• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2003

Plants are known as important source in the search for new drugs. The twelve compounds from Viscum album (Loranthaceae), lupeol (1), betulonic acid (2), betulinic acid (3), terminic acid (4), ursolic acid (5), $\beta$-sitosterol (6), $\alpha$-spinasterol (7), oleanolic acid (8), 5-hydroxy-1-(4′-hydoxyphenyl)-7-(4"-hydroxyphenyl)-hepta-1-en-3-on (9), 2′-hydroxy-4′,6′-dimethoxychalcone-4-O-glucoside (10), 2′-hydroxy-4′,6′-dimethoxychalcone-4-O-[apiosyl(l$\longrightarrow$2)]glucoside (11) and syringin (12) were evaluated for their immunomodulatory properties. Compounds 6 and 11 induced the macrophage tumoricidal activity and the lymphocyte blastogenesis. In addition, these compounds stimulated the macrophages to induce the production of TNF-$\alpha$ and NO. These findings suggest that compounds 6 and 11 are modulating various elements of the host immune response.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.359-364
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• 2007

Three known ${\alpha}$-amyrin triterpenoids, ursolic acid (1), $2{\alpha},3{\alpha}$-dihydro xyurs-12-ene-28-oic acid (2) and euscaphic acid (3), and ${\beta}$-amyrin triterpenoid, $3{\beta}$-hydroxyolean-5,12-diene (4), and ${\alpha}$-spinasterol (5) have been isolated from the fractionated n-butanol extracts of the spikes of Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina, guided by DNA topoisomerases I and II inhibitory activities and cytotoxic activity against human cancer cells. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical methods. Compound 4 exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against human colon adenoblastoma (HT-29), and 5 showed DNA topoisomerase I and II inhibitions.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 2000

In order to investigate the hepatoprotective constituents, Melonis Pedicellus was systematically extracted and fractionated with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol and water Treatment of rats with ethyl acetate fraction reduced hepatic injuries induced by $\alpha$-naphthylisothiocyanate or D-galactosamine, whereas the components in water fraction showed protective effect only against D-galactosamine-induced hepatitis in rats. Two cucurbitacins and three sterols were isolated from ethylacetate fraction and their chemical structures were identified as cucurbitacin B, isocucurbitacin B, $\alpha$-spinasterol, stigmast-7-en-3-ol and stigmast-7-en-3-ol-0-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside. Cucurbitacin B at the dose of 1 mg/kg (p.o.) signifcantly increased in bile flow in rats with ANIT-induced cholestasis. Isocucurbitacin B at 5 mg/hg (p.o.) showed signilicant protective effects against ANIT-induced cholestasis. These results showed that cucurbitacin B and isocucurbitacin B from Melonis Pedicellus may have hepatoprotective effect in rats with experimental cholestasis.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.51-54
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• 1976

Steroid and terpenoid constituents of 3 species of genus Phytolacca have been examined by TLC. All contained ${\alpha}$-spinasterol, its glucoside and acylated glucoside, jaligonic acid and its methylester, esculentic acid and its methylester, and 10 phytolaccosides. Jaligonic acid was the major free triterpenoid and phytolaccoside E was the major saponin in all plants. Bayogenin, oleanolic acid, spergulagenic acid, acinosolic acid, hederogenin, and their derivatives contained in other Phytolacca spp. were not found in these plants.