Fitoterapia最新文献

The need for food production rises with the era of expanding population. As a result, there is more indirect demand for chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Serious environmental concerns result from the continuous and careless usage of chemicals. Additionally, they could make the land infertile. One of the finest substitutes for chemicals is to use microorganisms, particularly endophytes. Endophytes uses both direct and indirect mechanisms to encourage plant growth by increased mineral availability, resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses, synthesis of significant phytohormones. This review is focused on exploring the plant growth promoting effect of endophytes and its potential implications in the crop production.

Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb.f is renowned for its traditional medicinal applications and a spectrum of pharmacological activities, which is intricately linked to militarine. Addressing sustainable production of B. striata and militarine necessitates innovative strategies. Endophytic fungi, residing within plant tissues and establishing symbiotic relationships, act as secondary genomes of plants, co-regulating plant growth and secondary metabolite synthesis. Despite their potential, the genetic and metabolic diversity, functional activity, and regulatory interactions of endophytic fungi with B. striata remain unexplored. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating endophytic fungi that could enhance B. striata growth and militarine biosynthesis. The study revealed that endophytic fungi from pseudobulbs, roots, and stems were co-cultured with callus tissue of B. striata, and it was discovered that Serendipita indica from the Serendipita genus can enhance militarine accumulation. Subsequently, key genes, core enzymes, and regulatory factors related to militarine biosynthesis in the S. indica genome were analyzed. By employing advanced biotechnological and comparative genomic approaches, we elucidated the composition and distribution of regulatory factors across different endophytic fungal genomes associated with B. striata. This research not only advances our understanding of the symbiotic relationship between B. striata and its endophytic fungi but also provides a foundational blueprint for the sustainable exploitation and enhancement of militarine production.

Although Cannabis sativa L. is well known for being prolific in phytocannabinoids, their biosynthetic modular mechanism is ruled by a main enzyme: the geranyltransferase able to pursue the C-isoprenylation of olivetolic acid with the geranyldiphosphate. However, the existence of more than 160 meroterpenoids can be partially explained by a side degree of promiscuity of the geranyltransferase itself, able to recognise different substrate than the ordinary ones. This biological process led to the identification of several unconventional phytocannabinoids with a limited distribution in the plant both for occurrence and concentration. Taking advance of the existing synthetic protocols and using as example the enzymatic promiscuity, we propose a bio-inspired synthesis of naturally occurring minor cannabinoids related to the cannabigerol-type and their preliminary biological inspection in U87, U251 and T98 human glioblastoma cell lines to investigate their potential contribute as supplement in anticancer therapy.

Eupatorium adenophorum (Ageratina adenophora) is regarded as an invasive weed in many regions of the world. Yet, it is notable for its possible therapeutic uses, including the treatment of blood coagulation, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, analgesic, and other ailments. Till now, there is not much information available regarding the molecular characterization of E. adenophorum thus, the present study attempted to assess the genetic diversity of E. adenophorum, through DNA fingerprints of this species obtained by using Inter Simple Sequence Repeats Polymerase Chain Reaction (ISSR-PCR) methods. In the study, 50 primers were used to screen ISSR markers. Using the nucleotide sequences of certain ISSR markers, primers for unique sequence-characterized amplified regions (SCAR) were created. These primers effectively amplified the 219, 231, 810, 350, and 500 bp SCAR markers that are exclusive to E. adenophorum. Furthermore, this plant identification technique has the potential to amplify specific markers from mixed DNA samples with high specificity, offering a promising approach for distinguishing closely related species.

Epigenetics refers to heritable changes in gene expression or phenotypic changes that occur without changing the gene sequence. The main methods of epigenetics include non-coding RNA, histone modification, and DNA modification, which play an essential role in gene expression regulation and even the occurrence of diverse diseases. Naringenin, the aglycone form of naringin, is a natural flavonoid compound mainly found in fruits or plant derivatives such as citrus, tomatoes, and cherries. Naringenin and naringin exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities and pharmacological effects, including anti-cancer, cardiovascular disease improving, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant activities, all of which are advantageous for human health. Recent studies have uncovered that naringenin and naringin influence gene expression by modulating epigenetic pathways, including microRNA (miRNA) regulation. This mechanism plays a crucial role in the therapeutic potential for various diseases. This paper reviews the epigenetic researches on the physiological activities of naringenin and naringin. It highlights how these compounds can exert diverse effects through different signaling pathways, thereby ameliorating associated diseases. These findings provide valuable insights for the future applications of naringenin and naringin.

