• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.351-357
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• 2009

Phytoestrogens are the natural compounds isolated from plants, which are structurally similar to animal estrogen, $17{\beta}$-estradiol. Tectoridin, a major isoflavone isolated from the rhizome of Belamcanda chinensis. Tectoridin is known as a phytoestrogen, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying its estrogenic effect are remained unclear. In this study we investigated the estrogenic signaling triggered by tectoridin as compared to a famous phytoestrogen, genistein in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Tectoridin scarcely binds to ER ${\alpha}$ as compared to $17{\beta}$-estradiol and genistein. Despite poor binding to ER ${\alpha}$, tectoridin induced potent estrogenic effects, namely recovery of the population of cells in the S-phase after serum starvation, transactivation of the estrogen response element, and induction of MCF-7 cell proliferation. The tectoridin-induced estrogenic effect was severely abrogated by treatment with U0126, a specific MEK1/2 inhibitor. Tectoridin promoted phosphorylation of ERK1/2, but did not affect phosphorylation of ER ${\alpha}$ at $Ser^{118}$. It also increased cellular accumulation of cAMP, a hallmark of GPR30-mediated estrogen signaling. These data imply that tectoridin exerts its estrogenic effect mainly via the GPR30 and ERK-mediated rapid nongenomic estrogen signaling pathway. This property of tectoridin sets it aside from genistein where it exerts the estrogenic effects via both an ER-dependent genomic pathway and a GPR30-dependent nongenomic pathway.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.184-188
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• 2004

The present study was carried out to clarify whether tectorigenin and tectoridin isolated from the rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis (Iridaceae) inhibit hepatic damage induced by carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-intoxication in rats by the experimental methods in vitro and in vivo. Tectorigenin and tectoridin exhibited a significant decrease in serum transaminase activities elevated by hepatic damage induced by $CCl_4$-intoxication in rats, as well as in a lipid peroxidation causing a significant decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) production by thiobarbituric acid (TBA)-reactant assay. Both compounds also showed strong increase in the antioxidant enzymes such as hepatic cytosolic superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) activities in $CCl_4$-intoxicated rats. These results suggested that tectorigenin and tectoridin isolated from the rhizomes of B. chinensis possess not only the antioxidative, but also the hepatoprotective activities in $CCl_4$ -intoxicated rats.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2019

Pueraria thomsonii Benth. as a medicinal ingredient, has been traditionally used in Chinese medicine to treat fever, acute dysentery, diarrhea, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The effects of P. thomsonii flower on skin have not been reported yet. In this study, the whitening effect of P. thomsonii flower was verified using B16F1 melanoma cells and HS68 fibroblasts. P. thomsonii flower extract reduced melanin contents of B16F1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. To identify its active components, we analyzed P. thomsonii flower extract using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). As a result, we identified three major isoflavones of tectorigenin, tectoridin, and tectorigenin 7-O-xylosylglucoside. At a non-cytotoxic concentration, the three components also reduced melanin contents of B16F1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The depigmentation effects were attributed to the reduced gene expression of tyrosinase and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). In order to elucidate another depigmentation mechanism, their effects on DKK-1, a fibroblast-derived depigmentation factor, was determined in HS68 cells. As a result, P. thomsonii flower extracts, tectoridin and tectorigenin 7-O-xylosylglucoside, reduced DKK-1 gene expression, while tectorigenin increased DKK-1 gene expression in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that tectorigenin can be used as an effective whitening agent that inhibit melanin synthesis in melanocytes and promote the secretion of depigmentation factor from fibroblasts.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.39-41
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• 2005

Four compounds were isolated from the rhizome of Belamcanda chinensis (Iridaceae) by repeated column chromatography and were elucidated as iristectorigenin A, irigenin, tectorigenin and tectoridin by spectral analysis. The estrogenic activity of these isoflavones was tested using Ishikawa cells. Irigenin, tectorigenin and tectoridin were highly estrogenic ($EC_{50}\;=\;0.75$, 0.42 and $0.81\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively), while iristectorigenin A exhibited weak estrogenic activity ($EC_{50}{\geq}4\;{\mu}g/ml$).

