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Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels & Gilg, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, possesses antitumor and anti-inflammatory activity, etc. However, the anti-diabetic effect has not been determined. In our present study, a water-soluble polysaccharide, named THP with molecular weight of 93 307 Da, was isolated from T. hemsleyanum by DEAE-52 ion-exchange and Sephadex G-100 chromatography. It contains rhamnose, arabinose, mannose, glucose, and galactose in the molar ratio of 0.07:0.14:0.38:0.21:0.31. Then anti-diabetic effects of THP were examined by treating alloxan-induced diabetic mice with different doses (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg) of THP orally. The results showed that THP could decrease the blood glucose, TC, TG, LDL-C levels, increase the body weight, HDL-C, insulin levels, and enhance the activities of antioxidant enzyme system in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Furthermore, the histopathological examination of pancreas, liver, and kidney indicated that THP could protect and reverse β-cells in diabetic mice with low damage to liver and kidney, which suggests that THP may stimulate pancreatic release of insulin and can be an effectively potential candidate for diabetes mellitus., (© 2018 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Alkaloids 1 ⁻ 10 were isolated from the aerial parts of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum (APTH) and obtained from species of the genus Tetrastigma for the first time. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were identified by NMR, UV, and MS analyses. Their anti-inflammatory activities were investigated by measuring nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages. Among all the isolates, compounds 6 , 7 and 10 showed potent inhibitory activity against LPS-stimulated NO production in RAW264.7 cells (IC 50 : 31.9, 25.2 and 6.3 μM, respectively). Furthermore, APTH and S -(−)-trolline ( 10 ) inhibited induction of inflammatory cytokines or mediators such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) via suppression of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) translocation into the nucleus. In addition, 10 suppressed extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner. These results conclusively demonstrated that compound 10 displays anti-inflammatory activity via suppression of NF-κB activation and the ERK-MAPK signaling pathway in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.

Background: Alzheimer disease (AD) can be considered as the most common age related neurodegenerative disorder and also an important cause of death in elderly patients. A number of studies showed the correlation of this disease pathology with BACE1 inhibitor and it is also evident that BACE1 inhibitor can function as a very potent strategy in treating AD., Methods: In this present study, we aimed to prospect for novel plant-derived BACE1 inhibitors from Leea indica and to realise structural basis of their interactions and mechanisms using combined molecular docking and molecular dynamics based approaches. An extensive library of Leea indica plant derived molecule was compiled and computationally screened for inhibitory action against BACE1 by using virtual screening approaches. Furthermore, induced fit docking and classical molecular dynamics along with steered molecular dynamics simulations were employed to get insight of the binding mechanisms., Results: Two triterpenoids, ursolic acid and lupeol were identified through virtual screening; wherein, lupeol showed better binding free energy in MM/GBSA, MM/PBSA and MM/GBVI approaches. Furthermore classical and steered dynamics revealed the favourable hydrophobic interactions between the lupeol and the residues of flap or catalytic dyadof BACE1; however, ursolic acid showed disfavorable interactions with the BACE1., Conclusion: This study therefore unveiled the potent BACE1 inhibitor from a manually curated dataset of Leea indica molecules, which may provide a novel dimension of designing novel BACE1 inhibitors for AD therapy., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Radix Tetrastigma (RT), a herbal medicine and functional food in China, showed strong antiproliferative activities in vitro. However, the effects and the underlying mechanism of phenolic-rich extract of RT in H22 tumor-bearing mice are still unknown. Thus, the phenolic profiles and antitumor/antioxidant activities of a solid phase extraction (SPE) semi-purified extract of RT were investigated by a combination of chemical assays, LC-QTOF-MS/LC-QqQ-MS techniques and a tumor-bearing mice model. As a result, the total phenolic/flavonoid contents (TPC/TFC) and 24 individual phenolics were identified and quantified, which showed higher contents than that of crude extract. Results also indicated that RT extract could inhibit tumor growth and induce apoptosis by regulating the expression of Bcl-2 family proteins and activating the caspase family proteins as well as suppressing tumor angiogenesis by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. Besides, the interleukin-2 (IL-2) levels, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production, CD4 + /CD8 + ratio, and NK cell levels were increased by RT administration, while RT significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD)/glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Summarily, the findings clearly demonstrated that RT extract could inhibit tumor growth by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting angiogenesis as well as preventing cancer by improving the immune functions and antioxidant activities.

Flavonoids are a ubiquitous multifunctional group of phenolics of paramount importance for the terrestrial plants involved in protection from biotic and abiotic stresses, color and chemical signaling and other functions. Deciphering of in situ absorption of foliar Flv is important but was thought to be impossible due to a strong overlap with other pigments, complex in situ chemistry of Flv and sophisticated leaf optics. We deduced in situ absorbance of foliar Flv and introduced a concept of specific absorbance spectrum indicative of each pigment group contribution to light absorption and provided a rationale for the choice of spectral bands for non-destructive assessment of Flv in leaves with variable content of other pigments including anthocyanins. Only a narrow band 400-430nm was suitable for Flv assessment, however the effect of other pigments remained substantial, so subtraction of their contribution was necessary. The devised leaf absorbance-based algorithm allowed estimating Flv with error below 21%. Absorption by Flv in plant tissues might extend into the blue and can be commensurate to that of chlorophylls and carotenoids. The potential capacity of Flv to shield the cell in situ from the visible light might be essential for assessments of high light stress tolerance of plants., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

A novel method combining ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) fingerprint and simultaneous quantitative analysis of eight phenolic components was developed and validated for quality evaluation of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum leaves. For fingerprint analysis, 15 peaks were selected as the common peaks to evaluate the similarities among 41 batches of T. hemsleyanum leaves collected from different regions. Additionally, simultaneous quantification of eight markers, including neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, isoorientin, orientin, vitexin-2-O-rhamnoside,vitexin and isovitexin, was performed and the obtained data demonstrated that our method has achieved desired linearity, precision and accuracy. Clustering statistical analysis was further application in T. hemsleyanum leaves from different regions. The results indicated that new approach conbine ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) fingerprint and simultaneous quantitative analysis of eight phenolic components was applicable in quality control of T. hemsleyanum leaves., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

