Rapid preparation and proton NMR fingerprinting of polysaccharides from Radix Astragali.

The purity, content, and structure of the polysaccharides prepared from a specific medicinal plant are the fundamental basis to interpret the observed biological activities. An ultrafiltration-based method has been developed for rapid preparation of total and fractional polysaccharides from Radix Astragali in high yield and purity. This method involves extraction of plant material by hot water, treatment with Sevag reagent, and ultrafiltration using molecular weight cutoff concentrators.

Repellency of Carvacrol, Thymol, and Their Acetates against Imported Fire Ants.

In the United States, imported fire ants are commonly referred to as red imported fire ants ( Buren), black imported fire ants ( Forel), and hybrid imported fire ants ( × ). They are significant pests, and their control heavily relies on synthetic insecticides. The extensive use of insecticides has led to public concern about their potential negative effects on human health and the well-being of wildlife and the environment.

Essential Oils: Repellency and Toxicity against Imported Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

flower essential oils (EOs) blue Egyptian (EO-), chamomile German CO2 (EO-), and chamomile German (EO-) and the pure compound α-bisabolol were evaluated against red imported fire ants (RIFA), Buren, black imported fire ants, Forel (BIFA), and hybrid imported fire ants (HIFA) for their repellency and toxicity. A series of serial dilutions were tested starting from 125 µg/g until the failure of the treatment. Based on the amount of sand removed, EO- showed significant repellency at dosages of 7.

Cannabinoid Receptor Type II Ligands from Sandalwood Oil and Synthetic α-Santalol Derivatives.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the essential oil of led to the identification of α-santalol () and β-santalol () as new chemotypes of cannabinoid receptor type II (CB) ligands with values of 10.49 and 8.19 μM, respectively.

Thiol-Chromene "Click" Reaction-Activated Chemiluminescent Probe for Thiol Detection In Vitro and In Vivo.

Biothiols are biomolecules found in a higher content in cancer cells compared to normal cells, marking them useful cancer biomarkers. Chemiluminescence is widely used in biological imaging due to its excellent sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this study, we designed and prepared a chemiluminescent probe that is activated by a thiol-chromene "click" nucleophilic reaction.

Synthesis and Antifungal Activity Evaluation of Phloeodictine Analogues.

The phloeodictine-based 6-hydroxy-2,3,4,6-tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-]pyrimidinium structural moiety with an -tetradecyl side chain at C-6 has been demonstrated to be a new antifungal template. Thirty-four new synthetic analogues with modifications of the bicyclic tetrahydropyrrolopyrimidinium skeleton and the N-1 side chain have been prepared and evaluated for in vitro antifungal activities against the clinically important fungal pathogens including ATCC 90113, ATCC 90028, ATCC 90030, ATCC 6258, and ATCC 90906. Nineteen compounds (, -, -, , and ) showed antifungal activities against the aforementioned five fungal pathogens with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in the range 0.

Molecular Targets of Cannabinoids Associated with Depression.

Novel therapeutic strategies are needed to address depression, a major neurological disorder affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Cannabinoids and their synthetic derivatives have demonstrated numerous neurological activities and may have the potential to be developed into new treatments for depression. This review highlights cannabinoid (CB) receptors, monoamine oxidase (MAO), N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, and cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor as key molecular targets of cannabinoids that are associated with depression.

Cytotoxic Diterpenoids from Euphorbia fischeriana.

Five new diterpenoids, named euphorfischerins A-E, were isolated from the roots of Euphorbia fischeriana. Their chemical structures and absolute configurations were determined by interpretation of NMR, HR-ESI-MS, ECD and X-ray diffraction data. Euphorfischerin A showed cytotoxicity against the human cancer cell lines HeLa, H460 and Namalwa with IC values of 4.

