New triterpenoid saponins from Maesa japonica

Suppressive, Curative, and Prophylactic Effects of Maesa lanceolata Forssk. against Rodent Malaria Parasite Plasmodium berghei

The artemisinin partial resistance is believed to be spread to artemisinin-based combination therapy partner drugs. As a result, new antiplasmodial compounds are required to treat resistant malaria infections. In the invention of antimalarial substances, claimed medical plants are precious resources. So, the current study was designed to assess the antiplasmodial effects of Maesa lanceolata in mice. In this study, preliminary phytoconstituent and in vivo acute oral toxicity tests were done. Early infection, established infection, and residual infection tests were employed to determine the antimalarial effects of the test drugs. Three doses (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg) of the extracts were provided orally to the test mice. Analysis of variance (one-way) followed by post hoc Tukey's test was used to analyze the difference between and within groups. Terpenoids, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, and alkaloids were detected in the phytochemical constituent analysis. Both 80% methanolic crude extract and solvent fractions had no toxic result at the 2000 mg/kg dose. All test drug doses suppressed parasite levels in a significant manner at all tests. The activity of chloroform fraction (maximum percentage suppression, 81.28%) overwhelms the crude extract activity. The curative effects of 80% methanolic crude extract, with a maximum of 80.22% parasitemia suppression, were greater than its suppressive and prophylactic effects. The 400 mg/kg dose of chloroform fraction resulted in a maximum survival period (18 days) than other doses of tested materials. The results of this investigation provide support for the activity of M. lanceolata leaf extract against malaria.

New Polyesterified Ursane Derivatives from Leaves of Maesa membranacea and Their Cytotoxic Activity

Maesa membranacea A. DC. (Primulaceae) is a plant species that has been frequently used by practitioners of the traditional ethnobotany knowledge from northern and central Vietnam. However, the chemical constituents of the plant remained unknown until recently. Chromatographic separation of a chloroform-soluble fraction of extract from leaves of M. membranacea led to the isolation of two new polyesterified ursane triterpenes (1–2) and two known apocarotenoids: (+)-dehydrovomifoliol (3) and (+)-vomifoliol (4). The chemical structures of the undescribed triterpenoids were elucidated using 1D and 2D MNR and HRESIMS spectral data as 2α,6β,22α-triacetoxy-11α-(2-methylbutyryloxy)-urs-12-ene-3α,20β-diol (1) and 2α,6β,22α-triacetoxy-urs-12-ene-3α,11α,20β-triol (2). The newly isolated triterpenoids were tested for their cytotoxic activity in vitro against two melanoma cell lines (HTB140 and A375), normal skin keratinocytes (HaCaT), two colon cancer cell lines (HT29 and Caco-2), two prostate cancer cell lines (DU145 and PC3) and normal prostate epithelial cells (PNT-2). Doxorubicin was used as a reference cytostatic drug. The 2α,6β,22α-triacetoxy-11α-(2-methylbutyryloxy)-urs-12-ene-3α,20β-diol demonstrated cytotoxic activity against prostate cancer cell lines (Du145—IC₅₀ = 35.8 µg/mL, PC3—IC₅₀ = 41.6 µg/mL), and at a concentration of 100 µg/mL reduced viability of normal prostate epithelium (PNT-2) cells by 41%.

Discovery of New Triterpenoid Saponins Isolated from Maesa japonica with Antifungal Activity against Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

While searching for new antifungal compounds, we revealed that a methanol extract of plant species Maesa japonica has a potent antifungal activity in vivo against rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. To identify the antifungal substances, the methanol extract of M. japonica was extracted by organic solvents, and consequently, six active compounds were isolated from the n-butanol layer. The isolated compounds were five new acylated triterpenoid saponins including maejaposide I (1), maejaposides C-1, C-2, and C-3 (2-4), and maejaposide A-1 (5), along with a known one, maejaposide A (6). These chemical structures were determined by NMR and a comparison of their NMR and MS data with those reported in the literature. Based on the in vitro antifungal bioassay, the five compounds (2-6) exhibited strong antifungal activity against M. oryzae with MIC values ranging from 4 to 32 μg/mL, except for maejaposide I (1) (MIC > 250 μg/mL). When the compounds were evaluated at concentrations of 125, 250, and 500 μg/mL for an in vivo antifungal activity against rice blast, compounds 2-6 strongly reduced the development of blast by at least 85% to 98% compared to the untreated control. However, compound 1 did not show any in vivo antifungal activity up to a concentration of 500 μg/mL. Taken together, our results suggest that the methanol extract of M. japonica and the new acylated triterpenoid saponins can be used as a source for the development of natural fungicides.

