Polyhydroxyl guaianolide terpenoids as potential NF-кB inhibitors induced cytotoxicity in human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line

Anti-inflammatory discovery of sesquiterpenoids and a jasmonic acid derivative from Artemisia stolonifera

Eleven previously undescribed sesquiterpenoids (8-18), one undescribed jasmonic acid derivative (35) and 28 known compounds were isolated from the leaves of Artemisia stolonifera. Undescribed compounds with their absolute configurations were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and ECD calculation. Compound 8 was identified as a rare sesquiterpenoid featuring a rearranged 5/8 bicyclic ring system, whereas compound 17 was found to be an unprecedented monocyclic sesquiterpenoid with methyl rearrangement. Evaluation of biological activity showed that compounds 1-5 and 7 displayed cytotoxicity against six tumor cells. In the meantime, compounds 11, 12, 18 and 35 exhibited inhibitory effects against LPS-stimulated NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and reduced the transcription of IL-6 and IL-1β in a dose-dependent manner at 25, 50 and 100 μM. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory-based network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses revealed potential target proteins of 11, 12, 18 and 35.

Gastroprotective effect of eupatilin, a polymethoxyflavone from Artemisia argyi H.Lév. & Vaniot, in ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury via NF-κB signaling pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Artemisia argyi H.Lév. & Vaniot (AA) has been extensively utilized as an important medicine and food homology in China, Japan, Korea, and eastern parts of Russia, owing to its pharmacological effects, which include anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antitussive, and antiallergic properties. Despite the extract of AA can significantly alleviate gastric mucosal injury, its precise material basis for effectiveness is not yet clear. As one of the polymethoxy flavonoids with high content in AA, the gastroprotective activity and molecular mechanism of eupatilin (EUP) require further investigation.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to investigate the gastroprotective effects and possible mechanisms of EUP by using an ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury model in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

EUP was isolated from 95% ethanol extract of AA using a systematic phytochemical method. The gastroprotective activity of EUP was evaluated using a male SD rat model with ethanol-induced gastric mucosa injury. Histopathology evaluation of gastric tissues was performed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The levels of cytokines in the plasma and tissues were tested using the ELISA kits, while western blot analysis was employed to assess the expressions of COX-2, iNOS, and NF-κB pathway proteins.

RESULTS

A sufficient amount of EUP was obtained from AA through chromatographic methods and identified by NMR experiment. In vivo, experimental results proved that EUP could significantly alleviate pathological features, increased SOD, GSH, and IL-10 levels, and decreased the contents of MDA, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Further in vitro and in vivo Western blot experimental results showed that EUP significantly down-regulates the expressions of the NF-κB signal pathway to relieve inflammatory responses.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that EUP could exert gastroprotective effects by inhibiting inflammation, enhancing gastric mucosal defense, and ameliorating oxidative stress, which is beneficial for providing scientific data for the development of gastric protection.

Sesquiterpenoids from aged Artemisia argyi and their 3D-QSAR for anti-HBV activity

Artemisia argyi Levl. Et Vant, commonly known as "Chinese Mugwort," has been utilized in traditional Chinese medicine and cuisine for centuries. Aged Chinese Mugwort has been uncovered to possess superior quality and safety, and its ethyl acetate extract has been found to exhibit anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity. In this study, twenty-five sesquiterpenoids were isolated and characterized from three-year-aged A. argyi. Among them, 14 previously undescribed sesquiterpenoids (1-14), featuring double bond oxidation or ring opening. It is hypothesized that during the aging process, sesquiterpenes undergo oxidative transformation of their double bonds to form alcohols due to external factors and inherent properties. The anti-HBV activity and cytotoxicity of all compounds were assessed in vitro using HepG 2.2.15 cells, and their structure-activity relationships were analyzed through three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QASR) techniques. The α-methylene-γ-lactone sesquiterpenoid derivatives were discovered to have potent inhibitory activity against HBV. This research may broaden the potential applications of Chinese Mugwort and offer further guidance for its development and utilization as functional food or traditional Chinese medicine.

