Phytochemical Analysis最新文献

Introduction: Curcumin is a naturally occurring compound with anti-inflammatory, cholesterol-lowering, antidiabetic, and antioxidant properties. Curcumin can be biosynthesized in microbial hosts despite being found natively in Curcuma longa roots.

Objectives: It is unclear whether curcumin is transported out of microbial cells, binds to the inner or outer cell membrane, or accumulates inside. This study aims to gain a better understanding of curcumin's behavior after its formation in the host, which could lead to the development of new approaches to improve curcumin production.

Material and methods: Advanced imaging techniques, including SEM, TEM, SHS, and TPF, were utilized to understand the behavior of curcumin within and outside of engineered Escherichia coli cells.

Results: Curcumin was biosynthesized from ferulic acid in engineered E. coli BL21(DE3) by coexpressing 4-coumarate: CoA ligase and curcuminoid synthase. Second harmonic scattering (SHS) spectroscopy experiments utilized curcumin as a probe to investigate the surface binding of curcumin onto living E. coli cells with experimentally determined adsorption free energy, ΔG, values of -14.0 kcal/mol. By employing second harmonic and two-photon fluorescence imaging methods, the spatial distribution of curcumin aggregates was determined. Electron microscopy images revealed the presence of curcumin aggregates within the cells, at the surface, and in the media.

Conclusion: These experiments demonstrate that curcumin biosynthesis from ferulic acid leads to significant product aggregation within the cells, which could ultimately halt production by inducing cell death. Understanding the localization, transport, and removal of curcumin is crucial in developing more efficient biosynthetic pathways to enhance its production in microbial systems.

Introduction: Weeds are a major threat to crop productivity, competing for essential resources and often developing resistance to herbicides, which underscores the need for novel, sustainable control strategies. The valorization of agricultural and forestry underutilized byproducts, such as plant needles, presents a promising opportunity for developing eco-friendly bioherbicides based on allelopathy.

Objectives: This study investigates the phytotoxicity of Pinus pinea needle extracts and metabolites to evaluate their potential for controlling dicotyledonous weeds.

Material and methods: The chemical characterization of extracts and isolated compounds was performed via GC-MS, NMR, and optical methods while phytotoxicity bioassays were carried out using the herbicides Pacifica Plus (Bayer CropScience) and pendimethalin, the active ingredient in Stone Aqua (Tokyo Chemical Industry), as positive controls.

Results: The dichloromethane extract exhibited the highest phytotoxicity, significantly inhibiting Portulaca oleracea and Plantago lanceolata weeds. GC-MS analysis revealed an array of aromatic compounds of interest for phytochemical research, and through bio-guided purification, five lignans and the diterpenic acid (+)-isocupressic acid were isolated. (+)-Isocupressic acid showed the strongest phytotoxicity on P. oleracea, particularly on root growth (-83% ± 4% at 1000 μM), which could be correlated with structural moieties in its structure (fused-ring scaffold with an exocyclic double bond, an exocyclic chain containing a double bond or hydroxyl group, and a carboxylic acid group), a number of H-bond donors ≤ 2, and higher lipophilicity (Clog p = 5.11). Some lignans displayed mild inhibitory or stimulatory effects on P. lanceolata.

Conclusion: P. pinea needle extracts and metabolites have demonstrated potential as natural bioherbicides for weed management. Further research is prompted to explore large-scale applicability, environmental safety through ecotoxicological studies, and optimized formulations to enhance their practical use in sustainable agriculture.

Introduction: In the last few decades, nanoparticles have found extensive use in a variety of biological applications. Traditional medicine widely uses Acanthophora sp., a marine macroalgae, to cure and prevent diabetes, skin disorders, and blood clotting.

Objective: The present study aims to investigate whether green-synthesized copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) might work as an anticoagulant.

Methodology: The CuNPs were made using an environmentally friendly method that uses Acanthophora extract. We used UV-vis spectroscopy to assess the surface plasmon resonance of the material, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze its form, and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy to identify the material's constituent elements. Furthermore, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) determined the functional groups of the CuNPs.

Results: The biosynthesis of CuNPs was confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy, which showed a surface plasmon resonance peak at 570 nm. The FT-IR analysis showed that certain functional groups are involved in the formation of CuNPs. These groups include OH stretching, C=O stretching, C-H bonding, C-N bonding, and Cu vibration. SEM analysis demonstrated the morphology of CuNPs synthesized, with a size of 0.5 μm, while EDS analysis confirmed their purity. The anticoagulant activity of prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) assays showed that the clotting time got longer depending on the concentration. The CuNPs synthesized from Acanthophora had strong anticoagulant effects at 100 μg/mL, further suggesting that they might be useful as a natural blood thinner.

Conclusion: The interesting thing we observed is that the green-synthesized CuNPs made from Acanthophora extract could be used in anticoagulation therapy.

