Study on the pharmacodynamic substances and mechanism of hepatoprotection of Acanthus ilicifolius Linn.

Background: The coastal wetland mangrove plant Acanthus ilicifolius l. (AI) is used as traditional medicine for liver protection and liver fibrosis treatment, but the pharmacodynamics of the hepatoprotective substance and the mechanisms of liver protection are not clear.

Purpose: This work aimed to assess the liver-protective ability of AI and elucidate the pharmacodynamics of the hepatoprotective substance of AI responsible for its liver activity.

Access to Diosgenyl Glycoconjugates via Gold(I)-Catalyzed Etherification of Diosgen-3-yl ortho-Hexynylbenzoate.

An efficient protocol for the synthesis of diverse diosgen-3-yl glycoconjugates, a class of novel synthetic analogs of natural saponins of biological significance, has been developed. The method relies on gold(I)-catalyzed etherification of diosgen-3-yl ortho-hexynylbenzoate with stoichiometric sugar alcohols to afford the corresponding glycoconjugates in 38%-99% yields. The reaction involves the preferential attack of hydroxyl groups to the C3 position of homoallylic carbocation intermediate and displays a broad substrate scope and a good functional group tolerance.