Phytochemistry Reviews最新文献

Mahua (Madhuca indica J.F. Gmel) is a tree known for its phytochemical and nutritional benefits. The flowers and seeds of the plant are commonly used in various therapeutic applications. The present review focuses on the overlooked attributes of undervalued Mahua flowers which are cherished by tribal population for its usage in their culinary habits, however specific emphasis on its potential to reduce anaemia has been very limited. Including India, various countries across the world have been impacted with the anaemia and there has been limited strategy for its combatting. Mahua has been part of tribal diet; it has a potential for various health ailments which is untapped. The review is focused to highlight the indigenous usage of Mahua flower for their nutritional and phytochemical benefits. The iron metabolism, absorption mechanism and status of anaemia along with strategies to combat anaemia using Mahua flowers is discussed. The present usage and revaluation of Mahua flowers in contemporary health strategies, as food components highlighting its nutritional richness and medicinal potential is evaluated. However, due to the lack of knowledge and unexplored avenues of Mahua it has not been utilized for its potentiality. The recommendations, challenges and futuristic approach to evaluate the comprehensive characterization, toxicity aspects and nanoformulation of Mahua flower extracts are discussed briefly.

The natural origin secondary metabolites have been considered as one of the richest source of new chemical entities with vast array of structural diversity and complexity. The natural compounds have played significant and crucial part in the development of number of therapeutic agents for various diseases especially in the cancer and infectious disease segment. The vast structural and molecular diversity of chemicals present in natural sources inspired medicinal chemist from ages to explore the chemotypes for the innovation and design of new pharmaceuticals and chemical entities. The design of diverse libraries of natural product congeners or derivatives can be achieved using various approaches and strategies to expand the natural product frameworks. Modifying common reactive molecular fragments in natural extracts is an effective strategy for creating pharmacologically active compounds. Various extraction and purification techniques, such as high performance liquid chromatography and supercritical fluid extraction along with membrane-based technologies, are employed to isolate these bioactive compounds.Direct crude extract modification of natural products is an interesting and recent strategy to evolve new chemical entities with diversity in structure and pharmacophore. The reactive chemical moieties present in most of the natural products can be engineered chemically by treating them with particular reagents to yield chemically modified extracts or semi-synthetic molecules constituting distinct libraries with enhanced chemo-diversity and improved pharmacology. This review aims to present latest developments in the synthesis of natural product-inspired medicinal compound libraries via direct chemical modification of crude extracts.

Bioconversion holds significant value across global industries, particularly in commercializing food and drug waste. The biotransformation of chitosan into valuable food products underscores its versatile applications. This process involves microbial fermentation and enzymatic pathways, pivotal in achieving effective bioconversion. Natural compounds, integral to pharmaceutical sciences, are identified and extracted from diverse plant and animal sources. These compounds are crucial in medicine, industrial applications, and raw material production. This article focuses on microbial conversion techniques applied to natural products, which are increasingly pivotal in medicinal applications. The structural diversity resulting from microbial transformation enhances the functionality of these compounds beyond those found in animals and plants. Such compounds are utilized as renewable resources across the food and pharmaceutical sectors, serving as thickeners, gelling agents, moisture regulators, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and medicinal components. This study reviews current methodologies and emphasizes the growing importance of bioconversion in enhancing sustainability and innovation within these industries. The article explores the biotransformation of natural compounds into valuable medicinal products. It emphasizes microbial conversion techniques, highlighting their pivotal role in enhancing the functionality and sustainability of the pharmaceutical and food sectors.

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N-nitrosamines, the potential hazardous pollutants, are classified as most mutagenic and probable carcinogenic compounds. One of the Potentially carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds is N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP) which is produced by the oxidation or nitrosation of amine precursors. NPIP can be found in a variety of matrices including latex products, agricultural chemicals, cosmetic items, chlorinated water, alcoholic beverages, spices, and food products. Various physical (ionized radiation, and ultraviolet light), chemical (outdoor and indoor air pollution, second-hand smoke, asbestos, metals, and vinyl chloride), and biological (diet, physical activity, infection, mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds, nitrosamines) factors are identified as precursors associated with the formation of NPIP. In addition, various genetic factors (cell cycle genes, tissue organization genes, signal transduction genes, and DNA repair genes) are also involved in the development of NPIP-directed diseases. Under physiological conditions, NPIP is found to be stable but require cytochrome P450-directed hydroxylation at the carbon atoms adjacent to nitroso group to form α-hydroxy NPIP ester for their metabolic activation. Various acute, chronic, reproductive health hazards may produce after the reaction of α-acetoxy-N-nitrosopiperidine with 2′-deoxy guanosine which can last for months or years. Different types of cancers such as esophageal, hepatocellular, pulmonary, bronchial and alveologenic are induced in response of NPIP in different animal models at 33 or 66 mg/kg, 0.88 × 10^–3 M, 0.2 mmol/kg of dosage. Tumours, such as tonofibrils, desmosomes, irregular nuclei, aggregated condensed chromatin with pars amorpha and fibrillar components, induced in lab animals show resemblance with their human counterparts with respect to their histological studies. Various studies have explored the role of food mutagen NPIP in generating caspase directed apoptosis. Apoptosis is well characterized by nucleus fragmentation, chromatin condensation, cell volume reduction, cytoplasmic shrinkage, and membrane blebbing. The safety and health organizations have taken various preventive measures to limit the exposure of NPIP carcinogenic compounds around residential areas and workplaces but this further requires population-based intervention and some policy implementation. Removal techniques like biological denitrifications, electrodialysis, ion-exchange chromatography, reverse osmosis, cellulose nanopaper membrane, etc., have also been applied to control the exposure of NPIP. Thus, NPIP has a role as an environmental pollutant, a mutagen, an apoptosis inducer, and a carcinogenic agent. Therefore, we have reviewed some basic features of NPIP and its contribution towards various types of cancers, along with some preventive measures and removal techniques of NPIP for the first time in this report.

