Magnolia Flower is a crude drug used for the treatment of headaches, toothaches, and nasal congestion. Here, we focused on Magnolia kobus, one of the botanical origins of Magnolia Flower, and ...collected the flower parts at different growth stages to compare chemical compositions and investigate potential inhibitory activities against interleukin-2 (IL-2) production in murine splenic T cells. After determining the structures, we examined the inhibitory effects of the constituents of the bud, the medicinal part of the crude drug, against IL-2 production. We first extracted the flower parts of M. kobus from the bud to fallen bloom stages and analysed the chemical compositions to identify the constituents characteristic to the buds. We found that the inhibitory activity of the buds against IL-2 production was more potent than that of the blooms. We isolated two known compounds, tiliroside (1) and syringin (2), characteristic to the buds from the methanol (MeOH) extract of Magnolia Flower. Moreover, we examined the inhibitory activities of both compounds against IL-2 production and found that tiliroside (1) but not syringin (2), showed strong inhibitory activity against IL-2 production and inhibited its mRNA expression. Thus, our strategy to examine the relationship between chemical compositions and biological activities during plant maturation could not only contribute to the scientific evaluation of medicinal parts of crude drugs but also assist in identifying biologically active constituents that have not yet been reported.
Persimmon Calyx is a crude drug derived from the persistent calyx of mature fruit of
Diospyros kaki
Thunberg (Ebenaceae) and is used for the treatment of intractable hiccups. Although there are ...several reports on the isolation of constituents from Persimmon Calyx, its active constituents have not been elucidated. In this study, by focusing on the medicinal part of Persimmon Calyx, calyx on mature fruit of
D. kaki
, we examined the changes in the extraction amounts of 3 cultivars of
D. kaki
(‘Hiratanenashi’, ‘Jiro’, and ‘Tonewase’) to identify and quantify seasonally variable constituents during the maturation process by analysing their chemical compositions. We found that the extraction weight of the calyx, fruit of persimmons, and total tannin content in calyxes were significantly increased during maturation. Lupeol (
1
), betulinic acid (
2
), pomolic acid (
3
), ursolic acid (
4
), β-sitosterol (
5
), rotungenic acid (
6
), barbinervic acid (
7
), catechin (
8
), gallocatechin (
9
), and sucrose (
10
) were identified in the calyx of
D. kaki
. Compounds
1
,
6
, and
7
were isolated from Persimmon Calyx for the first time. Moreover, the isolated compounds (
1
–
7
) and their analogue (oleanolic acid) were quantitatively analysed, and the results showed that the amounts of
4
and oleanolic acid were reduced during maturation, whereas that of
2
,
3
,
6
, and
7
were increased.
Stereocontrolled syntheses of biotin-labeled oligosaccharide portions containing the non reducing end oligosaccharides of glycosphingolipids from Ascaris suum have been accomplished. ...Galα1→3GalNAcβ1→OR (1), Galβ1→3Galα1→3GalNAcβ1→OR (2), Galβ1→6Galα1→3GalNAcβ1→OR (3), Galβ1→6(Galβ1→3)Galα1→3GalNAcβ1→OR (4) and GlcNAcβ1→6Galβ1→6(Galβ1→3)Galα1→3GalNAcβ1→OR (5) (R = biotinylated probe) were synthesized by stepwise condensation (1–4) and block synthesis (5) using 5-(methoxycarbonylpentyl) 2-O-benzoyl-3-O-2-napthylmethyl-4,6-O-di-tert-butylsilylene-α-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-4,6-O-benzylidene-2-deoxy-2-phthalimido-β-D-galactopyranoside (12) as a common precursor. Compound 12 was converted into two kinds of glycosyl acceptors and was condensed with suitable galactosyl donors, respectively.
To elucidate the interactions between crude drugs in Kampo medicines (traditional Japanese medicines), it is important to determine the content of the constituents in a cost-effective and simple ...manner. In this study, we quantified the constituents in crude drug extracts using thin-layer chromatography (TLC), an inexpensive and simple analytical method, to elucidate the chemical interactions between crude drugs. We focused on five crude drugs, for which quantitative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods are stipulated in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia XVIII (JP XVIII) and compared the analytical data of HPLC and TLC, confirming that the TLC results corresponded with the HPLC data and satisfied the criteria of JP XVIII. (
)-ligustilide, a major constituent in Japanese Angelica Root, for which a method of quantification has not been stipulated in JP XVIII, was also quantitatively analyzed using HPLC and TLC. Furthermore, Japanese Angelica Root was combined with 26 crude drugs to observe the variation in the (
)-ligustilide content from each combination by TLC. The results revealed that combinations with Phellodendron Bark, Citrus Unshiu Peel, Scutellaria Root, Coptis Rhizome, Gardenia Fruit, and Peony Root increased the (
)-ligustilide content. Quantifying the constituents in crude drug extracts using the inexpensive and simple TLC method can contribute to elucidating interactions between crude drugs in Kampo medicines, as proposed by the herbal-pair theory.
The total synthesis of two neutral glycosphingolipids (GSLs) from the fungus Hirsutella rhossiliensis has been achieved. The GSLs possess a common neogala-core (Galβ1-6Gal) and have the following ...sequence: α-d-Manp(1 → 3)-β-d-Galp(1 → 6)-β-d-Galp(1 → 6)-β-d-Galp(1↔1)Cer (1) and α-d-Manp(1 → 3)-β-d-Galp(1 → 6)α-d-Glcp(1 → 4)-β-d-Galp(1 → 6)-β-d-Galp(1↔1)Cer (2). Our efficient synthetic strategy uses the different reactivity of the hydroxyl groups of galactose and the α-orienting solvent effect of dioxane-toluene to generate GSLs (1) and (2).
