Ginkgo biloba L. exocarp petroleum ether extract inhibits methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by modulating ion transport, virulence, and biofilm formation in vitro and in vivo.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: As reported in the Ancient Chinese Medicinal Books, Ginkgo biloba L. fruit has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment asthma and cough or as a disinfectant. Our previous study demonstrated that G.

Withanolides from the active extract of Physalis angulate and their anti-hepatic fibrosis effects.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Physalis angulata L., a traditional Chinese medicine called "Kuzhi" in China, was used traditionally to treat liver diseases (eg. icterus, hepatitis) as well as malaria, asthma, and rheumatism.

Phomopsterone B Alleviates Liver Fibrosis through mTOR-Mediated Autophagy and Apoptosis Pathway.

Liver fibrosis is the initial pathological process of many chronic liver diseases. Targeting hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation is an available strategy for the therapy of liver fibrosis. We aimed to explore the anti-liver fibrosis activity and potential mechanism of phomopsterone B (PB) in human HSCs.

Amelioration effects of α-viniferin on hyperuricemia and hyperuricemia-induced kidney injury in mice.

Background: α-Viniferin, the major constituent of the roots of Caragana sinica (Buc'hoz) Rehder with a trimeric resveratrol oligostilbenoid skeleton, was demonstrated to possess a strong inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase in vitro, suggesting it to be a potential anti-hyperuricemia agent. However, the in vivo anti-hyperuricemia effect and its underlying mechanism were still unknown.

Purpose: The current study aimed to evaluate the anti-hyperuricemia effect of α-viniferin in a mouse model and to assess its safety profile with emphasis on its protective effect on hyperuricemia-induced renal injury.

Three New Selaginellin Derivatives from Selaginella pulvinata and Their α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity.

Three new selaginellin derivatives, selaginpulvilins V-X (1-3), together with seven known analogs (4-10) were isolated from whole plants of Selaginella pulvinata. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS and chemical derivatization method. Compound 1 represents a rare example of naturally occurring selaginellin with an alkynylphenol-trimmed skeleton.

New Meroterpenoid and Isocoumarins from the Fungus MST1-15 Collected from Coal Area.

Three new compounds including a meroterpenoid () and two isocoumarins ( and ), together with thirteen known compounds (, ) were isolated from the metabolites of MST1-15. Their structures were identified by a combination of spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configuration of compound was elucidated on the basis of experimental and electronic circular dichroism calculation, and compounds and were determined by Mo(OAc)-induced circular dichroism experiments.

-Abietane Diterpenoids from and Their Cytotoxic Activities.

The roots of have been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of tuberculosis and ringworm. In the current study, diterpenoids from the ethyl acetate extract of the roots and their cytotoxic effects against five cancer lines were investigated. Two new -abietane diterpenoids, euphonoids H and I (-), as well as their two analogues (-) were first isolated from this source.

Chaetonigrisins A-L, a group of 3-Indole-1,2-Propanediol derived alkaloids from Chaetomium nigricolor YT-2.

Thirteen new alkaloids (1-13) as well as ten known compounds were isolated from the solid-state fermented rice medium of the fungus Chaetomium nigricolor YT-2. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data, quantum calculations, and single crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. Chaetonigrisin A (1) represents an unprecedented carbon skeleton featuring a polycyclic 1H-pyrano[3,2:3,4-]​furo[2,​3-​b]​indole.

Evaluation of the antimicrobial function of Ginkgo biloba exocarp extract against clinical bacteria and its effect on Staphylococcus haemolyticus by disrupting biofilms.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The fruit of Ginkgo biloba L. (Ginkgo nuts) has been used for a long time as a critical Chinese medicine material to treat cough and asthma, as well as a disinfectant. Similar records were written in the Compendium of Materia Medica (Ben Cao Gang Mu, pinyin in Chinese) and Sheng Nong's herbal classic (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, pinyin in Chinese).

Antibacterial activities of the chemical constituents of MST7-3 collected from coal area.

Two fusidane-type active compounds ( and ) and five new ones (), along with other nine known compounds () were isolated from the metabolites of MST7-3. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configurations of compounds and were established by Mosher's method and optical rotation.

Antihyperuricemia and antigouty arthritis effects of Persicaria capitata herba in mice.

Background: Hyperuricemia (HUA) is an important risk factor for gout, renal dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases. The whole plant of Persicaria capitata (Buch.-Ham.

