Structure elucidation and NMR assignments of two new flavanones from the roots of Artocarpus heterophyllus

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Cycloheterophyllin on Dinitrochlorobenzene-Induced Atopic Dermatitis in HaCaT Cells and BALB/c Mice

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a condition that makes skin red and itchy. Though common in children, the condition can occur at any age. Atopic dermatitis is persistent (chronic) and tends to recur periodically. It may be accompanied by asthma or hay fever. No cure has been found for eczema. Therefore, it is very important to develop ingredients that aid the prevention and treatment of atopic dermatitis. Cycloheterophyllin is derived from Artocarpus heterophyllus and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. However, it still is not understood whether cycloheterophyllin is an anti-atopic dermatitis agent. Keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) and BALB/c mice for inducing AD-like cutaneous lesions were used to evaluate the potential of cycloheterophyllin as an anti-atopic dermatitis agent. The release of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by treatment of TNF-α/IFN-γ was reduced after pretreatment with cycloheterophyllin. The inhibitory effects could be a contribution from the effect of the MAP kinases pathway. Moreover, the symptoms of atopic dermatitis (such as red skin and itching) were attenuated by pretreatment with cycloheterophyllin. Epidermal hyperplasia and mast cell infiltration were decreased in the histological section. Finally, damage to the skin barrier was also found to recover through assessment of transepidermal water loss. Taken together, prenylflavone-cycloheterophyllin from Artocarpus heterophyllus is a potential anti-atopic dermatitis ingredient that can be used in preventing or treating the condition.

Molecular level comparison of water extractives of maple and oak with negative and positive ion ESI FT-ICR mass spectrometry

Soluble extractives in wood function to protect living trees from destructive agents and also contribute to wood color and fragrance. Some extractive components have biological activities with medical applications. They also play important roles in wood processing and related applications. To increase the knowledge of wood chemistry, maple and oak were extracted by water. Ultraviolet/visible (UV/vis) spectroscopy indicated the presence of a phenolic compound, resorcinol, in maple extractives having higher molecular mass and more aromatic components than oak extractives. Negative and positive electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR-MS) identified thousands of formulas in the two samples in the m/z range of 200 to 800. They mainly fall into the lignin-like, carbohydrate-like, and tannin-like compound categories. The top 25 peaks (ie, formulas) with the highest relative magnitude in negative ESI represented nearly 50% of the summed total spectral magnitude of all formulas assigned in the maple and oak extractives. Furthermore, the base peak (ie, most abundant peak) accounted for about 14% of the total abundance in each wood sample. Literature comparisons identified 17 of 20 formulas in the top five peaks of the four spectra as specific bioactive compounds in trees and other plants, implying the potential to explore utilization of maple and oak extractives for functional and medicinal applications. The various profiling of the top 25 peaks from the two samples also suggested the possible application of FT-ICR-MS for detecting chemical markers useful in profiling and identification of wood types and sources.

Natural Products Research in China From 2015 to 2016

This review covers the literature published by chemists from China during the 2015-2016 on natural products (NPs), with 1,985 citations referring to 6,944 new compounds isolated from marine or terrestrial microorganisms, plants, and animals. The emphasis is on 730 new compounds with a novel skeleton or/and significant bioactivity, together with their source organism and country of origin.

Isoprenylated Phenolics from Roots of Artocarpus heterophyllus

Thirteen compounds were isolated from Artocarpus heterophyllus, including one new di-isoprenylated stilbene, (±)-artoheterin A (1), and twelve known isoprenylated phenolics, artocarbene (2), 3′,5′,2,4-tetrahydroxy-4′-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) stilbene (3), cudrastilbene (4), 3-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) luteolin (5), 5,7,2′,4′-tetrahydroxy-6-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) flavone (6), 6-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) apigenin (7), artochamin B (8), 5′-hydroxycudraflavone A (9), artonins A and B (10–11), heterophyllin (12), and 8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-6,7-dihydroxycoumarin (13). The structures of these compounds were identified by spectroscopic methods. All isolated compounds were screened for their inhibitory abilities against cathepsin K (CatK). Of them, compounds 1–4 and 8–13 were found to have suppression capabilities against CatK with IC50 values ranging from 1.9 to 73.7 μM.

Flavonoids from the roots of Artocarpus heterophyllus

Four new flavonoids, artoheteroids A-D (1-4), together with six known ones (5-10), were isolated from the roots of Artocarpus heterophyllus. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR, UV, IR, CD, and HR-ESI-MS. All isolated compounds were screened for their inhibitory abilities against cathepsin K (CatK). Among them, compounds 1-2, 4-6, and 10 were found to have suppression capabilities against CatK with IC₅₀ values ranging from 1.4 to 93.9μM.