Extreme effects of Seabuckthorn extracts on influenza viruses and human cancer cells and correlation between flavonol glycosides and biological activities of extracts.

Seabuckthorn is a medicinal plant that is used to prevent cold. It was tested for its metabolic content followed by activity against cancer and virus. The metabolic distribution of different polarity solvent extractions from the leaves was analyzed by LC-MS/MS.

Diacetoxyscirpenol as a new anticancer agent to target hypoxia-inducible factor 1.

Hypoxia activates hypoxia-inducible factor 1, which promotes the progression of malignancy by stimulating angiogenesis and by augmenting the ability of tumors to survive. Thus, HIF-1 is one of the most compelling targets for treating cancers. The aim of this study was to find a small molecule that inhibits HIF-1 under hypoxia in cancer cells.

Induced production of 6,9-dibromoflavasperone, a new radical scavenging naphthopyranone in the marine-mudflat-derived fungus Aspergillus niger.

The addition of metal bromides (NaBr and CaBr2) during fermentation of the marine-mudflat-derived fungus Aspergillus niger induced production of a new radical scavenging brominated naphthopyranone, 6,9-dibromoflavasperone (1); and three known naphtho-γ-pyranone monomers, flavasperone (2), TMC-256A1 (3), and fonsecin (4); and one naphtho-γ-pyranone dimer, aurasperone B (5). The structure of 6,9-dibromoflavasperone (1) was assigned through the combination of spectroscopic data analyses and comparison with the spectral data of flavasperone (2). Compounds 1-5 displayed potent radical scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, with IC50 values of 21, 25, 0.

Cristazine, a New Cytotoxic Dioxopiperazine Alkaloid from the Mudflat-Sediment-Derived Fungus Chaetomium cristatum.

Cristazine (1), a new class of dioxopiperazine alkaloid, along with previously isolated chetomin (2), neoechinulin A (3), and golmaenone (4), were isolated from the mudflat-sediment-derived fungus Chaetomium cristatum. The structure and absolute stereochemistry of 1 was assigned on the basis of NMR, electron impact (EI)-MS, tandem FAB-MS/MS, and circular dichroism (CD) experiments. Compounds 1-4 displayed potent radical-scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), with IC50 values of 19, 15, 24, and 20 µM, respectively, which were similar to that of the positive control, ascorbic acid (IC50, 20 µM).

The Inhibitory Effect of Alisol A 24-Acetate from Alisma canaliculatum on Osteoclastogenesis.

Osteoporosis is a disease that decreases bone mass. The number of patients with osteoporosis has been increasing, including an increase in patients with bone fractures, which lead to higher medical costs. Osteoporosis treatment is all-important in preventing bone loss.

Induced production of methyl bromodihydroxyphenyl acetates by the marine-derived fungus Aspergillus sp.

The addition of metal bromides (NaBr and CaBr2) during fermentation of a marine isolate of the fungus Aspergillus sp. induced production of two new brominated dihydroxyphenylacetic acid derivatives, methyl 2-(6-bromo-3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)acetate (1) and methyl 2-(2,5-dibromo-3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)acetate (2), and a known compound, 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)acetic acid (3). The structures of the two new compounds (1, 2) were assigned through the combination of spectroscopic data analyses and comparison with the spectral data of compound 3.

New production of 5-bromotoluhydroquinone and 4-O-methyltoluhydroquinone from the marine-derived fungus Dothideomycete sp.

The addition of NaBr to the fermentation medium of a marine isolate of the fungus Dothideomycete sp. resulted in induced production of two toluhydroquinone derivatives, 5- bromotoluhydroquinone (1) and 4-O-methyltoluhydroquinone (2), and two known compounds, toluhydroquinone (3) and gentisyl alcohol (4). The structures of 1 and 2 were assigned through the spectroscopic data analyses.

Flavusides A and B, antibacterial cerebrosides from the marine-derived fungus Aspergillus flavus.

Flavusides A (1) and B (2), two new antibacterial cerebroside derivatives, and the previously described phomaligol A (3), kojic acid (4), methyl kojic acid (5), and dimethyl kojic acid (6) have been isolated from the extract of a marine isolate of the fungus Aspergillus flavus. The structure and absolute stereochemistry of two cerebrosides were assigned on the basis of NMR and Tandem FAB-MS/MS experiments. Compounds 1, 2, and 3 exhibited a mild antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S.