Identification of Antifungal Bisphosphocholines from Medicinal Species.

species including , , and are used in traditional Chinese medicine as "Qinjiao" for the treatment of rheumatism, hepatitis, and pain. Four antifungal bisphosphocholines [irlbacholine () and three new analogues, gentianalines A-C (, , and )] were identified from by a bioassay-guided fractionation and structure elucidation approach. Subsequent chemical analysis of 56 "Qinjiao" samples (45 from , five from , three from , and three from ) showed that bisphosphocholines were present in all four species, with irlbacholine as the major compound ranging from 2.

Chemometrics-Assisted Identification of Anti-Inflammatory Compounds from the Green Alga var. .

The green alga var. is a rich source of proteins, polyphenols, and bioactive small-molecule compounds. An approach involving chromatographic fractionation, anti-inflammatory activity testing, ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry profiling, chemometric analysis, and subsequent MS-oriented isolation was employed to rapidly identify its small-molecule anti-inflammatory compounds including hydroxylated fatty acids, chlorophyll-derived pheophorbides, carotenoids, and glycoglycerolipids.

Puupehenone, a Marine-Sponge-Derived Sesquiterpene Quinone, Potentiates the Antifungal Drug Caspofungin by Disrupting Hsp90 Activity and the Cell Wall Integrity Pathway.

The cell wall-targeting echinocandin antifungals, although potent and well tolerated, are inadequate in treating fungal infections due to their narrow spectrum of activity and their propensity to induce pathogen resistance. A promising strategy to overcome these drawbacks is to combine echinocandins with a molecule that improves their activity and also disrupts drug adaptation pathways. In this study, we show that puupehenone (PUUP), a marine-sponge-derived sesquiterpene quinone, potentiates the echinocandin drug caspofungin (CAS) in CAS-resistant fungal pathogens.

Pyridine Alkaloids in the Venom of Imported Fire Ants.

Venomous imported fire ants cause significant medical problems. Alkaloids are an important component of imported fire ant venom. Piperidine and piperideine alkaloids have been identified in fire ant venom.

Quantitative determination and pharmacokinetic study of fusaricidin A in mice plasma and tissues using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Fusaricidins are a family of cyclic lipodepsipeptides that convey antifungal and antibacterial activity. Fusaricidin A (FA) is one of the Fusaricidins major compounds and it is showing promising activity against fungi and bacteria. In the present study, a fast and sensitive ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for the analysis of FA in mice plasma, liver, kidney and brain tissues.

Identification of fusaricidins from the antifungal microbial strain Paenibacillus sp. MS2379 using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Paenibacillus sp. MS2379 is a highly efficient microbial strain producing fusaricidins, a class of lipopeptides that have demonstrated strong antifungal activities against a broad array of fungal pathogens. An integrated approach combining chromatographic fractionation, UHPLC-QTOF-MS analysis, and NMR spectroscopic interpretation was employed to characterize antifungal metabolites produced by this microbial strain, resulting in the identification of 48 fusaricidins including 30 cyclic and 18 open-chain species.

Synthesis and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Phloroglucinol-Based Derivatives.

The natural product phloroglucinol-based derivatives representing monoacyl-, diacyl-, dimeric acyl-, alkylated monoacyl-, and the nitrogen-containing alkylated monoacylphloro- glucinols were synthesized and evaluated for inhibitory activities against the inflammatory mediators such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB). The diacylphloroglucinol compound and the alkylated acylphloroglucinol compound inhibited iNOS with IC values of 19.0 and 19.

Anti-Leishmanial and Cytotoxic Activities of a Series of Maleimides: Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Structure-Activity Relationship.

In the present study, 45 maleimides have been synthesized and evaluated for anti-leishmanial activities against in vitro and cytotoxicity toward THP1 cells. All compounds exhibited obvious anti-leishmanial activities. Among the tested compounds, there were 10 maleimides with superior anti-leishmanial activities to standard drug amphotericin B, and 32 maleimides with superior anti-leishmanial activities to standard drug pentamidine, especially compounds (IC < 0.

Bioactive Penicipyrrodiether A, an Adduct of GKK1032 Analogue and Phenol A Derivative, from a Marine-Sourced Fungus Penicillium sp. ZZ380.