Activity-guided isolation and identification of antiherpesvirus and antineuroinflammatory active terpenoids from Artemisia vulgaris L. based on the LC-MS/MS molecular network

Seven undescribed terpenoids, comprising two guaiane-type sesquiterpene lactones (1-2), one eucalyptol-type sesquiterpene (3), one monolactone (4), and three triterpenoids (5-7), along with 35 known analogues, were isolated from the leaves of Artemisia vulgaris L. Their structures and configurations were analysed by extensive spectroscopy. Compounds 1, 2, 8-10, 13, 17, 19, and 28 showed antineuroinflammatory activity, and compounds 1 and 2 revealed remarkable antineuroinflammatory effects, with an IC50 value of 2.2 ± 0.1 and 1.6 ± 0.1 μM, more potent than the positive control drug dexamethasone. Furthermore, compounds 1 and 2 could inhibit the expression of BV-2 inflammatory genes (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β) induced by LPS, downregulate the critical inflammatory protein production of iNOS and COX-2. The anti-HSV-1 activity screening revealed that compounds 28, 29 and 38 exhibited inhibitory activity against HSV-1 proliferation. Particularly, compound 28 exhibited a significant anti-HSV-1 effect, inhibiting the proliferation of HSV-1 and acyclovir-resistant strains of HSV-1/153 and HSV-1/Blue. Our research identified compounds 1, 2, and 28 from A. vulgaris., which could potentially serve as lead compounds for antineuroinflammatory and anti-HSV-1 activities.

Artemdubinoids A-N: novel sesquiterpenoids with antihepatoma cytotoxicity from Artemisia dubia

In pursuit of effective agents for hepatocellular carcinoma derived from the Artemisia species, this study built upon initial findings that an ethanol (EtOH) extract and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of the aerial parts of Artemisia dubia Wall. ex Bess. exhibited cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells with inhibitory rates of 57.1% and 84.2% (100 μg·mL-1), respectively. Guided by bioactivity, fourteen previously unidentified sesquiterpenes, artemdubinoids A-N (1-14), were isolated from the EtOAc fraction. Their structural elucidation was achieved through comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and corroborated by the comparison between the experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Single crystal X-ray diffraction provided definitive structure confirmation for artemdubinoids A, D, F, and H. Artemdubinoids A and B (1-2) represented unique sesquiterpenes featuring a 6/5-fused bicyclic carbon scaffold, and their putative biosynthetic pathways were discussed; artemdubinoid C (3) was a novel guaianolide derivative that might be formed by the [4 + 2] Diels-Alder reaction; artemdubinoids D and E (4-5) were rare 1,10-seco-guaianolides; artemdubinoids F-K (6-11) were chlorine-containing guaianolides. Eleven compounds exhibited cytotoxicity against three human hepatoma cell lines (HepG2, Huh7, and SK-Hep-1) with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values spanning 7.5-82.5 μmol·L-1. Artemdubinoid M (13) exhibited the most active cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 14.5, 7.5 and 8.9 μmol·L-1 against the HepG2, Huh7, and SK-Hep-1 cell lines, respectively, which were equivalent to the positive control, sorafenib.

Chemical constituents and biological activities of Artemisia argyi H.Lév. & vaniot

Artemisia argyi is a widely distributed and inexpensive plant resource, and study on its chemical compositions and biological activities will provide an important basis for its food applications and pharmaceutical developments. In this study, fourteen known guaiane-type sesquiterpenes (1-14), four known eudesmane-type sesquiterpenes (15-18), two known germacranolide-type sesquiterpenes (19, 20), and eight other types of terpenoids (20-28) were isolated from the leaves of A. argyi by polyamide and ODS CC and HPLC. The structures of all compounds are determined by 1 D NMR (¹H-NMR、¹³C-NMR) and literature comparison. Among them, compounds 1 and 8 were isolated from Chinese folk medicine A. argyi for the first time. Besides, the LPS-induced RAW264.7 cell model has been evaluated the anti-inflammatory activities in vitro by the Griess reagent. The results indicated that the guaianolide sesquiterpenoids obtained from A. argyi have an excellent ability to inhibit NO production, especially Argyin A, a guaianolide sesquiterpenoid with isovaleryloxy substitution.

