Chemical Constituents of the Ethyl Acetate Extract from Diaphragma juglandis Fructus and Their Inhibitory Activity on Nitric Oxide Production In Vitro

Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Effects of Two New Phenylpropanoid Sucrose Esters and Other Secondary Metabolites from the Aerial Part of Canna edulis

This study isolated pure compounds from Canna edulis aerial parts and assessed their antiplatelet and anticoagulant potential. Structural elucidation resulted in the identification of two new compounds: caneduloside A (1) and caneduloside B (2), and eleven known compounds: 6'-acetyl-3,6,2'-tri-p-coumaroyl sucrose (3), 6'-acetyl-3,6,2'-triferuloyl sucrose (4), tiliroside (5), afzelin (6), quercitrin (7), 2-hydroxycinnamaldehyde (8), cinnamic acid (9), 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid (10), dehydrovomifoliol (11), 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde (12), and (S)-(-)-rosmarinic acid (13). Compounds 3, 4, 6-9, 13 were previously reported for antithrombotic properties. Hence, antithrombotic tests were conducted for 1, 2, 5, 10-12. All tested compounds demonstrated a dose-dependent antiaggregatory effect, and 10 and 12 were the most potent for both ADP and collagen activators. Additionally, 10 and 12 showed anticoagulant effects, with prolonged prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time. The new compound 1 displayed antiplatelet and anticoagulant activity, while 2 mildly inhibited platelet aggregation. C. edulis is a potential source for developing antithrombotic agents.

Walnut By-Products and Elderberry Extracts-Sustainable Alternatives for Human and Plant Health

A current alternative for sustainable development through green chemistry is the replacement of synthetic compounds with natural ones through the superior capitalization of natural resources, with numerous applications in different fields. The benefits of walnuts (Juglans regia L.) and elderberries (Sambucus nigra L.) have been known since ancient times, due to the presence of phytochemicals such as flavonoids, polyphenols, carotenoids, alkaloids, nitrogen-containing compounds, tannins, steroids, anthocyanins, etc. These active compounds have multiple biological activities for human health, including benefits that are antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antihypertensive, neuroprotective, etc. Like other medicinal plants, the walnut and the elderberry possess important phytosanitary properties (antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal) and their extracts can also be used as environmentally safe biopesticides, with the result that they constitute a viable and cheap alternative to environmentally harmful synthetic products. During recent years, walnut by-products and elderberries have attracted the attention of researchers, and investigations have focused on the species' valuable constituents and active properties. Comparing the information from the literature regarding the phytochemical profile and biological activities, it is highlighted that, apart from the predominant specific compounds, the walnut and the elderberry have common bioactive compounds, which come from six classes (phenols and derivatives, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acids, tannins, triterpenoids, and phytosteroids), and act on the same microorganisms. From this perspective, the aim of this review is to provide an overview of the bioactive compounds present in the different constitutive parts of walnut by-products and elderberries, which present a specific or common activity related to human health and the protection of agricultural crops in the context of sustainable development.

3-O-Methyltolcapone and Its Lipophilic Analogues Are Potent Inhibitors of Transthyretin Amyloidogenesis with High Permeability and Low Toxicity

Transthyretin (TTR) is an amyloidogenic homotetramer involved in the transport of thyroxine in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. To date, more than 130 TTR point mutations are known to destabilise the TTR tetramer, leading to its extracellular pathological aggregation accumulating in several organs, such as heart, peripheral and autonomic nerves, and leptomeninges. Tolcapone is an FDA-approved drug for Parkinson's disease that has been repurposed as a TTR stabiliser. We characterised 3-O-methyltolcapone and two newly synthesized lipophilic analogues, which are expected to be protected from the metabolic glucuronidation that is responsible for the lability of tolcapone in the organism. Immunoblotting assays indicated the high degree of TTR stabilisation, coupled with binding selectivity towards TTR in diluted plasma of 3-O-methyltolcapone and its lipophilic analogues. Furthermore, in vitro toxicity data showed their several-fold improved neuronal and hepatic safety compared to tolcapone. Calorimetric and structural data showed that both T4 binding sites of TTR are occupied by 3-O-methyltolcapone and its lipophilic analogs, consistent with an effective TTR tetramer stabilisation. Moreover, in vitro permeability studies showed that the three compounds can effectively cross the blood-brain barrier, which is a prerequisite for the inhibition of TTR amyloidogenesis in the cerebrospinal fluid. Our data demonstrate the relevance of 3-O-methyltolcapone and its lipophilic analogs as potent inhibitors of TTR amyloidogenesis.