Introduction: Insight into comparing key active ingredients of Radix Bupleuri (RB) based on different processing technologies is a key step to reveal the material basis of drug efficacy and a challenging task for developing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Objective: This work aims to establish a comprehensive comparative analysis method of TCM and its processed products, which can be used to analyze the changing trend of active components of RB before and after processing.

Methods: First, RB was processed with rice vinegar, rice wine, and honey. Then, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) technology as well as multiple statistical analyses were used to comprehensively evaluate the compositional variation of polar and volatile compounds in RB under different processing processes. Meanwhile, in UHPLC-MS, a sequential window acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion spectral and information-dependent acquisition mutual authentication (SIMA) was developed.

Results: A total of 30 polar components and 33 volatile components were identified as chemical markers (mainly type II saikosaponins, terpenes, and fatty acid esters). These may be the material basis for giving unique pharmacological activities to RB and its processed products.

Conclusions: These findings provided a solid foundation for the differentiated clinical application of RB, and the SIMA method held great potential for achieving accurate analysis of TCM processing ingredients.

Introduction: Natural products such as green propolis and cinnamon have been used traditionally in medicine due to their medicinal value. Recently, interest has grown in developing nanotechnology-based approaches to enhance the biological activity of these compounds.

Objective: This study evaluated the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of macro-sized and nanostructured forms of green propolis and cinnamon against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and the 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay.

Material and methods: The sonochemical method was used to synthesize green propolis nanoparticles (PNPs) and cinnamon nanoparticles (CNPs). Their size was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering measurements, while they were compared with propolis (P) and cinnamon (C). The antioxidant activity was measured using the DPPH assay, while the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test determined the antibacterial activity against S. mutans. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post hoc tests (α = 0.05) were conducted to analyze the data. Furthermore, docking calculations were carried out to examine the potential of incorporating any new supplements or therapies into your routine.

Results: The MIC were 5.46, 21.87, 21.87, and 175 g/L for PNPs, P, CNPs, and C groups, respectively. The PNPs exhibited the most significant antibacterial effect while C was weakest. About antioxidant activity, PNPs and P exhibited significant differences from other groups (P = 0.000 and 0.001, respectively), while CNPs and C showed no significant difference between each other (P = 0.07). The docking calculations revealed a strong interaction between both nanoparticles and S. mutans. The binding energy of dihydroflavonols on propolis nanoparticles was -6.83 kcal/mol, indicating a stable connection.

Introduction: Terpenes, which are found in high concentrations in the essential oil fraction of the Cannabis sativa flower, have demonstrated potential in many therapeutic and industrial applications.

Objectives: This work reports on a method developed for quantifying 18 terpenes in C. sativa essential oil obtained through hydrodistillation. The following method has been evaluated for specificity, selectivity, accuracy, linearity, precision, stability, limit of detection, and limit of quantification.

Materials and methods: Samples were prepared by separating the essential oil fraction through hydrodistillation and then diluting with ethyl acetate containing a 100 μg/mL solution of n-tridecane and octadecane as internal standards. Analysis was performed on a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS) using selected ion monitoring (SIM).

Results: The developed method enabled quantification of isomers of nerolidol and ocimene and several coeluting compounds, with recoveries of 87.35%-116.61%. Two cultivars of C. sativa flower were evaluated, and the dominant terpene compounds in both cultivars were β-myrcene (5.85-8.62 mg/g dried plant) and β-caryophyllene (3.89-4.69 mg/g), followed by α-humulene (1.35-1.99 mg/g), limonene (0.91-1.33 mg/g), and α-bisabolol (0.66-0.68 mg/g).

Conclusion: This method provides an accurate and reliable procedure for separating and quantifying the major terpene compounds in C. sativa flower using hydrodistillation and GCMS with SIM. The simplicity and solvent-free nature of the hydrodistillation extraction, combined with the specificity and accuracy of using SIM and external standards, enables the determination of total and individual terpenes concentrations within plant material and supports numerous industrial and therapeutic applications.

Introduction: With an increasing interest in healthy and affordable cereal intake, efforts are made toward exploiting underutilized cereals with high nutritional values.

Objectives: The current study aims to explore the metabolome diversity in 14 cultivars of chia and quinoa collected from Germany, Austria, and Egypt, compared with wheat and oat as major cereals.

Material and methods: The samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Multivariate data analysis (MVA) was employed for sample classification and markers characterization.

Results: A total of 114 metabolites were quantified (sugars, alcohols, organic and amino acids/nitrogenous compounds, fatty acids/esters), but the inorganic and phenolic acids were only identified. Fatty acids were the major class followed by amino acids in quinoa and chia. Chia and oats were richer in sucrose. Quinoa encompassed higher amino acids. Quinoa and chia were rich in essential amino acids. Higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids especially omega 6 and omega 9 were detected in quinoa versus omega 3 in chia compared with oat and wheat, whereas ω6/ω3 fatty acid ratio of chia was the lowest. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive metabolite profiling of these pseudo cereals.

