title: Evaluation of Salacia species as anti-diabetic natural resources based on quantitative analysis of eight sulphonium constituents: a new class of α-glucosidase inhibitors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stems and roots of Salacia genus plants have been used in Ayurveda as a specific remedy for early stage diabetes. Previous investigations identified four sulphonium sulphates, that is, salacinol (1), kotalanol (3), ponkoranol (5) and salaprinol (7), as the compounds responsible for the anti-diabetic activity. Their desulphonates (2, 4, 6 and 8) were also isolated as active constituents. Two separate quantitative analytical protocols, that is, for 1 and 3 and for 2 and 4, have been developed recently.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To: validate the two analytical protocols with respect to all eight sulphoniums; evaluate the quality of a variety of Salacia samples collected in different geographical regions, that is, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India; and determine their distribution in each part of the plant, that is, stems/roots, leaves and fruits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses of four sulphonium sulphates in 32 Salacia extracts were carried out on an Asahipak NH2P-50 column, and those of the corresponding desulphonates were conducted on an Inertsil ODS-3 column.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neokotalanol (4) was the major constituent in Salacia samples from Thailand, whereas 1 was the primary constituent in extracts of the stems/roots of plants from Sri Lanka and India. These sulphoniums were only present in trace amounts in leaves and fruits of the plants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Two analytical protocols were successfully applied to analyse 32 Salacia samples, and revealed that sulphoniums (1-8) had characteristic distributions due to the plant part and/or due to geographical region.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Research and Technology Institute, Kinki University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka, 577-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akaki
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morikawa
authors.forename: Sohachiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Kiyofumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Genzoh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Yutana
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pongpiriyadacha
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Muraoka
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007194:India; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry; D049918:Salacia / Q000737:chemistry*; D013188:Sri Lanka; D013402:Sugar Alcohols / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013431:Sulfates / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013452:Sulfonium Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013785:Thailand
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; C114502:Kotalanol; D009005:Monosaccharides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013402:Sugar Alcohols; D013431:Sulfates; D013452:Sulfonium Compounds; C427963:salacinol
keywords: LC-MS; Salacia; quantitative analysis; sulphonium; α-glucosidase inhibitor