Pseudosterins A-C, Three 1-Ethyl-3-formyl-β-carbolines from and Their Cardioprotective Effects.

is used in China not only as a functional food but also as an herb to tonify the spleen, enhance immunity, and treat palpitation. Our previous investigation showed that a fraction enriched in glycosides obtained from the roots of possessed pronounced protective effects on H9c2 cells against CoCl-induced hypoxic injury. However, the active compounds responsible for the observed effects were still unknown.

Discovery of β-Carboline Derivatives as a Highly Potent Cardioprotectant against Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Timely myocardial reperfusion salvages ischemic myocardium from infarction, whereas reperfusion itself induces cardiomyocyte death, which is called myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury. Herein, β-carboline derivative was designed and synthesized with obvious myocardial protective activity for the first time. Pretreatment of effectively protected the cardiomyocyte H9c2 cells from HO-induced lactate dehydrogenase leakage and restored the endogenous antioxidants, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px).

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of 2,4-diamino pyrimidine derivatives as potent FAK inhibitors with anti-cancer and anti-angiogenesis activities.

A series of 2,4-diamino pyrimidine (DAPY) derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as inhibitors of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) with antitumor and anti-angiogenesis activities. Most compounds effectively suppressed the enzymatic activities of FAK, and the ICs of 11b and 12f were 2.75 and 1.

Cytotoxic Physalins from Aeroponically Grown .

Aeroponically grown afforded five new and six known withanolides including 10 physalins. The structures of the new withanolides, acutifolactone (), 5β,6β-epoxyphysalin C (), 5α-chloro-6β-hydroxyphysalin C (), and an inseparable mixture of 5β,6β-epoxy-2,3-dihydrophysalin F-3β--sulfate () and 5β,6β-epoxy-2,3-dihydrophysalin C-3β--sulfate (), were elucidated by analysis of their spectroscopic data and chemical interconversions. The known withanolides were identified as physalins B (), D (), F (), H (), I (), and U () by comparison of their spectroscopic data with those reported.

Ginkgo biloba exocarp extracts inhibit S. aureus and MRSA by disrupting biofilms and affecting gene expression.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ginkgo biloba L. fruit, also known as Bai Guo, Ya Jiao Zi (in pinyin Chinese), and ginkgo nut (in English), has been used for many years as an important material in Chinese traditional medicine to treat coughs and asthma and as a disinfectant, as described in the Compendium of Materia Medica (Ben Cao Gang Mu, pinyin in Chinese), an old herbal book. Ginkgo nuts are used to treat phlegm-associated asthma, astringent gasp, frequent urination, gonorrhoea and turgidity; consumed raw to reduce phlegm and treat hangovers; and used as a disinfectant and insecticide.

Discovery of tetrandrine derivatives as tumor migration, invasion and angiogenesis inhibitors.

Metastatic progression of cancer is a complex and clinically daunting process, with migration, invasion and angiogenesis being the key features. Tetrandrine (TET) is a typical dibenzylisoquinoline alkaloid with promising anti-tumor activity. In our previous work, a number of TET derivatives were designed and synthesized with obvious anti-proliferation activities against cancer cells, however, the anti-metastatic effects of these compounds were not evaluated.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of 2-amino-N-(2-methoxyphenyl)-6-((4-nitrophenyl)sulfonyl)benzamide derivatives as potent HIV-1 Vif inhibitors.

Viral infectivity factor (Vif) is one of the accessory protein of human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) that inhibits host defense factor, APOBEC3G (A3G), mediated viral cDNA hypermutations. Previous work developed a novel Vif inhibitor 2-amino-N-(2-methoxyphenyl)-6-((4-nitrophenyl)thio)benzamide (1) with strong antiviral activity. Through optimizations on the two side branches, a series of compound 1 derivatives (2-18) were designed, synthesized and tested in vitro for their antiviral activities.

Two new dihydroisocoumarins with antimicrobial activities from the fungus sp. XR046 collected from Xinren coal area.

Two new dihydroisocoumarins ( and ), together with six known compounds (), were isolated from the fungus sp. XR046 collected from the Xinren coal area of Guizhou province in China. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis.

Reversal of Peripheral Neuropathic Pain by the Small-Molecule Natural Product Physalin F via Block of CaV2.3 (R-Type) and CaV2.2 (N-Type) Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels.

No universally efficacious therapy exists for chronic pain, a disease affecting one-fifth of the global population. An overreliance on the prescription of opioids for chronic pain despite their poor ability to improve function has led to a national opioid crisis. In 2018, the NIH launched a Helping to End Addiction Long-term plan to spur discovery and validation of novel targets and mechanisms to develop alternative nonaddictive treatment options.