This present study aimed to elucidate antiproliferative activity of four extracts (CHCl(3), EtOAc, n-BuOH and H(2)O) and chemical constituents isolated from the most potent extract of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et. Gilg (TDG) against MDA-MB-435S cell lines using the MTT assay at various concentrations in vitro. Ten compounds were isolated and identified as (1) β-sitosterol, (2) palmitic acid, (3) protocatechuic acid, (4) salicylic acid, (5) p-hydroxybenzoic acid, (6) resveratrol, (7) trans-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, (8) kaempferol, (9) quercetin, and (10) isoquercitrin. Compounds 3, 5-7, 10 were the first report of isolation from this plant. Moreover, antiproliferative activity displayed that the CHCl(3), H(2)O extracts and compounds 6, 8 exhibited obvious inhibitory effects on MDA-MB-435S cell lines with IC(50) values 100.28± 2.64, 127.48±3.45, 92.39±1.68 and 120.30±1.97μ/mL, respectively. Thus the obtained results indicate antiproliferative activity of TDG against MDA-MB-435S cell lines is ascribable to the most potent CHCl(3) extract along with active compounds 6 and 8, which could be considered as a potential chemotherapeutic agent in breast cancer.

Ethylacetate extract of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum (EET) has a potent antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. However, the molecular mechanism underlying EET-induced apoptosis remains elusive. As part of our continuing studies, we investigated the apoptosis mechanism of HepG2 cells exposed to different concentrations of EET in vitro. Confocal laser scanning was used to detect the apoptotic morphological changes. Flow cytometer and inverted fluorescence microscope were used to detect the mitochondrial membrane potential and cytosolic Ca(2+) level. Western blotting analysis was used to evaluate the expression of the apoptosis-related proteins. Annexin V/PI staining was used to investigate cell apoptosis. Spectrophotometry was used to detect the activity of caspase family. The results showed that distinct apoptotic morphological changes occurred in HepG2 cells treated by EET. EET caused collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, elevation of cytosolic Ca(2+) level, and evoked release of cytochrome c from mitochondria in a concentration-dependent manner. The apoptosis was accompanied by a significant activation of caspase-3, caspase-9, and the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, but there was no significant change in either the activity or the expression level of caspase-8. Furthermore, EET-induced apoptosis could be inhibited by caspase-9 inhibitor Z-LEHD-FMK but not by caspase-8 inhibitor Z-IETD-FMK. Taken together, these overall results demonstrated that EET-induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells was mediated by the mitochondrial caspase-dependent intrinsic pathway rather than the death receptor/caspase-8-mediated signaling route.

Cyphostemma digitatum stem and roots extracts were investigated for antioxidant, antimicrobial, urease inhibition potential and phytochemical analysis. Phytochemical screening of the roots and stem extract revealed the presence of secondary metabolites including flavonoids, alkaloids, coumarins, saponins, terpenoids, tannins, carbohydrates/reducing sugars and phenolic compounds. The methanolic extracts of the roots displayed highest antioxidant activity (93.518%) against DPPH while the crude methanolic extract of the stem showed highest antioxidant activity (66.163%) at 100 μg/mL concentration. The methanolic extracts of both stem and roots were moderately active or even found to be less active against the selected bacterial and fungal strains (Tables S2 and S3). The roots extract (methanol) showed significant urease enzyme inhibition activity (IC50 = 41.2 ± 0.66; 0.2 mg/mL) while the stem extract was found moderately active (IC50 = 401.1 ± 0.58; 0.2 mg/mL) against thiourea (IC50 = 21.011; 0.2 mg/mL).

Aim of the Study: Tetrastigma hemsleyanum (Sanyeqing) is traditionally used as a folk medicine for the treatment of cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible mechanisms by which petroleum ether fraction (PEF) of Sanyeqing has anti-tumor activity on HeLa cells., Methods: The chemical components of PEF were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The cytotoxicity of PEF on HeLa cells was measured by MTT assay. Apoptosis was evaluated by phosphatidylserine translocation, mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) changes and the activation of caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9. The levels in T-SOD, CAT, GSH-PX and MDA were measured., Results: PEF of Sanyeqing inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis of HeLa cells in dose- and time-dependent manner. PEF triggered intrinsic apoptotic pathway indicated by the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and the activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. In addition, PEF activated extrinsic apoptotic pathway indicated by the activation of caspase-8. Furthermore, PEF decreased T-SOD, CAT, GSH-PX activities and increased MDA level. Chemical analysis revealed the presence of fatty acids and phytosterol in PEF., Conclusions: PEF of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et. Gilg (Sanyeqing) exhibits cytotoxic effects, triggers both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways, and augments oxidative stress in cervical carcinoma HeLa cells. Sanyeqing has strong potential to be developed as an agent for the treatment of cervical cancer., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Tetrastigma hemsleyanum, a rare and endangered medicinal plant, has attracted much attention due to antitumor and immunomodulatory activities. In this study, the effect and mechanism of ethyl acetate extract from T. hemsleyanum (EET) on cell cycle and apoptosis in human hepatoma HepG2 cells were investigated. Twenty-five to 200 μg/mL of EET were found to have the antiproliferation effect toward HepG2 cells determined by MTT assay. The morphology of EET-treated HepG2 cells showed evidence of apoptosis that included blebbing and chromatin condensation, nucleic fragmentation, and so on. The DNA laddering assay confirmed that DNA fragmentation had occurred during late apoptosis. The cell-cycle analysis indicated that EET was able to induce S phase arrest and typical subdiploid peak in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The apoptosis rate of 200 μg/mL treatment for 24 h was 42.24 ± 4.90%. The protein expression of Bax and P53 was increased after treatment, while that of Bcl2 was significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner, which suggested that a high Bax/Bcl2 ratio and an upregulated P53 might contribute to the pro-apoptotic activity of EET via the mitochondria-dependent pathway. The protein expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) was decreased in EET-treated HepG2 cells, suggesting that EET evoked S phase arrest possibly through the downregulation of cyclin A-CDK1 complex. In conclusion, the cytotoxicity on HepG2 cells induced by EET is a result of both cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. Thus, it may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of liver cancer.

