hirsutanone and oregonin

Topics: Alnus; Androgens; Apoptosis; Catechols; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Diarylheptanoids; DNA Demethylation; Flow Cytometry; Glutathione S-Transferase pi; Humans; Male; NF-kappa B; Prostatic Neoplasms

Corylus maxima Mill. (Betulaceae) leaves have been used in traditional medicine both internally and externally, nevertheless phytochemical exploration of the plant remains incomplete. In this study, the in vitro antioxidant activity and polyphenolic composition of the ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts of C. maxima leaves and bark are reported for the first time. The radical scavenging activities of the extracts were investigated by the ABTS and DPPH assays. All the extracts of C. maxima possessed notable antioxidant activity. By mean of a HPLC-DAD-ESI-TOF and a HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS method, altogether twenty-two phenolics were tentatively characterised: one flavan derivative (1), seven flavonol derivatives (4, 6, 12, 13, 16, 20 and 21) and fourteen diarylheptanoids (2, 3, 5, 7-11, 14, 15, 17-19 and 22). The amount of the two main flavonoids - myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside (6) and quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (13) - and two diarylheptanoids - oregonin (3) and hirsutenone (15) - in the extracts were determined by a validated HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Our results showed that C. maxima could be considered as a valuable source of pharmacologically important natural products that might contribute to the revaluation of the phytotherapeutical potential of the plant.

Topics: Antioxidants; Catechols; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Corylus; Diarylheptanoids; Flavonoids; Mannosides; Phenols; Plant Extracts; Plant Leaves; Quercetin; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are a rapidly growing health problem around the globe. Recently, there has been considerable interest in the use of plant materials as an alternative method to control pathogenic microorganisms. In this study we evaluated the antibacterial activity of bark of Alnus pendula against MRSA.. The MIC determination was done using the microdilution broth method and bacterial growth was determined by measuring optical density using spectrophotometer.. Alnus pendula bark EtOH extract and fractions (F-1, -2, -3 and -4) were investigated against MRSA. The most active fractions (F-3 and F-4) led to the isolation of oregonin (ORE) and hirsutanone (HIR). These compounds were active against MRSA strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 31.25 to 250 microg/ml MIC and 2 MIC of HIR completely inhibited the growth of MRSA.. The bark EtOH extract of Alnus Pendula has potent antibacterial activity against MRSA.

Topics: Alnus; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Diarylheptanoids; Ethanol; Methicillin Resistance; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Plant Bark; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Solvents; Spectrophotometry

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease. The increasing prevalence and severity of AD have prompted the developments of safer, more effective drugs. Although topical corticosteroids have been used as first line therapy for AD, their potential side effects limit their clinical applications. To investigate the effect of hirsutenone (HIR), a diarylheptanoid compound, on AD-like skin lesions and other factors related to immune response is the aim of this paper Th2-related cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13), eosinophil, IgE inflammatory factors (COX-2, iNOS) levels were reduced in blood, lymphocytes, and tissue after HIR treatment. These results suggest that HIR might be an effective treatment for AD.

Topics: Administration, Cutaneous; Animals; Catechols; Cyclooxygenase 2; Dermatitis, Atopic; Diarylheptanoids; Disease Models, Animal; Eosinophils; Female; Immunoglobulin E; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Interleukins; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; Skin