scholarly journals Flavonoids from Brazilian Cerrado: Biosynthesis, Chemical and Biological Profile

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (16) ◽  
pp. 2891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josana de Castro Peixoto ◽  
Bruno Junior Neves ◽  
Flávia Gonçalves Vasconcelos ◽  
Hamilton Barbosa Napolitano ◽  
Maria Gonçalves da Silva Barbalho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Phenylpropanoid Pathway ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Biological Profile ◽  
Main Route ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Low Toxicity

Flavonoids are highly bioactive compounds with very low toxicity, which makes them attractive starting points in drug discovery. This study aims to provide information on plant species containing flavonoids, which are found in the Brazilian Cerrado. First, we present the characterization and plant diversity with emphasis on the families of flavonoid-producing plants, and then we describe the phenylpropanoid pathway which represents the flavonoids’ main route biosynthesis—generally conserved in all species. Chemical structures and biological activities of flavonoids isolated from the Cerrado’s plant species are also described based on examples from the relevant literature studies. Finally, research on the biodiversity of the Cerrado biome should be encouraged, due to the discovery of new sources of flavonoids which can provide several benefits to human health and the possibility of developing new drugs by the pharmaceutical industry.

scholarly journals Recent Updates on Marine Cancer-Preventive Compounds

Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 558
Author(s):  
Sergey A. Dyshlovoy
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Tumor Development ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Preventive Activity ◽  
Marine Compounds ◽  
Current Article ◽  
Unique Chemical

The natural compounds derived from marine organisms often exhibit unique chemical structures and potent biological activities. Cancer-preventive activity is one of the rather new activities that has emerged and been extensively studied over the last decades. This review summarizes the recent updates on the marine chemopreventive compounds covering the relevant literature published in 2013–2021 and following the previous comprehensive review by Stonik and Fedorov (Marine Drugs 2014, 12, 636–671). In the current article, only the molecules having an effect on malignant transformation (or related pathway and molecules), cancer stem cells, or carcinogen-induced in vivo tumor development were considered to be “true” cancer-preventive compounds and were, therefore, reviewed. Additionally, particular attention has been given to the molecular mechanisms of chemoprevention, executed by the reported marine compounds.

scholarly journals Diversity of Chemical Structures and Biosynthesis of Polyphenols in Nut-Bearing Species

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaiwat Aneklaphakij ◽  
Tomoki Saigo ◽  
Mutsumi Watanabe ◽  
Thomas Naake ◽  
Alisdair R. Fernie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Chemical Diversity ◽  
Biosynthetic Genes ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Chemistry Research ◽  
Technical Advances

Nuts, such as peanut, almond, and chestnut, are valuable food crops for humans being important sources of fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols. Polyphenols, such as flavonoids, stilbenoids, and hydroxycinnamates, represent a group of plant-specialized (secondary) metabolites which are characterized as health-beneficial antioxidants within the human diet as well as physiological stress protectants within the plant. In food chemistry research, a multitude of polyphenols contained in culinary nuts have been studied leading to the identification of their chemical properties and bioactivities. Although functional elucidation of the biosynthetic genes of polyphenols in nut species is crucially important for crop improvement in the creation of higher-quality nuts and stress-tolerant cultivars, the chemical diversity of nut polyphenols and the key biosynthetic genes responsible for their production are still largely uncharacterized. However, current technical advances in whole-genome sequencing have facilitated that nut plant species became model plants for omics-based approaches. Here, we review the chemical diversity of seed polyphenols in majorly consumed nut species coupled to insights into their biological activities. Furthermore, we present an example of the annotation of key genes involved in polyphenolic biosynthesis in peanut using comparative genomics as a case study outlining how we are approaching omics-based approaches of the nut plant species.

scholarly journals Zanthoxylum Species: A Review of Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology in Relation to Cancer, Infectious Diseases and Sickle Cell Anemia

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Innocent Uzochukwu Okagu ◽  
Joseph Chinedum Ndefo ◽  
Emmanuel Chigozie Aham ◽  
Chibuike. C. Udenigwe
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Sickle Cell ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Scientific Databases ◽  
Traditional Uses ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Protection Mechanisms

The health benefits and toxicity of plant products are largely dependent on their secondary metabolite contents. These compounds are biosynthesized by plants as protection mechanisms against environmental factors and infectious agents. This review discusses the traditional uses, phytochemical constituents and health benefits of plant species in genus Zanthoxylum with a focus on cancer, microbial and parasitic infections, and sickle cell disease as reported in articles published from 1970 to 2021 in peer-reviewed journals and indexed in major scientific databases. Generally, Z. species are widely distributed in Asia, America and Africa, where they are used as food and for disease treatment. Several compounds belonging to alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and lignans, among others have been isolated from Z. species. This review discusses the biological activities reported for the plant species and their phytochemicals, including anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-trypanosomal, antimalarial and anti-sickling properties. The safety profiles and suggestions for conservation of the Z. species were also discussed. Taken together, this review demonstrates that Z. species are rich in a wide range of bioactive phytochemicals with multiple health benefits, but more research is needed towards their practical application in the development of functional foods, nutraceuticals and lead compounds for new drugs.

