Yasumasa Ikeshiro

Traditional medicine in Turkey IV. Folk medicine in the Mediterranean subdivision

The traditional utilization of plants as medicine in the Mediterranean region has been investigated. Field surveys were carried out among the people who live in the Taurus Mountains. Sixty-nine medicinal plants have been identified, which are listed with the vernacular names, the parts used, the methods of preparing the drugs and their traditional usages.

Isolation of rhododaurichromanic acid B and the anti-HIV principles rhododaurichromanic acid A and rhododaurichromenic acid from Rhododendron dauricum

Abstract—Two novel chromane derivatives (1 and 2) and the known chromene (3) were isolated from the leaves and twigs of Rhodo-dendron dauricum. The absolute stereostructure of 1 was established by spectroscopic examination and X-ray crystallographic analysis. Theabsolute stereostructures of 2 and 3 were also confirmed by photochemical conversion of 3 into 1 and 2. Daurichromenic acid (3)demonstrated potent anti-HIV activity with an EC 50 value of 0.00567 mg/mL and therapeutic index (TI) of 3,710. Rhododaurichromanicacid A (1) also showed relatively potent anti-HIV activity with an EC 50 value of 0.37 mg/mL, and a TI of 91.9, whereas rhododaurichromanicacid B (1) displayed no anti-HIV activity. q 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. IntroductionRhododendron dauricum is distributed in the northern partof China, eastern part of Siberia, and Hokkaido. The driedleaves of this plant are known in China as ‘Manshanfong,’and are used medicinally as an expectorant and totreat acute–chronic bronchitis.

Traditional medicine in Turkey. I: Folk medicine in Northeast anatolia

Folk medicine in northwest Anatolia has been studied and 116 remedies prepared from 67 plant and 8 animal species are described, each with vernacular names, methods of preparation and traditional uses.

Traditional Medicine in Turkey III Folk Medicine in East Anatolia Van and Bitlis Provinces

AbstractA field survey of traditional medicine in Turkey, specifically medicinal plants in East-Anatolia (Van-Bitlis Provinces), is discussed. Interviews with inhabitants, elder people, traditional practitioners and eyh (semi-religious persons) were conducted to determine the vernacular names of plants used as medicine. The plants were all taxonomically identified, and their medicinal uses and administration routes are listed. The use of medicinal plants is usually the first choice of treatment among the rural people in this region.

Coptidis Rhizoma: protective effects against peroxynitrite‐induced oxidative damage and elucidation of its active components

We have investigated the protective effects of Coptidis Rhizoma against peroxynitrite (ONOO−)‐induced oxidative damage and have elucidated the active components of this preparation. In an invitro system, Coptidis Rhizoma extract scavenged ONOO− and its precursors, nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide anion (O2−). This scavenging activity was more marked for ONOO− than its precursors. In addition, against 3‐morpholinosydnonimine‐induced cellular damage, this extract significantly reduced cellular ONOO− formation and increased cell viability. In an in‐vivo lipopolysaccharide plus ischaemia‐reperfusion system that generated ONOO−, the administration of Coptidis Rhizoma extract at 50 and 100 mg kg−1/day for 30 days exerted greater inhibition of ONOO− than NO and O2−. This suggested that it acted as a direct scavenger of ONOO− rather than as a scavenger of its precursors. Moreover, the suppression of the activities of the antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase was significantly attenuated by the administration of Coptidis Rhizoma extract. Furthermore, the extract ameliorated renal dysfunction judged by decreasing serum urea nitrogen and creatinine levels. To elucidate the active components of Coptidis Rhizoma extract, we evaluated and compared the effects of the phenol plus alkaloid and alkaloid fractions on ONOO−‐induced damage. We found that the alkaloid fraction consisting of berberine, palmatine and coptisine was the most effective at protecting against ONOO−. We confirmed that berberine (10 and 20 mg kg−1/day for 10 days), the main and most active alkaloid in Coptidis Rhizoma extract, was also protective, exerting NO‐, O2−‐ and ONOO−‐scavenging activities. This study suggested that Coptidis Rhizoma could protect against ONOO−‐induced oxidative damage and that this effect was mainly attributable to the constituent alkaloids, especially berberine. This study is the first to demonstrate an antioxidative effect of alkaloids, including berberine, against ONOO−‐induced damage.

