Disease relevance of Rubia

• The transformation of Rubia cordifolia L. cells by the 35S- rolB and 35S- rolC genes of Agrobacterium rhizogenes caused a growth inhibition of the resulting cultures and an induction of the biosynthesis of anthraquinone-type phytoalexins [1].

High impact information on Rubia

• Lucidin, the glycoside mixture and Rubia Teep gave rise to DNA adducts, but alizarin did not [2].
• Analysis by 32P-postlabelling revealed that lucidin, the glycoside mixture and Rubia Teep, but not alizarin, formed DNA adducts in all the tissues examined but that the adduct patterns were organ-specific [2].
• Alizarin, lucidin, a glycoside mixture containing alizarinprimeveroside and lucidinprimeveroside, and Rubia Teep (a herbal drug made from Rubia tinctorum containing lucidin) were incubated with primary rat hepatocytes for 24 h and the isolated DNA was analysed by 32P-postlabelling [2].
• Synthesis of [Gly-1]RA-VII, [Gly-2]RA-VII, and [Gly-4]RA-VII. Glycine-containing analogues of RA-VII, an antitumor bicyclic hexapeptide from Rubia plants [3].
• Effects of Ca(2+) channel blockers and protein kinase/phosphatase inhibitors on growth and anthraquinone production in Rubia cordifolia callus cultures transformed by the rolB and rolC genes [1].

Chemical compound and disease context of Rubia

• In order to approach lucidin formation (a strong mutagen or a carcinogen) from a physiological standpoint, hairy roots of Rubia tinctorum L. were established by a transformation of Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain 15834 and cultured in a liquid woody plant medium without plant hormones [4].

Biological context of Rubia

• The aqueous acetone extract from the roots of a Chinese herbal medicine, Rubia yunnanensis, showed a potent inhibitory effect on nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages [5].
• A known steroid, in addition to triterpenoids, anthraquinones, naphthalenes and a new anthraquinone glycoside, xanthopurpurin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside, were isolated from the roots of Rubia akane grown in Taiwan. Mollugin, a naphthohydroquinone, showed strong inhibition of arachidonic acid (AA)-induced and collagen-induced platelet aggregation [6].

Anatomical context of Rubia

• Male Parkes mice were treated orally for 4 days with alizarin (10 mg/d), lucidin (2 mg/d), the glycoside mixture (20 mg/d) or Rubia Teep (1/2 tablet/d) and DNA was isolated from liver, kidney, duodenum and colon [2].

Associations of Rubia with chemical compounds

• Anthraquinones, naphthohydroquinones and naphthohydroquinone dimers from Rubia cordifolia and their cytotoxic activity [7].
• Purpurin (1,2,4-trihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone) is a natural pigment isolated from madder root (Rubia tinctorum) which inhibits the mutagenicity of a number of heterocyclic amines in the Ames mutagenicity test [8].
• 1-hydroxyanthraquinone (1-HAQ) present in certain medicinal plants such as Rubia tinctorum L. is a genotoxic and rodent colon carcinogen [9].
• Anthraquinones in Cinchona are considered to be of the Rubia type, i.e. rings A and B are derived from chorismate and alpha-ketoglutarate, whereas ring C is formed from isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) [10].
• Further investigation of the roots of Rubia cordifolia resulted in the isolation of four new naphthohydroquinones and two naphthohydroquinone dimers, and one known naphthohydroquinone, one naphthoquinone, two anthraquinones and one naphthohydroquinone dimer [7].

Gene context of Rubia

• Increase in anthraquinone content in Rubia cordifolia cells transformed by rol genes does not involve activation of the NADPH oxidase signaling pathway [11].
• The study sites were selected within the EU-funded RUBIA project, and were as follows: the upper Kelmend Province of Albania; the Capannori area in Eastern Tuscany and the Bagnocavallo area of Romagna, Italy; Cercle de Ouezanne, Morocco; Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche Natural Park in the province of Huelva, Spain; the St [12].
• Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Onosma argentatum and Rubia peregrina [13].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Rubia

• Two validated HPLC methods for the quantification of alizarin and other anthraquinones in Rubia tinctorum cultivars [14].

References