Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Plants in Myanmar
219
secoisolariciresinol (428) [532] (Fig. 85). Among the isolated compounds, glaberide
I (424) and secoisolariciresinol (428) displayed anti-melanin deposition activities,
with IC 50 values of 49.9 and 37.5 μM, respectively, without showing any cytotoxicity in the anti-melanin deposition assay against the α–MSH- and IBMX-induced
mouse melanoma cell line (B16-F10) [526]. Further detailed analyses of the effects
of 424 and 428 on tyrosinase activity, as well as MITF, TYR, TRP-1, and TRP2 mRNA expression, have suggested that the anti-melanin deposition activity of
428 could result from the downregulation of Tyr mRNA expression, while the antimelanin deposition activity of 424 may result from the inhibition of other melanogenesis pathways. J. multifida does not appear to be used as a traditional cosmetic.
However, the results of this study may be helpful for the application of J. multifida
and its phytoconstituents as one of the ingredients of potential skin-whitening agent
formulations.
2.26 Swertia chirata Buch.-Ham. ex Wall.
Swertia chirata is an annual/biennial medicinal herb (Gentianaceae) and is distributed
widely in the Himalayan mountains, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and
Myanmar. In Myanmar, this plant is referred to as Pan-khar or Thinbaw-sega-gyi
(Fig. 86) and it occurs at Taungoo Township in the Bago Region. It has been utilized
in traditional medicine for the treatment of liver disorders, malaria, chronic fever,
anemia, bronchial asthma, hepatitis, diabetes, cancer, and HIV/AIDS [533, 534].
Previous phytochemical studies have reported the presence of xanthones, flavonoids,
terpenoids, alkaloids, iridoids, secoiridoids, steroids, and phenolic compounds from
whole plants of S. chirata. These secondary metabolites showed antitumor, antiviral,
antidiabetic, anti-HIV, and anti-hepatitis bioactivities [533–536].
A report appeared in 2019 on the phytochemistry of the whole plants of S.
chirata collected in Myanmar [537]. The CHCl 3 -soluble extract of S. chirata inhibited the expression of Vpr at an effective concentration level of 10 μg/cm
3 . Four
xanthones, decussatine (429) [538], methylbellidifolin (430) [539], 3,5-dimethoxy1-hydroxyxanthone (431) [540], and bellidifolin (432) [541], and two triterpenoids,
oleanolic acid (382) [454] and 12-hydroxyoleanolic lactone (433) [542], were
isolated from this active CHCl 3 extract (Fig. 87). In the reported paper [537], the
name of 430 was incorrectly given as methylswertianin, and, herein, it has been
corrected as methylbellidifolin.
In this study, the isolated compounds 382, 429, 430, 432, and 433 were examined for their inhibitory effects on the expression of Vpr in TREx-HeLa-Vpr cells,
conducted according to a previously reported protocol [359]. Among the compounds
tested, only oleanolic acid (382) and bellidifolin (432) exhibited anti-Vpr activities. Bellidifolin (432) and oleanolic acid (382) inhibited Vpr expression at a 5 μM
concentation level. Similar inhibitory effects were observed when the cells were
treated with a 10 μM dose. In particular, 10 μM oleanolic acid (382) exhibited more
219
secoisolariciresinol (428) [532] (Fig. 85). Among the isolated compounds, glaberide
I (424) and secoisolariciresinol (428) displayed anti-melanin deposition activities,
with IC 50 values of 49.9 and 37.5 μM, respectively, without showing any cytotoxicity in the anti-melanin deposition assay against the α–MSH- and IBMX-induced
mouse melanoma cell line (B16-F10) [526]. Further detailed analyses of the effects
of 424 and 428 on tyrosinase activity, as well as MITF, TYR, TRP-1, and TRP2 mRNA expression, have suggested that the anti-melanin deposition activity of
428 could result from the downregulation of Tyr mRNA expression, while the antimelanin deposition activity of 424 may result from the inhibition of other melanogenesis pathways. J. multifida does not appear to be used as a traditional cosmetic.
However, the results of this study may be helpful for the application of J. multifida
and its phytoconstituents as one of the ingredients of potential skin-whitening agent
formulations.
2.26 Swertia chirata Buch.-Ham. ex Wall.
Swertia chirata is an annual/biennial medicinal herb (Gentianaceae) and is distributed
widely in the Himalayan mountains, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and
Myanmar. In Myanmar, this plant is referred to as Pan-khar or Thinbaw-sega-gyi
(Fig. 86) and it occurs at Taungoo Township in the Bago Region. It has been utilized
in traditional medicine for the treatment of liver disorders, malaria, chronic fever,
anemia, bronchial asthma, hepatitis, diabetes, cancer, and HIV/AIDS [533, 534].
Previous phytochemical studies have reported the presence of xanthones, flavonoids,
terpenoids, alkaloids, iridoids, secoiridoids, steroids, and phenolic compounds from
whole plants of S. chirata. These secondary metabolites showed antitumor, antiviral,
antidiabetic, anti-HIV, and anti-hepatitis bioactivities [533–536].
A report appeared in 2019 on the phytochemistry of the whole plants of S.
chirata collected in Myanmar [537]. The CHCl 3 -soluble extract of S. chirata inhibited the expression of Vpr at an effective concentration level of 10 μg/cm
3 . Four
xanthones, decussatine (429) [538], methylbellidifolin (430) [539], 3,5-dimethoxy1-hydroxyxanthone (431) [540], and bellidifolin (432) [541], and two triterpenoids,
oleanolic acid (382) [454] and 12-hydroxyoleanolic lactone (433) [542], were
isolated from this active CHCl 3 extract (Fig. 87). In the reported paper [537], the
name of 430 was incorrectly given as methylswertianin, and, herein, it has been
corrected as methylbellidifolin.
In this study, the isolated compounds 382, 429, 430, 432, and 433 were examined for their inhibitory effects on the expression of Vpr in TREx-HeLa-Vpr cells,
conducted according to a previously reported protocol [359]. Among the compounds
tested, only oleanolic acid (382) and bellidifolin (432) exhibited anti-Vpr activities. Bellidifolin (432) and oleanolic acid (382) inhibited Vpr expression at a 5 μM
concentation level. Similar inhibitory effects were observed when the cells were
treated with a 10 μM dose. In particular, 10 μM oleanolic acid (382) exhibited more