Seven phenolic compounds including p-coumaric acid (1), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (2), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (3), vanillic acid (4), luteolin (5), acacetin (6), and tricin (7), were isolated from the methylene chloride and ethyl acetate fractions of Echinochloa utilis grains. Compounds (1 - 4, 6) were isolated for the first time from this plant. These compounds were tested for inhibitory activities against LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells. Compounds 5 and 6 displayed significant inhibitory effects, with IC₅₀ values of 27.9 ± 2.6 and 14.0 ± 1.1 µM, respectively. The results suggested that E. utilis ethanolic extract may be used as a potential source of anti-inflammatory agents and functional foods for the treatment of allergic diseases.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; Echinochloa* ; Ethanol ; Functional Food ; Luteolin ; Methylene Chloride ; Phenol* ; Plants ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Vanillic Acid

Phytochemicals were isolated from leaves of the fiber crop, ramie (Boehmeria nivea, Bn), using open column chromatography and medium pressure liquid chromatography. Their structures were identified as β-sitosterol, (-)-loliolide, rutin, and pyrimidinedione by MS, ¹H-, and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopic analysis. Among them, (-)-loliolide was isolated for the first time from B. nivea. A content analysis of (-)-loliolide in B. nivea collected from different regions and harvest times was conducted by HPLC. The highest content of (-)-loliolide was found in Bn-23 harvested in September. These results will be helpful to use the plant which harvest in September as a high content phytochemical additive in food, health supplements, and medicinal products.
Boehmeria* ; Chromatography ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid* ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Phytochemicals ; Plants ; Rutin ; Urticaceae

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of a methanolic extract of Buddleja officinalis led to the isolation of two monoterpenes, crocusatin M (1), crocusatin C (2), a flavonoid, acacetin (3), three lignans, lariciresinol (4), pinoresinol (5), and syringaresinol (6), and two triterpenoidal saponins, mimengoside B (7) and songarosaponin A (8). The structures of isolates were identified based on 1D-, 2D-NMR, and MS data analysis. All isolates were tested for their inhibition on LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells. As a result, mimengoside B (7) and songarosaponin A (8) showed a mild inhibitory activity of NO production.
Buddleja* ; Lignans ; Methanol ; Monoterpenes ; Nitric Oxide* ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Saponins ; Statistics as Topic

This paper reports in vitro cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and adipocyte diffentiation with adipogenic effects of coumarins inophyllum D (1) and calanone (2), and a chromanone carboxylic acid namely isocordato-oblongic acid (3) isolated from Calophyllum symingtonianum as well as a biflavonoid morelloflavon e (4) isolated from Garcinia prainiana on MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma RAW 264.7 macrophages and 3T3-L1 preadipocytes cells, respectively. The cytotoxicity study on MCF-7 cell was conducted by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Meanwhile, the study of anti-inflammatory effects in RAW 264.7 macrophages and adipogenic effects on 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes were conducted through nitrite determination assay and induction of adipocyte differentiation, respectively. In the cytotoxicity study, inophyllum D (1) was the only compounds that exhibited significant cytotoxic effect against MCF-7 cell with IC₅₀ of 84 µg/mL. Further, all by inhibiting the compounds have shown anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages of nitrite concentration with production. In addition, the compounds also exhibited adipogenic effects on 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes by stimulating lipid formation. Thus, this study may provide significant input in discovery of the potential effects cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and adipogenic agents.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adipocytes ; Breast ; Calophyllum ; Cell Line* ; Coumarins ; Garcinia ; In Vitro Techniques ; Macrophages ; MCF-7 Cells

On the phytochemical investigation of a 70% ethanol extract of the fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica, (Cacataceae), we could result in the isolation of thirteen phenolic compounds including seven flavonoids (1 - 9) and four simple phenolic glycosides (10 - 13) by column chromatographic methods. Among the isolated compounds, picein (11), androsin (12), and 1-O-feruloyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (13) were isolated for the first time from O. ficus-indica; additionally, this is the first report benzyl-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (10) from the genus Opuntia. The structures of the compounds were determined by spectral data analysis which included 1D, 2D NMR spectrum and ESIMS.
Ethanol ; Flavonoids ; Fruit* ; Glycosides ; Opuntia* ; Phenol* ; Statistics as Topic

Phytochemical investigation of the stems of Pueraria lobata (Wild) Ohwi (Leguminosae), led to the isolation of eighteen known compounds: β-amyrone (1), (+)-pinoresinol (2), (+)-syringaresinol (3) (+)-syringaresinol-O-β-D-glucoside (4), (+)-lariciresinol (5), (-)-tuberosin (6), naringenin (7), liquiritigenin (8), isoliquiritigenin (9) genistein (10), daidzein (11) daidzin (12) daidzein 4',7-diglucoside (13) 2,4,4'-trihydroxy deoxybenzoin (14), S-(+)-1-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-(4-hydroxy-2-methoxy-phenyl)propan-2-one (15), methyl 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosylbenzoate (16), pyromeconic acid 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside 6'-(O-4''-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoate) (17), and allantion (18). The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated from spectroscopic data and by comparison of those data with previously published results. The effects of isolated compounds on mushroom tyrosinase enzymatic activity were screened. The results indicated that, chloroform extract of P. lobata stems turned out to be having tyrosinase inhibitory effect, and only compounds 5, 8, 9, and 11 showed enzyme inhibitory activity, with IC₅₀ values of 21.49 ± 4.44, 25.24 ± 6.79, 4.85 ± 2.29, and 17.50 ± 1.29 µM, respectively, in comparison with these of positive control, kojic acid (IC₅₀ 12.28 ± 2.72 µM). The results suggest that P. lobata stems extract as well as its chemical components may represent as potential candidates for tyrosinase inhibitors.
Agaricales ; Chloroform ; Fabaceae ; Genistein ; Monophenol Monooxygenase* ; Pueraria*