A Review on Extracts, Chemical Composition and Product Development of Walnut Diaphragma Juglandis Fructus

Walnuts are one of the world's most important nut species and are popular for their high nutritional value, but the processing of walnuts produces numerous by-products. Among them, Diaphragma Juglandis Fructus has attracted the attention of researchers due to its complex chemical composition and diverse bioactivities. However, comprehensive reviews of extract activity and mechanistic studies, chemical composition functionality, and product types are scarce. Therefore, the aim of this review is to analyze the extracts, chemical composition, and product development of Diaphragma Juglandis Fructus. Conclusions: For extracts, the biological activities of aqueous and ethanol extracts have been studied more extensively than those of methanol extracts, but almost all of the studies have been based on crude extracts, with fewer explorations of their mechanisms. For chemical composition, the bioactivities of polyphenols and polysaccharides were more intensively studied, while other chemical constituents were at the stage of content determination. For product development, walnuts are mainly used in food and medicine, but the product range is limited. In the future, research on the bioactivity and related mechanisms of Diaphragma Juglandis Fructus can be further expanded to improve its value as a potential natural plant resource applied in multiple industries.

Traditional uses, chemical composition, and pharmacological effects of diaphragma juglandis fructus: A review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

In traditional Uyghur medicine, diaphragma juglandis fructus (DJF) has been conventionally used in treating insomnia and nourishing the kidneys. According to traditional Chinese medicine, DJF can boosts kidney and astringent essence, strengthen the spleen and kidney, exert diuretic effect, clear heat, stop eructation, and treat vomiting.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

Research on DJF has increased gradually in recent years, but reviews of its traditional uses, chemical composition, and pharmacological activities are scarce. The purpose of this review is to analyze the traditional uses, chemical composition, and pharmacological activities of DJF and provide an overview of the findings for further research and development of DJF resources.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data on DJF were obtained from different databases, including Scifinder, PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Springer, Wiley, ACS, CNKI, Baidu Scholar, and Google Scholar; books; and Ph.D. and MSc theses.

RESULTS

According to traditional Chinese medicine, DJF has astringent properties, inhibits bleeding and banding, strengthens the spleen and kidneys, acts as a sleeping aid by reducing anxiety, and relieves dysentery due to heat exposure. The components of DJF include flavonoids, phenolic acids, quinones, steroids, lignans, and volatile oils, which exhibit good antioxidant, antitumor, antidiabetic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and sedative-hypnotic properties, and present therapeutic potential for kidney diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on its traditional use, chemical composition, and pharmacological activities, DJF is a promising source of natural medicine in the development of functional foods, drugs, and cosmetics.

Phytochemicals and Biological Activities of Walnut Septum: A Systematic Review

In the last few decades, scientific evidence has stressed the importance of plants in the prevention and/or supportive treatment of a plethora of diseases, many of them chronic, age-associated disorders. Juglans regia L. is a traditional plant that has been integrated into traditional medicine since ancient times. Due to the presence of biologically active compounds, walnut was used in the treatment of various maladies. Recently, investigations have focused on the walnut by-products and waste products, with research on their valuable constituents and active properties. Among these secondary products, walnut septum was analyzed in several studies, its phytochemical profile described, and some of the biological activities examined. However, compared to other walnut by-products, no comprehensive review to gather all the pertinent scientific knowledge was found in the literature. Therefore, the aim of this study was to critically assess the information furnished by peer-reviewed articles regarding the walnut septum chemical composition and the related biological activities, including antioxidant activities, anti-inflammatory effects, antimicrobial properties, antidiabetic activities, anti-tumor properties, and anti-aging potential. In conclusion, as these preclinical studies showed that walnut septum metabolites were responsible for a wide range of preventive and therapeutic uses, further research should confirm the beneficial outcomes in clinical trials.

