{"title":"Microbial transformation of cycloastragenol by <i>Penicillium spinulosum</i> AS3.149.","authors":"Xin-Yu Cai, Ji-Mei Liu, Jun-Gui Dai","doi":"10.1080/10286020.2025.2603644","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10286020.2025.2603644","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Two new metabolites, 29-demethyl-3-ene-cycloastragenol (<b>2</b>) and 1<i>α</i>,12<i>α</i>-dihydroxy-cycloastragenone (<b>3</b>), along with six known compounds (<b>4</b>-<b>9</b>) were obtained from the microbial transformation of cycloastragenol (<b>1</b>) by <i>Penicillium spinulosum</i> AS3.149. The structures of these metabolites were determined by extensive spectroscopic (IR, UV, HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR) data analyses. Compound <b>2</b> features a 29-nor-triterpenic skeleton, possibly formed through sequential oxidation, decarboxylation, and dehydration reactions. Biological assays revealed that compound <b>6</b> exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against the K562 cell line with an IC<sub>50</sub> value of 1.0 μM.</p>","PeriodicalId":15180,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Asian Natural Products Research","volume":" ","pages":"1278-1285"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145889282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Basma I El-Shimi, Rafat M Mohareb, Hanaa H Ahmed, Khaled F Mahmoud, Demiana H Hanna, Rehab S Abohashem
{"title":"<i>Panax ginseng</i> nanoemulsion: a promising pre-clinical modality for ameliorating male infertility <i>via</i> manipulation of <i>PI3K/AKT/mTOR</i> signaling pathway.","authors":"Basma I El-Shimi, Rafat M Mohareb, Hanaa H Ahmed, Khaled F Mahmoud, Demiana H Hanna, Rehab S Abohashem","doi":"10.1080/10286020.2025.2599283","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10286020.2025.2599283","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The study investigates <i>Panax ginseng</i> nanoemulsion role in counteracting male infertility in rats. Nanoemulsion was prepared by oil in water method, then it was characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), Zeta sizer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The serum total testosterone, free testosterone, Luteinizing Hormone (LH), and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) were measured. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Protein kinase B (AKT), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), E-cadherin (E-cad), and connexin 43 (Cx43) expression were analyzed. A histological examination of testes was also carried out. Nanoemulsion exhibited a spherical morphology, with diameter from 5.98 to 51.80 nm. Additionally, Zeta sizer determined size distribution by number from 97.74 to 147.4 nm. Zeta potential revealed negatively charged surface. FTIR showed common active groups. Nanoemulsions demonstrated thermal stability up to 207 °C. Biological experiments indicated that adverse effects of bisphenol A (BPA) were counteracted by <i>Panax ginseng</i> in either nanoemulsion or free form and vitamin E (Vit.E). Panax ginseng nanoemulsion recovers male infertility in rats. These outcomes may have a significant impact on developing a new therapeutic entity to treat male infertile patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":15180,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Asian Natural Products Research","volume":" ","pages":"1360-1389"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145892597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Study on structural modification and hepatoprotective activities of shikonofuran derivatives.","authors":"Shi-Rui Zhou, Ling-Hao Zhao, Si-Yuan Liu, Xu-Hong Ren, Pei-Cheng Zhang","doi":"10.1080/10286020.2026.2693149","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10286020.2026.2693149","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Arnebiae Radix</i> is a traditional Chinese medicine, and its active constituent shikonofuran exhibits a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities. In this study, shikonofuran derivatives were designed and synthesized, and their hepatoprotective effects were evaluated using the MTT assay in a HepG2 cell injury model. The results showed that compound <b>10b</b>, bearing a lipoic acid moiety, displayed superior activity compared with the positive control bicyclol. This study provides experimental evidence for further investigation of these compounds and the development of hepatoprotective leads.</p>","PeriodicalId":15180,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Asian Natural Products Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148813024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Meng Xu, Zi-Qing Zhang, Pei-Xi Zhang, Xin-Yi He, Xin-Yue Pan, Cai-Xia Huang, Yan-Jun Di, Yan Wang, Jie-Qing Liu
