Biological activities from andiroba (Carapa guianensis Aublet.) and its biotechnological applications: A systematic review

Carapa guianensis is a tree from Meliaceae family traditionally known as andiroba that has a wide range of biological properties, including therapeutic effects, antioxidant activities, insecticidal and repellent effects that can be used in biotechnological approaches to medicine, agriculture, and cosmetic products. Therefore, we aim to explore the biological activities exhibited by this species and their respective biotechnological applications of interest. For this, a systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA guidelines dated from 1993 to 2022 through the Scopus, Web of Science and Agricultural Research Database (Base de Dados da Pesquisa Agropecuária - BDPA), screened for biological activity/bioactive compounds. A total of 129 studies were included in the PRISMA flow analysis. Biological properties and major bioactive compounds, as well as biotechnological approaches could be identified. The biological activity from C. guianensis could be observed in different vegetative parts through diverse methods of extractions. These activities are mainly due to the unsaturated fatty acids and bioactive compounds, such as the limonoids and a small fraction of phenolic compounds. Gedunin-type limonoids, like gedunin and its derivatives, represent the class of compounds that show the highest bioactivities in different applications.     

Boesenbergia Pandurata Roxb., An Indonesian Medicinal Plant: Phytochemistry,Biological Activity,Plant Biotechnology

Boesenbergia pandurata Roxb. (Zingiberaceae), known as “temu kunci”, is one of the Indonesian medicinal plants. Its rhizome has been traditionally used in folk medicine for treatment of several diseases. Rhizome of B. pandurata contains essential oils and many flavonoid compounds that showed many interesting pharmacological activities, such as antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, etc. Interestingly, this plant has several prenylated flavonoid compounds, panduratins, that showed very promising of biological activities, especially as strong antifungal and antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer. This paper aims to review chemical constituents of this plant and their pharmacological activities and also to give a brief view through biotechnological perspective concerning the several possibilities to produce several valuable prenylated flavonoids from this plant.     

Essential Oil of the Plants Growing in the Brazilian Amazon: Chemical Composition,Antioxidants, and Biological Applications

Essential oils are biosynthesized in the secondary metabolism of plants, and in their chemical composition, they can be identified different classes of compounds with potential antioxidant and biological applications. Over the years in the Amazon, several species of aromatic plants were discovered and used in traditional medicine. The literature has shown that essential oils extracted from amazon species have several biological activities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic, and antiprotozoal activities. These activities are related to the diversified chemical composition found in essential oils that, by synergism, favors its pharmacological action. In light of this vital importance, this study aimed at performing a review of the literature with particular emphasis on the chemical composition and biological activities in studies conducted with species collected in the Amazon, taking into consideration in particular the last 10 years of collection and research.     

玫瑰花提取工艺、化学成分及其生物活性研究进展

玫瑰花具有重要的观赏和药用价值, 主要的化学成分有玫瑰精油、黄酮类、多糖类和酚酸类等, 具有心肌保护、抗氧化、抑菌、抗肿瘤、抗病毒、镇静催眠作用、调节血脂和降血糖等生物活性.玫瑰精油是高级香水、香料和化妆品不可取代的原料, 其提取工艺是工业研究的重点.对玫瑰花中的化学成分和生物活性进行了综述, 并重点总结了玫瑰精油的提取工艺、成分和生物活性, 为玫瑰花, 特别是玫瑰精油的研究和开发提供参考.     

Recent Advances in the Antiproliferative and Proapoptotic Activity of Various Plant Extracts and Constituents against Murine Malignant Melanoma

Although conventional medicine, chemical drug synthesis and pharmaceutical research are advancing at a rapid pace, nature remains a major supplier of biological molecules. Natural bioactive compounds are studied closely especially as an alternative to the limitations of conventional therapy in many diseases, melanoma being one of them. Malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive type of cancer, and the current methods of treatment used are cryotherapy, external surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, biological therapy, and targeted drug therapy. Unfortunately, these treatment methods are often inefficient, extremely expensive and cause many side effects, which is why focusing on melanoma chemoprevention and adjuvant therapy with natural herbal phytoconstituents is an emerging strategy to prevent, cure or treat melanoma. This review aims to examine the latest discoveries in terms of potential natural bioactive compounds that possess important activity against the development and spread of murine melanoma cancer. In particular, the use of different phytochemicals such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, terpenoids, essential oils and carotenoids in vitro and in vivo models will be discussed. These data are helpful in guiding researchers in the direction of studying phytonutrients with important effects in the prevention and treatment of melanoma.     

