Boonchoo Sritularak

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Chulalongkorn University · Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany

Agarwood (Aquilaria crassna) leaves are commonly used as an herbal tea for health supplements. The present study aims to develop the post-harvest process of agarwood leaves using yeast extract (YE) as an elicitor and evaluate its anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects. The results showed that 1% of YE elicitation for 120 min significantly incr...

Background: Curcuminoids, including curcumin, desmethoxycurcumin, and bisdesmethoxycurcumin, are natural polyphenolic compounds that exhibit various biological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Dysregulation of the interleukin (IL)-6-mediated Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription...

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid known for its powerful antioxidant properties. This study focused on isolating yeast strains capable of producing astaxanthin from flower and fruit samples collected in Thailand. Out of 115 isolates, 11 strains were identified that produced astaxanthin. Molecular identification techniques revealed that these isolates bel...

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment extensively used in various industries. Rhodotorula sp. CP72-2, isolated from Calotropis gigantea, showed potential astaxanthin production. In this study, strain CP72-2 was identified as a putative new species in the genus Rhodotorula based on the 26S rRNA gene sequence (98% identity). It was first used as the mi...

Three new phenanthrene derivatives (1, 2, 4), one new fluorenone (3), and four known compounds (5-8) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of Dendrobium crumenatum Sw. stems using column chromatography. The chemical structures were elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data. The absolute configuration of 4 was determined by electronic circ...

Bacterial meningitis remains one of the most prevalent infectious diseases worldwide. Although advances in medical care have improved mortality and morbidity, neurological complications remain high. Therefore, aside from antibiotics, therapeutic adjuvants targeting neuroinflammation are essential to combat the long-term neuronal sequelae of bacteri...

Central nervous system (CNS) diseases are a significant health burden globally, with the development of novel drugs lagging behind clinical needs. Orchidaceae plants have been traditionally used to treat CNS diseases, leading to the identification of therapeutic leads against CNS diseases from the Aerides falcata orchid plant in the present study....

Oxidative stress is a significant factor in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which results from cell damage, dysfunction, and death in the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE). The use of natural compounds with antioxidant properties to protect RPE cells from oxidative stress has been explored in Dendrobium, a genus of orchi...

The root of Boesenbergia rotunda, a culinary plant commonly known as fingerroot, has previously been reported to possess anti-obesity activity, with four flavonoids identified as active principles, including pinostrobin, panduratin A, cardamonin, and isopanduratin A. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the antiadipogenic potential of isopa...

Lung cancer metastasis is a multifaceted process that accounts for 90% of cancer deaths. According to several studies, the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an essential role in lung cancer metastasis. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential pharmacological effect of cycloartocarpin on the suppression of metastasis-rela...

The most prevalent lung cancer is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This lung cancer type often develops other organ-specific metastases that are critical burdens in the treatment process. Orchid species in the genus Vanda have shown their potential in folkloric medication of diverse diseases but not all its species have been investigated, and li...

Obesity is a critical factor for chronic metabolic syndromes. The culinary plant fingerroot (Boesenbergia rotunda) has been reported for its anti-obesity activity. The anti-adipogenic effects of pandurantin A, a main component of fingerroot cultivated in Indonesia, have been studied. Nevertheless, the suppressive effect and related mechanisms of pi...

Dendrobium is a large genus of orchid plants containing several bioactive polyphenols, including bibenzyls, phenanthrenes, and flavanones that have been used as antioxidants in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products. Several polyphenols including (2S)-eriodictyol, (2S)-homoeriodictyol, moscatilin, gigantol, chrysotoxine and crepidatin are primar...

Batatasin III is a stilbenoid compound present in a wide variety of Dendrobium species. Although the pharmacological efficacy of batatasin III has been reported in several disease models, its antinociceptive efficacy and central nervous system (CNS) side effects remain unknown. Thus, this study examined the effects of batatasin III on pain-like beh...

Although many natural products have proven their potential to regulate obesity through the modulation of adipocyte biology, none of them has yet been approved for clinical use in obesity therapy. This work aims to isolate valuable secondary metabolites from an orchid species (Dendrobium heterocarpum) and evaluate their possible roles in the growth...

