shikonin and beta--beta-dimethylacrylshikonin

Topics: Anthraquinones; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Ions; Naphthoquinones; Pentanoic Acids; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Shikonin and β,β'-dimethylacrylshikonin in Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnst. were extracted by ionic liquid-based ultrasonic-assisted extraction (IL-based UAE) and determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The dried powder of A. euchroma (Royle) Johnst. was mixed with a room temperature ionic liquid [C(6)MIM][BF(4)] to form a suspension, and then the ultrasonic extraction was performed in a water bath at ambient temperature. The calibration curve showed good linear relationship (r>0.9998) in the concentration range of 1.75-140 μg/mL for shikonin and 2.15-1360 μg/mL for β,β'-dimethylacrylshikonin. The recoveries were between 69.79% and 82.35%. The IL-based UAE is free of volatile organic solvents, and consumes less sample, time and solvent, compared with regular ultrasonic and Soxhlet extraction. There was no obvious difference in the extraction yields of active constitutions obtained by the three extraction methods.

Topics: Boraginaceae; Chemical Fractionation; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Ionic Liquids; Linear Models; Naphthoquinones; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sonication

The root extracts of Onosma leptanhtha were evaluated for their anti-iflammatory and cytotoxic activities. The cyclohexane extract, which appeared as the most active in both assays, has been further subjected to bioassay-directed fractionation to afford the naphthazarine derivatives: beta,beta-dimethylacrylshikonin (1), isovalerylshikonin (2) and acetylshikonin (3). The evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity was performed on carrageenan-induced rat paw edema test. All the tested compounds proved to be active, while compound 3 showed the best anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, the cytotoxic activity of the extracts and isolated compounds, was also assayed against L1210 murine lymphoblastic leukemia cell line, and human fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells. Compound 1 exhibited remarkable cytotoxic activity (390 nM for L1210 cells), which is superior to that of shikonin, which was used as control.

Topics: Animals; Anthraquinones; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Biological Assay; Boraginaceae; Carrageenan; Cell Line, Tumor; Cyclohexanes; Edema; Humans; Indomethacin; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Male; Naphthoquinones; Plant Extracts; Plant Roots; Rats; Rats, Wistar

Acetylshikonin, teracrylshikonin, beta,beta-dimethylacrylshikonin and shikonin, isolated from Arnebia euchroma, inhibited collagen (10 micrograms/ml)-induced aggregation of washed rabbit platelets in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50 values of 2.1 +/- 0.2, 2.8 +/- 0.3, 4.2 +/- 0.5 and 10.7 +/- 0.7 microM, respectively. Acetylshikonin also inhibited the aggregation and ATP release of washed rabbit platelets induced by arachidonic acid (AA, 100 microM), U46619 (1 microM), platelet-activating factor (PAF, 3.6 nM) and thrombin (0.1 U/ml) in a concentration-dependent manner. The IC50 values of acetylshikonin on the inhibition of these four agonists-induced platelet aggregation were 3.1 +/- 0.4, 2.2 +/- 0.2, 8.0 +/- 0.6 and 12.7 +/- 1.0 microM, respectively. The thromboxane B2 formation caused by collagen, PAF and thrombin was inhibited by acetylshikonin, while formations of thromboxane B2 and prostaglandin D2 caused by AA were not inhibited. Acetylshikonin did not inhibit cyclooxygenase activity since it did not attenuate prostaglandin E2 formation after incubation of sheep vesicular gland microsomes with AA. Acetylshikonin suppressed both the rise of intracellular Ca2+ concentration and the generation of [3H]inositol monophosphate caused by these five aggregation inducers. Platelet cyclic AMP level was unaffected by acetylshikonin. These data indicate that acetylshikonin inhibits platelet activation by suppression of phosphoinositide breakdown.

Topics: Animals; Anthraquinones; Blood Platelets; Calcium; Collagen; Cyclic AMP; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Naphthoquinones; Phosphatidylinositols; Plants, Medicinal; Platelet Aggregation; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Prostaglandin D2; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; Rabbits; Thromboxane B2