A Metabolomics Exploration of Young Lotus Seeds Using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

Lotus ( Gaertn.) is a quintessential medicinal and edible plant, exhibiting marked differences in therapeutic effects among its various parts. The lotus seed constitutes a key component of this plant.

Identification and biomimetic synthesis of iphionanes and cyperanes from Artemisia hedinii and their anti-hepatic fibrosis activity.

Two novel skeleton sesquiterpenoids (1 and 6), along with four new iphionane-type sesquiterpenes (2-5) and six new cyperane-type sesquiterpenes (7-11), were isolated from the whole plant of Artemisia hedinii (A. hedinii). The two novel skeleton compounds (1 and 6) were derived from the decarbonization of iphionane and cyperane-type sesquiterpenes, respectively.

Metabolic activation and cytotoxicity of bavachin mediated by CYP3A in mice.

Bavachin (BVC), a flavonoid, is found in Psoraleae fructus (PF) which has been reported to induce various adverse effects, particularly hepatotoxicity, such as increases of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) in mice given BVC. However, the mechanisms underlying its hepatotoxicity remain unclear. During the incubation of mouse microsomes with BVC in the presence of glutathione (GSH) or N-acetylcysteine (NAC), one oxidative metabolite (M1), one GSH conjugate (M2), and one NAC conjugate (M3) were observed.

Diterpenoids and diarylheptanoids from the fruits of Alpinia zerumbet and their anti-inflammatory activity.

A chemical investigation of the fruits of Alpinia zerumbet resulted in the isolation of three undescribed diterpenoids, including an unusual tricyclic dinor-diterpenoid (1) and two labdane-type diterpenoids (2 and 4), a new diarylheptanoid (7), and a new tricyclic pyrone (9), along with four known compounds. Their structures were fully established through a comprehensive analysis involving high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESI-MS), IR, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and TDDFT (time-dependent density functional theory) ECD (electronic circular dichroism) calculations. The anti-inflammatory activities of isolated compounds were assessed in stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist MSA-2-stimulated human THP1-Dual cells for their inhibitory effects on the interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) pathway.

Undescribed Phyllocladane-Type Diterpenoids from Hesse ex Rehd. and Their Anti-Neuroinflammatory Activity.

Hesse ex Rehd. is an endemic plant in China and has long been used as a traditional medicine in several provinces. Although the plant has been reported to contain flavonoids, triterpenes, and alkaloids, this study represents the first report of the isolation of phyllocladane-type diterpenoids, a relatively rare class of compounds.

Advances in Sampling and Analytical Techniques for Single-Cell Metabolomics: Exploring Cellular Heterogeneity.

Single-cell metabolomics is an emerging and powerful technology that uncovers intercellular heterogeneity and reveals microenvironmental dynamics in both physiological and pathological conditions. This technology enables detailed observations of cellular interactions, providing valuable insights into processes such as aging, immune responses, and disease development. Despite significant advances, the need for detailed discussions on sampling and analytical methods in single-cell metabolomics continues to grow, with increasing focus on selecting the most suitable techniques for diverse research objectives.

Phenanthrenoid monomers and dimers from Juncus alatus: Isolation, structural characterization, and anti-inflammatory potential.

A systematic investigation of the whole plant of Juncus alatus Franch. et Sav. resulted in the identification of seven novel phenanthrene dimers named alatusins A-G (1-7) and 11 undescribed monomers (8-9, 11-14 and 18-22), in addition to six known analogues (10, 15-17 and 23-24).

Semirational Protein Engineering of a Decarboxylative Aldolase for the Regiodivergent and Stereodivergent Synthesis of Cyclic Imino Acids.

Aldolases are powerful C-C bond-forming enzymes for asymmetric organic synthesis because of their supreme stereoselectivity, compatibility with diverse electrophiles and nucleophiles, and promising scalability. Stereodivergent engineering of aldolases to tune the selectivity for the synthesis of stereoisomers of chiral molecules is highly desirable but has rarely been reported. Herein we report the semirational engineering of the decarboxylative aldolase UstD with a focused rational iterative site-specific mutagenesis (FRISM) strategy to perform a C-C bond-forming reaction with dione electrophiles.

Germacrane-type sesquiterpenes from Artemisia atrovirens and their anti-inflammatory activity.

Artemisia plants are well-known for their abundant sesquiterpene compounds, which encompass various structural types and exhibit a range of biological activities. In this study, a systematic investigation of Artemisia atrovirens revealed the presence of germacrane-type sesquiterpenes for the first time. This included the discovery of 10 new compounds and three known analogues, among which were two rare dimeric germacrane-type compounds.

13,14-seco withaphysalins from Physalis minima and their inhibitory effects on NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Seven new 13,14-seco withaphysalins including two new skeletons (1 and 9) were isolated from the whole plants of Physalis minima, together with three known analogues (6-8). Among them, compound 1 was an extremely rare steroid with a 6, 8-cyclo ring. Their structures were established by extensive analysis of spectroscopic data, experimental electronic circular dichroism measurements, and single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis.

Anti-inflammatory germacrane-type sesquiterpene lactones from Vernonia sylvatica.

Nine new germacranolides, sylvaticalides A-H (1-9), and three known analogues (10-12) were isolated from the aerial part of Vernonia sylvatica. Their structures were established using comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (HR-ESI-MS) and 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. Their absolute configurations were determined by X-ray diffraction experiments.