Thirty-two endophytic actinomycetes isolated from 15 Thai orchids were taxonomically studied based on their phenotypic characteristics and 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses (98.97-100.00%). The isolates were identified as Streptomyces including S. parvulus (3 isolates), S. tendae (2 isolates), S. ardesiacus (2 isolates), S. heilongjiangensis (2 isola...

Oxidative stress in dermal fibroblasts is strongly correlated with the aging process of the skin. The application of natural compounds that can increase the ability of dermal fibroblasts to counteract oxidative stress is a promising approach to promote skin health and beauty. Eriodictyol is a flavonoid that exerts several pharmacological actions th...

Oxyresveratrol (OXY) has been reported for its anti-inflammatory activity; however, the pharmaceutical applications of this compound are limited by its physicochemical properties and poor pharmacokinetic profiles. The use of an ester prodrug is a promising strategy to overcome these obstacles. In previous researches, several carboxylate esters of O...

Obesity and its global prevalence has become a threat to human health, while its pharmacotherapy via the application of natural products is still underdeveloped. Here, we probed how 4,5,4'-trihydroxy-3,3'-dimethoxybibenzyl (TDB) derived from an orchid (Dendrobium ellipsophyllum) could exert its roles on the differentiation and function of murine (3...

Targeted therapies that selectively inhibit certain molecules in cancer cells have been considered promising for cancer treatment. In lung cancer, evidence has suggested that mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-Met) oncoprotein drives cancer progression through its signaling transduction pathway. In this paper, we report the downregulation...

Since the pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in December 2019, the infection cases have quickly increased by more than 511 million people. The long epidemic outbreak over 28 months has affected health and economies worldwide. An alternative medicine appears to be one choice to alleviate symptoms and reduce mortal...

Pancreatic lipase is the key enzyme for lipid digestion. Inhibition of this enzyme can reduce lipid absorption and prevent obesity disease. A methanol extract prepared from the whole plant of Dendrobium harveyanum exhibited strong anti-lipase effect. Chromatographic separation of this plant results in the isolation of 5 known compounds including 3,...

From the aerial parts of Cymbidium ensifolium, three new dihydrophenanthrene derivatives, namely, cymensifins A, B, and C (1–3) were isolated, together with two known compounds, cypripedin (4) and gigantol (5). Their structures were elucidated by analysis of their spectroscopic data. The anticancer potential against various types of human cancer ce...

Chemical investigation of Dendrobium delacourii revealed 11 phenolic compounds, and the structures of these compounds were determined by analysis of their NMR and HR-ESI-MS data. All compounds were investigated for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and anti-adipogenic properties. Phoyunnanin E (10) and phoyunnanin C (11) showed the most poten...

Background/aim: Cancer metastasis is the main cause of mortality in cancer patients. As lung cancer patients are mostly detected at metastatic stages, strategies that inhibit cancer metastasis may offer effective therapies. Activation of FAK and Akt/mTOR pathways promotes the highly metastatic phenotypes of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EM...

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are an important therapeutic target. The therapeutic agents targeting CSCs should lead to improved clinical outcomes. Here we have demonstrated the CSC-suppressing activity of pongol methyl ether (PME), a pure compound from Millettia erythrocalyx. Methods: CSC-suppressing effects were evaluated by spheroid formation assay...

Background/aim: Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) regulate hair follicle development. We aimed to investigate the effect of scoparone from Dendrobium densiflorum on DPCs in the induction of stem cell properties and pluripotency-related proteins. Materials and methods: DPC viability was evaluated by the MTT assay. Apoptosis or necrosis of DPCs was dete...

Bioactive natural compounds derived from plants are the source for the development of new drugs. Numerous in vitro studies have explored the anti-inflammatory effect of eurycomanone and fargesin, derived from Eurycoma longifolia and Flosmagnoliae, respectively. However, before anti-inflammatory investigation is conducted, it is important to obtain...

In searching for novel targeted therapeutic agents for lung cancer treatment, norcycloartocarpin from Artocarpus gomezianus was reported in this study to promisingly interacted with Akt and exerted the apoptosis induction and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition suppression. Selective cytotoxic profile of norcycloartocarpin was evidenced with appro...

