Estrogenic activity of chemical constituents from Tephrosia candida

J Nat Prod. 2011 May 27;74(5):937-42. doi: 10.1021/np100378d. Epub 2011 Apr 21.

Abstract

In a continued investigation of medicinal plants from the genus Tephrosia, phytochemical analysis of a methylene chloride-methanol (1:1) extract of the air-dried aerial parts of Tephrosia candida afforded two new 8-prenylated flavonoids, namely, tephrocandidins A (1) and B (2), a new prenylated chalcone, candidachalcone (3), a new sesquiterpene (4), and a previously reported pea flavonoid phytoalexin, pisatin (5). The structures of 1-4 were established by spectroscopic methods, including HREIMS, and 1H, 13C, DEPT, HMQC, and HMBC NMR experiments. The most potent estrogenic activity of these isolated natural products in an estrogen receptor (ERα) competitive-binding assay was for 3, which exhibited an IC50 value of 80 μM, compared with 18 nM for the natural steroid 17β-estradiol. Results were interpreted via virtual docking of isolated compounds to an ERα crystal structure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cameroon
  • Chalcones / chemistry
  • Chalcones / isolation & purification*
  • Chalcones / pharmacology*
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha / drug effects
  • Flavonoids / chemistry
  • Flavonoids / isolation & purification*
  • Flavonoids / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Structure
  • Phytoestrogens / chemistry
  • Phytoestrogens / isolation & purification*
  • Phytoestrogens / pharmacology*
  • Plants, Medicinal / chemistry*
  • Pterocarpans / chemistry
  • Pterocarpans / isolation & purification
  • Pterocarpans / pharmacology
  • Sesquiterpenes / chemistry
  • Sesquiterpenes / isolation & purification*
  • Sesquiterpenes / pharmacology*
  • Tephrosia / chemistry*

Substances

  • 1beta-hydroxy-6,7alpha-dihydroxyeudesm-4(15)-ene
  • Chalcones
  • ESR1 protein, human
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha
  • Flavonoids
  • Phytoestrogens
  • Pterocarpans
  • Sesquiterpenes
  • candidachalcone
  • tephrocandidin A
  • tephrocandidin B
  • pisatin