Natural Product Research最新文献

A crop-wild variant of popular leafy vegetable Basella alba L. is consumed in different regions of India especially in West Bengal by the rural people. It is yet to achieve popularity and wide acceptance as leafy vegetable. GC-MS analysis of methanolic leaf extracts of both the cultivated and crop-wild underutilised member revealed the presence of nutritive as well as novel bioactive compounds like - 14B-pregnane, hydrocortisone or cortisol, α-tocospiro A and B, triterpenoid - lupeol and simiarenol, vitamin C conjugate, phytol, etc. This is the first report of the presence of steroid hydrocortisone in any plant source and 14B-pregnane, a precursor of progesterone in the family Basellaceae, though the latter is of wide occurrence in the members of Apocynaceae and Asclepiadaceae. The crop-wild variant appeared very competitive even better than its popular cultivated relative in terms of palatability, nutritive value as well as novel bioactive compounds.

Wheatgrass is not only rich in nutrients but also highly medicinal. In this study, ethanol - assisted ultrasonic extraction technology was used to prepare wheatgrass extracts. The composite weighting method and response surface design were innovatively applied to comprehensively evaluate the extraction process based on total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and DPPH•scavenging rate, and A549 cell growth inhibition rate. Results showed the optimal extraction condition was the ethanol volume fraction 39.56%, liquid-to-solid ratio 40.11 mL/g, and time 42.21 min, with a comprehensive scoring of 64.04%. The 20 bioactive compounds in the optimal extract that met the criteria were selected for further network pharmacological analysis. The analysis suggested that wheatgrass extract exerts its antioxidant and anti-non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) activities primarily through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signalling and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance pathways.

We report herein the occurrence of two known compounds, taraxeryl cis (1)- & trans (2)-p hydroxycinnamates however, for the first time from the leaves of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. Based on the recent reports (until 2025), firstly the trends in the recent works, secondly the chemical Structure Elucidation Techniques (cSET) through Comparative Spectral Studies (CSS), and thirdly the bio-prospect of both the isomers have been presented. Further, to fill-in the limited discussion on IR of 1 and 2 in earlier reports, this paper elaborated the FTIR spectra with the intricacies of interfering group, alternate option bands etc. Further, in-between the ¹H and ¹³C NMR, some valuable spectral differences have been re-visited and, the broader usability of ¹H NMR over ¹³C NMR has been tipped-off. With hands on examples of 1 and 2, our approach to cSET-CSS might equally attract the teachers, students, and the early career researchers especially within the teaching-learning landscape.

Cancer remains a major global health challenge, necessitating new, effective therapies. Phytocannabinoids from Cannabis sativa L. show significant anticancer potential, yet their natural scarcity limits research and development. This study presents an innovative extract engineering approach to generate rare varin-type cannabinoids from abundant precursors. Through this strategy, nine cannabinoid analogues were synthesised, including four rare varin-type compounds, and screened against five human cancer cell lines. Among them, cannabinovarin (CBNV) and Δ^6a,10a-THCV exhibited potent cytotoxicity against breast (MCF-7) and colon (HCT-116) cancer cells, with IC₅₀ values of 15-30 µM. Mechanistic investigations revealed apoptosis induction via mitochondrial membrane disruption and reactive oxygen species generation. These findings establish extract engineering as a rapid and efficient route to access rare cannabinoids, highlighting CBNV and Δ^6a,10a-THCV as promising anticancer leads for further mechanistic and in vivo evaluation.

From the ethyl acetate soluble fraction obtained by liquid-liquid partitioning of the hydro-ethanolic crude extract of Solanum aculeastrum fruits (Solanaceae), one new steroid (carpensterol, 1) and five other well known (2-6) were isolated. Their structures were elucidated by analysis spectroscopic and spectrometric data as well as comparison to data reported in the literature. The evaluation of their antimicrobial activities using the broth microdilution method revealed that, compound 4 (MIC = 4.8 µg/mL) exhibited the greatest activity against Escherichia coli, with an MIC value lower than that of the reference drug, ciprofloxacin (MIC = 256 µg/mL). Additionally, compounds 1 and 4 exhibited moderate activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella thyphi (MIC = 78.125 μg/mL). These results provide baseline information for the potential use of the isolated steroids.