Triterpene saponins of Maesa lanceolata stem wood

Phytochemical analysis of aqueous MeOH extract of Maesa lanceolata stem wood has led to the isolation of four new triterpene saponins characterized as 16α,21β-diacetoxy-22α-angeloyl-28-hydroxyolean-12-ene 3-O-[α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1″″ → 6‴)-β-glucopyranosyl-(1‴ → 3')][β-glucopyranosyl-(1″ → 2')]-β-glucuronopyranoside (1), 16α-acetoxy-21β-hydroxy-22α-angeloyl-13β,28-oxydoolean-28α-ol 3-O-[α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1″″ → 6‴)-β-glucopyranosyl-(1‴ → 4')][β-glucopyranosyl-(1″ → 2')]-α-arabinopyranoside (2), 16α-acetoxy-21β,22α-diangeloyl-13β,28-epoxyoleanane 3-O-[α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1″″ → 6‴)-β-glucopyranosyl-(1‴ → 4')][β-glucopyranosyl-(1″ → 2')]-β-xylopyranoside (3), and 16α,22α-diacetoxy-13β,28-oxydoolean-28α-ol 3-O-[β-glucopyranosyl-(1″ → 2')][β-glucopyranosyl-(1‴ → 3')]-β-glucuronopyranoside (4), together with the known compounds β-acetylamyrin, physcion, emodin, chrysophanol, ursolic acid, 16α-hydroxy-12-oleanene 3-O-glucoside, β-amyrin, sitosterol 3-O-β-glucoside, stigmasterol, and 3β,28-dihydroxyolean-12-ene. Their structural elucidation was accomplished by homo- and heteronuclear 2D NMR technique as well as comparison with data from known compounds. The in vitro antibacterial activity of the aqueous MeOH extract was also investigated and zones of inhibition ranging from 32 ± 1.1 to 14 ± 0.2 mm were observed. Among the isolates, compound 1 was the most active with an minimum inhibitory concentration value of 25 μg/ml against Staphylococcus aureus.

LC-MS analysis of 13,28-epoxy-oleanane saponins in Maesa spp. extracts with antileishmanial activity

INTRODUCTION

Saponins are natural products that are well known for a wide range of biological activities. For saponins of Maesa balansae, selective antileishmanial activity has been described.

OBJECTIVE

In view of their pharmacological interest, several Maesa species from the National Botanical Garden of Meise (Belgium) and wild-grown plants from Vietnam were screened for their antileishmanial potential and saponin content.

METHODOLOGY

Different parts of the plants (mainly leaves and twigs) were collected, dried and extracted. Plant extracts were evaluated by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) using electrospray ionisation in the negative ion mode and their saponin content was compared with those of Maesa balansae (maesabalides) and Maesa lanceolata (maesasaponins).

RESULTS

Several Maesa species (M. ambigua, M. argentea, M. brevipaniculata, M. japonica and M. perlarius) showed potent antileishmanial activity (<0.1 microg/mL) and indeed contained known maesasaponins and maesabalides. However the leaves of M. argentea also revealed two new compounds. Two saponins with [M - H]- ions at m/z 1465 and 1477 were characterised. Their mass spectrometric fragmentation pattern revealed a structure that was the same or closely related to maesasaponin V.3 and VI.2, respectively, but had a glycan part with one additional hexose residue.

CONCLUSION

Several known as well as new saponins from Maesa species active against leishmaniasis were characterised using LC-MS.

Novel furostanol saponins from the bulbs of Allium macrostemon B. and their bioactivity on [Ca2+]i increase induced by KCl

Chemical reinvestigation of the ethanol extract of the dried bulbs of Allium macrostemon B. led to the isolation of two novel furostanol saponins, named macrostemonoside M (1) and macrostemonoside N (2), together with six known saponins. The structures of new compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis including 1D and 2D NMR as (25R)-22-hydroxy-5beta-furostane-1beta,2beta,3beta,6alpha-tetraol-26-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and 22-hydroxy-5beta-furost-25-(27)-ene-1beta,2beta,3beta,6alpha-tetraol-26-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, respectively. The pharmacological activities of all the saponins on [Ca2+]i increase induced by KCl were evaluated.

Biological activities and distribution of plant saponins

Plant saponins are widely distributed amongst plants and have a wide range of biological properties. The more recent investigations and findings into their biological activities were summarized. Isolation studies of saponins were examined to determine which are the more commonly studied plant families and in which families saponins have been identified.

In vitro and in vivo activities of a triterpenoid saponin extract (PX-6518) from the plant Maesa balansae against visceral leishmania species

The in vitro and in vivo activities of a mixture of six oleane triterpene saponins, recovered from the methanolic extract of the leaves of the Vietnamese plant Maesa balansae (PX-6518), were evaluated against drug-sensitive visceral Leishmania strains. The in vitro 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) against intracellular Leishmania infantum amastigotes was 0.04 micro g/ml. The cytotoxic concentrations causing 50% cell death (CC(50)s) were about 1 micro g/ml in murine macrophage host cells and >32 micro g/ml in human fibroblasts (MRC-5 cell line). Evaluation in the Leishmania donovani BALB/c mouse model indicated that a single subcutaneous administration of 0.4 mg/kg at 1 day after infection reduced liver amastigote burdens by about 95% in all treated animals. If treatment was delayed until 14 days after infection, a dose of 1.6 mg/kg of body weight was required to maintain the same level of activity. Single 250-mg/kg doses of sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam) 1 and 14 days after infection produced comparable efficacies. A single dose of PX-6518 at 2.5 mg/kg administered 5 days before infection was still 100% effective in preventing liver infection, suggesting a particularly long residual action. Spleen and bone marrow could not be cleared by PX-6518 nor sodium stibogluconate. PX-6518 did not show activity after oral dosing at up to 200 mg/kg for 5 days. This study concludes that triterpenoid saponins from M. balansae show promising in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial potential and can be considered as new lead structures in the search for novel antileishmanial drugs.

New triterpenoid saponins from Maesa tenera

Two new triterpenoid saponins, maetenosides A and B were isolated from the aerial parts of Maesa tenera and were respectively defined as 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)][beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)]-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl camelliagenin A 22-O-angelate (1) and 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)][beta-o-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)]-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl camelliagenin A 22-O-angelate (2). Their structures were established on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic methods.