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A chemical investigation of the aerial parts of Piper sarmentosum resulted in the isolation and identification of 14 amide alkaloids, including three new amide alkaloids, pipersarmenoids A - C (1-3), three new natural amide alkaloids, pipersarmenoids D - F (4-6), and 8 known analogues, N-p-coumaroyltyramine (7), piperlotine C (8), piperlotine D (9), pellitorine (10), sarmentine (11), aurantiamide acetate (12), 1-cinnamoyl pyrrolidine (13) and sarmentamide B (14). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis including HRESIMS and 1D and 2D NMR. The cytotoxicity, neuroinflammation-inhibiting and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities of those compounds were tested. Compounds 1, 2 and 12 inhibited NO production induced by LPS in BV2 cells with IC 50 values of 9.36, 12.53 and 10.77 μM, respectively. Moreover, 1, 2, 7 and 11 showed moderate inhibitory activity on AChE with IC 50 values ranging from 37.56 to 48.84 μM., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Four undescribed amide alkaloids hongkongensines A-C and 1-(1-oxo-6-hydroxy-2E,4E-dodecadienyl)-piperidine, five known amide alkaloids, and three known neolignans were isolated from the aerial part of Piper hongkongense. The planar structures of these compounds were determined by detailed analyses of HR-ESI-MS and NMR data. The absolute configurations of hongkongensines A-C were elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and ECD calculations. Moreover, the inhibitory activities of PCSK9 expression in vitro for all compounds were assessed by PCSK9 AlphaLISA screening. Kadsurenone (10) displayed a significant inhibitory activity at 5 μM with an inhibition rate of 51.98%, compared with 55.55% of berberine (BBR 5 μM)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nine metabolites, including three undescribed alkaloids pyripyropenes VW (1-2), penicioxa A (4), two previously reported pyripyropene A (3), oxaline (5), three grisephenone-type xanthone derivatives (6-8), and a diphenyl ether derivative 4-chloro-7,4'-dihydroxy-5,2'-dimethoxy-2-methylformate-6'-methybenzophone (9), were isolated from cultures of the mangrove-derived fungus Penicillium robsamsonii HNNU0006. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis, ECD calculations, together with DP4+ probability analysis. Furthermore, all the isolated compounds were tested for cytotoxicity and anti-phytopathogenic fungal activities. Compounds 6-8 showed moderate cytotoxicity against tumor cell lines A549, with IC 50 values ranging from 5.68 ± 0.21 to 9.71 ± 0.34 μg/mL, respectively., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Marine sponges are well known as prolific producers of structurally diverse molecules with valuable pharmacological potential. As part of our ongoing program to discover bioactive compounds from marine sponges collected from the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea, a chemical study on the specimens of Hippospongia lachne was conducted. As a result, eight undescribed compounds, including four zwitterionic alkylpyridinium salts, hippospondines A-D (1-4), and four 3-alkylpyridine alkaloids, hippospondines E (5), F (6), and (±)-hippospondine G (7), were isolated from the marine sponge H. lachne, together with one known 3-alkylpyridine alkaloid (8). The undescribed structures were elucidated by HRESIMS, NMR, DP4+ and CP3 probability analysis, and the Snatzke's method. Hippospondines A-D (1-4) represent the rare example of inner salt type alkylpyridinium alkaloid with a farnesyl moiety. Compounds 1-3 and 8 were subjected to cytotoxic and lymphocyte proliferation assays. Compound 3 exhibited a weak promotion effect on the ConA-induced T lymphocyte proliferation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Orychophragmus violaceus (L.) O. E. Schulz (Brassicaceae) is widely distributed and plentiful in China and has been widely used for its application in ornamental, oil, ecology, foraging, and food. Recent studies have revealed that the main components of Orychophragmus violaceus include flavonoids, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids, etc., which have pharmacological activities such as antioxidation, antiradiation, antitumor, hepatic protection, antiferroptosis, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. In this paper, the nutritional value, chemical compositions, pharmacological activity, and application value of Orychophragmus violaceus are summarized by referring to the relevant domestic and international literature to provide a reference for further research, development, and utilization of Orychophragmus violaceus in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A HPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of four matrine-type alkaloids (matrine, oxymatrine, sophocarpine and sophoridine) in honey was established and was applied to 567 Chinese honey samples. The overall detection rate was 61.0 % and all eight Sophora viciifolia Hance honey samples were detected with the average content of 1183.3 μg/kg. Among 383 