Resin Glycosides in Medicinal Chemistry

Resin glycosides constitute a distinct class of plant-derived natural products characterised by oligosaccharide chains esterified to hydroxylated fatty acid aglycones, often cyclised into macrocyclic lactones. Predominantly found in the Convolvulaceae family, these amphiphilic metabolites display a wide range of biological activities that have been harnessed in traditional medicine as purgatives. At the core of their medicinal relevance is the ability of the glycosidic acid moiety to interact with membrane proteins and enzymes, modulating physiological processes such as intestinal water transport, carbohydrate digestion and drug efflux. Advances in analytical techniques have elucidated diverse structural motifs—varying in sugar composition, acyl substituents and ring size—and revealed structure–activity relationships that underpin emerging applications in metabolic disorders, oncology and antimicrobial resistance. Synthetic and semi-synthetic approaches are increasingly employed to access analogue libraries, while biotechnological methods aim to enhance production yields. The global distribution of resin glycoside-bearing plants, coupled with growing interest in phytotherapeutics, underscores their significance as lead compounds in drug discovery programmes.

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Resin Glycosides in Medicinal Chemistry publication trend

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Technical terms

Resin glycosides: Oligosaccharides esterified with hydroxy fatty acids forming macrocyclic lactones, typically from Convolvulaceae plants.

Aglycone: The non-sugar moiety of a glycoside, often a hydroxylated fatty acid in resin glycosides.

Macrocyclic lactone: A ring structure formed by intramolecular esterification between a carboxyl and hydroxyl group.

α-Glucosidase: An intestinal enzyme that cleaves terminal α-linked glucose units from carbohydrates.

Aquaporin 3 (AQP3): A membrane channel protein that facilitates water transport across epithelial cells.

References

1. Identification of Hypoglycemic Glycolipids from Ipomoea murucoides by Affinity-Directed Fractionation, In Vitro, In Silico and Dynamic Light Scattering Analysis. Plants (2024).
2. Downregulation of Aquaporin 3 Mediated the Laxative Effect in the Rat Colon by a Purified Resin Glycoside Fraction from Pharbitis Semen. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2019).
3. Multidrug resistance–reversal effects of resin glycosides from Dichondra repens. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters (2015).
4. Resin glycosides from Convolvulaceae plants. Journal of Natural Medicines (2017).