Isolation and identification of antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory compounds from fruit juice of Nitraria tangutorum

Nitraria tangutorum Bor., having edible berries, is valued for reputed health benefits in Qinghai-Tibet plateau. The phytochemical research on the fruit juice of N. tangutorum led to the isolation of twenty-six compounds including five new compounds, tangutorids A-D (1, 2, 3a, and 3b), and (3E,5E)-7-O-beta-gluco syl-4-(2-methoxy-2-oxoethyl)hepta-3,5-dienoic acid (15). The structures of these compounds were elucidated through comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. Tangutorids A-F were the first examples of glucose-derived beta-carbolines from natural products. The biogenetic pathways of 1-8 were proposed to involve Pictet-Spengler reactions and described starting from the co-isolated tryptophan (10) and corresponding aldehydes. All isolates were evaluated for their antioxidant and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Compounds 21, 22, and 24 showed antioxidant activity with SC50 values ranging from 12.2 +/- 1.9 to 30.4 +/- 2.7 mu g/mL, and compound 1 showed strong alpha-glucosidase inhibitory effect with IC50 value of 63.3 +/- 4.6 mu g/mL. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.