This research investigated the protective role of Leea macrophylla extract on CCl4-induced acute liver injury in rats. Different fractions of Leea macrophylla (Roxb.) crude extract were subjected to analysis for antioxidative effects. Rats were randomly divided into four groups as normal control, hepatic control, and reference control (silymarin) group and treatment group. Evaluations were made for the effects of the fractions on serum enzymes and biochemical parameters of CCl4-induced albino rat. Histopathological screening was also performed to evaluate the changes of liver tissue before and after treatment. Different fractions of Leea macrophylla showed very potent 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging effect, FeCl3 reducing effect, superoxide scavenging effect, and iron chelating effect. Carbon tetrachloride induction increased the level of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and other biochemical parameters such as lipid profiles, total protein, and CK-MB. In contrast, treatment of Leea macrophylla reduced the serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities as well as biochemical parameters activities. L. macrophylla partially restored the lipid profiles, total protein, and CK-MB. Histopathology showed the treated liver towards restoration. Results evidenced that L. macrophylla can be prospective source of hepatic management in liver injury.

The study was intended to explore the antioxidant potential and phytochemical content of the ethanol and aqueous extracts of the leaf and root samples of Cissus cornifolia (Baker) Splanch (Vitaceae) across a series of four in vitro models. The results showed that all the extracts had reducing power (Fe(3+) - Fe2+) and DPPH, hydroxyl and nitric oxide radical scavenging abilities to varying extents. However, the ethanol root extract had more potent antioxidant power in all the experimental models than other extracts and possessed a higher total phenol content of 136.1 ± 6.7 mg/g. The GC-MS analysis of the aqueous and ethanol extracts of the roots indicated the presence of the common aromatic phenolic compounds, pyrogallol, resorcinol and catechol, a fatty acid, n-hexadecanoic acid and an aldehyde, vanillin. Data from this study suggest that both the leaves and roots of C. cornifolia possessed anti-oxidative activities with the best anti-oxidant activity being exhibited by the ethanolic extract of the root. The antioxidant properties of the root extracts can be attributed to the phenolic compounds present in the extracts.

In this paper we report the antimicrobial, antiradical and urease inhibitory potential along with photochemical investigation of the crude extracts of Cyphostemma digitatum Lam. Phytochemical screening of both the crude (hot/cold) alcoholic and aqueous extracts of C. digitatum showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, coumarins, steroids, terpenoids and tannins. The crude methanolic extract (hot/cold) exhibited good antioxidant activity, while the aqueous extract was a weak antioxidant. The crude methanolic extract was found to be more active against Bacillus subtilis, while both the extracts showed moderate antifungal potential, the methanolic crude extract showed good urease inhibitory activity compared with the aqueous crude extract.

In this study, a rapid and sensitive analytical method was developed for the determination of 10 major compounds (procyanidin B1, catechin, procyanidin B2, rutin, isoquercitrin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, astragalin, quercitrin, quercetin, and kaempferol) in Tetrastigma hemsleyanum by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) in multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. UPLC-MS/MS assay with negative ion mode was performed on a Waters CORTECS C18 (2.1 mm x 100 mm, 1.6 μm) with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile (A) and 0.1% aqueous formic acid (B) in gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.25 mL · min(-1) and the column temperature was set at 45 °C. Under the optimized chromatographic conditions, good separation for 10 target compounds were obtained including chiral isomer procyanidins B1 and B2 were completely separated within 8.5 min. Satisfactory linearity was achieved with wide linear range and fine determination coefficient (r > 0.996 6), the overall recoveries were ranged from 95.44%-110.40% with the RSD ranging from 2.37%-8.69%. It is the first report about simultaneous analysis of 10 major flavonoids components in Tetrastigma hemsleyanum by using UPLC-MS/MS method, which affords highly sensitive, specific, speedy and efficient method for quality control of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum

Objective: To develop a method for separation and quantitative determination of four flavonoids in Tetrastigma hemsleyanum., Methods: The Separation was performed on a Waters Preparative scale LC-MS autopurification system. Several spectral analyses, such as NMR,HR-MS and UV were used to identify the chemical structures. Quantitative assay was performed on a UHPLC Phenomenex Kinetex C18 column (100 mm x 4.6 mm, 2.6 µm) with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile( B) and water containing 0. 1% formic acid (A) in a gradient mode at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. The column temperature was at 30 °C and the optimum detection wavelength of DAD was set at 350 nm., Results: Four flavonoids were isolated from the root of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum, which were identified as rutin, isoquercitrin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and astragalin. As to quantitative analysis, a good separation of four flavonoids with in 17.5 min, the linear range of rutin, isoquercitrin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and astragalin was 0.283-11.32 µg/mL (r1 = 0.9998), 0.311-12.44 µg/mL (r2 = 0.9994), 0.277-11.08 µg/mL (r3 = 0.9995) and 0.103-2.06 µg/mL (r4 = 0.9990), respectively. The average recovery (n = 6) was 99.75% (RSD = 2.15%), 98.73% (RSD = 2.58%) ,98. 03% (RSD = 2.23%), and 97.62% (RSD = 1.95%), respectively., Conclusion: Four flavonoids are isolated from the root of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum for the first time, and the UHPLC method is simple, rapid and accurate, which can be used for quantitative analysis of multi-component of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum and provide a novel approach for evaluation of the quality of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum comprehensively.

A qualitative analytical method of liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was developed for identification of multi-constituents and an analytical method was developed for simultaneously determining 4 major compounds (rutin, isoquercitrin, kaempferol-3-0-rutinoside, and astragalin) in Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg. The HPLC-Q-TOF-MS assay was performed on a Welch Ultimate XB-C18 column (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microm) with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile (A) and water containing 0.1% Formic acid (B) in gradient mode at a flow rate of 0.8 mL x min(-1). The column temperature was at 30 degrees C, and negative ion mode was used for TOF-MS. The UPLC-QqQ-MS assay was performed on a Waters CORTECS C18 (2.1 mm x 100 mm, 1.6 microm) with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile (A) and water containing 0.1% formic acid (B) in gradient mode at a flow rate of 0.25 mL x min(-1). The column temperature was at 45 degrees C, and MRM mode was used for QqQ-MS. Based on the retention time and MS spectra, 24 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized by comparing with reference substances or literatures. For quantitative the linear range of 4 detected compounds were good (r > 0.9966), and the overall recoveries ranged from 98.27% to 101.58%, with the RSD ranging from 3.15% to 5.88%. The results indicated that new approach conbined HPLC-Q-TOF-MS and UPLC-QqQ-MS was applicable in qualitative and quantitative quality control of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum.

