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Pharmacologically active compounds in the Anoectochilus and Goodyera species

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Abstract

The extract of Anoectochilus formosanus showed significant activity in decreasing the levels of the cytosolic enzymes LDH, GOT, and GPT, and the result demonstrated that A. formosanus possessed prominent hepatoprotective activity against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity. Moreover, in the results of the test using aurothioglucose-induced obese mice, the extract showed a significant antihyperliposis effect. A. formosanus grown in the wild and propagated by tissue culture contain ten compounds, including a major known component, (3R)-3-(β-d-glucopyranosyloxy)butanolide (kinsenoside; 1), and two new components, (3R)-3-(β-d-glucopyranosyloxy)-4-hydroxybutanoic acid (2) and 2-[(β-d-glucopyranosyloxy)methyl]-5-hydroxymethylfuran (3), along with the known compounds, isopropyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (4), (R)-3,4-dihydroxybutanoic acid γ-lactone (5), 4-(β-d-glucopyranosyloxy) benzyl alcohol (6), (6R,9S)-9-(β-d-glucopyranosyloxy)megastigma-4,7-dien-3-one (7), and (3R)-3-(β-d-glucopyranosyloxy)-4-hydroxybutanolide (8). Since a higher concentration of kinsenoside (1) was detected in the crude drugs A. formosanus and A. koshunensis by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, we proved a simple purification system for kinsenoside (1), giving 180 mg of kinsenoside (1) from 1 g of dried samples for further pharmacological experiments. In an anti-hyperliposis assay using high-fat-diet rats, 1 significantly reduced the weights of the body and the liver, and also decreased the triglyceride level in the liver compared to those of control rats. On the other hand, the epimer of 1, (3S)-3-(β-d-glucopyranosyloxy)butanolide, goodyeroside A (9), which was isolated from the Goodyera species, had no effect for anti-hyperliposis. In aurothioglucose-induced obese mice, 1 suppressed the body and liver weight increase, significantly ameliorated the triglyceride level in the liver, and also reduced the deposition of uterine fat pads. The anti-hepatoxic activities of 9 and goodyerosides B (10) were studied on injury induced by CCl4 in primary cultured rat hepatocytes by measuring the levels of LDH, GOT, and GPT. In the CCl4-treated control group, there were marked increases in LDH, GOT, and GPT activities compared with the normal group. In contrast, these levels were suppressed in 9- and 10-treated groups. Goodyerin (11), a new typical flavone glycoside, exhibited a significant and dose-dependent sedative and anticonvulsant effect.

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Acknowledgments

The authors give thanks to the financial support from the Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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Author notes

  1. Xiao-Ming Du

    Present address: Central University for Nationalities, 27 Zhongguancun South Avenue, Beijing, 100081, China

  2. Yukihiro Shoyama

    Present address: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Nagasaki International University, 2825-7 Huis Ten Bosch, Sasebo, Nagasaki, 859-3298, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Seiwa Pharmaceuticals Ltd., 1-12-15 Shiba-Daimon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-8585, Japan

    Xiao-Ming Du & Nobuto Irino

  2. Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Norihiro Furusho & Jun Hayashi

  3. Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Yukihiro Shoyama

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Correspondence to Yukihiro Shoyama.

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Du, XM., Irino, N., Furusho, N. et al. Pharmacologically active compounds in the Anoectochilus and Goodyera species. J Nat Med 62, 132–148 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-007-0169-0

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