Background/aim: Integrin-targeting compounds have shown clinically significant benefits in many patients. Here, we examined the activity of millettocalyxin B, extracted from the stem bark of Millettia erythrocalyx, in lung cancer cells. Materials and methods: The viability of human lung cancer cells was investigated by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol...

Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are key mediators driving tumor initiation, metastasis, therapeutic failure, and subsequent cancer relapse. Thus, targeting CSCs has recently emerged as a potential strategy to improve chemotherapy. In this study, the anticancer activity and stemness-regulating capacity of 4,5,4'-trihydroxy-3,3'-dimethoxybibenzyl (TDB)...

From the whole plant of Dendrobium senile, a new phenanthrene namely 2,5,7-trihydroxy-4-methoxyphenanthrene (1) was isolated, together with seven known compounds including moscatin (2), 2,5-dihydroxy-4,9-dimethoxyphenanthrene (3), moscatilin (4), aloifol I (5), 4,4′,8,8′-tetramethoxy[1,1′-biphenanthrene]-2,2′,7,7′-tetrol (6), 2,2′,7,7′-tetrahydroxy...

Three novel actinomycete strains, designated as DR6-1T, DR6-2 and DR6-4, isolated from the roots of Dendrobium heterocarpum Lindl in Thailand were studied using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The strains grew at 20-37 °C, at pH 5-10 and with 5 % (w/v) NaCl. They contained meso-diaminopimelic acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan and MK-9(H4) was a...

Lusianthridin is a phenanthrene derivative isolated from Dendrobium venustum. Some phenanthrene compounds have antiplatelet aggregation activities via undefined pathways. This study aims to determine the inhibitory effects and potential mechanisms of lusianthridin on platelet aggregation. The results indicated that lusianthridin inhibited arachidon...

Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Hemin (iron (III)-protoporphyrin IX) is a degradation product of hemoglobin that can be found in thalassemia patients. Hemin is a strong oxidant that can cause LDL oxidation and contributes to atherosclerosis in thalassemia patients. Lusianthridi...

Background/aim: Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) facilitate lung cancer cell motility and survival. We, therefore, investigated the antimigratory effect of 3,4-dihydroxy-5,4'-dimethoxybibenzyl (DS-1) on human lung cancer cells. Materials and methods: Cell viability and proliferation were examined by the...

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) controls several cancer aggressive potentials of cell movement and dissemination. As epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the migratory-associated integrins, known influencers of metastasis, have been found to be linked with FAK activity, this study unraveled the potential pharmacological effect of artocarpin in t...

Large amounts of Morus alba L. (MA) roots are needed as the source of active stilbenes in the industrial production of traditional medicines and cosmeceuticals. A recent investigation demonstrated resveratrol and its derivatives to be promising anti-COVID-19 agents. However, conventional cultivation of MA does not meet the demand for its stilbenes,...

Cancer metastasis is a major cause of the high mortality rate in lung cancer patients. The cytoskeletal rearrangement and degradation of extracellular matrix are required to facilitate cell migration and invasion and the suppression of these behaviors is an intriguing approach to minimize cancer metastasis. Even though Erianthridin (ETD), a phenoli...

Background Lung cancer is a leading fatal malignancy due to the high incidence of treatment failure. Dysfunction of the tumor suppressor p53 contributes to cancer initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance. Targeting MDM2, a negative regulator of p53, has recently attracted interest in cancer drug research as it may restore tumor suppressi...

A phytochemical investigation on the whole plants of Aerides multiflora revealed the presence of three new biphenanthrene derivatives named aerimultins A–C (1–3) and a new natural phenylpropanoid ester dihydrosinapyl dihydroferulate (4), together with six known compounds (5–10). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by analysis of the...

Five compounds including a new bisbibenzyl named dendropachol (1) and four known compounds (2–5) comprising 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-dimethoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (2), gigantol (3), moscatilin (4) and 4,5,4′-trihydroxy-3,3′-dimethoxybibenzyl (5) were isolated from a methanolic extract of Dendrobium pachyglossum (Orchidaceae). The chemical structures...

