabolites influence the wood shrinkage behaviour. Extractive content were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed using HPLC and NMR spectroscopy. We found that B guianensis heartwood has a homogeneous low shrinkage along its radius that could not be explained only by its basic density. In fact the low drying shrinkage is correlated to the high extractive content and a corrected model to improve the prediction of wood dimensional stability is presented. Additionally NMR experiments conducted on sapwood and heartwood extracts demonstrate that secondary metabolites biosynthesis occurs in sapwood thus revealing B. guianensis as a Juglans-Type heartwood formation. This work demonstrates that B. guianensis, a fast-growing species associated with high durability and high dimensional stability, is a good candidate for lumber production and commercial purposes.

Silkworm Thorn Stem Extract Targets RSK2 and Suppresses Solar UV-Induced Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression

Excessive exposure to solar UV (sUV) is associated with numerous human skin disorders, such as carcinogenesis, skin photoaging and skin inflammation. Silkworm Thorn (Cudraniatricuspidata, SW) is a plant belonging to the Moraceae family and widely present throughout Korea, China, and Japan. Most parts of the tree (including the fruit, leaf, stem, root, and bark) is consumable as a functional food or tea. In this study, we found that SW extract (SWE) inhibited the elevated expression of sUV-induced cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 levels in both HaCaT and JB6 cells. Levels of nuclear factor-κB and activator protein-1, two crucial transcription factors involved in COX-2 expression, were elevated by sUV treatment. Treatment with SWE abolished this activation. SWE also inhibited sUV-induced histone H3 phosphorylation. However, sUV-induced phosphorylation of Akt, c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38 kinase remained unchanged in the presence of SWE. SWE inhibited RSK2 activity, and pull-down assays using SWE-Sepharose beads revealed that SWE binds directly with RSK2 in an ATP-competitive manner. These results suggest a potential for SWE to be developed as a cosmeceutical material and functional food constituent for the promotion of skin health.

Morin, a flavonoid from moraceae, induces apoptosis by induction of BAD protein in human leukemic cells

Evidence suggests that phytochemicals can safely modulate cancer cell biology and induce apoptosis. Here, we investigated the anti-cancer activity of morin, a flavone originally isolated from members of the Moraceae family in human leukemic cells, focusing on apoptosis. An anti-cancer effect of morin was screened with several human leukemic cell lines. U937 cells were most sensitive to morin, where it induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. It also induced loss of MMP (ΔΨ_m) along with cytochrome c release, down-regulated Bcl-2 protein, and up-regulated BAX proteins. The apoptotic activity of morin was significantly attenuated by Bcl-2 augmentation. In conclusion, morin induced caspase-dependent apoptosis through an intrinsic pathway by upregulating BAD proteins. In addition, Bcl-2 protein expression is also important in morin-induced apoptosis of U937 cells. This study provides evidence that morin might have anticancer properties in human leukemic cells.

Allergy-related cytokines (IL-4 and TNF-α) are induced by Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and attenuated by plant-originated glycoprotein (75 kDa) in HMC-1 cells

Phthalate esters as plasticizers have been widespread in the environment and may be associated with development of allergic diseases such as asthma and atopic dermatitis. In this study, we demonstrated that the CTB glycoprotein attenuates allergic reactions caused by di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in human mast cells (HMC-1). This experiment evaluated degranulation of histamine and β-hexosaminidase as well as activities of protein kinase C (PKC), stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK), activator protein (AP)-1 and interleukin (IL)-4 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α using immunoblotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Our results revealed that the CTB glycoprotein in the presence of DEHP inhibits degranulation of mast cell, translocation of PKC from cytosol to membrane, and phosphorylation of SAPK/JNK in HMC -1 cells. We also found that the CTB glycoprotein (100 μg mL(-1) ) has suppressive effects on transcriptional activation of AP-1, and on the expression of IL-4 and TNF-α in DEHP-treated HMC-1 cells. We suggest that the CTB glycoprotein inhibits degranulation of mast cells and expressions of cytokines in HMC-1 cells.

1H and 13C NMR assignments for two lignans from the heartwood of Streblus asper

In our ongoing investigation of the bioactive constituents from plants, two new lignans, magnolignan A-2-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and strebluslignanol were isolated from heartwood of Streblus asper, along with three known lignans, magnolignan A, magnolol, and magnaldehyde D. 1D and 2D NMR experiments, including COSY, HMQC, and HMBC, and other spectroscopic methods, including UV, IR, and MS were used for the determination of the structures and NMR assignments. Primary bioassays showed that magnolignan A-2-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and strebluslignanol have medium cytotoxic activity against HEp-2 and HepG2 cells, with IC(50) of 13.3 microM, 46.4 microM and 10.1 microM, 21.7 microM, respectively.

Inhibition of MMP-2 secretion from brain tumor cells suggests chemopreventive properties of a furanocoumarin glycoside and of chalcones isolated from the twigs of Dorstenia turbinata

A furanocoumarin glycoside new named turbinatocoumarin (1) was isolated from the twigs of Dorstenia turbinata. The structure of turbinatocoumarin (1) was assigned as 5-methoxy-3-[3-(beta-glucopyranosyloxy)-2-hydroxy-3-methylbutyl]psoralen by means of spectroscopic analysis. Known compounds have also been isolated from this genus and identified as (2'S, 3'R)-3'-hydroxymarmesin (2), 5-methoxy-3-(3-methyl-2,3-dihydroxybutyl)psoralen (3), psoralen (4), kanzonol C (5) which was isolated for the first time from this genus, 4-hydroxylonchocarpin (6), umbelliferone, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde and 4-methoxyphenol. As part of our continuing search for potential naturally-occurring antitumor drug candidates, the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 secretion from brain tumor-derived glioblastoma cells by the isolated compounds 1, 3, 5, and 6 was evaluated by zymography and compared to the documented naturally-occurring MMP secretion inhibitors chlorogenic acid (CHL) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCg). Among the compounds tested, the inhibiting MMP secretion concentrations ranged from 0.025 to 250 microM with up to 80% inhibition. The inhibitory activities of compounds 5 and 6 were found comparable to the common reference compounds CHL and EGCg. This suggests that alternate sources can be explored and exploited for the availability of chemopreventive molecules.

Mulberry moracins: scavengers of UV stress-generated free radicals

Mulberry leaves treated with UV-C were found to accumulate three different phytoalexins, moracin C, moracin N, and chalcomoracin. The increased level of malondialdehyde in UV-treated leaves along with moracins suggested their role as a free-radical scavenger in stressed plants. All the three moracins induced under UV stress were capable of scavenging the superoxide anion generated by the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system. Also, moracins were capable of inhibiting lipid peroxidation, which strongly indicates their role as a scavenger.