Acacia honey samples, matrine-type alkaloids have the highest detection rates in Gansu (98.8 %) and Shaanxi (86.5 %) provinces, which were significantly correlated with the distribution of S. viciifolia Hance. Moreover, matrine-type alkaloids in fruits and flowers of S. viciifolia Hance were as high as 7.06 g/kg and 2.65 g/kg respectively. The melissopalynological analysis showed that the concentration of oxymatrine was positively correlated with the pollen frequency of S. viciifolia Hance (R 2  = 0.737) in representative Acacia honey samples. It can be concluded that the matrine-type alkaloids in Chinese honeys come from the nectariferous plants S. viciifolia Hance., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Sophora flavescens Aiton (SF), also known as Kushen (Chinese:), has been an important species in Chinese medicine since the Qin and Han dynasties. It is also recognized as a plant resource suitable for the globalization of Chinese medicine. Traditionally, it has been used in various ethnic medical systems in East Asia, especially in China, to kill insects and dispel dampness. Sophora flavescens is commonly used for clearing heat-clearing, killing worms, and diuretic. Nowdays, accumulating studies demonstrated its anticancer and cardioprotection., Objective of the Review: This paper aims to systematically review information on the genus, pharmacological and toxicological significance, chemical composition and biological activity of Sophora flavescens. To promoting its development and application. To summarize recent findings regarding to the metabolism, pharmacological/toxicological effects of Sophora flavescens., Material and Methods: Online academic databases (including PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science and CNKI) were searched using search terms of "Sophora flavescens Aiton", "Ku shen", "Pharmacology", "Active ingredient", "Toxicology" and combinations to include published studies of Sophora flavescens Aiton primarily from 1970-2021. Several critical previous studies beyond this period were also included and other related terms., Conclusion: Sophora flavescens has a broad spectrum of biological activities associated with Sophora flavescens has been considered a valuable resource in both traditional and modern medicine. However, there is a lack of in-depth studies on the medicinal uses of Sophora flavescens. Moreover, further studies on single chemical components should be conducted based on the diversity of chemical structures, significant biological activities and clinical applications. The discovery of its bioactive molecules and multi-component interactions would be of great importance for the clinical application of Sophora flavescens spp. Detailed pharmacological and toxicological studies on the classic prescriptions of Sophora flavescens are also needed. It is more beneficial to the wide application of SF plant and facilitates the worldwide promotion of modern Chinese medicine. However, an increasing number of reports indicate that the administration of Sophora flavescens has serious adverse effects. Its main toxic effects are neurotoxicity and acute toxicity, which have caused widespread concern worldwide. In addition, the alkaloids of Sophora flavescens are distributed in the heart, liver, stomach and large intestine. They are excreted from the body through gluconeogenesis, which is the mode of action of certain therapeutic mechanisms of action such as anticancer. The detailed metabolic study of alkaloids and other components of Sophora flavescens in vivo needs to be further investigated. It is important to improve the pharmacological effects and reduce the toxicity of Sophora flavescens. For this purpose, structural modification of active components of Sophora flavescens or combination with other drugs is very essential., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Plant-derived alkaloids are a kind of very important natural organic compounds. Nitidine chloride is one of the main active ingredients in Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. which is a frequently-used Chinese herbal medicine. Z. nitidum has many kinds of efficacy, such as activating blood circulation and removing stasis, promoting qi circulation and relieving pain, and detoxication and detumescence. In China, Z. nitidum is usually used for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, toothache, and traumatic injury. At present, there are numerous studies of nitidine chloride with regard to its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, etc. However, a systematic, cutting-edge review of nitidine-related studies is extremely lacking. The present paper aimed at comprehensively summarizing the information on the extraction, separation and purification, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology and formulation of nitidine chloride. The knowledge included in the present study were searched from the following academic databases involving Web of Science, PubMed, Google scholar, Elsevier, CNKI and Wanfang Data, till July 2022. In terms of nitidine chloride