Identification and quantification of lignans and sesquilignans in the fruits of Cnicus benedictus L.: Quantitative chromatographic and spectroscopic approaches

Identification, quantification and isolation of lignans (Lig-s: arctiin, arctigenin and matairesinol) and sesquilignans (SLig-s: lappaol A, isolappaol A, lappaol C and isolappaol C), in Cnicus benedictus L. fruit (CBfr) were performed for the first time. Identity of Lig-s and SLig-s was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and by high performance liquid chromatography-time-of-flight (HPLC-TOF) MS, while their detailed structures were defined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. As a novelty to the field, fruit part-specific accumulation of Lig-s and SLig-s under germination and their transformation during acidic and enzymatic hydrolyses were followed in a quantitative manner by HPLC-UV. It was shown that during germination, the spontaneous separation of Lig-s and SLig-s occurs: the fruit wall part accumulates SLig-s, while the embryo accumulates the Lig arctiin. It was confirmed that under optimized mild acidic conditions (50. °C, 2. M trifluoroacetic acid, TFA), lappaol C and isolappaol C can be transformed into lappaol A and isolappaol A, quantitatively. Analytical performance characteristics (reliability and reproducibility), in the HPLC-UV quantifications of Lig-s and SLig-s were defined by the relative standard deviation percentages (RSD%-s) of analyses (averages of RSD%-s. ≤. 3.7). Due to our new harmonized analysis system, CBfr proved to be a new and rich source of SLig-s: levels as high as 5.8. mmol/100. g were determined compared to the highest level (0.72. mmol/100. g) reported so far. © 2014 Elsevier B.V

Specific hydrolysis and accumulation of antiproliferative lignans in the fruit of <i>Leuzea carthamoides</i> (Willd.) DC.

<div><p>Dibenzylbutyrolactone-type lignan glycosides (tracheloside and carthamoside), their aglycones (trachelogenin and carthamogenin) and feruloyl-serotonin isomers were determined in the fruits of <i>Leuzea carthamoides</i> by using LC–UV, LC–MS/MS and GC–MS techniques. The composition of the embryo and wall parts of the fruits was analysed before and after their hydrolysis. As a result of these studies, fruit part-specific accumulation of lignan glycosides and feruloyl-serotonins were confirmed, demonstrating that the embryo contains a high amount of lignan glycosides (tracheloside 32.9 mg/g, carthamoside 45.3 mg/g), while the wall part of the fruit accumulates feruloyl-serotonins (63.0 mg/g). Enzymatic hydrolysis of the embryo resulted in the quantitative transformation of lignan glycosides into their corresponding aglycones, allowing selective isolation of trachelogenin and carthamogenin. These aglycones were subjected to an antiproliferative study against the SW480 colon adenocarcinoma cell line. In this test, moderate activity of carthamogenin and a significant effect of trachelogenin were demonstrated in a concentration range of 22–185 μM.</p></div

Identification and isolation of new neolignan and sesquineolignan species: Their acid-catalyzed ring closure and specific accumulation in the fruit wall of Cirsium eriophorum (L.) Scop.

Abstract In Cirsium eriophorum fruit, the main neolignan and sesquineolignan compounds, denominated prebalanophonin (preBA) and prepicrasmalignan (prePI), were determined for the first time in the plant kingdom using a combination of optimized acid treatments and complementary spectroscopic (HPLC–MS, GC–MS, CD and NMR) methods. Analysis of fruit parts separated via germination, demonstrated the specific accumulation of these compounds, since preBA and prePI were exclusively found in the fruit wall. Based on quantitative approaches obtained by HPLC-UV measurements, the fruit wall was found to contain extraordinarily high amounts of preBA (4.57%) and prePI (2.88%) allowing their high-yield isolation by preparative HPLC. Optimized acidic treatment (2 N trifluoroacetic acid, 50 °C, 15 min) of the wall extract resulted in the quantitative transformation of preBA and prePI into balanophonin (BA) and picrasmalignan (PI), as a result of acid-catalyzed cyclization by the SN2 reaction. Consequently, acid-treated wall extract was found to be the richest raw material containing BA and PI (5.3% and 3.10%), reported to date

Endogenous enzyme-hydrolyzed fruit of Cirsium brachycephalum: Optimal source of the antiproliferative lignan trachelogenin regulating the Wnt/beta-Catenin signaling pathway in the SW480 colon adenocarcinoma cell line.

