Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is one of the most prevalent pathogens worldwide requiring the search for new candidates for the creation of antiherpetic drugs. The ability of sea urchin spinochromes—echinochrome A (EchA) and its aminated analogues, echinamines A (EamA) and B (EamB)—to inhibit different stages of HSV-1 infection in Vero cells and to reduce the virus-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was studied. We found that spinochromes exhibited maximum antiviral activity when HSV-1 was pretreated with these compounds, which indicated the direct effect of spinochromes on HSV-1 particles. EamB and EamA both showed the highest virucidal activity by inhibiting the HSV-1 plaque formation, with a selectivity index (SI) of 80.6 and 50.3, respectively, and a reduction in HSV-1 attachment to cells (SI of 8.5 and 5.8, respectively). EamA and EamB considerably suppressed the early induction of ROS due to the virus infection. The ability of the tested compounds to directly bind to the surface glycoprotein, gD, of HSV-1 was established in silico. The dock score of EchA, EamA, and EamB was −4.75, −5.09, and −5.19 kcal/mol, respectively, which correlated with the SI of the virucidal action of these compounds and explained their ability to suppress the attachment and penetration of the virus into the cells.

In this study, we isolated a new isoflavanostilbene maackiapicevestitol (1) as a mixture of two stable conformers 1a and 1b as well as five previously known dimeric and monomeric stilbens: piceatannol (2), maackin (3), scirpusin A (4), maackiasine (5), and maackolin (6) from M. amurensis heartwood, using column chromatography on polyamide, silicagel, and C-18. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by NMR, HR-MS, and CD techniques. Maksar® obtained from M. amurensis heartwood and polyphenolics 1–6 possessed moderate anti-HSV-1 activity in cytopathic effect (CPE) inhibition and RT-PCR assays. A model of PQ-induced neurotoxicity was used to study the neuroprotective potential of polyphenolic compounds from M. amurensis. Maksar® showed the highest neuroprotective activity and increased cell viability by 18% at a concentration of 10 μg/mL. Maackolin (6) also effectively increased the viability of PQ-treated Neuro-2a cells and the value of mitochondrial membrane potential at concentrations up to 10 μΜ. Maksar® and compounds 1–6 possessed higher FRAP and DPPH-scavenging effects than quercetin. However, only compounds 1 and 4 at concentrations of 10 μM as well as Maksar® (10 μg/mL) statistically significantly reduced the level of intracellular ROS in PQ-treated Neuro-2a cells.

No abstract

5) were isolated from Iris pseudacorus roots and identified. The polyphenol contents in stems and roots of this plant were determined. The effect of 6, 8, 9, 11, 15, and 16 on the growth of colonies of HT-29 human colon carcinoma cells was studied. It was shown that trans-3-hydroxy-5,7-dimethoxyflavanone (9) exhibited pronounced inhibition of tumor-cell colony formation at a dose of 25 PM.Species of the genus Iris contain several polyphenolic compounds [1, 2] that possess antioxidant, antimutagenic, and estrogenic activity [3,4]. We reported earlier on the isolation of flavonoids and isoflavonoids from stems and leaves of unstressed I. pseudacorus L. [5]. The goals of the present research were to isolate polyphenols from roots of I. pseudacorus, to elucidate their structures, to determine the contents in roots and aerial parts (stems, leaves) of the plant, and to study their antitumor activity in vitro.Column chromatography over silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 isolated from CHCl 3 and hexane extracts of I. pseudacorus roots the isoflavonoids irilin B (8) [5], 5,7-dihydroxy-2c,6-dimethoxyisoflavone (11) [5], ayamenin A (16) [5], and the flavonoid 3,6-dimethoxy-5,7-dihydroxyflavone (14) [5]. Chromatography of the EtOH extract over Toyopearl HW-50 followed by purification over reversed-phase C-18 adsorbent isolated gallic (1) [6], 2,3,5-trihydroxybenzoic (2) [7], gentisic (3) [8], and p-hydroxybenzoic (4) acids [9] in addition to the new metabolite 5.

From a root bark of Lespedeza bicolor Turch we isolated two new (7 and 8) and six previously known compounds (1-6) belonging to the group of prenylated polyphenols. Their structures were elucidated using mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance and circular dichroism spectroscopy. These natural compounds selectively inhibited human drug-resistant prostate cancer in vitro. Prenylated pterocarpans 1-3 prevented the cell cycle progression of human cancer cells in S-phase. This was accompanied by a reduced expression of mRNA corresponding to several human cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). In contrast, compounds 4-8 induced a G1-phase cell cycle arrest without any pronounced effect on CDKs mRNA expression. Interestingly, a non-substituted hydroxy group at C-8 of ring D of the pterocarpan skeleton of compounds 1-3 seems to be important for the CDKs inhibitory activity.