Chemistry & Biodiversity最新文献

This study aimed to characterize the phytochemical composition and evaluate the biological activities of the hydroethanolic extract of Erodium guttatum (HEE) from Algeria. Liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-MS/MS) analysis identified 16 phenolic compounds, with shikimic acid, gallic acid, luteolin, and isoquercitrin as the main components. The extract showed high levels of total phenolics (208.09 ± 0.25 µg GAE/mg), flavonoids (97.07 ± 1.4 µg QE/mg), and flavonols (78.27 ± 0.05 µg QE/mg). Antioxidant assays revealed strong activity with IC₅₀ values of 3.88 ± 0.03 µg/mL (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH]), 6.33 ± 0.13 µg/mL (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic) acid [ABTS]), and A_0.5 = 10.11 ± 0.53 µg/mL (ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP]). The HEE extract exhibited inhibitory activity against butyrylcholinesterase (IC₅₀ = 21.42 ± 0.41 µg/mL) and high photoprotective potential, with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 43.23 ± 0.05. Antimicrobial tests revealed broad-spectrum activity, particularly against Listeria monocytogenes (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] = 0.35 mg/mL). In vivo experiments showed a significant analgesic effect after 1 h (200 mg/kg) and anti-inflammatory efficacy in the formalin-induced paw edema model (p < 0.001). Molecular docking revealed strong binding affinities between major compounds and key targets, including phospholipase, listeriolysin O, internalin, sortase B, collagenase-1, TNF-α, and cyclooxygenase-2. Overall, E. guttatum emerges as a promising natural source of bioactive compounds with potential pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food applications.

Three new ent-atisane diterpenoids (1−3) and five known ones (4−8) were obtained from the bioactive fraction of E. micractina. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by a comprehensive analysis of the spectroscopic data, including high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray crystallography, and electronic circular dichroism data. Among them, compound 1 was the first example of an ent-atisane diterpenoid with an α-oriented hydroxyl group at C-7. In addition, the cytotoxicity of all the isolated ent-atisane diterpenoids was evaluated against human cervical carcinoma, human acute promyelocytic leukemia, and human hepatoma cell lines. Compound 3 demonstrated significant cytotoxic activity against the selected cell lines with an IC₅₀ value from 7.5 to 10.1 µM.

Athyrium multidentatum, a perennial herb used as a traditional wild vegetable, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, but its full bioactivity spectrum remains unstudied. To expand its application, this study explored its inhibition capacity against foodborne bacteria, aiming to identify candidates for natural antimicrobial preservatives and provide a basis for comprehensive utilization. A. multidentatum extract (AME) was analyzed for flavonoid profile via LC–MS. Its antibacterial activity was assessed by determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride assay. AME's effects on bacterial cell membrane permeability, respiratory inhibition, and metabolic pathways were analyzed via conductivity measurements, spectrophotometry, SDS-PAGE, and scanning electron microscopy. AME exhibited inhibitory effects against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, with MIC values of 4 mg/mL for S. aureus and 8 mg/mL for B. cereus. The extract increased leakage of alkaline phosphatase, electrolytes, nucleic acids, and proteins (indicating disrupted cell permeability) and inhibited bacterial respiration, mainly by disrupting the glycolysis pathway. Thus, A. multidentatum shows potential for developing natural antimicrobials and food preservatives.

The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a crucial transformation toward sustainability, driven by the urgent need to reduce environmental harm while maintaining innovation in drug discovery and development. Next-generation green pharma integrates biodiversity, green chemistry, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence (AI) to create more eco-friendly and efficient drug production processes. Nature remains a vast source of bioactive compounds, with plants, microbes, and marine organisms offering promising therapeutic potential. Advances in synthetic biology, CRISPR gene editing and metabolic engineering enable the sustainable synthesis of natural compounds, reducing reliance on resource-intensive extraction methods. In addition, green chemistry techniques, such as biocatalysis and supercritical fluid extraction, minimize hazardous waste and lower energy consumption. AI and machine learning accelerate drug discovery by efficiently identifying novel compounds, reducing the need for traditional, time-consuming experimental methods. However, the shift to sustainable pharma faces challenges, including ethical concerns over bioprospecting, conservation efforts, and fair benefit-sharing of biodiversity resources. As industries and policymakers increasingly focus on sustainability, the pharmaceutical sector is poised to embrace greener practices, ensuring both human health advancements and environmental protection. This paper explores the transformative potential of green pharmaceuticals and their role in shaping a sustainable future for medicine.

