Zhi Yu Ni

Constituents from Salvia Species and Their Biological Activities

Yi-Bing Wu,† Zhi-Yu Ni,† Qing-Wen Shi,*,† Mei Dong,‡ Hiromasa Kiyota,* Yu-Cheng Gu,†,∥ and Bin Cong*,‡ †School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province 050017, China ‡Department of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province 050017, China Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology for Future Bioindustry, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 1-1 Tsutsumidori-Amamiya, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8555, Japan Syngenta Jealott’s Hill International Research Centre, Berkshire RG42 6EY, United Kingdom

Secondary Metabolites of Plants from the Genus Saussurea: Chemistry and Biological Activity

The Asteraceae family comprises ca. 1000 genera, mainly distributed in Asia and Europe. Saussurea DC., as the largest subgenus of this family, comprises ca. 400 species worldwide, of which ca. 300 species occur in China. Most plants in China grow wild in the alpine zone of the Qingzang Plateau and adjacent regions at elevations of 4000 m. Plants of the genus Saussurea (Asteraceae) are used in both traditional Chinese folk medicine and Tibet folklore medicine, since they are efficacious in relieving internal heat or fever, harmonizing menstruation, invigorating blood circulation, stopping bleeding, alleviating pain, increasing energy, and curing rheumatic arthritis. A large number of biologically active compounds have been isolated from this genus. This review shows the chemotaxonomy of these compounds (215 compounds) such as sesquiterpenoids (101 compounds), flavonoids (19 compounds), phytosterols (15 compounds), triterpenoids (25 compounds), lignans (32 compounds), phenolics (23 compounds), and chlorophylls (11 compounds). Biological activities (anti‐inflammatory, anticancer, antitumor, hepatoprotective, anti‐ulcer, cholagogic, immunosuppressive, spasmolytic, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antifeedant, CNS depressant, antioxidant, etc.) of these compounds, including structure–activity relationships, are also discussed.

Antitumour activities of sesquiterpene lactones from Inula helenium and Inula japonica.

3 Eight sesquiterpene lactones were isolated from the roots of Inula helenium and fl owers of I. japonica. Among them, isoalantolactone () and santamarine (6) exhibited significant growth inhibitory activities against gynecologic cancer cell lines, while others weakly inhibited the growth of the cell lines (IC50 ≤ 100 μM). In addition, 3 significantly inhibited the tumour growth of S180 tumour-bearing mice. Compounds 3 and 6 were not toxic to human embryonic lung fibroblast cells in vitro. These results demonstrated that the antitumour activities are closely related to the structures of the compounds, that is, an α-exomethylene- γ-lactone ring is necessary for these activities.

A Novel Taxane 13-Glucoside and Other Taxanes from the Leaves of Taxus cuspidata

Three new taxanes, 2 α,9 α,10 β-triacetoxy-13 α-( β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)taxa-4(20),11-dien-5 α-ol, 5 α,10 β,13 α-triacetoxytax-11-ene-2 α,7 β,9 α,20-tetraol, and 5 α,10 β,13 β-triacetoxy-2 α,7 β-dihydroxy-2(3→20) abeotaxa-4(20),11-dien-9-one, were isolated from the leaves of the Japanese yew, Taxus cuspidata. Compound 1 is the first example of a taxane with 13-glycosidic linkage.

Millifolides A–C. New 1,10-Seco-guaianolides from the Flowers of Achillea millefolium

Ten 1,10-secoguaianolides were isolated from the flowers of Achillea millefolium. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic methods. Three of them (millifolides A-C) including two dimeric sesquiterpenoids exhibit new skeletons. Seco-tanapartholide A exhibited moderate cell growth inhibitory activity against the human cancer cell line MCF7WT (IC50 = 5.51 μm) in vitro. Graphical Abstract Millifolides A–C. New 1,10-Seco-guaianolides from the Flowers of Achillea millefolium

Two new phytoecdysteroids from the needles of Taxus canadensis.

Two new phytoecdysteroids with a 20,22-acetal group were identified for the first time from the needles of the Canadian yew, Taxus canadensis. Their structures were characterized as ponasterone A 20,22-p-hydroxybenzylidene acetal (1) and ponasterone A 20,22-acetonide (2) on the basis of 1D, 2D NMR evidence and high-resolution FABMS analysis Graphical Abstract Two New Phytoecdysteroids from the Needles of Taxus canadensis

Xylomexicanins I and J: Limonoids with Unusual B/C Rings from Xylocarpus granatum.

Two tetranortriterpenoids with new skeletons, xylomexicanins I and J (1 and 2), were isolated during the investigation of chemical constituents from seeds of the Chinese mangrove, Xylocarpus granatum. Xylomexicanin I (1) is an unprecedented limonoid with bridged B- and C-rings. A biosynthesis pathway for 1 from xylomexicanin F is proposed.

11-Hydroxyisocom-2-en-5-one, a new sesquiterpenoid from Echinops spinosissimus

A novel isocomene sesquiterpenoid, 11-hydroxyisocom-2-en-5-one, was isolated from the roots of Echinops spinosissimus subsp. spinosus Greuter. The structure was characterized on the basis of NMR spectroscopic methods, including 1H–1H COSY, HMBC, HSQC, and NOESY experiments.

A new taxane from the needles of Taxus cuspidata

A new taxane was isolated from the needles of the Japanese yew, Taxus cuspidata. Its structure was established as 2α,7β,9α-triacetoxy-5α,10β-dihydroxy-taxa-4(20),11-dien-13-one (1) on the basis of spectrascopic data, including 1D and 2D NMR data.

A Novel Taxatetraene Framework Formed From a New Natural Taxane from Taxus cuspidata

Sinenxan H [2α,14β -diacetoxytaxa-4(20),11-diene-5α, 10β -diol, 1] was isolated from the heartwood of Taxus cuspidata, for the first time from natural sources. Compound 1 was found to be readily converted into 2α-acetoxytaxa-4(20),10,12(18),13-tetraen-5α-ol (2), the first example of a taxane with 10,11- and/or 13,14-double bond(s) and a conjugated triene system, in CDCl3. Graphical Abstract A Novel Taxatetraene Framework Formed From a New Natural Taxane from Taxus cuspidata