• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.40-43
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• 2000

The chemical investigation on the cell suspension culture of Morinda elliptica L. yielded eight anthraquinones, two of which, anthragallol-1,2-dimethyl ether (3) and purpurin-1-methyl ether (4), have not been isolated from the original plant. Other compounds isolated include nordamnacanthal (1), alizarin-1-methyl ether (2), rubiadin (5), soranjidiol (6), $lucidin-{\omega}-methyl$ ether (7), and morindone (8). The structures of anthraquinones were established based on spectral studies.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.48-51
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• 2002

Antioxidative properties of fifteen anthraquinone derivatives, including eleven atural anthraquinones isolated from the roots of Morinda elliptica and four from synthetic origin were evaluated using thin layer chromatography (TLC), ferric thiocyanate (FTC) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) methods. Five of the compounds, nordamnacanthal, damnacanthal, 2-formyl-1-hydroxyanthraquinone, morindone and alizarin showed higher antioxidative activity than standard natural antioxidant, ${\alpha}-tocopherol$, on the FTC assay. Morindone and alizarin showed the strongest antioxidant activity. The results from the bioassay using TBA method correlated well with the results of the FTC method.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.131-134
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• 2000

The methanol, dichloromethane, petroleum ether, 90% methanol and 1-butanol fractions of 40 Malaysian medicinal plants belonging to 25 families were tested for brine shrimp lethality. Various parts and fractions of eight (20%) plants, viz. Annona muricata, Cerbera odollam. Calophyllum inophyllum, Entada phaseoloides, Pithecellobium jiringa, Crotolaria retusa, Morinda elliptica and Sellaginella willdenovii showed very strong toxicity $(LC_{50}:$<$100\;ppm)$. The methanol extract of the seed of Calophyllum inophyllum showed exceptionally toxic activity $(LC_{50}:$<$5\;ppm)$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.82-87
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• 1998

Brine shrimp lethality test has become one of our routine tools in selecting plant materials for further chemical or bioactivity studies in our laboratory. Usually, once a potentially bioactive sample has been identified, it will then be subjected to more elaborate bioassay procedures. Out of more than 200 plant samples tested we found eight samples to be toxic towards brine shrimp larvae.