Phytochemistry Reviews最新文献

Seco-triterpenoids are a unique class of triterpenoids possessing distinct structural features. Based on the differences in their parent nucleus, they can be divided into two categories: tetracyclic triterpenes and pentacyclic triterpenes, which are widely distributed across various plant species. Previous studies indicate that natural seco-triterpenoids have diverse chemical structures and exhibit extensive biological activities, including anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and neuroprotective effects. This review comprehensively summarizes recent research (2020–2023) on seco-triterpenoids and derived saponins, encompassing their chemical structures, plant distributions, pharmacological activities, structure–activity relationships, and future development trends. Furthermore, we utilized the latest bibliometric tool, VOSviewer, to conduct a keyword cluster analysis, enabling us to identify current research hotspots and patterns. Besides, we have cataloged and analyzed 351 compounds, inclusive of 298 tetracyclic triterpenoids and 53 pentacyclic triterpenoids, in order to provide valuable references for activity mining and structural modification of seco-triterpenoids, facilitating further clinical applications and developments. Collectively, seco-triterpenoids represent an important class of natural products with significant potential for pharmacological use. By summarizing recent research achievements, this review provides a beneficial resource for scientists in the field, promoting the exploration and development of seco-triterpenoid-based drugs.

Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir. is a native species of tropical regions with a diverse therapeutic potential due to the presence of various metabolites in its botanical composition. This review provides updated information on the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of M. tenuiflora. The studies used in this review were obtained from specialized databases (PubMed, Scielo, Science Direct, Web of Science, Springer, and Scopus) using the keywords: Mimosa tenuiflora, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activity. The selected articles were analyzed by year of publication, country where the research was conducted, isolated chemical compounds reported, and biological activities evaluated. The selected articles were peer-reviewed in the following order: title, abstract, and full text. While the majority of studies involving M. tenuiflora are still situated in Brazil and Mexico, some research is being conducted outside of Latin America. In vitro and in vivo studies report various pharmacological activities for M. tenuiflora, such as antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and antidepressant effects. These diverse activities are attributed to the presence of flavonoids and alkaloids, identified as the main classes of secondary metabolites in M. tenuiflora. The effective doses for biological activities vary according to the plant part used and the type of extracting solvent. Additionally, the isolation and concentration of the bioactive compound optimizes and reduces the potential effective therapeutic dose. The arsenal of bioactive compounds provides versatility for potential therapeutic uses of M. tenuiflora. Despite its therapeutic potential, clinical trials are still lacking, and preclinical studies remain limited and heterogeneous, representing an opportunity for further pharmacological investigation.

Pain is a common symptom which can result in disability and lower quality of life. The current review covers the use of medicinal plants as an alternative therapy for pain relief, as traditional painkillers like NSAIDs, opioids, and antidepressants can have serious side effects. Medicinal plants are effective, easily available, low-cost, and have fewer side effects. The review examines commonly used medicinal plants, their active components, their pharmacological activity, and their mechanism of action for different types of pain in humans and animal models. The review also discusses the use of herbal therapies for pain in various conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, neuropathies, osteoarthritis, dysmenorrhea, headache, migraine, wounds, low back pain, and chest pain, and weighs the advantages and disadvantages of using herbal therapies in light of recent research.

Phytochemicals are widely known for the pharmacological effects in treating various human conditions and in recent years, new compounds are being discovered with substantial health benefits. Karanjin is a furanoflavonoid mainly isolated from Millettia pinnata L., emerging in the field of pharmacology and exerting potential therapeutic values in pre-clinical studies. The review aims to highlight the potential of karanjin as a neuroprotective agent with the significance of modulating the underlying molecular mechanistic pathways. Common neurodegenerative diseases reported globally include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The main problem in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases is the effect of the prescribed drugs for the underlying conditions is only momentary whereby a permanent solution is unavailable. Bioactive compounds under the class of flavonoids have largely been acknowledged for neuroprotection in pre-clinical studies and partial clinical trials through various mechanism of action such as modulation of NF-kB pathway, inhibition of oxidative stress, modulation of PI3K/Akt, and more. Molecular docking results of karanjin have proven the potential against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease through modulation of molecular targets adenosine A2A receptor, α-synuclein, catechol-O-methyltransferase, monoamine oxidase B, angiotensin converting enzyme, β-site APP cleaving enzyme, glycogen synthase kinase-3, TNF-α converting enzyme, and acetylcholinesterase involved in the disease progression, compared to commercial standard drugs. The review emphasizes the optimization method for the isolation of karanjin and the various impending mechanistic effects of karanjin in modulating neurodegenerative diseases.

