Phytochemistry Reviews最新文献

Boesenbergia is a genus in the ginger family comprising approximately 97 species, primarily found in tropical Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. These plants are known for their large, fleshy rhizomes, which are widely used in traditional medicine to treat ailments such as gastrointestinal disorders, inflammation, and respiratory infections. Despite the genus's diversity, only a few species, notably B. pandurata and its synonym B. rotunda, have been extensively studied. These species are rich in bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, chalcones, and diterpenes, and have shown significant bioactivities such as anticancer, anti-HIV-1, anti-dengue, and anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects. However, there are still significant gaps in understanding the full therapeutic potential of Boesenbergia species. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the chemical constituents and biological activities of Boesenbergia species, highlighting their potential therapeutic applications, significance in traditional medicine, and ethnomedicinal value. Further research is essential to fully explore and harness the medicinal potential of this genus.

The idea that food and medicine are similar has a long history, many substances have also been used both as food and traditional treatment remedies. Several plant-based therapeutic substances including those obtained from plants like Chrysanthemum morifolium, Lonicera japonica, Crocus sativus, and Lonicera macranthoides, are homologous for use both as medicines and food. These plants mostly consist of flavonoids, organic acids, terpenoids, and other active substances that have a range of medical benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and antioxidant properties as well as a wide range of nutritional and physiological impacts on the human body. Thus, they are used in functional foods and medicinal formulations. Furthermore, scientists have discovered credible ways by which naturally occurring substances that affect immunological responses including n-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins A, D, and E, conjugated linoleic acid and ascorbic acid can be obtained from diets. Such diets both provide the essential nutrients required by the body and generally impact the immune system. In this regards, the gut is considered to be the “largest immune organ” since it contains more than 65% of all the body’s immune cells. Dietary immunomodulation techniques focus primarily on immunological proteins of the non-specific immune system that are located in the gut. On this note, increasing people’s understanding of the importance of a balanced nutritional intake is crucial and this review intends to do so. The review further discusses the structural elucidations of the homology of drug and food components, as well as their effects on nutrition and immunology.

Euphorbiaceae is one of the largest families of angiosperms, distributed globally. Several Euphorbiaceae species produce essential oils, which are characterized by different chemical profiles and biological properties, as reported in previous literature. This review covers articles published between 2012 and 2023 that describe essential oils extracted from species of different Euphorbiaceae genera. In traditional medicine, plants belonging to the Euphorbia and Croton genera are commonly used to treat distinct pathologies, including gastric disorders, inflammatory diseases, and respiratory diseases. Terpenoids, such as 1,8-cineol and limonene, and sesquiterpenes, including germacrene D and caryophyllene, are abundant in essential oils extracted from the plants of this family. Analysis of their antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiprotozoal, larvicidal, and cytotoxic activities have been reported to show promising results. A literature search indicated that the majority of studies on the essential oils extracted from Euphorbiaceae plants were focused on species belonging to the Croton genus, which consists of the largest number of aromatic plants within this family.

Identifying chemical entities in complex mixtures is crucial for advancing research in natural products and metabolomics. This enables the discovery of unique structures and bioactive compounds. Dereplication analysis streamlines this process by rapidly identifying known compounds, reducing redundant efforts, and accelerating the exploration of bioactive entities. NMR is the most effective technique for the identification of small organic molecules due to its robust structural elucidation capabilities. However, challenges such as low sensitivity and complex sample matrices often lead to overlapping NMR signals and spectral ambiguities. Artificial intelligence (AI), especially deep learning, has revolutionized dereplication by significantly enhancing pattern recognition in applications ranging from regression and classification to clustering. This review explores the origins, development, and principles of dereplication techniques, as well as the features of mass spectrometry and NMR. It also delves into the advancements in AI-enhanced NMR dereplication, elucidating the principles for various models and the key issues they address during the dereplication process. Furthermore, it covers the methods for constructing reference databases, and the usability and accessibility of these models. These insights can assist researchers, including those new to AI algorithms, in rapidly adopting and implementing these advanced methods. Moreover, this review highlights the broader utility of dereplication methods in fields such as the detection of illegal additives in cosmetics, emphasizing their potential applications in a wider range of fields.

The wine industry is responsible for a considerable amount of waste produced by agricultural activities worldwide, which impacts both the economic sector and the environment through pollution and ecosystem imbalance. There are several examples of by-products generated during the winemaking process, such as grape pomace, vine leaves, grape stalks, or wine lees. These can be recovered and reused by the cosmetic industry, which is actively seeking natural and greener products. There are active ingredients that come from by-products that have relevant bioactive properties such as antioxidant, antiaging, anti-hyperpigmentation, or cellular protection. Therefore, the use of by-products from the wine industry as a source of active ingredients for topical application has attracted attention from the scientific community, overcoming some of the drawbacks of the winemaking process. Further research into extraction processes and methods is essential, as they directly influence the quality and quantity of recovered active ingredients. While current cosmetic products on the market undergo safety and cytotoxicity testing, it is important to evaluate the effects of pesticide treatments applied before pruning and the toxicity of the by-products to ensure the safety of future formulations. This review addresses a critical discussion on this subject, assessing the potential benefits of their use in topical formulations.

