Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Plants in Myanmar
195
is also one of the major ingredients in TMF-21 (Hsee-hsay-phyu) and a common
ingredient of TMF-20 (Mahar-kalyarni-hsay), TMF-23 (Hsay-pale-kalat), TMF-32
(Nan-dwin-shar-put-hsay-gyi), TMF-39 (Mahar-than-wutta-bayar-hsay), and TMF43 (Akin-sae-bah-hsay). These formulations have been employed for the treatment of
various fevers, influenza, and indigestion, as a diuretic, and for diabetes, diarrhea, and
purification of the blood [352]. The rhizomes reportedly possess anti-inflammatory
and antitumor activities [353, 354] and have been used in a restricted manner for
self-medication by cancer, diabetes, and AIDS patients. Sandaracopimaradiene diterpenoids and ethyl 4-methoxy-(E)-cinnamate have been detected in extracts from this
plant grown in Thailand [353–355].
A phytochemical and pharmacological investigation of K. pulchra rhizomes
grown in Myanmar was reported in 2015 [356]. In this study, a CHCl 3 -
soluble fraction of the rhizomes and/or the isolated compounds were tested
for their various biological activities, such as antiproliferative activity [356,
357], viral protein R (Vpr) inhibitory activity [360], and NO production and
nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) expression inhibitory activities [360, 361].
Thirty-one compounds, including 23 new isopimarane diterpenoids, kaempulchraols A-W (309–331) [356–359] (Fig. 65), together with 9α-hydroxyisopimara8(14),15-dien-7-one (332) [362], 7β,9α-dihydroxypimara-8(14),15-diene (333)
[363], (1S,5S,9S,10S,11R,13R)-1,11-dihydroxypimara-8(14),15-diene (334) [364],
sandaracopimaradien-1α,2α-diol (335) [353], (1R,2S,5S,9S,10S,11R,13R)-1,2,11trihydroxypimara-8(14),15-diene (336) [364], 7α-hydroxyisopimara-8(14),15-diene
(337) [365], (2R)-ent-2-hydroxyisopimara-8(14),15-diene (338) [366], and ethyl 4methoxy-(E)-cinnamate (339) [353] (Fig. 66), were isolated from the active CHCl 3 -
soluble fraction of K. pulchra rhizomes. The isolated compounds were mainly
classifiable into isopimara-8(9),15-dienes (309–312, 315, 322, 323, 327, 329) and
isopimara-8(14),15-dienes (313, 314, 316, 317–321, 324–326, 328, 330–338).
In an evaluation of the antiproliferative activity using the CCK-8 assay [356,
357, 367], the CHCl 3 extract of K. pulchra showed weak inhibition of the proliferation of all tested human cancer cell lines, including A549 (human lung cancer),
HeLa (human cervical cancer), PANC-1 and PSN-1 (human pancreatic cancer), and
MDA-MB-231 (human breast cancer), with IC 50 values of 30.2, 26.7, 37.9, 20.4,
39.0 μg/cm
3 (unpublished data), respectively. Furthermore, the assay also revealed
various antiproliferative activity potency levels, with IC 50 values ranging from 12.3
to 99.3 μM for compounds 309–339. In this assay, kaempulchraol B (310) was the
most active compound against A549 and PANC-1 cells, with IC 50 values of 32.9 and
25.4 μM, respectively, whereas the proliferation of PSN-1, HeLa, and MDA-MB231 cells was selectively inhibited by kaempulchraols F (314), M (321), and T (328),
with IC 50 values of 12.3, 28.4, and 48.2 μM, respectively. However, antiproliferative activities were lacking against all the tested cell lines by compounds 322, 323,
329–333, at the concentration levels used [356, 357, 367].
