Eudesmane Glycosides from Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Common Ragweed) as Potential Neuroprotective Agents

In Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta (A beta) accumulation in the brain results in neuronal cell death and is one of the major causes of dementia. Because the current therapeutic agents are not yet sufficiently effective or safe, there have been attempts to find new neuroprotective chemicals against A beta-induced cytotoxicity. A 70% EtOH extract of whole plants of Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) was selected after the screening of a natural extract library. Seven new eudesmane-type glycosides (1-7) and seven known compounds (8-14) were obtained through bioactivity-guided fractionation from the aerial parts of this plant. Their structures were determined on the basis of their nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis, and electronic circular dichroism calculations. Among them, compounds 1, 2, 4-6, 8, 9, 11, 13, and 14 showed protective effects against A beta-induced cytotoxicity in A beta(42)-transfected HT22 cells. The most active compounds, 5 and 6, exhibited moderate protective activity dose-dependently (10, 20, and 40 mu M).