The steroid constituents in the 75% ethanol extract of Cyanotis arachnoidea and their anti-HSV-1 activities in vitro were investigated in this study. The ethyl acetate fraction of the extract was isolated and purified using silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and semi-preparative HPLC. Structural identification was conducted based on spectroscopic data. Ten steroid compounds were isolated and identified, namely makisterone A 3-acetate(1), makisterone A 2-acetate(2), makisterone A(3), ajugasterone C 2-acetate(4), ajugasterone C(5), 20-hydroxyecdysone 2-acetate(6), 20-hydroxyecdysone 3-acetate(7), podecdysone C(8), rubrosterone(9), and poststerone(10). Compounds 1 and 2 are new steroid compounds. The anti-HSV-1 activities of compounds 1-10 were evaluated using the CPE inhibition method. Vero cells were used in the experiment, with acyclovir as the positive control. The results showed that compounds 9 and 10 showed anti-HSV-1 activity, with EC_(50) values of 83.11 and 103.62 μg·mL~(-1), respectively.
Herpesvirus 1, Human/drug effects* ; Antiviral Agents/isolation & purification* ; Animals ; Chlorocebus aethiops ; Steroids/isolation & purification* ; Vero Cells ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Molecular Structure

The present study was designed to further investigate the C steroidal glycosides in Cynanchum plants. Two new steroidal glycosides based on a 13, 14:14, 15-disecopregnane-type aglycone, komaroside P (1) and komaroside Q (2), together with three known compounds (3-5) were isolated from the whole herbs of Cynanchum komarovii. The aglycones of compounds 1 and 2 were two new disecopregnane. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D, 2D NMR spectroscopic data and acid hydrolysis. All the compounds (1-5) showed potent inhibitory activities against human leukemia cell lines (HL-60) with IC values ranging from 16.6 to 26.3 μmol·L, compared to the positive control 5-fluorouracil (6.4 μmol·L).
Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cynanchum ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glycosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Steroids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

Two new steroidal saponins, named timosaponin P (1) and timosaponin Q (2), were isolated from the rhizome parts of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge using various chromatographic methods. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic and spectrometric data, including 1D, 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS and ECD calculations, and this is the first time the absolute configuration of C-23 of steroidal saponin was confirmed by ECD calculations.
Anemarrhena ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Mass Spectrometry ; Molecular Structure ; Saponins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Steroids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

In the present study, a new ceramide, namely 2S, 3R-4E, 8E-2-(heptadecanoylamino)-heptadeca-4, 8-diene-1, 3-diol (1), along with four known steroids, including 24-methylcholesta-5, 24(28)-diene-3β-ol (2), 24-methylcholesta-5, 24(28)-diene-3β-acetate (3), 4-methyl-24-methylcholesta-22-ene-3-ol (4), and cholesterol, was isolated and characterized from CHCl/MeOH extract of Cespitularia stolonifera. A new acetate derivative of compound 1, termed 2S, 3R-4E, 8E-2-(heptadecanoylamino)-heptadeca-4, 8-diene-1, 3-diacetate (1a), was also prepared in the present study. All the structures were established on the basis of modern spectroscopic techniques, including FT-IR, 1D, 2D-NMR, HRESI-MS, and GC-MS, in addition of chemical methods. (-)-Alloaromadendren, ledane, (1)-alloaromadendren oxide, isoaromadendrene epoxide and (-)-caryophellen oxide were identified from the n-hexane fraction using GC-MS. The extract and the two ceramides (1) and (1a) exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against lung cancer A549 cells, while the extract and the two steroids (2) and (3) exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against breast cancer MCF-7 cells. The CHCl/MeOH extract exhibited significant antiulcer activity in both ethanol and acetic acid induced ulcer models in rats, as evidenced by histopathological, histochemical, and biochemical examinations.
A549 Cells ; Acetic Acid ; Animals ; Anthozoa ; chemistry ; Anti-Ulcer Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Biological Products ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Ceramides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Disease Models, Animal ; Ethanol ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; MCF-7 Cells ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; methods ; Rats ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; methods ; Steroids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Ulcer ; chemically induced ; drug therapy

We report here a case of strongyloidiasis in a 72-year-old diabetic patient (woman) accompanied by gastrointestinal stromal tumor receiving imatinib therapy, first diagnosed as hypereosinophilic syndrome and treated with steroids for uncontrolled eosinophilia. She suffered from lower back pain and intermittent abdominal discomfort with nausea and diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumor. After post-operative imatinib treatment eosinophilia persisted, so that steroid therapy was started under an impression of hypereosinophilic syndrome. In spite of 6 months steroid therapy, eosinophilia persisted. Stool examination was performed to rule out intestinal helminth infections. Rhabditoid larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis were detected and the patient was diagnosed as strongyloidiasis. This diagnosis was confirmed again by PCR. The patient was treated with albendazole for 14 days and her abdominal pain and diarrhea improved. This case highlights the need for thorough investigation, including molecular approaches, to test for strongyloidiasis before and during steroid therapies.
Aged ; Albendazole/administration & dosage ; Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications ; Eosinophilia/complications/*drug therapy ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors/complications/*drug therapy ; Humans ; Imatinib Mesylate/*administration & dosage ; Steroids/*administration & dosage ; Strongyloides stercoralis/genetics/isolation & purification/physiology ; Strongyloidiasis/*drug therapy/parasitology

