New 2-arylbenzofurans from the root bark of Artocarpus gomezianus and their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Artocarpus gomezianus (Moraceae) from Xishuangbanna, China

Artocarpus gomezianus is a medicinal species native to Asia. To infer its phylogenetic relationship to the other Moraceae, the complete chloroplast genome of A. gomezianus was sequenced. The whole chloroplast genome is 160,743 bp in length, consisting of a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 25,691 bp, one large single-copy (LSC) region of 89,241 bp, and one small singlecopy (SSC) region of 20,120 bp. The overall GC content of the complete chloroplast genome is 35.81%. Maximum likelihood analysis using 11 complete plastomes of the Moraceae and Cannabis sativa (Cannabaceae) designated as the outgroup, resolved A. gomezianus in a clade with A. petelotii and A. hypargyreus. These phylogenetic results are not consistent with previous findings based on nuclear loci in which A. gomezianus was grouped as a sister to a clade containing A. petelotii and A. hypargyreus. The complete chloroplast genome of A. gomezianus will provide a powerful tool to accelerate pharmacological development, systematics, and future phylogenetic studies in the Moraceae.

Structural revision of sesbagrandiflorains A and B, and synthesis and biological evaluation of 6-methoxy-2-arylbenzofuran derivatives

Sesbagrandiflorains A (1) and B (2), isolated from the stem bark of the Indonesian fabaceous plant Sesbania grandiflora, were reported to be 6-methoxy-2-(2´,3´-dihydroxy-5´-methoxyphenyl)-1-benzofuran-3-carbaldehyde and 6-hydroxy-2-(2´,3´-dihydroxy-5´-methoxyphenyl)-1-benzofuran-3-carbaldehyde, respectively. However, based on reevaluation of their 1D and 2D NMR data, the chemical structures of 1 and 2 have been revised to 4-hydroxy-2-(4´-hydroxy-2´-methoxyphenyl)-6-methoxybenzofuran-3-carbaldehyde and 4-hydroxy-2-(4´-hydroxy-2´-hydroxyphenyl)-6-methoxybenzofuran-3-carbaldehyde, respectively. In addition, seven new derivatives of 1 have been synthesized from the natural product in good yields (65 - 93%). The chemical structures of the synthetic compounds-one diester (6), four ethers (7-10), one secondary amine (11), and one oxime (12)-were confirmed by MS and NMR analysis. Compound 6 exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against the plant pathogen Rhodococcus fascians with a MIC of 0.1 mg/mL. Compounds 8 and 12 demonstrated respectable cytotoxicity against A375 melanoma cancer cells line with the relative IC₅₀ values of 22.8 and 32.7 μM, respectively.

Efficient access to fluorescent benzofuro[3,2-b]carbazoles via TFA-promoted cascade annulations of sulfur ylides, 2-hydroxy-β-nitrostyrenes and indoles

An efficient, TFA-promoted cascade annulation of sulfur ylides, 2-hydroxy-β-nitrostyrenes and indoles was established.

Isolation of naturally occurring novel isoflavonoids: an update

This review covers the literature concerning the isolation and identification of new naturally occurring isoflavonoids from Leguminosae and non-Leguminous species between 2012–2017.

Mechanism of Lakoochin A Inducing Apoptosis of A375.S2 Melanoma Cells through Mitochondrial ROS and MAPKs Pathway

Malignant melanoma is developed from pigment-containing cells, melanocytes, and primarily found on the skin. Malignant melanoma still has a high mortality rate, which may imply a lack of therapeutic agents. Lakoochin A, a compound isolated from Artocarpus lakoocha and Artocarpus xanthocarpus, has an inhibitory function of tyrosinase activity and melanin production, but the anti-cancer effects are still unclear. In the current study, the therapeutic effects of lakoochin A with their apoptosis functions and possible mechanisms were investigated on A375.S2 melanoma cells. Several methods were applied, including 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), flow cytometry, and immunoblotting. Results suggest that lakoochin A attenuated the growth of A375.S2 melanoma cells through an apoptosis mechanism. Lakoochin A first increase the production of cellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROSs); mitochondrial ROSs then promote mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) pathway activation and raise downstream apoptosis-related protein and caspase expression. This is the first study to demonstrate that lakoochin A, through ROS-MAPK, apoptosis-related proteins, caspases cascades, can induce melanoma cell apoptosis and may be a potential candidate compound for treating malignant melanoma.