Chemistry & Biodiversity最新文献

A new naphtho-γ-pyrone dimer, asperforone A (1), along with thirteen known compounds, was isolated from the endophytic fungus Aspergillus foetidus of Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis. Their structures were elucidated through comprehensive spectroscopic analysis and by comparison with literature data. Aspernigrin A (11) showed notable acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity (46.98% at 50 µM), while asperforone A (1) and asperpyrone D (9) exhibited antimicrobial activity against Plectosphaerella cucumerina (minimum inhibitory concentration = 32 µg/mL). This study extends the chemical profile of A. foetidus and underscores its potential for bioactive metabolite discovery.

The essential oil of Pilocarpus microphyllus (jaborandi) (EOJ), a species traditionally recognized for its alkaloid-based pharmacological properties, remains poorly investigated despite its richness in bioactive terpenes. In this study, the chemical profile of EOJ obtained from fresh and dried leaves was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, revealing 24 constituents, predominantly γ-cadinene (23.6%) and trans-caryophyllene (22.9%). Antifungal activity was observed against Cryptococcus neoformans (minimum inhibitory concentration: 149-2395 µg/mL), while antileishmanial potential was confirmed against Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes (half-maximal inhibitory concentration [IC₅₀]: 22.8-25.2 µg/mL). EOJ also exhibited cytotoxic effects on HCT-116 and PC-3 cell lines (IC₅₀: 27.8-29.2 µg/mL). In silico studies revealed strong binding affinities with therapeutic targets: γ-cadinene to Nectin-4 (ΔG = -7.3 kcal/mol) and trans-caryophyllene to lanosterol 14α-demethylase (ΔG = -5.7 kcal/mol). Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity predictions indicated favorable oral absorption and low genotoxicity. Altogether, EOJ demonstrates multitarget bioactivity, and its major constituents represent promising leads for antifungal, antileishmanial, and anticancer drug development.

Acanthospermum hispidum (AH) leaves have been widely used in traditional medicine for inflammation. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effect of AH was evaluated, and a possible mechanism was predicted using an in silico model. The in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of the AH extract was carried out using carrageenan, histamine and serotonin-induced rat paw oedema, whereas molecular docking was used against all receptors implicated with inflammation. AH extract showed significant (p < 0.01) inhibition at 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg with all the models used (p ˂ 0.05 to ˂0.0001) with a non-significant decrease at T180; there were significances at some dose levels (e.g., 150 and 200 mg/kg). The peak percentage inhibition of the extract occurred at a dose of 100 mg/kg. A dose-dependent increase in anti-inflammatory activity was noted across the time examined T30-T150 with a non-significant decrease at T180. F1 was found to be the most active fraction. However, stigmasterol showed a potent antagonist influence on COX-1, COX-II, CAT and INF-gamma by showing binding affinities of -8.9, -8.9, -8.8 and -8.4 kcal/mol, respectively. Moreover, alkyl, carbon-hydrogen, conventional hydrogen and van der Waals interactions were noted. Stigmasterol was observed to obey the Lipinski rule of five except MLOGP. These findings justify the ethnomedicinal information of the usage of AH in the management of inflammation and related ailments.

Ornithogalum yesilyurtense Yıld. & Kılıç is a newly described endemic geophyte from Türkiye. This study offers the first comprehensive phytochemical and pharmacological profile of the plant. Methanol extracts taken from the aerial and bulb parts were assessed for antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. LC-MS/MS and GC-MS were used to further examine the phenolic and fatty acid contents. The aerial parts showed higher total phenolic content (TPC: 0.194 mg GAE/g), and antioxidant activity (more ferric reducing power [FRAP]: 0.784 µM Fe²⁺/g, and a lower DPPH IC₅₀: 1.645 µg/mL) than that of the bulbs (TPC: 0.148 mg GAE/g; FRAP: 0.285 µM Fe²⁺/g; DPPH IC₅₀: 2.17 µg/mL). Palmitic, linolenic, and γ-linolenic acids predominated in the aerial parts, while cis-linoleic and palmitic acids were dominant in bulbs. Resveratrol, hydroxycinnamic acid, and vanillic acid were the main phenolics in aerial parts, whereas ellagic, hydroxycinnamic, and gallic acids were abundant in bulbs. Both exhibited notable antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antifungal activities. Overall, O. yesilyurtense represents a promising new source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in pharmaceutical and functional food formulations.

Monacha obstructa, a widespread land snail in Egypt, causes severe damage to various agricultural crops. The extensive use of conventional chemical pesticides has led to resistance development, reducing their effectiveness in pest management. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel and rational molluscicidal agents. In this study, new pyrazolopyridine-derived heterocycles (compounds 2-7) were synthesized and evaluated for their molluscicidal activity against M. obstructa in comparison with several reference insecticides. The molecular structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed using FTIR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, and mass spectrometry analyses. Following seven consecutive days of exposure, deltamethrin, methomyl, tolfenpyrad, and the 2-pyrazoline derivatives 3, 4, and 7 exhibited significant toxicity, whereas compounds 2, 5, and 6 displayed moderate effects. These findings suggest that the synthesized compounds are promising candidates for developing new molluscicides. Furthermore, their antibacterial and antifungal activities were assessed, revealing that compounds 3, 4, and 6 could serve as potential precursors for the development of antimicrobial agents.

