Extraction of biomedical compounds from the wood of Pterocarpus macarocarpus Kurz heartwood.
Some wood can be used as traditional Chinese medicine. The medicinal value of wood is associated with its extractives. Pterocarpus macarocarpus Kurz heartwood is a kind of top valuable reddish hardwood in making furniture and handicrafts, but the research about medicine value of this wood is not enough. In order to investigate the high value biomedical compounds in Pterocarpus macarocarpus Kurz heartwood, the woody extractives were obtained by Soxhlet extraction and ultrasonic extraction with benzene-ethanol (1:2, v/v) solvent simultaneously and were analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS). Combining with the results of the two extraction methods, 44 compounds can be identified in total. Amony these identified compounds, there were 5 flavonoids, 15 terpenes and 3 steroidal compounds. The representative biomedical compositions were homopterocarpin, medicarpin, (-)-pterocarpin, formononetin, β-eudesmol, stigmasterol, linoleic acid and so on, which indicated that the extractives from Pterocarpus macarocarpus Kurz heartwood have huge potential in biomedicine. This research provides scientific basis for further comprehensive utilization of Pterocarpus macarocarpus Kurz heartwood as Chinese medicine.
Chemical constituents and chemotaxonomic study of Glycyrrhiza pallidiflora maxim
Abstract Phytochemical study of Glycyrrhiza pallidiflora Maxim. gave seventeen compounds, including two sterols (3 and 4), four triterpenes (1, 2, 5, 6), ten flavones (7, 9–17), and one pterocarpan (8). The chemotaxonomic significance of G. pallidiflora was discussed, which indicated the close relationship between G. pallidiflora with other species of Glycyrrhiza. Moreover, pallidiflorin can be served as a fingerprint for G. pallidiflora, macedonic acid and echinatin can be recognized as biomarkers for Glycyrrhiza, while formononetin, afrormosin and calycosin may be typical second metabolites for Papilionoideae.
Evaluation of the Anti-Trypanosomal Activity of Vietnamese Essential Oils, with Emphasis on Curcuma longa L. and Its Components
Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), known as sleeping sickness and caused by Trypanosoma brucei, is threatening low-income populations in sub-Saharan African countries with 61 million people at risk of infection. In order to discover new natural products against HAT, thirty-seven Vietnamese essential oils (EOs) were screened for their activity in vitro on Trypanosoma brucei brucei (Tbb) and cytotoxicity on mammalian cells (WI38, J774). Based on the selectivity indices (SIs), the more active and selective EOs were analyzed by gas chromatography. The anti-trypanosomal activity and cytotoxicity of some major compounds (isolated or commercial) were also determined. Our results showed for the first time the selective anti-trypanosomal effect of four EOs, extracted from three Zingiberaceae species (Curcuma longa, Curcuma zedoaria, and Zingiber officinale) and one Lauraceae species (Litsea cubeba) with IC50 values of 3.17 ± 0.72, 2.51 ± 1.08, 3.10 ± 0.08, and 2.67 ± 1.12 nL/mL respectively and SI > 10. Identified compounds accounted for more than 85% for each of them. Among the five major components of Curcuma longa EO, curlone is the most promising anti-trypanosomal candidate with an IC50 of 1.38 ± 0.45 µg/mL and SIs of 31.7 and 18.2 compared to WI38 and J774 respectively.