ethyl-4-methoxycinnamate and ethyl-cinnamate

The activity of Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) as an index of thermogenesis induced by four Indonesian Zingiberaceous crude drugs, Boesenbergia rotunda, Curcuma longa, Kaempferia galanga, Zingiber montanum, was examined, and GC-MS analyses of extracts of these drugs were performed. The results showed that activation of PGC-1α by K. galanga was high, whereas no activation was shown for the other drugs. Ethyl p-methoxycinnamate and ethyl cinnamate were identified as the PGC-1α activating compounds of K. galanga. Furthermore, study on the structure-activity relationship revealed that ethyl p-methoxycinnamate has the strongest activity among the cinnamic acid derivatives. This suggests that the ester structure and the methoxy group are important factors responsible for the PGC-1α activity.

Topics: Animals; Cell Line; Cinnamates; Enzyme Activators; Indonesia; Mice; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha; Plants, Medicinal; Structure-Activity Relationship; Zingiberaceae

It is well known that fragrance impacts behaviors and autonomic functions, and is increasingly used as relaxant, carminative, as well as sedative in aromatherapy. Kaempferia galanga L. is one of the popular traditional aromatic medicinal plants used in tropics and subtropics of Asia including China, Japan and Indochina.. The aim of present study was to investigate sedative effects of hexane extract of Kaempferia galanga L.and 2 active aromatic compounds (compound 1: ethyl trans-p-methoxycinnamate and compound 2: ethyl cinnamate ) included in the extyract by means of inhalation in mice.. Sedative activity was assessed by inhalation of the hexane extract and two major aromatic compounds.. Inhalation of hexane extract at the doses of 1.5 and 10mg showed significant reduction of locomotor activity, indicating considerable sedative and relaxant effects. Compound 1 and 2 were proved to possess sedative effects at 0.0014mg and 0.0012mg respectively.. These results suggest the promising application of Kaempferia galanga L. and its constituents in aromatherapy.

Topics: Administration, Inhalation; Animals; Aromatherapy; Cinnamates; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Male; Medicine, East Asian Traditional; Mice; Motor Activity; Plant Extracts; Zingiberaceae

This study was aimed at assessing the toxicity of ethyl cinnamate and ethyl p-methoxycinnamate (EMC) identified in Kaempferia galangal L. (Zingiberaceae) rhizome and another 12 known compounds to third-instar larvae from laboratory-reared Culex pipiens pallens Forskal, Aedes aegypti L. and Ochlerotatus togoi Theobald and field-collected C. pipiens pallens (Jinhae colony). Results were compared with those for fenthion and temephos.. Ethyl p-methoxycinnamate was the most toxic of the test compounds to larvae of the three mosquito species (LC(50) 12.3-20.7 mg L(-1)) but less toxic than either fenthion (0.0096-0.021 mg L(-1)) or temephos (0.0039-0.0079 mg L(-1)). Ethyl cinnamate and 3-carene were highly active against C. pipiens pallens larvae (24.1 and 21.6 mg L(-1)) but less toxic to A. aegypti and O. togoi larvae (ca 40 and 60 mg L(-1) respectively). The toxicity of these compounds to larvae from the Jinhae colony of C. pipiens pallens was almost the same as their toxicity to the laboratory-reared larvae, although the larvae from the colony exhibited low levels of resistance to fenthion (resistance ratio 9.1) and temephos (5.8).. Kaempferia galanga rhizome-derived materials, particularly ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, merit further study as potential mosquito control agents for protection of humans and domestic animals from vector-borne diseases and nuisance caused by mosquitoes.

Topics: Aedes; Animals; Cinnamates; Culex; Culicidae; Insecticides; Larva; Mosquito Control; Ochlerotatus; Rhizome; Zingiberaceae