Phytochemical investigation on Globba pendula resulted in the isolation of a new naturally occurring 16-oxo-(8)17-12-labdadien-15,11-olide 1 and benzofuran-2-carboxaldehyde 2. Other known compounds including isoandrographolide, indirubin, vanillin, vanillic acid, 2(3H)-benzoxazolone, as well as beta-sitosteryl-beta-D-glucopyranoside, beta-sitosterol, and 7alpha-hydroxysitosterol were also isolated. The structures were established based on spectroscopic data and comparison with the literature. Furthermore, the compound isoandrographolide has demonstrated strong cytotoxic properties towards a panel of cancer cell lines (MCF-7, PC-3, and H-460) with the IC50 values of 7.9, 8.7, and 9.0 microM, respectively.
A new tetramer oligostilbenoid possessing tetrahydrofuran ring, malaysianol C (1), was isolated from the acetone extract of the stem bark of Dryobalanops lanceolata, together with four known oligostilbenoids nepalensinol E (2), ϵ-viniferin (3), laevifonol (4), and ampelopsin F (5). The structures of isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectral evidence. The antibacterial activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated using resazurin microtitre-plate assay, whereas the cytotoxic activity was tested using MTT assay. The plausible biogenetic routes of the isolated compounds are also discussed.
Four new 2,3-secodammarane triterpenoids, stellatonins A-D (3-6), together with a new 3,4-secodammarane triterpenoid, stellatonin E (7), and the known silvestrol (1), 5‴-episilvestrol (2), and β-sitosterol, were isolated from a methanol extract of the stems of Aglaia stellatopilosa through bioassay-guided fractionation. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic and chemical methods. The compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against three human cancer cell lines and for their antimicrobial activity using a microtiter plate assay against a panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi.
Mulberry (Morus alba L.) root bark (MRB) was extracted using methanol and the extracts were subjected to tests of anti-inflammatory effects. The ethyl acetate fraction demonstrated the best anti-inflammatory effects. Purified compounds, sanggenon B, albanol B and sanggenon D, showed inhibitory effects on NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and albanol B demonstrated the best anti-inflammatory effects. Regarding the underlying molecular mechanisms, further investigations showed that treatments with Albanol B reduced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and decreased expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). These results would contribute to development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs from MRB.
Goniothalamus macrophyllus (Blume) Hook. f. & Thoms. is a plant widely distributed in Malaysia. The aim of this study is to identify compounds from the roots of G. macrophyllus. The ground roots were extracted with aqueous methanol and partitioned sequentially with n-hexane, chloroform and butanol. Purification from this extracts afforded six compounds with two new compounds, namely goniolandrene-A (1), -B (2). The absolute configuration of goniolandrene B (2) was established by circular dichrosim. The compounds were cytotoxic against the P388 cells with IC50 values ranging from 0.42 to 160 μM. Goniothalamin (3) exhibited the highest inhibition of 0.42 μM.