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Magnolol is a lignan with anti-inflammatory activity identified in Magnolia officinalis. Ulcerative colitis (UC), one of the types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is a disease that causes inflammation and ulcers in the colon. To investigate the effect of magnolol in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced experimental UC model, male C57 mice were treated with 2% DSS drinking water for 5 consecutive days followed by intragastric administration with magnolol (5, 10 and 15 mg/kg) daily for 7 days. The results showed that magnolol significantly attenuated disease activity index, inhibited colonic shortening, reduced colonic lesions and suppressed myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Moreover, colonic pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) induced by colitis were dramatically decreased by magnolol. To further unveil the metabolic signatures upon magnolol treatment, mass spectrometry-based metabolomic analysis of the small molecular metabolites in mice serum were performed. Compared with controls, abnormality of serum metabolic phenotypes in DSS-treated mice were effectively reversed by different doses of magnolol. In particular, magnolol treatment effectively elevated the serum levels of tryptophan metabolites including kynurenic acid (KA), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, indoleacetic acid (IAA), indolelactic acid and indoxylsulfuric acid, which are potential aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ligands to impact colitis. These findings suggest that magnolol exerts anti-inflammatory effect on DSS-induced colitis and its underlying mechanisms are associated with the restoring of tryptophan metabolites that inhibit the colonic inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Chemical investigation of the 90% acetone extract of the branches and leaves of Sabina gaussenii led to the isolation of two new cinnamyl isovalerate derivatives (1-2) and eighteen known compounds (3-20). Their structures were determined mainly by means of MS, 1D- and 2D-NMR data, and this is the first time these compounds have been reported from this plant. The biological activity test results indicated that the 90% acetone extract showed cytotoxicity against the human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cell line (IC50 = 0.98 _ 0.1 µg/mL), compound 6 showed cytotoxicities against human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) (IC50 = 0.4 _ 0.1 _M ) and human gastric carcinoma (BGC-823) (IC50 = 0.9 « 0.2 µM) cancer cell lines, and compound 19 showed cytotoxicities against HeLa (IC50 = 1.5 ± 0.4 µM), BGC-823 (IC50 = 7.0 ± 0.8 µM), and A549 (IC50 = 10.6 ± 1.5 µM) cancer cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Five new shionane-type triterpenes, astataricusones A-D (compounds 1-4) and astataricusol A (5), together with one known shionane-type triterpene 6 were obtained from the roots and rhizomes of Aster tataricus L. f. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data, mainly NMR and MS data. The absolute configurations of 1 and 4 was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and CD analysis. Compound 2 showed inhibitory activity on HBsAg secretion with an IC50 value of 23.5 μM, while 2 and 6 showed inhibitory activities on HBeAg secretion with IC50 values of 18.6 and 40.5 μM, and cytotoxicity on HepG 2.2.15 cells with CC50 values of 172.4 and 137.7 μM, respectively. Compounds 2 and 6 also exhibited inhibitory activities on HBV DNA replication with IC50 values of 2.7 and 30.7 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

A new phenolic glycoside, 3-methoxyphenol 1-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)- O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), was isolated from the 90% acetone extract of the branches and leaves of Chamaecyparis obtusa var. breviramea f. crippsii along with another 10 known phenolics 2-11. Their structures were determined mainly by means of MS, 1D- and 2D-NMR data. Cytotoxicities of compounds 3 and 5-11 were tested on BGC-823, Hela and A549 cancer cell lines, the results showed that compound 8 was bioactive and its IC50 values were 6.9, 29.7 and 52.9 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...