Polyacetylene compounds from panaxynol

The petroleum ether extract of Panax ginseng has antiproliferative effects on various cancer cell lines (murine sarcoma, murine leukaemia, human colon carcinoma, etc ). Polyacetylenic compounds from this extract such as panaxynol, panaxydol (46) and panaxytriol have been reported to be responsible for these effects [112, 113]. In order to identify the molecular mechanism of the polyacetylene compounds, one of the major cytotoxic compounds, panaxydol, was examined to see if it is able to disrupt cell cycle-related events. It was observed that panaxydol induces cell cycle arrest at Gi-S transition in SK-MEL-1 cells. This effect is related to the decreased Cdk2 activity, which seems to be caused by the increased level of p27 protein expression. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide reversed the growth suppression induced by panaxydol (80 j,g/ml) by... 

The acetylene compounds - Panaxynol and falcarindiol, isolated from the roots of Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk. (Umbelliferae), selectively inhibited 5-LOX (ICso = 2 pM), leukocyte-type 12-LOX (IC50 = 1 pM), platelet-type 12-LOX (IC50 = 67 pM), and 15-LOX (IC50 = 4 pM). The same compounds had only marginal effects on COX activities with IC50 > 100 pM [126]. Bidens campylotheca Schultz Bip. ssp. campylotheca (Compositae) is a Hawaiian folk medicine for throat, stomach and asthmatic disorders. The polyacetylenes isolated from the aerial parts of the plants, such... 

The roots of Saposhnikovia divaricata ("Bou-hu" in Japan and "Fang-Feng" in China) have been traditionally used as an antiphlogistic, an antipyretic and an analgesic in China and Japan. We isolated three polyacetylene compounds, i.e., falcarindiol, panaxynol and (8E)-heptadeca-l,8-dien-4,6-diyn-3,10-diol "Fig. (32)", from Saposhnikoviae Radix. As shown in "Fig. (33)", these polyacetylene compounds inhibited the formation of cyclooxygenase products HHT and TXB2dose-dependently in human platelets. 

Alanko, J., Kurahashi, Y., Yoshimoto, T. et al. (1994) Panaxynol, a polyacetylene compound isolated from oriental medicines, inhibits mammalian lipoxygenases. Biochem. Pharmacol, 48, 1979-1981. 

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