Identification of four allelopathic compounds including a novel compound from Elaeocarpus floribundus Blume and determination of their allelopathic activity

Allelopathic compounds can play a vital role in protecting the environment from pollution by synthetic herbicides. Compounds isolated from plant species with allelopathic potential can be used as natural herbicides to control weeds and help reduce environmental pollution. Elaeocarpus floribundus has been reported to contain allelopathic compounds. Aqueous methanolic extracts of the leaves of this plant showed strong growth inhibitory potential against two test species (monocotyledonous Italian ryegrass and dicotyledonous alfalfa) in plants- and dose-dependent technique. Several extensive chromatographic separations of the E. floribundus leaf extracts yielded four active compounds 1, 2, 3, and 4 (novel compound). All the identified compounds showed strong growth inhibitory potential against cress. The concentrations caused for 50% growth limitation (I₅₀ values) of the cress seedlings were in the range 500.4-1913.1 μM. The findings indicate that the identified compounds might play a pivotal function in the allelopathic potential of E. floribundus tree. This report is the first on elaeocarpunone and its allelopathic potential.

Hypoglycemic and antioxidative activity evaluation of phenolic compounds derived from walnut diaphragm produced in Xinjiang

Walnut diaphragm is defined as a dry wood septum located between the walnut shell and kernel. In this work, seven phenolic compounds from walnut diaphragm were purified and characterized, and their antioxidant activities and mechanisms of hypoglycemia were investigated. Compounds 1-7 were tested for DPPH, ABTS scavenging ability, and FRAP assay to evaluate the antioxidant activity. α-Amylase inhibition assay was introduced to assess the hypoglycemic activity, and the mechanism was investigated by kinetic analysis, CD spectrum, and molecular docking. Compound 6 showed the strongest antioxidant ability, while compound 1 exhibited the strongest inhibition of α-amylase by changing the secondary structure of α-amylase in a mixed competitive inhibition mode. Molecular docking test predicted that the tetrahydropyran part in compound 1 may contribute to its hypoglycemic effect. This study furnishes a new theoretical reference for the utilization and development of walnut diaphragm into a health food with antioxidant and hypoglycemic properties. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The finding of this research may serve as a basis for the subsequent development of walnut diaphragm into instant tea-based health food or added to other food carriers to achieve auxiliary antioxidant and hypoglycemic effects. This study revealed that polyphenolic components were the material basis for the antioxidant and hypoglycemic effects of walnut diaphragm, which could be identified as landmark chemical components for controlling quality standards in the development of walnut diaphragm, thus accelerating the research process of quality standards for walnut diaphragm-related products. Furthermore, the studies on the mechanism of hypoglycemic activity supply more credible data to support the development of walnut diaphragm into a safe and consumer-friendly health food. With abundant resources and clear efficacy, walnut diaphragm has great development prospect and application value.

The Chemical Constituents of Diaphragma Juglandis Fructus and Their Inhibitory Effect on α-Glucosidase Activity

In our current investigation, 37 constituents (1-37), including 11 megastigmanes (1-11), 17 flavonoids (12-28) and 9 phenylpropanoids (29-37), were isolated from a 70%-EtOH extract of Diaphragma juglandis Fructus. Among them, compounds 1-3, 12 and 29 were new compounds and their structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical evidence and meticulous spectroscopic analysis (NMR, HRESIMS and CD). Compounds 13, 16, 21 and 28 showed moderate inhibitory effect on α-glycosidase inhibitory activities, with IC₅₀ values being in the range of 29.47-54.82 µM and stronger than the positive control (acarbose, 60.01 ± 4.82 µM).

New dimer and trimer of chalcone derivatives from anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive extracts of Schinopsis brasiliensis roots

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE

Schinopsis brasiliensis Engl. is an endemic tree of the Brazilian semi-arid regions belonging to the Anacardiaceae family. It is the main representative of the genus Schinopsis, mostly native to Brazil and popularly known as "braúna" or "baraúna". Different parts of this plant are employed in Brazilian folk medicines to treat inflammation in general, sexual impotence, cough, and influenza.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This work describes the antinociceptive (acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin-induced nociception) and anti-inflammatory (paw edema and neutrophil migration) activities of the extract of the root of S. brasiliensis. Besides, the evaluation of total phenolic compounds and antioxidant, antimicrobial (including MRSA bacteria), and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities were also determined.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The pure compounds were isolated by different chromatographic techniques and their chemical structures have been unambiguously elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic methods, including 1D (¹H, ¹³C, DEPT, and NOEdiff) and 2D (HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY) NMR experiments, MS data, and comparison with the literature data of similar compounds. The antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated by acid acetic writhing test, formalin paw edema, and by the investigation of neutrophil migration to the peritoneal cavities of mice. For antimicrobial evaluation were determined MIC and MBC, antioxidant activities were obtained by TPC and DPPH tests, and AChE inhibition by Elmann's methodology.