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•Stereocontrolled syntheses of two neutral glycosphingolipids from the fungus Hirsutella rhossiliensis have been achieved.•The synthetic methods may be useful for the synthesis of conjugation of the other glycan.•Our efficient synthetic strategy uses the different reactivity of the hydroxyl groups of galactose and the α-orienting solvent effect.
Synthesis of a biotinylated analog of the carbohydrate portion of a glycosphingolipid from the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis has been achieved. We synthesized ...β-D-Galp-(1→6)-β-D-Galp-(1→6)-α-L-Fucp-(1→3)-β-D-Galp-(1→R: biotin probe) (1) and compared the antigenicity by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with biotinylated trisaccharide α-D-Galp-(1→4)-β-D-Galp-(1→3)-α-D-Galp-(1→R: biotin probe) (F), which has been shown to have significant antigenicity. Both of the oligosaccharides reacted with sera of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) patients, but showed different reactivity. Among the 60 sera of AE patients, more sera reacted with the linear sequence Galα1→4Galβ1→3GalNAcα1→R of oligosaccharide (F) than for branched compound 1. Some sera showed high specificity to one of the compound, indicating that the antibodies in the sera of AE patients differ in their specificity to recognize carbohydrate sequences of glycosphingolipids. Our results demonstrate that both of the biotinylated oligosaccharides 1 and F have good serodiagnostic potential and are complementary to detect infections caused by the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis.
Stereocontrolled syntheses of biotin-labeled oligosaccharide portions containing the carbohydrate moiety of glycoprotein from Echinococcus granulosus have been accomplished. Trisaccharide ...Galβ1-3Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-R (A), tetrasaccharide Galα1-4Galβ1-3Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-R (B), and pentasaccharide Galα1-4Galβ1-3Galβ1-3Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-R (C), (R = biotinylated probe) were synthesized by stepwise condensation and/or block synthesis by the use of 5-(methoxycarbonyl)pentyl 2-azido-4,6-O-benzylidene-2-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranoside as a common glycosyl acceptor. The synthesis of the tetrasaccharide and the pentasaccharide was improved from the viewpoint of reducing the number of synthetic steps and increasing the total yield by changing from stepwise condensation to block synthesis. Moreover, hexasaccharide E, which contains the oligosaccharide sequence which occurs in E. granulosus, was synthesized from trisaccharide D. We examined the antigenicity of these five oligosaccharides by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Although compounds of C–E did not exhibit antigenicity against cystic echinococcosis (CE) patient sera, compounds B, D, and E showed good serodiagnostic potential for alveolar echinococcosis (AE).
Increasing evidence has demonstrated that emotional states and intestinal conditions are inter-connected in so-called “brain–gut interactions.” Indeed, many psychiatric disorders are accompanied by ...gastrointestinal symptoms, such as the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, the functional connection remains elusive, partly because there are few useful experimental animal models. Here, we focused on a highly validated animal model of stress-induced psychiatric disorders, such as depression, known as the chronic vicarious social defeat stress (cVSDS) model mice, which we prepared using exposure to repeated psychological stress, thereafter examining their intestinal conditions. In the charcoal meal test and the capsaicin-induced hyperalgesia test, cVSDS model mice showed a significantly higher intestinal transit ratio and increased visceral pain-related behaviors, respectively. These changes persisted over one month after the stress session. On the other hand, the pathological evaluations of the histological and inflammatory scores of naive and cVSDS model mice did not differ. Furthermore, keishikashakuyakuto—a kampo medicine clinically used for the treatment of IBS—normalized the intestinal motility change in cVSDS model mice. Our results indicate that cVSDS model mice present IBS-like symptoms such as chronic intestinal peristaltic changes and abdominal hyperalgesia without organic lesion. We therefore propose the cVSDS paradigm as a novel animal model of IBS with wide validity, elucidating the correlation between depressive states and intestinal abnormalities.
A new route toward 2-acetamido-4-O-methyl-2-deoxy-d-mannopyranose (4-O-methylManNAc), the chemo-enzymatic precursor of 7-O-methylsialic acid and laninamivir, was established. Known p-methoxyphenyl ...6-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-2,3-dideoxy-α-d-erythro-hex-2-enopyranoside was the starting material, and it was derived via Ferrier reaction from tri-O-acetyl-d-glucal. The total yield was 43% over six steps from the starting material. As the key steps, Payne oxidation provided a syn-epoxy alcohol, and the inversion from an aziridine to an oxazoline proceeded stereoselectively. Although the ring opening reaction of the epoxide with an azide gave both the 2- and 3-azido regioisomers, they could be merged into the desired aziridine via independent routes.
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A novel neutral glycosphingolipid found in Microcosmus sulcatus containing a β-d-Galp(1→4)α-d-Fucp-(1→3)β-d-Glcp-(1→)Cer motif was synthesized. Trisaccharide derivatives were synthesized using ...trimethylsilyltrifluoromethanesulfanate (TMSOTf) and N-iodosuccimide (NIS)/trifluoromethane sulfonic acid (TfOH) as the promoters. Synthesis was achieved with an efficient one-pot glycosylation strategy. This is the first report of a one-pot glycosylation strategy using the procedure of Boons et al. for the synthesis of a natural product. Coupling of trisaccharide derivative 19 and ceramide derivative 20 by TMSOTf afforded the glycosphingolipid derivative 21. The fully protected glycoside was deprotected to give the target glycosphingolipid 2.
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