Graphical Abstract

Plant metabolomics, a rapidly advancing field within plant biology, is dedicated to comprehensively exploring the intricate array of small molecules in plant systems. This comprehensive review provides valuable insights into the analytical methodologies utilized in plant metabolomics research. It elucidates both targeted and untargeted approaches, emphasizing various databases, pre-processing, annotation, and post-processing software tools and their practical applications. The targeted strategy involves precise quantification and identification of specific metabolites, employing sophisticated techniques such as Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS), Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC–MS), Capillary Electrophoresis Mass Spectrometry (CE-MS), and Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry (IMS). These methodologies enable accurate measurement and validation of known metabolites, facilitating the elucidation of specific pathways and their regulatory mechanisms within plant systems. Conversely, untargeted metabolomics utilizes high-throughput techniques to profile a broader spectrum of metabolites, including both known and unknown compounds. This review explores the challenges and methodologies associated with untargeted approaches, underscoring their significance in unraveling the complex metabolic landscapes of plants.

This work initiates the original and updated literature review of the current state of research on the Saniculoideae subfamily, emphasizing the selected genera Saniculeae, namely Sanicula, Hacquetia, Astrantia, and Eryngium. Various parts of these plants, especially aerial parts and roots, have an immense range of medicinal uses in traditional medicine for a number of ailments. Phytochemical studies conducted on the Saniculeae species indicate that these plants synthesize metabolites belonging to diverse groups of compounds. These include triterpenoid saponins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins, volatile organic compounds, polyacetylenes, ecdysteroids, phytosterols, lignans, betaines, carotenoids, and anthraquinones. Some of the structures of these compounds are rare in the plant kingdom. The pharmacological potential of the Saniculeae species as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antiprotozoal, antitumor, antidiabetic, hypocholesterolemic, and neuroprotective agents has been explored in several studies. In addition, traditional medicinal uses have been discussed to provide a comprehensive picture of this subfamily. It is known that these plants have been used to treat dermatological diseases, respiratory issues, gastrointestinal problems, inflammations, wound healing, and cancers. As far as the author is aware, this is the first study conducted on this subfamily. Therefore, this review paper is the first to examine the little-known Saniculeae genera regarding their phytochemical and pharmacological characteristics. Studies showed that Saniculeae genera synthesize distinct secondary metabolites. Therefore, further research should be conducted on the exploration of these metabolites. The pharmacological investigation should also validate their potential efficacy in treating specific ailments and support their inclusion in modern healthcare practices.

In-depth review of the complex chemistry and toxicity profiles of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OHMG), a psychoactive alkaloid and an oxidative derivative of mitragynine found to be present in the extracts of dried kratom leaves (Mitragyna speciosa). The chemistry of 7-OHMG is thoroughly covered in the study, with special attention paid to its importance as one of the primary psychoactive components found in kratom-based products and substances as well as its profound pharmacological and toxicological effects. Key structural and spectral signatures of 7-OHMG are revealed by spectroscopic investigations, which facilitate its identification and quantification in various matrices. The details on in-vitro and in-vivo research used to investigate the toxicity and safety profile of 7-OHMG were revealed in this review.

Abrus precatorius also known as Abrus pauciflorus or Abrus minor is a medicinal plant that has been widely used in indigenous medicine, belonging to the family Fabaceae, widely distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions like India and China, commonly Known as Rosary pea, Crabs eye, Gunja, Indian Liquorice etc. It has been extensively used to cure diseases like Cancer, Diabetes, inflammation, malaria, tuberculosis etc. Since the 1870s multiple studies on different parts of the plant has been performed. The presence of various secondary metabolites like Flavonoids, Terpenoids, Alkaloids, Steroids have developed interest among researchers for this plant. It has been reported for various pharmacological activities like Anticancer, antidiabetic, antiulcer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, antitubercular, hair growth promoting etc. This review, aim to systematically summarize the traditional uses, phytoconstituents and activity reported. All the articles from databases like Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar have been considered since 1871. Articles are collected from these databases until October 2022. Articles in English is only considered. Publications from peer-reviewed journals were only selected. Keywords used for the search are Abrus precatorius, Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, Ethnobotany, Rosary pea, and Crabs eye. This review aims to provide references for further studies by finding the research gaps.

Despite advances in cancer treatment, the disease remains a major global health challenge, requiring innovative approaches for prevention and therapy. Phytochemicals, encompassing a vast array of secondary metabolites with therapeutic potential, have been integral to traditional medicines globally and continue to serve as sources of modern pharmaceuticals. Anticancer phytochemicals derived from poisonous plants have offered promising avenues in cancer treatment, characterized by their ability to inhibit tumor growth, induce apoptosis, and modulate critical cancer pathways. This review focuses on cytotoxic phytochemicals identified from poisonous plants, highlighting their potential as novel anticancer agents. We also discuss the chemical structures and cytotoxic activities of representative phytochemicals from poisonous plants. Future research should focus on thorough phytochemical studies to discover new anticancer phytochemicals and investigate their synergistic effects with existing therapies, thereby enhancing the range of cancer treatment options available.