ginkgetin and sciadopitysin

To study the flavonoids from Taxus Madia and determine the content of Taxol from different parts of Taxus Madia.. Various column chromatographic techniques were applied for isolation and purification. The structrues were elucidated by physico-chemical property and spectral evidence. The analysis of Taxol was carried out on C18 (150 mm x 4.6 mm i. d. 5 microm). The mobile phase was MeOH-H2O (3:1). The flow-rate was 0.8 ml/min. The detection wave-length was 228 nm.. Three bifiavonyl compounds were isolated and identified as Sciadopitysin (Compound I), Ginkgetin (Compound II), 7,7",4'-Tri-O-Methylamentoflavone (Compound III). The contents of Taxol from branches and leaves, main root, fibrous root was 0.0308 mg/g, 0.02191 mg/g, 0.01983 mg/g respectively.. Compound I-III are obtained from Taxus Madia for the first time. The contents of Taxol is the highest in the part of branches and leaves, and then is the main root, the lowest is the fibrous root.

Topics: Biflavonoids; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Molecular Structure; Paclitaxel; Plant Leaves; Plant Roots; Plant Stems; Taxus; Trees

Two biflavonoids, ginkgetin (1) and sciadopitysin (2), were isolated from the MeOH extract of the young branches of Taxus cuspidata, which inhibited phosphatase of regenerating liver-3 (PRL-3) with IC50 values of 25.8 and 46.2 microM, respectively. This is the first report on PRL-3 inhibitors, isolated from natural sources.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Biflavonoids; Biological Products; Flavonoids; Humans; Molecular Structure; Neoplasm Proteins; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases; Taxus

Ginkgo biloba L. biflavones were shown to increase cAMP phosphodiesterase activity and to stimulate skin microcirculation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether biflavones were able to stimulate lipolysis in adipocytes. Lipolysis was assayed in fully differentiated 3T3-L1 fat cells in the presence of biflavones at 0.005 - 100 microM. Cell viability was evaluated at 0.5 -100 microM. Theophylline and caffeine were used as reference compounds. Lipolytic activity in untreated cells was 0.62 +/- 0.15 micromoles glycerol/mg DNA/h. All biflavones except sciadopitysin stimulated lipolysis in a concentration-dependent fashion. Maximal stimulation was observed at 0.1 - 0.5 microM. At higher concentrations the effect diminished progressively and was lost at 100 microM. Only a partial loss of cell viability was observed with biflavones at 10 - 100 microM.

Topics: 3T3 Cells; Adipocytes; Animals; Biflavonoids; Caffeine; Cell Survival; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Flavonoids; Ginkgo biloba; Lipolysis; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Mice; Molecular Structure; Plant Extracts; Theophylline