Eutypenoids A–C (1–3), pimarane diterpenoid alkaloid and two ring A rearranged pimarane diterpenoids, were isolated from the culture of Eutypella sp. D-1 obtained from high-latitude soil of the Arctic. Their structures, including absolute configurations, were authenticated on the basis of the mass spectroscopy (MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray crystallography, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) analysis. The immunosuppressive effects of eutypenoids A–C (1–3) were studied using a ConA-induced splenocyte proliferation model, which suggested that 2 exhibited potent immunosuppressive activities.

Artificially modulated W/Mo multilayers on polished stainless-steel substrates with modulation wavelength Λ ranging from 4.0 to 60.0 nm and total film thickness of 2.0 μm were prepared by magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy showed that though the polycrystalline films exhibited coherent interfaces, the interfaces have a wave-like appearance due to the different orientations of individual crystals. The interplanar spacings of the W and Mo layers determined by the XRD method in W/Mo multilayers varied with the modulation wavelength. The mechanical properties of these films were investigated by a low-load microhardness indentation technique. The maximum hardness enhancement is about 51% higher than the value calculated from the role of mixtures at wavelength Λ=10.0 nm. The Koehler’s modulus difference model and Cahn’s coherent stress model have been used to estimate the hardness enhancement of W/Mo multilayers. From the comparison of theoretical calculation results with experimental dates, it is obvious that the combination of the two models can explain the hardness enhancement in W/Mo multilayers.

We have previously shown that scropolioside B has higher anti-inflammatory activity than catalpol does after the inhibition of nuclear factor (NF)-κB activity and IL-1β expression, maturation, and secretion. Various scropoliosides were extracted, isolated, and purified from Scrophularia dentata Royle ex Benth. We then compared their anti-inflammatory activities against LPS-induced NF-κB activity, cytokines mRNA expression, IL-1β secretion, and cyclooxygenase-2 activity. The inhibitory effects of the scropoliosides varied depending on whether the 6-O-substituted cinnamyl moiety was linked to C′′ 2-OH, C′′3-OH, or C′′4-OH, and on the number of moieties linked, which is closely related to the enhancement of antiinflammatory activity. Among these compounds, scropolioside B had the strongest antiinflammatory effects.

The dried flower buds of Magnolia biondii Pamp (herbal name, Xin-Yi) are a traditional Chinese medicine with a long history of clinical use in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. However, the constituents responsible for its antiallergic effects remain clearly unidentified. In the present study, totally 33 lignans were obtained from M. biondii. Among them, two novel furofuran lignans (1 and 2), two novel tetrahydrofuran lignans (3 and 4), and other 16 known lignans were isolated first time from M. biondii. The antiallergic effects of compounds 1-33 on mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) degrunaliton were evaluated and results showed that compounds 7, 8, 13, 15 and 18 could significantly inhibited β-hex release on BMMCs. The results proved that furofuran and tetrahydrofuran lignans were the main constituents in M. biondii and their antiallergic effects were related with suppressing mast cell activation. Graphical Abstract