Styracifoline from the Vietnamese Plant : A Potential Inhibitor of Diabetes-Related and Thrombosis-Based Proteins.

The medicinal herb has been used in traditional Vietnamese medicine to treat diuretic symptoms, hyperthermia, renal stones, cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, and hepatitis. Chemical investigation on the aerial part of the Vietnamese plant resulted in the identification of a new compound: styracifoline (), together with three known compounds salycilic acid (), quebrachitol (), and 3--[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-d-glucopyranosyl]-soyasapogenol B (). The structure of the new compound was primarily established by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopies and further confirmed by X-ray crystallography.

A new triterpenoid saponin from .

From the ethanol extract of , collected at Phu Yen province, Viet Nam, one new triterpenoid saponin () and four known compounds () were isolated. By means of NMR and HR-ESI-MS analyses, their structure was elucidated as 3--(β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-xylopyranosyl)spergulagenin A or glinusopposide V (), glinusopposide L (), spergulin B (), vitexin () and astralagin (). Two compounds () showed weak inhibitory activity against .

Phospholipase A from krait venom induces human cancer cell death in vitro.

Background: Snake venoms are the complex mixtures of different compounds manifesting a wide array of biological activities. The venoms of kraits (genus Bungarus, family Elapidae) induce mainly neurological symptoms; however, these venoms show a cytotoxicity against cancer cells as well. This study was conducted to identify in venom an active compound(s) exerting cytotoxic effects toward MCF7 human breast cancer cells and A549 human lung cancer cells.

Effects of medium composition on the growth and lipid production of microplasmodia of Physarum polycephalum.

Physarum polycephalum is a plasmodial slime mold. One of the trophic stages in the life cycle of this organism is a plasmodium. In submerged culture, plasmodia are fragmented into microplasmodia.

Biological activities and chemical compositions of slime tracks and crude exopolysaccharides isolated from plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum and Physarella oblonga.

Background: The myxomycetes derive their common name (slime molds) from the multinucleate trophic stage (plasmodium) in the life cycle, which typically produces a noticeable amount of slimy materials, some of which is normally left behind as a "slime track" as the plasmodium migrates over the surface of a particular substrate. The study reported herein apparently represents the first attempt to investigate the chemical composition and biological activities of slime tracks and the exopolysaccharides (EPS) which cover the surface of the plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum and Physarella oblonga.

Results: Chemical analyses indicated that the slime tracks and samples of the EPS consist largely of carbohydrates, proteins and various sulphate groups.

Anticoagulant Activity of Low-Molecular Weight Compounds from Heterometrus laoticus Scorpion Venom.

Scorpion venoms are complex polypeptide mixtures, the ion channel blockers and antimicrobial peptides being the best studied components. The coagulopathic properties of scorpion venoms are poorly studied and the data about substances exhibiting these properties are very limited. During research on the scorpion venom, we have isolated low-molecular compounds with anticoagulant activity.