Origanum syriacum Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Properties: A Comprehensive Review

Herbal medicine has been gaining special interest as an alternative choice of treatment for several diseases, being generally accessible, cost-effective and safe, with fewer side-effects compared to chemically synthesized medicines. Over 25% of drugs worldwide are derived from plants, and surveys have shown that, when available, herbal medicine is the preferred choice of treatment. Origanum syriacum (Lamiaceae) is a widely used medicinal plant in the Middle East, both as a home and a folk remedy, and in the food and beverage industry. Origanum syriacum contains numerous phytochemical compounds, including flavonoids, phenols, essential oils, and many others. Because of its bioactive compounds, O. syriacum possesses antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiparasitic capacities. In addition, it can be beneficial in the treatment of various diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and peptic ulcers. In this review, the chemical compositions of different types of extracts and essential oils from this herb will first be specified. Then, the pharmacological uses of these extracts and essential oils in various contexts and diseases will be discussed, putting emphasis on their efficacy and safety. Finally, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of O. syriacum phytochemicals in disease treatment will be described as a basis for further investigation into the plant’s pharmacological role.     

The artemisia L. Genus: a review of bioactive essential oils

Numerous members of the Anthemideae tribe are important as cut flowers and ornamental crops, as well as being medicinal and aromatic plants, many of which produce essential oils used in folk and modern medicine and in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry. Essential oils generally have a broad spectrum of bioactivity, owing to the presence of several active ingredients that work through various modes of action. Due to their mode of extraction, mostly by distillation from aromatic plants, they contain a variety of volatile molecules such as terpenes, phenol-derived aromatic and aliphatic components. The large genus Artemisia L., from the tribe Anthemideae, comprises important medicinal plants which are currently the subject of phytochemical attention due to their biological and chemical diversity. Artemisia species, widespread throughout the world, are one of the most popular plants in Chinese traditional preparations and are frequently used for the treatment of diseases such as malaria, hepatitis, cancer, inflammation and infections by fungi, bacteria and viruses. Extensive studies of the chemical components of Artemisia have led to the identification of many compounds as well as essentials oils. This review summarizes some of the main reports on the chemistry and anti-infective activities of Artemisia. Li. essential oils from the data in the recent literature (2000-2011).     

Chemical Compounds and Biologic Activities: A Review of Cedrela Genus

The genus Cedrela P. Browne, which belongs to the Meliaceae family, has eighteen species. Trees of this genus are of economic interest due to wood quality, as well as being the focus of studies because of relevant biologic activities as in other Meliaceae species. These activities are mainly related to limonoids, a characteristic class of compounds in this family. Therefore, the aim of this review is to perform a survey of the citations in the literature on the Cedrela genus species. Articles were found on quantitative and qualitative phytochemical studies of the Cedrela species, revealing the chemical compounds identified, such as aliphatics acid and alcohol, flavonoids, tocopherol, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, triterpenes, cycloartanes, steroids, and limonoids. Although some activities were tested, the majority of studies focused on the insecticidal, antifeedant, or insect growth inhibitor activities of this genus. Nonetheless, the most promising activities were related to their antimalarial and antitripanocidal effects, although further investigations are still needed.     

Essential oils and their constituents: anticonvulsant activity

A literature-based survey of plants species and their essential oils with anticonvulsant activity was carried out. As results, 30 species belonging to 13 families and 23 genera were identified for their activities in the experimental models used for anticonvulsant drug screening. Thirty chemical constituents of essential oils with anticonvulsant properties were described. Information on these 30 species is presented together with isolated bioactive compound studies.     

Application of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in research of traditional Chinese medicine

It is well known that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays a more and more important role in modern pharmaceutical industry. It has been used in the therapy of many diseases for several thousand years because of its high pharmacological activity, low toxicity and rare side effects. In TCM, as an important group of secondary metabolites, essential oils have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is the most commonly used technique for the analysis of liposoluble constituents, especially volatile/semi-volatile compounds, and their metabolites in biological fluids due to its high resolution, selectivity and sensitivity. This review briefly describes the applications of GC-MS for the isolation and characterization of volatile compounds from TCM. In addition, GC-MS methods adopted in the metabolic profiling of volatile compounds in biological matrices are also described.     

Flavonoid-Inspired Vascular Disrupting Agents: Exploring Flavone-8-Acetic Acid and Derivatives in the New Century

Naturally occurring flavonoids are found as secondary metabolites in a wide number of plants exploited for both medicine and food and have long been known to be endowed with multiple biological activities, making them useful tools for the treatment of different pathologies. Due to the versatility of the scaffolds and the vast possibilities of appropriate decoration, they have also been regarded as fruitful sources of lead compounds and excellent chemical platforms for the development of bioactive synthetic compounds. Flavone-8-acetic acid (FAA) and 5,6-dimethylxanthone acetic acid (DMXAA) emerged for their antitumour potential due to the induction of cytokines and consequent rapid haemorrhagic necrosis of murine tumour vasculature, and different series of derivatives have been designed thereafter. Although the promising DMXAA failed in phase III clinical trials because of strict species-specificity, a boost in research came from the recent identification of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING), responsible for supporting tumoural innate immune responses, as a possible biological target. Consequently, in the last decade a renewal of interest for these flavonoid-based structures was noticed, and novel derivatives have been synthesised and evaluated for a deeper understanding of the molecular features needed for affecting human cells. Undoubtedly, these natural-derived molecules deserve further investigation and still appear attractive in an anticancer perspective.     

