www.thieme.de/fz/plantamedica | www.thieme-connect.de/ejournals Planta Medica July 2009 · Page 877 – 1094 · Volume 75 9 · 2009 Editorial Poster 877 Editorial 903 Topic A: Lead finding from Nature 928 Topic B: Conservation and biodiversity issues 878 Lectures 939 Topic C: Plants and aging of the population 944 Topic D: Natural products and neglected diseases Workshops 882 WS1 Workshops for Young Researchers: 966 Topic E: Anti-cancer agents Validation of Analytical Methods 988 Topic F: HIV and viral diseases 882 WS2 Workshops for Young Researchers: Cell Culture 991 Topic G: Quality control and safety assessments of phytomedicines 882 WS3 Permanent Committees on Manufacturing and Quality Control of Herbal Remedies and 1007 Topic H: Prevention of metabolic diseases Regulatory Affairs of Herbal Medicinal Products by medicinal plants and nutraceuticals 883 WS4 Permanent Committee on Biological and 1019 Topic I: Cosmetics, flavours and aromas Pharmacological Activity of Natural Products: Phytoestrogens: risks and benefits for human 1029 Topic J: Free Topic health 883 WS5 Permanent Committee on Breeding and 1083 Authors’ Index Cultivation of Medicinal Plants: Genetic Resources, Conservation and Breeding 1094 Masthead 884 Short lectures Editorial 877 57th International Congress and Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research Date/Place: Geneva, Switzerland, August 16 – 20, 2009 Chairman: Kurt Hostettmann Dear Colleagues, The 57th Congress of the Society of Medicinal Plant and Natural Product research will be held this year in Geneva, Switzerland. The congress venue is going to be at the CICG (Centre International des Confrences Genve) which is very well equipped to host such an important scientific event. As chairman of the Organizing Committee and also currently Director of the Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, I am highly pleased that the proposed programme attracted numerous scientists of 71 different countries who submitted more than 900 abstracts for poster or oral presentation. The main topics of the Congress are: – Lead finding from Nature – Conservation and biodiversity issues – Plants and aging of the population – Natural products and neglected diseases – Anti-cancer agents – HIV and viral diseases – Quality control and safety assessments of phytomedicines – Prevention of metabolic diseases by medicinal plants and nutraceuticals – Cosmetics, flavours and aromas The programme of the Congress is offering invited lectures to be delivered by distinguished scientists, short oral communications which will be in parallel sessions and numerous posters. The opening lecture will be given by HRH Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol, President of the Chulabhorn Research Institute in Bangkok. The present issue of Planta Medica devoted to our Congress could be realized thanks to the help of Dr. Kuhlmann from Thieme Verlag and also because of the efficient work realized by staff members of my Laboratory, namely Karin Megzari, Martine Cabo, Prof. Jean-Luc Wolfender, Dr. Karine Ndjoko, Dr. Philippe Christen and Dr. Frederic Martin. My thanks go also to the agency selected for organizing this Congress, namely Kuoni Destination Management and their collaborators, Laetitia Roch, Franck Grosset and Steeve Girod. Checking more than 900 abstracts represents an enormous work which was achieved by the members of the scientific Committee. I express my gratitude to all of them for helping us to publish abstracts of good quality in this volume of Planta Medica. I hope that everybody will enjoy their stay in Geneva. Prof. Kurt Hostettmann Chairman, Organizing Committee of the 57th International Congress & Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research Planta Med 2009; 75: 877–1094 Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York · ISSN 0032-0943 878 57th International Congress and Annual Meeting of the GA | August 16 – 20, 2009, Geneva, Switzerland Lectures Novel GABAa ligands, inspired by nature L3 Sterner O Recent Investigation of Diverse Cytotoxic Natural Division of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Products from Thai Bioresources Lund University (Sweden) L1 Mahidol C Chulabhorn Research Institute, Vipavadee Rangsit Highway, The major inhibitory neurotransmitter g-amino butyric acid (GABA) ex- Bangkok 10210, Thailand erts its inhibitory effect by binding to three different classes of recep- tors: GABAA-, GABAB- and GABAC receptors. GABAA- and GABAC are both It is considered that because of the structural and biological diversity of ligand gated chloride ion channels, while GABAB are G-protein coupled their constituents, terrestrial plants offer a unique and renewable re- receptors. GABAA receptors