• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.285-297
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• 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with progressive memory loss and the cognitive decline. AD is mainly caused by abnormal accumulation of misfolded amyloid β (Aβ), which leads to neurodegeneration via a number of possible mechanisms such as down-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor-tropomyosin-related kinase B (BDNF-TRKB) signaling pathway. 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), a TRKB agonist, has demonstrated potential to enhance BDNF-TRKB pathway in various neurodegenerative diseases. To expand the capacity of flavones as TRKB agonists, two natural flavones quercetin and apigenin, were evaluated. With tryptophan fluorescence quenching assay, we illustrated the direct interaction between quercetin/apigenin and TRKB extracellular domain. Employing Aβ folding reporter SH-SY5Y cells, we showed that quercetin and apigenin reduced Aβ-aggregation, oxidative stress, caspase-1 and acetylcholinesterase activities, as well as improved the neurite outgrowth. Treatments with quercetin and apigenin increased TRKB Tyr516 and Tyr817 and downstream cAMP-response-element binding protein (CREB) Ser133 to activate transcription of BDNF and BCL2 apoptosis regulator (BCL2), as well as reduced the expression of pro-apoptotic BCL2 associated X protein (BAX). Knockdown of TRKB counteracted the improvement of neurite outgrowth by quercetin and apigenin. Our results demonstrate that quercetin and apigenin are to work likely as a direct agonist on TRKB for their neuroprotective action, strengthening the therapeutic potential of quercetin and apigenin in treating AD.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-36
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• 1989

The protective effects of 24 flavonoids against singlet oxygen - induced photohemolysis of rabbit erythrocytes were investigated and compared with their antioxidant activities. 1. All the flavonoid aglycons investigated besides flavone and 7,8-benzoflavone showed tad dose-dependant Protective effects. Especially galagin showed the most Pronounced effect under the experimental condition. 2. The order of the radical-scavenging activities of flavonoids was as follow (-)-EGCG > flavonols > flavonols > flavones > flavanonols. The radical-scavenging activities of flavonoid glycosides were not different from those of their aglycons. 3. When added after irradiation, flavonoids did not alter the photohemolysis pattern of control. In this study, several antioxidant were found and it was newly found that Photohemolysis experiment is a convenient, reproductive diagnostic method in the screening and researching the compound which has antioxidant activity or protective effect on cell membrane against active oxygen species.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.234-239
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• 1992

Seven flavonoid components were isolated from fr. C of Scutellariae radix which showed antagonistic effects against bradykinin(BK). The results indicated that two oxygen functions (either -OH or $-OCH_3$) at 2'- and 6'-positions and/or an oxygen function at 6-position of flavone seemed to be favored for the BK inhibitory activities. Skullcapflavone-II(IV) which contains $6-OCH_3$, 2'-OH and $6-OCH_3$ in the structure was the most active among the flavones tested.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.412-417
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• 2009

In the course of screening for antioxidant compounds by measuring the radical scavenging effect on DPPH (1,1-diphenyl- 2-picrylhydrazyl), a total extract of the twigs of Vitex rotundifolia (Verbenaceae) was found to show potent antioxidant activity. Subsequent activity-guided fractionation of the methanolic extract led to the isolation of three iridoid compounds, 10-O-vanilloylaucubin (1), 10-O-p-hydroxybenzoylaucubin (2) and aucubin (3), two C-glycoside flavones, vitexin (4) and orientin (5), and a quinic acid derivative, 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (6). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic studies. Among them, compounds 5 and 6 showed the significant antioxidative effects on DPPH free radical scavenging test. In riboflavin-NBT-light and xanthine-NBT-xanthine oxidase systems, compounds 5 and 6 exhibited the formation of the blue formazan in a dose-dependent manner. Compounds 5 and 6 showed better superoxide quenching activities than vitamin C.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.106-114
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• 1996