Herein, report a simple and efficient strategy for the synthesis of 1,3 thiazole from the easily accessible α-ketothioamides. The thioamide synthetic equivalents react smoothly with bromoacetals and 3-chloropentane-2,4-dione to afford a series of substituted thiazoles 4a–l and 6a–l, demonstrating a high degree of thioamide functionalization. The reported procedure stands up due to the rapid reaction time with metal-free mild conditions rendering it an attractive option for thiazole synthesis. The resulting compounds were evaluated for their neuroprotective effects through in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity. Among the synthesized molecules, compound 6j exhibited the most significant inhibitory effect, surpassing the standard drug rivastigmine in activity.

Phytochemical investigation of the CH₂Cl₂/MeOH (1:1, v/v) extract of the Red Sea coral Lemnalia sp. led to the identification and purification of a previously undescribed ylangene-type sesquiterpenoid, designated as (1S,2S,3S,6R,7R,8R)-6,7-dihydroxy-13-methoxy-3,4-dihydro-α-ylangene (1), together with a known nardosinane-type sesquiterpene, 6,7-seco-13-nornardosinane (2), and three known steroids: 24-methylcholesterol (3), 24-methylenecholesterol (4), and 4α,24-dimethyl-5α-cholest-24(28)-en-3β,8β-diol (5). The structures of all isolated metabolites were elucidated through comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, including one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance experiments, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and electronic circular dichroism calculations. The antitumor activities of the purified sesquiterpenoid compounds were assessed against two cancer cell lines, MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma) and HT-29 (colorectal adenocarcinoma), using doxorubicin as the reference drug. Metabolite 1 exhibited cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 (half-maximal inhibitory concentration [IC₅₀] = 15.7 ± 1.21 µM) and HT-29 (IC₅₀ = 12.9 ± 1.22 µM), whereas compound 2 showed cytotoxicity toward MCF-7 (IC₅₀ = 22.5 ± 1.54 µM) and HT-29 (IC₅₀ = 17.8 ± 1.35 µM). Although these compounds display limited potency, their distinctive structural features broaden the chemical diversity of Lemnalia-derived metabolites and may offer promising scaffolds for future chemical or biosynthetic optimization.

Recently, the insecticidal, antifungal, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties of pyrolysis liquid (bio-oil) obtained from agricultural and industrial plants have been investigated in foods. As no previous studies had been conducted on the Capparis sicula subsp. sicula (caper) species, this study was chosen. For the first time, a methanol–chloroform extract, pyrolysis liquid, and green-synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were obtained from caper fruit. GC–MS/MS analysis of the extract and pyrolysis revealed linoleic and palmitic acid methyl esters. In contrast, LC–ESI–MS/MS analysis revealed high amounts of hesperidin (7.534 mg/g extract) and caffeine (0.216 mg/g extract), respectively. It was observed that the pyrolysis liquid had higher activity than the extract in terms of antioxidant activity (93.33% for DPPH and 8.01 µmol Trolox/g extract), antibacterial activity (average of 8 mm for all bacteria), and enzyme inhibition (4.72 µg/mL for α-glucosidase and 2.00 µg/mL for α-amylase). A molecular docking study found that caffeine was effective against the enzyme catalase (−6.9 kcal/mol). Therefore, by enabling the release of compounds not detected by conventional methods through pyrolysis, it will be possible to expand the use of these compounds as antioxidant and antibacterial agents in the food industry, pharmacology, and other industries.

Cytotoxic activity-guided fractionation of the ethanolic extract of Verbascum aydogdui, an endemic halophyte plant to Türkiye, resulted in the isolation of 16 secondary metabolites, including eight triterpene saponins, mulleinsaponins III (1), ilwensisaponin A (2), buddlejasaponin I (3), mulleinsaponin IV (4), ilwensisaponins D (5), ilwensisaponin C (6), craniosaponin A (7) and buddlejasaponin Ia (8), six iridoid glycosides, aucubine (9), eurostoside (10), geniposidic acid (11), nigroside III (13), 6-O-β-D-glucopyranosylaucubine (12), 6-O-[3-O-(E-feruloyl)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl]-aucubine (14), and two phenylethanoid glycosides, verbascoside (15) and alyssonoside (16). Compounds 1–5 displayed significant cytotoxicity against PC3, HEPG2, HGC27, A375, MCF7, and SW480 cancer cell lines with half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of 17.6–85.1 µM, being 2 and 3 the most cytotoxic ones. Thus, 2 and 3 were further assayed for their cell death mechanisms, including apoptosis and necrosis. Compound 2 exerted anti-cancer effects in all cancer cell lines tested, except for MCF7, especially via inducing apoptosis. Its apoptotic activity was predominantly mediated by a significant increase in p53 and p21 expressions in all cancer lines tested, but for SW480. This is the first bioactivity and phytochemical study on V. aydogdui. Our results indicated that 2 could be a potential anticancer natural product that merits further in vitro and in vivo studies.