RESULTS

The extracts showed antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities and two unusual new compounds, a cyclobutanyl chalcone trimer (schinopsone A) and a cyclohexene-containing chalcone dimer (schinopsone B), with six known compounds were isolated from the active extracts. Additionally, the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity for isolated compounds was reported for the first time in this study. Molecular docking studies indicated that the isolated compounds are responsible for the interaction with anti-inflammatory targets (COX 1 and 2 and LOX) with variable binding affinities, indicating a possible mechanism of action of these compounds.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate for the first time the correlation between the anti-inflammatory activity different enriched polyphenol-organic soluble fractions of S. brasiliensis, and it contributes to the understanding of the anti-inflammatory potential of S. brasiliensis.

Wood Waste from Fruit Trees: Biomolecules and Their Applications in Agri-Food Industry

In the European Union (EU), a total of 11,301,345 hectares are dedicated to the cultivation of fruit trees, mainly olive orchards, grapevines, nut trees (almond, walnut, chestnut, hazelnut, and pistachio), apple and pear trees, stone fruit trees (peach, nectarine, apricot, cherry, and plum), and citrus fruit trees (orange, clementine, satsuma, mandarin, lemon, grapefruit, and pomelo). Pruning these trees, together with plantation removal to a lesser extent, produces a huge amount of wood waste. A theoretical calculation of the wood waste in the European Union estimates approximately 2 and 25 million tons from wood plantation removal and pruning, respectively, per year. This wood waste is usually destroyed by in-field burning or crushing into the soil, which result in no direct economic benefits. However, wood from tree pruning, which is enriched in high added-value molecules, offers a wide spectrum of possibilities for its valorization. This review focuses on the contribution of wood waste to both sustainability and the circular economy, considering its use not only as biomass but also as a potential source of bioactive compounds. The main bioactive compounds found in wood are polyphenols, terpenes, polysaccharides, organic compounds, fatty acids, and alkaloids. Polyphenols are the most ubiquitous compounds in wood. Large amounts of hydroxytyrosol (up to 25 g/kg dw), resveratrol (up to 66 g/kg dw), protocatechuic acid (up to 16.4 g/kg), and proanthocyanins (8.5 g/kg dw) have been found in the wood from olive trees, grapevines, almond trees and plum trees, respectively. The bioactivity of these compounds has been demonstrated at lower concentrations, mainly in vitro studies. Bioactive compounds present antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, biostimulant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and anticarcinogenic properties, among others. Therefore, wood extracts might have several applications in agriculture, medicine, and the food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetics industries. For example, olive tree wood extract reduced thrombin-induced platelet aggregation in vitro; grapevine tree wood extract acts a preservative in wine, replacing SO₂; chestnut tree wood extract has antifungal properties on postharvest pathogens in vitro; and stone tree wood extracts are used for aging both wines and brandies. Moreover, the use of wood waste contributes to the move towards both a more sustainable development and a circular economy.

Diaphragma juglandis extracts modifies the gut microbiota during prevention of type 2 diabetes in rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The diaphragma juglandis (DJ) comes from the wooden septum in the core of Juglans regia L, also known as the walnut septum. In Iranian traditional medicine, walnut distraction wood was widely used in the treatment of diabetes. However, there is a lack of research data on the mechanism of DJ against diabetes.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To explore the protective effect of diaphragma juglandis extract (DJE) on type 2 diabetic rats and the hypoglycemic mechanism of DJE.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Supplemented DJE and fed a high-fat diet for five weeks, and then injected low-dose STZ, successfully induced type 2 diabetic rats. Collected rat serum, liver, pancreas and feces to determine the biochemical parameters of serum and liver, analyze the pathological damages of pancreas and liver, and measure the changes of gut microbes in feces.