scholarly journals A Mini-Review on the Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of the Plant Carica Papaya L. (Caricaceae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 663-675
Author(s):  
Clement Inkoto Liyongo ◽  
Colette Masengo Ashande ◽  
Clarisse Falanga Mawi ◽  
Blaise Membo wa Mbembo ◽  
Jean-Jacques Amogu Domondo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Carica Papaya ◽  
Drug Research ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Medical Systems ◽  
Pharmacological Activities ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Novel Drugs ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Anti Oxidant

Medicinal plant is an important element of indigenous medical systems all over the world. The ethno botany provides a rich resource for natural drug research and development. Carica papaya is used in Traditional Medicine since a long time. Our investigations started by a search of relevant literature on the plant species. Databases such as Science direct, PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus were used successively to retrieve the articles on C. papaya. The chemical structures of isolates compounds from this plant were drawn using ChemBioDraw Ultra 12.0 software package. Finally, bibliographical references were made using bibliographical software "Mendeley". Results show that the plant C. papaya contains various secondary metabolites, minerals and vitamins. The plant species is reported to possess various pharmacological properties like anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-diabetic, anti-hyperlipidemic, larvicidal effects, etc. These pharmacological activities could due to the presence of various phytochemicals present in this plant species. The present review can therefore help inform future scientific research towards the development of novel drugs of relevance from C. papaya to combat various ailments including Sickle cell disease.

scholarly journals Phytochemical Profile of Pasture Weeds from the Brazilian Cerrado

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.A. RODRIGUES ◽  
G.A.M. PEREIRA ◽  
A.A. SILVA ◽  
M.H. SANTOS ◽  
A.J. DEMUNER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Widespread Application ◽  
Specific Chemical ◽  
Number Of Classes

ABSTRACT: The great diversity of plant species in pastures of the Brazilian Cerrado with distinct ecophysiological characteristics indicates the possibility of finding, in the cellular content of this flora, chemical compounds with potential for use in agriculture and human and animal health. Three steps are necessary to prove this hypothesis: phytochemical prospecting, characterization of secondary metabolites, and studies on the biological activities of these metabolites present in these plants. The chemical profile of secondary metabolites present in five species of the Brazilian Cerrado (Davilla elliptica, Remijia ferruginea, Luehea paniculata, Anacardium occidentale, and Acosmium dasycarpum) was traced in this research. These plant species were collected in pasture areas of Felício dos Santos, Minas Gerais. The samples were dried and submitted to two types of extract (ethanolic and hexanic). By using specific chemical reactions, the presence of coumarins, triterpenes/steroids, and anthracenosides was observed in the hexanic extracts, while the presence of alkaloids, triterpenes/steroids, flavonoids, tannins, reducing compounds, and anthocyanins was observed in the ethanolic extracts. The species presented diverse classes of compounds. However, triterpenes/steroids, tannins, reducing compounds and anthocyanins were found in all species, being the use of the solvent ethanol the most efficient in extracting the compounds. The species D. elliptica presented the highest number of classes of compounds. The widespread application in folk medicine justifies further studies on the biological activity of different metabolites in agriculture and health areas.

scholarly journals Secondary Metabolites from the Marine Sponges of the Genus Petrosia: A Literature Review of 43 Years of Research

Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Yeon-Ju Lee ◽  
Yeonwoo Cho ◽  
Huynh Nguyen Khanh Tran
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Marine Sponges ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Active Natural

Sponges are prolific sources of various natural products that have provided the chemical scaffolds for new drugs. The sponges of the genus Petrosia inhabit various regions and contain a variety of biologically active natural products such as polyacetylenes, sterols, meroterpenoids, and alkaloids. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the chemical structures and biological activities of Petrosia metabolites covering a period of more than four decades (between 1978 and 2020). It is also described in this review that the major groups of metabolites from members of the genus Petrosia differed with latitude. The polyacetylenes were identified to be the most predominant metabolites in Petrosia sponges in temperate regions, while tropical Petrosia species were sources of a greater variety of metabolites, such as meroterpenoids, sterols, polyacetylenes, and alkaloids.