{"title":"From undruggable to degradable: development of anthraquinone-based PROTACs against MITF for skin-lightening applications.","authors":"Meng Xu, Zi-Qing Zhang, Pei-Xi Zhang, Xin-Yi He, Xin-Yue Pan, Cai-Xia Huang, Yan-Jun Di, Yan Wang, Jie-Qing Liu","doi":"10.1080/10286020.2026.2703640","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10286020.2026.2703640","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is a master regulator of melanogenesis but remains undruggable. We designed anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid-based PROTACs; <b>EF4</b> exhibited the most potent degradation in A375B16-F10 cells with minimal cytotoxicity. CETSA and proteasome inhibition assays confirmed target engagement, and molecular docking revealed a stable MITF-<b>EF4</b>-CRBN ternary complex. ADMET profiling showed favorable properties (MW 564.6, logP 2.62, bioavailability 0.55). Compared to <b>E6</b>, <b>EF4</b> had fewer drug-likeness violations, better skin permeability (log Kp = -7.76 cm/s), and superior synthetic accessibility. These findings highlight <b>EF4</b> as a promising lead for skin-targeted MITF degraders.</p>","PeriodicalId":15180,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Asian Natural Products Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-23"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148712308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Guomin decoction ameliorates atopic dermatitis by restoring M1/M2 macrophage polarization balance via dual regulation of MAPK/NF-κB and JAK-STAT pathways.","authors":"Jing Li, Yan-Jiao Liu, Xin-Jia Zhang, Chu-Yao Li, Rui-Ju Ma, Zhi-Chang Xu, Rui-Rui Wang, Yi Zhang, Li-Juan Zhang","doi":"10.1080/10286020.2026.2681849","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10286020.2026.2681849","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigates the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Guomin decoction (GMJ) on atopic dermatitis (AD). Animal and cellular experiments revealed that GMJ reduces ear swelling and collagen loss in AD-affected mice, modulates inflammatory factors, and inhibits M1 polarization while promoting M2 polarization. Mechanistic studies indicate that GMJ restores the M1/M2 balance in macrophages by dual regulation of the MAPK/NF-κB and JAK-STAT pathways, thereby improving AD.</p>","PeriodicalId":15180,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Asian Natural Products Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-20"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148712358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Run-Qiao Kuang, Hui-Jun Huang, Shu-Tai Jiang, Guo-Dong Chen, Huan Zhao, Dan Hu, Xing-Zhong Liu, Chuan-Xi Wang, Hao Gao, Xin-Sheng Yao
{"title":"Myromopholine A, a new unusual diketomorpholine from <i>Myrothecium gramineum</i>.","authors":"Run-Qiao Kuang, Hui-Jun Huang, Shu-Tai Jiang, Guo-Dong Chen, Huan Zhao, Dan Hu, Xing-Zhong Liu, Chuan-Xi Wang, Hao Gao, Xin-Sheng Yao","doi":"10.1080/10286020.2026.2707135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10286020.2026.2707135","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A new diketomorpholine, myromopholine A (<b>1</b>), was isolated from the wetland fungus <i>Myrothecium gramineum</i> (ZLW0801-19). Through extensive spectroscopic analyses, including IR, MS, NMR, and X-ray single crystal diffraction, the planar structure and absolute configuration of the compound were determined, revealing the presence of a rare D-phenyllactic acid moiety. The investigation represents the first reported isolation of a diketomorpholine compound from the genus <i>Myrothecium</i>. Furthermore, it is the first identification of a diketomorpholine bearing a D-phenyllactic acid unit from a natural source, challenging the conventional understanding that such natural products exist exclusively as L-form derivatives.</p>","PeriodicalId":15180,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Asian Natural Products Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148701257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A demethylation chloroisosulochrin and a chromone metabolite from the endophytic fungus <i>Penicilium</i> sp.","authors":"Ke-Liang Chen, Xue Wang, Yang Liu, Yun-Bao Liu","doi":"10.1080/10286020.2025.2579152","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10286020.2025.2579152","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A newly discovered chloroisosulochrin derivative, involving demethychloroisosul (<b>1</b>), and a novel chromone metabolite, reduchromone (<b>2</b>), were extracted from <i>Penicilium</i> sp., an endophytic fungus residing in <i>Rhododendron molle</i>. The structures of these compounds were elucidated through a comprehensive analysis of their 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS data. In addition, the X-ray diffraction analysis of demethychloroisosul (<b>1</b>) is the first example to confirm the structure of chloroisosulochrin by single-crystal data. Notably, demethychloroisosul (<b>1</b>) exhibited moderate cytotoxic efficacy against HepG2 liver cancer cells, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration value of 30.18 μM.