RESULTS

DJE could inhibit the metabolic abnormalities of T2DM by improving insulin resistance, abnormal lipid metabolism, liver damage, oxidative stress, and reducing inflammation. DJE significantly held fasting blood glucose, glycosylated serum protein, serum low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein, oral glucose tolerance test, nitric oxide, superoxide dismutase and catalase, serum and liver triglycerides, total cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, malondialdehyde, lipopolysaccharide, fasting insulin and tumor necrosis factor-α and prevented the pathological damage of pancreas and liver. The 16SrRNA gene sequencing results showed that DJE intercepted the disorders of the fecal gut microbes, mainly including Lactobacillaceae, Rikenella, Pygmaiobacter, Oscillospiraceae and Klebsiella. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the changes of gut microbes were closely relative with biochemical parameters.

CONCLUSION

DJE might prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications and hold up the disorders of gut microbes.

Hydroxynitrile Glucosides: Bioactive Constituent Recovery from the Oil Residue of Prinsepia utilis

The seed oil of Prinsepia utilis is extensively used as an edible oil by the nationalities of Naxi, Tibetan, and Mosuo in China, which is particularly good for beauty care and has a health protection function. A large amount of industrial waste is thrown away during the production process of seed oil. Therefore, to recover bioactive compounds from the oil residue of P. utilis is environmentally friendly and economically important. For this purpose, the chemical constituents of the P. utilis oil residue were investigated in our research, and five new compounds, prinsepicyanosides F-I (1-4) and prinamoside A (5), together with 16 known compounds (6-21) were isolated. The structures of the new compounds (1-5) were unambiguously confirmed by extensive spectroscopic techniques. Preliminary in vitro pharmacological studies showed that the hydroxynitrile glucosides (3, 9, and 10) exhibited weak α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. To a certain extent, our research provides some evidence for the pharmacological function of γ-hydroxynitrile glucosides and proposes new ideas for recycling of the oil residue of P. utilis.

Exploration of walnut components and their association with health effects

Traditionally, walnuts have occupied an imperative position in the functional food market with consistently recognized nutritious and functional properties. In the past years, the lipid profile of walnuts has brought much scientific attention via linking a cascade of biological attributes and health-promoting effects. Over time, researchers have focused on diversified composition (polyphenols and vitamins) of different parts of walnut (flower, pellicle, and kernel) and emphasized their physiological significance. Consequently, a plethora of reports has emerged on the potential role of walnut consumption against a series of diseases including cancer, gut dysbiosis, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, we accumulated the updated data on composition and classification, extraction methods, and utilization of different parts of walnuts as well as associated beneficial effects under in vivo and clinical studies. Altogether, this review summarized the ameliorative effects of a walnut-enriched diet in chronic diseases which can be designated to the synergistic or individual effects of walnut components mainly through anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory role.

Extraction of Flavonoids from Scutellariae Radix using Ultrasound-Assisted Deep Eutectic Solvents and Evaluation of Their Anti-Inflammatory Activities

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) play important roles in the extraction of active constituents in traditional Chinese medicine. Ultrasound-assisted DES has been used to extract flavonoids from Scutellaria baicalensis. Using the contents of scutellarin, baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside, wogonin, and oroxylin A as quantitative indices, different kinds of DESs have been optimized for extraction and betaine/acetic acid has shown the highest yield. The Box-Behnken response surface method (RSM) was utilized to select the extraction conditions with the highest yields. The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: the molar ratio of betaine/acetic acid was 1:4, the water content was 40%, the solid/liquid ratio was 1:100 g/mL, the extraction temperature was 52 °C, and the extraction time was 23 min. Compared with traditional reflux extraction using 70% ethanol as the solvent, ultrasound-assisted DES has a shorter extraction time and higher yields. Furthermore, anti-inflammatory activities of the two extracts by ultrasound-assisted DES and reflux were compared using RAW264.7 cells and the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method, and they showed equal anti-inflammatory activities. The results demonstrated that the ultrasound-assisted DES method for extraction of flavonoids from scutellariae radix is simple, green, efficient, and reproducible. This research provides good method guides for the rapid and efficient extraction of flavonoids from natural sources.

