Phytochemistry Reviews最新文献

Terpene cyclases (TCs) are pivotal enzymes in nature, orchestrating the intricate synthesis of terpenes, a diverse group of natural compounds with profound biological activities. This review delves into the multifaceted roles of terpene cyclases, which serve as nature’s biochemical architects, sculpting the chemical landscape of plants, fungi, and bacteria. Understanding the catalytic mechanisms of TCs unveils the astounding diversity of terpenes and their vital functions in plant defense, pollination, and growth regulation. Moreover, this review examines the classification of TCs, shedding light on their distinct classes and the array of terpenoids they produce, each with unique biological activities. Exploration of terpenes in cancer therapy uncovers their promising anti-cancer properties, targeting key hallmarks of cancer progression such as proliferation, survival, and metastasis. This review elaborates on various mechanisms through which terpenes induce apoptosis, inhibit tumor growth, modulate immune responses, and enhance chemotherapy efficacy. Additionally, it includes case studies and ongoing clinical trials showcasing the efficacy of terpene-based treatments across different cancer types. Challenges in utilizing terpenes for cancer therapy, such as stability, specificity, and drug resistance, are outlined, alongside strategies to overcome these hurdles. A significant highlight of this review is the potential of engineered terpene cyclases for tailored therapies. Directed evolution and rational enzyme design strategies offer avenues to create designer terpenes optimized for anti-cancer properties. This review culminates in a comprehensive exploration of synergistic approaches, combining terpenes with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies to enhance treatment efficacy and minimize side effects. Through the lens of terpene cyclases, it provides a broad overview of the diverse landscape of terpenes in nature, their potential in cancer therapy, and the exciting frontier of engineered terpene-based therapies.

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Breast cancer ranks as the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. Despite advances in treatment and diagnostic technologies, it has become a growing global health concern in recent decades. The currently used treatment approaches for breast cancer include radiation therapy, the use of several chemotherapeutic drugs, and surgical exclusion. These strategies pose certain limitations like drug resistance, local tumor recurrence, metastasis, etc., which necessitates safer alternatives for breast cancer treatment or prevention. Phytochemicals are naturally occurring, bioactive, non–nutrient compounds that are capable of modulating different genes, gene products, and multiple signalling pathways, causing inhibition of the proliferative ability of the breast cancerous cells, angiogenesis, metastatic ability, tumor incursion, and induction of apoptosis. Phytochemicals can also be used as adjuvant cancer therapy because of their capability to modulate immune regulation in the tumor microenvironment. Thus, phytochemicals offer a potent and safer alternative for breast cancer treatment or prevention, with no or fewer side effects. This review article provides an extensive analysis of the biochemical dimension of various phytochemicals belonging to different chemical classes (such as curcumin, apigenin, resveratrol, berberine, gallic acid, genistein, epigallocatechin gallate, sulforaphane, etc.), and the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in breast cancer treatment or prevention. Further, a brief description of phytochemicals in breast cancer combinatorial therapies and clinical trials is also provided in this article.

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Although frequently used for anti-ulcerogenic and analgesic purposes, the Monteverdia ilicifolia (Mart. ex Reissek) Biral, popularly known as espinheira-santa, demonstrates scarcity of scientific evidence to confirm its efficacy. This study sought to answer the question "What is the scientific evidence on M. ilicifolia in relation to phytochemical, clinical, and technological development aspects?" by filling the information gaps regarding pre-clinical, clinical, and technological development perspectives through a scoping review involving articles and patents. Following the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute and recommendations of PRISMA-ScR, the articles searches were carried out in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, while patents were searched on Google Patents, Espacenet, Derwent Innovations Index, and The Lens. All the studies found were checked for suitability to the topic. Approved studies went on a data extraction step, while the ones that did not fit the inclusion criteria had their exclusion reasoning recorded. 13 articles and three patents fitted the inclusion criteria and underwent data extraction. Studies showed that M. ilicifolia can be used in the form of aqueous, alcoholic, hydroalcoholic extracts, gels, creams, gel-creams, parenteral solutions, with doses of 0.1 to 500 mg/kg, one to five times a day, and showed safety up to 3000 mg/kg. Therapeutic properties included antimicrobial, antiulcer, spasmolytic, antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory, natriuretic, diuretic, hypotensive and antimutagenic, with no observed toxicity or teratogenicity. Those effects were attributed to polyphenolic compounds, triterpenes, tannins, flavonoids, gallic and caffeic acids, exhibiting a variety of modes of action. Espinheira-santa shown promising evidence about its biological activities.

