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Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim) Harms (Araliaceae), also called Siberian Ginseng, Eleutherococcus senticosus, and Ciwujia in Chinese, is a widely used traditional Chinese herb that could invigorate qi, strengthen the spleen, and nourish kidney in the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. With high medicinal value, Acanthopanax senticosus (AS, thereafter) is popularly used as an "adaptogen" like Panax ginseng. In recent decades, a great number of chemical, pharmacological, and clinical studies on AS have been carried out worldwide. Several kinds of chemical compounds have been reported, including triterpenoid saponins, lignans, coumarins, and flavones, among which, phenolic compounds such as syringin and eleutheroside E, were considered to be the most active components. Considerable pharmacological experiments both in vitro and in vivo have persuasively demonstrated that AS possessed anti-stress, antiulcer, anti-irradiation, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities, etc. The present review is an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of the botany, chemistry, pharmacology, toxicity and clinical trials of AS.

Three new 3,4-seco-grayanane diterpenoids, neopierisoids D-F (2-4), and a new natural one, neopierisoid C (1), were isolated from the flowers of Pieris japonica. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, including one and two dimensional (1- and 2D)-NMR, as well as high resolution-electron ionization (HR-EI)-MS.

The novel C16N2 Lycopodium alkaloid, phlefargesiine A (I), isolated from the whole plant of the club moss Phlegmariurus fargesii shows week inhibitory effect against acetylcholinesterase.

isolation, structure elucidation and inhibitory activity against LPS-induced NO production in macrophages

The genus Nectandra , composed by approximately 120 species that are distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, belongs to the Lauraceae family. Plants from this genus, usually trees, have been used in folk medicine as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antifungal and antiprotozoal reagents; its biological potential has been reported in several studies conducted in vitro and in vivo. Chemically, the genus Nectandra contains different types of secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids (aporphine, proaporphine, benzylisoquinoline, bisbenzylisoquinoline, and morphinandienone) and lignoids (furofuran, benzofuran, tetrahydrofuran, dihydrofuran, and 3,3-neolignan). Other compounds, such as terpenoids (mainly mono and sesquiterpenes), steroids, phenylpropanoids and flavonoids have been described in Nectandra genus. Other minor derivatives such as coumarins, benzoic acid derivatives, xanthone, benzophenones, lactones, sugars and fatty acids have also been isolated. Most of these studies associate biological aspects to isolated compounds. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the chemistry of the genus Nectandra and compile approximately 200 compounds isolated from different species, together with their therapeutic potential.

Natural products are well recognized as an important source of lead compounds in drug development. During the past >30 years, we have discovered >1000 novel bioactive natural products from Okinawan marine organisms (sponges, tunicates, cone shells, etc.) and microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, dinoflagellates, etc.). Some of them are used as bioprobes useful for basic studies of life sciences, while others are expected to be candidates of drug leads.

The genus Myrtus L. (Myrtaceae family) comprises two species, Myrtus communis L. (known as common myrtle) growing wild all around the Mediterranean basin and Myrtus nivellei Batt. and Trab. (known as Saharan myrtle), found in central Sahara. Only one country, Algeria, hosts both species, M. communis in the North and M. nivellei in the South. The aim of this review was to collect, summarize, and compare the main results reported relative to the essential oils isolated from aerial parts of both species: botanical aspects, habitat, traditional use, chemical composition, new compounds, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory effect, and insecticidal activity. Both essential oils have potential applications in human health.

Psychotria is a genus of ca. 1500 species in the family Rubiaceae. Up to now, 41 species of the Psychotria genus have been chemically investigated, and 159 compounds, including alkaloids of indole, quinoline and benzoquinolizidine type, terpenoids, steroids, phenolics and aliphatic compounds have been isolated. These compounds show potent bioactivities, such as antimicrobial, antiviral, and antiparasitic activities.

Both beshanzuenones A (Ia) and B (Ib) show considerable activity against the H3N2 virus, whereas beshanzuenones C (IIa) and D (IIb) exhibit significant inhibition on the human PTP1B enzyme.

The choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta is a microbial marine eukaryote that can switch between unicellular and multicellular states. As one of the closest living relatives of animals, this organism has become a model for understanding how multicellularity evolved in the animal lineage. Previously our laboratories isolated and synthesized a bacterially produced sulfonolipid that induces S. rosetta to form multicellular “rosettes.” In this study, we report the identification of a bacterially produced inhibitor of rosettes (IOR-1) as well as the total synthesis of this molecule and all of its stereoisomers. Our results confirm the previously noted specificity and potency of rosette-modulating molecules, expand our understanding of the complex chemical ecology between choanoflagellates and rosette-inducing bacteria, and provide a synthetic probe template for conducting further mechanistic studies on the emergence of multicellularity.

Ligularia speices are widely used in Asian folk medicines for the treatment of various human diseases. Eremophilane-type sesquiterpenes are abundant and typical secondary metabolites found in this genus. Over 500 eremophilanes reported from members of Ligularia are reviewed in this article together with bioactivity data in an effort to highlight the development in this field.

Bioassay-guided fractionation and chemical investigation of the MeOH extract of the wild mushroom Gymnopilus spectabilis resulted in the isolation of a new monoacylglycerol, together with five know...

Hyperjapones A–E (1–5), novel terpenoid polymethylated acylphloroglucinols (TPAPs) with unusual architectures, were characterized from Hypericum japonicum. Their structures and absolute configurations were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic data and X-ray diffractions. Compound 1 was obtained as a racemic mixture and was separated by a column coated with cellulose tris(4-methylbenzoate) after attempts with various chiral materials. Compounds 1, 2, and 4 exhibited moderate antitumor activities in vitro.

Anstifolines A (I) and B (II) are isolated together with two known compounds, dictamnine and robustine.

During the past seven years, many complex and structurally unique secondary metabolites have been isolated from gorgonian corals. In this review, 244 diterpenoids isolated from gorgonian corals complete with their structures, names, references, and biological activities are reported. The article covers the literature published during the period from 2008 to 2014 with 95 citations.

Two lanostane triterpenoids, sclerodol A (Ia) and B (Ib), are isolated from the culture of Eucalyptus grandis derived from the endophyte Scleroderma UFSMSc1 (Persoon) Fries.

Phlegmariurus is a genus of ca. 200 species in the family Huperziaceae. Up to now, six species of the Phlegmariurus genus have been chemically investigated, and 89 compounds, including Lycopodium alkaloids possessing diverse structures and serratane-type triterpenes, have been isolated. These compounds show potent bioactivities, such as acetylcholinesterase inhibitory and cytotoxic activities.

isolation of two new indole alkaloids (I) and (II) and confirmation of their structure by independent synthesis

4-(2-Methylbutyryl)-4H-tomentosin (I), a new xanthanolide from the whole plant of Carpesium macrocephalum, is isolated along with nine known sesquiterpenes.

One new lactone, cyclopentanepyrone A (1), and two new monoterpenoids, gardeterpenone A (2) and jasminoside V (3), were isolated from the fruits of Gardenia jasminoides var. radicans, along with four known monoterpenoids, 4–7, which were isolated from this plant for the first time. The structures of the isolates were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic studies, including UV, IR, 1D- and 2D-NMR, ESI-MS, HR-ESI-MS, and CD experiments.

Flourensia species are dominant plants that are adapted to semidesertic and desertic regions. It is believed that they are successful plants because they employ several protection mechanisms, including the formation of a waxy film on their aerial parts to protect them from dehydration. This waxy film contains chemical compounds that are capable of inhibiting the growth of other plants and of acting as allelopathic and herbicidal agents and as germination inhibitors. These plants also limit herbivory, and they exhibit insecticidal, insect antifeedant, antibacterial, antifungal, antialgal, and antitermite activities. Sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, benzofurans, chromenes, coumarins, lupan triterpenes, aliphatic lactones, and aromatic and acetilenic compounds have all been isolated from the organic extracts of Flourensia species. Monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and aliphatic hydrocarbons are the main constituents found in their essential oils. This review is an overview of the chemical constituents and of the biological activities of Flourensia species.