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Physochlainae Radix [called Huashanshen (华山参)in Chinese], the root of Physochlaina infundibularis Kuang. (PI), is utilized as traditional medicine in China. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) use, Huashanshen (HSS) is traditionally used to treat wheezing and coughing, palpitation and insomnia. The information related to HSS was gathered by searching the internet (ScienceDirect, CNKI, WANFANG DATA, Google Scholar and Baidu Scholar) and libraries. From 1965 to September 2023, 99 compounds have been isolated and identified from HSS. This work systematically sorted out 99 compounds with clear structures in HSS. On this basis, combined with the chemical composition of HSS, its functional efficacy was expounded. The aim of this review was to examine this plant’s botany, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, toxicity, medica processing and quality control. The main chemical constituents of HSS include alkaloids, especially tropane alkaloids and the secondary compounds include volatile oils, fatty acids and phenolic acids, amides and other small molecules. These active substances endowed HSS antiasthmatic activity, central nervous system activity, cardiovascular activity, hepatoprotective activity, renal protective activity, enhance immune system, improve gastrointestinal function and other pharmacological activities, which has been verified many times in vivo and in vitro experiments. The TCM use of HSS, including warming lung to eliminate sputum, relieving cough and asthma and tranquilizing mind, is based on its antiasthmatic activity, central nervous system activity, cardiovascular activity, hepatoprotective activity, renal protective activity. In addition, the toxicity of HSS is closely related to tropane alkaloids. Considering the requirement of balancing efficacy and safety in clinical applications, the quality standards of HSS need to rely on modern analytical techniques and pharmacological methods for more in-depth research. There is a conflict between the medical needs and resource protection of HSS, and how to solve the shortage of natural resources of HSS is an important issue. Modern research on resource protection and development of medicinal ingredients is also the direction of future research.

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Nutrition issues and the increase in food allergy diseases experienced in recent years have encouraged part of the worldwide population to seek foods that, in addition to nourishing, can benefit their health, such as foods abundant in bioactive compounds. In this context, our objective was to conduct a review to emphasize the richness of the biodiversity of the Brazilian flora concerning the presence of bioactive compounds, their pharmacological applications, and their extraction characteristics. This narrative review screened the databases and identified 120 research articles published on the topic. These articles were analyzed to examine associated parameters such as the availability and applications of these bioactive compounds. These compounds exhibit therapeutic properties, such as antioxidant, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory effects, with multiple benefits to health and treating illnesses. In addition, the methods for extracting bioactive compounds must be constantly improved to increase their purity and yield because these metabolites are present in complex media. Addressing these issues is essential for improving the overall experience of health-conscious individuals.

The plant genus Garcinia, which belongs to the Clusiaceae family, was discovered to have excellent sources of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential and, therefore received significant attention due to its potential for medicinal properties. In the twenty-first century, one of the most crucial threats to global health, food security, and development is antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The alarming surge in AMR transcends geographical and demographic boundaries, impacting individuals of all ages and nationalities. This phenomenon renders previously effective antibiotics increasingly powerless against a growing tide of resistant bacterial infections, posing a significant public health challenge. Notably, the compilation of extract and bioactive compounds from Garcinia species that have potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria strains by the study of previous research reported in this review. Apart from that, the structure-antibacterial activity relationship for the class of specialized compounds also had been discussed. In addition, this study employed advanced molecular modelling simulations conducted by the authors to explore the mechanism of microbial pathways of isolated compounds that lead to strong antibacterial activity. Based on this comprehensive review, bioactive compounds isolated from Garcinia species emerge as promising candidates for spearheading the development of novel antibacterial agents. Their potential merits were further investigated through in vitro and in vivo studies to fully elucidate their efficacy and safety profiles.

The total ban on antibiotics as growth promoters in livestock nutrition, introduced in EU (European Union) countries on 1 January 2006, presented animal nutritionists with a considerable challenge in finding alternatives. First, the additives had to protect animals’ digestive tracts from pathogenic bacteria, and second, they should be inert in relation to the animals’ bodies. After many experiments, phytobiotics seem like they may be an effective alternative. This article aims to review key scientific articles relating to the use of phytobiotics of various origins in the feeding of chickens for fattening. The review of the available literature brings together the most important research findings on the effects of phytobiotic supplementation on growth performance, gut microbiota, antioxidant status and immune system of broiler chickens. Phytobiotics are natural plant substances produced to protect plants against pathogenic microorganisms. Phytobiotics are classified as a group of biologically active compounds with a broad chemical diversity and may include terpenes, triterpenes and flavonoids. Based on the collected information, it can be concluded that the use of phytobiotics in appropriate quantities and proportions in feed for broiler chickens influences the proper functioning of the digestive tract by, among other things, stimulating beneficial microbiota and secretion of digestive enzymes. In addition, the introduction of such feed additives has an impact on the alleviation of inflammation, supports the functioning of the immune system and has a positive influence on production results.