Isofraxetin-6-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, identified from traditional medicinal herbal Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge, has been demonstrated to be a natural neuroinflammatory inhibitor. In order to obtain more derivatives with potential anti-neuroinflammatory effects, biotransformation was carried out.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
According to the characteristics of coumarin skeleton, suspension cultures of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels callus (A. sinensis callus) were employed because of the presence of diverse phenylpropanoids biosynthetic enzymes. As a result, 15 products were yielded from the suspension cultures, including a new coumarin: 8'-dehydroxymethyl cleomiscosin A (1), together with 14 known compounds. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Furthermore, the biotransformed pathways were discussed. Among them, compound 13 was transformed from isofraxetin-6-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, while compounds 1-6, 10-12, 14-15 were derived from the culture medium stimulated by the substrate. The biotransformation processes include hydroxylation, oxidation and esterification. Furthermore, their inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated nitric oxide (NO) production were evaluated in BV2 microglial cells.
It is worth noting that, 1, 1'-methanediylbis(4-methoxybenzene) (3), Obtucarbamate A (5), 2-nonyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide (10) and 1H-indole-3-carbaldehyde (11) exhibited significant inhibitory effect against neuroinflammation with IC50 values at 1.22, 10.57, 1.02 and 0.76μM respectively, much stronger than that of the positive control minocycline (IC50 35.82μM). |