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.320-324
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• 2002

The MeOH extract of Pueraria thunbergiana (Leguminosae) flowers and its fractions were subjected to Ames test to test the antimutagenicity. EtOAc fraction (1 mg/plate) decreased the number of revertants of Salmonella typhymurium TA100 by 95% against aflatoxin $B_1{\;}(AFB_1)$. Phytochemical isolation of the EtOAc fraction afforded four isoflavonoids (tectorigenin, glycitein, tectoridin and glycitin) and one saponin (kaikasaponin III). Though the three isoflavonoids other than tectoridin showed significant antimutagenicity, the activity of kaikasaponin III was the most potent. Kaikasaponin III (1 mg/plate) decreased the number of revertants of S. typhymurium TA 100 by 99% against $AFB_1$ but by 75% against N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). Tectorigenin (1 mg/plate) inhibited the $AFB_1$-induced mutagenicity by 90% and MNNG-induced one by 76%. Glycitein and glycitin were less active than tectorigenin and kaikasaponin III. This result suggested that kaikasponin III prevents the metabolic activation of $AFB_1$ and scavenge electrophilic intermediate capable of mutation. The two components with potent activities, tectorigenin and kaikasaonin III, significantly prevented the malondialdehyde formation caused by bromobenzene in the rat.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.306-312
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• 2002

Aldose reductase, the key enzyme of the polyol pathway, is known to play important roles in the diabetic complication. The inhibitors of aldose reductase, therefore, would be potential agents for the prevention of diabetic complications. To evaluate active principles for the inhibition of aldose reductase from the rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis, twelve phenolic compounds were isolated and tested for their effects on rat lens aldose reductase. As a result, isoflavones such as tectorigenin, irigenin and their glucosides were found to show a strong aldose reductase inhibition. Tectoridin and tectorigenin, exhibited the highest aldose reductase inhibitory potency, their $IC_{50}$ values, being $1.08{\times}10^{-6}{\;}M{\;}and{\;}1.12{\times}10^{-6}{\;}M$, respectively, for DL-glyceraldehyde as a substrate. Both compounds, when administered orally at 100 mg/kg for 10 consecutive days to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, caused a significant inhibition of sorbitol accumulation in the tissues such as lens, sciatic nerves and red blood cells. Tectorigenin showed a stronger inhibitory activity than tectoridin. From these results, it is suggested that tectorigenin is attributed to be a promising compound for the prevention and/or treatment of diabetic complications.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.219-222
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• 1989

Tectorigenin, irigenin, their glucosides and 5,3'-dihydroxy-4',5'-dimethoxy-6,7-methylenedioxyisoflavone were isolated from the rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.309-312
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• 1993

A new method for separation and quantitative determination of isoflavone glucosides in rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis (Iridaceae) by high performance liquid chromatography was elaborated. A reverse-phase system with a Spheri-5 RP-18 column using MeOH:HOAc:$H_2O$(24 : 5 : 71) as a mobile phase was developed. The isoflavonoids were detected at 268 nm and the analysis was successfully carried out within 15 min.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.210-213
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• 2003

Puerariae Flos is a traditional herbal medicine that has long been used as a treatment for colds, diabetes, and hangovers. The herbal medicine contains a wide variety of isoflavones such as kakkalide, tectoridin, and tectorigenin. This study demonstrates that the substances undergo a certain degree of change depending on the storage period by the method of HPLC and $^{13}C-NMR$, and that the HPLC analysis can be used to determine the freshness of Puerariae Flos.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.152-167
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• 2004

Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) have attracted great interest in recent researchers as alternative medicines for incurable diseases. This review focuses on qualitative and quantitative analytical approaches for bioactive metabolites of components flavonoids and saponins of traditional Chinese medicines by TLC system, although various methods have been introduced. Emphasis will be put on the processes of metabolite extraction from intestinal bacterial cultures or urines, separation (mobile phase) and detection. The identified metabolites by selection of extraction solvent and detection methods are also discussed. In addition, metabolite determinations of flavonoids (baicalin, apiin, rutin, quercetin, quercitrin, kaempferol, diosmin, hesperidin, poncirin, naringin, puerarin, daidzin, daidzein, tectoridin) and saponins (ginsenosides, kalopanaxsaponins, glycyrrhizin, chiisanoside, saikosaponins, soyasaponins) in culture fluid, in urine and in some herbal formula extracts are summarized. These bioactive metabolites of these components by intestinal microflora should be connected to pharmacological actions.