Penicipyrrodiether A, an adduct of GKK1032 analogue and phenol A derivative, was isolated from a culture of marine-associated fungus Penicillium sp. ZZ380 and represents the first example of this type of fungal metabolite. Its structure was elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses, including 1D- and 2D-NMR, HRESIMS, MS/MS, and electronic circular dichroism calculation as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Hemopressin-Based pH-Sensitive Hydrogel: A Potential Bioactive Platform for Drug Delivery.

Peptides with proper sequences are capable of self-assembling into well-defined nanostructures, which can subsequently grow and entangle into three-dimensional nanomatrices. In this study, hemopressin, a cannabinoid receptor-modulating peptide derived from the α-chain of hemoglobin known to self-assemble into nanofibrils, was examined for its potential applicability as a gelator. The results indicated that hemopressin's gel formation was dependent on pH and salt concentration.

Chloramphenicol Derivatives with Antibacterial Activity Identified by Functional Metagenomics.

A functional metagenomic approach identified novel and diverse soil-derived DNAs encoding inhibitors to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). A metagenomic DNA soil library containing 19 200 recombinant Escherichia coli BAC clones with 100 Kb average insert size was screened for antibiotic activity. Twenty-seven clones inhibited MRSA, seven of which were found by LC-MS to possess modified chloramphenicol ( Cm) derivatives, including three new compounds whose structures were established as 1-acetyl-3-propanoylchloramphenicol, 1-acetyl-3-butanoylchloramphenicol, and 3-butanoyl-1-propanoylchloramphenicol.

Unequivocal determination of caulamidines A and B: application and validation of new tools in the structure elucidation tool box.

Ambiguities and errors in the structural assignment of organic molecules hinder both drug discovery and total synthesis efforts. Newly described NMR experimental approaches can provide valuable structural details and a complementary means of structure verification. The caulamidines are trihalogenated alkaloids from a marine bryozoan with an unprecedented structural scaffold.

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Fire Ant Venom Alkaloid Based 2-Methyl-6-alkyl-Δ-piperideines.

The first synthesis of 2-methyl-6-pentadecyl-Δ-piperideine (1), a major alkaloid of the piperideine chemotype in fire ant venoms, and its analogues, 2-methyl-6-tetradecyl-Δ-piperideine (2) and 2-methyl-6-hexadecyl-Δ-piperideine (3), was achieved by a facile synthetic method starting with glutaric acid (4) and urea (5). Compound 1 showed in vitro antifungal activity against Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans with IC values of 6.6 and 12.

Protocol for Identifying Natural Agents That Selectively Affect Adhesion, Thickness, Architecture, Cellular Phenotypes, Extracellular Matrix, and Human White Blood Cell Impenetrability of Candida albicans Biofilms.

In the screening of natural plant extracts for antifungal activity, assessment of their effects on the growth of cells in suspension or in the wells of microtiter plates is expedient. However, microorganisms, including , grow in nature as biofilms, which are organized cellular communities with a complex architecture capable of conditioning their microenvironment, communicating, and excluding low- and high-molecular-weight molecules and white blood cells. Here, a confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) protocol for testing the effects of large numbers of agents on biofilm development is described.

Two plant-derived aporphinoid alkaloids exert their antifungal activity by disrupting mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis.

Eupolauridine and liriodenine are plant-derived aporphinoid alkaloids that exhibit potent inhibitory activity against the opportunistic fungal pathogens and However, the molecular mechanism of this antifungal activity is unknown. In this study, we show that eupolauridine 9591 (E9591), a synthetic analog of eupolauridine, and liriodenine methiodide (LMT), a methiodide salt of liriodenine, mediate their antifungal activities by disrupting mitochondrial iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster synthesis. Several lines of evidence supported this conclusion.

Chemical Composition and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory Activity of Essential Oils from Piper Species.

The essential oils (EOs) derived from aromatic plants such as Piper species are considered to play a role in alleviating neuronal ailments that are associated with inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The chemical compositions of 23 EOs prepared from 16 Piper spp. were analyzed by both gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).