extraction, enzymatic method and ultrasonic method are recommended. Resin adsorption and chromatography were usually used for the separation and purification of nitidine chloride. Nitidine chloride possesses diversified therapeutical effects, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, anti-colitis, anti-malaria, anti-osteoporosis, anti-rheumatoid and so on. According to pharmacokinetics, the intestinal absorption of nitidine chloride is passive diffusion, and it is rarely excreted with urine and feces in the form of prototype drug. Nitidine chloride has a moderate binding to plasma protein, which is independent of the drug concentration. As to toxicology, nitidine chloride showed certain toxicity on liver, kidney and heart. Certain new formulations, such as nanoparticle, microsphere and nanomicelle, could increase the therapeutic effect and decrease the toxicity of nitidine chloride. Despite limitations such as poor solubility, low bioavailability and certain toxicity, nitidine chloride is still a promising natural alkaloid for drug candidates. Extensive and intensive exploration on nitidine chloride is essential to promote the usage of nitidine-based drugs in the clinic practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trib. Lorantheae is one of the important medicinal plants in traditional medicine. There are 41 genera. 6 genera of which are produced in China, mainly distributed in Southwest China. South China and Central South China. There ar«-many kinds of plants in this family, and 22 species can be used as Chinese medicinal materials in China. The branches and leaves of Trib. Lorantheae are rich in flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids. polysaccharides. organic acids and other functional substances. among which flavonoids are one of the important chemical components to exert pharmacological activity. and play an important role in hypoglycemic. lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory. anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, anti-osteoporosis and so on. In this paper, the chemical composition, extraction method, component analysis and pharmacological action of flavonoids in Trib. Lorantheae plants were reviewed. in order to provide scientific reference for further development and clinical application of flavonoids in Trib. Lorantheae plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cassytha filiformis L, belonging to family Lauraceae, is widely distributed in subtropical and tropical regions. Cassytha filiformis L is a traditional plant medicine in China, it has proved that the plant showed anti-parasite, anti-tumor, anti-diabetic and anti-platelet aggregation activities, so far, the main pharmacological active components are alkaloids. In this paper, the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Cassytha filiformis L were reviewed by referring to databases such as CNKI, Vip and Pubmed, so as to lay a foundation for its development and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Epichloë genus represents a significant group of above-ground endophytes extensively researched for their potential applications in agriculture and ecology. Additionally, Epichloë species synthesize bioactive alkaloids, which generally cause health problems in livestock and have detrimental effects on the performance of insect herbivores. Psathyrostachys lanuginosa serves as a valuable forage grass for livestock owing to its high nutritional value and resilience in adverse environmental conditions. Nevertheless, to date, no reports have documented Epichloë as endophytes of P. lanuginosa. In this study, four strains (PF5, PF9, QG2, and QG4) were isolated and identified through morphological, molecular, and phylogenetic analyses as endophytes of P. lanuginosa. Morphological analysis indicated colony characteristics and conidia features consistent with symbiotic Epichloë, with no significant differences observed in growth rates or conidia dimensions among the four strains. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed all strains as E. bromicola. Additionally, alkaloid biosynthetic genes were detected, revealing differences in the potential synthesis of peramine and indole diterpenoid alkaloids among strains from different geographic origins. However, all four E. bromicola strains exhibited similar potential for synthesizing ergot alkaloids, but not loline alkaloids. Overall, this study identified P. lanuginosa as a novel host for E. bromicola and provided insights into the alkaloid profiles of these strains, laying a solid foundation for the scientific and rational utilization of Epichloë resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wolfberry is rich in carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamins, alkaloids, betaines and other bioactive ingredients. For over 2,000 years, wolfberry has been used in China as a medicinal and edible plant resource. Nevertheless, the content of bioactive ingredients varies by cultivars, resulting in uneven quality across wolfberry cultivars and species. To date, research has revealed little