Six undescribed sesquiterpene lactones (1-6) and fifteen known compounds (7-21) were isolated from Seriphidium transiliense. The chemical structures were determined by extensive NMR spectroscopic data, HRESIMS, ECD and X-ray diffraction. Among the known compounds, twelve known compounds were isolated for the first time from this plant, including taurine (9), 11-epitaurin (10), α-santonin (11), artesin (13), 11-epiartesin (14), 1α-hydroxy-3β-acetoxyeudesm-4-en-6β, 7α, 11βH-12, 6-olide (15), 1α-hydroxy-3β-acetoxyeudesm-4-en-6β, 7α, 11αH-12, 6-olide (16), artegallin (17), 8α-hydroxytaurin (18), 8α-acetoxytaurine (19), methyl-4α-hydroxy-11(13)-eudesmen-12-oatesaniculamoid D (20), and saniculamoid D (21). The absolute configuration of 2 was determined by X-ray. The X-ray crystal structures of 15 and 16 were reported for the first time. At a concentration of 20 μM, all compounds (1-21) showed significant inhibition of NO production in LPS- stimulated BV2 cells. Among them, compounds 3 and 4 inhibited NO release with IC₅₀ values of 19.30 and 22.05 μM, respectively. Based on the present results, these compounds may be potential anti-inflammatory agents.

Brazilian Red Propolis (BRP) is a natural product known for its rich chemical composition and therapeutic potential. This study investigates the phytochemical profile and evaluates the cytotoxic, antiplasmodial, and antimicrobial properties of red propolis extract and its isolated compounds vestitol (1), neovestitol (2), medicarpin (3), 7-O-methylvestitol (4), and oblongifolin B (5). The extract showed selective cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines (IC₅₀: 16-39 μg/mL). Compound 3 exhibited a promising cytotoxicity against SK-OV-3 with and IC₅₀ of 6.65 μM. BRP had moderate antimicrobial effects; however, 3 was effective against Cryptococcus neoformans (IC₅₀: 19.29 μM), while 5 was active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (IC₅₀: 15.77 μM). BRP exhibited antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum strains D6 and W2 (IC₅₀: 13.8 μg/mL and 5.7 μg/mL); also, 4 and 5 had IC₅₀ concentrations ranging from: 2.99-6.96 μM). Molecular docking for P. falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH), suggest that compound 4 has significant interactions with critical residues in the PfLDH active site, such as TYR85, THR97, and ASP53, and falls within optimal ranges for oral bioavailability. These findings highlight the significant bioactive potential of BRP and its compounds, suggesting their potential as therapeutic agents in vitro and in-silico. Further studies are recommended to explore their mechanisms of action and therapeutic applications.

Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill, a traditional Chinese medicine with significant nourishing functions, has a regulatory effect on the cardiovascular system, digestive system, central nervous system, and endocrine and immune systems. It can protect the cardiovascular system, improve immunity, and has anti-oxidant and anti-aging properties. This study aimed to identify the chisandra chinensis components that increased NAD+ levels, by using spectrum-effect analysis and experimental validations. First, the quality of the S. chinensis extract was analyzed by HPLC-MS. The extract of S. chinensis increased the NAD+ levels of HUVECs during oxygen and glucose deprivation injury, and protected HUVEC s from injury from superoxide dismutase (SOD) and aging. The relationships of spectral effects were studied by partial least square regression. Coupled with target cell extraction, the material basis for increasing NAD+ levels in S. chinensis was obtained. The pharmacological activity of S. chinensis was verified at the cellular level. The related enzymes of the NAD+ synthesis and decomposition pathways were identified, showing that S. chinensis increased the level of NAD+ by increasing the activity of related enzymes in the synthesis pathways of NMNAT1, NMNAT2, NMNAT3, and NAMPT, but had no effect on the decomposition pathway. Finally, four constituents were confirmed, in vitro, to be the basis of S. chinensis-induced increases in the levels of NAD+. The EC₅₀ values of the four constituents were also determined.

Phytochemical investigation of the stems of Syzygium jambos (L.) Alston resulted in the isolation of five new pentacyclic triterpenoids, including three oleananes (1, 2, and 5) and two ursanes (3 and 4), along with 23 known compounds (6-28). Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against two lung carcinoma cell lines, H1975 and HCC827. Among them, compounds 2, 7, 11, 13-16, 18, and 23 exhibited significant cytotoxic activities against H1975 and/or HCC827 cells, with IC₅₀ values below 10 μM. Furthermore, the preliminary structure-activity relationships of these pentacyclic triterpenoids are also discussed.