The genus Humulus currently includes 7 listed species that have common but also differentiating chemical characteristics. Due in particular to their richness in original specialized metabolites, the female infructescences of hop are widely used as a bittering, aromatic and stabilizing ingredient in beer. Wild hops are chemically more diverse than cultivars that come from a common gene pool. Initially oriented towards the study of disease resistance and productivity potential, research on wild hops has exploded in recent decades and in various countries to focus on the search for organoleptic qualities. Wild hops have been hybridized with cultivars, intentionally or spontaneously, giving rise to new original varieties thanks to the heritability of their chemical characteristics transmitted to their descendants. This research has proven itself with the development of cultivars with interesting organoleptic qualities for hopping beer. Depending on the hopping technique used, which has diversified considerably in recent decades, hop compounds undergo numerous chemical reactions during the brewing process, offering the brewer a wide organoleptic spectrum in terms of bitterness and aromas. The volatile compounds of hops, from the more classic terpenes to polyfunctional thiols, have been particularly studied in recent years due to the search for new varieties rich in original aromas.

Antioxidants are widely used in the food industry to protect polyunsaturated lipids from oxidative degradation. In recent years, interest in natural antioxidants has increased due to concerns about the toxicity of synthetic alternatives. Plant-derived compounds such as tocopherols, vitamin C, and flavonoids provide antioxidant benefits in foods and may help to prevent chronic diseases. Spices and aromatic plants, valued for their antimicrobial properties, are increasingly used in food preservation, pharmaceuticals, and natural therapies due to their biologically active and antioxidant compounds. The health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and the imbalance between omega-3 and omega-6 in Western diets have driven efforts to increase their intake through unconventional oils. Oils from plant sources with very high omega-3 levels (> 45%), such as chia (Salvia hispanica L.), flaxseed (Linum usitatisimum L.), and Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.), are excellent for enhancing omega-3 intake. However, these oils are highly prone to oxidative degradation, necessitating effective stabilization strategies. This review provides novel insights into the application of natural antioxidants across diverse systems—bulk oils, blends, emulsions, and microencapsulated oils—highlighting their potential to enhance oxidative stability and extend the shelf life of omega-3-rich oils. By integrating natural antioxidants with advanced stabilization techniques, this review underscores promising approaches to preserving the quality and functionality of chia, flaxseed, and Sacha inchi oils, thereby facilitating their industrial and nutritional applications.

Steroidal saponins, prominent bioactive constituents present in monocot plants, primarily comprise sugars and glycosides. They significantly contribute to the domain of natural product chemistry due to their profound pharmacological attributes and demonstrated efficacy in treating a plethora of disease. The complex and multifaceted synthetic pathways of steroidal saponins stem from the diversity within spirostane structures and glycosyl ligands. This provides a material basis for the diversity of physiological activities of steroidal saponins and enriches the resource pool of steroidal saponins. However, it comes with the substantial challenge of refining and separating total steroidal saponins in plants, exacerbating difficulties in deciphering the mechanism of action for total steroidal saponin extracts as physiologically active constituents. Presently, the main utilization of steroidal saponins is to hydrolyze them into diosgenin as simple drug precursors, but the intrinsic value of these highly active natural compounds has not been fully utilized. To maximize their medicinal potential and bolster their contribution to human health, recent advancements in the biosynthesis, extraction, separation, and application of steroidal saponins were summarized here. Potential challenges faced at different stages with plausible suggestions are discussed for future exploration, adoption, and development of steroidal saponins.