A series of novel 1,2,4-triazole-acetamide derivatives was synthesized and evaluated for anticancer and hEGFR inhibitory activity. The compounds were obtained via multistep synthesis and characterized by spectroscopic methods. Cytotoxicity was tested against PC-3, MCF-7, A549, and K562 cell lines. Compounds 18, 19, and especially 24 showed notable antiproliferative effects, with compound 24 exhibiting higher selectivity and potency than gefitinib. It also induced apoptosis and inhibited migration in A549 and PC-3 cells, while selectively promoting invasion in PC-3, suggesting EMT-related behavior. In vitro kinase assays revealed compound 20 as the most potent hEGFR inhibitor (IC₅₀ = 43.8 ± 1.3 nM). Molecular docking and 200 ns molecular dynamics simulations confirmed its stable interaction with EGFR, particularly involving Cys797. These findings highlight compounds 20 and 24 as promising candidates for further development as EGFR-targeted anticancer agents.

Aristolochia longa, a medicinal plant traditionally used in folk medicine, exhibits remarkable pharmacological properties primarily attributed to its bioactive-rich rhizomes. This study aimed to evaluate its phytochemical composition, in vitro antioxidant capacity, α-amylase inhibitory potential, and in vivo antidiabetic effects. Antioxidant assays, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, β-carotene bleaching, and ferric reducing antioxidant power, revealed strong activity with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values of 238.45 ± 0.57 and 128.96 ± 67.04 µg/mL, and a 50% effective concentration of 5.88 ± 5.00 µg/mL, respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis identified tannic acid, catechin, gallic acid, and caffeic acid as the major phenolic constituents. The extract also exhibited potent α-amylase inhibition (IC₅₀ = 0.470 ± 0.06 mg/mL). In vivo studies in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats treated with hydromethanolic extracts (250 and 500 mg/kg) showed significant reductions in blood glucose levels after 14 and 21 days of treatment. Oral glucose tolerance tests further confirmed its postprandial glucose-lowering effect. Moreover, the extracts exhibited a significant antilipidemic effect by improving lipid profile parameters. Overall, these findings indicate that A. longa rhizomes represent a promising natural source of bioactive compounds with potent antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antilipidemic properties.

Natural products have been recognized as important molecular skeletons in drug discovery due to their structural diversity and promising bioactivity. In this study, a scaffold-hopping strategy was applied to Rutaecarpine, an indolo[2',3':3,4]pyrido[2,1-b]quinazolinone alkaloid with antiproliferative activity. A novel series of 2-arylamino-3-indolylethyl-amines/alcohols was prepared by an explored synthetic approach with a Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling key step to introduce diverse aryl/heteroaryl amines. The compounds showed notable antiproliferative properties against MCF-7, T-47D, A-549, AGS, SNU-1, HL-60, and MOLT-4 cell lines. The most potent compound, 11a, induced nuclear condensation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, and autophagosome formation. Western blot analysis confirmed a significant reduction in expression of Pro-caspase-3 and BCL-2. The in vitro results collectively implicate the investigated molecule's significant effect on anticancer properties with simultaneous activation of intrinsic apoptosis and autophagy in cancer cells. SwissADME analysis indicated favorable drug-likeness properties. This work demonstrates the value of a natural product-inspired scaffold-hopping strategy in identifying promising new anticancer molecules with important pharmacological properties.

The demand for natural and sustainable ingredients in dermo-cosmetic formulations has promoted the use of coastal salt-tolerant plants as novel bioresources. This study evaluated aqueous extracts of Limonium algarvense and Polygonum maritimum, two salt-tolerant coastal plants and their mixtures (3:1, 1:1, 1:3, w/w) for antioxidant, metal-chelating, enzyme-inhibitory, antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties. Chemical profiling revealed diverse phenolic signatures dominated by catechin, myricetin and quercetin derivatives, which are known contributors to antioxidant and enzyme-modulating activity. L. algarvense showed the strongest superoxide-scavenging activity (EC₅₀ = 219 µg/mL), while P. maritimum was the most effective hyaluronidase inhibitor (EC₅₀ = 42.9 µg/mL). The 1:3 mixture displayed the most pronounced synergistic behaviour, notably in hydroxyl-radical scavenging (EC₅₀ = 62.7 µg/mL; SE = 0.08) and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (MIC = 39.68 µg/mL; SE = 0.31). The 3:1 mixture showed enhanced elastase inhibition (EC₅₀ = 33.0 µg/mL; SE = 0.76) and increased copper-chelating capacity (EC₅₀ = 533 µg/mL, SE = 0.52). All extracts maintained cell viability above 90%, supporting their safety for topical applications. Together, these results indicate that L. algarvense and P. maritimum deliver complementary and synergistic activities relevant to dermo-cosmetic innovation, emphasising their potential as sustainable, multifunctional ingredients compatible with saline agriculture and low-freshwater production systems.

In this research, we developed and synthesized a range of fibrate derivatives based on vanilla using molecular hybridization techniques. The lipid-lowering effects of target compounds was performed on Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemic mouse model, where T2 showed the best anti-hyperlipidemia activity, reducing total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) significantly. The hypolipidemic activity of T2 also showed the dose-dependent action. T2 was shown to notably enhance lipid metabolism issues in mice that had hyperlipidemia caused by a high-fat diet (HFD). Among them, blood lipid indicators such as TG, TC, and LDL-C were significantly regulated by T2, and their levels show a significant downward trend. T2 significantly upregulates the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α) protein and shows a strong binding affinity for the active site of the PPAR-α receptor. T2 exhibits hepatoprotective effects by markedly lowering serum and hepatic levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Studies have shown that T2 administration can lessen the buildup of lipids in the liver, offering a protective benefit against liver damage. In addition, T2 also exhibits significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Therefore, T2 may serve as a potential novel and effective lipid-lowering compound with hepatoprotective properties.