1. Indole Derivatives Isolated from Brown Alga Sargassum thunbergii Inhibit Adipogenesis through AMPK Activation in 3T3-L1 Preadipocytes
Min-Cheol Kang, Yuling Ding, Eun-A Kim, Youn Kyung Choi, Thiago de Araujo, Soo-Jin Heo, Seung-Hong Lee Mar Drugs. 2017 Apr 12;15(4):119. doi: 10.3390/md15040119.
Seaweed, a popular and abundant food ingredient mainly consumed in Asian countries, is a good source of bioactive compounds with anti-obesity effects. However, the anti-obesity effects of Sargassum thunbergii have not yet been established. In this study, we isolated six indole derivatives (STCs)-indole-2-carboxaldehyde (STC-1), indole-3-carboxaldehyde (STC-2), indole-4-carboxaldehyde (STC-3), indole-5-carboxaldehyde (STC-4), indole-6-carboxaldehyde (STC-5), and indole-7-carboxaldehyde (STC-6)-from S. thunbergii and evaluated their inhibitory effects on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells. We found that STC-1 and STC-5 resulted in non-toxic inhibition of the differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes and thus selected these compounds for further study. STC-1 and STC-5 significantly inhibited lipid accumulation and downregulated the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) in a dose-dependent manner. The specific mechanism mediating the effects of STC-1 and STC-5 was shown to be AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. Our results demonstrated the inhibitory effect of STC-1 and STC-5 on adipogenesis through the activation of the AMPK signal pathway. Together, these findings suggested that STC-1 and STC-5 may be effective candidates for the prevention of obesity or obesity-related diseases.
2. One-pot synthesis of 2-substituted indoles from 2-aminobenzyl phosphonium salts. A formal total synthesis of arcyriacyanin A
George A Kraus, Haitao Guo Org Lett. 2008 Jul 17;10(14):3061-3. doi: 10.1021/ol801034x. Epub 2008 Jun 24.
The reaction of (2-aminobenzyl) triphenylphosphonium bromide with aromatic aldehydes or alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes under microwave-assisted conditions constitutes a new synthesis of 2-substituted indoles in high yields (81-97%) in a one-pot reaction. The adduct from indole-4-carboxaldehyde was an advanced intermediate in the synthesis of arcyriacyanin A.
3. Indole-4-carboxaldehyde Isolated from Seaweed, Sargassum thunbergii, Attenuates Methylglyoxal-Induced Hepatic Inflammation
Seon-Heui Cha, Yongha Hwang, Soo-Jin Heo, Hee-Sook Jun Mar Drugs. 2019 Aug 21;17(9):486. doi: 10.3390/md17090486.
Glucose degradation is aberrantly increased in hyperglycemia, which causes various harmful effects on the liver. Glyoxalase-1 (Glo-1) is a ubiquitous cellular enzyme that participates in the detoxification of methylglyoxal (MGO), a cytotoxic byproduct of glycolysis that induces protein modification (advanced glycation end-products, AGEs) and inflammation. Here, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of indole-4-carboxaldehyde (ST-I4C), which was isolated from the edible seaweed Sargassum thunbergii, on MGO-induced inflammation in HepG2 cells, a human hepatocyte cell line. ST-I4C attenuated the MGO-induced expression of inflammatory-related genes, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IFN-γ by activating nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) without toxicity in HepG2 cells. In addition, ST-I4C reduced the MGO-induced AGE formation and the expression of the receptor for AGE (RAGE). Interestingly, both the mRNA and protein expression levels of Glo-1 increased following ST-I4C treatment, and the decrease in Glo-1 mRNA expression caused by MGO exposure was rescued by ST-I4C pretreatment. These results suggest that ST-I4C shows anti-inflammatory activity against MGO-induced inflammation in human hepatocytes by preventing an increase in the pro-inflammatory gene expression and AGE formation. Therefore, it represents a potential therapeutic agent for the prevention of hepatic steatosis.
