A class of geranylquinol-derived polycyclic meroterpenoids from Arnebia euchroma against heart failure by reducing excessive autophagy and apoptosis in cardiomyocytes.

Ten new B-ring aromatized 6/6/6-tricyclic dearomatized benzocogeijerene-based meroterpenoids with unusual methyl 1,2-shift or demethylation (2-9b), and two new geranylquinol derivatives (1 and 10), together with two known compounds (11 and 12), were isolated from the roots of Arnebia euchroma. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods, X-ray diffraction crystallography, and ECD calculations. The plausible biosynthetic pathways including the unusual methyl 1,2-shfit and demethylation for B-ring aromatized 6/6/6-tricyclic meroterpenoids were discussed.

Glycnsisitin A: A promising bicyclic peptide against heart failure that facilitates TFRC-mediated uptake of iron in cardiomyocytes.

Zhigancao decoction is a traditional prescription for treating irregular pulse and palpitations in China. As the monarch drug of Zhigancao decoction, the bioactive molecules of licorice against heart diseases remain elusive. We established the HRESIMS-guided method leading to the isolation of three novel bicyclic peptides, glycnsisitins A-C (-), with distinctive C-C and C-O-C side-chain-to-side-chain linkages from the roots of (Licorice).

Two new cucurbitane-type triterpenoid saponins from the fruit of .

Two new cucurbitane-type triterpenoid saponins, 2,20,22-trihydroxy-16,23()-epoxycucurbita-1,5,24-triene-3,11-dione 2---D-glucopyranoside (), 2,20,22-trihydroxy-16,23()-epoxycucurbita-1,5,11,24-tetraene-3-one 2---D-glucopyranoside () were isolated from the fruit of (L.) Schrad. Their structures were elucidated by mass spectrometry, IR, 1D, and 2D NMR spectroscopy, etc.

Three new flavonoids from the roots of .

Three new flavonoids including two isoflavanones sophortones A and B ( and ), and one chalcone sophortone C () were isolated from the roots of . Their structures were established by UV, IR, HRESIMS, and NMR data. The absolute configurations of and were determined by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations.

Highly oxidized rearranged derivatives of quinochalcone C-glycosides from Carthamus tinctorius.

Safflopentsides A-C (1-3), three highly oxidized rearranged derivatives of quinochalcone C-glycosides, were isolated from the safflower yellow pigments. Their structures were determined based on a detailed spectroscopic analysis (UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR), and the absolute configurations were confirmed by the comparison of experimental ECD spectra with calculated ECD spectra. Compounds 1-3 have an unprecedented cyclopentenone or cyclobutenolide ring A containing C-glucosyl group, respectively.

Discovery of Natural Ah Receptor Antagonists from Bunge and Synthesis of Analogs for Tumor Immunotherapy.

IDO/TDO/Kyn/AhR signaling plays a crucial role in regulating innate and adaptive immunity, and targeting Ah receptor (AhR) inhibition can potentially redirect immune cells toward an antitumoral phenotype. Therefore, AhR is an attractive drug target for novel small molecule cancer immunotherapies. In this study, natural products tanshinolic A-D (), the first adducts composed of -naphthoquinone-type tanshinone and phenolic acid featuring a unique 1,4-benzodioxan hemiacetal structure, were isolated and characterized from the roots of Bunge.

Six undescribed lavandulylated flavonoids with PTP1B inhibition from the roots of Sophora flavescens.

Six undescribed lavandulylated flavonoids (1-6) were isolated from the roots of Sophora flavescens. Remarkably, compounds 1 and 2, which were composed of a flavane unit and a phloroglucinol unit, were the first reported dimers. Compounds 3 and 4 were the first reported neoflavonoids with lavandulyl units.

The tanshinones from the plant of Salvia miltiorrhiza.

Six undescribed tanshinones, (+)-2-Cl-tanshindiol C (1), (-)-2-Cl-tanshindiol C (2), (+)-tanshinoic acid D (3), (-)-tanshinoic acid D (4), (-)-tanshinoic acid E (5), and (+)-tanshinoic acid E (6), were isolated from the rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Their structures were elucidated based on the spectroscopic data (UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, and NMR). The bioactive assays of all these compounds for the antioxidant activities in cardiomyocytes upon hypoxia stimulation were evaluated.

Eight new arnebinol B-based meroterpenoids with planar chirality in the constrained 6/10/5 tricyclic skeleton from Arnebia euchroma and their cytotoxicities.

Eight new arnebinol B-based meroterpenoids ((-)-1, 2, 3, (-)-5, and 7-10) with a constrained 6/10/5 tricyclic backbone were isolated from the roots of Arnebia euchroma. The planar and steric structures of these new compounds were unambiguously elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses, X-ray diffraction crystallography, and ECD calculations. The predominant relative orientation between H-7 and the Z double bond with a methyl substituent in the rigid 10-membered carbocycle, along with the planar chirality of the Z double bond was analyzed and discussed for the first time.

Two dimers generated by lithospermic decarboxylation coupling from Danshen.

