1. Effects of onopordia, a novel isolated compound from Onopordon acanthium, on pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in mice: Possible involvement of nitric oxide pathway
Malihe Hassanzadeh, Niusha Sharifi, Shabnam Mahernia, Nastaran Rahimi, Ahmad Reza Dehpour, Massoud Amanlou J Tradit Complement Med. 2019 Nov 30;11(1):22-26. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2019.11.005. eCollection 2021 Jan.
Epilepsy is identified as a brain disorder and characterized by unpredictable disruption of normal brain function. Due to adverse side effect associated with antiepileptic drugs and also resistance profile, improvement of antiepileptic medications with more beneficial anticonvulsant activity is essential. Natural products have demonstrated their therapeutic properties such as anxiolytic, antidepressant and anticonvulsant activities and a source for identification of novel lead compounds. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Onopordon acanthium secondary metabolite, onopordia, on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizure in male mice and investigate the possible role of nitric oxide pathway. Different doses of onopordia (0.1, 1 and 10 mg/kg) and phenobarbital (20 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally (i.p., 30, 60 and 120 min) prior to induction of epileptic seizure and compared to control groups. Onopordia demonstrated anticonvulsant effects when administrated at dose of 10 mg/kg, i.p. and optimum time 60 min prior to induction of seizure. Anticonvulsant effect of onopordia was blocked by applying a single dose of a non-selective nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (l-NAME; 10 mg/kg, i.p.), and also a single dose of a selective neuronal NOS (nNOS) inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole (7-NI; 30 mg/kg, i.p.). Administration of ketamine as a N-Methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist (0.5 mg/kg; i.p.) with onopordia did not change the anticonvulsant effect of onopordia. The results of the present study demonstrated the anticonvulsant effect of onopordia as a new lead compound and also contribution of NO/nNOS pathway on PTZ-induced seizure in mice.
2. Effects of dibenzylbutyrolactone lignans arctigenin and trachelogenin on the motility of isolated rat ileum
Peter Kiplang'at Koech, Imre Boldizsár, Arpád Dobolyi, Petra Varró Toxicol Rep. 2022 May 27;9:1222-1232. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.05.019. eCollection 2022.
Dibenzylbutyrolactone-type lignans are phenolic compounds of medical importance. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of two such lignans, arctigenin and trachelogenin on the motility of isolated rat ileum and obtain indications on their mechanism of action. They were isolated from Arctium lappa and Cirsium arvense, respectively, which have been used traditionally to treat gastrointestinal disorders. 1-1.5 cm long segments of distal ileum were obtained from adult male Wistar rats. The intestinal segments were suspended vertically in a well-aerated organ-bath according to Magnus mounting method. The intestinal motility was monitored for 30 min before treatment to obtain the baseline, followed by treatment with 1 µM, 10 µM, 20 µM and 40 µM concentrations of arctigenin and 0.5 µM, 1 µM, 10 µM and 20 µM of trachelogenin concentrations. The amplitude, tone, and period of spontaneous contractions were measured after 15 and 30 min of treatment. To investigate their mechanism of action, cholinergic, glutamatergic, adrenergic antagonists and compounds inhibiting nitric oxide synthase and L-type calcium channels were also tested. Arctigenin and trachelogenin decreased the frequency of contractions in a dose-dependent manner. At the concentration of 20 µM and 40 µM of trachelogenin and arctigenin, respectively, there was a marked alteration in spontaneous contraction pattern with an observable increase in the period time. This activity was comparable to 0.5 µM nifedipine (L-type calcium channel blocker) treatment. Our results demonstrate relaxant effect of arctigenin and trachelogenin on the ileum motility that may be mediated by L-type calcium ion channel blockade.
3. Potential inhibitors of L-asparagine biosynthesis. 2. Chemistry and biological activity of beta-hydroxyaspartic acid and its derivatives
M Mokotoff, J F Bagaglio, B S Parikh J Med Chem. 1975 Apr;18(4):354-8. doi: 10.1021/jm00238a006.
Several derivatives of erythro-beta-hydroxy-DL-aspartic acid (1) were prepared as a potential inhibitors of L-asparagine synthetase (ASase) from rat Novikoff hepatoma. Benzylation of 1 gave the dibenzyl ester 2 which upon coupling with carbobenzoxyglycine afforded the blocked dipeptide 3. Deblocking of 3 gave glycl-erythro-beta-hydroxyl-DL-aspartic acid (4) which could not be diazotized. The dimethyl ester of 1 was coupled with carbobenzoxyglycine to give the blocked dipeptide 7a which was deblocked to give dimethyl glycel-erythro-beta-hydroxy-DL-aspartate hydrochloride (8). Diazotization of 8 gave impure diazo compound 9 which on reaction with HCl gave the chloro compound 10. The methods of isolation, assay, and inhibition of ASase are discribed. At 10 mM concentrations 10, 1, and its D and L enantiomers inhibit ASase by 45, 47, 36 and 66 percent, respectively.
