Vitexilactone

New norditerpenoids with trypanocidal activity from Vitex trifolia.[Pubmed:15577254]

Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2004 Dec;52(12):1492-4.

Trypanocidal constituents of the fruits of Vitex trifolia were investigated. Activity-guided isolation of the acetone extract resulted in the isolation of two new norditerpene aldehydes, 1 and 2, together with five known diterpenes: vitexifolin E (3), vitexifolin F (4), Vitexilactone (5), 6-acetoxy-9-hydroxy-13(14)-labden-16,15-olide (6), and preVitexilactone (7). In vitro minimum lethal concentrations of the isolated compounds against epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi were 11 microM (1), 36 microM (2), 34 microM (3), 34 microM (4), 66 microM (5), 66 microM (6), and >265 microM (7).

Labdane-type diterpenes as new cell cycle inhibitors and apoptosis inducers from Vitex trifolia L.[Pubmed:15621610]

J Asian Nat Prod Res. 2005 Apr;7(2):95-105.

Five labdane-type diterpenes, Vitexilactone (1), (rel 5S,6R,8R,9R,10S)-6-acetoxy-9-hydroxy-13(14)-labden-16,15-olide (2), rotundifuran (3), vitetrifolin D (4), and vitetrifolin E (5), have been isolated from Vitex trifolia L., a Chinese folk medicine used to treat cancers, as new cell cycle inhibitors and apoptosis inducers through a bioassay-guided separation procedure and were identified by spectroscopic methods. Compounds 1-5 dramatically induced apoptosis both on tsFT210 and K562 cells at higher concentrations while at lower concentrations they inhibited the cell cycle progression of both tsFT210 and K562 cells at the G0/G1 phase. MIC values for 1-5 for inducing apoptosis and concentration regions for 1-5 for inhibiting cell cycle both on tsFT210 and K562 cells have also been determined. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of 1-5 on the proliferation of tsFT210 and K562 cells have been evaluated by MTT assay to obtain IC50 values to confirm that 1-5 are anticancer components of Vitex trifolia L., which exert their anti-proliferative effect on cancer cells through inducing apoptosis and inhibiting the cell cycle. The present results provide labdane-type diterpenes, 1-5, as a new class of cell cycle inhibitors and compounds 1, 2, 4, and 5 as new apoptosis inducers, which also explains, for the first time, the usage of Vitex trifolia L. by Chinese people to treat cancers.

Virtual screening of Indonesian herbal database as HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitor.[Pubmed:23275721]

Bioinformation. 2012;8(24):1206-10.

HIV-1 (Human immunodeficiency virus type 1) is a member of retrovirus family that could infect human and causing AIDS disease. AIDS epidemic is one of most destructive diseases in modern era. There were more than 33 million people infected by HIV until 2010. Various studies have been widely employed to design drugs that target the essential enzymes of HIV-1 that is, reverse transcriptase, protease and integrase. In this study, in silico virtual screening approach is used to find lead molecules from the library or database of natural compounds as HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitor. Virtual screening against Indonesian Herbal Database using AutoDock4 performed on HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. From the virtual screening, top ten compounds were mulberrin, plucheoside A, Vitexilactone, brucine N-oxide, cyanidin 3-arabinoside, alpha-mangostin, guaijaverin, erycristagallin, morusin and sanggenol N.

Development and validation of a rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatography diode array detector method for Vitex agnus-castus.[Pubmed:23522912]

J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2013 May 15;927:181-90.

A rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatography diode array detector (UHPLC-DAD) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of all classes of non-volatile phytochemicals (iridoids, flavonoids and diterpenes) in Vitex agnus-castus (Lamiaceae) fruits, a traditional medicinal plant used against premenstrual symptoms (PMS) and other disorders. Seven marker compounds, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, agnuside, 5-hydroxykaempferol-3,6,7,4'-tetramethylether, 1,2-dibenzoic acid glucose, methoxy-Vitexilactone, and vitetrifolin D were isolated from the methanol extract of V. agnus-castus to be used as reference substances. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C18 (50mmx2.1mm) UHPLC column with 1.8mum particle size, within 20min. A solvent gradient from 0.5% acetic acid to acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.6mL/min was used as mobile phase. Analyte detection and quantification was realized at 210nm and 260nm. The UHPLC-DAD assay was validated for the quantitative analysis of agnuside, isovitexin, casticin, 5-hydroxykaempferol-3,6,7,4'-tetramethylether and vitetrifolin D. It was found to be specific, accurate, precise, and reproducible for the quantification of these compound within a concentration range of 0.7-500.0mug/mL for casticin and 5-hydroxykaempferol-3,6,7,4'-tetramethylether, 1.4-1000.0mug/mL for isovitexin and agnuside, and 12.4-1000.0mug/mL for vitetrifolin D. Intra- and inter-day variations showed relative standard deviations (RSD) of less than 3.9% and 6.4%, respectively. Tentatively assignment of 62 chromatographic features found in the UHPLC-DAD assay was carried out by coupling the UHPLC instrument to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer via an electrospray ionization interface (ESI-QTOF-MS) operated in positive and negative ion mode. By using the established quantitative UHPLC-DAD assay to asses agnuside, isovitexin, casticin, 5-hydroxykaempferol-3,6,7,4'-tetramethylether and vitetrifolin D in V. agnus-castus derived preparations as extracts, tinctures and tablets, the applicability of the developed assay to phytopharmaceuticals was successfully proven.

Compounds from the Fruits of the Popular European Medicinal Plant Vitex agnus-castus in Chemoprevention via NADP(H):Quinone Oxidoreductase Type 1 Induction.[Pubmed:23662135]

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:432829.

As part of our continuing efforts in the search for potential biologically active compounds from medicinal plants, we have isolated 18 compounds including two novel nitrogen containing diterpenes from extracts of the fruits of Vitex agnus-castus. These isolates, along with our previously obtained novel compound vitexlactam A (1), were evaluated for potential biological effects, including cancer chemoprevention. Chemically, the nitrogenous isolates were found to be two labdane diterpene alkaloids, each containing an alpha , beta -unsaturated gamma -lactam moiety. Structurally, they were elucidated to be 9 alpha -hydroxy-13(14)-labden-16,15-amide (2) and 6 beta -acetoxy-9 alpha -hydroxy-13(14)-labden-15,16-amide (3), which were named vitexlactams B and C, respectively. The 15 known isolates were identified as Vitexilactone (4), rotundifuran (5), 8-epi-manoyl oxide (6), vitetrifolin D (7), spathulenol (8), cis-dihydro-dehydro-diconiferylalcohol-9-O- beta -D-glucoside (9), luteolin-7-O-glucoside (10), 5-hydroxy-3,6,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone (11), casticin (12), artemetin (13), aucubin (14), agnuside (15), beta -sitosterol (16), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (17), and p-hydroxybenzoic acid glucose ester (18). All compound structures were determined/identified on the basis of 1D and/or 2D NMR and mass spectrometry techniques. Compounds 6, 8, 9, and 18 were reported from a Vitex spieces for the first time. The cancer chemopreventive potentials of these isolates were evaluated for NADP(H):quinone oxidoreductase type 1 (QR1) induction activity. Compound 7 demonstrated promising QR1 induction effect, while the new compound vitexlactam (3) was only slightly active.