• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1177-1182
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• 2012

Protein kinase C (PKC) has been implicated in carcinogenesis and displays variable expression profiles during cancer progression. Studies of dietary phytochemicals on cancer signalling pathway regulation have been conducted to search for potent signalling regulatory agents. The present study was designed to evaluate any suppressive effect of maslinic acid on PKC expression in human B-lymphoblastoid cells (Raji cells), and to identify the PKC isoforms expressed. Effects of maslinic acid on PKC activity were determined using a PepTag$^{(R)}$ assay for non-radioactive detection of PKC. The highest expression in Raji cells was obtained at 20 nM PMA induced for 6 hours. Suppressive effects of maslinic acid were compared with those of four PKC inhibitors (H-7, rottlerin, sphingosine, staurosporine) and two triterpenes (oleanolic acid and ursolic acid). The $IC_{50}$ values achieved for maslinic acid, staurosporine, H-7, sphingosine, rottlerin, ursolic acid and oleanolic acid were 11.52, 0.011, 0.767, 2.45, 5.46, 27.93 and $39.29\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Four PKC isoforms, PKC ${\beta}I$, ${\beta}II$, ${\delta}$, and ${\zeta}$, were identified in Raji cells via western blotting. Maslinic acid suppressed the expression of PKC ${\beta}I$, ${\delta}$, and ${\zeta}$ in a concentration-dependent manner. These preliminary results suggest promising suppressive effects of maslinic acid on PKC activity in Raji cells. Maslinic acid could be a potent cancer chemopreventive agent that may be involved in regulating many downstream signalling pathways that are activated through PKC receptors.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.116-120
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• 2004

The medicinal properties of Ganoderma lucidum have been recognized in China for many centuries. Active pharmaceutical components include triterpenes. To elucidate the molecular regulation of triterpene biosynthesis in this mushroom, a 57-base pair DNA fragment encoding the fourth conserved domain SQ-4 (SMGLFLQKTNIIRDYNEDL) of squalene synthase was synthesized and cloned into the expression vector pET-32a(＋). The recombinant fusion protein induced by IPTG (isopropyl-$\beta$-D-thiogalactopyranoside) was overexpressed in the Escherichia coli. Using the purified recombinant fusion protein of 20.9 kDa, a specific polyclonal antibody was obtained from immunized rabbit. Expression of squalene synthase at different development stages of Ganoderma lucidum was analyzed.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.176-184
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• 2015

In our search for natural soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitors from plants, an extract of the dried whole plants of Euphorbia supina Rafin was found to significantly inhibit sEH activity in vitro. Phytochemical investigation of E. supina resulted in isolation of 17 compounds (1 - 17), including triterpenes (1 - 4), phenolic compounds (5 - 8), and flavonoid derivatives (9 - 17). The structures of the isolated compounds were established mainly by extensive analysis of the 1D and 2D NMR, and MS data. All of the isolated compounds were evaluated for their sEH inhibitory activity. Among the isolated phenolic compounds, 8 was identified as a significant inhibitor of sEH, with an IC₅₀ value of 15.4 ± 1.3 μM. Additionally, a kinetic analysis of isolated compounds (2, 5, 8 - 11, 13, and 17) indicated that the inhibitory effects of flavonoid derivatives 10 and 11 were of mixed-type, with inhibitory constants (K_i) ranging from 3.6 ± 0.8 to 21.8 ± 1.0 μM, whereas compounds 2, 5, 8, 9, 13, and 17 were non-competitive inhibitors with inhibition K_i values ranging from 3.3 ± 0.2 to 39.5 ± 0.0 μM.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.154-161
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• 2016

