Simultaneous Analysis of Bergapten and Schinifoline in Zanthoxylum schinifolium Seeds Using HPLC and UPLC-MS/MS Systems

Zanthoxylum schinifolium Siebold et Zuccarini belongs to the Rutaceae family and has been widely used as a spice in East Asian countries such as Korea, China, and Japan. The present study focused on developing and validating a simultaneous analytical method for marker substances (bergapten and schinifoline) in Z. schinifolium seeds. This was achieved using high-performance liquid chromatography with a photo-diode array detector (HPLC-PDA) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) systems. In the regression equation, all markers showed a coefficient of determination of ≥0.9990. Marker recovery was 96.90-105.16% (relative standard deviation (RSD) ≤ 2.23), and the intra- and interday precision was RSD < 3.00. Bergapten and schinifoline were detected in the seeds at 1.70-2.85 mg/g and 0.19-0.94 mg/g, respectively. This analytical method will improve quality control of Z. schinifolium seeds. Additionally, this assay will provide basic data and quality assurance for future biological activity experiments or clinical applications.

On the Inhibitability of Natural Products Isolated from Tetradium ruticarpum towards Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and α-Glucosidase (3W37): An In Vitro and In Silico Study

Folk experiences suggest natural products in Tetradium ruticarpum can be effective inhibitors towards diabetes-related enzymes. The compounds were experimentally isolated, structurally elucidated, and tested in vitro for their inhibition effects on tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and α-glucosidase (3W37). Density functional theory and molecular docking techniques were utilized as computational methods to predict the stability of the ligands and simulate interaction between the studied inhibitory agents and the targeted proteins. Structural elucidation identifies two natural products: 2-heptyl-1-methylquinolin-4-one (1) and 3-[4-(4-methylhydroxy-2-butenyloxy)-phenyl]-2-propenol (2). In vitro study shows that the compounds (1 and 2) possess high potentiality for the inhibition of PTP1B (IC50 values of 24.3 ± 0.8, and 47.7 ± 1.1 μM) and α-glucosidase (IC50 values of 92.1 ± 0.8, and 167.4 ± 0.4 μM). DS values and the number of interactions obtained from docking simulation highly correlate with the experimental results yielded. Furthermore, in-depth analyses of the structure-activity relationship suggest significant contributions of amino acids Arg254 and Arg676 to the conformational distortion of PTP1B and 3W37 structures overall, thus leading to the deterioration of their enzymatic activity observed in assay-based experiments. This study encourages further investigations either to develop appropriate alternatives for diabetes treatment or to verify the role of amino acids Arg254 and Arg676.

Combined Analysis of Transcriptome and Metabolome Reveals the Potential Mechanism of Coloration and Fruit Quality in Yellow and Purple Passiflora edulis Sims

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) can be divided into yellow and purple varieties. However, information about coloration and fruit quality between the two varieties is limited. To reveal the underlying mechanism of color formation in this fruit, a combined analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome was conducted in this study. The results showed that most of the evaluated flavonols, anthocyanins, and flavanols were significantly upregulated in purple fruit compared to their levels in yellow fruit. Flavonoid and flavonoid carbonoside accumulation was markedly higher in yellow fruit than in purple fruit. The accumulation of organic acids, phenolic acids, lipids, sugars, and lignans was significantly different in the yellow and purple varieties. These results were consistent with the results from the RNA-Seq profile. This study will enable us to identify genes for targeted genetic engineering to improve the nutritional and market value of passion fruit. In addition, the peel and pulp of passion fruit contained certain health-promoting compounds, highlighting the potential application of passion fruit as a functional food and providing direction for future breeding programs and production.

Anti-inflammatory terpenylated coumarins from the leaves of Zanthoxylum schinifolium with α-glucosidase inhibitory activity

Nine terpenylated coumarins, namely 7-[(E)-3',7'-dimethyl-6'-oxo-2',7'-octadienyl]oxy-coumarin (1), schinilenol (2), schinindiol (3), collinin (4), 7-[(E)-7'-hydroxy-3',7'-dimethy-locta-2',5'-dienyloxy]-coumarin (5), 8-methoxyanisocoumarin (6), 7-(6'R-hydroxy-3',7'-dimethyl-2'E,7'-octadienyloxy)coumarin (7), (E)-4-methyl-6-(coumarin-7'-yloxy)hex-4-enal (8), and aurapten (9), along with a 4-quinolone alkaloid (10) and integrifoliodiol (11), were isolated from the leaves of Zanthoxylum schinifolium. Of the isolates, compounds 4 and 7 potentially inhibited NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophage RAW264.7 cells, with IC50 values of 5.9 ± 0.8 and 18.2 ± 1.8 μM, respectively. Furthermore, compounds 4 and 7 dose-dependently reduced the LPS-induced iNOS expression. Moreover, pre-incubation of cells with 4 and 7 significantly suppressed LPS-induced COX-2 protein expression. In addition, compounds 4, 7, 8, and 10 showed strong α-glucosidase inhibitory effects, with IC50 values of 92.1 ± 0.7, 90.6 ± 0.9, 78.2 ± 0.2, and 82.4 ± 0.8 μM, respectively. Compounds 1, 5, and 11 displayed moderate effects with IC50 values of 161.6 ± 0.3, 164.4 ± 1.1, and 155.4 ± 0.9 μM, while acarbose, a positive control, possessed an IC50 value of 121.5 ± 1.0 μM. This is the first investigation on the α-glucosidase inhibitory effect of components from Zanthoxylum schinifolium. Further studies should be made on active compounds.

Coumarins and lignans from Zanthoxylum schinifolium and their anticancer activities

Zanthoxylum schinifolium is an aromatic shrub, and its pericarp and leaves are widely used in culinary applications in East Asian countries. It has also long been used in traditional Oriental medicine for treating the common cold, stomach ache, diarrhea, and jaundice. In this study, we identified two new compounds, zanthoxyloside (1) and schinifolisatin A (13), along with 23 known coumarins (2-12) and lignans (14-25), from a methanol extract of the stems of Z. schinifolium . The chemical structures of the compounds were determined by mass, 1D-, and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The anticancer effects of the isolated compounds were examined in three human cancer cell lines. Compounds 10-12 significantly reduced the proliferation of HL-60 human acute promyelocytic leukemia cells with IC50 values of 4.62-5.12 μM. Treatment of PC-3 prostate cancer cells and SNU-C5 colorectal cancer cells with compound 10 resulted in potent antiproliferative activity, with IC50 values of 4.39 and 6.26 μM, respectively. Also, compounds 10-12 induced the apoptosis of three cancer cells. Furthermore, the induction of apoptosis was accompanied by down-regulation of p-ERK1/2 MAPK, p-AKT, and c-myc levels, in a time-dependent manner. These data suggested that compounds 10-12 from Z. schinifolium have potential in cancer treatment.