Conclusion: Quinoa and chia, especially red chia, are more nutritionally valuable compared with oat and wheat because of their compositional profile of free amino acids, organic acids, and essential fatty acids, besides their low ω6/ω3 fatty acid ratio. Such results pose them as inexpensive alternative to animal proteins and encourage their inclusion in infant formulas.

Introduction: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for thousands of years in China, characterizing with novel pharmacological mechanisms, low toxicity, and limited side effects. However, the application of TCM active ingredients is often hindered by their physical and chemical properties, including poor solubility, low bioavailability, short half-life, toxic side effects within therapeutic doses, and instability in biological environments. Consequently, an increasing number of researchers are directing their attention towards the discovery of nano-delivery systems for TCM to overcome these clinical challenges.

Objectives: This review aims to provide the latest knowledge and results concerning the studies on the nano-delivery systems for the active ingredients from TCM.

Materials and methods: Recent literature relating to nano-delivery systems for the active ingredients from TCM is summarized to provide a fundamental understanding of how such systems can enhance the application of phytochemicals.

Results: The nano-delivery systems of six types of TCM monomers are summarized and categorized based on the skeletal structure of the natural compounds. These categories include terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, quinones, polyphenols, and polysaccharides. The paper analyzes the characteristics, types, materials used, and the efficacy achieved by TCM-nano systems. Additionally, the advantages and disadvantages of nano-drug delivery systems for TCM are summarized in this paper.

Conclusion: Nano-delivery systems represent a promising approach to overcoming clinical obstacles stemming from the physical and chemical properties of TCM active ingredients, thereby enhancing their clinical efficacy.

Introduction: Harmonization of methodological approaches to the analysis of herbal substances containing triterpenoid saponins, considered the largest group of phytochemicals, is essential for the pharmaceutical industry worldwide.

Objectives: This review aimed to perform a comparative analysis of the requirements for the standardization of herbal substances, herbal medicinal products (HMPs), and other herbal materials containing triterpenoid saponins in the pharmacopeial texts of the Russian Federation and the world's leading pharmacopeias.

Materials and methods: The review covers the data on the quantitative and qualitative analysis of herbal substances containing triterpenoid saponins, as presented in the State Register of Medicinal Products of Russia and the monographs of the world's leading pharmacopeias: the European Pharmacopeia, United States Pharmacopeia, British Pharmacopeia, Japanese Pharmacopeia, and the national pharmacopeias of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) Member States.

Results: This review compares and discusses the analytical methods used for the standardization of Aesculus hippocastanum L. seeds, Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem roots, Glycyrrhiza spp. roots, Orthosiphon aristatus (Blume) Miq. leaves, and Polemonium caeruleum L. rhizomes with roots. The most common analytical methods used are (HP)TLC and (U)HPLC. The Russian Pharmacopeia also includes titrimetry and spectrophotometry.

Conclusions: The appropriate selection of a group of biologically active compounds for HMP standardization is still challenging. We believe that a rational approach to the standardization of herbal substances and HMPs should be based on the use of herbal substances with maximum extractability and specific pharmacological activity. The harmonized procedures and reference substances for the identification and assay of active metabolites in HMPs must be implemented at all stages of production control from herbal substances to finished dosage forms.

Introduction: Osteoporosis, one of the common bone diseases, manifests itself as a decrease in bone mass. Recently, the use of medicinal plants in the search for effective and low-toxicity therapeutics for the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis has become a trending topic.

Objective: In this study, we aim to prepare a controlled drug carrier system loaded with Gypsophila eriocalyx to determine its potential for anti-osteoporosis applications.

Methods: Gypsophila eriocalyx extract (GEE) was prepared, and components were determined. The molecular interactions of the components with Cathepsin K (CatK), which is used as a target in drug development against osteoporosis, were revealed by in silico molecular docking and MD methods. ADMET profiles were also examined. GEE-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) were synthesized. The nanoparticles' morphology, encapsulation efficiency, loading capacity, release profile, average size, polydispersity index, and zeta potentials were determined. The cytotoxic effects of GEE and GEE-loaded CNPs on the L929 and osteogenic proliferation profiles on human bone marrow stem cells (hBMC) were examined.

Results: The MD analysis revealed no breaks or atomic changes in the dynamic system, and the docking analysis confirmed the continued interaction of identical residues. It was determined that the GEE-loaded CNP formulation was produced successfully, had no toxic effect on the L929, and had an osteogenic proliferation effect on hBMC.

Conclusion: In line with the in vitro and in silico results obtained, it was evaluated that GEE-loaded CNPs can be used as a controlled drug release system as a candidate formulation with phytotherapeutic properties for osteoporosis treatment.q1.