Zhi-Hui Zhang

Three new 14,15-secopregnane-type glycosides, stauntosides UA, UA₁, and UA₂, were isolated from the roots of Cynanchum stauntonii. The three compounds share the first reported and same basic structural features of 3β-hydroxy-14:16,15:20,18:20-triepoxy-5α:9α-peroxy-14,15-secopregnane-6,8(14)-diene named as stauntogenin G as the aglycones. The structures of the new compounds were characterized on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses, mainly 1D and 2D NMR and MS methods and chemical analysis. The isolation and identification of the new compounds graced the structural diversity of pregnane-type steroids from C. stauntonii.

Taking application of some isolation and purification technologies, including crushing, solvent extraction, preliminary solvent isolation, column chromatographies over silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 gel and preparative HPLC, 8 compounds were obtained from the seeds of Jufeng grape sourced from market. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic methods and comparison with literature values as Catechin (1), Epicatechin (2), quercetin (3), ethylgallate (4), rel-(2S, 3R) -2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) -3- (hydroxymethyl)-5-(3-hydroxypropyl)-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-7-ol (5), rel-(2α, 3β)-7-O-methylcedrusin (6), rel-(1R,2S)-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) -2-(4-(3-hydroxypropyl) -2-methoxyphenoxy) propane-1,3-diol (7), and (+) -isolariciresinol (8), respectively. Compounds 5-8 were serial lignans isolated from the seeds of grape for the first time. Structurally, 5 and 6 belong in benzofuran-8,3'-neolignans, 7 in 8,4'-oxyneolignan, and 8 in 8,8' :2,7'-cyclolignan. According to in vitro activity evaluation conducted in cell model, compound 6 showed significant anti-oxidative ability, with the activity of RAW264. 7 cell superoxide dismutase being raised evidently in the test as compared with the positive anti-oxidative agents, compounds 1 and 2.

Taking application of some isolation and purification technologies, such as solvent extraction, preliminary solvent isolation, column chromatographies over silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 gel and preparative HPLC, 10 compounds were obtained from Gynura nepalensis cultivated in the suburban area of Beijing. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic methods and comparison with literature as (3R) -3-hydroxy-β-ionone (1), (3S,5R, 6S, 7E) -5, 6-epoxy-3-hydroxy-7-megastigmen-9-one (2), (+) -boscialin (3), 3, 6-trans-3-hydroxy-α-ionone (4), 3, 6-cis-3-hydroxy-α-ionone (5), 3, 4-cis-3, 4-dihydroxy-β-ionone (6), ethyl caffeate (7), loliolide (8), 1H-indole-3-carbaldehyde (9), and 3-(hydroxyacetyl)indole (10), respectively. All compounds were isolated from the title plant for the first time, and with compounds 1, 2, 4-7, 9 and 10 being isolated from Gynura species for the first time. Structurally, the above compounds 1-6 belong to C13 nor-sesquiterpenoids, sharing the same carbon skeleton of megastigmane. According to this study, they are one of major kinds of chemical constituents of Gynura nepalensis and have important reference value for the investigation on phytotaxonomy of this species.

Coptisine hydrochloride, as a natural protoberberine alkaloid quaternary ammonium salt, can be found in many species of Ranunculaceae and Papaveraceae plants. Despite no in-depth studies on coptisine hydrochloride, some literatures have reported that coptisine hydrochloride has such pharmacological activities as inhibition of monoamine oxidase of type A, selective inhibition and double inhibition against vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, inhibition of differentiation and function of osteoclasts, selective regulation of multidrug-resistant and drug-resistant proteins in vascular smooth muscle cells, anti-fungus, protection of gastric-mucous membrane, cytotoxicity, and myocardial protection. Given to the fact of the lack of systematic review and summary of studies on coptisine hydrochloride, we summarize and analyze the study literatures on the pharmacological activity of coptisine hydrochloride published in recent years, so as to provide information for studies on new drugs of coptisine hydrochloride on the basis of the pharmacological activity.