An appetite suppressant from Hoodia species

• Published in: Phytochemistry (Oxford) Vol. 68; no. 20; pp. 2545 - 2553
• Main Authors: van Heerden, Fanie R., Marthinus Horak, R., Maharaj, Vinesh J., Vleggaar, Robert, Senabe, Jeremiah V., Gunning, Philip J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: OXFORD Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: 12- O-tigloyldigipurpurogenin II; Administration, Oral; Animals; Apocynaceae; Apocynaceae - chemistry; Appetite - drug effects; Appetite Depressants - chemistry; Appetite Depressants - isolation & purification; Appetite Depressants - pharmacology; Appetite suppressant; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; Chemical constitution; Cymarose; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Feeding Behavior - drug effects; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General pharmacology; Ghaap; Glycosides - chemistry; Glycosides - isolation & purification; Glycosides - pharmacology; Hoodia gordonii; Hoodia pilifera; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Medical sciences; Methyl β-lilacinobioside; Molecular Structure; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant physiology and development; Plant Sciences; Plant Stems - chemistry; Pregnane glycoside; Pregnanes - chemistry; Pregnanes - isolation & purification; Pregnanes - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Science & Technology; Thevetose; Apocynaceae; Cymarose; Ghaap; Hoodia pilifera; Thevetose; Hoodia gordonii; 12- O-tigloyldigipurpurogenin II; Appetite suppressant; Methyl β-lilacinobioside; Pregnane glycoside; appetite suppressant; AFRICANUM R BR; ASCLEPIADACEAE PLANTS; cymarose; STRUCTURE ELUCIDATION; PREGNANE GLYCOSIDES; methyl beta-lilacinobioside; 12-O-tigloyldigipurpurogenin II; pregnane glycoside; ghaap; apocynaceae; thevetose; CONSTITUENTS; Rat; Molecular structure; Body weight; Medicinal plant; Reduction; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Glycoside; Appetite; Pregnane derivatives; Pharmacognosy; Rodentia; Feeding; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Plant origin; Isolation; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0031-9422; 1873-3700
• DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2007.05.022

Two pregnane glycosides were isolated from Hoodia gordonii and Hoodia pilifera. The appetite-suppressant properties of the trisaccharide was determined using a rat model in vivo which showed significant decrease of food consumption over an 8 day period and a body mass decrease when compared to a control sample. Studies conducted at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR, South Africa) identified extracts from Hoodia species, in particular Hoodia pilifera and Hoodia gordonii, as possessing appetite suppressing properties. Two pregnane glycosides were isolated by fractionation of the dried stems of H. gordonii. Their structures were determined as 3β-[β- d-thevetopyranosyl-(1→4)-β- d- cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-β- d-cymaropyranosyloxy]-12β-tigloyloxy-14β-hydroxypregn-5-en-20-one ( 1) and 3β-[β- d-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-β- d-6-thevetopyranosyl-(1→4)-β- d-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-β- d-cymaropyranosyloxy]-12β-tigloyloxy-14β-hydroxypregn-5-en-20-one ( 2) on the basis of spectroscopic studies and conversion to known compounds. Compounds 1 and 2 were also isolated from H. pilifera. Compound 1 was tested for its appetite suppressant properties in rats by oral gavage at 6.25–50 mg/kg and the results showed that all doses resulted in a decrease of food consumption over an eight day period and a body mass decrease when compared to the control sample receiving only the vehicle. In a comparative study against a fenfluramine control sample, compound 1 resulted in a reduction in food intake over the study period, with a concomitant overall decrease in body weight while fenfluramine resulted in a small decrease in food intake, but an increase in body weight (though less than control group) over the same period of time.