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To enhance comprehension of its pharmacological properties and unleash its medicinal potential, this article reviews the latest progress in the biosynthesis, extraction, separation, and application of steroidal saponins.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the alkaloids in the genus Vinca L. (Apocynaceae), which is renowned for its rich content of monoterpene indole alkaloids and widespread occurrence in Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia. By consolidating extensive phytochemical and pharmacological research in five phytochemically investigated species within the genus Vinca L., it highlights 202 identified alkaloids—categorized into 20 structural groups—and emphasizes their structural diversity and biological activities. These alkaloids, including notable compounds such as vincamine and reserpine, exhibit a range of biological activities, including antitumor, anti-Alzheimer, antibacterial, and antihypertensive effects. The review also explores biosynthetic pathways, key structural classes (aspidosperma, corynanthe, iboga, yohimbe, strychnos), and the structural and biological complexities surrounding these alkaloids. Additionally, it provides a botanical perspective on Vinca species, underscoring both their historical and current medicinal uses. Overall, the genus Vinca emerges as a valuable source of bioactive compounds, with significant potential for future pharmacognostic and drug development research, particularly in oncology and neurodegenerative diseases.

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Fungal infections have emerged as a significant global health concern, with Candida species, opportunistic yeasts living symbiotically in various parts of the human body, playing a major role in pathogenic invasions. The overuse and inappropriate application of conventional antifungal drugs have contributed to frequent treatment failures and the alarming rise of drug-resistant strains, prompting a growing interest in exploring naturally derived alternatives. Plants, known for their therapeutic properties throughout history, are currently being investigated as potential agents for combating fungal diseases, including Candidiasis infections. This review compiled and examined findings from both in vitro and in vivo studies conducted over the past decade, evaluating the antifungal effectiveness of plant-derived extracts against various Candida species. The results were summarized in detailed tables and discussed comprehensively. Additionally, this review addressed the safety considerations and assessment of these herbal remedies and highlighted the necessity for further extensive research in this promising and expanding area.

Diterpenoid is a significant class of organic compounds obtained from the Meliaceae plant family which has a wide distribution over tropical and subtropical climates. 102 studies were initiated since 1988 until 2024 focusing on various parts of the plant, including the stem barks, twigs, leaves, flowers, and seeds. 266 diterpenoid compounds were found from various groups, including acyclic, labdane, isopimarane, dimer, clerodane, prenyleudesmane, podocarpane, pimarane, dolabellane, neoclerodane, kaurene, abitane, cneorubin, halimanes, atisane, stemarane, and cembranoid. These compounds were identified and reported from approximately 102 articles. The acylic group was reported as having the highest number of compounds, accounting for 18.4%. This metabolite exhibits diverse biological activities, including cytotoxicity, antimalarial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antitobacco, antibacterial, allelopathic effect, and antifeedant. The result showed that diterpenoid has great potential for discovering novel medications. Studies on diterpenoids of the Meliaceae family were comprehensively analyzed, using data from Google Scholar, Reaxys, PubMed, and SciFinder.

This review summarizes key features of the genus Duguetia over the past 54 years (1970 to May 2024), focusing on its occurrence, distribution, isolation, and bioactivities. A thorough literature review was performed using databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, and Web of Science. The search utilised the keyword “Duguetia” in combination with relevant terms like “distribution,” “traditional use,” “phytochemicals,” “chemical compounds,” “pharmacology,” and “bioactivity.” The findings indicate that the genus Duguetia, closely related to Keetia and Psydrax, belongs to the Annonaceae family and consists of trees and shrubs. It comprises 95 species, primarily distributed in South and Central America, with four species located in West Africa. Traditionally, plants of the genus Duguetia have been used in medicine to manage kidney colic, stomachaches, rheumatism, coughs, toothaches, fever, muscle pain, digestive issues, and respiratory problems. Chemical investigations have identified 146 secondary metabolites, with alkaloids representing approximately 76% of these compounds, serving as a chemotaxonomic marker for the genus. Other compound classes, including flavonoids, benzoic compounds, sesquiterpenoids, steroids, bisnorlignans, cinnamates, and triterpenoids, account for the remaining 24%. Pharmacological studies of chemical constituents and extracts from Duguetia species have revealed a wide range of bioactivities. These include cytotoxicity, antimalarial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, urease inhibition, antifungal, antinociceptive, antibacterial, antitumor, anticancer potential, and insecticidal properties. The structural diversity of alkaloids and the variety of bioactivities position the genus Duguetia as a promising resource for drug discovery and medicinal applications.