Conformational preferences of cocoa oligomeric proanthocyanidins and their influence on polarity.

Proanthocyanidins (OPACs) are the second largest class of plant metabolites after lignans. Although knowledge of their 3D conformations would add greatly to our understanding of their biological properties, very little has been published on the conformations of OPACs with a degree of polymerization (DP) above 4. We investigated the conformations of the linear epicatechin oligomers, prominent representatives of OPACs prevalent in apples and cocoa, where the epicatechin units are interconnected through the 4β-8 bonds.

Pretreatment of Melanoma Cells with Aqueous Ethanol Extract from Bark Strongly Potentiates the Activity of a Low Dose of Dacarbazine.

is an evergreen tree distributed in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. This tree is commonly known as Mahua and is used in traditional medicine. It was demonstrated that ethanol extract from the bark of possessed potent cytotoxic activity towards two melanoma cell lines, in contrast to aqueous extract that exhibited no activity.

A Combination of β-Aescin and Newly Synthesized Alkylamidobetaines as Modern Components Eradicating the Biofilms of Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Strains of .

The current trend in microbiological research aimed at limiting the development of biofilms of multidrug-resistant microorganisms is increasingly towards the search for possible synergistic effects between various compounds. This work presents a combination of a naturally occurring compound, β-aescin, newly synthesized alkylamidobetaines (AABs) with a general structure-CTMDAB, and antifungal drugs. The research we conducted consists of several stages.

LC-MS/MS Evaluation of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Profile in Relation to Safety of Comfrey Roots and Leaves from Polish Sources.

Comfrey ( L.) has a long tradition of use in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. However, due to hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), the EMA restricts the use of comfrey root (CR) to external use only and for short periods of time.

Isolation of Echimidine and Its C-7 Isomers from L. and Their Hepatotoxic Effect on Rat Hepatocytes.

Echimidine is the main pyrrolizidine alkaloid of L., a plant domesticated in many countries. Because of echimidine's toxicity, this alkaloid has become a target of the European Food Safety Authority regulations, especially in regard to honey contamination.

The Enhancement of the Photodynamic Therapy and Ciprofloxacin Activity against Uropathogenic Strains by Rhizome Aqueous Extract.

Antibiotic therapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT) are commonly used to treat bacterial infections. Unfortunately, these methods are often ineffective. Therefore, agents that could effectively support antibiotic therapy and PDT in the inactivation of pathogens are being sought.

An in-depth look into a well-known herbal drug: Fingerprinting, isolation, identification, and content estimation of saponins in different Strophanthus seeds.

Seeds of species are known as a source of rapid-acting cardenolides. These water-soluble glycosides are listed as the sole critical constituents of this raw herbal drug. A non-standard cardioprotective medication with ouabain-containing oral remedies has become popular in Europe as a result of the withdrawal of corresponding registered drugs from the market.

Is it Worth Combining Extract and Antibiotics against Uropathogenic rods? An In Vitro Model Study.

European goldenrod ( L.) has long been applied in traditional medicine and recommended in the prophylaxis of urinary tract infections (UTIs). However, research describing the antibacterial properties of goldenrod is very limited.

In Search of High-Yielding and Single-Compound-Yielding Plants: New Sources of Pharmaceutically Important Saponins from the Primulaceae Family.

So far, only a few primrose species have been analyzed regarding their saponin composition and content. Moreover, the roots of only two of them are defined by the European Union (EU) Pharmacopoeia monograph and commercially utilized by the pharmaceutical industry. Thus, this study intended to find some new sources of main triterpene saponins from , namely primulasaponins I and II together with the closely related sakurasosaponin.

Spontaneous Stereoselective Oxidation of Crystalline Avermectin B to Its C-8a-()-Hydroperoxide.

Prolonged storage of technical abamectin as well as avermectin B samples yielded a previously unknown derivative, designated here as compound . Detailed NMR analysis and X-ray crystallography allowed us to determine the structure of this compound and revealed the presence of a hydroperoxide group (-OOH) attached stereoselectively with configuration to the C-8a carbon. This surprising result involves the formation of the peroxide bond in solid crystalline avermectin B upon exposure to air with no involvement of light or recognized catalytic factors and is consistent with a topotactic mechanism for the oxidation reaction.

Isolation and structural determination of flavan-3-ol derivatives from the L. rhizomes water extract.

L. (Polypodiaceae) is a fern used in traditional Polish medicine as an expectorant to treat cough and pertussis. Additionally, it was used as a diuretic in renal diseases, especially in chronic nephritis and pyelonephritis.

The Activity of Isoquinoline Alkaloids and Extracts from against Pathogenic Bacteria and sp.

() extracts exhibit antimicrobial activity due to the complex alkaloid composition. The aim of the research was to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of extracts from wild plants and in vitro cultures, as well as seven major individual alkaloids. Plant material derived from different natural habitats and in vitro cultures was used for the phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial tests.

Isolation of 1-(3',4'-Dihydroxyphenyl)-3-(2″,4″,6″-trihydroxyphenyl)-propan-2-ol from Grape Seed Extract and Evaluation of its Antioxidant and Antispasmodic Potential.

HPLC profiling of phenolics in grape seed extracts revealed a prominent peak of an unknown substance with concentrations up to 5.3%. Spectroscopic data allowed the identification of the compound as 1-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-(2″,4″,6″-trihydroxyphenyl)-propan-2-ol.

Lanostane-Type Saponins from .

The phytochemistry of the genera , , and , belonging to the Primulaceae family is not well studied so far. Hence, in this paper, we present the results of UHPLC-MS/MS analysis of several primrose family members as well as isolation and structure determination of two new saponins from subsp. .

Triterpenoid Acids as Important Antiproliferative Constituents of European Elderberry Fruits.