are important therapeutic targets for anxiety source for the discovery of potential new drugs and biological entities. disorders, cognitive disorders, epilepsies, mood disorders, schizophrenia The potential of large areas of tropical rainforests remains virtually un- and sleep disorders. Due to the commercial interest, many compound tapped. With much of the biological diversity found in tropical and classes, such as benzodiazepines, steroids, and barbiturates, are known subtropical regions, the investigation of these resources is of paramount to allosterically modify the effect of GABA by binding to distinct sites of importance. It has been estimated that about half of the plants in the the GABAA receptors. The pharmacological properties of the benzodia- world are found in the tropics. However, only a small percentage of the zepines (anxiolytic, anti-convulsant, muscle relaxant and sedative/hyp- world’s flowering plants have as yet been analysed for their possible notic) make them the most frequently used GABAA receptor modulating medicinal uses. Apart from the abundance of plants, Thailand is also drugs in the clinic. We have developed several new classes of ligands endowed with a variety of endophytic fungi which are potential sources that bind to the benzodiazepine binding site of the GABAA receptors, and for the production of a diverse array of bioactive metabolites, endophy- used the knowledge to fine-tune a pharmacophore model that has sug- tic fungi associated with Thai medicinal plants are of our special interest gested yet new and very potent ligands. Examples of compounds, all and in the past few years we have investigated some of such endophytic with sub-nM Ki-values, that we have worked with are shown below. fungi. In addition to our current interests in the natural products from plants and endophytic fungi, we are also interested in the marine nat- ural products isolated from marine organisms found along Thai coastal lines from the Gulf of Thailand to the Andaman Sea. In this presentation, our recent investigation on the chemistry as well as biological activities, especially cytotoxic activity of some natural products derived from the above mentioned Thai bioresources will be presented. References: [1] Youngsa-ad, W. et al. (2007) Planta Med. 73:1491 – 1494. [2] Prachya- warakorn, V. et al. (2008) Planta Med. 74:69 – 72. [3] Chomcheon, P. et al. (2009) Phytochemistry 70:121 – 127. New chemistry from South East Asian medicinal plants L2 Rudiyansyah1,2, Suciati1,3, Lambert LK1, Ross BP4, Garson MJ1 1School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Q 4072, Australia; 2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Tanjungpura University, West Kalimantan, Indonesia; 3Faculty of Pharmacy, Airlangga University, East Java, Indonesia; 4School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Q 4072, Australia Indonesia comprises only 1.3% of the earth’s land surface, but has 11% of the world’s higher plants, with over 1000 different plant extracts used in traditional medicines. [1] In a collaborative program on the chemistry of Indonesian medicinal plant species, we have examined the natural pro- ducts chemistry of plants of the genus Durio and Fagraea. Both triter- pene and lignan metabolites were isolated from Durio along with well known compounds such as 3-hydroxymellein that are characteristic of fungi. The relative and absolute configuration of a set of new neolignan metabolites (1)–(4) were explored by NMR and by CD studies. The genus Fagraea was generally characterized by iridoid glycosides, how- ever the unusual new terpene alkaloid fagraeoside (5) was isolated from Fagraea racemosa. Opportunities and challenges that face those interested projects that link natural product L4 chemistry, plant uses and conservation Acknowledgements: AusAID References: [1] Anonymous (2000) World Simmonds MSJ Resources 2000 – 2001, people and ecosystems: the fraying web of life, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, World Resources Institute, Washington DC; 246 – 248 UK Changes in land use, habitat loss, pollution and climate change are all factors that are contributing to a decrease in biodiversity. Stopping this decline is an important challenge. We are not only losing plant species that have potential to be developed as foods but also those that have medicinal and pesticidal properties. The development of DNA-based Planta Med 2009; 75: 877–1094 Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York · ISSN 0032-0943 57th International Congress and Annual Meeting of the GA | August 16 – 20, 2009, Geneva, Switzerland 879 phylogenies has furthered our understanding of plant relationships and acids, saponins, terpenoids and steroids, which