1. Academic Validation
  2. Oleanane- and Ursane-Type Triterpene Saponins from Centella asiatica Exhibit Neuroprotective Effects

Oleanane- and Ursane-Type Triterpene Saponins from Centella asiatica Exhibit Neuroprotective Effects

  • J Agric Food Chem. 2020 Jul 1;68(26):6977-6986. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c01476.
Zhou-Wei Wu 1 Wei-Bo Li 2 Jing Zhou 2 Xin Liu 3 Lun Wang 1 Bin Chen 1 Ming-Kui Wang 1 Lilian Ji 2 Wei-Cheng Hu 2 Fu Li 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Natural Products Research Center, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, People's Republic of China.
  • 2 Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture & Environmental Protection/Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agricultural Biotechnology around Hongze Lake, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai'an, Jiangsu 223300, People's Republic of China.
  • 3 Technical Center of Beijing Customs District, Beijing 100026, People's Republic of China.
Abstract

Six new pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins, centelloside F (1), centelloside G (2), 11-oxo-asiaticoside B (3), 11-oxo-madecassoside (4), 11(β)-methoxy asiaticoside B (5), and 11(β)-methoxy madecassoside (6), along with seven known ones, asiaticoside (7), asiaticoside B (8), madecassoside (9), centellasaponin A (10), isoasiaticoside (11), scheffoleoside A (12), and centelloside E (13), were separated from the 80% MeOH extract of the whole plant of Centella asiatica, which has been used as a medicinal plant and is now commercially available as a diatery supplement in many countries. Compounds 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and 5 and 6 are three pairs of isomers with oleanane- or ursane-type Triterpenes as aglycones. The chemical structures of the new triterpene saponins were fully characterized by extensive analysis of their nuclear magnetic resonance and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry data. The protective effects of compounds 1-13 on PC12 cells induced by 6-OHDA were screened, and compound 3 displayed the best neuroprotective effect, with 91.75% cell viability at the concentration of 100 μM. Moreover, compound 3 also attenuated cell Apoptosis and increased the mRNA expression of antioxidant Enzymes, including superoxide dismutase and catalase. Additionally, compound 3 activated the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway, including PDK1, Akt, and GSK-3β. These findings suggested that triterpene saponins from C. asiatica were worthy of further biological research to develop new neuroprotective agents.

Keywords

Centella asiatica; neuroprotective activity; triterpene saponins.

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