Discovery of Flavonoids from Scutellaria baicalensis with Inhibitory Activity Against PCSK 9 Expression: Isolation, Synthesis and Their Biological Evaluation
Piseth Nhoek,
Hee-Sung Chae,
Jagadeesh Nagarajappa Masagalli,
Karabasappa Mailar,
Pisey Pel,
Young-Mi Kim,
Won Jun Choi,
Young-Won Chin
Affiliations
Piseth Nhoek
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Hee-Sung Chae
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Jagadeesh Nagarajappa Masagalli
College of Pharmacy and Integrated Research Institute for Drug Development, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32 Dongguk-lo, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 10326, Korea
Karabasappa Mailar
College of Pharmacy and Integrated Research Institute for Drug Development, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32 Dongguk-lo, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 10326, Korea
Pisey Pel
College of Pharmacy and Integrated Research Institute for Drug Development, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32 Dongguk-lo, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 10326, Korea
Young-Mi Kim
College of Pharmacy and Integrated Research Institute for Drug Development, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32 Dongguk-lo, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 10326, Korea
Won Jun Choi
College of Pharmacy and Integrated Research Institute for Drug Development, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32 Dongguk-lo, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 10326, Korea
Young-Won Chin
College of Pharmacy and Integrated Research Institute for Drug Development, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32 Dongguk-lo, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 10326, Korea
Nine flavonoids were isolated and identified from a chloroform-soluble fraction of the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis through a bioactivity-guided fractionation using a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) monitoring assay in HepG2 cells. All structures were established by interpreting the corresponding spectroscopic data and comparing measured values from those in the literature. All compounds were assessed for their ability to inhibit PCSK9 mRNA expression; compounds 1 (3,7,2′-trihydroxy-5-methoxy-flavanone) and 4 (skullcapflavone II) were found to suppress PCSK9 mRNA via SREBP-1. Furthermore, compound 1 was found to increase low-density lipoprotein receptor protein expression. Also, synthesis of compound 1 as a racemic mixture form (1a) was completed for the first time. Natural compound 1 and synthetic racemic 1a were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against PCSK9 mRNA expression and the results confirmed the stereochemistry of 1 was important.