Three new diterpenoids, yuexiandajisu D (1), E (2) and F were isolated from the roots of Euphorbia ebracteolata, along with eight known diterpenoids, jolkinolide B (4), jolkinolide A, ent-11alpha-hydroxyabieta-8(14),13(15)-dien-16,12alpha-olide (6), ent-(13S)-hydroxyatis-16-ene-3,14-dione, ent-3beta,(13S)-dihydroxyatis-16-en-14-one, ent-3-oxokaurane-16alpha,17-diol, ent-16alpha,17-dihydroxyatisan-3-one and ent-atisane-3beta,16alpha,17-triol. The structures of all compounds were deduced using spectroscopic methods and confirmed for 1 and 2 by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. A biogenetic pathway for the formation of 1 and 2 is proposed briefly. Cytotoxic activities were evaluated against ANA-1, B 16 and Jurkat tumor cells. Jolkinolide B (4) displayed modest activity on ANA-1, B 16 and Jurkat tumor cells with IC50 values 4.46 x 10(-2), 4.48 x 10(-2), 6.47 x 10(-2) microM, and ent-11alpha-hydroxyabieta-8(14),13(15)-dien-16,12alpha-olide (6) showed significant activity against ANA-1 and Jurkat cells with IC50 values 7.12 x 10(-3) and 1.79 x 10(-2) microM. Compound 1 was found to be slightly active against ANA-1 cells with an IC50 value 2.88 x 10(-1)microM. Structure-activity relationships of isolated compounds are also discussed.

Two new phenolic glycosides, itosides J (1) and K (2), two new cylcohexenoyl glycosides, itosides L (3) and M (4), a new flavone glycoside, itoside N (5), and echitin (6) were isolated from the extract of the bark, twigs, and leaves of Itoa orientalis, together with 22 known compounds. The structures were elucidated by means of UV, IR, MS, and NMR techniques, and the relative configuration of compound 3 was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. NMR data for 6 are reported for the first time. Compounds 1, 3, 5, and phenolic glycosides 7- 22 were also assayed for anti-inflammatory activity against COX-2. Compounds 8, 10, 12- 14, 16, 19, 24, 26, and 27 showed significant inhibitory effects, with inhibitory rates of 49.7-85.3% at 10 microM.

Ilex kudingcha l " Aquifoliaceae l " anti-atherosclerosis l " structure-activity relationship l " foam cells l " triterpenoid saponins

Objective:The objective was to analyze completed trials assessing the effect of oral L-arginine supplementation on clinical outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Background: Prior trials suggest that oral L-arginine administration improves endothelial function in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). However, it is still unclear whether oral supplementation of L-arginine has any effect on clinical outcomes in patients with unstable CAD, such as AMI. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, reviews, and reference lists of relevant articles. The search strategy paired the term ''arginine'' with the following: ''coronary heart disease,'' ''myocardial infarction,'' ''cardiovascular disease,'' ''ischemia,'' and ''trial.'' We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled L-arginine supplementation trials that evaluated clinical outcomes in AMI patients. Two reviewers independently assessed the trials. Differences were resolved by consensus. Results: Only 2 trials (927 participants) were included. None of the 2 studies showed a significant difference in event rate between the L-arginine and placebo groups. In an overall pooled estimate, there was a 7% reduction in mortality in the L-arginine treatment group (105/459, 22.9%) compared with the control group (111/455, 24.4%), which did not reach statistical significance (risk ratio [RR]: 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.74-1.17; P = 0.54). Conclusion: Oral L-arginine supplementation has no effect on the clinical outcomes of patients with AMI.