A new stereoisomeric monoterpene glycoside and five already-known compounds were isolated from the n-BuOH soluble fraction of Clematis heracleifolia leaves. On the basis of spectral data, the structures of the isolated compounds were identified as protocatechuic acid (1), ferulic acid (2), caffeic acid (3), aesculin (4), (6Z)-9-hydroxylinaloyl glucoside (5), and 9-hydroxylinaloyl glucoside (6) and these were isolated for the first time from this plant. Among these compounds, (6Z)-9-hydroxylinaloyl glucoside (5) is a newly isolated from plant source.
Clematis* ; Esculin ; Plants ; Stereoisomerism*

In the previous experiments, we reported that ethanol extract of Gastrodiae Rhizoma, the dried tuber of Gastrodia ElataBlume (Orchidaceae) increased pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors. These experiments were undertaken to know whether 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (4-HBD), is one of the major compounds of Gastrodiae Rhizoma increases pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors and changes sleep architectures via activating GABA(A)-ergic systems in rodents. 4-HBD decreased locomotor activity in mice. 4-HBD increased total sleep time, and decreased of sleep onset by pentobarbital (28 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg). 4-HBD showed synergistic effects with muscimol (a GABA(A) receptor agonist), shortening sleep onset and enhancing sleep time on pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors. On the other hand, 4-HBD (200 mg/kg, p.o.) itself significantly inhibited the counts of sleep-wake cycles, and prolonged total sleep time and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) in rats. Moreover, 4-HBD increased intracellular Cl- levels in the primary cultured cerebellar cells. The protein levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and GABA(A) receptors subunits were over-expressed by 4-HBD. Consequently, these results demonstrate that 4-HBD increased NREM sleep as well as sleeping behaviors via the activation of GABA(A)-ergic systems in rodents.
Animals ; Ethanol ; Eye Movements* ; Gastrodia* ; Glutamate Decarboxylase ; Hand ; Mice ; Motor Activity ; Muscimol ; Pentobarbital ; Rats ; Receptors, GABA-A ; Rodentia*

The antioxidant activity of white ginseng was not recorded in Korea Functional Food Code, while its activity of red ginsengs was recorded. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and hepato protective effect of different ginsengs in H2O2-treated HepG2 cells. White and red ginseng were prepared from longitudinal section of the same fresh ginseng (4-year old). The whole parts of white and red ginsengs were separately extracted with 70% ethanol and distilled water respectively, at 70 degrees C to obtain therapeutic ginseng extracts namely, WDH (distilled water extract of white ginseng), WEH (70% ethanol extract of white ginseng), RDH (distilled water extract of red ginseng) and REH (70% ethanol extract of red ginseng). In this work, we have investigated the DPPH, hydroxyl radical, Fe2+-chelating activity, intracellular ROS scavenging capacity and lipid peroxidation of different ginsengs. All these extracts showed a dose dependent free-radical scavenging capacity and a ROS generation as well as lipid peroxidation was significantly reduced by treatment with bioactive extracts of white ginsengs (WDH) than red ginsengs. Additionally, white ginseng extracts (WDH) has dramatically increased intracellular antioxidant enzyme activities like superoxide dismutase and catalase in H2O2-treated HepG2 cells. All these results explain that administration of white ginseng is useful as herbal medicine than red ginseng for chemoprevention of liver damage.
Catalase ; Cell Survival ; Chemoprevention ; Ethanol ; Functional Food ; Hep G2 Cells* ; Herbal Medicine ; Hydroxyl Radical ; Korea ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver ; Panax* ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Water

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide is found in several types of edible brown algae. It has shown numerous biological activities; however, the molecular mechanisms on the activity against atopic dermatitis have not been reported yet. We now examined the effects of fucoidan on chemokine production co-induced by TNF-alpha/IFN-gamma, and the possible mechanisms underlying these biological effects. Our data showed that fucoidan inhibited the TNF-alpha/IFN-gamma-induced production of thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) and macrophagederived chemokine (MDC) mRNA in human keratinocytes HaCaT cells. Also, fucoidan suppressed phosphorylation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) and activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)1 in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, fucoidan significantly inhibited activation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinases (ERK) phosphorylation. These data indicate that fucoidan shows anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing the expression of TNF-alpha/IFN-gamma-induced chemokines by blocking NF-kappaB, STAT1, and ERK1/2 activation, suggestive of as used as a therapeutic application in inflammatory skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis.
Chemokine CCL17 ; Chemokines ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Humans* ; Keratinocytes* ; NF-kappa B* ; Phaeophyta ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin Diseases ; STAT1 Transcription Factor ; Transducers