A new unusual iridoid with inhibition of activator protein-1 (AP-1) from the leaves of Morinda citrifolia L

Neuroprotective effects of Morinda officinalis How.: Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant roles in Alzheimer’s disease

Pharmacological studies have shown that some traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have applications in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Morinda officinalis How. (MO) is a TCM with a long history and is widely used to tonify kidney Yang. In vitro and in vivo experiments have suggested that MO contains various effective pharmaceutical components and chemicals, including oligosaccharides, anthraquinones, iridoids, flavonoids, amino acids, and trace elements, conferring MO with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are undoubtedly hallmarks of neurodegeneration, contributing to AD progression. In this mini-review, we summarize the molecular mechanisms, structure-activity relationships, and potential synergistic and antagonistic effects of active components in MO. This discussion highlights the roles of these active components, such as oligosaccharides, anthraquinones, and iridoid glycosides, in the treatment of AD via anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms, providing a scientific basis for further utilization of MO.

Indian Morinda species: A review

Morinda is a largest genus of Rubiaceae family, and its 11 species are found in India. In India, plant species are known by several common names as great morinda, Indian mulberry, noni, beach mulberry and cheese fruit. Various Morinda products (capsules, tablets, skin products and fruit juices) are available in the market, used by people for treatment of several health complaints. A diversity of phytochemicals including iridoids, flavonoids, flavonoid glycosides, anthraquinones, coumarins, lignanas, noniosides, phenolics and triterpenoids have been reported from Morinda species. Morinda species are used in the treatment of inflammation, cancer, diabetes, psyquiatric disorders, and bacterial and viral infections. The noni fruit juice (Morinda citrifolia) and its products are used clinically in the treatment of cancer, hypertension and cervical spondylosis affecting patients. M. citrifolia fuit juice, with different doses, is used in the maintaining blood pressure and reducing of superoxides, HDL and LDL levels. Similarly, oligosaccharide capsules and tablets of root extract of M. officinalis are recommended as medicine for the treatment of kidney problems and sexual dysfunctions of patients. The toxicological studies revealed that higher doses of fruit juice (4,000 or 5,000 mg/kg) of M. citrifolia for 2 or more months cause toxic effects on liver and kidneys. M. officinalis root extracts (ethanolic and aqueous) are found fully safe during treatment of diseases. A large number of reviews are available on M. citrifolia but very few studies are conducted on other Indian Morinda species. This review reports the comprehensive knowledge on state-wise distribution, botany, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, clinical applications and toxicological evaluations of 11 species of Morinda found in India.

The isolation and structural elucidation of a new iridoid glycoside from Cymbaria dahurica L

A new iridoid glycoside, namely, cymdahoside A (1), together with two known ones, 2 and 3, were isolated from the EtOAc extract of Cymbaria dahurica. The structure elucidation of 1 was carried out by one-dimensional (1D) NMR (1H and 13C NMR) and 2D NMR (correlation spectroscopy, heteronuclear single-quantum coherence, heteronuclear multiple-bond correlation and nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy) spectral analyses.

Small molecule inhibitors targeting activator protein 1 (AP-1)

Activator protein 1 (AP-1) is a pivotal transcription factor that regulates a wide range of cellular processes including proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, survival, cell migration, and transformation. Accumulating evidence supports that AP-1 plays an important role in several severe disorders including cancer, fibrosis, and organ injury, as well as inflammatory disorders such as asthma, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis. AP-1 has emerged as an actively pursued drug discovery target over the past decade. Excitingly, a selective AP-1 inhibitor T-5224 (51) has been investigated in phase II human clinical trials. Nevertheless, no effective AP-1 inhibitors have yet been approved for clinical use. Despite significant advances achieved in understanding AP-1 biology and function, as well as the identification of small molecules modulating AP-1 associated signaling pathways, medicinal chemistry efforts remain an urgent need to yield selective and efficacious AP-1 inhibitors as a viable therapeutic strategy for human diseases.

Antitumor activity of fermented noni exudates and its fractions

Noni has been extensively used in folk medicine by Polynesians for over 2000 year. Recent studies have shown that noni has a wide spectrum of therapeutic activities including inhibition of angiogenesis, anti-inflammatory effects and anti-cancer activities. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of fermented noni exudates (fNE) were previously found to induce significant tumor rejection in a S180 mouse sarcoma tumor model, while natural killer (NK) cells were demonstrated to be markedly involved in fNE-induced antitumor activity. In this study, fNE was partitioned into three fractions and their antitumor effects were examined using i.p. injection or as water supplement. The in vivo animal study results showed that when delivered by i.p. injection, n-butanol fraction of fNE (BuOH) effectively rejected (100%) tumor challenge and eradicated existing tumors (75%). When delivered as a water supplement, 62.5% of the mice receiving the n-butanol or ethyl acetate fractions resisted tumor cells. The tumor-resistant mice effectively rejected more and higher doses of tumor challenge, indicating that the immune system was activated. The findings confirm those of an earlier study showing fNE to have anti-tumor activity and demonstrating that the n-butanol fraction of fNE contains active antitumor components, to be further identified. More importantly, the antitumor effect of fNE and its fractions as water supplements renders a significant potential for identifying novel and powerful new dietary products for cancer prevention.

