α-Spinasterol Isolated from the Root ofPhytolacca americanaand its Pharmacological Property on Diabetic Nephropathy

Abstract

Based on an inhibitory activity-guided fractionation for the high glucose-induced proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs), chloroform extracts of the roots of Phytolacca americana were found to contain alpha-spinasterol (C (29)H (48)O), a delta (7)-sterol. This phytosterol proved to be a potent inhibitor (IC (50) = 3.9 x 10 (-12) g/mL, 9.5 pmol/L) of glomerular mesangial cell proliferation caused by high-ambient glucose (5.6 mM vs. 25 mM), and its inhibitory potency was about 1,000 times higher than that of simvastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor used as a positive control. alpha-Spinasterol also significantly reduced the increases of serum triglycerides, renal weight and urinary protein excretion in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, and these were comparable to the results observed in insulin-treated diabetic mice. Therefore, the results obtained in this study suggest that alpha-spinasterol has a significant therapeutic potential to modulate the development and/or progression of diabetic nephropathy.

Identification of Δ7 phytosterols and phytosteryl glucosides in the wood and bark of several Acacia speciesphytosterols and phytosteryl glucosides in the wood and bark of several Acacia species

“…The effect of spinasterol on reducing plasma and liver cholesterol levels has been recognized for many years (22). The antitumorigenic potential of spinasterol also was demonstrated previously (23), and more recently, spinasterol was found to have considerable therapeutic potential in modulating the development and/or progression of diabetic nephropathy (24). On the other hand, dihydrospinasterol showed a potent inhibitory effect on the Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (25), whereas its glucoside exhibited anticarcinogenic and cytotoxic potential (26).…”

The molecular basis of cytotoxicity of α‐spinasterol from Ganoderma resinaceum: Induction of apoptosis and overexpression of p53 in breast and ovarian cancer cell lines

“…Moreover, former research has reported the ability of α‐spinasterol to decrease the incidence of skin tumors without co‐carcinogen or co‐tumor promoter activities . Also, α‐spinasterol was reported to be a potent inhibitor of glomerular mesenglial cell proliferation caused by high ambient glucose in mouse model of induced diabetic nephropathy …”

A Spinasteryl Glycoside from Ipomoea turpethum L. Herb (Stem) Growing in Bangladesh

“…-spinasterol, 22, 23-dihydro--spinasterol (Janson et al 2009, Elvia et al 2010, Jeong et al 2004, Ling et al 2010, and -spinasteryl--D-glucoside (Kojima et al 1990, Gafur et al 1997 were reported from various plant sources. But 22, 23-dihydro-spinasteryl--D-glucoside was not reported earlier.…”