Two New Steroidal Saponins with Potential Anti-Inflammatory Effects from the Aerial Parts of <i>Gnetum formosum</i> Markgr.
Ngo Van Hieu,
Le Ba Vinh,
Nguyen Viet Phong,
Pham Van Cong,
Nguyen Tien Dat,
Nguyen Van Dan,
Ngo Viet Duc,
Hoang Minh Tao,
Le Thi Tam,
Le Tuan Anh,
Nguyen Cao Cuong,
Bui Huu Tai,
Seo Young Yang,
Hoang Le Tuan Anh
Affiliations
Ngo Van Hieu
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
Le Ba Vinh
Institute of Marine Biochemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
Nguyen Viet Phong
Institute of Marine Biochemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
Pham Van Cong
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
Nguyen Tien Dat
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
Nguyen Van Dan
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
Ngo Viet Duc
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
Hoang Minh Tao
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
Le Thi Tam
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
Le Tuan Anh
Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
Nguyen Cao Cuong
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Yersin University, Da Lat 66100, Vietnam
Bui Huu Tai
Institute of Marine Biochemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
Seo Young Yang
Department of Biology Education, Teachers College and Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
Hoang Le Tuan Anh
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
Gnetum formosum Markgr., a member of the Gnetaceae family, is distributed in Vietnam. This plant remains a botanical enigma with an unexplored diversity of chemical constituents and pharmacological effects. In this study, two new steroidal saponins, namely gnetumosides A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the aerial parts of G. formosum. Their chemical structures were elucidated using spectroscopic techniques, including high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) and NMR, along with chemical hydrolysis and comparison with the reported literature. The potential anti-inflammatory effects of the isolated compounds were evaluated by measuring lipopolysaccharide-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) production in murine macrophage cells. Notably, compound 1 exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity (IC50 = 14.10 ± 0.75 µM), comparable to dexamethasone. Additionally, the mechanisms underlying the observed anti-inflammatory effects were investigated through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) proteins. This study is the first to investigate the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of G. formosum.