Metabolic Syndrome (MS) is an amalgamation of symptoms encompassing insulin resistance, obesity, dyslipidemia, elevated fasting blood glucose levels, and hepatic steatosis. Emerging evidence suggests that the hallmark of MS lies in alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota and its metabolites. These alterations traverse a compromised intestinal barrier, exerting an impact on various metabolic organs, thereby precipitating the onset of MS. In recent years, the rapid advancement of sequencing methodologies, bioinformatics, and metagenomic technologies has rendered the exploration of the composition and functionality of the gut microbiota feasible. The manipulation of the gut microbiota is now considered a highly promising novel strategy for the treatment of MS. Ginsenosides, serving as the principal bioactive constituents of the esteemed herb ginseng, have been unequivocally validated to possess a diverse array of pharmacological activities, encompassing anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and cardiovascular protective properties. Nevertheless, the intricacies of the therapeutic mechanisms underlying ginsenosides in the treatment of MS remain unclear, owing to the challenge posed by their inherently low absorption rates. Recent studies indicate that when ginsenosides enters the gastrointestinal tract, ginsenosides can interact with the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota may represent a potential mechanism for the therapeutic effects of ginsenosides in treating MS. Based on this, this review aims to summarize the latest research progress of ginsenosides targeting the gut microbiota and its metabolites for the treatment of MS, and provide evidence to confirm that ginsenosides have the potential to become modulators of gut microbiota for the treatment of MS.

Natural products are highly prevalent in Himalayan region clustered in medicinal and aromatic plants including weeds. Toxic weed plants are of serious concerns due to their hazardous effects to humans, environment, and animals. The cause of toxicity of these toxic weed plants is due to the presence of toxic secondary metabolites. Several toxic secondary metabolites have been reported and characterised in these weed plants. There are several functionalities (toxicophores) in these secondary metabolites which have been identified responsible for the toxic effects of these naturally occurring molecules. The eradication of these toxic weed plants is the major strategy to minimize the hazardous effects. Albeit, there are possibilities for the utilization of these abundantly available toxic secondary metabolites as the valuable scaffolds by their synthetic modification to alter their toxicophores. Herein, we have compiled the reports based on the synthetic modification of the toxicophores present in these secondary metabolites and evaluated for their various pharmacological potential. Several molecules have been illustrated which are present in good amount in the toxic weeds and utilised as valuable bioactive scaffolds through intervention of synthetic modifications. The current review will be highly beneficial for the future developments utilising the abundantly available toxic molecules isolated from toxic weed plants and will also provide the alternative and effective strategy for the utilization of these toxic weeds.

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In the present review, we concentrated on primary signaling and regulatory events in plant cells that are rapidly evoked in response to extracellular polyamines in vivo and induce cellular and biochemical responses. Downstream pathways that allow polyamines to regulate plant growth, development, and stress tolerance are analyzed. The results of the recent studies on polyamine metabolism and its regulatory mechanisms are also discussed. Taken together, the data suggest that endogenously and exogenously regulated polyamines by activating ion transport, calcium dynamics, lipid, protein kinase, protein conjugation, and nucleic acid regulation mechanisms modulate downstream transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and hormonal pathways affecting growth, development, and stress tolerance.

Composite family contains a wide variety of plants and many of them possess high medicinal value. Various constituents have been isolated from members of Composite family. Sesquiterpenoids prove to be the characteristic constituents. In recent years, phytochemical studies on natural sesquiterpenoids, especially the sesquiterpenoid dimers from Composite have been a hot spot. As an important class of bioactive natural products, about 260 novel sesquiterpenoid dimers were isolated from plants of Compositae family since 2018 till date and most of them displayed significant therapeutic potential including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, neuroprotective, and other effects. In this review, the structural features, plant resources, and biological activities of these newly discovered sesquiterpenoid dimers were summarized.

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