No abstract available.
Acute Kidney Injury/microbiology ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Biopsy ; Humans ; Kidney/*microbiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae/drug effects/*isolation & purification ; Nephritis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Skin Diseases, Bacterial/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Steroids/therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Vasculitis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology

Eleven C21 steroids were isolated from chloroform extract of roots of Cynanchum otophyllumby silica gel, MCI, ODS columns, and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data analysis as otophylloside B(1), caudatin-3-O-beta-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-cymaropyranoside (2), caudatin-3-O-beta-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-cymaropyranoside (3), caudatin-3-O-beta-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-digitoxopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-cymaropyranoside (4), otophylloside O (5), gagamine-3-O-beta-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-cymaropyranoside (6), sinomarinoside B (7), mucronatosides C (8), wallicoside J (9), stephanoside H (10), and qinyangshengenin-3-O-beta-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-digitoxopyranoside (11). Among them, compounds 2-3, and 6-11 were separated from the roots of this plant for the first time.
Cynanchum ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Steroids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

A 45-year-old-male who had underlying ulcerative colitis and presented with fever and dry cough. Initially, the patient was considered to have invasive aspergillosis due to a positive galactomannan assay. He was treated with amphotericin B followed by voriconazole. Nevertheless, the patient deteriorated clinically and radiographically. The lung biopsy revealed eosinophilic pneumonia, and ELISA for Toxocara antigen was positive, leading to a diagnosis of pulmonary toxocariasis. After a 10-day treatment course with albendazole and adjunctive steroids, the patient recovered completely without any sequelae. Pulmonary toxocariasis may be considered in patients with subacute or chronic pneumonia unresponsive to antibiotic agents, particularly in cases with eosinophilia.
Albendazole/therapeutic use ; Animals ; Anthelmintics/therapeutic use ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use ; Antigens, Helminth/analysis ; Colitis, Ulcerative/*complications ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Lung/pathology ; Lung Diseases, Parasitic/*diagnosis/*pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Aspergillosis/diagnosis/pathology ; Steroids/therapeutic use ; Toxocara/*isolation & purification ; Toxocariasis/*diagnosis/*pathology ; Treatment Outcome

AIM: To investigate the chemical constituents of Dioscorea zingiberensis C. H. Wright. METHODS: The compounds were isolated by various chromatographic techniques, and the structures of the new steroidal saponins were elucidated by extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR, MS, and IR spectral analysis. RESULTS: The 70% EtOH extract of the rhizomes of Dioscorea zingiberensis afforded two new steroidal saponins, zingiberenosides A (1) and B (2), along with eight known analogues, 3β, 26-dihydroxy-25(R)-furosta-Δ(5, 20(22))-diene-3-O-α-L- rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), methyl parvifloside (4), deltoside (5), methyl deltoside (6), zingiberensis new saponin (7), deltonin (8), progenin III (9) and diosgenin-diglucoside (10). CONCLUSION Two new steroidal saponins were isolated from Dioscorea zingiberensis and their structures determined.
Dioscorea ; chemistry ; Diosgenin ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Saponins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Spirostans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Steroids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Strongyloides stercoralis is a soil transmitted intestinal nematode that is endemic in the tropical and subtropical regions. In most individuals who are infected, chronic, usually asymptomatic, gastrointestinal infection persists. But, in immunocompromized hosts or in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, autoinfection of S. stercoralis may result in the dissemination of larvae, leading to fatal hyperinfection and increased rate of complications. We report a case of hyperinfective strongyloidiasis with bacterial meningitis in a patient receiving steroid therapy. Strongyloidiasis was diagnosed by the presence of filariform larvae of S. stercoralis in the bronchoalveolar lavage cytology and upper gastrointestinal endoscopic biopsy specimen. Her clinical symptoms had progressively aggravated and developed bacterial meningitis during treatment. She died despite aggressive antibiotic and antihelminthic therapy.
Adrenal Insufficiency/drug therapy ; Aged ; Animals ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/parasitology ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Enterococcus faecium/isolation & purification ; Female ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Intestinal Mucosa/pathology ; Larva/physiology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningitis, Bacterial/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Steroids/adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Strongyloides stercoralis/growth & development/isolation & purification ; Strongyloidiasis/complications/*diagnosis/parasitology