Four polymethoxyfavones were isolated from the leaves of Citrus deliciosa, three of which (nobiletin, 5-O-demethylnobiletin, and tangeritin) are bioactive. The fourth (7,4'-dihydroxy-5,6,8,3'-tetramethoxyflavone) is reported for the first time in the genus Citrus and is a potential chemotaxonomic marker. The structures of these flavones were confirmed by analysing their spectral data and comparison with similar compounds. The previously reported $^{13}C$ NMR assignment of 5-O-demethylnobiletin has been revised on the basis of 2D NMR experiments (HETCOR, COSY, and COLOC). The chemotaxonomic value of the present finding is verified.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1442-1448
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• 2015

The flavonoid apigenin and its O-methyl derivative, genkwanin, have various biological activities and can be sourced from some vegetables and fruits. Microorganisms are an alternative for the synthesis of flavonoids. Here, to synthesize genkwanin from tyrosine, we first synthesized apigenin from p-coumaric acid using four genes (4CL, CHS, CHI, and FNS) in Escherichia coli. After optimization of different combinations of constructs, the yield of apigenin was increased from 13 mg/l to 30 mg/l. By introducing two additional genes (TAL and POMT7) into an apigenin-producing E. coli strain, we were able to synthesize 7-O-methyl apigenin (genkwanin) from tyrosine. In addition, the tyrosine content in E. coli was modulated by overexpressing aroG and tyrA. The engineered E. coli strain synthesized approximately 41 mg/l genkwanin.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.652-656
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• 2005

A number of thioflavones has been synthesized and evaluated for their iNOS inhibitory activities. Thiowogonin (6) was obtained from naturally occurring chrysin in 5 steps. Other thioflavones were prepared from the corresponding flavones in a single step by the reaction with Lawesson's reagent. The biological activities of thioflavones were not enhanced by the functional group conversion from carbonyl to thiocarbonyl. Compounds 11 and 13 showed potent. NO inhibitory activity at high concentration (40 uM), leading to the possible development of novel neuroprotective agents based on wogonin.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.791-794
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• 1994

Sixteen kinds of naturally occurring phenolic compounds including 5 stilbenes, 7 flavonoids and 4 anthraquinones were examined in the inhibitory activity against rat liver AADC(aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase) in vitro, using 5-hydroxytryptophan as a substrate. Three hydroxystilbenes, resveratrol 1, rhapontigenin 3 and piceatanol 5, which were known to be monoamine oxidase A inhibitors, exhibited a significant inhibition against AADC($IC_{50}$=20, 8 and $5\;{\mu}M$, respectively). By the comparison of the activity of each phenolic compound, it was suggested that the 3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl group of stilbenes or flavones was the best pharmacophore for the AADC inhibitory activity.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.919-924
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• 2014

Ambient ionization can be achieved by generating an electrospray directly from plant tissue ("leaf spray"). The resulting mass spectra are characteristic of ionizable phytochemicals in the plant material. By subtracting the leaf spray spectra recorded from the petals of two hibiscus species H. moscheutos and H. syriacus one gains rapid access to the metabolites that differ most in the two petals. One such compound was identified as the sambubioside of quercitin (or delphinidin) while others are known flavones. Major interest centered on a $C_{19}H_{29}NO_5$ compound that occurs only in the large H. moscheutos bloom. Attempts were made to characterize this compound by mass spectrometry alone as a test of such an approach. This showed that the compound is an alkaloid, assigned to the polyhydroxylated pyrrolidine class, and bound via a $C_3$ hydrocarbon unit to a monoterpene.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.199-202
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• 2006

From the leaves of Goniothalamus tenuifolius, a new natural product namely 3'-hydroxy-3,5,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone (1) was isolated, along with seven other known compounds (2-8). Each of these isolates was evaluated for free radical scavenging activity on the DPPH decoloration test. The data obtained in this study suggested that the ortho 3',4'-diphenolic structure was essential for the activity of these flavonol derivatives.