As in the case of the antiproliferative activity testing, anti-Vpr activity evaluation
using HeLa cells harboring, the Vpr expression plasmid (TREx-HeLa-Vpr cells)
also was conducted on not only the CHCl 3 -soluble fraction of K. pulchra rhizomes
but also the isolated compounds 309–339 [359, 367]. Vpr is a small basic protein
195
is also one of the major ingredients in TMF-21 (Hsee-hsay-phyu) and a common
ingredient of TMF-20 (Mahar-kalyarni-hsay), TMF-23 (Hsay-pale-kalat), TMF-32
(Nan-dwin-shar-put-hsay-gyi), TMF-39 (Mahar-than-wutta-bayar-hsay), and TMF43 (Akin-sae-bah-hsay). These formulations have been employed for the treatment of
various fevers, influenza, and indigestion, as a diuretic, and for diabetes, diarrhea, and
purification of the blood [352]. The rhizomes reportedly possess anti-inflammatory
and antitumor activities [353, 354] and have been used in a restricted manner for
self-medication by cancer, diabetes, and AIDS patients. Sandaracopimaradiene diterpenoids and ethyl 4-methoxy-(E)-cinnamate have been detected in extracts from this
plant grown in Thailand [353–355].
A phytochemical and pharmacological investigation of K. pulchra rhizomes
grown in Myanmar was reported in 2015 [356]. In this study, a CHCl 3 -
soluble fraction of the rhizomes and/or the isolated compounds were tested
for their various biological activities, such as antiproliferative activity [356,
357], viral protein R (Vpr) inhibitory activity [360], and NO production and
nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) expression inhibitory activities [360, 361].
Thirty-one compounds, including 23 new isopimarane diterpenoids, kaempulchraols A-W (309–331) [356–359] (Fig. 65), together with 9α-hydroxyisopimara8(14),15-dien-7-one (332) [362], 7β,9α-dihydroxypimara-8(14),15-diene (333)
[363], (1S,5S,9S,10S,11R,13R)-1,11-dihydroxypimara-8(14),15-diene (334) [364],
sandaracopimaradien-1α,2α-diol (335) [353], (1R,2S,5S,9S,10S,11R,13R)-1,2,11trihydroxypimara-8(14),15-diene (336) [364], 7α-hydroxyisopimara-8(14),15-diene
(337) [365], (2R)-ent-2-hydroxyisopimara-8(14),15-diene (338) [366], and ethyl 4methoxy-(E)-cinnamate (339) [353] (Fig. 66), were isolated from the active CHCl 3 -
soluble fraction of K. pulchra rhizomes. The isolated compounds were mainly
classifiable into isopimara-8(9),15-dienes (309–312, 315, 322, 323, 327, 329) and
isopimara-8(14),15-dienes (313, 314, 316, 317–321, 324–326, 328, 330–338).
In an evaluation of the antiproliferative activity using the CCK-8 assay [356,
357, 367], the CHCl 3 extract of K. pulchra showed weak inhibition of the proliferation of all tested human cancer cell lines, including A549 (human lung cancer),
HeLa (human cervical cancer), PANC-1 and PSN-1 (human pancreatic cancer), and
MDA-MB-231 (human breast cancer), with IC 50 values of 30.2, 26.7, 37.9, 20.4,
39.0 μg/cm
3 (unpublished data), respectively. Furthermore, the assay also revealed
various antiproliferative activity potency levels, with IC 50 values ranging from 12.3
to 99.3 μM for compounds 309–339. In this assay, kaempulchraol B (310) was the
most active compound against A549 and PANC-1 cells, with IC 50 values of 32.9 and
25.4 μM, respectively, whereas the proliferation of PSN-1, HeLa, and MDA-MB231 cells was selectively inhibited by kaempulchraols F (314), M (321), and T (328),
with IC 50 values of 12.3, 28.4, and 48.2 μM, respectively. However, antiproliferative activities were lacking against all the tested cell lines by compounds 322, 323,
329–333, at the concentration levels used [356, 357, 367].
As in the case of the antiproliferative activity testing, anti-Vpr activity evaluation
using HeLa cells harboring, the Vpr expression plasmid (TREx-HeLa-Vpr cells)
also was conducted on not only the CHCl 3 -soluble fraction of K. pulchra rhizomes
but also the isolated compounds 309–339 [359, 367]. Vpr is a small basic protein