Flavanones and chromones from Salicornia herbacea

Salicornia herbacea is a halophytic glasswort that has been used as a culinary vegetable, salad, and medicinal resource. Chemical investigation of the aerial parts of S. herbacea led to the isolation of two new (1, 2) and one known (3) flavanones as well as a new (4) and two known chromone derivatives (5, 6). These compounds were evaluated for their suppressive potentials against the release of high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1), which is recognized as a viable target for alleviating serious septic manifestations or septicemia. The compounds improved, by 40 – 60%, the survival rates of cecal ligation and puncture operation (CLP) in murine models, simulating severe septic shock and its related complications. These results validate that flavanone- and chromone-type compounds may serve as prospective prodrugs or food additives that may be commercialized for the control of vascular inflammatory disorders including septic complications.

Acknowledgements: This study was supported by the Basic Science Program (2014R1A2A2A01006793) and Priority Research Centers Program (NRF-2009 – 0093815) through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government.

Keywords: Salicornia herbacea, flavanones, chromones, sepsis, endothelial barrier integrity, high mobility group box 1 protein.

References:

[1] Tuan NQ, Lee W, Oh J, Kulkarni RR, Gény C, Jung B, Kang H, Bae JS, Na M. Flavanones and chromones from Salicornia herbacea mitigate septic lethality via restoration of vascular barrier integrity. J Agric Food Chem 2015; 63: 10121 – 10130