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One new sesquiterpene dilactone, coccinine ( 1 ) and one new β -carboline alkaloid, daibucarboline F ( 2 ) together with 10 known compounds; linderane ( 3 ), linderalactone ( 4 ), pseudoneolinderane ( 5 ), linderanlide C ( 6 ), linderanine A ( 7 ), epicatechin ( 8 ), (-)-taxifolin ( 9 ), astilbin ( 10 ), L-quercitrin ( 11 ) and afzelin ( 12 ) were isolated from the stems and leaves of Neolitsea cassia (L.) Kosterm (Lauraceae). The structures of ( 1 and 2 ) were established by extensive spectroscopic methods and the known compounds were identified by comparisons with data reported in literature. The relative stereochemistry of compound ( 1 ) was assigned by X-ray diffraction analysis with Cu-K α irradiation. Compounds ( 3-8 ) and ( 10 ) were evaluated for their α -glucosidase enzymatic inhibitory activity. Compounds ( 4-6 ), ( 8 ) and ( 10 ) exhibited inhibition towards α -glucosidase enzymatic activity with IC 50 values ranging from 12.10 to 96.77 μM. This is the first report on the isolation of phytochemicals from N. cassia and their bioactivities.

A new caffeate derivative from the ethanol extract of the stem bark of Cassia sieberiana DC. is described herein along with the known secondary metabolites spectaline ( 2 ), iso -6-cassine ( 3 ), 3- O -methyl- chiro -inositol ( 4 ), monobehenin ( 5 ), octyl nonadecyloate ( 6 ), β -sitosterol ( 7 ), stigmasterol ( 8 ) and sitosterol 3- O - β -D-glucopyranoside ( 9 ). The chemical structures were elucidated by means of various spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. Extract and isolated compounds were devoid of inhibitory action against the herein selected bacterial strains (MICs > 256 μg/mL) but showed capacities to reduce 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (EC 50  < 3 μg/mL) considerably better than the "gold standard" trolox (EC 50 6.47 ± 0.48 μg/mL).

In this study, the antioxidant activity of aqueous and ethanol extracts of four plants from the genus Cassia were evaluated by various antioxidant assays, including ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), DPPH free radical scavenging, metal chelating activity, phosphomolybdenum reducing power, hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, deoxyribose degradation and β-carotene bleaching assay. The various antioxidant activities were compared to standard antioxidant such as ascorbic acid. All the extracts showed antioxidant activity in the tested methods. Among the four species, Cassia auriculata has been found to possess highest activity in most of the tested models. In addition to the antioxidant activity, the total phenolics and flavonoids were measured in the extracts. The ethanolic extract exhibited highest phenolics and flavonoid contents and had also shown potent antioxidant activity in comparison to the aqueous extracts. The possible antioxidant mechanism of the ethanol extract can be due to its hydrogen or electron donating and direct free radical scavenging properties. Hence, the ethanol extract represents a source of potential antioxidants that could be used in pharmaceutical industries.

The present study was conducted to assess the phytotoxic potential and the phytochemical composition of Cassia absus. Aqueous extracts caused significant reduction in root growth of Lactuca sativa. Seed extract was more effective than aerial part extract. Successive extractions of this plant were performed using solvents with increasing polarities. The methanolic seed extract exerted strong phytotoxic effect on seedling growth, followed by petroleum ether extract of the aerial part. The phytochemical investigation showed that among the organic extracts, methanol extracts of seeds and aerial parts contained the highest amounts of total phenolics and proanthocyanidins. Seeds were rich in linoleic acid followed by palmitic acids. Palmitic, stearic and arachidic acids were the major fatty acids in aerial parts. HPLC-DAD analysis of the methanolic extracts revealed the presence of luteolin in C. absus aerial parts.