In order to reveal the structure of the polysaccharide and its contribution to the biological adhesion system of Parthenocissus heterophylla, a water-soluble polysaccharide (PT-A) was isolated from tendrils using DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-100 columns. PT-A mainly consisted of a backbone of (1-->3)-linked-beta-D-Galp residues and substituted at 0-6 with side chains of (1-->5)-linked-alpha-L-Araf residues and glucomannopyranosyl residues. Individual polysaccharide chains of PT-A with the approximately height of 0.75 nm were observed by AFM. The analysis of force curves indicated that PT-A was a kind of elastic polysaccharide with a maximum adhesion force of 279.98 nN, which could be applied as a potential bio-adhesive.

Objective: To investigate the chemical constituents of ethyl acetate of Tetrastigma planicaule., Methods: The ethyl acetate fraction was isolated and purified by repeated silica gel chromatography and recrystallization. The structures of compounds were identified by physical-chemical methods and spectral data such as MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, etc., Results: Six compounds were identified as gheddic acid (I), tricosanol (II), beta-sitosterol (III), palmitic acid (IV), ethyl gallate (V) and vanillin (VI), respectively., Conclusion: Compounds I, II, V and VI are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Phytochemical investigation of the roots of Leea thorelii led to the isolation of nine compounds. Their structures were determined from spectroscopic data as bergenin (1), 11-O-acetyl bergenin (2), 11-O-(4'-O-methylgalloyl) bergenin (3), 3,5-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzoic acid (4), ( - )-epicatechin (5), 4"-O-methyl-( - )-epicatechin gallate (6), ( - )-epicatechin gallate (7), microminutinin (8) and stigmasterol. Compounds 1-8 are reported for the first time from this plant, and this is also the first report of the presence of 1, 3, 4, 6 and 8 in the Vitaceae family.

Two new oligostilbenes, parthenocissins M (1) and N (2), together with two known compounds, miyabenol C (3) and ϵ-viniferin (4), were isolated from the stem of Parthenocissus quinquefolia. Their structures were elucidated by means of NMR, UV, IR, and MS data.

Objective: To investigate the mosquito larvicidal activity of Cayratia trifolia (L.) Domin (Vitaceae: Vitales) (C. trifolia) which is distributed in many parts of India with medicinal properties as vector control is facing threat due to the emergence of resistance to synthetic insecticides., Methods: Young and mature leaves of C. trifolia were investigated for larvicidal activity against 3rd instars larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus in different seasons throughout the year. The active fractions were extracted using six different solvents in a non-polar to polar fashion viz petroleum-ether, benzene, chloroform: methanol (1:1 v/v), acetone, absolute alcohol and distilled water. Dose dependent mortality was recorded against each solvent extract. Determination of LD50 and LD90 were executed through log-probit analysis using the most bioactive fraction. The fluctuations in mortality were statistically co-related through ANOVA analyses concerning different seasons and types of leaves as random variables. Justification of larvicidal activity was established through student's t-test. Costing effects were evaluated on the non-target water fauna under laboratory conditions. Thin layer chromatographic techniques were performed for phytochemical analysis and categorization of chemical personality of the active fractions using the most effective solvent extract following standard methods., Results: Significant variations in mortality rate were noted with respect to the type of leaves (mature and senescence), concentration of leaf extract and between seasons. The water extract among all the solvent extracts was found to induce cent percent mortality at 50 mg/L in test mosquito species within 24 h with a LD50 and LD90 value of 10.70 mg/L and 27.64 mg/L respectively. No significant mortality was recorded in non-target water population. Chromatographic analyses of the water extract revealed the presence of steroids, triterpene glycosides, essential oil, phenolics and diterpenes as secondary phytochemicals., Conclusions: Water extract of C. trifolia leaf promised as a cost effective and potent larvicidal agent against Culex quinquefasciatus., (Copyright © 2013 Asian Pacific Tropical Biomedical Magazine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The phenolic profiles of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum leaf extracts by different solvents (80% methanol, ethyl acetate and hexane) and their antioxidant and antiproliferative activities were investigated. Thirteen phenolic compounds (3-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-caffeoylquinic acid, 1-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-p-coumaroylquinic acid, isoorientin-2″-O-rhamnoside, isoorientin, orientin-2″-O-rhamnoside, orientin, 1-p-coumaroylquinic acid, vitexin-2″-O-rhamnoside, isovitexin-2″-O-rhamnoside, vitexin and isovitexin) were identified in T. hemsleyanum leaves for the first time, and six of them were quantified using a combination of LC-QTOF-MS and LC-QqQ-MS techniques. It was found that 80% methanol extract exhibited the highest antioxidant activities (DPPH, 3.32 mmol of Trolox/g DW; ABTS, 1.38 mmol of Trolox/g DW; FRAP, 1.85 mmol of FeSO4/g DW), while the hexane extract had the lowest (1.23, 0.43 and 0.13, respectively). Total phenolic contents (TPC) of various extracts of T. hemsleyanum leaves ranged from 28.95 to 275.71 mg of GAE/g DW. Also, total antioxidant activities as evaluated by ABTS, FRAP and DPPH assays were correlated well with TPC. In addition, 80% methanol extract provided antiproliferative activity on HepG2 cells (IC50 = 524 μg/mL). This paper provides a complete picture of phenolics in T. hemsleyanum leaves and relates them to their antioxidant and antiproliferative activities.

Obesity, which is characterized by excessive fat accumulation, occurs by fat absorption by lipase and sequential fat accumulation in adipocytes through adipocyte differentiation. Thus, inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity and adipocyte differentiation would be crucial for the prevention and treatment of obesity. Investigation of anti-obesity compounds from Parthenocissus tricuspidata stems resulted in the isolation of nineteen compounds including five acetophenones, five flavonoids and nine stilbene derivatives. Among them, the stilbene derivatives showed the most potent anti-obesity effects. Stilbene monomers showed strong inhibitory activity on both adipocyte differentiation and pancreatic lipase, followed by stilbene dimer and trimer. Flavonoids showed mild inhibition on adipocyte differentiation, whereas acetophenones showed little effect in our assay system. Taken together, P. tricuspidata might be a new candidate for the development of obesity treatment.

