Indole glycosides from calanthe discolor with proliferative activity on human hair follicle dermal papilla cells

Abstract

A methanol extract from the underground part of Calanthe discolor Lindl. (Orchidaceae) demonstrated significant proliferative activity on human hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPC, % of control: 120.8±0.2%) at 100µg/mL against HFDPC. Through bioassay-guided separation of the extract, a new indole glycoside named 6′-O-β-D-apiofuranosylindican (1) was isolated along with six known compounds (2–7) including three indole glycosides. The stereostructure of 1 was elucidated based on its spectroscopic properties and chemical characteristics. Among the isolates, 1 (110.0±1.0%), glucoindican (3, 123.9±6.8%), and calanthoside (4, 158.6±7.1%) showed significant proliferative activity at 100µM. Furthermore, the active indole glycosides (1, 3, and 4) upregulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor-7 (FGF-7) mRNA and protein in HFDPC, which could be the mechanism of their proliferative activity.