Cancer metastasis is the major cause of about 90% of cancer deaths. As epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is known for potentiating metastasis, this study aimed to elucidate the effect of ovalitenone on the suppression of EMT and metastasis-related behaviors, including cell movement and growth under detached conditions, and cancer stem cell...

Four new phenanthrene derivatives, gastrobellinols A-D (1–4), were isolated from the methanolic extract of Gastrochilus bellinus (Rchb.f.) Kuntze, along with eleven known phenolic compounds including agrostophyllin (5), agrostophyllidin (6), coniferyl aldehyde (7), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (8), agrostophyllone (9), gigantol (10), 4-(methoxylmethyl)phe...

Due to the high mortality of lung cancer, natural derivative compounds have been promoted as versatile sources for anticancer drug discovery. Erianthridin, a phenanthrene compound isolated from Dendrobium formosum, exhibits intriguing apoptosis-inducing effects in non-small cell lung cancer cells. Apoptotic nuclei staining assays showed that apopto...

Two new compounds, dihydrodengibsinin (1) and dendrogibsol (2), were isolated from the whole plant of Dendrobium gibsonii, together with seven known compounds (3–9). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by their spectroscopic data. All these isolates were evaluated for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Dendrogibsol (2) and l...

The health benefits of the Aquilaria crassna Pierre ex Lecomte leaf extract (AE) make it very useful as an ingredient in food and pharmaceutical products. Iriflophenone 3,5-C-β-d-diglucoside (1), iriflophenone 3-C-β-d-glucoside (2) and mangiferin (3) are bioactive compounds of AE. We assessed the stability of AE by investigating the thermal degrada...

Oxyresveratrol, a polyphenolic compound, has been reported as having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This study determined the neuroprotective effects of oxyresveratrol, extracted from the heartwood of Artocarpus lakoocha Roxburgh (Moraceae), on parkinsonism induced by rotenone. Male Wistar rats were divided into control, rotenone (PD),...

Dendrobium bibenzyls and phenanthrenes such as chrysotoxine, cypripedin, gigantol and moscatilin have been reported to show promising inhibitory effects on lung cancer growth and metastasis in ex vivo human cell line models, suggesting their potential for clinical application in patients with lung cancer. However, it remains to be determined whethe...

Background/aim: Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular process that facilitates cancer metastasis. Therefore, therapeutic approaches that target EMT have garnered increasing attention. The present study aimed to examine the in vitro effects of ephemeranthol A on cell death, migration, and EMT of lung cancer cells. Materials and...

The phytochemical investigation of Huberantha jenkinsii resulted in the isolation of two new and five known compounds. The new compounds were characterized as undescribed 8-oxoprotoberberine alkaloids and named huberanthines A and B, whereas the known compounds were identified as allantoin, oxylopinine, N-trans-feruloyl tyramine, N-trans-p-coumaroy...

Phenolic compounds are active compounds in Dendrobium formosum Roxb. ex Lindl. that have antidiabetic and anti-obesity activities. To obtain a high extraction yield of phenolic compounds from D. formosum, optimization of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was developed in this study using response surface methodology. The optimal conditions for ph...

Purpose: To examine the glucose uptake stimulatory activity of the root extract of Cissus javana DC. (Vitaceae) in L6 myotubes of rat, and also to identify the extract’s active principles. Methods: The methanol extract was prepared from Cissus javana tuberous roots and evaluated for glucose uptake stimulatory effects on L6 rat muscle cells and in...

A methanolic extract from the dried root of Dendrobium christyanum Rchb.f. (Orchidaceae) exhibited α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and glucose uptake stimulatory effect. Chromatographic separation of the extract led to the isolation of 13 phenolic compounds (1-13). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis. The isolates were then...

(+)-7-O-Methylisomiroestrol (MeI), a novel chromene, was discovered as a phytoestrogen in the Pueraria candollei var. mirifica (Airy Shaw & Suvat.) Niyomdham (PM) root having been used as an active agent against oestrogen depletion disorders. The identification of PM phytochemicals is crucial for the development of standardised botanical drugs of P...