Phytochemical investigation on the leaves of Pileostegia viburnoides Hook.f.et Thoms led to the isolation of twenty-five compounds, and their structures were identified as n-dotriacontane (1), taraxeryl acetate (2), friedelin (3), epifriedelinol (4), canophyllal (5), stigmast-4-en-3-one (6), stigmasterol (7), (24R)-5A-stigmastane-3,6-dione (8), ursolic acid (9), pomolic acid (10), umbelliferone (11), 4-epifriedelin (12), n-octatriacontanol (13), ${\beta}$-amyrin (14), ${\alpha}$-amyrin (15), taraxerol (16), nonadecanol (17), friedelane (18), arachic acid (19), protocatechuic acid (20), n-pentatriacontanol (21), hexadecanoic acid (22), vincosamide (23), daucosterol (24), and skimming (25), respectively. To our best knowledge, compounds 1, 2, 12, 13, 17 - 19 and 21-23 were new within Saxifragaceae family. Compounds 15, 16, and 20 were produced from this genus for the first time. Compounds 4, 14 and 25 were first obtained from species P. viburnoides and compounds 3, 5 - 11, and 24 were achieved from the leaves of P. viburnoides for the first time. Furthermore, the anti-neuroinflammatory activity of these isolates was evaluated.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.437-443
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• 2016

Background: Previous phytochemical studies of whole Vernonia cinerea L. plants have identified sesquiterpene lactones, sterols, and triterpenes, which possess anticancer, antifeedant, and antimalarial activities. However, there are no reports of other types of bioactive metabolites. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify phenolic compounds with anti-inflammatory activity in the aerial parts of the plant. Methods and Results: Compounds were isolated from the aerial parts of V. cinerea using a silica and C-18 gel columns and semi-preparative HPLC instrument, and the structures of the compounds were determined using one- and two- dimension nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy. The chloroform soluble extracts and isolated compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory potential based on their ability to inhibit nitric oxide production and $TNF-{\alpha}$ induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity. Conclusions: Phytochemical study of the aerial parts of V. cinerea led to the isolation of six phenolic compounds. Compound 1 was a major metabolite, and to the best of our knowledge, compounds 2 - 6 were isolated from V.cinerea for the first time. Among the isolates, compounds 1 and 3 exhibited $TNF-{\alpha}$-induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity with $IC_{50}$ values of 7.5 and 11.5 M, respectively, and the inhibitory activity of phenyl propanoid compound 3 on $TNF-{\alpha}$-induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ was evaluated for the first time.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.60-63
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• 2016

The study is a pioneering effort to determine the mineral, nutritional, and phytochemical composition and phenolic content and to determine the free radical scavenging activity of Gigantochloa levis (Blanco) Merr, a native bamboo species (locally known as "bolo") in the Philippines. Proximate analysis showed that air-dried G. levis leaves contain 15.8% ash, 22.6% crude protein, 1.2% crude fat, 29.3% crude fiber, and 19.7% total sugar. Phytochemical tests indicated the presence of diterpenes, triterpenes, saponins, phenols, tannins, and flavonoids in both the ethanolic and aqueous leaf extracts, while phytosterols were only detected in the ethanolic extract. Folin-Ciocalteu assay determined the total phenolic content in gallic acid equivalents (GAE) to be $85.86{\pm}3.71$ and $32.32{\pm}1.01mg\;GAE/100g$ dried sample for the ethanolic and aqueous extracts, respectively. The total phenolic content in quercetin equivalents (QE) was $74.44{\pm}3.11$ and $29.43{\pm}0.85mg\;QE/100g$ dried sample for the ethanolic and aqueous extracts, respectively. The radical scavenging activity of the different solvent fractions containing varying concentrations of the extract was determined using the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The ethyl acetate and 1-butanol fractions were found to have the highest radical scavenging activity. Mineral analysis via Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (EDS) of the ash of G. levis leaves showed that Si is the major component, followed by K and Mg. These results point to the potential of G. levis leaves as a source of minerals and bioactive compounds with medicinal value.