This study presents the extraction and characterisation of bioactive compounds from Mimosa tenuiflora (syn. Mimosa hostilis), known as Tepescohuite, using supercritical CO₂. Extractions were performed at 314-328 K and 8-22 MPa for 90 min, with CO₂ flow rates of 40-50 mL·min^-1. The extracts were analysed by HPLC-MS, NMR, UV-Vis and FTIR spectroscopy. The major compound identified was N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an indole alkaloid with therapeutic potential in neuropsychiatric treatments, antiseptic formulations and wound healing. The interfacial behaviour of the extract was studied by surface tension measurements of aqueous solutions at 308.15 K using the drop volume method, and its foaming properties were evaluated by the Ross-Miles method at 298.15 K. The findings demonstrate the potential of M. tenuiflora as a sustainable source of bioactive and surface-active compounds for pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications.

A new polyketide derivative, pennafuredin (1), along with one known compound nafuredin (2), were isolated from Penicillium sp. HK-G2. The planar structure of pennafuredin (1) was characterised by comprehensive NMR spectroscopic analyses and HR-ESI-MS data. Its absolute configuration was elucidated by ML_J_DP4 probability analysis and ECD calculation. Pennafuredin (1) exhibited potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, with an inhibition rate of 83.97 ± 3.17% at a concentration of 1 mg/mL. Molecular docking analysis revealed that pennafuredin (1) displayed a superior binding affinity to α-glucosidase (-7.29 kcal/mol).

Urceola polymorpha is traditionally employed as both a food source and medicinal remedy in Vietnam and several other Southeast Asian countries. This study presents a comprehensive phytochemical investigation that resulted in the separation of a new compound, along with 14 additional compounds previously unreported in this species. Their structures were identified by the application of advanced spectroscopic techniques. In in vitro assays, isolated compounds significantly inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α production, and iNOS expression levels in RAW264.7 cells, indicating potential anti-inflammatory activity. Among them, compounds 10 and 11 exhibited the most potential for inhibitory effects. In silico approaches suggested that active compounds may interact with proteins involved in inflammation. Our findings not only support the phytochemical profile of U. polymorpha but also utilise its ethnopharmacological applications, highlighting its promise as a candidate for the development of functional foods and therapeutic strategies targeting inflammation-related disorders.

Phytochemical investigation of ethanol extract of the trunk of Aglaia Lawii (Wight) C. J. Saldanha led to the isolation and identification of 11 triterpenoids (1-11) including a novel tetranortirucallane-type alkaloid aglawic acid (1). Aglawic acid (1) was a novel tetranortirucallane-type alkaloid with an unusual butanoic acid moiety attached to nitrogen atom of the maleimide ring. To the best of our knowledge, compound 1 is the first example of a natural terpenoids with an unusual butanoic acid moiety. 1 possessed potent anti-inflammatory activity against NO production with IC₅₀ values of 9.65 μM compared with the positive control NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA, IC₅₀ = 33.85 μM). In addition, 1 was evaluated for cytotoxicity against five human tumour cell lines (HL-60, A-549, SMMC-7721, MDA-MB-231, and SW480), but was found to be inactive.

Medicinal plants, specifically, have attracted considerable attention because of their widespread use and relatively limited occurrence of adverse effects. Cissus L. (family Vitaceae) consists of 13 genera and over 800 species, all of which are found in tropical regions with some also growing in the temperate zone. The Cissus species mainly climbing plants with tendrils and shrubs, and they have considerable medicinal importance. Our objective was to examine Cissus species to present an outline of the current understanding of their chemical components. The plants contain a variety of beneficial compounds such as flavonoids, vitamins, triterpenoids, saponins, stilbenes, iridoids, steroids, glycosides, and alkaloids. Overall, Cissus species represent a promising group of herbal medicines with significant health benefits, meriting further scientific exploration to translate traditional knowledge into modern medical applications.