No abstract

Nine new chromonylthiazolidine derivatives were successfully semi-synthesized from paeonol. All of the compounds, including starting materials, the intermediate compound and products, were evaluated for their cytotoxic effects toward eight human cancer cell lines. The synthesized chromonylthiazolidines displayed weak cytotoxic effects against the tested cancer cell lines, but selective cytotoxic effects were observed. Compounds 3a and 3b showed the most selective cytotoxic effects against human epidermoid carcinoma (IC50 44.1 ± 3.6 μg/mL) and breast cancer (IC50 32.8 ± 1.4 μg/mL) cell lines, respectively. The results suggest that chromoylthiazolidines are potential low-cost, and selective anticancer agents.

No abstract

Houttuynia cordata Thunb (H. Cordata), an aromatic medicinal herb belonging to family Saururaceae, is a plant that grows in moist habitats, well known for its medicinal properties and widely used worldwide. H. Cordata is an aromatic medicinal herb belonging to family Saururaceae and is restricted to specialized moist habitats. Three extracts, successively obtained from the leaves of H. cordata, namely the diethyl ether leaves extract (DELE), the ethanolic leaves extract (ELE) and the aqueous leaves extract (ALE), were used to determine the polyphenol and flavonoid content in the leaves. Phytochemical screening of plant extracts showed the presence of flavonoid, saponin, alkaloid, tannin, and steroid compounds. Quantitative determination of total phenolics, total flavonoids of methanolic extract were carried out using colorimetric methods. The result of quantitative determination showed that total polyphenol content of the DELE, ELE and ALE were 32.18 ± 2.64, 97.98 ± 1.77, and 22.22 ± 2.00 mg of gallic acid equivalents per gram dry extract, respectively. Meanwhile total flavonoid content of the DELE, ELE and ALE achieved 31.65 ± 1.07, 35.72 ± 1.23, and 4.06 ± 0.54 mg of quercetin equivalents per gram dry extract, respectively.

Key words Hedychium coronarium; hedycoronen A; hedycoronen B; tumor necrosis factor-α; interleukin-6; interleukin-12Numerous molecules are involved in the induction and maintenance of the inflammatory response. In addition to pivotal cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), -6, -12, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), prostaglandins, and nitric oxide are important chemical mediators of inflammation. TNF-α is a well-characterized pro-inflammatory cytokine released primarily from monocytes and macrophages upon invasion of the host by a wide variety of pathogens. It plays a crucial role in host defense and in the inflammatory response. Although it has numerous beneficial roles in immune regulation, it has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of both acute and chronic inflammatory disease. 1)IL-6 is a particularly interesting molecule because it has both pro-and anti-inflammatory effects. It has been implicated in many inflammatory diseases in both adults and neonates.2)The IL-6 system promotes inflammatory events by stimulating the activation and proliferation of lymphocytes, differentiation of B cells, leukocyte recruitment, and the induction of an acute phase protein response in the liver. 3)IL-12 plays a central role in the initiation and regulation of cellular immunity. It is involved in type-1 helper T-cell-mediated inflammation as part of the normal immune response, as well as inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, psoriasis, and Crohn's disease. 4-6)Hedychium coronarium (Zingiberaceae) is widely cultivated in Vietnam, India, and Southeast Asian countries. It is a perennial rhizomatous herb growing at an altitude of 1000-2200 m. The rhizomes of H. coronarium have been used for the treatment of inflammation, skin diseases, headache, and sharp pain due to rheumatism in traditional medicine in Vietnam. Previous phytochemical investigation of H. coronarium has resulted in the identification of a number of labdane diterpenes, which were proved to be the main components.7-10) Labdane diterpenes occur in several plants of the Zingiberaceae family and have been reported to possess anti-inflammatory properties.11,12) Interestingly, our extensive phytochemical study of the rhizomes of H. coronarium led to the isolation of two new and four known labdane-type diterpenoids. These six labdanes (1-6) were evaluated for the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. Results and DiscussionThe rhizomes of H. coronarium were extracted with methanol and fractionated with chloroform, ethyl acetate, and water. From the chloroform layer and by using combined chromatographic separations, two new and four known compounds were isolated. Their structures were elucidated using physicochemical and spectroscopic methods.Compound 1