Two new phenylpropanoids and one propanoate from Morinda citrifolia

Two new phenylpropanoids, methyl 3-(2,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxyphenyl)propionate (1) and butyl 3-(2,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxyphenyl)propionate (2), and one unusual propanoate, 5-hydroxyhexyl 2-hydroxypropanoate (3), were isolated from the fruits of Morinda citrifolia. Their structures were established using MS and NMR methods.

Chemical components of the roots of Noni (Morinda citrifolia) and their cytotoxic effects

Roots of Morinda citrifolia (Noni or Yor in Thai) have been used traditionally for thousands of years to treat chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. In this study, three new anthraquinones together with 15 known compounds were isolated from the roots of M. citrifolia (Rubiaceae). Their structures were established by spectroscopic methods, particularly 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Six known compounds, together with two new compounds (2 and 3) showed significant inhibitory effects on the proliferation of human lung and colon cancer cells.

Review of the ethnobotany, chemistry, biological activity and safety of the botanical dietary supplement Morinda citrifolia (noni)

Morinda citrifolia, commonly called noni, has a long history as a medicinal plant and its use as a botanical dietary supplement has grown tremendously in recent years. This has prompted a concomitant increase in research on the phytochemical constituents and biological activity of noni. A relatively large number of scientific publications on noni have been published in recent years, including a number of review articles. The goals of this review are to provide an updated categorization of the phytochemical constituents found in noni and to provide perspective for its extensive utilization as a major botanical dietary supplement. Included herein are a comprehensive list of known ethnobotanical uses and common names of M. citrifolia, a brief summary of relevant biological studies and a discussion of the safety of noni as a supplement.

Simultaneous characterisation and quantitation of flavonol glycosides and aglycones in noni leaves using a validated HPLC-UV/MS method

The leaves of Morinda citrifolia L. (noni) have been utilized in a variety of commercial products marketed for their health benefits. This paper reports on a rapid and selective HPLC method for simultaneous characterization and quantitation of four flavonols in an ethanolic extract of noni leaves by using dual detectors of UV (365nm) and ESI-MS (negative mode). The limits of detection and quantitation were between 0.012 and 0.165μg/mL. The intra- and inter-assay precisions, in terms of percent relative standard deviation, are less than 4.38% and 3.50%, respectively. The accuracy, in terms of recovery percentage, ranged from 96.66% to 100.03%. Good linearity (correlation coefficient >0.999) for each calibration curve of standards was achieved in the range investigated. The contents of four flavonoids in the noni leaves varied from 1.16 to 371.6mg/100g dry weight.

Revision of the Structures of Citrifolinin A, Citrifolinoside, Yopaaoside A, Yopaaoside B, and Morindacin, Iridoids from Morinda citrifolia L. and Morinda coreia Ham

[Structure: see text] Citrifolin A was revised to dehydromethoxygaertneroside (2). Citrifolinoside and yopaaoside A were found to be identical, and their structures were revised to the new structure dehydroepoxymethoxygaertneroside (5). Yopaaoside B was revised to citrifolinoside A (9), and morindacin was revised to borreriagenin (11).

New anthraquinone and iridoid from the fruits of Morinda citrifolia

From the fruits of Morinda citrifolia L., one new anthraquinone, 5,15-O-dimethylmorindol, together with five known anthraquinones and one new iridoid, morindacin, together with two known iridoids, were isolated. Their structures were elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data.

New unusual iridoids from the leaves of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) show inhibitory effect on ultraviolet B-induced transcriptional activator protein-1 (AP-1) activity

A novel iridoid dimer in whose structure the two iridoid units are connected by a rare ether group, together with two new unusual iridoids showing significant inhibition of UVB-induced Activator Protein-1 (AP-1) activity in cell cultures, have been isolated from the leaves of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.). Their structures were determined on the basis of detailed high-field 1D and 2D spectral analysis. Their inhibitory effect on UVB-induced transcriptional Activator Protein-1 (AP-1) activity are also discussed.