Sorbus L. sensu lato (Rosaceae family) comprises over 250 trees and shrubs growing in the Northern Hemisphere. Several Sorbus species have found their way into traditonal materia medica, as different leaf, bark or fruit preparations have a longstanding folk use. Ethnomedicine recommends their use not only in respiratory and gastrointestinal system disorders, but also in rheumatism, cancer or diabetes. Chemical composition of the genus Sorbus has been studied since 1960s and until now more than 250 compounds have been identified from thirty-eight species. The most thoroughly investigated substances are phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids). Other constituents include triterpenes, sterols, carboxylic acids, coumarins and cyanogenic glycosides. Biological activity studies performed on the representatives of the genus Sorbus have been predominantly conducted on extracts prepared with the use of different solvents, and more rarely on isolated constituents. The majority of these studies were devoted to determination of antioxidant potential of Sorbus extracts. In a few cases targeted studies were conducted to confirm specific folk usage. Two of the fairly well documented medicinal uses are the antidiabetic activity of Sorbus decora and antiinflammatory activity of Sorbus commixta. Keywords Sorbus Á Folk medicine Á Phytochemistry Á Biological activity Abbreviations AAPH 2,2 0 -Azobis-(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride ABTS 2,2 0 -Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothioazoline-6sulphonic acid) diammonium salt ACE Angiotensin converting enzyme AChE Acetylcholinesterase ADH Alcohol dehydrogenase ALT Alanine aminotransferase AMPK Adenosine-monophosphate-activated protein kinase AST Aspartate transaminase ATO Arsenic trioxide BChE Butyrylcholinesterase CAT Catalase CD Conjugated dienes cGMP Guanosine 3 0 ,5 0 -cyclic monophosphate COX-2 Cyclooxygenase-2 CYP Cytochrome P450 DMPD ? N,N-Dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine DPPH 2,2 0 -Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl dw Dry weight ecNOS Endothelial cell NO synthase EDTA Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid
The genus Atriplex provides species that are used as food and natural remedies. In this work, the levels of soluble phenolic acids (free and conjugated) and flavonoids in extracts from roots, stems, leaves and flowers of the unexplored Atriplex sagittata Borkh were investigated by LC-ESI-MS/MS, together with their antioxidant and antihyaluronidase activity. Phenolic acids were present in all parts of A. sagittata; and were most abundant in the leaves (225.24 μg/g dw.), whereas the highest content of flavonoids were found in the flowers (242.71 μg/g dw.). The most common phenolics were 4-hydroxybenzoic and salicylic acids, kaempferol-3-glucoside-7-rhamnoside, kaempferol-3-rutinoside and the rare narcissoside, which was present in almost all morphotic parts. The stem extract had the highest antioxidant activity and total phenolic content (611.86 mg/100 g dw.), whereas flower extract exerted the most potent antihyaluronidase effect (IC50 = 84.67 µg/mL; control—quercetin: IC50 = 514.28 μg/mL). Phytochemical analysis of the flower extract led to the isolation of two triterpene saponins that were shown to be strong hyaluronidase inhibitors (IC50 = 33.77 and 168.15 µg/mL; control—escin: IC50 = 307.38 µg/mL). This is the first report on the presence of phenolics and saponins in A. sagittata. The results suggest that both groups of metabolites may contribute to the overall activity of this plant species.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common urological disease affecting aging men. Its pathogenesis is regarded as complex and multifactorial, with sex hormones and inflammation as key contributory factors. In the current study, we investigated the anti-BPH potential of terpenoids present in the fruits of Sorbus intermedia (EHRH.) PERS. Not only the effects on testosterone-stimulated normal prostate epithelial PNT2 cells, namely suppression of 5-α-reductase activity, PSA secretion, and cell proliferation, were determined but also the inhibitory activity on heat-induced protein denaturation, hyaluronidase, as well as IL-6, TNF-α, and NO release in LPS-treated macrophages. Sorbus terpenoids significantly inhibited 5-α-reductase activity and reduced PSA secretion in PNT2 cells, reversing the stimulatory effect of testosterone. PNT2 cell proliferation was also found to be attenuated. Subsequently, all compounds reduced the release of pro-inflammatory mediators in RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, ursolic acid (UA) and its aldehyde (UAL) were the most potent hyaluronidase inhibitors of all compounds, with IC50 values of 225.75 µg/mL and 369.77 µg/mL, respectively. For better understanding and interpretation of the overall effect of Sorbus terpenoids on different aspects of BPH pathogenesis and development, cluster analysis was applied.
In this study, two ursane‐type triterpenes, i. e., ursolic acid (UA) and 3‐O‐β‐acetoxyursolic acid (AUA), were isolated and quantified in Sorbus intermedia (EHRH.) PERS. fruits. UA and AUA levels differed slightly throughout fruit maturation, and both triterpenes showed similar dynamics of accumulation with the highest levels found in ripe fruits (up to 6.33±0.56 and 1.17±0.18 mg/g dw. of UA and AUA, respectively). The extracts derived from unripe fruits displayed significant cytotoxic effects against WM793, DU‐145, PC3, 8505C, Caco2 and A549 cells, but no correlation between UA and AUA levels and cytotoxicity was found. On the other hand, extracts from mature fruits were not active towards almost all of the tested cell lines. The chemometric approach showed that the extracts derived from fruits harvested earlier clustered to form a clearly distanced group from extracts prepared from more‐mature fruits. The extracts at higher concentrations formed separate groups, which indicated the concentration‐dependent effect of these extracts on the cells.
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