Chlorine-containing guaianolide sesquiterpenoids from Achillea millefolium L. with inhibitory effects against LPS-induced NO release in BV-2 microglial cells

Chlorine-containing guaianolide sesquiterpenoids are rare natural compounds that are mainly derived from plants of the Asteraceae family. Our previous investigations on the whole plant of Achillea millefolium L. resulted in the discovery of two chlorine-containing guaianolide sesquiterpenoids. In the present study, a LC‒MS tracking strategy based on the characteristic isotropic peak of atomic chlorine was employed to isolate nine undescribed chlorine-containing guaianolide sesquiterpenoids, Millefolactons B1-B9, from A. millefolium L.. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis, and the corresponding absolute configurations were determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography and ECD data analysis. Millefolactons B2-B7 displayed inhibitory activities against LPS-induced NO release in BV-2 microglial cells.

Sesquiterpene lactones from Artemisia vulgaris L. as potential NO inhibitors in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells

Twelve new guaianolide sesquiterpene lactones (1–12), along with ten known analogs (13–22) were isolated from an EtOH extract of the dried aerial parts of Artemisia vulgaris L. The new structures were elucidated via abundant spectroscopic data analyses (HRESIMS, IR, 1D, and 2D NMR), and the absolute configurations of these compounds were determined by X-ray crystallography and ECD calculations. The compounds (1−22) were identified as guaiane-type sesquiterpenes with characteristic α-methylene-γ-lactone and α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moieties. All compounds were tested for their inhibitory activity against NO production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. The isolated sesquiterpenoids dose-dependently exhibited an NO production inhibitory activity by inhibiting the expression of inducible NO oxidase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) with IC₅₀ values ranging from 1.0 to 3.6 μM. The inhibitory effect on the NO production of the compounds (1–4 and 6–22) is better than that of the positive control (dexamethasone). The different substitutions of compounds on C-8 influence anti-inflammatory effects, as evidenced by the in silico analysis of related binding interactions of new compounds (1–12) with iNOS.

Guaianolide sesquiterpenes and benzoate esters from the aerial parts of Siegesbeckia orientalis L. and their xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity

Five undescribed (four guaianolide sesquiterpenes and a benzoate ester derivative) and seven known compounds were isolated from the aerial parts of S. orientalis L. Their chemical structures were determined by extensive analysis of HR-ESI-MS and NMR spectroscopic methods. Absolute configurations were elucidated by experimental and TD-DFT calculated ECD spectra. Twelve isolated compounds exhibited potential xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.76 ± 0.17 μM to 31.80 ± 0.97 μM. Molecular docking studies predicted that the binding energies of all isolated compounds with xanthine oxidase were lower than that of the positive control allopurinol. Benzyl 2-hydroxy-6-O-β-D-glucopyranosylbenzoate and benzyl 2-methoxy-6-O-β-D-glucopyranosylbenzoate displayed not only the best docking score but also the highest in vitro xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ values of 0.76 ± 0.17 μM and 0.98 ± 0.26 μM, respectively.

Guaianolide Sesquiterpenes With Significant Antiproliferative Activities From the Leaves of Artemisia argyi

Four new guaiane-type sesquiterpenes, argyin H–K (1–4), and two known analogues (5 and 6) were isolated from the leaves of Artemisia argyi Lévl et Vant. The new compounds were characterized by the basic analysis of the spectroscopic data obtained (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, HMBC, and NOESY experiments), and their absolute configurations were determined by empirical approaches, combined with the exciton chirality method and electronic circular dichroism calculations. To further understand the antitumor effects of A. argyi, the antiproliferative activities of these compounds against A549, MCF-7, and HepG2 cell lines were tested in vitro using CCK-8 assays. The results showed that these compounds had significant antiproliferative effects on MCF-7, with IC₅₀ values of 15.13–18.63 μM, which were superior to that of oxaliplatin (i.e., IC₅₀ 22.20 μM).