</p>","PeriodicalId":15180,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Asian Natural Products Research","volume":" ","pages":"1152-1158"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145437786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"First total synthesis and antimicrobial evaluation of xanthone V1.","authors":"Fei Tan, Meng-Qi Wang, He-Fei Shi, Chun-Ran Zhang, De-Xiu Cui, Hong-Bo Dong","doi":"10.1080/10286020.2025.2581720","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10286020.2025.2581720","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antibiotic resistance demands new agents. We disclosed the first total synthesis of the natural xanthone V1 (<b>1</b>), which featured a regioselective Claisen cyclization and a Claisen/Cope rearrangement that installed the pyran ring and isopentenyl unit. The synthetic compound showed moderate antibacterial potency (MICs 16-64 μg/ml) across multiple strains and synergized with ciprofloxacin against MRSA. It exhibited low cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells and minimal hemolysis, thereby supporting xanthone V1 as a promising lead for anti-MRSA therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":15180,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Asian Natural Products Research","volume":" ","pages":"1169-1182"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145438025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chaeeun Bang, Eun Hyang Jang, Da-Eun Lee, Gye Lim Kim, Yunjae Jung, Hanbo Shin, Jin Hee Na, Sangmin Lee, Jong-Ho Kim
{"title":"Glutinol, main component of <i>orostachys japonica</i>, inhibits <i>in vitro and in vivo</i> TGF-β-induced epithelial mesenchymal transition of human cancer cells.","authors":"Chaeeun Bang, Eun Hyang Jang, Da-Eun Lee, Gye Lim Kim, Yunjae Jung, Hanbo Shin, Jin Hee Na, Sangmin Lee, Jong-Ho Kim","doi":"10.1080/10286020.2025.2582733","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10286020.2025.2582733","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glutinol (GT), a major triterpenoid component of <i>Orostachys japonica</i>, suppresses TGF-β-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human cancer cells. GT treatment restored epithelial characteristics by upregulating E-cadherin and downregulating Snail, thereby reducing cancer cell migration and invasion in A549 and MCF-7 cells. <i>In vivo</i>, GT significantly inhibited lung metastasis of TGF-β-treated A549-luc cells in mice. These findings demonstrate that GT exerts potent anti-metastatic effects through modulation of the TGF-β/Snail/E-cadherin signaling axis, highlighting its potential as a natural therapeutic agent against cancer metastasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":15180,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Asian Natural Products Research","volume":" ","pages":"1183-1195"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145530592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Qiu-Hong Li, Ming-Xing Lu, Yu-Han Feng, Mao Zhao, Ting-Dan Mo, Wen-Wen Jiang, Xia Zhang, Lu Wang
{"title":"Rutin inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis and increases glycogen synthesis through the IRS/PI3K/akt signaling pathway in insulin resistant hepatocytes.","authors":"Qiu-Hong Li, Ming-Xing Lu, Yu-Han Feng, Mao Zhao, Ting-Dan Mo, Wen-Wen Jiang, Xia Zhang, Lu Wang","doi":"10.1080/10286020.2025.2577900","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10286020.2025.2577900","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rutin, a dietary flavonoid, can relieve insulin resistance to improve hyperglycemia, while the precise mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that rutin bound well to the insulin receptor, alleviated glucosamine-induced insulin resistance in HepG2 cells and observably increased glucose consumption and glucose uptake <i>in vitro</i>. Furthermore, rutin increased the levels of IRS-1, IRS-2, PI3K, p-AKT, p-GSK3β and p-FOXO1 and decreased the expression of p-IRS-1, p-GS, PEPCK and G6Pase, indicating that rutin could promote glycogen synthesis and inhibit gluconeogenesis via the IRS/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Overall, the findings confirmed that rutin potentially mitigates glucosamine-induced insulin resistance in hepatocytes via activation of IRS/PI3K/Akt pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":15180,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Asian Natural Products Research","volume":" ","pages":"1196-1210"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145534344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}