Cassia grandis is used for the treatment of skin disorders, back pain, aches, etc. in Vietnamese traditional medicine. In this paper, phytochemicals of the leaves were investigated. A new naphthalene derivative (1, cassgranon D) and, seven known compounds rutin (2), afzelin (3), quercitrin (4), epicatechin (5), (-)-epiafzelechin (6), isoquercitrin (7) and aloe emodin (8) were isolated from the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts. Their structures were elucidated by spectral evidences (UV, IR, MS, 1 H, 13 C, DEPT, HSQC and HMBC NMR), as well as by comparing with published data.

Seeds of Cassia obtusifolia L. are known as homology of medicine and food material, which is a commonly consumed beverage in China. One new compound, 8-hydroxy-1,7-dimethoxy-3-methylanthracene-9,10-dione-2-O-β-d-glucoside (1), together with 11 known compounds, including seven anthraquinones (2-8), was isolated from the seeds. The 2D NMR data of compound 2 are reported for the first time. The structures of the compounds were established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR, IR and HR-ESI-MS spectra. The cytotoxic activities of all the compounds against five cell lines (LO2, HCT-116, A549, HepG2 and SGC7901) were evaluated by using CCK8 methods. Compounds 1, 3 and 7 show moderate cytotoxicity towards HCT-116 cells compared with oxaliplatin.

Phytochemical study of the aerial parts of Cassiaitalica Mill. (family: Fabaceae) growing in Saudi Arabia afforded one new cycloartane triterpene, named (22E)-3-β-hydroxycycloart-22-en-24-one (2), together with eight known compounds: β-sitosterol (1), uvaol (3), daucosterol (4), methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (5), emodin (6), 4-hydroxypheny-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7), aloin (8) and rutin (9). The structure of the isolated compounds was determined by physical, chemical and spectral data (UV, IR, MS, 1D ((1)H, (13)C and DEPT) and 2D ((1)H-(1)H COSY, HSQC and HMBC) NMR), as well as by comparing with authentic samples. Compounds 3-5 and 7-9 were isolated for the first time from the plant. Compound 2 was evaluated for its cytotoxic activity against the L5178Y and PC12 cell lines. The total methanolic extract and compounds 5-9 exhibited free radical-scavenging activity using DPPH assay.

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of n-hexane phase from MeOH extract of the seeds of Cassia fistula L. (Leguminosae) yielded two bioactive substances against Cladosporium cladosporioides and C. sphaerospermum. After spectroscopic analysis, these compounds were characterised as the known benzyl 2-hydroxy-3,6-dimethoxybenzoate and its dimer dibenzyl 2,2'-dihydroxy-3,6,3″,6″-tetramethoxy-biphenyl-1,1'-dicarboxylate, which showed a new structural arrangement.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) continues to be a major obstacle for successful anticancer therapy. In this work, fractions from 17 clinically used antitumour traditional Chinese medicinal herbs were tested for their potential to restore the sensitivity of MCF-7/ADR and A549/Taxol cells to a known antineoplastic agent. The effects of these fractions were evaluated by MTT method and an assay of the cellular accumulation of doxorubicin. Fractions from the PB group (herbs with the ability to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis) showed more significant effects than fractions from the CH group (herbs with the ability to clear away heat and toxic materials). Fractions from CH₂Cl₂ extracts were more effective than fractions from EtOAc extracts. Five herbs (Curcuma wenyujin, Chrysanthemum indicum, Salvia chinensis, Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. and Cassia tora L.) could sensitise these resistant cancer cells at a non-toxic concentration (10 µg mL⁻¹), and markedly increased doxorubicin accumulation in MCF-7/ADR cells, which necessitates further investigations on the active ingredients of these herbs and their underlying mechanisms.

A new cycloartane triterpene glycoside (1), named Cyclosophoside A, was isolated from the seeds of Cassia sophera L. The structure of 1 has been determined as 29-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside of 1alpha, 3beta, 24xi, 25-tetrahydroxy-9, 19-cycloartan-29-oic acid by means of physicochemical properties and spectroscopic methods (1D and 2D NMR, MS).