Protective role of Coptidis Rhizoma alkaloids against peroxynitrite-induced damage to renal tubular epithelial cells.

A study was conducted to elucidate and compare the protective activity of alkaloids from Coptidis Rhizoma (berberine, coptisine, palmatine, epiberberine, jatrorhizine, groenlandicine and magnoflorine) using an LLC‐PK1 cell under peroxynitrite (ONOO−) generation model. Treatment with 3‐morpholino‐sydnonimine (SIN‐1) led to an increase in cellular ONOO− generation in comparison with non‐treated cells. However, Coptidis Rhizoma extract and its alkaloids, except for berberine, reduced the cellular ONOO− level. In addition, DNA fragmentation induced by SIN‐1 was significantly decreased by the extract, and also by coptisine, epiberberine, jatrorhizine, groenlandicine and magnoflorine. Moreover, treatment with berberine, coptisine, palmatine and epiberberine exerted a protective effect against G0/G1 phase arrest of cell cycle induced by SIN‐1. The increase in cellular ONOO− generation, DNA damage and disturbance of the cell cycle by SIN‐1 resulted in a decrease in cell viability. However, Coptidis Rhizoma extract, epiberberine, jatrorhizine, groenlandicine and magnoflorine significantly increased cell viability even at a concentration as low as 10μg mL−1. These findings demonstrate that Coptidis Rhizoma extract and its alkaloids can ameliorate the cell damage associated with ONOO− generation in renal tubular LLC‐PK1 cells, and that the various alkaloids have distinctive mechanisms of action, such as ONOO− scavenging, protection from DNA damage and control of the cell cycle. Furthermore, the data suggest that among the Coptidis Rhizoma alkaloids, coptisine is the most effective for protection against SIN‐1‐induced cellular injury in terms of its potency and content.

Amides of the fruit of Zanthoxylum spp.

Abstract Examination of the amide constituents in Budo-Zanthoxylum fruit, the most traded commercial Zanthoxylum fruit in the Japanese market, has led to the isolation of a new amide, along with α-, β-, γ-, hydroxy-α-, hydroxy-β- and hydroxy-γ-sanshools. The structure of the new amide was assigned as (2E, 4E, 8E, 10E, 12E)-N-isobutyl-2,4,8,10,12-tetradecapentaenamide by spectral examination.

Tomoeones A–H, cytotoxic phloroglucinol derivatives from Hypericum ascyron

Phloroglucinol derivatives tomoeones A-H (1-8) and three known compounds were isolated from leaves of Hypericum ascyron. Their structures were established based on spectroscopic analyses. They are all acylphloroglucinol derivatives possessing a spiro skeleton with geminal isoprenyl groups and a monoterpene moiety, and they are stereoisomers to each other at C-4 and C-13. They appear to be a class of phloroglucinol derivatives. Cytotoxicities of the isolated phloroglucinol derivatives against human tumor cell lines, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cell lines, were evaluated. Tomoeone F (6) demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against KB cells with an IC50 value of 6.2 microM. Compound 6 was also cytotoxic against MDR cancer cell lines (KB-C2 and K562/Adr), which was more potent than doxorubicin.

Acylphloroglucinol, biyouyanagiol, biyouyanagin B, and related spiro-lactones from Hypericum chinense.

Biyouyanagiol (1), an acylphloroglucinol-related compound having a unique cyclopenta-1,3-dione moiety, was isolated from a Japanese traditional medicinal plant, Hypericum chinense, together with three new spiro-lactone-related derivatives, biyouyanagin B (2), 5,6-dihydrohyperolactone D (3), and 4-hydroxyhyperolactone D (4). Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. In a cytotoxicity assay against human cancer cell lines including multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cell lines, several compounds demonstrated enhanced cytotoxicity against MDR KB cells in the presence of colchicine.

Abietane type diterpenoids from Salvia miltiorrhiza

Abstract Two new abietane diterpenoids, miltionone I and II, have been isolated from the root Salvia miltiorrhiza and the structures determined as 12-hydroxy-20-nor-5(10),6,8,12-abietatetraene-1,11,14-trione and 15( R )-14,16-epoxy-11-hydroxy-20- nor -5(10),7,9(11),13-abietatetraene-6,12-dione, respectively, by spectroscopic analysis.