Four new flavonoids including three C-glycosidic flavonoids, named tetrastigma A-D (1-4) and five known flavones (5-9) were isolated from the herbs of Tetrastigma obtectum (Wall.) Planch. The structures of 1-4 were elucidated by 1D- and 2D-NMR and HR mass spectrometric methods. Compound 1 caused significant enhancement in glucose consumption by insulin-resistant HepG2 cells compared with control cells. In addition, compound 1 stimulated phosphorylation of AMPK, which plays an important role in glycometabolism., (© 2013.)

Leea macrophylla (Leeaceae) is a wild edible plant with ethomedicinal importance as anti-inflammatory agent. However, no systematic studies on its anti-inflammatory activity and mechanisms have been reported. Present study was undertaken to evaluate anti-inflammatory activity of methanol extract of L. macrophylla leaves. Phytochemical investigation revealed presence of sterols, triterpenoids and ascorbic acid in extract. Methanol extract inhibited lipopolysaccharide stimulated production of inflammatory mediators viz. prostaglandin E2, tumor necrotic factor-α, interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β in vitro in mouse peritoneal macrophages. Additionally, the in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of this extract was evaluated by using carrageenan induced paw edema and cotton pellet granuloma assays in experimental rats. Oral administration of extract (100 and 200 mg/kg) exhibited dose dependant inhibition of carrageenan induced inflammation (p<0.05) and the reduction of the granuloma tissue formation (p<0.05-0.01). The extract (100 and 200 mg/kg, orally) exhibited significant central and peripheral analgesic activity in hot-plate test (p<0.01) and acetic acid induced writhing test (p<0.05-0.01) respectively in experimental mice. Treatment with extract (100 and 200 mg/kg, orally) significantly reduced the yeast provoked elevated body temperature (p<0.05-0.01) in experimental rats. These results confirmed the traditional anti-inflammatory indication of L. macrophylla leaves., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Cisplatin is a popular anticancer drug, but its side effects like nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity due to oxidative stress limited its clinical use. In tis study, nephoprotective effect of fractions of Leea asiatica (Leeaceae) leaves was assessed against cisplatin induced toxicity in rats. Leaves of L. asiatica extracted with methanol, ethyl acetate, petroleum ether, and evaluated for in vitro and ex vivo antioxidant activity using several assay models. Methanol extract showed better antioxidant effects, and contain higher amount of phenolic (77.75 ± 0.87 mg GAE/g of dry material) and flavonoid compound (60.98 ± 0.58 mg QE/g of dry material) compared with other extracts. Hance methanol extract was selected for further investigation and fractionated with methanol, ethyl acetate, petroleum ether. Protective effect of methanol extract and its fractions was evaluated against cisplatin (20 mg/kg, i.p.) induced nephrotoxicity. Pretreatment with methanol extract (150 and 300 mg/kg), and its fractions especially methanol, ethyl acetate fraction (75 and 150 mg/kg) significantly reduced blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, uric acid levels, and decreased malondialdehyde level and increase total protein and albumin level (p < 0.05, 0.01). Ethyl acetate fraction produced highest nephroprotective, possibly by inhibiting lipid peroxidation process. Result suggested that ethyl acetate fraction possesses potent nephroprotective activity and can be used an adjunct therapy aiming to improve the effectiveness of several nephrotoxic drugs.

Stilbenoids, a family of polyphenols known for the complexity of their structure and for their diverse biological activities, occur with a limited but heterogeneous distribution in the plant kingdom. The most prominent stilbene containing plant family, the Vitaceae, represented by the famous wine producing grape vines Vitis vinifera L., is one of the richest sources of novel stilbenes currently known, together with other families, such as Dipterocarpaceae, Gnetaceae and Fabaceae. This review focuses on the distribution of stilbenes and 2-arylbenzofuran derivatives in the plant kingdom, the chemical structure of stilbenes in the Vitaceae family and their taxonomic implication.

Objective: To study effective active constituents of Cayratia japonica,a genuine herbal medicine from Fujian., Method: Such chromatographic methods as Macroporous, Sephadex LH-20, ODS and normal phase silica gel column chromatography were adopted to separate the chemical components of C. japonica., Result: Thirteen compounds were obtained, and their structures were identified by analyzing multiple spectral data as luteolin(1), apigenin(2), triethyl citrate-(3), 3-formylindole(4), esculetin(5), bis(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate(6), calendin(7), ethyl-trans-3,4-dihydr-oxycinnamate(8), luteolin7-O-D-glucoside(9),5-hydroxy-3,4-dimethyl-5-pentyl-2(5H-furanone(10),ethyl-3,4-dihydroxybenzoate(11), eriodictyol(12) and daucosterol(13)., Conclusion: Among them, compounds 3-8 and 10-12 were separated from the plant for the first time.

Objective: To study the optimum extraction technology of total flavonoids and total triterpenoids from Tetrastigma planicaule and their antioxidant activity., Methods: Optimized the extraction of total flavonoids and total triterpenoids using an L9 (3(4)) orthogonal array design, and the antioxidant activity was extimated by FRAP assay, salicylicl acid assay and ABTS assay., Results: The best extraction conditions for total flavonoids from Tetrastigma planicaule were as follows: 70 degrees C of 70% ethanol ultrasound-assisted extracting for 1 h and extracting three times, and total triterpenoids was:70 degrees C of 60% ethanol microwave extracting for 5 min and extracting two times. Compared with the positive control samples VC and tea polyphenol, the activity of reducing Fe3+ antioxidant and scavenging ABTS + * of flavonoids from Tetrastigma planicaule was higher than that of tea polyphenol, but scavenging OH * was lower than theirs;, Conclusion: The method of using ultrasound-assisted extraction to extract total flavonoids and microwave extraction to extract total triterpenoids is the best, the extracts of Tetrastigma planicaule also shows certain antioxidative activity.