Megastigmane Derivatives from the Cladodes of Opuntia humifusa and Their Nitric Oxide Inhibitory Activities in Macrophages

Opuntia humifusa, known as the eastern prickly pear cactus and locally called "Cheonnyuncho" in Korea, is cultivated widely on Jeju Island, Korea. Phytochemical analysis of the methanolic extract of the cladodes of O. humifusa, for which previous research is relatively limited, was performed under the guidance of LC/MS-based analysis. As a result, one new megastigmane (1) and four new megastigmane glucosides (2-5) were isolated along with 18 known compounds (6-23). The structures of the new compounds were established by 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS, and their absolute configurations were established by chemical reactions, quantum chemical electronic circular dichroism calculations, and DP4+ analysis using the gauge-including atomic orbital NMR chemical shift calculations as well as the application of Snatzke's method. The isolated compounds (1-23) were tested for NO production inhibition in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells to investigate their anti-inflammatory effects. Compounds 10 and 11 exhibited significant inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO production in a dose-dependent manner. The potential mechanistic pathway of 10 and 11 was also investigated using Western blotting, indicating that compounds 10 and 11 inhibit NO through iNOS expression.

Phenolic composition and nutritional attributes of diaphragma juglandis fructus and shell of walnut (Juglans regia L.)

Phenolic composition and nutritional attributes of diaphragma juglandis fructus (Djf) and walnut shells (Ws) were investigated. Phenolic acids, hydroxybenzoic acid, isoflavone, and flavone were identified in the free phenolic fractions (FPFs) of both Djf and Ws. Bound phenolic fractions were less than FPFs both in content and diversity. The soluble dietary fiber contents of Djf and Ws were 25.56 g/100 g and 9.5 g/100 g, respectively. The contents of unsaturated fatty acids (1912.28 mg/kg and 9137.56 mg/kg, respectively) were significantly higher than that of saturated fatty acid both in Djf and Ws. The content of essential amino acids in Djf (9.67 mg/g) was significantly higher than that in Ws. More than eight types of monosaccharides were detected in Djf and Ws. The monosaccharide content of Djf (314.16 mg/g) was significantly higher than that of Ws (60.97 mg/g). Trehalose was the predominant component both in Djf (71.2%) and Ws (78.6%).

Chemical constituents from the stems of Machilus philippinensis Merr. and the neuroprotective activity of cinnamophilin

The Machilus genus (Lauraceae) had been extensively utilized in folk medicine due to its broad range of bioactivities. In the present study, a series of chromatographic separations of the methanol extract of stems of M. philippinensis led to the identification of thirty eight compounds totally. Among these, biscinnamophilin (1), machilupins A–C (2–4), machilutone A (5), and machilusoxide A (6) were new compounds reported for the first time. In addition, 5 was characterized with a unprecedented carbon skeleton. Other known compounds, including the major compounds cinnamophilin (7) and meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid (8), are identified by comparison of their physical and spectroscopic data with reported values. One of the reported compounds, cinnamophilin A (10), should be revised as dehydroguaiaretic acid (9) after careful comparison of all the ¹H and ¹³C NMR data. Moreover, the neuroprotective activity of cinnamophilin (7) was examined in a primary cortical neuron culture and the results indicated that 7 was effective against glutamate induced excitotoxicity.

The Machilus genus (Lauraceae) had been extensively utilized in folk medicine due to its broad range of bioactivities.

Identification and Quantification of Bioactive Compounds in Diaphragma juglandis Fructus by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS and UHPLC-MS/MS

Diaphragma juglandis fructus is the dry wooden diaphragm inside walnuts and a byproduct in food processing of walnut kernels. The purpose of our research is to enrich the information on compounds in Diaphragma juglandis fructus to further discover and exploit its potential nutritional value. In this study, new quali-quantitative analytical approaches were developed to identify and determine bioactive compounds in Diaphragma juglandis fructus. Two-hundred compounds, including hydrolyzable tannins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and quinones, were identified by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, more than 150 of which were first discovered in Diaphragma juglandis fructus. Among them, 21 major dietary polyphenols with health-promoting effects were successfully quantified using UHPLC-MS/MS, with total contents of 2.88-6.18 mg/g. This successful characterization and quantification of bioactive compounds in Diaphragma juglandis fructus gives a better understanding of its potential nutritional value and supports efficiently developing and reusing it instead of discarding it as agrofood waste.

New 18(4→3)-Abeo-Abietanoids from Tripterygium wilfordii

Three 18(4→3)-abeo-abietanoids, a new natural product and two new compounds, named tripordolides A–C (1–3), were isolated from the leaves of Tripterygium wilfordii. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of their spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configuration of compounds was confirmed by CD and X-ray crystallographic analysis using anomalous scattering of Cu Kα radiation. Compounds 1 and 3 showed moderate inhibitory activities against NO production in lipopolysaccharide-induced (LPS) RAW 264.7 macrophages in vitro.