Li-Xin Yang

Hyperuralones A and B, New Acylphloroglucinol Derivatives with Intricately Caged Cores from Hypericum uralum

Hyperuralone A (1), a polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinol possessing an unprecedented tetracyclo-[5.3.1.1(4,9).0(4,11)]-dodecane core, was characterized from Hypericum uralum together with hyperuralone B (2), a congener with another complex caged skeleton. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis and ECD calculations. A plausible biosynthetic pathway of their intriguing architectures via intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions was also proposed. Compound 1 exhibited obviously cytotoxic activities against five human cancer cell lines in vitro (IC50 4.6-14.4 μM).

New acylphloroglucinol derivatives with diverse architectures from Hypericum henryi.

Hyphenrones A-F (1-6), six polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinol derivatives with four architectures including three unprecedented cores as exemplified by 1, 3, and 4, were isolated from Hypericum henryi. Compounds 3 and 4 possess two unique 5/8/5 and 6/6/5/8/5 fused ring systems, respectively. Their absolute configurations were defined by experimental and calculated ECD of 4 and X-ray diffractions of 5 and 6, coupled with their putative biosynthetic origins. Three compounds exhibited interesting AChE inhibitory activities.

Bioactive Polyprenylated Acylphloroglucinol Derivatives from Hypericum cohaerens

Nine new polyprenylated acylphloroglucinol derivatives, hypercohins B-J (1-9), and nine known analogues were isolated from the aerial parts of Hypericum cohaerens. The structures of 1-9 were elucidated based on spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configuration of 1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The inhibitory activities of these isolates on acetylcholinesterase and five human tumor cell lines were tested, and hypercohins B-D (1-3) exhibited moderate inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ 5.8-17.9 μM) against the tested tumor cell lines.

Przewalskone: a cytotoxic adduct of a danshenol type terpenoid and an icetexane diterpenoid via hetero-Diels-Alder reaction from Salvia przewalskii.

Przewalskone (1), an unprecedented adduct of two different terpenoid units via a hetero-Diels-Alder cycloaddition, was isolated from the roots of Salvia przewalskii. The structure and absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive analysis of NMR spectra and crystal X-ray diffractions. Compound 1 exhibited significant cytotoxicities against five human cancer lines in vitro (IC(50) 0.69-2.35 μM).

Hypercohones A–C, acylphloroglucinol derivatives with homo-adamantane cores from Hypericum cohaerens

Three new homo-adamantanyl type natural products were derived from polyprenylated polycyclic acylphloroglucinol. Hypercohones A-C (1–3), along with five other known hypercohones (4–8), were isolated from the aerial parts of Hypericum cohaerens. The structures of 1–3 were elucidated on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analysis. The inhibitory activities of these isolates against five human cancer cell lines in vitro were tested.

Hypercohones D–G, New Polycyclic Polyprenylated Acylphloroglucinol Type Natural Products from Hypericum cohaerens

Four new polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinol type metabolites, hypercohones D–G (1–4), along with four known analogues (5–8), were isolated from the aerial parts of Hypericum cohaerens. The structures of these isolates were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods. The inhibitory activities of these isolates against five human cancer cell lines in vitro were also tested.Graphical Abstract

Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plants on Anti- insulin Resistance Bioactivity of DXMS-Induced Insulin Resistant HepG2 Cells

Medicinal plants have a long history of use in China to treat diabetic symptoms. Ancient Chinese medical manuscripts and ethnobotanical surveys document plant remedies that continue to be actively used in China for the treatment of diabetic symptoms. Based on a systematic ancient Chinese medical manuscripts review in combination with ethnobotanical survey, 16 medicinal plants for the traditional treatment of diabetic symptoms were identified for the evaluation of anti-insulin resistance bioactivity. The biological activity of 16 medicinal plants was tested on dexamethasone (DXMS)-induced insulin resistant HepG2 cells. The result shows that 11 of the 16 medicinal plants enhanced glucose uptake of DXMS-induced insulin resistant HepG2 cells, thereby demonstrating their ability to increase insulin sensitivity, other five medicinal plants including Astragalus membranaceus were found ineffective. The study shows that ancient Chinese medical manuscripts and ethnobotanical surveys on plants for the prevention and treatment of diabetic symptoms provide a promising knowledge base for drug discovery to mitigate the global diabetes epidemic.Graphical Abstract

Correction to Bioactive Polyprenylated Acylphloroglucinol Derivatives from Hypericum cohaerens.

P 1613: In the structure graphic, the abbreviation of the R1 substituent group for hypercohin F (5) was misspelled and should be changed to “s-Bu”. The structure graphic should be replaced by the following one. Correspondingly, on line 53 of the right column, “an isobutyl” should be corrected to “a sec-butyl” in the structural elucidation of 5. The authors greatly apologize to the scientific community for the inconvenience caused by these errors.

Erratum to: New Dimeric and seco-Abietane Diterpenoids from Salvia wardii

The online version of the original article can be found under doi:10.1007/s13659-015-0054-6.

New Dimeric and seco-Abietane Diterpenoids from Salvia wardii

Abstract Two dimeric abietane diterpenoids, salviwardins A and B (1 and 2), and a seco-abietane diterpenoid salviwardin C (3), along with five known analogues (4–8), were isolated from the roots of Salvia wardii. The structures of these isolates were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods. The inhibitory activities of these isolates against five human cancer cell lines in vitro were also tested.