In Europe, both the fruits and flowers of Sambucus nigra L. have been used against cold, as well as laxative, diaphoretic, and diuretic remedies. There are also a number of commercially available food products that contain elderberry juice, puréed or dried elderberries.

Assessment of the Combined Treatment with Umbelliferone and Four Classical Antiepileptic Drugs Against Maximal Electroshock-Induced Seizures in Mice.

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of umbelliferone (7-hydroxycoumarin; UMB) on the anticonvulsant potency of four classical antiepileptic drugs (carbamazepine (CBZ), phenytoin (PHT), phenobarbital (PB) and valproate (VPA)) in the mouse maximal electroshock-induced seizure (MES) model.

Results: UMB administered systemically intraperitoneally (ip) in a dose of 150 mg/kg significantly elevated the threshold for maximal electroconvulsions (p < 0.05) in mice.

In vitro evaluation of the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of DIMBOA [2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the natural cyclic hydroxamic acid: 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (DIMBOA). Antioxidant activity of the isolated DIMBOA was examined using DPPH, FRAP and ABTS tests. It was found that DIMBOA exhibits a potent free-radical scavenging activity and a weaker iron (III) ions reducing activity.

β-Aescin at subinhibitory concentration (sub-MIC) enhances susceptibility of Candida glabrata clinical isolates to nystatin.

Aescin (escin) derived from the seeds of horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) is a natural mixture of triterpene saponins exhibiting a wide variety of pharmacological properties, including antiinflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic activities. However, data concerning antifungal activities of these compounds are limited.

Effect of xanthotoxin (8-methoxypsoralen) on the anticonvulsant activity of classical antiepileptic drugs against maximal electroshock-induced seizures in mice.

The effects of xanthotoxin (8-methoxypsoralen) on the anticonvulsant activity of four classical antiepileptic drugs (carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin and valproate) were studied in the mouse maximal electroshock seizure model. Tonic hind limb extension (seizure activity) was evoked in adult male albino Swiss mice by a current (25 mA, 500 V, 50 Hz, 0.2 s stimulus duration) delivered via auricular electrodes.

Determination of ursolic and oleanolic acid in Sambuci fructus.

Elderberries are used in the preparation of pie, jelly, punch, wine, or liqueur, as well as in many herbal remedies and food supplements. Elderberry products may provide diaphoretic, diuretic, antioxidant, and immunostimulant activities that offer protection against cold and flu. Herein, we report for the first time the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of two isomeric triterpenoids isolated from Sambuci fructus.

Cytotoxic effects of four aescin types on human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines.

Four types of aescin that are available on the pharmaceutical market, beta-aescin crystalline, beta-aescin amorphous, beta-aescin sodium and aescin polysulfate, have been analyzed for their cytotoxic effects on human colon adenocarcinoma (LoVo) and doxorubicin-resistant human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines (LoVo/Dx). Their cytotoxic activities were evaluated by sulforhodamine B (SRB) and methyl tetrazolium (MTT) assays. All four types of aescin exerted strong dose-dependent cytotoxicity to LoVo and, to a lesser degree, LoVo/Dx cell lines.

One new and six known triterpene xylosides from Cimicifuga racemosa: FT-IR, Raman and NMR studies and DFT calculations.

One new and six known triterpene xylosides were isolated from Cimicifuga racemosa (black cohosh, Actaea racemosa). The structure of a new compound, designated as isocimipodocarpaside (1), was established to be (24S)-3β-hydroxy-24,25-oxiirane-16,23-dione-9,10-seco-9,19-cyclolanost-1(10),7(8),9(11)-trien 3-O-β-d-xylopyranoside, by means of (1)H and (13)C NMR, IR and Raman spectroscopies and Mass Spectrometry. The six known compounds are: 23-epi-26-deoxycimicifugoside (2), 23-epi-26-deoxyactein (3), 25-anhydrocimigenol xyloside (4), 23-O-acetylshengmanol xyloside (5), 25-O-acetylcimigenol xyloside (6) and 3'-O-acetylcimicifugoside H-1 (7).

Anticonvulsant effects of four linear furanocoumarins, bergapten, imperatorin, oxypeucedanin, and xanthotoxin, in the mouse maximal electroshock-induced seizure model: a comparative study.

The aim of this study was to determine and compare the anticonvulsant activities of four natural furanocoumarins [bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen), imperatorin (8-isopentenyloxypsoralen), oxypeucedanin (5-epoxy-isopentenyloxypsoralen) and xanthotoxin (8-methoxypsoralen)] in the maximal electroshock-induced seizure test in mice. The anticonvulsant effects of bergapten, imperatorin, oxypeucedanin, and xanthotoxin were evaluated at 15, 30, 60 and 120 min after their systemic (intraperitoneal) administration. Tonic hind limb extension (seizure activity) was evoked in adult albino Swiss mice by a current (sine-wave, 25 mA, 500 V, 50 Hz, 0.

Immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity of selected osthole derivatives.

From osthole [7-methoxy-8-(3-methyl-but-2-enyl)-chromen-2-one] (I), obtained by selective extraction of Peucedanum ostruthium (L.) W. Koch roots, ostholic acid (II) was synthetized as a result of its oxidation with chromium trioxide.

Anticonvulsant and acute neurotoxic effects of imperatorin, osthole and valproate in the maximal electroshock seizure and chimney tests in mice: a comparative study.

The aim of this study was to determine and compare the anticonvulsant and acute adverse (neurotoxic) effects of imperatorin and osthole (two natural coumarin derivatives) with valproate (a classical antiepileptic drug) in the maximal electroshock seizure and chimney tests in mice. The anticonvulsant and acute adverse effects of imperatorin, osthole and valproate were determined at 15, 30, 60 and 120 min after their systemic (i.p.