To further reveal the active ingredients of Danshen, we systematically studied its chemical components and obtained two new lithospermic acid derivatives (compounds 1 and 2) together with five known phenylpropionic acids (compounds 3-7) from the dried rhizomes of Salvia miltiorrhiza. The structures of the two new compounds were determined by multiple spectral analyses (UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, NMR, and ECD). In addition, the absolute configurations were established by chiral analysis and calculated and experimental circular dichroism spectra.

Synthesis of 4-thiosubstituted flavan derivatives and their hypoglycemic activities.

A series of 4-thiosubstituted flavan derivatives (1-44) were designed and synthesized. The target compounds were assayed for inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase in vitro, and the results indicated that all compounds displayed significant effects in the range of IC = 1.03-7.

The discovery of new phloroglucinol glycosides from and the mechanism of oxidative dearomatization of the methyl-substituted phloroglucinol derivatives.

Six methyl-substituted phloroglucinol glycosides (1-6) were isolated from , including four new compounds (1-3, 6). The aglycones (1a-4a) of 1-4 and their corresponding oxidized products (1c-4c) were also obtained from . The structures were determined by a series of spectroscopic analyses and chiral separation.

The phenolic acids from the plant of Salvia miltiorrhiza.

Seven new phenolic acids, 7, 8-epiblechnic acid (1), 8-epiblechnic acid 9-ehthyl-9'-methyl ester (2), 9'-ehyl-isolithospermate (3), 9''-methyl-isolithospermate (4), 9'-ethyl-9''-methyl-isolithospermate (5), 9', 9''-dimethyl-isolithospermate (6), sebesteniod E (7), were isolated from the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza. Their structures were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic means including UV, IR, HRESIMS, and NMR data spectra. The bioactive assays of compounds 1-7 against neuroprotection activities were determined.

New dimeric phloroglucinol derivatives from Agrimonia pilosa and their hepatoprotective activities.

Five new dimeric phloroglucinol derivatives, agrimones A - E (1-5), were isolated from the whole plant of Agrimonia pilosa. Their structures including absolute configurations were determined by a series of spectroscopic data (UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR), complemented with the comparison of the experimental and calculated ECD spectra, and gauge-independent atomic orbital (GIAO) NMR calculations. Notably, compounds 1 and 2 represent a highly oxidized 6/6/6 tricyclic ring skeleton based on the cis-fused paraquinone and chroman.

Neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory phenylethanoidglycosides from the fruits of Forsythia suspensa.

Neuroinflammation is emerging as a crucial reason of major neurodegenerative diseases in recent years. Increasingly evidences have supported that bioactive natural products from traditional Chinese medicines have efficiency for neuroinflammation. Forsythia suspensa, a typical medicinal herb, showed potential neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties in previous pharmacological studies.

Seven new prenylated flavanones from the roots of Sophora flavescens and their anti-proliferative activities.

Aiming to discover potent anti-proliferative agents from the roots of Sophora flavescens, seven new prenylated flavanones were isolated, along with 16 known compounds. Their structures were elucidated by interpretation of their spectroscopic data (1D and 2D NMR, UV, IR, CD, and HRESIMS) and comparison to literature data. In the in vitro assay, 21 showed anti-proliferative activity against human hepatoma cells (HepG2).

An ingenious method for the determination of the relative and absolute configurations of compounds containing aryl-glycerol fragments by H NMR spectroscopy.

A concise method was established to determine the relative and absolute configurations of aryl-glycerols that depend on the chemical shift differences (Δ) of the diastereotopic methylene protons (H-3) by H NMR spectroscopy. When using DMSO- as the preferred solvent, the configuration corresponded to a larger Δ value (>0.15 ppm), whereas the configuration (<0.

Bioactive amides from .

One pair of new amides enantiomers ( and ) and two known amides were isolated from the rhizomes of . Their structures were established using UV, IR, HRESIMS, and NMR data. Notably, compound possesses unique C-C connection between feruloyltyramine and resveratrol.

Three new monocyclic monoterpenoid -glycosides from the roots of .

Three new monocyclic monoterpenoid containing -D-apiofuranosyl-(1→2)---D-glucopyranosyl moieties, together with three other known monocyclic monoterpenoid -glycosides, were obtained from the roots of for the first time. Their structures were determined by UV, IR, HRESIMS, and 1D and 2D NMR data.[Formula: see text].

Two new quinochalcone glycosides from the safflower yellow pigments.

Two new quinochalcone glycosides, hydroxysafflor yellow A-4'---D-glucopyranoside () and 3'-hydroxyhydroxysafflor yellow A (), were isolated from the safflower yellow pigments of . The structures of new compounds were elucidated by a detailed spectroscopic analysis (UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR, ECD). The assay indicated that compound could improve the survived rate of primary mouse cortical neurons on glutamate-induced neurons damage model at a concentration of 10 μM.

Archromones A-F, unusual polycyclic dearomatic geranylquinol derivatives from the roots of .

Eight new geranylquinol derivatives (1-8) were purified from the roots of Arnebia euchroma. Compounds 1-6 possess an unprecedented dearomatic benzocogeijerene skeleton with a rare trans-fused hydronaphthalene moiety. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by HRESIMS, NMR, ECD, and X-ray diffraction.