Background: The leaves of Leea indica (Vitaceae), commonly known as 'Huo Tong Shu' in Malaysia, have been traditionally used as natural remedy in folk medicine by the locals. The current study reports the outcome of antioxidant and cytotoxic investigation of L. indica leaves. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of L. indica leaf crude ethanol and its fractionated extracts (hexane, ethyl acetate and water) for evaluation of total phenolic content, antioxidant effect and cytotoxic activity against colon cancer cell lines., Methods: In the present study, L. indica leaf crude ethanol and its fractionated extracts (hexane, ethyl acetate and water) were firstly prepared prior to phenolic content, antioxidant effect and cytotoxic activity assessment. Folin-Ciocalteau's method was used for the measurement of total phenolic content of the extracts. The antioxidant activity was measured by employing three different established testing systems, such as scavenging activity on DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radicals, reducing power assay and SOD (superoxide dismutase) activity assay. The cytotoxic activity of the extracts were evaluated against three colon cancer cell lines with varying molecular characteristics (HT-29, HCT-15 and HCT-116) by MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay., Results: The total phenolic content and antioxidant capabilities differed significantly among the L. indica leaf extracts. A strong correlation between total phenolic content and antioxidant properties was found, indicating that phenolic compounds are the major contributor to the antioxidant properties of these extracts. Among the crude ethanol and its fractionated extracts, fractionated water extract showed significantly the highest total phenolic content and strongest antioxidant effect in all the antioxidant testing systems employed in this study. All the four extracts exert no damage to the selected colon cancer cells., Conclusions: The data obtained in these testing systems clearly establish the antioxidant potency of the fractionated water extract of L. indica leaves. Additional studies should be carried out to isolate and identify the bioactive compounds in the fractionated water extract, in order to provide more convincing evidence.

The interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and the anticancer drug molecule ampelopsin (AMP) was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, and time-resolved spectra under simulated physiological conditions. Fluorescence data showed that the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA was strongly quenched by AMP in terms of a dynamic quenching process. Binding constants and binding sites were calculated. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the hydrogen bonding and weak van der Waals force played a major role in the interaction. The site marker competitive experiments suggested that the binding site of AMP and BSA was probably located on site III. Based on the Förster's theory, the average binding distance between AMP and BSA was obtained (r=5.47nm). The binding of AMP and BSA leaded to conformational changes of BSA according to synchronous fluorescence spectra, CD data and mean fluorescence lifetime values., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze the three diester-alkaloids content in the decoctions before and after Radix aconiti lateralis preparata combined with Rhizoma pinelliae, Fructus trichosanthis, Bulbus fritillariae, Radix ampelopsis, Rhizoma bletillae, respectively., Methods: HPLC analysis was performed on a Agilent Extend C18 column,eluted with a mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile/methanol - 35 mmol/L ammonium acetate and gradient elution,with a flow rate of 0.6 ml/min and the detection wavelength of 235 nm., Results: The contents of three diester-alkaloids in the co-decoctions of Radix aconiti laterlis preparata combined with Rhizoma pinelliae, Fructus trichosanthis, Bulbus fritillariae, Rhizoma bletillae were more than that of single Radix aconiti laterlis preparata decoction, expect the Bulbus fritillariae cirrhosae,Radix ampelopsis and Rhizoma pinelliae praeparatum. From the result,we can found that the content of three diester-alkaloids in decoctions was correlated with the decoction pH., Conclusion: The pH of decoction is one of the most important factors to relate the three diester-alkaloids content in the decoctions.

A 15-run Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to optimize the extraction conditions of polysaccharides from Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg. Three factors such as extraction temperature (°C), extraction time (h), and ratio of water to raw material were investigated. The experimental data were fitted to a second-order polynomial equation using multiple regression analysis and also examined using the appropriate statistical methods. The adjusted coefficient of determination (R(Adj)(2)) for the model was 0.9754, and the probability value (P=0.001) demonstrated a high significance for the regression model. The optimum extraction conditions were found to be: optimized extraction temperature 83.3°C, extraction time 1.55 h and ratio of water to raw material 29.48. Under these conditions, the mean extraction yield of polysaccharides was 5.182 ± 0.093 %, which was in good agreement with the predicted model value., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chronic administration of myricetin (100 and 300 mg kg⁻¹, p.o., for 4 weeks) isolated from Vitis vinifera (Vitaceae) ameliorated hypertension and oxidative stress induced by deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt in rats. Myricetin treatment reduced systolic blood pressure, vascular reactivity changes and reversed the DOCA-induced increase in heart rate. Urinary sodium excretion was significantly decreased in animals treated with myricetin compared to the DOCA group when measured by flame photometer. The cumulative concentration response curve of serotonin (5-HT) and angiotensin II (Ang II) were shifted towards the right in rats treated with myricetin using the isolated rat fundus strip and ascending colon, respectively. Increased levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and decreased levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione in the heart tissue were observed in animals treated with DOCA, which were reversed by myricetin. Thus, myricetin shows antihypertensive and antioxidant properties in the DOCA model of hypertension.

