Kumatakenin

Antimutagenic activity of flavonoids from Pogostemon cablin.[Pubmed: 10725128]

J Agric Food Chem. 2000 Mar;48(3):642-7.

A methanol extract from Pogostemon cablin showed a suppressive effect on umu gene expression of SOS response in Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 against the mutagen 2-(2-furyl)-3-(5-nitro-2-furyl)acrylamide (furylfuramide).
METHODS AND RESULTS:
The methanol extract was re-extracted with hexane, dichloromethane, butanol, and water. A dichloromethane fraction showed a suppressive effect. Suppressive compounds against furylfuramide in the dichloromethane fraction were isolated by SiO(2) column chromatography and identified as 7,4'-di-O-methyleriodictyol (1), 7, 3',4'-tri-O-methyleriodictyol (2), and 3,7,4'-tri-O-methylkaempferol (3). In addition, three flavonoids, ombuine (4), pachypodol (5), and Kumatakenin (6), were isolated and identified from the dichrolomethane fraction. Compounds 1 and 3 suppressed >50% of the SOS-inducing activity at <0.6 micromol/mL, and the ID(50) values of both compounds were 0.25 micromol/mL. Compound 2 showed a weakly suppressive effect (17%) at a concentration of 0.6 micromol/mL, and compounds 4-6 did not. These compounds were also assayed with 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1), which requires liver metabolizing enzymes. Compounds 3,4,5,Kumatakenin (6) suppressed >80% of the SOS-inducing activity of Trp-P-1 at <0.06 micromol/mL, and compounds 1 and 2 suppressed 87 and 63% at a concentration of 0.3 micromol/mL. In addition, these compounds were assayed with activated Trp-P-1, and the suppressed effects of these compounds were further decreased when compared to Trp-P-1.
CONCLUSIONS:
The antimutagenic activities of these compounds against furylfuramide, Trp-P-1, and activated Trp-P-1 were assayed by the Ames test using S. typhimurium TA100.

Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2014 Jul;39(14):2674-8.

A new flavonone from seeds of Alpinia katsumadai and its neuroprotective effect on PC12 cells.[Pubmed: 25272494]

A new flavonone, named as (2R, 3S)-pinobanksin-3-cinnamate(1), together with six known compounds, pinocem-brin (2), pinobanksin (3), 3-O-acetylpinobanksin (4), galangin (5), Kumatakenin(6), and 3-methylkaempferol (7), were isolated from a 95% ethanol extract of seeds of Alpinia katsumadai through a combination of various chromatographic techniques, including silica gel and Sephadex LH-20.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
The structure of compound 1 was elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis. Compound 1 exhibits a potent neuroprotective effect against the corticosterone-damaged PC12 cells, which may be underlying the effect by scavenging intracellular ROS.

Pharmacogn Mag. 2010 Oct;6(24):339-44.

Phytoconstituents from Alpinia purpurata and their in vitro inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.[Pubmed: 21120040]

Alpinia purpurata or red ginger was studied for its phytochemical constituents as part of our growing interest on Philippine Zingiberaceae plants that may exhibit antimycobacterial activity.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
The hexane and dichloromethane subextracts of the leaves were fractionated and purified using silica gel chromatography to afford a mixture of C(28)-C(32) fatty alcohols, a 3-methoxyflavone and two steroidal glycosides. The two latter metabolites were spectroscopically identified as Kumatakenin (1), sitosteryl-3-O-6-palmitoyl-β-D-glucoside (2) and b-sitosteryl galactoside (3) using ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR), electron impact mass spectrometer (EIMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments, and by comparison with literature data.
CONCLUSIONS:
This study demonstrates for the first time the isolation of these constituents from A. purpurata. In addition to the purported anti-inflammatory activity, its phytomedicinal potential to treat tuberculosis is also described.