• Mycobiology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.173-177
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• 2008

The crude ethanol extracts (stem and fruits), their fractions and two triterpenes, $\beta$-Amyrin and 12-Oleanene 3$\beta$, 21$\beta$-diol, isolated as a mixture from the chloroform soluble fraction of an ethanolic extract of Duranta repens stem, were evaluated for antibacterial, antifungal activities by the disc diffusion method and cytotoxicity by brine shrimp lethality bioassay. The structures of the two compounds were confirmed by IR, $^1H$-NMR, $^{13}C$-NMR and LC-MS spectral data. The chloroform soluble fraction of stem and ethanol extract of fruits possess potent antishigellosis activity and also exhibited moderate activity against some pathogenic bacteria and fungi but the isolated compound 1 (mixture of $\beta$-Amyrin and 12-Oleanene 3$\beta$, 21$\beta$-diol) showed mild to moderate inhibitory activity to microbial growth. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the extracts (stem and fruits), their fractions and compound 1 were found to be in the range of 32$\sim$128 ${\mu}g/ml$. The chloroform soluble fractions of stem and ethanol extract of fruit showed significant cytotoxicity with $LC_{50}$ value of 0.94 ${\mu}g/ml$ and 0.49 ${\mu}g/ml$, respectively against brine shrimp larvae.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.27-31
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• 2021

Shea butter (Vitellaria paradoxa) is a fat extracted from shea tree nuts and contains relatively high levels of non-glycerides. Triterpenes, the main non-glyceride component, exhibit a variety of biological activities such as antitumor, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory. Shea butter extract (SBE) has been used to treat various skin problems such as burns, eczema, and rash in human medicine, but little is known about the activity of SBE on canine skin. This study evaluated the cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory effect of SBE in canine keratinocytes. Cytotoxicity of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5-50 ng/mL) and SBE (50-200 ㎍/mL) was evaluated using the CCK-8 assay. Non-cytotoxic concentrations of LPS and SBE were administered to canine cell cultures to evaluate anti-inflammatory effects. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of SBE, the levels of IL-1β, IL-8, IL-12, and TNF-α were measured using ELISA kits. The concentration of each cytokine was quantified in control, LPS-treated, LPS + SBE-treated groups. Increased levels of IL-1β, IL-8, and IL-12 were found in LPS-treated groups relative to control groups. LPS + SBE-treated groups showed a lower level of IL-1β, IL-8, and IL-12 than LPS-treated groups. These results suggest that SBE may have application as a topical agent for canine inflammatory skin diseases. However, further in vivo study is needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SBE in dogs.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.680-685
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• 2015

Phytochemicals in Codonopsis lanceolata leaves were saponins, triterpenes, tannins, and flavonoids, not alkaloids. The levels of total polyphenols and flavonoids in Codonopsis lanceolata leaves were measured to evaluate the antioxidant activity. C. lanceolata leaves showed strong 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and potent reducing power. In addition, C. lanceolata leaf extracts inhibited production of nitric oxide (NO) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 cells. To examine active phytochemical for antioxidant activity, aglycone fraction of C. lanceolata leaves was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Luteolin was identified as a main component of aglycone fraction and showed potent antioxidant activity as determined by a DPPH radical scavenging assay and reducing power test. These results suggest that C. lanceolata leaves are a good source of antioxidants.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.270-275
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• 2006

[ $2{\beta},\;3{\alpha}$ ], 23-trihydroxyrus-12-ene-28-oic acid was isolated from Trapa pseudoincisa S. et Z. It has a common structure of pentacyclic triterpenes and belongs to the amyrin ursolic acid group. The cytotoxic effect of this compound was investigated in human hepatoma cell line HepG2. $2{\beta},\;3{\alpha}$, 23-trihydroxyrus-12-ene-28-oic acid showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells. Confocal microscopy data showed that green fluorescence was increased in $2{\beta},\;3{\alpha}$, 23-trihydroxyrus-12-ene-28-oic acid treated-HepG2 cells in a time-dependent manner. $2{\beta},\;3{\alpha}$, 23-trihydroxyrus-12-ene-28-oic acid also increased the sub-G1 cell population of HepG2 cells as well as ladder-like DNA fragmentation. Taken together, our results indicate that $2{\beta},\;3{\alpha}$, 23-trihydroxyrus-12-ene-28-oic acid induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells.