Records of Natural Products

In this study, the essential oils (EOs) of flowers from German chamomile (GCEOs 1-5) Matricaria chamomilla L., Roman chamomile (RCEOs 1-2) Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All, and Chinese chamomile (CCEO-1) or “Juhua” Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat were characterized by GC-FID and GC-MS analysis. EOs were tested for biting deterrence/repellency against Aedes aegypti and hybrid imported fire ants and for toxicity against Anastrepha suspensa. GCEOs 1-5 were characterized by the higher contents of α-bisabolol oxide A (43%-66%) and α-bisabolol oxide B (10%-16%) whereas isobutyl angelate (16%-17%), 2-butenyl angelate (12%-13%), isoamyl tiglate (11%-12%), 3-methyl pentylangelate (8%-11%), and trans-pinocarveol (6%-7%) were major compounds of RCEOs 1 and 2. The CCEO-1 was rich in borneol (31%), ar-curcumene (12%), bornyl acetate (7%) and intermedeol (5%). Biting deterrence of GCEO-2 and -3, and CCEO-1 was similar to N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) whereas the activity of the other EOs was lower than DEET against Ae. aegypti. The activity of pure compounds α-bisabolol and 1,6-dioxaspiro[4.4]non-3-en-2-one from German chamomiles was also similar to DEET against Ae. aegypti. Repellency of German chamomile EO, GCEO-F against hybrid imported fire ants was higher whereas the activity of Roman chamomile EO, RCEO-PT was lower than DEET. All EOs, GCEO-4, RCEO-2, and CCEO-1 were toxic against female A. suspensa. Further research using intensive in vivo bioassays will be conducted to explore the potential of these natural products in insect pest management strategies.

Aim of the study is to evaluate the potential use of Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffm. & Link and Origanum dubium Boiss. essential oils and their major constituents; thymol and carvacrol in cancer therapies. For this aim hMSC-telo1 cells and their tumorigenic counterpart were exposed to varying concentrations of Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffm. & Link and Origanum dubium Boiss. essential oils, thymol and carvacrol and cellular viability and proliferation have been evaluated by MTT assay. TUNEL assay has used for evaluation of apoptosis. Study suggested that, Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffm. & Link essential oil and thymol have an enhancer effect once combined with conventional chemotherapeutic agents. 0.005 v/v % of Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffm. & Link, 0.005 v/v % and 0.05 v/v % of thymol showed enchancer effect by sparing the normal hMSC-telo1 cells from the cytotoxicity of Deferasirox while these combinations were cytotoxic towards tumorigenic hMSC-telo1 cells.

A newly discovered cleistanthane-type diterpenoid named incarnatin A (1) was isolated from Peniophora incarnate, an endophytic fungus obtained from the roots of Ligusticum chuanxiong. Its absolute configuration was unambiguously elucidated by spectroscopic means including HRMS and NMR combined with ECD calculations. Transcriptome sequencing indicated that 1 could inhibit angiogenesis.

Chemical study of the fungal strain Aspergillus terreus LPFH-1 led to the isolation of 8 compounds (1-8), including a new acyclic sesquiterpenoid (1) and two new natural products (2 and 3). Their structures were determined by extensive analyses of the spectroscopic data including 1D (1H and 13C NMR) and 2D NMR (1H-1H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY) data. Compounds 2 and 3 were nitro-containing phenylpropionic acid derivatives, whose absolute configuration was determined by comparing their specific rotations with those of synthetic products. The known compounds were identified as 4-hydroxy-3-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)benzaldehyde (4), ethyl 2,4-dihydroxy-5,6-dimethylbenzoate (5), terretonin D (6), asperterpene K (7), and asterrelenin (8).