The molecular constituents of Cirsium brachycephalum fruits were identified, quantified and isolated for the first time. The lignan glycoside tracheloside was the main compound, which was transformed quantitatively into its aglycone trachelogenin by endogenous enzymatic treatment of the fruit. Following this transformation by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) hyphenated with UV and mass spectrometry (MS) detections on a quantitative basis, the enzyme-hydrolyzed fruit was found to be the richest raw material containing trachelogenin (17.2mg/g) reported to date. Thus, the enzyme-hydrolyzed fruit was used to isolate trachelogenin using preparative HPLC in order to (1) unambiguously confirm its identity by gas chromatography-MS, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and optical rotation, and (2) investigate its in vitro antiproliferative activities against the SW480 colon adenocarcinoma cell line. Trachelogenin significantly affected the phosphorylation of key proteins such as beta-Catenin, c-Myc and GSK3 in the beta-Catenin signaling pathway in a concentration-dependent manner. These changes account for the antiproliferative effects of trachelogenin

Optimized conversion of antiproliferative lignans pinoresinol and epipinoresinol: Their simultaneous isolation and identification by centrifugal partition chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography

Abstract High amount of the valuable lignan pinoresinol (PR) was determined in Carduus nutans fruit (7.8 mg/g) for the first time. A preparative separation method using two consecutive, identical steps of centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) was developed in order (i) to isolate PR and (ii) to subsequently isolate PR and its 7′ epimer epipinoresinol (EPR) simultaneously after an optimized acid treatment which resulted in PR epimerization forming equal amounts of PR and EPR, from C. nutans fruit. As optimal conditions, a two-phase solvent system consisting of methyl tert-butyl ether:acetone:water (4:3:3, v/v/v) for CPC separation, and an acid treatment performed at 50 °C for 30 min for the epimerization were applied. Thus, 33.7 mg and 32.8 mg PR and EPR, in as high as 93.7% and 92.3% purity, were isolated from 10.0 g C. nutans fruit, representing 86.4% and 84.1% efficiency, respectively. Conversion characteristic of PR and EPR in acidic medium, determined as a function of time and temperature of acid treatment provides their unambiguous identification by on-line high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Antiproliferative assay of isolated PR and EPR in two different types of colon cancer cell lines (HCT116 and SW480) confirmed that both epimers caused a more significant decrease of viability in HCT116 cells than in SW480 cells, suggesting their similar mechanism of antiproliferative action

Enzyme-hydrolyzed fruit of Jurinea mollis: a Rich source of (-)-(8R,8’R)-Arctigenin

In Jurinea mollis fruit, the dibenzylbutyrolactone-type lignan glycoside arctiin and its aglycone arctigenin were determined for the first time using a combination of optimized enzymatic treatment and complementary spectrometric (HPLC-MS, GC-MS) and spectroscopic (CD and NMR) methods. Analysis of separated fruit parts, i.e., the fruit wall and embryo, demonstrated the specific accumulation of arctiin, since it was exclusively found in the embryo. Arctiin in the embryo samples (71.5 mg/g) was found to be quantitatively converted into arctigenin (50.7 mg/g) by endogenous enzymatic hydrolysis, resulting in one of the highest arctigenin-containing plant tissues reported to date and allowing the selective isolation of arctigenin by our recently reported three-step isolation method. The absolute configuration of the isolated arctigenin was determined to be (-)-(8R,8'R). Conformational analysis of arctigenin was also performed, resulting in three major low energy conformations