Bio-Guided Fractionation of Retama raetam (Forssk.) Webb & Berthel Polar Extracts

The fractionation of the methanolic extract (MeOH-E) of Retama raetam (Forssk.) Webb & Berthel and further analysis by thin layer chromatography resulted in four fractions (F1, F2, F3 and F4) that, in parallel with the MeOH-E, were screened for antioxidant, cytotoxic, antidiabetic and antibacterial properties. In addition, chemical characterization of their bioactive molecules was performed using LC-DAD-ESI/MSⁿ. The results indicated that F3 was the most promising regarding antioxidant and cytotoxicity abilities, possibly due to its richness in flavonoids class, particularly isoflavones. In turn, F1 was characterized by the presence of the most polar compounds from MeOH-E (organic acids and piscidic acid) and showed promising abilities to inhibit α-amylase, while F4, which contained prenylated flavonoids and furanoflavonoids, was the most active against the tested bacteria. The gathered results emphasize the distinct biological potentials of purified fractions of Retama raetam.     

常用中药藁本中新化合物的结构, 合成及活性研究

藁本是常用中药。中国药典收录的藁本有两种植物: 中国藁本(Ligusticumsinense Oliv. )和辽藁本(L. jeholense Thell), 另外新疆藁本(Conioselinumvaginatum Thell)做为藁本代用品在新疆地区广泛应用。我们对三种藁本植物中的化学成分进行深入研究, 从中共分到30种单体化合物并进行结构鉴定, 其中4种新化合物。初步药理实验发现从新疆藁本中分到的几个化合物具明显降酶保肝活性; 从中国蒿本中分到的蒿本酚显示较强的免疫抑制活性, 为探讨构效关系,作者完成了这些具活性成分的合成研究, 并合成一些结构类似物, 详细的活性研究还在进行中。     

Zingiber officinale var. rubrum: Red Ginger’s Medicinal Uses

Zingiber officinale var. rubrum (red ginger) is widely used in traditional medicine in Asia. Unlike other gingers, it is not used as a spice in cuisines. To date, a total of 169 chemical constituents have been reported from red ginger. The constituents include vanilloids, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, flavonoids, amino acids, etc. Red ginger has many therapeutic roles in various diseases, including inflammatory diseases, vomiting, rubella, atherosclerosis, tuberculosis, growth disorders, and cancer. Scientific evidence suggests that red ginger exhibits immunomodulatory, antihypertensive, antihyperlipidemic, antihyperuricemic, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. These biological activities are the underlying causes of red ginger’s therapeutic benefits. In addition, there have been few reports on adverse side effects of red ginger. This review aims to provide insights in terms the bioactive constituents and their biosynthesis, biological activities, molecular mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, and qualitative and quantitative analysis of red ginger.     

Identification of potential antioxidant compounds in the essential oil of thyme by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and multivariate calibration techniques

Thyme species are used in traditional medicine throughout the world and are known for their antiseptic, antispasmodic, and antitussive properties. Also, antioxidant activity is one of the interesting properties of thyme essential oil. In this research, we aim to identify peaks potentially responsible for the antioxidant activity of thyme oil from chromatographic fingerprints. Therefore, the chemical compositions of hydrodistilled essential oil of thyme species from different regions were analyzed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and antioxidant activities of essential oils were measured by a 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging test. Several linear multivariate calibration techniques with different preprocessing methods were applied to the chromatograms of thyme essential oils to indicate the peaks responsible for the antioxidant activity. These techniques were applied on data both before and after alignment of chromatograms with correlation optimized warping. In this study, orthogonal projection to latent structures model was found to be a good technique to indicate the potential antioxidant active compounds in the thyme oil due to its simplicity and repeatability.     

Mexican Oregano (Lippia graveolens Kunth) as Source of Bioactive Compounds: A Review

Lippia graveolens is a traditional crop and a rich source of bioactive compounds with various properties (e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, UV defense, anti-glycemic, and cytotoxicity) that is primarily cultivated for essential oil recovery. The isolated bioactive compounds could be useful as additives in the functional food, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. Carvacrol, thymol, β-caryophyllene, and p-cymene are terpene compounds contained in oregano essential oil (OEO); flavonoids such as quercetin O-hexoside, pinocembrin, and galangin are flavonoids found in oregano extracts. Furthermore, thermoresistant compounds that remain in the plant matrix following a thermal process can be priced in terms of the circular economy. By using better and more selective extraction conditions, the bioactive compounds present in Mexican oregano can be studied as potential inhibitors of COVID-19. Also, research on extraction technologies should continue to ensure a higher quality of bioactive compounds while preventing an undesired chemical shift (e.g., hydrolysis). The oregano fractions can be used in the food, health, and agricultural industries.     

