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A thermophilic bacterium Thermosporothrix hazakensis NBRC 105916 which belongs to the class Ktedonobacteria was investigated to explore its biosynthetic potential of secondary metabolites. UV-guided fractionation led to the identification of a new benzenoid metabolite designated ktedonoketone (6) and an α-diketone metabolite 2’-oxosattabacin (7) along with five known compounds. Compound 7 was previously described as a synthetic compound, but this is the first finding as a natural product. Compound 7 induced adipocyte differentiation at 10–20 μM and autophagy at 1–10 μM. Compound 6 showed weak inducing activity of adipocyte differentiation. The biosynthetic origin of hazakacin (3), an acyloin-type compound, was elucidated by 13C-labeled precursor-feeding experiments.

A new nucleoside modified by prenylation, simamycin (1), was isolated from the culture broth of a soil-derived Streptomyces sp. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic analysis and chemical synthesis as 5′- O -geranyluridine. Compound 1 induced differentiation of preadipocytes into matured adipocytes.

Nobiletin is a citrus polymethoxyflavonoid that suppresses tumor growth and metastasis, both of which depend on angiogenesis. We recently identified nobiletin as a cell differentiation modulator. Because cell differentiation is a critical event in angiogenesis, it might be possible that nobiletin could exhibit antiangiogenic activity, resulting in suppression of these tumor malignant properties. To verify this possibility, we examined the antiangiogenic effects of nobiletin in vitro and in vivo. Nobiletin had concentration‐dependent inhibitory effects on multiple functions of angiogenesis‐related endothelial cells (EC); it suppressed the proliferation, migration and tube formation on matrigel of human umbilical vein EC (HUVEC) stimulated with endothelial cell growth supplement (ECGS), a mixture of acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). Gelatin zymography and northern blotting revealed that nobiletin suppressed pro‐matrix metalloproteinase‐2 (proMMP‐2) production and MMP‐2 mRNA expression in ECGS‐stimulated HUVEC. Nobiletin also downregulated cell‐associated plasminogen activator (PA) activity and urokinase‐type PA mRNA expression. Furthermore, nobiletin inhibited angiogenic differentiation induced by vascular endothelial growth factor and FGF, an in vitro angiogenesis model. This inhibition was accompanied by downregulation of angiogenesis‐related signaling molecules, such as extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase, and transcriptional factors (c‐Jun and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3), and activation of the caspase pathway. In a chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane assay, nobiletin showed an antiangiogenic activity, the ID50 value being 10 μg (24.9 nmol) per egg. These results indicate that nobiletin is a novel antiangiogenic compound that exhibits its activity through combined inhibition of multiple angiogenic EC functions. (Cancer Sci 2010; 101: 2462–2469)

Two new compounds, robillafuran and (+)-robillapyrone, were isolated from the culture extract of a fungal strain of Robillarda along with (+)-monascuspyrone. The absolute configuration of (+)-robillapyrone and (+)-monascuspyrone was determined by ECD calculation. These three compounds showed preadipocyte differentiation activity at 10–40 μM.

One new α-pyrone (nocapyrone R (1)), and three known γ-pyrones (nocapyrones B, H and L (2–4)) were isolated from the culture extract of a Nocardiopsis strain collected from marine sediment. Structures of these compounds were determined on the basis of spectroscopic data including NMR and MS. γ-Pyrones 2–4 were found to induce adiponectin production in murine ST-13 preadipocyte cells but the α-pyrone 1 had no activity. The absolute configuration of the anteiso-methyl branching in 4 was determined by HPLC comparison of a degraded product of 4 with standard samples as a 2:3 enantiomeric mixture of (R)- and (S)-isomers.

We previously showed pomegranate seed oil and fermented juice polyphenols to retard oxidation and prostaglandin synthesis, to inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion, and to promote breast cancer cell apoptosis. Here we evaluated the anti-angiogenic potential of these materials in several ways. We checked a possible effect on angiogenic regulation by measuring vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in the conditioned media of estrogen sensitive (MCF-7) or estrogen resistant (MDA-MB-231) human breast cancer cells, or immortalized normal human breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A), grown in the presence or absence of pomegranate seed oil (SESCO) or fermented juice polyphenols (W). VEGF was strongly downregulated in MCF-10A and MCF-7, and MIF upregulated in MDA-MB-231, overall showing significant potential for downregulation of angiogenesis by pomegranate fractions. An anti-proliferative effect on angiogenic cells was shown in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) and in myometrial and amniotic fluid fibroblasts, and inhibition of HUVEC tubule formation demonstrated in an in vitro model employing glass carrier beads. Finally, we showed a significant decrease in new blood vessel formation using the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model in vivo. 'In sum, these varied studies employing different models in different laboratories overall demonstrate for the first time an anti-angiogenic potential of pomegranate fractions, suggesting further in vivo and clinical investigations (for updates: info@rimonest.com).