Publications by authors named "YouSheng Cai"

This study reports the isolation and characterization of six novel tetrahydroxanthone derivatives, paraconixanthones A - F (1-6), a new diphenyl ether (7), and thirteen known compounds (8-20) from the endophytic fungus Paraconiothyrium sp. AC31. The chemical structures were elucidated using NMR, MS, X-ray diffraction, and ECD analyses.

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In the search for novel natural products with hepatoprotective effects against acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury, the marine-derived fungus WHUF0198 was investigated. Seventeen undescribed pyranopyridone alkaloids, aculeapyridones A-Q (-), were isolated by bioactivity-guided fractionation of an extract obtained by coculture of the WHUF0198 with the mangrove-associated fungus sp. DM27.

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A novel sesquiterpene lactone derivative, vernonolide A (), featuring an unprecedented carbon skeleton, along with its plausible biosynthetic precursor, vercinolide I (), and eight known sesquiterpene lactones (-) were isolated and characterized from the whole plants of (L.). The structures of and were elucidated using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analysis and calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism spectra.

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Article Synopsis
  • Bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance are major public health concerns, making the search for new antimicrobial agents from natural products essential.
  • This study focused on Planch, a folk medicine, to explore its antibacterial metabolites, discovering several new compounds with significant structures and biological activities.
  • Key findings highlight that certain metabolites from Planch demonstrate potent antibacterial properties, suggesting they could serve as promising candidates for natural antimicrobial therapies.
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Two new paraherquamides (PHQs) namely aculeaquamides B and C (1 and 2), along with four known PHQs (3-6), were isolated from the co-culture of marine fungus Aspergillus aculeatinus WHUF0198 and mangrove-associated fungus Penicillium sp. DM27. Compound 1 represents the first PHQ derivative featuring an uncommon 7/6/5/5/6/5 hexacyclic system.

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Background: A significant cause of advanced renal failure is diabetic nephropathy (DKD), with few treatment options available. Calcitriol shows potential in addressing fibrosis related to DKD, though its molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. This research seeks to pinpoint the crucial genes and pathways influenced by calcitriol within the scope of DKD-related fibrosis.

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Three previously undescribed pyrrolizidinone alkaloids, penicipyrrolizidinones A and B (1 and 2), possessing an unprecedented 2-methyl-2-(oct-6-enoyl)pyrrolizidin-3-one skeleton, and penicipyrrolizidinone C (3), featuring a rare 1-alkenyl-2-methyl-pyrrolizidin-3,7-dione skeleton, together with four known pyrrolidine derivatives (4-7) were isolated from the mangrove-derived fungus Penicillium sp. DM27. Their structures were elucidated through comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, theoretical calculations of ECD spectra, and the modified Mosher's method.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cisplatin induces acute kidney injury (AKI) through mitochondrial damage and apoptosis, necessitating effective treatments.
  • The compound (+)-14,15-Dehydrovincamine, derived from Vincamine, has been found to significantly improve mitochondrial function and reduce apoptosis in renal tubular cells affected by cisplatin-induced AKI.
  • The protective mechanism of (+)-14,15-Dehydrovincamine involves inhibiting the JNK/Mff/Drp1 pathway, which helps maintain mitochondrial stability and reduces cell death during AKI.
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Background: The relationship between inflammatory dietary patterns and the risk of depression/anxiety has not been clearly established due to differences in study populations, geographic regions, sex, and methods of calculating the inflammatory index.

Methods: We drew upon a prospective cohort in the UK Biobank and calculated the energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII). The follow-up time was defined from the date of completing the last dietary survey questionnaire to the date of diagnosis of depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety, other types of anxiety, death, loss to follow-up, or the respective censoring dates for England (September 30, 2021), Scotland (July 31, 2021), and Wales (February 28, 2018).

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is traditionally used as both food and medicine. Triterpenoids in have a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as diuretic, sedative and tonic properties. In this study, the anti-tumor activities of poricoic acid A (PAA) and poricoic acid B (PAB), purified by high-speed counter-current chromatography, as well as their mechanisms and signaling pathways, were investigated using a HepG2 cell model.

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Introduction: Dimeric natural products are widespread in plants and microorganisms, which usually have complex structures and exhibit greater bioactivities than their corresponding monomers. In this study, we report five new dimeric tetrahydroxanthones, aculeaxanthones A-E (), along with the homodimeric tetrahydroxanthone secalonic acid D (), chrysoxanthones B and C ( and ), and 4-4'-secalonic acid D (), from different fermentation batches of the title fungus.

Methods: A part of the culture was added to a total of 60 flasks containing 300 ml each of number II fungus liquid medium and culture 4 weeks in a static state at 28˚C.

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How larvae of the many phyla of marine invertebrates find places appropriate for settlement, metamorphosis, growth, and reproduction is an enduring question in marine science. Biofilm-induced metamorphosis has been observed in marine invertebrate larvae from nearly every major marine phylum. Despite the widespread nature of this phenomenon, the mechanism of induction remains poorly understood.