about the underlying molecular mechanism of the metabolism of flavonoids, carotenoids, and other bioactive ingredients in wolfberry. Results: In this context, the transcriptomes of the Lycium barbarum L. cultivar 'Ningqi No. 1' and Lycium chinense Miller were compared during the fruit maturity stage using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 sequencing platform, and subsequently, the changes of the gene expression profiles in two types of wolfberries were analysed. In total, 256,228,924 clean reads were obtained, and 8817 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, then assembled by Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) similarity searches and annotated using Gene Ontology (GO), Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (KOG), and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). By combining these transcriptome data with data from the PubMed database, 36 DEGs related to the metabolism of bioactive ingredients and implicated in the metabolic pathway of carotenoids, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, vitamins, etc., were identified. In addition, among the 9 differentially expressed transcription factors, LbAPL, LbPHL11 and LbKAN4 have raised concerns. The protein physicochemical properties, structure prediction and phylogenetic analysis indicated that LbAPL and LbPHL11 may be good candidate genes involved in regulating the flavonoid metabolism pathway in wolfberry. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence for the differences in bioactive ingredient content at the transcription level among different wolfberry species, as well as a research and theoretical basis for the screening, cloning and functional analysis of key genes involved in the metabolism of bioactive ingredients in wolfberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) is listed as a nationally endangered plant in China. Heortia vitessoides (Moore) is an important monophagous leaf-eating pest that endangers A. sinensis by seriously affecting its growth. Field studies have found that a small number of plants in the same forest are strongly resistant to insects. In this study, we compared the chemical constituents and volatile components of leaves of the A. sinensis high insect-resistant (A01) and susceptible (S) varieties and analyzed their differential metabolites using non-targeted metabolomics. The results showed that the leaves of A. sinensis that were resistant to insects had lower nutrient contents than those of the susceptible varieties, and the volatile substances contained larger amounts of insect attractants than insect repellants. Insect-resistant A. sinensis leaves were found to be highly enriched in metabolites related to the enhancement of stress resistance, with metabolic pathways mainly focused on flavonoid and flavonol biosynthesis, phenylalanine biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, and isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis. To our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively analyze and compare leaf components contributing to the resistance of A. sinensis to H. vitessoides. The results of this study provide a theoretical reference for the future breeding of insect-resistant A. sinensis varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphophallus sp. is an economically important crop for rural revitalization in southwest China. However, Fusarium solani often infects Amorphophallus sp. corms during storage, damaging the corm quality and affecting leaf elongation and flowering in the subsequent crop. In this study, the mechanism of resistance to F. solani was investigated in the leaf bud and flower bud corms of Amorphophallus muelleri through transcriptome and metabolome analyses. A total of 42.52 Gb clean reads and 1,525 metabolites were detected in a total of 12 samples including 3 samples each of disease-free leaf bud corms (LC), leaf bud corms inoculated with F. solani for three days (LD), disease-free flower bud corms (FC), and flower bud corms inoculated with F. solani for three days (FD). Transcriptome, metabolome, and conjoint analyses showed that 'MAPK signal transduction', 'plant-pathogen interaction', 'plant hormone signal transduction', and other secondary metabolite biosynthesis pathways, including 'phenylpropane biosynthesis', 'arachidonic acid metabolism', 'stilbene, diarylheptane and gingerolin biosynthesis', and 'isoquinoline alkaloids biosynthesis', among others, were involved in the defense response of A. muelleri to F. solani. Ultimately, the expression of six genes of interest (AmCDPK20, AmRBOH, AmWRKY33, Am4CL, Am POD and AmCYP73A1) was validated by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and the results indicated that these genes were involved in the response of A. muelleri to F. solani. Ferulic acid inhibited the growth of F. solani, reducing the harm caused by F. solani to A. muelleri corms to a certain extent. Overall, this study lays a strong foundation for further investigation of the interaction between A. muelleri and F. solani, and provides a list of