Imidazole Derivatives and their Antibacterial Activity – a Mini-Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei Șerban Gâz ◽  
Francisc Andrei Boda ◽  
Rahela Roxana Pop
Keyword(s):  
Antibacterial Activity ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Pharmacokinetics And Pharmacodynamics ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Imidazole Derivatives ◽  
Chemical Structures

Background:: The development of drug resistance by bacterial strains is a public health issue, being the main cause for the decrease in effectiveness of numerous antibiotics. In this context, it is essential to find new drugs with better antibacterial activity. Objective:: The authors proposed to cover relevant literature, published following the review article written by Rani et al., illustrating chemical structures and antibacterial activity of some imidazole derivatives. Method:: Approximately 100 scientific articles, presenting more than 150 compounds have been reviewed. The most relevant data have been extracted and systematically arranged in figures and tables. Results:: The reviewed studies used a broad number of bacterial strains, however Staphylococcus aureus as Gram-positive, and Escherichia coli as Gram-negative bacterial strains were most frequently used to assess the activity of these compounds. Conclusion:: Some of the compounds showed promising results against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, thus further analysis should be performed in terms of toxicity, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Additional screening of these imidazole derivatives could lead to useful compounds with potential broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against resistant pathogens.

scholarly journals High-Content Screening of Natural Products Reveals Novel Nuclear Export Inhibitors

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastien Cautain ◽  
Nuria de Pedro ◽  
Virginia Murillo Garzón ◽  
María Muñoz de Escalona ◽  
Victor González Menéndez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Nuclear Export ◽  
Chemical Space ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Tumor Formation ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Inhibition Activity ◽  
Nucleocytoplasmic Trafficking ◽  
Active Metabolites ◽  
Chemical Structures

Natural products are considered an extremely valuable source for the discovery of new drugs against diverse pathologies. As yet, we have only explored a fraction of the diversity of bioactive compounds, and opportunities for discovering new natural products leading to new drugs are huge. In the present study, U2nesRELOC, a previously established cell-based imaging assay, was employed to screen a collection of extracts of microbial origin for nuclear export inhibition activity. The fluorescent signal of untreated U2nesRELOC cells localizes predominantly to the cytoplasm. Upon treatment with the nuclear export inhibitor leptomycin B, the fluorescent-tagged reporter proteins appear as speckles in the nucleus. A proprietary collection of extracts from fungi, actinomycetes, and unicellular bacteria that covers an uncommonly broad chemical space was used to interrogate this nuclear export assay system. A two-step image-based analysis allowed us to identify 12 extracts with biological activities that are not associated with previously known active metabolites. The fractionation and structural elucidation of active compounds revealed several chemical structures with nuclear export inhibition activity. Here we show that substrates of the nuclear export receptor CRM1, such as Rev, FOXO3a and NF-κB, accumulate in the nucleus in the presence of the fungal metabolite MDN-0105 with an IC50 value of 3.4 µM. Many important processes in tumor formation and progression, as well as in many viral infections, critically depend on the nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of proteins and RNA molecules. Therefore, the disruption of nuclear export is emerging as a novel therapeutic approach with enormous clinical potential. Our work highlights the potential of applying high-throughput phenotypic imaging on natural product extracts to identify novel nuclear export inhibitors.

scholarly journals A Review: Halogenated Compounds from Marine Fungi

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 458
Author(s):  
Cong Wang ◽  
Huanyun Lu ◽  
Jianzhou Lan ◽  
KH Ahammad Zaman ◽  
Shugeng Cao
Keyword(s):  
Marine Fungi ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Linear Chain ◽  
Medical Application ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Halogenated Compounds ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Halogenated Metabolites ◽  
The Past

Marine fungi produce many halogenated metabolites with a variety of structures, from acyclic entities with a simple linear chain to multifaceted polycyclic molecules. Over the past few decades, their pharmaceutical and medical application have been explored and still the door is kept open due to the need of new drugs from relatively underexplored sources. Biological properties of halogenated compounds such as anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antifouling, and insecticidal activity have been investigated. This review describes the chemical structures and biological activities of 217 halogenated compounds derived mainly from Penicillium and Aspergillus marine fungal strains reported from 1994 to 2019.

Click Reactions in Chemistry of Triterpenes - Advances Towards Development of Potential Therapeutics

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 636-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Pokorny ◽  
Lucie Borkova ◽  
Milan Urban
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activities ◽  
Synthetic Approach ◽  
Clinical Use ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Click Reactions ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
The Past ◽  
Low Toxicity ◽  
New Compounds ◽  
Potential Therapeutics

Triterpenoids are natural compounds with a large variety of biological activities such as anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparazitic, antiinflammatory and others. Despite their low toxicity and simple availability from the natural resources, their clinical use is still severely limited by their higher IC50 and worse pharmacological properties than in the currently used therapeutics. This fact encouraged a number of researchers to develop new terpenic derivatives more suitable for the potential clinical use. This review summarizes a new approach to improve both, the activity and ADME-Tox properties by connecting active terpenes to another modifying molecules using click reactions. Within the past few years, this synthetic approach was well explored yielding a lot of great improvements of the parent compounds along with some less successful attempts. A large quantity of the new compounds presented here are superior in both activity and ADME-Tox properties to their parents. This review should serve the researchers who need to promote their hit triterpenic structures towards their clinical use and it is intended as a guide for the chemical synthesis of better drug candidates.

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