Abstract

Two novel triterpenoid saponins, colqueleganoids A (1) and B (2), with the first methyl-30 incorporated 6/6/6/6-cyclized carbon skeleton (named colquelegane), were isolated from the root of Colquhounia elegans. Their structures including absolute configuration were determined by spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallographic analyses. Interestingly, both compounds significantly enhanced TNF-α production and 1 also increased the IL-6 production in RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), suggesting their potential application as immunostimulants in immunotherapy and vaccination.

For full text, please click https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.orglett.1c02673

Introduction to Professor Sheng-Hong Li

Sheng-Hong Li received his PhD Degree in Phytochemistry from Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2001. After that he worked as an Assistant Professor and then Associate Professor at the same institute. In 2004, he moved to the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany for his postdoctoral research with Prof. Jonathan Gershenzon and Dr Bernd Schneider. From 2007 to 2020, he was employed as a Full Professor and group leader by Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Currently he is Vice President of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He received the Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship in 2005 and National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars in 2015 and was selected as a member of the National Ten Thousand Talent Program (2018), and the Hundred Talent Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (2010). He has published over 120 research papers. His major research interests focus on the chemistry, biological functions and biosynthesis of plant natural products especially various types of terpenoids.