lignans and savinin

Topics: Animals; Inflammasomes; Inflammation; Lignans; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neuroinflammatory Diseases; Neuroprotective Agents; NF-kappa B; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein

Phosphorylated cyclopropanes, generated via the Rh(ii)-catalysed intramolecular cyclopropanation of α-(diethoxyphosphoryl)acetates, have been found to be useful precursors in the synthesis of α-alkylidene-γ-butyrolactones. These cyclopropyl intermediates undergo regioselective reductive ring-opening and subsequent Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination to complete the synthesis. Total syntheses of (±)-savinin and (±)-gadain, as well as the first total synthesis of (±)-peperomin E, are all described using this method.

Topics: 4-Butyrolactone; Benzodioxoles; Biological Products; Catalysis; Crystallography, X-Ray; Cyclopropanes; Lignans; Models, Molecular; Phosphorylation; Rhodium; Stereoisomerism

Thirteen compounds belonging to different classes of alkaloids (1-9) and lignans (10-13), isolated from the methanol extract of roots of the African medicinal plant Zanthoxylum capense, were assayed for their ability as apoptosis inducers in HCT116 colon carcinoma cells. The cytotoxicity of these compounds was evaluated in HCT116 colon carcinoma cells by the MTS assay. Out of the tested compounds, three benzophenanthridine alkaloids (1, 4, and 7), a dibenzyl butyrolactone lignan (10), and two 2-arylbenzofuran neolignans (12 and 13) displayed significant cytotoxicity to HCT116 cells, confirmed by the Guava ViaCount viability assay. The selected compounds (1, 4, 7, 10, 12, and 13) were further tested for apoptosis induction activity in HCT116 cells, by evaluation of nuclear morphology following Hoechst staining, and by caspase-3 like activity assays. Morphologic evaluation of HCT116 nuclei following Hoechst staining and fluorescence microscopy revealed that compounds 1, 4, 7, 10, 12, and 13 induced apoptosis in HCT116 colon carcinoma cells, producing similar, or higher, apoptosis levels when compared with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), the cornerstone cytotoxic used in colon cancer treatment for several decades. In fact, HCT116 cells developed morphological changes characteristic of apoptosis, including chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation and formation of apoptotic bodies. Importantly, compounds 4 and 13 at 20 μM were the most promising in this study, inducing respectively ∼11- and 7-fold increases in apoptotic cells as compared to vehicle control, whereas 5-FU increased apoptosis by ∼2-fold. Apoptosis induction for compounds 4 and 13 was further confirmed by caspase-3-like activity assays, which showed respectively ∼2- and 1.5-fold increases in caspase-3-like activity compared to vehicle control. These results suggested that specific benzophenanthridine alkaloids and 2-arylbenzofuran neolignans isolated from Zanthoxylum capense show strong anticancer activity in HCT116 colon carcinoma cells.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Apoptosis; Benzophenanthridines; Dioxoles; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; HCT116 Cells; Humans; Indole Alkaloids; Lignans; Plants, Medicinal; Quinazolines; Quinolines; Zanthoxylum

In this study, 221 phytocompounds were evaluated for activity against anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) activities using a cell-based assay measuring SARS-CoV-induced cytopathogenic effect on Vero E6 cells. Ten diterpenoids (1-10), two sesquiterpenoids (11 and 12), two triterpenoids (13 and 14), five lignoids (15-19), curcumin (20), and reference controls niclosamide (21) and valinomycin (22) were potent inhibitors at concentrations between 3.3 and 10 microM. The concentrations of the 22 compounds to inhibit 50% of Vero E6 cell proliferation (CC50) and viral replication (EC50) were measured. The selective index values (SI = CC50/EC50) of the most potent compounds 1, 5, 6, 8, 14, and 16 were 58, >510, 111, 193, 180, and >667, respectively. Betulinic acid (13) and savinin (16) were competitive inhibitors of SARS-CoV 3CL protease with Ki values = 8.2 +/- 0.7 and 9.1 +/- 2.4 microM, respectively. Our findings suggest that specific abietane-type diterpenoids and lignoids exhibit strong anti-SARS-CoV effects.

Topics: Animals; Betulinic Acid; Cell Proliferation; Chlorocebus aethiops; Coronavirus 3C Proteases; Cysteine Endopeptidases; Lignans; Models, Molecular; Pentacyclic Triterpenes; Plants, Medicinal; Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus; Structure-Activity Relationship; Terpenes; Triterpenes; Vero Cells; Viral Proteins; Virus Replication

The structures of three benzylidenebenzyl butyrolactone lignans (gossypifan, carthamogenin, and savinin) have been established on basis of 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopic data. The 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectra of these lignans have been fully assigned by the use of techniques such as gCOSY, non-edited gHSQC, and gHMBC. Complete assignment and most homonuclear hydrogen coupling constant measurements were performed, also providing enough data for the determination of the relative stereochemistry.

Topics: Carbon Isotopes; Lignans; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Molecular Structure; Protons; Reference Standards

An uncommon, previously unreported p-quinone-lignan compound called justicidone (4-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-6-methoxynaphtho[2,3-c]furan-1,5,8(3H)-trione) (2), along with the known savinin (1) were isolated from Justicia hyssopifolia (Acanthaceae). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods.

Topics: Acanthaceae; Lignans; Lignin; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Mass Spectrometry; Oxidation-Reduction; Plant Leaves; Quinones; Spectrophotometry, Infrared; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet

Two lignans were isolated from the heartwood of Pterocarpus santalinus by activity-guided fractionation and investigated for their biological properties and molecular mechanism of action. On the basis of their spectroscopic data, these compounds were identified as savinin (1) and calocedrin (2), dibenzyl butyrolactone-type lignan compounds having an alpha-arylidene gamma-lactone structure. These lignans significantly inhibited tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, and T cell proliferation elicited by concanavalin (Con A), without displaying cytotoxicity. The molecular inhibitory mechanism of compound 1 was confirmed to be mediated by the non-polar butyrolactone ring, according to a structure-relationship study with structurally related and unrelated compounds, such as arctigenin (a dibenzyl butyrolactone type lignan), eudesmin (a furofuran type lignan), isolariciresinol (a dibenzylbutane type lignan), and cynaropicrin (a sesquiterpene lactone). The results suggest that savinin may act as an active principle in the reported biological activities of P. santalinus, such as antiinflammatory effect, by mediation of the butyrolactone ring as a valuable pharmacophore.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Cell Division; Cell Line; Lignans; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Rosales; T-Lymphocytes; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha