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Phlogacanthus thyrsiflorus Nees, a medicinal plant belonging to the family Acanthaceae, has been used by traditional healers of northeast India for medicinal values. Other genera of this family, such as Andrographis paniculata and Adhatoda vasica are used extensively for their therapeutic properties. Unlike these species, minimal scientific reports are available on the phytochemical constitution of P. thyrsiflorus. The present work provides the qualitative and quantitative estimation of pharmacologically important terpenoids and β- Sitosterol present in the plant's leaf, flower, and root. Ultra - high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electro spray ionisation mass spectrometry in positive ionization mode was used to identify and quantitate. The identified terpeniods were three labdane diterpenoids (Andrographolide, Neoandrographolide, 14- Deoxyandrographolide), and two cyclic triterpenoids (Betulin and β- Sitosterol). Quantitation was carried out for all the identified secondary metabolites except 14- Deoxyandrographolide. Almost all the identified secondary metabolites were found in a substantial amount in different extracts. Andrographolide and Neoandrographolide were found in the highest quantity in the leaf extracts (2245.63 ± 0.07 ng ml−1 in aqueous extract and 300.72 ± 0.93 ng ml−1 in 50% methanolic extract). A significant amount of Betulin and β- Sitosterol were obtained in leaf and root extracts (55.05 ± 0.53 ng ml−1 in 100% methanolic extract and 1691.50 ± 2.72 ng ml−1in aqueous extract respectively) of P. thyrsiflorus. To our knowledge, this is the first report for quantitative estimation of the terpenoids present in P. thyrsiflorus. This report confirms the richness of pharmacologically important metabolites in this underutilized plant with potential medicinal applications.

The molluscicidal activity of six monoterpenes and two phenylpropenes against Theba pisana adults was evaluated using fumigation and direct contact methods. In the fumigant toxicity assay, (-)-citronellal showed the highest toxicity with LC50 value of 7.79 μl · l−1 air after 24 h of treatment, followed by (-)-terpinen-4-ol (LC50 = 12.06 μl · l−1), (-)-menthone (LC50 = 12.28 μl · l−1 air) and p-cymene (LC50 = 16.07 μl · l−1 air). Eugenol and trans-cinnamaldehyde were the most potent contact toxicants against T. pisana. Their LD50 values were 0.18 and 0.29 mg · snail−1 after 24 h of treatment, respectively. These two compounds were more toxic than a reference molluscicide, methomyl. In contrast, α-terpinene and (-)-citronellal were the least toxic compounds. In another experiment, the synergistic effect of piperonyl butoxide (PBO) on tested monoterpenes and phenylpropenes by topical application was examined. The results showed that the toxicity of the tested compounds was increased when mixed with PBO at a ratio [compound/PBO (1 : 2)] except for α-pinene and (-)-terpinen-4-ol in which the toxicity of binary mixtures was less than for single compounds. The synergistic effect of PBO improved with increased exposure time. The highest synergistic effect was observed with (-)-menthone and α-terpinene with synergistic ratios of 9.25 and 4.37, respectively. Monoterpenes and phenylpropenes and their mixtures with PBO described herein merit further studies as potential T. pisana control agents.

Pometia pinnata is a plant belonging to the Sapindaceae family that spread in the tropics, including Indonesia, which can be used as antioxidants. It is known to contain flavonoid compounds. Flavonoid is a substance that has antioxidants in capturing free radicals because it contains a hydroxyl group which is a reducer and can be beneficial for hydrogen donors to free radicals. This study aims to determine the chemical content and antioxidant activity of Pometia pinnata skin using 1,1-Diphenyl-2-Picrylhidrazyl (DPPH). Sample extraction was conducted using a multilevel extraction method with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and ethanol as solvents. The results showed that Pometia pinnata skin extract contains Alkaloids, Flavonoids, Saponins, Tannins, Steroids, and Terpenoids. While the value of antioxidant activity showed the IC50 value of n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and ethanol extracts are 25, 5, 9, 4 µg/mL. The IC50 value indicates that the antioxidant activity is in an extremely strong category.

Abstract: Recent advancements in medicinal research have identified several antiviral and anticancer terpenoids that are usually deployed as a source of flavor, fragrances and pharmaceuticals. Under the current COVID-19 pandemic conditions, natural therapeutics with the least side effects are the need of the hour to save the patients, especially, which are pre-affected with other medical complications. Although plants are the major sources of terpenoids; however, for the environmental concerns, the global interest has shifted to the biocatalytic production of molecules from microbial sources. The gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis is a suitable host in this regard due to its GRAS (generally regarded as safe) status, ease in genetic manipulations and wide industrial acceptability. The B. subtilis synthesizes its terpenoid molecules from 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP) pathway, a common route in almost all microbial strains. Here, we summarize the computational and synthetic biology approaches to improve the production of terpenoid-based therapeutics from B. subtilis by utilizing DXP pathway. We focus on the in-silico approaches for screening the functionally improved enzyme-variants of the two crucial enzymes namely, the DXP synthase (DXS) and Farnesyl Pyrophosphate Synthase (FPPS). The approaches for engineering the active sites are subsequently explained. It will be helpful to construct the functionally improved enzymes for the high-yield production of terpenoid-based anticancer and antiviral metabolites, which would help to reduce the cost and improve the availability of such therapeutics for the humankind.

Coronaviruses have caused worldwide outbreaks in different periods. SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) was the first emerged virus from this family, followed by MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) and SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV or COVID 19), which is newly emerged. Many studies have been conducted on the application of chemical and natural drugs for treating these coronaviruses and they are mostly focused on inhibiting the proteases of viruses or blocking their protein receptors through binding to amino acid residues. Among many substances which are introduced to have an inhibitory effect against coronaviruses through the mentioned pathways, natural components are of specific interest. Secondary and primary metabolites from plants, are considered as potential drugs to have an inhibitory effect on coronaviruses. IC50 value (the concentration in which there is 50% loss in enzyme activity), molecular docking score and binding energy are parameters to understand the ability of metabolites to inhibit the specific virus. In this study we reviewed 154 papers on the effect of plant metabolites on different coronaviruses and data of their IC50 values, molecular docking scores and inhibition percentages are collected in tables. Secondary plant metabolites such as polyphenol, alkaloids, terpenoids, organosulfur compounds, saponins and saikosaponins, lectins, essential oil, and nicotianamine, and primary metabolites such as vitamins are included in this study.

The genus Fuchsia is generally used in herbal preparations to treat conditions caused by microorganisms. Based on the popular use of this type of plants, the objective of this study was to obtain sequential extracts of increasing polarity from the branches of Fuchsia lycioides by maceration at room temperature and by the Soxhlet method at 60ºC, to later evaluate the antifungal capacity of the extracts against different clinical isolates of the Candida genus. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited strong anti-fungal activity, selectively inhibiting C. albicans strains with MIC and CMF values of 10 and 15 µg/mL, respectively; comparable with the drug itraconazole®. The analysis of the extract by GC-MS showed a high concentration of terpenoids (mainly phytol) and phenylpropanoids (mainly cinnamic acid), possibly responsible for the antifungal activity of the ethyl acetate extract of F. lycioides.

Background and aim: Traditional medicine relies heavily on the use of compounds-rich plants, like those of the Asteraceae family, many of such species are commercially available in the form of herbal preparations. These are particularly rich in a wide range of natural terpenoids named sesquiterpene lactones, the active principles in some cases. Inula viscosa(L.) Aiton (Family Asteraceae, Tribe Inuleae), currently classified as Dittrichia viscose (L.) Greuter, is an invasive weed widely distributed in the Mediterranean region. This species and its components present a broad range of biological activities (anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiulcer, antiviral, antiparasitic). Its extracts are particularly rich in terpenoids, in particular eudesmane acids, notably α-isocostic acid (present in the aerial parts but not in the roots).Methods: Bioguided assays on the studied plant parts (aerial parts, flowers, streams, roots) have been undertaken, then in vitroBiological assays were investigated through: quantification of Bioactive compounds as total phenols and flavonoids, isolation and characterization of main compound α-isocostic acid by 1H and 2D COSY NMR analysis, assessment of antioxidant activity via Reducing power, CUPRAC, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl, DPPH, ABTS free radicals scavenging tests, and antimicrobial activity.Results: Phytochemical analysis reveled flower extract as the richest extract in phenols, flavonoids and α-isocostic acid, root extract is the poorest one, obtained results showed a high correlation with in vitro antioxidant activities, which were assessed by the indirect antioxidant potent, Ferric reducing power FRAP as it is a widely used preliminary test to evaluate reducing capacity of oxygen generating species OGS (H2O2), which can in turn generate free radicals (OH), in addition to CUPRAC test, DPPH and ABTS free radicals scavenging, the main responsible of oxidative stress associated with several pathologies like cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, cancer and aging, The antimicrobial potent evaluated against 4 referential bacteria Escherichia coliATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosaATCC 27853and Klebsiella pneumoniaATCC 700603 Gram-negative, Staphylococcus aureusATCC 25923 Gram-positive and one fungi Trichoderma harzianum Rifai (usually used as biopesticid) exhibit root part almost as better extract.Conclusion: The hypothesis that sesquiterpens as α-isocostic acid, widely present in Inula viscosaare responsible of its biological activity was proposed. We demonstrate by bioguided assays on different plant parts, that it is not reliable for all tested applications, in case of antimicrobial ones, results suggest that it is mediated by roots system.

Natural products have become a promising therapy for many pathogenic infectious conditions. In the present study, leaves of P. cablin were extracted using Hexane and ethyl acetate. Leaf Ethyl acetate extract showed significantly better antimicrobial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus 6538 (Gram-positive) (SA) and Klebsiella pneumonia ATCC 27,736 (Gram-negative) bacteria compared to the Hexane extract and was subjected to phytochemical analysis and chromatographic seperation. Phytochemical analysis of P. cablin leaf EtOAc extract showed the presence of Tannins, Flavanoids and Terpenoids. Subjecting the EtOAc leaf extract to column chromatographic separation resulted in the isolation of a trimethoxy flavone, pachypodol.

Solanum trilobatum Linn (Solanaceae) is one of the most important medicinal plants used in the treatment of various type of diseases. The present study emphasizes the formulation of cookies and evaluation of its nutritive analysis. Phytochemical screening of the S. trilobatum leaves revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, and phenols. The aqueous extract of S. trilobatum tested for its antibacterial activity revealed good inhibition against E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. vulgaris. The highest inhibition rate of 13.5 ± 0.25 mm was observed against K. pneumoniae at the concentration of 80 µg/µl. Aqueous extract of S. trilobatum contains 18.683 QE/g of flavonoids and 724.76 µg/g of total phenol corresponding to the concentration of 100 µg/ml. Drying characteristics of S. trilobatum leaves was studied by Lewis and page models. Drying kinetics of S. trilobatum leaves was well fitted with the Page model with determination coefficient of 0.9342. Among the different flour base ingredients tested, S. trilobatum based cookies formulated with multigrain-palm sugar has better acceptance level with good flavour. The proximate analysis of multigrain-palm sugar revealed that S. trilobatum cookies contain 52% carbohydrate, 5.4% protein, 19% fat and 0.9% fibre.

Covering: through June 2021 Terpenoids are the largest class of natural products recognised to date. While mostly known to humans as bioactive plant metabolites and part of essential oils, structurally diverse terpenoids are increasingly reported to be produced by microorganisms. For many of the compounds biological functions are yet unknown, but during the past years significant insights have been obtained for the role of terpenoids in microbial chemical ecology. Their functions include stress alleviation, maintenance of cell membrane integrity, photoprotection, attraction or repulsion of organisms, host growth promotion and defense. In this review we discuss the current knowledge of the biosynthesis and evolution of microbial terpenoids, and their ecological and biological roles in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Perspectives on their biotechnological applications, knowledge gaps and questions for future studies are discussed.

Background: Antimicrobial substances from medicinal plants have been widely applied in many industries, without the concern of side effects. Nonwoven fabric products such as face masks, paper wipes, and wound dressings contain antibacterial substances for reduction of bacterial accumulation. Therefore, the use of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants improves the properties of fabrics. This study used a crude extract from Caesalpinia sappan to perform phytochemical screening and investigate its antibacterial activity, stability, hemolytic activity, and preliminary application in nonwoven fabric products. Results: The alcoholic crude extracts of C. sappan heartwood consisted of alkaloids, anthraquinones, coumarins, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, terpenoids, and cardiac glycosides. The C. sappan extract (CSE) had the highest inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus with inhibition zone of 13.67 ± 1.56 mm in the agar well diffusion assay. The MIC value of CSE was at 1.95, 1.95, and 0.98 mg/ml, while the MBC value was 62.5, 3.91, and 31.25 mg/ml for S. aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, respectively. The phenolic content was stable at 28 ± 2°C and at pH 4.0 for 12 h (∼95%) and 10 d (>90%), and it had low hemolytic activity on human erythrocytes at 5.04–18.95%. The major chemical component was flavonoids, and brazilein was 1.88% area sum. For the application to antibacterial fabrics, the highest inhibitory activity against S. aureus was found in 2MIC of CSE-coated fabric with 99% for 3 h. Conclusions: The CSE had high inhibitory toward 3 bacterial strains and stability in a wide range of pH and temperature. The CSE-coated nonwoven fabric had efficient inhibition to S. aureus and a possibility to application in a nonwoven product in the future.How to cite: Hemthanon T, Ungcharoenwiwat P. Antibacterial activity, stability, and hemolytic activity of heartwood extract from Caesalpinia sappan for application on nonwoven fabric. Electron J Biotechnol 2022;55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2021.10.002

Covering: 1928-2021Ginkgo biloba L. is one of the most distinctive plants to have emerged on earth and has no close living relatives. Owing to its phylogenetic divergence from other plants, G. biloba contains many compounds with unique structures that have served to broaden the chemical diversity of herbal medicine. Examples of such compounds include terpene trilactones (ginkgolides), acylated flavonol glycosides (ginkgoghrelins), biflavones (ginkgetin), ginkgotides and ginkgolic acids. The extract of G. biloba leaf is used to prevent and/or treat cardiovascular diseases, while many ginkgo-derived compounds are currently at various stages of preclinical and clinical trials worldwide. The global annual sales of G. biloba products are estimated to total US$10 billion. However, the content and purity of the active compounds isolated by traditional methods are usually low and subject to varying environmental factors, making it difficult to meet the huge demand of the international market. This highlights the need to develop new strategies for the preparation of these characteristic compounds from G. biloba. In this review, we provide a detailed description of the structures and bioactivities of these compounds and summarize the recent research on the development of strategies for the synthesis, biosynthesis, and biotechnological production of the characteristic terpenoids, flavonoids, and alkylphenols/alkylphenolic acids of G. biloba. Our aim is to provide an important point of reference for all scientists who research ginkgo-related compounds for medicinal or other purposes.

Studies on the essential oils for the phytochemical, larvicidal, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of vitex trifolia fresh leaves obtained from Ganye Local Government, Adamawa state, Nigeria were carried out. Out of the compounds with different concentrations obtained from the analysis, major constituents include caryophyllene, 4-methylidene-1-propan-2-ylbicyclo [3,1,0] hexane[sabinene], 2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo [3,1,1] hept-2-ene, naphthalene, 1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,8a-octahydro-7-methyl-4-methylene-1-[1–methylethyl] [1α,4αβ,8aα], [1Z,4Z,8Z]-2,6,6,9-tetramethylcycloundeca-1,4,8-triene, Naphtalene,1,2,3,5,6,8a-hexahydro-4,7-dimethyl-1-[1-methylethyl], [1S-cis]-, Naphthalene, decahydro-4a-methyl-1-methylene-7-[1-methylethenyl], terbenthene, 2-p-menthadiene and trans sabinene hydroxide which contains 22.80%, 27.40%, 7.70%, 5.23%, 4.90%, 3.52%, 4.14%, 3.52%, 3.52% and 1.03% respectively. In addition to the essential oils obtained, the results also depicted the presence of phytochemicals varying from terpenoids, glycoside, flavonoids and tannins. The displayed activity profile for the scavenging ability and high larvicidal activity of the essential oil from the sample depends on its concentration.

Diterpenoid 3-epicaryoptin (C26H36O9) is abundant in the leaves of Clerodendrum inerme, a traditionally used medicinal plant, having insect antifeedant activities. Here, we aim to explore the cytogenotoxic effects of compound 3-epicaryoptin in Allium cepa root apical meristem cells. A. cepa roots were treated with 3-epicaryoptin (100, 150 & 200 μg mL-1 concentration) and the standard compound colchicine (200 μg mL-1 concentration) for 2, 4, 4+16 h (4 h treatment followed by 16 h recovery). Cytogenotoxicity was analysed by studying the root growth retardation (RGR), mitotic index (MI), and cellular aberrations. The result showed statistically significant (pp-1) and which subsequently caused an increase in the frequency of MI (12.29±0.34 %, 150 μg mL-1) at 4h of 3-epicaryoptin treatment and that was comparable with the colchicine action. The cytological study revealed that the 3-epicaryoptin treatment could induce different types of chromosomal abnormalities such as colchicine like metaphase, vagrant chromosomes, sticky chromosomes, anaphase-bridge, and an increased frequency of micronuclei and polyploid cells. These findings indicate that 3-epicaryoptin is cytogenotoxic, and thus C. inerme should be used with caution in traditional medicine.

The Lianhua Qingwen (LHQW) capsule is a popular traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of viral respiratory diseases. In particular, it has been recently prescribed to treat infections caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, due to its complex composition, little attention has been directed toward the analysis of chemical constituents present in the LHQW capsule. This study presents a reliable and comprehensive approach to characterizing the chemical constituents present in LHQW by high-performance liquid chromatography-Q Exactive-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-MS) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). An automated library alignment method with a high mass accuracy (within 5 ppm) was used for the rapid identification of compounds. A total of 104 compounds, consisting of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, quinones, terpenoids, and other phytochemicals, were successfully characterized. In addition, the fragmentation pathways and characteristic fragments of some representative compounds were elucidated. GC-MS analysis was conducted to characterize the volatile compounds present in LHQW. In total, 17 compounds were putatively characterized by comparing the acquired data with that from the NIST library. The major constituent was menthol, and all the other compounds were terpenoids. This is the first comprehensive report on the identification of the major chemical constituents present in the LHQW capsule by HPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-MS, coupled with GC-MS, and the results of this study can be used for the quality control and standardization of LHQW capsules., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • The chemical components of LHQW capsule were revealed using HPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-MS and GC-MS. • The approach combined HPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-MS and GC-MS methods. • A library alignment method was used for the rapid identification of the chemical components. • In total, 120 compounds were putatively identified.

The effects of Cissampelos pareira (Linn), Lantana camara (Linn) and Ocimum gratissimum (African basil) leaf extracts on pain have not been biologically determined despite their frequent traditional use in pain management. The present study evaluated the effects of methanol leaf extracts of these three plants on formalin-induced pain in Swiss albino mice. Leaves of C. pareira, L. camara and O. gratissimum were harvested, cleaned, shade dried, crushed, extracted in absolute methanol and concentrated to dryness. The quantitative phytochemical screening of the three plant extracts was first carried out. Then, the pain assay tests constituted eight groups of five mice each: normal control group, positive control group, negative control group and experimental groups of 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250mg/kg bw extracts. The animals were administered with various treatments thirty minutes before induction of pain through injection of 0.01ml of 2.5% formalin solution into the sub-plantar region of the left hind paw. Paracetamol at the dose of 50mg/kg bw and 5% dimethyl sulfoxide were used as the positive and negative controls respectively. The plant extracts were administered intraperitoneally and orally. Data was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and unpaired t-test. Phytochemical screening on separate extracts of C. pareira, L. camara and O. gratissimum revealed fatty acids, phenols, flavonoids and terpenoids. The different dosages of methanol leave extracts of C. pareira, L. camara and O. gratissimum reduced pain significantly (p˃0.05) in mice. The significant reduction of pain was associated with fatty acids, phenols, flavonoids and terpenoids revealed in the plant extracts. [ J Adv Biotechnol Exp Ther 2021; 4(3.000): 349-364]

Tropospheric ozone (O3) is among the most damaging air pollutant to plants. Plants alter the atmospheric O3 concentration in two distinct ways: (i) by the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are precursors of O3; and (ii) by dry deposition, which includes diffusion of O3 into vegetation through stomata and destruction by nonstomatal pathways. Isoprene, monoterpenes, and higher terpenoids are emitted by plants in quantities that alter tropospheric O3. Deposition of O3 into vegetation is related to stomatal conductance, leaf structural traits, and the detoxification capacity of the apoplast. The biochemical fate of O3 once it enters leaves and reacts with aqueous surfaces is largely unknown, but new techniques for the tracking and identification of initial products have the potential to open the black box.

Background: Licorice is widely used as a hepatoprotective herb for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and its main chemical constituent glycyrrhizin (GL) is used as a treatment for chronic hepatitis in Japan for over 20 years. 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is the main active metabolite of GL. Objective: Series of GA derivatives were designed and synthesized, and their anti-HCV activities were screened to investigate structure-activity relationship (SAR). Besides, their in-silico ADMET properties were analyzed to search for promising lead compound for further identification of anti-HCV terpenoid candidate. Methods: GA derivatives were synthesized via reactions of oxidation, oxime, rearrangement, esterification and acylation, etc. In vitro anti-HCV activity of derivatives was tested on the HCV cell culture (HCVcc) system. In-silico ADMET properties analysis were performed via “pkCSM” and “SwissADME” platforms. Results: Eighteen GA derivatives were synthesized and their structures were confirmed by MS and NMR spectrums. All compounds exhibited superior HCV inhibitory activity to that of GA. Compound 2 possessed the most potent anti-HCV activity with IC50 value of 0.79 μM, which is nearly 58 times potent than SA (a previously reported potent anti-HCV terpenoids) and >200 times than GA. SAR revealed the introduction of 3-oxo, short-chain (C1-C3) aliphatic alcohols or cyclic aliphatic amines is conducive to improving anti-HCV activity. In-silico ADMET prediction demonstrated most of the potent compounds possessed favorable ADMET properties. Conclusion: Structural modification of GA at 3-position and 30-position is an effective approach to searching for potent anti-HCV agents. Compound 2, with the most potent anti-HCV activity and favorable in-silico ADMET properties, is a promising lead compound for further identification of anti-HCV terpenoid candidate.

Honey is the most famous natural sweet substance produced by honeybees (Apis mellifera). It contains numerous functional compounds, from which health benefits are obtained. In Chile, the production of honey is associated with its unique biodiversity, but it is exported mostly, as bulk honey. This work aimed to characterize the chemical and biological properties of Chilean honey on a large scale. The use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) technique, combined with multivariate statistical analysis was introduced to study the chemical profiles of polyfloral honey. The use of a complementary mass spectrometry method allowed the identification of 25 different constituents in the studied honey, including hydrocarbons, acids, esters, glycoside isoprenoids, ketones, and a dihydroxyflavanone. The evaluation of biological properties in Chilean honey was measured in a representative number of polyfloral samples. For this purpose, the total phenolics and flavonoid content were measured in the selected samples. The antioxidant activity of the honey was evaluated through the ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP) and the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method. On the other hand, the antibacterial activity was assessed by the dilution technique to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the honey against seven bacterial strains, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The results demonstrated that the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Chilean honey are variable and they could have similar properties in comparison with other well-recognized bioactive honey.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae, has promising anticancer activity. This overview has updated the current knowledge on the chemistry and anticancer properties of rosemary extract, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmanol, focusing on colon and prostate cancer cells since they are the most susceptible. The information was procured from Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, PubMed Central, Science Direct, J-Stage, and PubChem. Phenolic compounds isolated from the aerial parts of R. officinalis are flavonoids, phenolic acids, diterpenes, triterpenes, terpenoids, and phenylpropanoids. Some of the compounds are new to science, to the genus, and to the species. Almost 30 compounds possess anticancer properties. Rosemary extracts contain abietane diterpenes, with carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmanol being the most common. Their molecular structures are similar to three fused aromatic rings. Carnosic acid has a –COOH group at C20, carnosol has a lactone ring occurs across the B ring, and rosmanol has a –OH group at C7. Against colon and prostate cancer cells, the rosemary extract and diterpenes inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. The inhibition of cell migration and adhesion has also been reported. The rosemary extract and diterpenes also inhibited colon and prostate cancer xenograft in mice. Rosemary extract is more cytotoxic than the diterpenes due to its polyphenols such as flavonoids and triterpenes. In vitro and in vivo cytotoxic activities involve different molecular targets and signalling pathways. Some prospects and areas for future research are suggested.

The Marchantiophyta (liverworts) are rich sources of phenolic substances, especially cyclic and acyclic bis-bibenzyls, which are rare natural products in the plant kingdom, together with bibenzyls and characteristic terpenoids. At present, more than 125 bis-bibenzyls have been found in liverworts. They are biosynthesized from the dimerization of lunularic acid via dihydrocoumaric acid and prelunularin. The structurally unusual cyclic and acyclic bis-bibenzyls show various biological activities such as antimicrobial, antifungal, cytotoxic, muscle relaxation, antioxidant, tubulin polymerization inhibitory, and antitrypanosomal activities, among others. The present review article deals with the distribution and structure of bis-bibenzyls, bibenzyls, and several characteristic ent-sesqui- and diterpenoids in liverworts. Furthermore, the biosynthesis and total syntheses and biological activities of bis-bibenzyls are also surveyed.

A hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent (DES) based vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (LLME) procedure was developed for the effective and rapid determination of thiophanate-methyl (TM) and carbendazim (CA) in lake water and tap water samples, with an excellence extraction efficiency (recovery: 87.2% to 97.4%, enrichment factor: 87.2 to 97.4). Twelve hydrophobic DESs based on terpenoids and fatty acids/alcohols were prepared, and those with the highest recovery for TM and CA were selected. The main parameters, including assisting methods, molar ratio of DES components, volume of DES, and NaCl content that may affect vortex-assisted LLME, were optimized. The intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviation (RSD) of this method were from 1.7% to 3.8% and 1.8% to 4.1%, showing excellent precision. The proposed method exhibited suitable limits of detection (TM: 0.053 µg/mL; CA: 0.007 µg/mL) and limits of quantification (TM: 0.177 µg/mL; CA: 0.024 µg/mL).

Anti-inflammatory medications are necessary to treat excessive inflammation reactions due to injury, infection, or irritation. The emergence of several adverse effects associated with synthetic anti-inflammatory drugs has prompted the continued use of anti-inflammatory agents derived from natural products with low side effects and a high therapeutic effect. While it is well established that the seeds of the Makassar fruit (Brucea javanica (L.) Merr.)  have anti-inflammatory activity, the optimal concentration of Makasar fruit seed extract for anti-inflammatory activity is unknown. This study aims to determine the optimal Makassar fruit seed extract concentration as an in vitro anti-inflammatory. The seeds of the Makasar fruit were extracted using the sonication method (3 x 35 minutes) in 96% ethanol and then concentrated using a rotary evaporator. The secondary metabolites of Makasar fruit seed extract were then identified in the test tubes, and the anti-inflammatory activity was determined using the protein denaturation inhibition method. The results indicated that the extract produced had a yield of 10.03%. The Makassar fruit seed extract contains secondary metabolites of phenolics, flavonoids, and terpenoids. Makasar fruit seed extract exhibited the optimum anti-inflammatory activity at a concentration of 1%, with a 55.47% inhibition of protein denaturation.

Phyllanthus is a large genus of shrubs, trees and rare herbs of the family Euphorbiaceae, comprising more than 600 species [1]. The aim of this project was to identify the phytochemicals present in P. niruri and the antidiabetic activity of the ethanolic extracts of the plant. The phytochemical analysis for alkaloids, flavonoids, anthraquinone, phenols, saponins, tannins, alkaloids, total phenolics, total flavonoids, carbohydrates and amino acids were made by following standard procedures. The antidiabetic property of the plant extract was evaluated using insulin as standards through inhibition of alphaamylase enzyme activity. The presence of saponins, alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, carbohydrates, coumarins, anthraquinones and amino acids was observed. The total phenolic content in the extract was measured using catechol (standard) and a graph was plotted with concentration on X axis and absorbance on the Y axis. The total phenolic content was calculated. The calibration curves of α-amylase inhibition of Insulin and P. niruri was used to calculate the IC50 value.

Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is vital for energy metabolism in living organisms. In humans, CoQ10 deficiency causes diseases and must be replenished via diet; however, CoQ content in plant foods is primarily low. Here, we report the breeding of high CoQ10 tomato lines by expressing four enzymes with a fruit-specific promoter, which modifies the chloroplast chorismate pathway, enhances cytosolic isoprenoid biosynthesis, and up-regulates the first two reactions in mitochondrion that construct the CoQ10 polyisoprenoid tail. We show that, while the level of the aromatic precursor could be markedly elevated, head group prenylation is the key to increasing the final CoQ10 yield. In the HUCD lines expressing all four transgenes, the highest CoQ10 content (0.15 mg/g dry weight) shows a seven-fold increase from the wild-type level and reaches an extraordinarily rich CoQ10 food grade. Overviewing the changes in other terpenoids by transcriptome and metabolic analyses reveals variable contents of carotenoids and α-tocopherol in the HUCD lines. In addition to the enigmatic relations among different terpenoid pathways, high CoQ10 plants maintaining substantial levels of either vitamin can be selected. Our investigation paves the way for the development of CoQ10-enriched crops as dietary supplements.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are antihypertensive medications often used in the treatment of diabetes-related complications. Synthetic ACE inhibitors are known to cause serious side effects like hypotension, renal insufficiency, and hyperkalaemia. Therefore, there has been an intensifying search for natural ACE inhibitors. Many plants or plant-based extracts are known to possess ACE-inhibitory activity. In this review, articles focusing on the natural ACE inhibitors extracted from plants were retrieved from databases like Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. We have found more than 50 plant species with ACE-inhibitory activity. Among them, Angelica keiskei, Momordica charantia, Muntingia calabura, Prunus domestica, and Peperomia pellucida were the most potent, showing comparatively lower half-maximal inhibitory concentration values. Among the bioactive metabolites, peptides (e.g., Tyr-Glu-Pro, Met-Arg-Trp, and Gln-Phe-Tyr-Ala-Val), phenolics (e.g., cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside and delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside), flavonoids ([-]-epicatechin, astilbin, and eupatorin), terpenoids (ursolic acid and oleanolic acid) and alkaloids (berberine and harmaline) isolated from several plant and fungus species were found to possess significant ACE-inhibitory activity. These were also known to possess promising antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory activities. Considering the minimal side effects and lower toxicity of herbal compounds, development of antihypertensive drugs from these plant extracts or phytocompounds for the treatment of diabetes-associated complications is an important endeavour. This review, therefore, focuses on the ACE inhibitors extracted from different plant sources, their possible mechanisms of action, present status, and any safety concerns.

Endophytic fungi Cladosporium cladosporioides (F1-MH810309) and Cladosporium tenuissimum (F2-MN715834) from the leaf of wild Cymbopogon martinii (MT90507) were isolated and selected based on the persistent occurrence during different seasons of the year. They were identified based on the morphological features and molecular characterization (ITS sequence), and later deposited at NCBI. Phytochemical studies on F1, F2 and host extracts showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids and tannins. The GC-MS of F1 extract (control) under the axenic condition revealed compounds like hexadecane, heptadecane,2,4-Ditert-butylphenol, E-14 hexadecenal, geraniol, geranyl acetate and cubenol similar to the host. The GC-MS of F2 extract (control) revealed metabolites that were unique. Further, both F1 and F2 were cultured in the supplementation of different concentrations (5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) of the host plant extract (an-axenic condition). The GC-MS of F1 extracts (test) exhibited good growth and showed the gradual increased production of terpenoid compounds whereas the F2 (test) did not show any growth. These compounds such as hyrdoxymenthol, nor-borneol, cedralacetate, α-cyclogeraniol, campesterol, β-cyclogeraniol, linalool oxide,2,3-boranediol, citronellyltiglate and 2,3-pinanediol were produced in a minor quantity and were known as biotransformed forms of the precursor compounds present in the host extract. In comparison, only F1 was able to produce terpenoids similar to the host species both in axenic and an-axenic conditions. Hence from the current study, the endophytic fungus F1 isolated from wild C. martinii for the first time can serve as a better resource for the bioprospection of an important terpenoid and its metabolites.

The investigation on the n-hexane lipophilic extractives of Swietenia mahagoni, alongside the antifungal and antioxidant properties was conducted. The leaf sample was collected from 2- and 3-years-old trees in Perhutani enterprise of Temanggung, Central Java, Indonesia. In addition, the antifungal activity was tested using the white-rot of Phanerochaete chrysosporium, while the antioxidant property involved the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) method. The results show antifungal of 28.6% and 37.5% growth inhibition in 2- and 3 -years-old leaf, respectively, while 21.7% and 25.4% antioxidant activity were also recorded. Furthermore, the GC-MS results showed the domination of S. mahagoni leaf by fatty acids and hydo-carbons, while the terpenoids and steroids were in minor quantities. These components possibly exhibit growth inhibitory and antioxidant effects against P. chrysosporium and DPPH radicals, respectively.

During the last decades, the research on the biological activities of extracts from Cimicifuga/Actaea species and Petasites japonicus as well as their active ingredients has been intensified. Besides terpenoids as dominant natural product group, hydroxycinnamic acid esters such as fukinolic acid and several cimicifugic acids have been isolated from Actaea and Petasites species and their chemical structures have been elucidated. Investigations on the biological properties of these hydroxycinnamic acid esters are currently undertaken and some compounds might be promising therapeutic tools. In this review, we have gathered information on the genera Actaea and Petasites, the occurrence of cimicifugic and fukinolic acids and some aspects of their biosynthesis. Furthermore, we have summarized the medicinal aspects of fukinolic acid and cimicifugic acids. In connection with the biological activities of these compounds, structural features of the hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives move into the focus. The position of the hydroxyl group at the aromatic rings and the introduction of an electron-donating moiety may be important for anti-inflammatory, antiviral, cytotoxic and vasoactive effects of these compounds.

Morinda citrifolia or Noni is known as an important dietary supplement, food functional ingredient, or as natural health enhancer that is used throughout the world. Different parts of the plant have been proven to carry compounds that have high medicinal values such as terpenoids, alkaloids and anthraquinones. The stem bark of Morinda citrifolia collected from different types of soil were studied. It aimed to investigate the influence of different geographical factor on its metabolite profile by multivariate statistical analyses of spectral data deduced by NMR methods. A metabolomic approach employing concatenated GCMS and NMR data was utilized to study the relationships between environment and plant metabolism. Morinda citrifolia stem barks were pulverized into fine powder. They were extracted using chloroform and were taken to dryness in a rotary evaporator under reduced pressure. The Morinda citrifolia crudes were proceeded for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis. Visual inspection on the 1H-NMR Morinda citrifolia spectra showed that the different geographical areas have similar profile, but they have different concentration of various constituents. Major constituents identified were aromatics (δH 7.25-7.50), sugars and glycosides (δH 2.25-5.0), fatty acids/aliphatics (δH 0.5-2.0) and aldehydic compound (δH 9.75). However, since the difference among the geographical areas were not clear from visual analysis, the analysis was proceeded using multivariate analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) model. Thus, further analysis was done to examine the consistency of geographical area for each batch of Morinda citrifolia. This is to identify which type of soil is suitable as class model.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the growth potential and some rarely reported bioactivities (antioxidant, thrombolytic, anticoagulant, and anthelmintic) of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer adventitious roots. To demonstrate the growth, shake flask and laboratory-scale bioreactor cultures have been employed. The obtained biomass was dried and extracted with water, ethanol, and methanol. The growth ratio (12.62 ± 1.03) observed in the bioreactor was significantly higher than in the shake flask culture. The presence of 10 different phytochemical classes, including carbohydrates, saponins, glycosides, and terpenoids were detected in qualitative estimation. Significant quantities of phenolics, flavonoids, proteins, and tannins were determined. Dose-dependent antioxidant activities were observed, and the IC50 values of methanolic and ethanolic extracts were very similar to the standard. The highest (29.26 ± 5.31%) thrombolytic potential was shown by the methanolic extract. The ethanolic extract significantly extended the coagulation times up to 2.5 fold. The highest anthelmintic properties in terms of paralyzing (2.21 ± 0.31 min) and killing (3.69 ± 0.41 min) of the parasitic worms were displayed by the aqueous extract. The in vitro root growth implies the commercial feasibility of ginseng production in Bangladesh and the demonstration of potential bioactivities strengthens medicinal implications and also offering new research areas.

Euphorbia deflexa, an endemic spurge from Greece, was investigated for the occurrence of its diterpene constituents. Through continuous monitoring by 1H NMR, 22 diterpenoids were isolated, including 16 previously undescribed compounds (euphodeflexins A-P), which belong to the jatrophane, ingenane, segetane, and pepluane diterpene types. Their chemical structures were elucidated through a combination of HRESIMS, NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray data. The isolated diterpenoids were tested against a panel of human cancer cell lines, as well as against two bacterial strains. Compounds 1, 13, and 17 were active against the HeLa cell line with IC50 values 9.9, 9.8, and 5.8 μM, respectively.

Nine new dolabrane-type diterpenoids, notoscarins A-I (1-9), including an unprecedented 6,18-cyclo-dolabrane-type diterpenoid (1) obtained through intramolecular cyclization, two rare 19-nor-2-chloro-dolabrane diterpenoids (2 and 3), six new related dolabrane-type diterpenoids (4-9), and one new butyrolactone derivative (10), were isolated from the Chinese liverwort Notoscyphus lutescens. The 6,18-cyclo-dolabrane and 19-nor-dolabrane carbon skeletons are reported for the first time. The structures of these compounds were determined on the basis of MS and NMR spectroscopic data, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and electronic circular dichroism calculations. Preliminary bioassays showed that compounds 1-10 exhibited moderate to weak quinone reductase-inducing activity in Hepa-1c1c7 cells.

The presence of various bioactive components makes it necessary to analyse plants for their potential to act as a source of useful treatments and cures for many inflammatory, infectious and pathogenic diseases. This study was carried out to determine phytochemicals and in-vitro antioxidant activities of the leaf extracts of Acalypha godseffiana. The leaves of A. godseffiana were collected, dried, pulverized and extracted separately with methanol and water using maceration method. The extract was concentrated in vacuo with rotary evaporator at 40oC. The extracts were subjected to quantitative phytochemical analysis and different anti-oxidant analytical procedures like FRAP, DPPH etc to determine the radical scavenging capabilities. The results of phytochemical analysis estimated the quantities and revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins and terpenoids which varied in both extracts. The methanol and aqueous extracts exhibited antioxidant activities with relatively high IC50 (IC50 = 3.67 ìg/ml and 4.42ìg/ml respectively) which accounted for a low free radical-scavenging activity when compared with the reference antioxidant, vitamin C (IC50 = 1.51ìg/ml). The results of the study indicates that A. godseffiana leaf extracts contain secondary metabolites and possesses antioxidant properties.

The primary goal of this research was to evaluate the phytochemicals, including bioactive components of Ocimum americanum extracts and assess their larvicidal potential against 3rd and 4th instar larvae of Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi, and Culex quinquefasciatus. The aqueous extraction process on O. americanum provides higher yield (9.61 ± 0.11%) and a significant volume of phytochemicals (tannins, saponins, terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, protein, and carbohydrate) than other solvents (methanol, ethanol, acetone, petroleum ether, and chloroform) extracts. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography analyses revealed about eight predominant phytochemicals/functional groups in O. americanum aqueous extract. Surprisingly, in gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis, about 30 bioactive components were found in the aqueous extract of O. americanum, the majority of which had previously been identified as medicinally valuable bioactive components. Furthermore, these bioactive components containing aqueous extract demonstrated significant larvicidal activity against 3rd and 4th instar larvae of A. aegypti, An. stephensi, and C. quinquefasciatus after 24 h of treatment at concentrations ranging from 35 to 50 mg mL−1. Thus, their outstanding larvicidal potential on 3rd and 4th instar larvae, the phytochemicals present in the aqueous extract of O. americanum could be used to control mosquito duplication and vector-borne diseases.

The recent research was directed to explore the phytochemical, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Hydrodictyon reticulatum L. The samples were then identified morphologically and anatomically. By using different solvents algal extracts were prepared. The phytochemical activity of algal samples were performed to determine the presence or absence of alkaloids, steroids, tannin, triterpenoids, saponin, terpenoids, quinine, coumarins, phlobatannins, phytosteroids and flavonoids. Two bacterial strains S. aureus and E. coli were used to determine the antibacterial activity of algal extracts. The greatest activity was appeared by the methanolic extract against the fungal strain S. aureus i.e. 12.5±0.088 mm, while the aqueous extract showed the maximum anti-bacterial activity that was 12.2±0.058 mm beside E. coli. These findings were relatively equivalent to the results of standard Amkasin that was normally used as antibiotic in the market. The results of antifungal movement was indicated greatest having the solvent (CH3)2CO separate i.e. 1.8±0.058 mm against A. niger. While methanol extricate indicated 2.35±0.058 mm against the strain F. solani. DPPH rummaging activity, TAA and TPC were performed to determine the action of reticulatum. In the event of DPPH the most extreme IC50 recorded was from the chloroform extricate. While in TPC methanol extricate indicated most extreme esteem 67.14±0.54 mm and in TAA ethanol showed greatest esteem i.e. 0.88±0.01 µg/L. These results demonstrated that the Hydrodictyon reticulatum had phytochemical, cancer prevention agent and antimicrobial potential and suggested for pharmaceutical use.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, belonging to Lamiaceae family, is one of the most important Chinese medicinal herbs. The dried roots, also called Danshen in Chinese, are usually used in the formula of Chinese traditional medicine due to the bioactive constituents known as phenolic acids and tanshinones, which are a group of abietane nor-diterpenoid quinone natural products. Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) usually play crucial roles in terpenoids synthesis, especially in hydroxylation processes. Up to now, several important P450 enzymes, such as CYP76AH1, CYP76AH3, CYP76AK1, CYP71D373, and CYP71D375, have been functionally characterized in the tanshinones biosynthetic pathway. Nevertheless, the tanshinones biosynthesis is a so complex network that more P450 enzymes should be identified and characterized. Here, we report two novel P450 enzymes CYP76AK2 and CYP76AK3 that are involved in tanshinones biosynthetic pathway. These two P450 enzymes were highly homologous to previously reported CYP76AK1 and showed the same expression profile as CYP76AK1. Also, CYP76AK2 and CYP76AK3 could be stimulated by MeJA and SA, resulting in increased expression. We used a triple-target CRISPR/Cas9 system to generate targeted mutagenesis of CYP76AK2 and CYP76AK3 in S. miltiorrhiza. The content of five major tanshinones was significantly reduced in both cyp76ak2 and cyp76ak3 mutants, indicating that the two enzymes might be involved in the biosynthesis of tanshinones. This study would provide a foundation for the catalytic function identification of CYP76AK2 and CYP76AK3, and further enrich the understanding of the network of tanshinones secondary metabolism synthesis as well.

One new clerodane-type diterpenoid, together with one known, was isolated from the leaves and twigs of C. krabas. The structures of these compounds were elucidated as krabasinolide A (1) and taraxerol (2) by spectroscopic methods (UV, IR, HRESIMS, 1 D, and 2 D NMR), and the relative stereochemistry was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis with graphite monochromated Mo-Kα (λ = 0.71073 Å) radiation at 296(2) K. Extracts and compounds 1-2 were evaluated for in vitro antiviral activity.

Drimane‐type sesquiterpenes exhibit various biological activities and are widely present in eukaryotes. Here, we completely elucidated the biosynthetic pathway of the drimane‐type sesquiterpene esters isolated from Aspergillus calidoustus and we discovered that it involves a drimenol cyclase having the same catalytic function previously only reported in plants. Moreover, since many fungal drimenol derivatives possess a γ‐butyrolactone ring, we clarified the functions of the cluster‐associated cytochrome P450 and FAD‐binding oxidoreductase discovering that these two enzymes are solely responsible for the formation of those structures. Furthermore, swapping of the enoyl reductase domain in the identified polyketide synthase led to the production of metabolites containing various polyketide chains with different levels of saturation. These findings have deepened our understanding of how fungi synthesize drimane‐type sesquiterpenes and the corresponding esters., Reported here is the complete elucidation of the biosynthetic pathway of drimane‐type sesquiterpene esters from Aspergillus calidoustus, including the first identified fungal drimenol cyclase. The cluster‐associated acyltransferase is then employed to transfer different lengths of ACP‐activated polyketides, but also very diverse CoA‐esters.

The chemical compositions and antioxidant evaluation of the essential oils (EOs) obtained by hydrodistillation from the leaf and stem of Indigofera spicata Forssk (Fabaceae) grown in Nigeria have been studied. The EOs were analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and the antioxidant potential was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging ability method. The essential oils from the leaf and stem obtained in 0.007% and 0.009% yield have been found to contain 18 and 17 compounds respectively. 13 compounds identified in the stem EOs make 90.2% of it. Sesquiterpenes (49.2%) and alcohols (30.7%) are dominant classes of compounds in the leaf EOs, with the most abundant compounds as caryophyllene (38.2%), humulene (6.2%) and m-eugenol (27.5%). Whereas esters (47.2%), and monoterpenoids (20.8%) dominate the stem essential oils with major constituents as linalyl acetate (23.9%), α-terpinyl acetate (12.8%), 3,5,5-trimethyhexyl acetate (9.4%), and linalool (20.8%). Common to both EOs were linalool, (leaf, 1.9%) caryophyllene (stem 5.9%), linanyl acetate (leaf, 2.5%). Comparison of the composition pattern of the leaf and stem EOs of I. spicata revealed significant qualitative and quantitative differences. Monoterpenes, sesquiterpenoid, diterpenoid, epoxide and ether were exclusive to the leaf oil while saturated, unsaturated hydrocarbons and anhydride were found only in the stem oil. The IC50 values of antioxidant evaluations show the leaf EO (36.97 µg/mL) has more potential than the stem oil (39.89 µg/mL) and comparable to that of the controls Vitamin C and Butylhydroxyl Anisole with IC50 values 24.20 and 24.21 µg/mL respectively. Most of these identified compounds have been known for various pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, even as fragrances and the antioxidant potential of the oils justify the ethno-medicinal uses of I. spicata. Key words: Indigofera spicata, linalool, m-eugenol, caryophyllene, essential oil, sesquiterpene, antioxidant, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH).

Phytochemical screening research on the ethanol extract of soursop (Annona muricata Linn) peel and antioxidant activity was tested using the DPPH method. The purpose of this study was to determine several classes of compounds found in soursop rind and to determine the antioxidant activity of ethanol extract of soursop rind against DPPH free radicals. The results showed ethanol extract of positive soursop fruit skin containing flavonoids, tannins, and terpenoids. of soursop fruit skin extract was carried out by DPPH method results obtained IC50 value of 192.13 µg / mL ± 5.198137 which was categorized as weak.

Four synthetic farnesyl diphosphate analogues were enzymatically converted with three bacterial sesquiterpene synthases, including β-himachalene synthase (HcS) and ( Z )-γ-bisabolene synthase (BbS) from Cryptosporangium arvum , and germacrene A synthase (SmTS6) from Streptomyces mobaraensis . These enzyme reactions not only yielded several previously unknown compounds, showing that this approach opened the door to a new chemical space, but substrates with blocked or altered reactivities also gave interesting insights into the cyclisation mechanisms and the potential to catalyse reactions with different initial cyclisation modes.

Sesquiterpene lactones (SL) are widely distributed in nature (formed biosynthetically in plants from farnesyl pyrophosphate) and are a structurally diverse class of terpenoids with 15 carbon atoms in the skeleton and, in addition to the lactone cycle, can contain various functional groups. Some of them exhibit biological activity both in a rather wide range and in relation to a specific target. An increase in the number of undescribed natural plant compounds of this class, as well as detection in various plant species, opens up new possibilities for their use for the purposes of medical chemistry, phytochemistry, pharmacognosy, chemotaxonomy, and related fields. Using the example of SL of the eudesmane structural type found in plants of the genus Inula, this review attempts to show the relevance of studies of such compounds that investigate the mechanism of action on various biological models, including the goal of developing new effective antitumor agents.

Vernonia camporum is used ethnomedicinally to treat diseases such as malaria, fever, hypertension, mouth sores, pains, inflammation, and skin rashes in Africa. This study aims at investigating the biological activities (anthelminthic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial) and separating some of the biologically active components in the methanol crude extract of the stem-bark of Vernonia camporum. Phytochemical screening, anthelminthic (Lumbricus terrestris (earthworm)), anti-inflammatory (egg albumin denaturation), antioxidant (DPPH and H2O2 scavenging and total antioxidant capacity (TAC)), and antimicrobial (agar and broth dilution method) assays were performed on the extracts. Column chromatography and FTIR spectroscopic analysis were employed to separate and analyze the least polar constituents of the methanol extract. The preliminary phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, phenols, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, flavonoids, steroids, phytosterols, proteins and amino acids, phlobatannins, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, coumarins, and anthocyanins. The extracts (methanol and hexane) showed a higher concentration-dependent anthelminthic activity. The extracts exhibited high concentration-dependent anti-inflammatory activities with IC50 values of 35.83 ± 3.984 and 53.91 ± 5.8413 µg/mL, respectively. The IC50 values for methanol and hexane extracts in the DPPH assay were 17.70 ± 3.430 and 29.54 ± 1.5437 µg/mL, and those of the H2O2 assay were 243.20 ± 0.1528 and 352.20 ± 12.64 µg/mL, respectively. TAC results for methanol and hexane extracts were recorded as 31.592 ± 1.682 and 30.232 ± 0.445 gAAE/100 g, respectively. The extracts were observed to exhibit antimicrobial activity against test organisms with MICs ranging from 0.1953 to 25.00 mg/mL. Chromatographic separations gave four fractions. FTIR analysis indicated the presence of various functional groups in purified fractions of the methanol extract that confirms the presence of the phytochemicals identified in the screening test. The results indicate that both extracts of V. camporum possess anthelminthic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities supporting the traditional usage of this plant.

As the major contributors to the floral odors of tea products, terpenoid volatiles play critical roles in the defense response of plants to multiple stresses. Until now, only a few TPS genes in tea plants (Camellia sinensis) have been functionally validated. In this study, by comparative studies conducted at gene, protein, and metabolite levels during oolong tea processing, we isolated an ocimene synthase gene, CsOCS, which displays a low similarity to previously characterized tea ocimene synthases. Further prokaryotic expression and subcellular localization analysis showed that it is plastid-located and could produce (E)-β-ocimene and (Z)-β-ocimene using GPP as the substrate. The optimum temperature and pH of the enzyme were 30 °C and 7.5, respectively. Treatment with exogenous methyl jasmonate elevated the transcript level of CsOCS and enhanced the emission of ocimene from tea leaves. Collectively, CsOCS is implicated as a key enzyme for β-ocimene synthesis during oolong tea processing.

In Pinus radiata, both primary and secondary compounds may play a role in defence against herbivory. Allocation of constitutive and induced primary and secondary compounds varies among needles, bark and roots. Responses to stresses are stronger in primary than secondary compounds and some responses of root chemistry to above-ground stressors were detected. The capacity of trees to cope with pests and pathogens depends in part on the variation of constitutive and induced chemical defences within the plant. Here we examined the constitutive and induced variation of primary (sugars and fatty acids) and secondary (mono-, sesqui- and di- terpenoids as well as volatile phenolics) metabolites in the needles, bark and, for the first time, roots of 2-year old Pinus radiata. A total of 81 compounds were examined. The plant parts differed significantly in constitutive levels of individual sugars, fatty acids, mono-, sesqui- and di- terpenoids as well as volatile phenolics. Overall, the bark had more compounds and a higher amount of most secondary compounds and the levels of compounds in the roots differed from that of the needles and bark. For example, glucose was the dominant sugar in the needles and bark whereas fructose dominated in the roots. Of the fully identified secondary compounds, monoterpenoids dominated in all plant parts but with different qualitative patterns. Following methyl jasmonate and bark stripping treatments, a marked reduction in sugars but weaker changes in secondary compounds were detected in the needles and bark. Responses in the roots were minor but the few that were detected were mostly in response to the bark stripping treatment. Changes in correlations among chemicals within plant parts and between the same compound across the different plant parts were also detected after stress treatments. Overall, results showed that the constitutive composition in the roots differs from that of the bark and needles in P. radiata and inducibility is stronger in the primary than secondary metabolites and differs between plant parts. This detailed assessment of Pinus radiata chemistry in the needles, bark and roots, including the compounds that respond to simulated biotic stress will potentially facilitate the identification of related chemical defence traits.

A new abietane-type diterpenoid, rubesanolidic acid (1), alongside six known compounds including β-sitosterol (2), lupeol (3), betulinic acid (4) ursolic acid (5), β-sitosterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6) and stigmasterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7) were isolated from the roots of Burkea africana through column chromatography. Their structures were elucidated from spectroscopic analyses (UV, IR, MS, 1D and 2D NMR) data and by comparison with data from previous studies. The extract and compounds were tested for their α-amylase inhibition. The extract was more active than the isolated compounds with a percentage inhibition of 51.0 ± 2.5% at 400 µg/mL and was the only sample showing above 50% inhibition at this dose. Amongst the isolated compounds and at the dose of 400 µg/mL, the new diterpenoid Rubesanolidic acid exibited the highest percentage inhibition of α-amylase of 38.2 ± 2.0% while β-sitosterol showed the lowest inhibition of 9.6 ± 0.5%. The results indicate that B. africana is a potential source of antidiabetic compounds.

Objectives Celastrus paniculatus Wild is an evergreen climbing shrub. The plant is of great significance in the traditional Indian System of Medicine, such as Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha. The seeds and their oil are extensively used to treat neurological disorders such as cognitive dysfunction, paralysis, epilepsy, insomnia, and other ailments like rheumatism, arthritis, sciatica, and leprosy. This paper aims to highlight the nootropic activity of C. paniculatus and explore its phytochemistry, traditional uses, and other pharmacological activities. Methods All available information concerning C. paniculatus has been searched in the internationally accepted scientific databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Additional knowledge was gathered from the classical Textbooks and Unani Pharmacopoeia. Results C. paniculatus is a rich source of several secondary metabolites, such as β-Dihydroagarofuranoids sesquiterpenes, alkaloids (Celastrine, Celapanin, Celapagin, and paniculatin), flavonoids, terpenoid (β-amyrin, Lupeol, Pristimerin), sterols (β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, α-tocopherol, γ-Tocopherol), fatty acid (palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic acids) and non-fatty acids (Benzoic acid, Cinnamic acid). The various study shows that the extracts and active constituent of this plant possess potent nootropic activity. Besides nootropic activity, it has also been reported for anti-Alzheimer, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic, gastroprotective, anti-psoriatic, wound healing, antibacterial, antimalarial, and several other properties. Conclusions Several in vitro and in vivo trials confirm the conventional use of C. paniculatus in cognitive dysfunction. However, the relations between the possible mechanisms of other activities and traditional uses of the C. paniculatus remain indistinct. Still, pharmacological studies also explored the effects of C. paniculatus, which were not recognized in ancient times, such as cytotoxic, ACE inhibitor, and antidiabetic activities. These discoveries are may be beneficial in the development of the new drug to treat various diseases. It is also confirmed that the β-dihydroagarofuranoids exhibit significant AChE inhibitory, cytotoxic, antibacterial, and insecticidal effects. This versatile medicine is truly a life elixir. Considering the therapeutic importance of the C. paniculatus and the absence of any reported clinical studies, extensive clinical trials are needed to explore its memory enhancing and other activities.

ent-Eudesmane-type terpenoids constitute a large class of natural products derived from plants, animals, and bacteria. We describe a synthetic approach to two ent-eudesmane-type terpenoids, sinupol and eutyscoparin A, that relies on a key π-facial- and endo/exo-selective intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction to set the C-5–C-10 stereotriads. Further key transformations of trans-fused decalin include conversion to methyl ketone via a versatile thioester intermediate and appropriate functionalization toward target compounds.

Gyrinops versteegii (Gilg) Domke is an agarwood-producing plant originating from Eastern Indonesia. Leaves have antioxidant and anticancer activity due to their secondary metabolites. However, secondary metabolites are strongly influenced by the environment. This study aims to compare the terpenoid, phenolic, and flavonoid profiles of agarwood leaves grown in three locations, namely Bogor, Mataram, and Sambas using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), in order to obtain the most potential agarwood G. versteegii for further development as herbal medicine. Agarwood leaf powder was extracted using Soxhlet with 80% methanol as solvent, followed by liquid-liquid fractionation using chloroform and aquadest. The crude extract and the obtained fraction were subjected to metabolite profiling using TLC. Racing data factors from TLC were analyzed using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The results showed that the Mataram sample produced higher yields for both extracts and fractions. TLC detected that the chloroform fraction contained more terpenoids, followed by phenolics and flavonoids, while the aqueous fraction contained the same number of positive bands for terpenoids and phenolics. In terms of origin, the Bogor sample showed six terpenoid positive bands higher than the other samples. A similar pattern was observed in the phenolics, while the flavonoids were the same for all samples. HCA resulted in Mataram being clustered separately from the Bogor and Sambas samples. Agarwood leaves from Mataram cannot be used to replace agarwood leaves from Bogor and Sambas as herbal ingredients.