Germacrane-type sesquiterpenes from Pilea cavaleriei Levl. subsp. cavaleriei.

The first systematic investigation of germacrane-type sesquiterpenes from Pilea cavaleriei Levl. subsp. cavaleriei was conducted.

Enzymatic Synthesis of Noncanonical α-Amino Acids Containing γ-Tertiary Alcohols.

Noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) containing tertiary alcohols are valuable as precursors of natural products and active pharmaceutical ingredients. However, the assembly of such ncAA scaffolds from simple material by C-C bond formation remains a challenging task due to the presence of multiple stereocenters and large steric hindrance. In this study, we present a novel solution to this problem through highly selective enzymatic decarboxylative aldol addition.

Building Block Extractor: An MS/MS Data Mining Tool for Targeted Discovery of Natural Products with Specified Features.

The utilization of a building-block-based molecular network is an efficient approach to investigate the unknown chemical space of natural products. However, structure-based automated MS/MS data mining remains challenging. This study introduces building block extractor, a user-friendly MS/MS data mining program that automatically extracts user-defined specified features.

Sesquiterpene lactones from Artemisia verlotorum and their anti-inflammatory activities.

Seven new sesquiterpenoids (1-7) and 19 known analogues were isolated from the whole plant of Artemisia verlotorum. Their structures were determined by extensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS data, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra, density functional theory (DFT) NMR calculations, and time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) ECD calculations. The absolute configurations of 1, 3, 5 and 7 were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments.

Study on skin infection model of based on analytic hierarchy process and Delphi method.

Purpose: Infectious skin diseases are a type of inflammatory skin lesions caused by pathogenic microorganisms. Because of the uncertainty of methodology, the skin infection model usually have low replication rate and lack of good evaluation system. We aimed to establish multi-index and comprehensive evaluation method for () skin-infection models through Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Delphi method, and screen high quality animal models through it.

Bisabolane-Type Sesquiterpenoids with a Tetrahydrofuran or Tetrahydropyran Ring from .

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of resulted in the isolation of 23 new highly oxidized bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoids (-). Structures were determined by interpretation of spectroscopic data, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and time-dependent density functional theory electronic circular dichroism calculations. Most compounds possess a rare tetrahydrofuran (-) or tetrahydropyran ring (-).

The First Phytochemical Investigation of : Sesquiterpenes and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activity.

belongs to the genus of the family of Compositae, a sort of perennial herb endemic in most regions of China. For the first time, a phytochemical investigation was carried out on the whole plant of , resulting in the identification of 39 sesquiterpenes, with 9 of them being new (-). The structures of the new compounds were fully established using extensive analysis of MS and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data and density functional theory (DFT) NMR calculations.

Naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids, a new structural template inhibitor of Nav1.7 sodium channel.

Voltage-gated sodium channel 1.7 (Nav1.7) remains one of the most promising drug targets for pain relief.

The first phytochemical investigation of Artemisia nujianensis: Eight new guaianolides and their anti-inflammatory activity.

The first phytochemical investigation of Artemisia nujianensis resulted in the isolation of eight new guaianolides (1-8) and six known analogs. Their structures were determined by extensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR data, HRESIMS data, DFT NMR calculations, and X-ray diffraction studies. Some compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.

Flavonoids from the roots and rhizomes of Sophoratonkinensis and their in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity.

Acute respiratory infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had caused a global pandemic since 2019, and posed a serious threat to global health security. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has played an indispensable role in the battle against the epidemic. Many components originated from TCMs were found to inhibit the production of SARS-CoV-2 3C-like protease (3CLpro) and papain-like protease (PLpro), which are two promising therapeutic targets to inhibit SARS-CoV-2.

Chantriolides F-P, Highly Oxidized Withanolides with Hepatoprotective Activity from .

Eleven highly oxidized withanolides, chantriolides F-P (-), together with six known analogues (-), were isolated from the rhizomes of . Their structures were established on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis and comparison with published NMR data, and their absolute configurations were further confirmed by experimental ECD data and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The structures of compounds - contained a chlorine atom substituted at C-3.

Secondary Metabolites and Their Cytotoxic Activity of Weber. and Spreng.

As a promising source of biologically active substances, the species from Kazakhstan have not been investigated efficiently. Considering the rich history, medicinal values, and availability of the plants, systematic investigations of two species growing in the East Kazakhstan region were conducted. In this study, one new germacrane-type sesquiterpene lactone (), together with 10 known sesquiterpenes and its dimer, were characterized from Weber.

Fused-ring α-pyrones from intramolecular C-H activation and their lipids-lowering activity associated with LXR-IDOL-LDLR axis regulation.

Lipids-lowering is considered as the most effective approach to decrease the risk of Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), of which atherosclerosis is the most common cause. Natural products containing a unique type of α-pyrone was reported to suppress atherosclerosis in which α-pyrone might be considered as an important pharmacore. In this study, an efficient one-pot intramolecular C-H activation strategy was applied to the synthesis of potentially bioactive α-pyrone derivatives.

Quaternized Acridine Maleimide MALDI Probe Enables Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Thiols.

Thiols are essential metabolites associated with redox imbalances and metabolic disorders in diseases. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) facilitates imaging of metabolites in tissue, but imaging of thiols remains challenging. Here we developed a method to visualize thiols using a stable isotope-labeled (SIL) MALDI probe, a mixture of unlabeled and deuterium-labeled reagents that provided adduct signals at [M] and [M + 3], to identify endogenous thiols in tissue.