Objective: To detect the in vitro total phenolics, flavonoids contents and antioxidant activity of essential oil, various organic extracts from the leaves of tropical medicinal plant Tetrastigma from Sabah., Methods: The dry powder leaves of Tetrastigma were extracted with different organic solvent such as hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform, butanol and aqueous methanol. The total phenolic and total flavonoids contents of the essential oil and various organic extracts such as hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform, butanol and aqueous ethanol were determined by Folin - Ciocalteu method and the assayed antioxidant activity was determined in vitro models such as antioxidant capacity by radical scavenging activity using α, α-diphenyl- β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method., Results: The total phenolic contents of the essential oil and different extracts as gallic acid equivalents were found to be highest in methanol extract (386.22 mg/g) followed by ethyl acetate (190.89 mg/g), chloroform (175.89 mg/g), hexane (173.44 mg/g), and butanol extract (131.72 mg/g) and the phenolic contents not detected in essential oil. The antioxidant capacity of the essential oil and different extracts as ascorbic acid standard was in the order of methanol extract > ethyl acetate extract >chloroform> butanol > hexane extract also the antioxidant activity was not detected in essential oil., Conclusions: The findings show that the extent of antioxidant activity of the essential oil and all extracts are in accordance with the amount of phenolics present in that extract. Leaves of Tetrastigma being rich in phenolics may provide a good source of antioxidant., (Copyright © 2011 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Observations at regular intervals of the location of newly hatched grape root borer, Vitacea polistiformis (Harris), larvae moving freely within circular petri dish bioassays were used to measure and compare their response to dry filter paper discs treated with ethanol- or hexane-based extracts of roots from known and potential Vitaceae hosts and a nonhost. Larvae responded most strongly to discs treated with ethanol extracts, suggesting the presence of behaviorally active, polar compounds associated with roots. In single extract bioassays comparing extract versus solvent treated discs, larvae responded positively to ethanol extracts from all Vitis species and rootstocks and Virginia creeper [Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch.], but not to apple (Malus domestica Borkh). Paired extract bioassays, in which an extract from the commercially important 3309 rootstock was used as the standard and presented simultaneously with extracts from other root sources, revealed examples of equal, significantly weaker and significantly stronger responses to the 3309 extract. Extracts of the 420 A and V. riparia 'Gloire' rootstocks appeared to possess qualities that elicited a consistently greater response than to 3309 extract in these pair-wise comparisons. The active compounds were eluted in ethanol during a 30-min extraction; larvae responded equally to 30- and 60-min 3309 root extracts in paired extract bioassays. Larvae responded equally to extracts of 3309 roots from three spatially separate vineyards in northern Virginia. These results are discussed in relation to the subterranean, plant-insect interactions of grape root borer neonates with the numerous native and non-native Vitis species that may serve as hosts in the eastern United States.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the EtOH extracts obtained from a plant identified as Cyphostemma greveana Desc. (Vitaceae) led to the identification of one macrolide, lasiodiplodin (1), three sesquiterpenoids, 12-hydroxy-15-oxoselina-4,11-diene (2), 1β,6α-dihydroxyeudesm-4(15)-ene (3), and (7R*)-opposit-4(15)-ene-1β,7-diol (5), and a new diterpenoid, 16,18-dihydroxykolavenic acid lactone (4). All the isolates were tested against the A2780 human ovarian cancer cell line, and compound 4 and a fraction containing 5 as the major constituent showed antiproliferative activities with IC(50) values of 0.44 μM (0.14 μg/ml) and 0.045 μg/ml, respectively. A partial synthesis of compound 5 was carried out, but the pure synthetic compound was inactive, indicating that the activity of the fraction containing it must be due to a very minor and as yet unidentified substance., (Copyright © 2011 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.)

Two new resveratrol tetramers, cajyphenol A (1) and cajyphenol B (2), together with two known resveratrol dimers, quadrangularin A (3) and pallidol (4), and resveratrol (5) were isolated from the stems of Cayratia japonica (Thunb.) Gagn. Their structures were established by means of NMR (¹H,¹H-COSY, ¹H, ¹³C-HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY) and ESI-MS analyses. Compounds 1-5 showed fast-binding inhibitory activities on fatty acid synthase with the IC₅₀ values of 1.63±0.02, 1.49±0.03, 7.50±0.01, 11.1±0.01, and 10.2±0.01 μM, respectively. Compounds 1-5 also exhibited antioxidant activities in the ORAC assay.

Objective: The feasibility of producting flavonoids from callus of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum was investigated through callus induction, proliferation, differentiation and determination of flavonoids., Methods: The leaves of sterile plantlet, leaves and stems of wild plants were used as explants to induce calluses; The root tuber, the leaves and calluses were selected for the determination of flavonoids. With ethanol as the solvent, the total flavonoids were extracted by ultrasonic and determined by spectrophotometry at 500 nm after stained with NaNO2-Al(NO3) 3., Results: The optimum medium where the calluses were induced was 2/3MS +2.0 mg/L 6-BA +2.0 mg/L NAA; MS +2.0 mg/L 6-BA +2.0 mg/L NAA was the optimum for callus proliferation; for callus root differentiation, the optimum medium was 1/2MS +1.0 mg/L 6-BA +1.0 mg/L NAA. The content of total flavonoids was 31.121 mg/g in root tuber, 12.830 mg/g in leaves while it was up to 18.088 mg/g in calluses., Conclusion: The calluses had a high level of total flavonoids, it could produce flavonoids through the calluses induced by Tetrastigma hemsleyanum in a large scale. In that case, the pressing requirement in medical market will be solved.

The chemical constituents of Parthenocissus quinque were investigated. The chemical constituents were isolated by column chromatography on silical gel and sephadex LH-20. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral analysis and of comparison of physical constant. Nine compounds were isolated from this plant and the structures of them were identified as 3,4,5-trihydroxy- benzoic acid (1), piceatannol (2), resveratrol (3), resveratrol trans-dehydrodimer (4), cyphoste mmin B (5), pallidol (6), cyphostemmin A (7), quercetin-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnoside (8), myricetin-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnoside (9), respectively. Compounds 1, 4-9 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Neuroprotective effects of parthenocissin A (PA), a novel antioxidant and free radical scavenger, were studied in a transient middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion model in rats for the first time. The animals were treated intraperitoneally with PA at 2.5, 5 or 10 mg/kg, for both 30 min before MCA occlusion and 6 h after reperfusion. The MCA was occluded for 1 h in anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. Compared with vehicle-treated controls, MCA occluded animals treated with PA showed dose-dependent reductions in brain infarction size with improved neurological and motor outcome. Biomedical assay showed that the PA treatment suppressed lipid peroxidation and restored superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in brain tissue. In addition, the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) induced elevation of nitric oxide (NO) production and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in brain tissue was also inhibited. Thus, PA demonstrated a neuroprotective effect in the I/R model and the beneficial effects of the compound may result from the reduction of oxidative stress and the inhibition of NO production induced by I/R. The neuroprotective effects of PA have highlighted the potential use of stilbene oligomers in stroke therapy.

