Methyl Pothoscandensate, a New ent-18(4→3)-Abeokaurane from Pothos scandens

Isolation and antimicrobial activity of secondary metabolites of pothos tener wall

The Pothos genus is extensively utilised in traditional medicine in China and India. An underexplored species of Pothos tener Wall was identified in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Antimicrobial activity was assessed using microdilutions and streak plates against Staphylococcus aureus, Eschericia coli, Aeromonas hydrophila, Aspergillus niger, and Candida albicans. Significant effectiveness was observed in the methanol extract, as indicated by the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) values for three different extracts (methanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane) of P. tener. The isolates obtained were structurally analysed using Ultraviolet (UV)-spectroscopy, Fourier-transform Infra Red-Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Mass Spectroscopy (MS), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and antimicrobial testing after undergoing fractionation and subfractionation. The isolate obtained was stigmasterol with moderate antimicrobial activity against A. niger and A. hydrophila, with MIC equivalent to MBC of 500 µg/ml. The first report of stigmasterol from P. tener has potent antimicrobial properties, bolstering empirical data in this field.

Modified Abietane Diterpenoids from Whole Plants of Selaginella moellendorffii

A new modified abietane diterpenoid, (3S,4S,5R,10S)-18(4→3)-abeo-3,4,12,18-tetrahydroxy-8,11,13-abietatrien-7-one (1), and two novel dimers, selaginedorffones A (2) and B (3), featuring a new cyclohexene moiety that was biogenetically constructed from two modified abietane diterpenoids through a Diels-Alder reaction were obtained from a methanolic extract of Selaginella moellendorffii, a traditional Chinese herb. The structures of 1-3 were identified by a combination of NMR spectroscopic analysis and ECD calculations. In the present study, diterpenoids were identified from S. moellendorffii for the first time, which supports the presence of diterpene synthases in this plant. These three diterpenoids (1-3) were evaluated for their growth-inhibitory activities against several human cancer cell lines. Of these substances, selaginedorffone B (3) showed cytotoxicity against the MCF-7 human-breast-cancer-cell line (IC₅₀ 9.0 μM).

In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of Pothos scandens extract in RAW 264.7 cells

Pothos scandens, an edible plant, has been traditionally used for reducing swelling and treating wounds, muscle catches, sprains, bone fractures, blisters, and diarrhea. P. scandens ethanol extract (PSE) was evaluated for its anti-inflammatory potential in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine RAW 264.7 cells. Present studies showed that PSE reduced the mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, followed by a decrease in production of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E₂. In addition, the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β was suppressed by PSE treatment. Immunoblotting analyses demonstrated that PSE inhibited the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 protein, without altering the phosphorylation of inhibitor of κBα, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p38 protein kinase. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that P. scandens exhibited anti-inflammatory activity, which might be useful for the development of anti-inflammatory agents.

Phenolic constituents of the Bangladeshi medicinal plant Pothos scandens and their anti-estrogenic, hyaluronidase inhibition, and histamine release inhibitory activities

Extracts from the stem and roots of the Bangladeshi medicinal plant Pothos scandens L. (Araceae) were isolated, and three hemiterpene glucoside aromatic esters, pothobanosides A (1), B (2), and C (3), and a phenylisobutanoid, pothobanol (4), along with 14 known compounds, were characterized. The isolates were tested for their estrogenic/anti-estrogenic activity using the estrogen-responsive human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and T47D, and syringoyl derivatives (2, 3, and canthoside B) showed strong inhibitory activity against both cell lines. Their less oxygenated analogs (1, and markhamioside F) were almost inactive. The isolates were also evaluated for hyaluronidase and histamine release inhibitory activities, and pothobanoside A (1) showed significant hyaluronidase inhibitory activity among the isolated compounds, which was similar to that of the positive control rosmarinic acid. Because hyaluronidase produces an angiogenic response that has been implicated in tumor invasiveness and metastasis, 1 could be valuable as an anti-tumor compound with a different mechanism of action from related compounds (2, 3). Pothobanoside C (3) and pothobanol (4) were also found to inhibit histamine release to a similar degree to the positive control epigallocatechin 3-O-(3"-O-methyl)-gallate. The histamine release inhibitory potency of these isolates may support the traditional uses of this plant in folk medicine.

Chemical constituents of Arisaema franchetianum tubers

A novel pyrrolidine alkaloid, (2R*,3S*,5S*)-N,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-5-(10-phenyldecyl)pyrrolidine (1), and 17 known compounds were isolated from Arisaema franchetianum Engl. (Araceae) tubers. The 17 compounds were bergenin (2), emodin (3), caffeic acid (4), nobiletin (5), 3-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-hederagenin 28-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl(1 → 6)-β-d-galactopyranosyl ester (6), coniferin (7), qingyangshengenin (8), methylconiferin (9), syringaresinol 4'-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (10), gagaminine (11), perlolyrine (12), (S)-1-(1'-hydroxyethyl)-β-carboline (13), 1-(β-carboline-1-yl)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-1-pentanone (14), 1-methoxycarbonyl-β-carboline (15), indolo[2,3-α]carbazole (16), 4-hydroxycinnamic acid methyl ester (17), and methyl 4-[2-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethyl] ferulate (18). The inhibitory activities of compound 1 and its N-methyl derivative (1a) against porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus (PRRSV), human leukemic K562 cells, and human breast cancer MCF-7 cells were evaluated. Compounds 1 [50% inhibited concentration (IC(50)) = 12.5 ± 0.6 μM] and 1a (IC(50) = 15.7 ± 0.9 μM) were cytotoxic against K562 cells. Compound 1a also had a weak effect on PRRSV with an IC(50) value of 31.9 ± 6.0 μM [selectivity index (SI) = 18.7].