In the
laboratory of pharmacognosy and phytochemistry, we are studying natural
products chemistry. We are investigating the possibility of producing drugs
from natural products on the basis of organic chemistry, using two main
methods.
【To find biologically active
substances from natural resources】
①We are
searching for natural inhibitors of angiogenesis, which plays an important role
in the growth and progression of cancer, from the metabolites of marine
micro-organisms, mushrooms and plants.
・KDR Kinase Inhibitor Isolated from the Mushroom Boletopsis
leucomelas
A. Kaneko, J. Nat. Prod, 73, 1002-1004 (2010)
・Phenolic
compounds from Cryptocarya konishii: their cytotoxic and tyrosine kinase
inhibitory properties
F. Kurniadewi, J. Nat. Med., 64, 121-125 (2010)
・Phomactin I,
13-epi-Phomactin I and Phomactin J, three novel diterpenes from a
marine-derived fungus
M. Ishino, et al., Tetrahedron Lett., 66, 2594-2597
(2010)
・Anti-angiogenic
metabolites from a marine-derived fungus Hypocrea
vinosa
Y. Ohkawa, et al., J. Nat. Prod.,73, 579-582 (2010)
・Phomactin
H, a novel diterpene from an unidentified marine-derived fungus
K. Koyama, et al., Tetrahedron Lett., 45,
6947-6948 (2004)
②We are studying cactus saponins to find the possibility of new biological activities.
・New triterpene saponins from Stenocereus eruca (Cactaceae)
S. Okazaki, et al., J. Nat. Med., 61,
24-29 (2007)
・Triterpenoid
saponins from cultural plants of Stenocereus stellatus (Cactaceae)
T. Imai., et al., J. Nat. Med., 60,
49-53 (2006)
③We are developing culture methods for lichen mycobionts to produce biological active substances and new effective compounds
・Antioxidant activity of red pigments from the lichens Lethariella
sernanderi, L. cashmeriana, and L. sinensis
K. Kinoshita, et al., J. Nat. Med.,
64, 85-88 (2010)
・Red Pigments
from the Cultured Mycobiont of a lichen, Sphaerophorus fragilis
K. Kinoshita, et al., Lichenology,
8, 1-4 (2009)
・Fluorescent
Compounds from the Cultured Mycobiont of Amygdalaria panaeola
K. Kinoshita., et al., J. Nat. Prod., 68,
1723-1727 (2005)
・A novel
secondary metabolite from Lethariella
sernanderi
K. Kinoshita, et al., Heterocycles 63, 1023-1026 (2004)
④We are searching for inhibitors of b-secretase (BACE) which plays a critical role in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) from natural products.
・β-Secretase
(BACE-1) inhibitory effect of biflavonoids
H. Sasaki, Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 20,
4558-4560 (2010)
⑤We are researching for azole resistance anti-fungal component from natural sources.
【To develop new derivatives of the
biological active natural products?the development of anti-influenza virus
drugs】
①We are trying to synthesize new
glycosides of biflavonoids and triterpenoids by coupling sialic acid from
animal resources as a sugar moiety.
・Synthesis and
evaluation of influenza virus sialidase inhibitory activity of
hinokiflavone-sialic acid conjugates
K. Miki, et al., Heterocycles,
75, 879-885 (2008)
・New
biflavonoids from Cephalotaxus harringtonia var. fastigiata (Cephalotaxaceae)
H. Sasaki, et al., Heterocycles
75, 939-946 (2008)
・Anti-influenza
virus activity of biflavonoids
K. Miki, et al., Bioorg. Med.
Chem. Lett., 17, 772-775 (2007)