Chemical Properties
White needle-shaped crystals, soluble in organic solvents such as methanol, ethanol, and DMSO, derived from the Ruscus aconitifolia.
Uses
Neoruscogenin is a natural sapogenin isolated from Butcher’s broom (R. rhizoma), which is traditionally used against chronic venous disorders.
Biological Activity
neoruscogenin is a bioavailable, potent, and high-affinity agonist of the nuclear receptor rorα [1]. neoruscogenin is a natural sapogenin extracted from butcher’s broom (rusci rhizoma, ruscus aculeatus, ruscaceae) [2].rar-related orphan receptor alpha (rorα) is a nuclear receptor that participates in the transcriptional regulation of some genes involved incircadian rhythm. genetic studies have revealed that rorα plays an important role in the development of the central nervous system and has been associated with genetic lesions in mice [3].
in vitro
in confluent human microvascular endothelial cells (hmec-1), pre-treatment with neoruscogenin slightly decreased the permeability at concentrations up to 100 μm (71.8%). the ec50 of neoruscogenin against the nuclear receptor rorα was 110 nm [1].
in vivo
in mice, oral administration of neoruscogenin (3 mg/kg/d) for seven days up-regulated the expression of several rorα-inducible genes in the liver [1].
References
[1] helleboid s, haug c, lamottke k, et al. the identification of naturally occurring neoruscogenin as a bioavailable, potent, and high-affinity agonist of the nuclear receptor rorα (nr1f1)[j]. journal of biomolecular screening, 2013: 1087057113497095.
[2] barbi m, willer e a, rothenhfer m, et al. spirostanol saponins and esculin from rusci rhizoma reduce the thrombin-induced hyperpermeability of endothelial cells[j]. phytochemistry, 2013, 90: 106-113.
[3] giguère v. orphan nuclear receptors: from gene to function 1[j]. endocrine reviews, 1999, 20(5): 689-725.
