iso-Kaurenoic acid from Wedelia paludosa D.C

Phytochemical investigation, role in wound healing process and cytotoxicity of Sphagneticola trilobata: In vitro, in vivo and in silico approach

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Sphagneticola trilobata was traditionally used to alleviate wounds using topical plant preparations. The precise mechanism of the plant responsible for its wound healing effect are still unclear. Although the plant was reported to be cytotoxic, there is a lack of reported data regarding its cytotoxic impact on skin cancer.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To in-depth investigate wound healing and cytotoxic effects of the plant extracts and its fractions by using different assays.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In vitro scratch assay and in vivo full-thickness wound model were performed to evaluate the plant's wound healing activity. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were employed to assess key skin parameters levels. The cytotoxicity was evaluated using in vitro Western Standard Time assay against skin carcinoma cells.

RESULTS

Sphagneticola trilobata improved the wound closure percentage in both in vitro scratch assay and in vivo model by modulating inflammation, as evidenced by a reduction in tumor necrosis factor and mitogen activated protein kinase levels, and enhancing proliferation via elevating collagen, smooth muscle actin, and forkhead protein. The total extract's efficacy surpassed the effectiveness of reference ointment. The non-polar fraction outperformed the polar one in accelerating wound closure and improving the tested skin parameters levels. Trilobolide-6-O-isobutyrate displayed the best docking scores for the selected target receptors. Moreover, the non-polar fraction demonstrated the most powerful cytotoxic effect against skin cancer cells. A specific compound mixture (kaurenoic acid/grandiflorenic acid, 1 and 2) within this fraction exhibited stronger cytotoxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Sphagneticola trilobata can be considered as a promising therapeutic agent in relieving wounds and combating skin cancer cell lines.

Topical anti-inflammatory phytomedicine based on Sphagneticola trilobata dried extracts

CONTEXT

The aerial parts of Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski (Asteraceae) are popularly used to treat topical inflammation, but have not been fully investigated.

OBJECTIVE

To identify polar compounds in S. trilobata extracts and develop a new topical phytomedicine based on the kaurenoic acid (KA) content while monitoring and demonstrating its topical anti-inflammatory activity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ethanol spray-dried extract of S. trilobata was analysed by LC-MS while the KA content from semisolid was analysed by LC-UV. The extent of ear edema induced by applying 20 μL of croton oil (2.5%), arachidonic acid (AA; 2 mg/ear) and decanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA; 2.5 mg/ear) in mice was used to evaluate the biological activity of the semisolids, which were applied 30 min before the phlogistic agents.

RESULTS

Eight phenylpropanoids and four oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins were identified, majority of them reported for the first time in this species, in addition to KA. The semisolid containing 1.0% of dried extract reduced the ear edema induced by croton oil [77.2 ± 4.5%; ID50 = 0.49 (0.28-0.87%)], TPA (81.5 ± 2.4%) and AA (39.1 ± 6.9%), with decreasing effect at higher KA concentrations. This was accompanied by neutrophil migration inhibition as investigated by biochemical and histological assays.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The anti-inflammatory effects were (at least in part) due to the interference in protein kinase C (PKC) activation, AA-cascade products and neutrophil migration inhibition, demonstrating the efficacy of the folk topical usage of this plant. The results support the development of a novel topical anti-inflammatory phytomedicine properly standardized to treat inflammatory dermatological diseases.

Antifungal terpenoids from Hyalis argentea var. latisquama

A detailed chemical study of the aerial parts and rhizomes of Hyalis argentea var. latisquama yielded a variety of sesqui- and diterpenes. In total, 26 compounds were isolated and identified, of which four are new, namely, two ent-kaurenes (1 and 2), a diterpene lactone (3), and a lindenanolide (4). The previously reported compounds included a series of lindenanolides, guaianolides, elemanolides, and additional diterpenes. The antifungal activity of the isolated compounds was tested against Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans. Among the isolated compounds, the lindenanolides were the only structural class that showed strong antifungal activity, and onoseriolide acetate (5) was the most active. On the other hand, the isolated guaianolides were only moderately active, while the diterpenes did not show significant antifungal activity.

Synthesis, cytotoxicity and antiplasmodial activity of novel ent-kaurane derivatives

This paper reports on the syntheses and spectrometric characterisation of eleven novel ent-kaurane diterpenoids, including a complete set of (1)H, (13)C NMR and crystallographic data for two novel ent-kaurane diepoxides. Moreover, the antineoplastic cytotoxicity for kaurenoic acid and the majority of ent-kaurane derivatives were assessed in vitro against a panel of fourteen cancer cell lines, of which allylic alcohols were shown to be the most active compounds. The good in vitro antimalarial activity and the higher selectivity index values observed for some ent-kaurane epoxides against the chloroquine-resistant W2 clone of Plasmodium falciparum indicate that this class of natural products may provide new hits for the development of antimalarial drugs.