Phytochemistry Reviews最新文献

This mini-review is a compilation of research data on the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and various therapeutic potentials of Argemone mexicana. A. mexicana is a well-known medicinal plant that is used in several ethnomedicinal treatments including for the treatment and management of skin diseases, inflammations, warts, tumors, malaria, jaundice, rheumatism, leprosy, and microbial infections. The plant consists of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, long-chain aliphatic alcohol, amino acids, carboxylic acid, steroids, carbohydrates, and phenols. The ethnopharmacological relevance of the plant includes the application of the plant extract in Ayurveda and other traditional healthcare as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and larvicidal, as well as for wound healing, hepatoprotection, and sterilizing activities. It can be concluded from this mini-review that A. mexicana has broad applications that are connected to various pharmacological and phytochemical properties of the plant. This work provides some detailed evidence and suggestions for the medicinal application of this plant to improve the condition of mankind.

Artemisia argyi, a perennial herb of the genus Artemisia, is recorded as medicine for the treatment of various diseases, such as metrorrhagia, menorrhagia, irregular menstruation, hemorrhage, dysmenorrhea, eczema and skinitch. The dried leaves of A. argyi can be made into moxa floss, which is the raw material of moxibustion. In addition, A. argyi is also one of the symbols of the Dragon Boat Festival in China and its shoots and seedlings can be used as tea and vegetables. Therefore, A. argyi has attracted extensive attentions due to its various chemical constituents and biological activities, as well as its extensive clinical and folk applications. Phytochemical investigation of A. argyi has led to the isolation of sesquiterpenoids, flavonoids, triterpeniods, volatile oils, and others, especially sesquiterpenoids, which are the most characteristic components. The crude extracts and the isolated compounds from A. argyi reveal diverse biological activities, including antibacterial, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, etc. Although most biological activities are only the results of in vitro experiments. The aim of this review is to provide a summary on the traditional efficacy, folk application, phytochemistry and modern pharmacological research of A. argyi, which will bring more attention to other researchers for further study.

Encapsulation is a drug or food ingredient loaded-delivery system that entraps active components, protecting them from decomposition/degradation throughout the processing and storage stages and facilitates their delivery to the target tissue/organ, improving their bioactivities. The application of this technology is expanding gradually from pharmaceuticals to the food industry, since dietary bioactive ingredients, including polyphenols, are susceptible to environmental and/or gastrointestinal conditions. Polyphenols are the largest group of plants' secondary metabolites, with a wide range of biological effects. Literature data have indicated their potential in the prevention of several disorders and pathologies, ranging from simpler allergic conditions to more complex metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the promising health effects in preclinical studies, the clinical use of dietary polyphenols is still very limited due to their low bioaccessibility and/or bioavailability. Encapsulation can be successfully employed in the development of polyphenol-based functional foods, which may improve their bioaccessibility and/or bioavailability. Moreover, encapsulation can also aid in the targeted delivery of polyphenols and may prevent any possible adverse events. For the encapsulation of bioactive ingredients, several techniques are applied such as emulsion phase separation, emulsification/internal gelation, film formation, spray drying, spray-bed-drying, fluid-bed coating, spray-chilling, spray-cooling, and melt injection. The present review aims to throw light on the existing literature highlighting the possibility and clinical benefits of encapsulated polyphenols in health and disease. However, the clinical data is still very scarce and randomized clinical trials are needed before any conclusion is drawn.

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A large number of food additives are used to enhance their marketable quality. Similarly, for increasing the aesthetic value of food, different synthetic food colors are incorporated that are believed to cause severe problems to humans and the environment. Thus, to overcome these issues, biocolors have been utilized sharply due to their potential therapeutic and medicinal benefits. A wide variety of industries, including medicines, textiles, food, and beverage, have used biocolor additives. Biocolors are deployed in the food sector ranging from beverages to confectionary to processed meals to bakery goods to dairy products to pet treats to colored sugar. Considering the stability and sensitivity of biocolors towards the extraction process and environment, new emerging non-thermal or mild technologies are gaining popularity in order to preserve the biocolors from degradation. This comprehensive review focuses on recent advances in knowledge and understanding of the extraction techniques of biocolors, their sources, and their applications.

The biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids is regulated by a complex molecular, biochemical and physiological network. Modulation of phenylpropanoid metabolism occurs by endogenous (transcription and post-transcription factors, homeostasis modulators, hormones) and extrinsic (biotic and abiotic agents) signals, both during the growth and development of strawberries. In the context of endogenous modulation, during the transition from maturation to ripening of strawberries, the most significant alteration in the synthesis and accumulation of phenylpropanoids occurs, and phytohormones are intensely involved in regulating this event. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is highlighted, which plays a central role in strawberry ripening and seems necessary for anthocyanin synthesis. In this review, we report the main mechanisms involved before and during the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoid compounds in strawberry ripening, focusing on anthocyanin synthesis.

By 2025, the projected global obesity rates for both men and women are 18% and 21%, respectively. Obesity raises the risk of several comorbidities like cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders, type 2 diabetes, respiratory problems, and most importantly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is commonly considered to be both a consequence and a contributor to metabolic dysfunctions such as obesity, given the liver’s pivotal role in metabolism. NAFLD is a range of disease phenotypes that initiate hepatocyte inflammation and lipid accumulation owing to de novo lipogenesis (DNL). NAFLD has the potential to advance to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, marked by hepatic fibrosis and the subsequent emergence of NAFLD-associated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Several notable biomarkers, including C-reactive protein, tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, leptin, fatty acid synthase and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c have been found to have a direct correlation with inflammation and DNL. Several research studies have provided evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of plant derived bioactive compounds plants for managing obesity associated NAFLD. Several bioactive phytoconstituents like antcin A, ginsenoside, naringenin, apigenin, silibinin, kaempferol have been identified as potential agents for improving obesity associated NAFLD by targeting the inflammatory and DNL pathways. This review explores the connection between inflammation and DNL in the development of obesity-associated NAFLD by discussing a few biomarkers related to both the hallmarks and some novel avenues for addressing the treatment of NAFLD in individuals with obesity. Besides, this review provides an overview of the efficacy of different bioactive phytoconstituents in combating obesity associated NAFLD by targeting the inflammatory and DNL pathways.

