Okadaic acid (OA) is a potent non-12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (non-TPA) type tumor promoter on mouse skin. OA acts on cells through inhibiting the activity of protein phosphatases and results in the increase of phosphorylation of proteins. Seventeen OA derivatives were evaluated as possible tumor promoters by means of three biochemical tests: inhibition of specific [3H]OA binding to a particulate fraction of mouse skin containing protein phosphatases, inhibition of protein phosphatase activity, and induction of ornithine decarboxylase in mouse skin. Potency in each of these biochemical tests correlated well for each of these derivatives. We present results indicating that the carboxyl group as well as the four hydroxyl groups at C-2, C-7, C-24 and C-27 of OA are important for activity. Acanthifolicin, which gave positive responses in these three biochemical tests as strong as those of OA and dinophysistoxin-1, is predicted to be an additional member of the OA class of tumor promoters.

Xanthohumol, isoxanthohumol, and 8-prenylnaringenin in beer, hop and hop pellet samples were analyzed by HPLC using an InertSustain phenyl column and the mobile phase containing 40% methanol and 12% 2-propanol. Fractions of isoxanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin obtained by the above HPLC were separately collected. Isoxanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin were enantioseparated by HPLC using a Chiralcel OD-H column with a mobile phase composed of hexane-ethanol (90:10, v/v) and a Chiralpak AD-RH column with a mobile phase composed of methanol-2-propanol-water (40:20:40, v/v/v), respectively. Isoxanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin from beer, hop and hop pellet samples were found to be present in a racemic mixture. This can be explained by the fact that the two analytes were produced by a nonenzymatic process. The effects of boiling conditions on the conversion of xanthohumol into isoxanthohumol were also studied. A higher concentration of ethanol in heating solvent resulted in a decrease in the conversion ratio and the conversion was stopped by addition of ethanol at >50% (v/v). The isomerization was significantly affected pH (2-10) and the boiling medium at pH 5 was minimum for the conversion. Therefore, it was suggested that xanthohumol was relatively difficult to convert to isoxanthohumol in wort (pH 5-5.5) during boiling.