| Research Abstract |
We have searched antidiabetogenic and anti-obese seed compounds from traditional Egyptian medicines through bioassay screening. As the results, new dolabellane-type diterpene alkaloids, nigellamines A_1-A_5, B_1-B_3, C and D, were isolated from seeds of Nigella sativa, which is prescribed in folk medicines for treatment of asthma and used as a food in Egypt and Turkey. These constituents were found to show lipid metabolism promoting activity. Previously, several dolabellane-type diterpenes were isolated from the marine soft coral, brown algae, or liverwort. However, the isolation reports of this type of diterpenes from higher plants were very rare.
In addition, the leaves of Salvia officinalis, which is originated from Mediterranean area and known as a culinary herb in Japan, showed significant inhibitory effect on serum triglyceride elevation in olive oil-loaded mice. Through bioassay-guided separation using the inhibitory activity against pancreatic lipase activity, abietan-type diter
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penes (carnosic acid) were isolated from the active fraction. Carnosic acid (5 mg/kg/d, p.o.) reduced the gain of body weight and the accumulation of epididymal fat weight in high fat diet-fed mice after 2 weeks.
The fruit of Citrullus colocynthis, which is used as an catharsis and anti-diabetic agents in traditional Egyptian medicines, was found to show inhibitory effects on increase in serum glucose levels in oral sucrose-loaded rats and an antiallergic effect on ear passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction in mice. Through bioassay-guided separation, the principal cucurbitane-type triterpene glycoside, cucurbitacin E 2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, was found to exhibit antiallergic activity and new cucurbitane-type triterpene glycosides, colocinthosides A and B, were isolated.
Furthermore, new skeletal flavanones, anastatins A and B and new lignans, hierochin A-C, were isolated from the whole plants of Anastatica hierochuntica, which is distributed in the Sahara-Arabian deserts and used by women as a charm for child birth. Anastatins A and B showed potent hepatoprotective activity. Less
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