z-bo 2021-01-06 344

　　In this study, researchers from Japan and Myanmar analyzed the phytochemical composition and biological characteristics of African spruce (Pirasma javanica) (also known as broadwood). They reported their findings in an article published in the Journal of Natural Medicine.

　　P. javanica is a medium-sized tree from the Simaroubaceae family, widely distributed in tropical Asia.

　　 In their previous study, the researchers isolated carotenoids from the bark of Pseudomonas javanica collected in Myanmar and evaluated their anti-proliferative activity.

　　 In order to continue studying the biologically active compounds present in Myanmar medicinal plants, the researchers analyzed the chloroform-soluble part of the methanol extract of Java firewood.

　　 They separated seven known compounds and two new quassinoids, (16R)-methoxy javanicin B and (16S)-methoxy javanicin B, whose structures have been elucidated by spectroscopy. "Cytotoxicity test showed that one of these seven compounds has moderate activity on human lung (A549), breast cancer (MCF7) and cervical (HeLa) cancer cells, with IC50 values ranging from 48.6 to 65.9 micromolar.

　　 At the same time, antibacterial tests show that these two new quassinoids have the highest activity in Java wood extracts, and the MIC against the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis is 1.6 micromolar.