Optimization of the extraction process of flavonoids from Trollius ledebouri with natural deep eutectic solvents

In recent years, natural deep eutectic solvents have been favored greatly due to their environment friendly, mild biological toxicity and simple biodegradability. Natural deep eutectic solvents gradually applied for the extracting bioactive compounds from natural products efficiently. In this study, 20 natural deep eutectic solvents were prepared and their physical and chemical properties were tested. The ultrasonic-assisted extraction method was used to extract flavonoids from Trollius ledebouri and high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet was applied to examine two main bioactive flavonoids (orientin and vitexin). Compared with traditional solvents (water and 60% ethanol solution), natural deep eutectic solvents composed of L(-)-proline and levulinic acid (molar ratio 1:2) show a super extraction efficiency. On this basis, the response surface method was used to optimize the extraction temperature, extraction time, water contents, and solid–liquid ratio. As a consequence, the extraction temperature 60℃, extraction time 18 min, water content 14% (v/v), and the solid–liquid ratio 48 mL·g⁻¹ were chosen as the best extraction process. This study shows that natural deep eutectic solvents can effectively extract flavonoids from T. ledebouri, laying a foundation for the further application of natural deep eutectic solvents to extract bioactive compounds from natural products.     

Review: Separation and Pharmacology of Chiral Compounds in Traditional Chinese Medicine

More than 60% commonly used pharmaceutical active ingredients are chiral compounds. Developing more effective and safe chiral compounds has become a focus in the pharmaceutical industry. Chiral compounds widely exist in traditional Chinese medicine and include alkaloids, flavonoids, volatile oils, and amino acids. The characterization of chiral compounds used in traditional Chinese medicine remains limited. Here, the characterization of chiral compounds commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine is reviewed focusing upon their separation and pharmacology.     

Progress in the Medicinal Value,Bioactive Compounds,and Pharmacological Activities of Gynostemma pentaphyllum

Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino (GP), also named Jiaogulan in Chinese, was known to people for its function in both health care and disease treatment. Initially and traditionally, GP was a kind of tea consumed by people for its pleasant taste and weight loss efficacy. With the passing of the centuries, GP became well known as more than just a tea. Until now, numbers of bioactive compounds, including saponins (also named gypenosides, GPS), polysaccharides (GPP), flavonoids, and phytosterols were isolated and identified in GP, which implied the great medicinal worth of this unusual tea. Both in vivo and in vitro tests, ranging from different cell lines to animals, indicated that GP possessed various biological activities including anti-cancer, anti-atherogenic, anti-dementia, and anti-Parkinson’s diseases, and it also had lipid-regulating effects as well as neuroprotection, hepatoprotective, and hypoglycemic properties. With the further development and utilization of GP, the research on the chemical constituents and pharmacological properties of GP were deepening day by day and had made great progress. In this review, the recent research progress in the bioactive compounds, especially gypenosides, and the pharmacological activities of GP were summarized, which will be quite useful for practical applications of GP in the treatment of human diseases.     

Hypothesis of active components in volatile oil from a Chinese herb formulation, 'Shao-Fu-Zhu-Yu decoction', using GC-MS and chemometrics

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with few or no side effects has increasingly attracted attention all over the world. However, the bioactive components and the therapeutic mechanisms are usually not understood because of the complex chemical compositions of these medicines. In this paper, GC-MS coupled with a chemometric method was developed for analysis of active components in volatile oil from a Chinese herb formulation, "Shao-Fu-Zhu-Yu Decoction". The volatile oils, obtained by hydrodistillation from "Shao-Fu-Zhu-Yu Decoction" (SFZYD) and its constituent herbs with abundant volatile oil (Angelica sinensis, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Cinnamomum cassia, Foeniculum vulgare, Zingiber officinale), were chemically analyzed using GC-MS and bioassayed using oxytocin-induced uterine contraction assay in vitro. Then, a mathematic model relating the chemical compositions and their activities in inhibiting mice uterine contraction was established for hypothesis of the bioactive compounds based on chemometrics. As a result, nine compounds which might contribute to the inhibition of oxytocin-induced uterine contraction were selected, and the activities of some of them were further confirmed by our experiments and/or the literature. The data suggest that the developed method is helpful for screening bioactive components from complex mixtures, such as the extracts of TCM.