The subtropical plant species Cyphostemma digitatum, Vitaceae, is used in central Yemen in traditional medicine, as a culinary herb, and as a source of food flavoring. The contents of vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids and changes caused by common processing were investigated. Carotenoids were determined by reversed phase C30-high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection at 470 nm, while tocopherols and tocotrienols were analyzed by using normal phase HPLC with fluorescence detection (excitation, 292 nm; emission, 330 nm). Ascorbic acid was determined spectrophotometrically after reaction with DNP by measuring the absorbance at 520 nm. For the raw material and for the processed commercial food product, both in dried form, reasonable quantities of carotenoids were found in the raw material as follows: lutein, 18.89 +/- 0.73 mg/100 g; zeaxanthin, 9.46 +/- 0.30 mg/100 g; canthaxanthin, 0.21 +/- 0.01 mg/100 g; beta-cryptoxanthin, 0.67 +/- 0.03 mg/100 g; and beta-carotene, 14.60 +/- 0.46 mg/100 g. Household processing reduced the carotenoid contents dramatically; only beta-carotene sustained the processing. Likewise, vitamin C, 49.50 +/- 0.01 mg/100 g in the raw material and 20.30 +/- 0.02 mg/100 g in the processed material, was affected negatively by processing; only 41% was retained after processing. In contrast, the outstanding high content of vitamin E, 82.74 +/- 0.63 mg/100 g in the raw material, was increased by processing to 101.20 +/- 1.38 mg/100 g; it was found in different forms, some of which were rare in other sources.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of MEICHA., Methods: Chromatography and spectroscopic analysis were employed to isolate and elucidate the chemical constituents in the plant., Results: Seven compounds were obtained and identified as beta3-sitosterol (I), oleanolic acid (II), quercetin (III), Taxifolin (IV), Catechin (V), Querceetin-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnoside (VI) and Gallic acid (VII)., Conclusion: Seven compounds are isolated from this plant for the first time.

A facile method based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/(-)ESI-MSn) has been established for the analyses of polyphenol compounds in the root and stems of Parthenocissus laetevirens. Two characteristic fragments [C3O2 (68 Da) and C2H2O (42 Da)] were utilized for the structural identification of polyphenols. Based on the reference standards, the fragment C3O2 was presented when the compound possessed a 2,3-dihydro-1H-indene-4, 6-diol moiety. Meanwhile, the C2H2O fragment (42 Da) yielded from the resorcinol ring was confirmed by resveratrol and three synthesized compounds identified as (E)-5-styrylbenzene-1,3-diol, (E)-4-styrylphenol and (E)-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxystyryl)phenol. FTICR-MSn was performed to further confirm the structures of the fragments. Overall, 15 polyphenol compounds were characterized. Three polyphenol compounds were initially and tentatively characterized from P. laetevirens for the first time, and one was proposed as a novel compound. Furthermore, a pair of stereoisomers was readily distinguished by breakdown curves, and the trans-, cis-isomers could be identified by HPLC/DAD-UV spectra., (Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman, has an unusually broad host range among deciduous woody plants, yet it feeds only sparingly, or not at all, on certain species in the field. We evaluated beetles' preference, survival over time and fecundity on eight woody plant species historically rated as susceptible or resistant and, after verifying those ratings, tested whether resistance is correlated with so-called quantitative defense traits including leaf toughness, low nutrient content (water, nitrogen, and sugars), and relatively high amounts of tannins or saponins, traditionally associated with such plants. We further tested whether species unsuitable for Japanese beetles are also rejected by fall webworms, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), the expected outcome if the aforementioned traits serve as broad-based defenses against generalists. Choice tests supported historical resistance ratings for the selected species: tuliptree, lilac, dogwood, and Bradford callery pear were rejected by Japanese beetles, whereas sassafras, cherry plum, Virginia creeper, and littleleaf linden were readily eaten. Rejected species also were unsuitable for survival over time, or egg-laying, indicating beetles' inability to overcome the resistance factors through habituation, compensatory feeding, or detoxification. None of the aforementioned leaf traits was consistently higher or lower in the resistant or susceptible plants, and plant species rejected by Japanese beetles often were not rejected by fall webworms. Specialized secondary chemistry, not quantitative defenses, likely determines the Japanese beetle's dietary range among deciduous woody plant species it may encounter.

A novel stilbene glycoside [piceid-(1-->6)-beta-d-glucopyranoside; PBG] from Parthenocissus tricuspidata was tested in vivo against Plasmodium berghei. PBG exhibited significant blood schizontocidal activity in a 4-day early infection, a repository evaluation, and an established infection, with a significant mean survival time comparable to that obtained with the standard drug, chloroquine (5 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)).

Objective: To evaluate the effects of ethyl-acetate fraction (EAF) of extracts from Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et. Gilg (TDG) on immune functions of ICR mice., Methods: ICR mice were exposed to different doses of EAF for 15 or 30 days and then their immune functions were analyzed, including ConA-induced splenic lymphocyte transformation, SRBC-induced delayed type hypersensitivity response, serum hemolysin analysis, antibody-producing cells, peritoneal macrophage phagocytized chicken red blood cells, natural killer cell activity, and serum level of cytokines., Results: EAF of extracts from TDG at different doses had various effects on immune functions of ICR mice. As compared with the controls, it increased the mouse spleen lymphocyte transformation induced by ConA, the left-hind voix pedis thickness and the number of plague forming cells (PFCs) at the dose of 1.82 mg/mL, 5.48 mg/mL, and 9.12 mg/mL, respectively; increased the ink clearance ability at the dose of 0.91 mg/mL, 1.82 mg/mL, 5.48 mg/mL, and 9.12 mg/mL, respectively; increased the phagocytosis index of mononuclear-macrophages and production of serum interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) at the dose of 5.48 mg/mL; and could promote the production of serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) at the dose of 9.12 mg/mL., Conclusion: EAF of extracts from TDG can regulate mouse immune functions in vivo.

Five new stilbene oligomers, laetevirenol A-E (4-8), were isolated from Parthenocissus laetevirens, together with three known stilbene oligomers (2, 3, and 9). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR experiments. Afterward the absolute configurations were determined. Biomimetic transformations revealed a possible biogenetic route, where stilbene trimers were enzymatically synthesized for the first time. In addition, their antioxidant activities were evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The results showed that stilbene oligomers with an unusual phenanthrene moiety exhibited much stronger antioxidant activities. Thus, the photocatalyzed cyclization of stilbenes was supposed to be an antioxidant activity promoting transformation, which was hypothesized to play a role in the antioxidative defense system of the plant.