title: Compounds with neuroprotective activity from the medicinal plant Machilus thunbergii.
abstract: The dichloromethane fraction of the bark of Machilus thunbergii Sieb. et Zucc. (Lauraceae) significantly protected primary cultures of rat cortical cells exposed to the excitotoxic amino acid, L-glutamate. Through the activity-guided isolation from the CH(2)Cl(2) fraction, (+)-9'-hydroxygalbelgin (1), isogalcatin B (2), (7S,8S,8'R)-3',4'-dimethoxy-3,4,-methylenedioxylignan-7-ol (3), 1-hydroxy-7-hydroxymethyl-6-methoxyxanthone (4), 5,7-dimethoxy-3',4'-methylenedioxyflavan-3-ol (5), (+)-(3S,4S,6R)-3,6-dihydroxypiperitone (6), protocatechuic acid methyl ester (7) and tyrosol (8) were obtained. All of them had significant neuroprotective activities against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in primary cultures of rat cortical cells at concentrations ranging from 0.1 microM to 10.0 microM and were comparable to MK-801, a well-known inhibitor of glutamate receptor.
authors: School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Korea.
authors: Choong Je
authors: CJ
authors: Ma
authors: Young Choong
authors: YC
authors: Kim
authors: Sang Hyun
authors: SH
authors: Sung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000166:cytology; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D005260:Female; D005663:Furans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D019770:Lauraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D017705:Lignans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D005663:Furans; D017705:Lignans; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D018698:Glutamic Acid; C084077:galgravin