genes for the future breeding of F. solani-resistant A. muelleri cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing development of pest resistances, it is not easy to achieve satisfactory control effects by using only one agrochemical. Additionally, although the alkaloid matrine (MT) isolated from Sophora flavescens is now utilized as a botanical pesticide in China, in fact, its pesticidal activities are much lower in magnitude than those of commercially agrochemicals. To improve its pesticidal activities, here, the joint pesticidal effects of MT with another alkaloid oxymatrine (OMT) (isolated from S. flavescens) and the monoterpene essential oil 1,8-cineole (CN) (isolated from the eucalyptus leaves) were investigated in the laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Moreover, their toxicological properties were also studied. Against Plutella xylostella, when the mass ratio of MT and OMT was 8/2, good larvicidal activity was obtained; against Tetranychus urticae, when the mass ratio of MT and OMT was 3/7, good acaricidal activity was obtained. Especially when MT and OMT were combined with CN, the significant synergistic effects were observed: against P. xylostella, the co-toxicity coefficient (CTC) of MT/OMT (8/2)/CN was 213; against T. urticae, the CTC of MT/OMT (3/7)/CN was 252. Moreover, the activity changes over time of two detoxification enzymes, carboxylesterase (CarE) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) of P. xylostella treated with MT/OMT (8/2)/CN, were observed. In addition, by scanning electron microscope (SEM), the toxicological study suggested that the acaricidal activity of MT/OMT (3/7)/CN may be related to the damage of the cuticle layer crest of T. urticae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer, also known as a malignant tumor, is caused by the activation of oncogenes, which leads to the uncontrolled proliferation of cells that results in swelling. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide. The main variables limiting the efficacy of antitumor treatments are side effects and drug resistance. The search for natural, safe, low toxicity, and efficient chemical compounds in tumor research is essential. Berberine is a pentacyclic isoquinoline quaternary ammonium alkaloid isolated from Berberis and Coptis that has long been used in clinical settings. Studies in recent years have reported the use of berberine in cancer treatment. In this study, we performed a bibliometric analysis of berberine- and tumor-related research. Materials and methods: Relevant articles from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2021, were identified from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) of Clarivate Analytics. Microsoft Excel, CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and an online platform were used for the literary metrology analysis. Results: A total of 1368 publications had unique characteristics. Publications from China were the most common (783 articles), and Y. B. Feng (from China) was the most productive author, with the highest total citations. China Medical University (Taiwan) and Sun Yat-sen University (China) were the two organizations with the largest numbers of publications (36 each). Frontiers in Pharmacology was the most commonly occurring journal (29 articles). The present body of research is focused on the mechanism, molecular docking, and oxidative stress of berberine in tumors. Conclusion: Research on berberine and tumors was thoroughly reviewed using knowledge map and bibliometric methods. The results of this study reveal the dynamic evolution of berberine and tumor research and provide a basis for strategic planning in cancer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aconitum carmichaelii Debx. is famous for the bioactive aconitum alkaloids as traditional Chinese medicine. Endophytic bacteria play vital roles in plant growth, health, and the production of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids. In this study, we employed 16 S rRNA amplicon high‐throughput sequencing to determine the root endophytic bacterial community of A. carmichaelii Debx. collected from three main producing areas including the geo‐authentic area in China, high performance liquid chromatography to measure the contents of six bioactive alkaloids and correlation analysis to explore the relationship among environmental factors, alkaloids contents, and endophytic bacterial community. The results indicated that the root core microbiota of A. carmichaelii Debx. was dominated by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. Root endophytic bacterial community in the geo‐authentic area was distinct from the other two regions. Soil nitrogen contents, organic matter, and temperature were the main factors contributing to the endophytic bacterial community structure. Significant correlation was found between alkaloids contents and some bacterial genera. Particularly, the abundance of Lactobacillus was positively correlated with the contents of benzoyl‐mesaconitine and benzoyl‐aconine. This study provided the first