A new morphinandienone alkaloid from the stems of Fissistigma tungfangense

Fissistigma oldhamii (Hemsl.) Merr.: Ethnomedicinal, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Aspects

The species Fissistigma oldhamii (Hemsl.) Merr. (Annonaceae) has long been used as a traditional herbal medicine in China to treat diverse human diseases. Decoctions from the roots of the plant (Guā Fù Mù) are used to treat body pain and inflammatory pathologies, such as rheumatic syndromes, sciatica, and osteoarthritis. The phytochemical content of the plant and the associated pharmacological activities have been analyzed. Seventy natural products were identified in the different parts of the plants, namely, the roots, stems, leaves, fruits, and seeds. The compounds comprise many tri- and tetracyclic alkaloids (aporphine-type), anthraquinones, terpenoids, flavonoids, and others. The pharmacological properties of these molecules were analyzed to point out the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and/or antimicrobial effects, together with the underlying modulated pathways and molecular targets in some cases. The panel of phytoconstituents present in F. oldhamii extracts is large, with the majority of bioactive products identified in the roots and stems. Multiple molecules can contribute to the anti-inflammatory properties of the extracts. Network pharmacology analyses of the phytoconstituents are needed to better delineate the effective components and their targets.

New sesquiterpene and flavone arabinofuranoside derivative from the leaves of Fissistigma bicolor

A new muurolane-type sesquiterpene, a new flavone arabinofuranoside derivative, and other five known flavone arabinofuranoside derivatives were isolated from the leaves of Fissistigma bicolor (Annonaceae family). Their chemical structures were determined to be (1S,6R,7S)-muurola-4,10(14)-diene-15-ol (1), quercetin 3-O-β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-arabinofuranoside (2), quercetin 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-arabinofuranoside (3), quercetin 3-O-α-L-arabinofuranoside (4), kaempferol 3-O-β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-arabinofuranoside (5), kaempferol 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-arabinofuranoside (6), and kaempferol 3-O-α-L-arabinofuranoside (7) by analyses of HR-ESI-MS and NMR spectral data. Compounds 4 and 7 containing monosaccharide, arabinofuranoside, potentially inhibited NO productions in LPS activated RAW264.7 cells (IC₅₀ 13.4 ± 0.5 and 12.6 ± 0.4 µM) in compared to disaccharide derivatives (IC₅₀ ranging from 58.9 ± 3.3 to 65.6 ± 3.8 µM).