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Phytochemical investigation on the aerial parts of Tabernaemontana bufalina Lour. (Apocynaceae) led to the identification of four undescribed monoterpenoid indole alkaloids named taberbufamines A-D, an undescribed natural product, and fourteen known indole alkaloids. The structures of the undescribed alkaloids were established by spectroscopic and computational methods, and their absolute configurations were further determined by quantum chemical TDDFT calculations and the experimental ECD spectra.

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Angustmycin A has anti-mycobacterial and cytokinin activities, and contains an intriguing structure in which an unusual sugar with C5'-C6' dehydration is linked to adenine via an N-glycosidic bond. However, the logic underlying the biosynthesis of this molecule has long remained obscure. Here, we address angustmycin A biosynthesis by the full deciphering of its pathway.

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Plant-derived natural active products have attracted increasing attention for use in flavors and perfumes. These compounds also have applications in insect pest control because of their environment-friendly properties. Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum), a famous herb used in Ayurveda in India, is a natural source of medical healing agents and insecticidal repellents.

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Japonisine A, a novel fawcettimine-type Lycopodium alkaloid with an unusual skeleton and two new fawcettimine-type ones, along with 20 known Lycopodium alkaloids, were isolated from the whole plants of Lycopodium japonicum Thunb. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR, and HR-ESIMS, as well as by comparison with the literature data. Notably, japonisine A (1) was the first example of fawcettimine-related Lycopodium alkaloid with a 2-oxopropyl attached at C-6.

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A new paraherquamide named aculeaquamide A () was isolated from an EtOAc extract of WHF0198 culture media together with five known compounds. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by analysis of NMR and MS data, and the absolute configurations of compound was confirmed by CD spectroscopic methods. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against three human cancer cell lines, Bel-7402, A549, and HCT-116.

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A new norditerpene named aculeaterpene A (1) and a new indone named aculeaindone A (2), along with eight known compounds 3-10 were isolated from the culture extract of Aspergillus aculeatinus WHUF0198. The structural characterization of compounds 1 and 2 were performed by spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS experiments, whereas the absolute configurations were determined by comparing their experimental or calculated ECD spectra. Compound 1 was the first report of fusicoccane-based norditerpene, in which the C-20 was degraded and tured into a hydroxy group.

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is a famous herb found among medicinal and food plants in East and Southeastern Asia. The Nrf2-ARE assay-guided separation of an extract from Jing liqueur led to the identification of a nontoxic Nrf2 activator, methylnissolin-3--β-d-glucopyranoside (MNG, a component of ). Nrf2 activation by MNG has not been reported before.

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Genome mining of 094102 enabled the discovery of a multiproduct bifunctional terpene synthase (BTS), AuAS. Heterologous expression of AuAS led to the discovery of five new sesterterpenes, and coexpression of the upstream CYP450 monooxygenase (AuAP450) generated four new sesterterpene alcohols. Additionally, aspergilol A showed cytotoxic activities against MCF-7, MDA-MB231, and HepG2 cancer cells (IC 21.

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One novel sesquiterpenoid containing an unprecedented eight-membered cyclic peroxide motif, sinulatumolin A (1), along with four new related terpenoids, namely sinulatumolins B-E (2-4 and 6), were isolated from South China Sea soft coral Sinularia tumulosa. The structures of all the isolates were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analysis, chemical transformations, and single X-ray diffraction analysis. Compound 1 represents the first example of sesquiterpene bearing an eight-membered cyclic peroxide ring from soft coral.

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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common dyskinesia disease, the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (mtUPR) may be directly or indirectly involved in the occurrence and development of PD, although the exact mechanism is unclear. We established a dopaminergic neuronal-like cell model of PD, by overexpression of PGC-1α to detect evaluate the expression of proteases and molecular chaperones of involved in the mtUPR, as well as the expression of PGC-1α and LRPPRC, illustrated the distribution of LRPPRC. Remarkably, the mtUPR activation reached maximal at 24 h after MPP treatment in SH-SY5Y cells, which the protein and transcription levels of the proteases and molecular chaperones reached maximal.

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Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (fenugreek) is used as a leafy vegetable and spice in China and North African countries. However, the biochemical components of its aerial parts were rarely explored.

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Minimycin (MIN) is a C-nucleoside antibiotic structurally related to pseudouridine, and indigoidine is a naturally occurring blue pigment produced by diverse bacteria. Although MIN and indigoidine have been known for decades, the logic underlying the divergent biosynthesis of these interesting molecules has been obscure. Here, we report the identification of a minimal 5-gene cluster (min) essential for MIN biosynthesis.

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Two new guaiane sesquiterpenes, 7-(1-hydroxyethyl)-4-methyl-1-azulenecarboxaldehyde () and 7-isopropenyl-4-methyl-1-azulenecarboxylic acid (), together with 5 known sesquiterpenes, were isolated from the fruiting bodies of . All structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic methods, including 1 D and 2 D-NMR spectroscopy and high resolution mass spectrometry.

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