Stemona alkaloids with a unique skeleton of pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepine, pyrido[1,2-a]azepine, pyrido[1,2-a]azonine or indolizidine core are obtained only from the Stemonaceae family. And some plants from this family have been used for treating respiratory diseases and as antihelmintic in China for thousands of years. In addition, some alkaloids with [1,2-a]azepine nucleus have also been isolated from plants of the Flueggea (Euphorbiaceae), Securinega (Phyllanthaceae), Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae) and Cephalotaxus (Cephalotaxaceae) genera. These alkaloids are named as Securinega alkaloids or Cephalotaxus alkaloids. A total of 94 new Stemona alkaloids, 51 new Securinega alkaloids, and 24 new Cephalotaxus alkaloids were obtained from 2009 to 2021. The absolute configurations of Stemona, Securinega, and Cephalotaxus alkaloids are usually determined using NOESY, biogenic synthesis, and data comparison methods during structural analysis. Based on an in-depth analysis of these structures, we found that the above methods are not rigorous. This article raises some problems in the structure determination of these alkaloids and summarizes the rules of nuclear magnetic resonance data of Securinega and Cephalotaxus alkaloids, which can also make the structure analysis more rigorous. In this review, we describe the isolation, structures, NMR rules, biogenic synthetic pathway and biological activities of these Stemona alkaloids, as well as the structure-related alkaloids isolated from the genera Flueggea, Securinega, Phyllanthus, and Cephalotaxus. This review also provides significant reference for the structural analysis, biogenic pathways, and pharmacological activities of Stemona, Securinega, and Cephalotaxus alkaloids.

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Every year, more than 50 million tons of Helianthus annuus L. are produced mainly for the sunflower oil industry. It is a plant consumed worldwide, due to its use in feeding and traditional medicine for the prevention of some cardiovascular diseases, as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and antihypertensive, among others. Sunflower has a great diversity of metabolites, being especially rich in terpene compounds with close to 400 different molecules reported, including volatile mono and sesquiterpenes. Among these terpenic components of sunflower, sesquiterpenes as helibisabonols, helianuols and heliangolides, diterpenes (ent-kaurenes or ent-trachylobanes and ent-atisarenes compounds) or apocarotenoids (ionone compounds and strigolactones) are worthy to be underlined. Many of these compounds have allelopathic activity. On the other hand, sesquiterpene lactones and diterpene compounds have strong insect antifeedant, antifungal and allelopathic activities. Additionally, the essential oil (rich in α-pinene) has antifungal properties. All these biological activities suggest that Helianthus annuus has great potential for natural crop protection. Since the main sunflower crop residue is the flower head, we have revised the plant-protection properties of flowerhead components to highlight the potential valorization of that residue for the production of biopesticides.

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Plants of the family Euphorbiaceae, particularly members of the genus Euphorbia, have long been known to yield latexes and extracts with a wide range of therapeutic properties. They are also renowned for providing unifloral honey that is produced and commercialized mainly in the Mediterranean region and is much appreciated owing to its medicinal properties. By better understanding the unique properties and potential uses of Euphorbia honey, also known as Daghmous, our overarching aim is to provide a detailed and exhaustive overview of this valuable and versatile natural resource. Our study conducted an extensive literature search across various databases, focusing on recent and peer-reviewed research related to Euphorbia honey. The bibliometric analysis carried out using the Scopus database revealed peaks in publication activity in recent years, and Morocco emerged as the leading country in Euphorbia honey research. The co-occurrence network illustrated a shift towards modern techniques like chemometrics, reflecting advancements in research methodologies. Euphorbia honey is distinct in various aspects. Based on its pollen composition, it has a high content of pollen grains originating from Euphorbia spurge (minimum of 25%). This honey possesses a dark amber color, attributed to specific nectar sources, and chemical composition, and it’s very rich in essential components like carbohydrates, proteins, phenolic compounds, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Euphorbia honey exhibits strong antioxidant and cytotoxic properties, suggesting its potential utility in medicine, cosmetics, and the food industry. In this review, we explored the characteristics, therapeutic merits, and potential challenges of Euphorbia honey, focusing on its quality parameters, microbial contaminants, chemical constituents, and the risk of adulteration, along with methods for determining its authenticity.

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) occurs in living organisms and in the environment. This is a widely known poison but is also considered as a gasotransmitter. For most higher plants, microorganisms and animals HCN is toxic, especially at elevated concentrations. However, plants’ sensitivity to this compound is lower than animals’ due to the activity of an alternative oxidase in the mitochondrial respiration chain. All higher plants synthesize HCN as a co-product during the final step of ethylene biosynthesis, whilst some plant species release it from cyanogenic compounds, accumulated for diverse physiological purposes. This molecule is used as a toxic bomb against herbivores, as a source of nitrogen in N-deficient plants, or as a regulator of seed dormancy state. The toxicity of HCN is mainly due to the inhibition of the activity of several metalloenzymes: iron-containing enzymes, molybdoenzymes and enzymes that contain zinc or copper. HCN impacts cellular metabolism by modulation of the reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species levels, and via modifications of proteins (S-cyanylation, oxidation). The aim of this work is to describe the dual (toxic and signalling) mode of cyanide action in plants at a cellular level.