insight into the root endophytic bacterial community composition of A. carmichaelii Debx., and can direct further isolation of functional bacterial strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai (C. speciosa Nakai) is a popular fruit widely used in China for its health-promoting properties. The presences of phytochemical compositions in the plants play an important role in the health benefits. Nevertheless, the detailed information of these ingredients is still unknown. Therefore, in this work, an untargeted analytical method based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight coupled to mass spectrometry in two different ionization modes was used to qualitative the phytochemicals in C. speciosa Nakai, meanwhile, the anti-inflammatory activity of these phytochemicals was researched through detecting the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) that was induced by lipopolysaccharide in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. The results showed that there were totally 175 primary and secondary metabolites were identified in the fruit of C. speciosa Nakai, including phenols, terpenoids, flavonoids and other phyto-constituents. Actually, most compounds were described in C. speciosa Nakai fruits for the first time. Besides, the anti-inflammatory activity was measured by the result of NO inhibition rate, the consequence showed that the value of half-inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 365.208 μg/mL. These results indicate that C. speciosa Nakai is an efficient medicinal fruit, which owns various bioactivities and has the potential to treat various diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Azaphilone, biosynthesized by polyketide synthase, is a class of fungal metabolites. In this review, after brief introduction of the natural azaphilone diversity, we in detail discussed azaphilic addition reaction involving conversion of natural azaphilone into the corresponding azaphilone alkaloid. Then, setting red Monascus pigments (a traditional food colorant in China) as example, we presented a new strategy, i.e., interfacing azaphilic addition reaction with living microbial metabolism in a one-pot process, to produce azaphilone alkaloid with a specified amine residue (red Monascus pigments) during submerged culture. Benefit from the red Monascus pigments with a specified amine residue, the influence of primary amine on characteristics of the food colorant was highlighted. Finally, the progress for screening of alternative azaphilone alkaloids (production from interfacing azaphilic addition reaction with submerged culture of Talaromyces sp. or Penicillium sp.) as natural food colorant was reviewed. Key points: • Azaphilic addition reaction of natural azaphilone is biocompatible • Red Monascus pigment is a classic example of azaphilone alkaloids • Azaphilone alkaloids are alterative natural food colorant [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation on the 80% EtOH extract of the whole plants of Zephyranthes grandiflora afforded three new 4a-epi-plicamine-type alkaloids, zephyranthines A-C (1-3). Structural elucidation of all the compounds were performed by spectral methods such as 1D and 2D (1H-1H COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) NMR spectroscopy, in addition to high resolution mass spectrometry. All the alkaloids were in vitro evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against six glioma cell lines (CHG-5, SH-SY5Y, SHG-44, U251, U343, and GL15). Alkaloids 2 and 3 exhibited significant cytotoxic activities against all tested cell lines with IC50 values of less than 20 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea (Camelliasinensis var. sinensis) is a widely consumed caffeine-containing beverage, however the Camellia genus also includes other species, which are consumed as tea in their local growing regions. Presently, HPLC analysis assessed 126 unique Camellia germplasms belonging to three Camellia species, C. sinensis var. pubilimba Chang (Csp), C. gymnogyna Chang (CgC) and C. crassicolumna Chang (CcC). Theobromine was the predominant purine alkaloid in all species, representing over 90% of purine alkaloids in Csp and CgC, and 50% in CcC. Significant variability existed in purine alkaloid patterns both between and within species, and some germplasms possessed highly unique alkaloid profiles. Sensory evaluation and quality composition analysis of green tea products produced from the three Camellia species suggested their unsuitability for use in tea production due to their unpalatable flavor. The results of this study revealed the differences in purine alkaloids and main quality components between Camellia species and tea, which contributed to understand why tea, rather than other Camellia species, has become a popular beverage in the world after long-term artificial selection. In addition, unique alkaloid profiles suggest usefulness of these germplasm resources in future breeding of decaffeinated tea plant varieties and alkaloid metabolism research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]