A new lactam 28-norlimonoid from the leaves of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (Meliaceae)

From an EtOAc-soluble fraction of the leaves of Azadirachta indica, one new lactam 28-norlimonoid named nimbandiolactam-21 (1), together with 2 known limonoids (2 and 3) were isolated. Their relative structures were elucidated based on NMR spectroscopic analysis. Nimbandiolactone-23 (2) showed the most potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, with an IC₅₀ value of 38.7 μM. Compound 1 represents the first naturally occurring example of a 28-norlimonoid having the lactam moiety. The plausible biosynthetic pathway for the formation of lactam moiety in 1 was proposed.     

Crystal structure of nimbin

The crystal structure of nimbin has been determined. The crystals are orthorhombic, space groupP2₁2₁2₁ witha=6.790(2),b=14.875(4),c=27.160(8) Å andZ=4. The packing of the molecules in the lattice is due to C?H…O type of hydrogen bonds.     

Coumarinolignans with Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and NF-κB Inhibitory Activities from the Roots of Waltheria indica

Seven new coumarinolignans, walthindicins A–F (1a, 1b, 2–5, 7), along with five known analogs (6, 8–11), were isolated from the roots of Waltheria indica. The structures of the new compounds are determined by detailed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), circular dichroism (CD) with extensive computational support, and mass spectroscopic data interpretation. Compounds were tested for their antioxidant activity in Human Cervical Cancer cells (HeLa cells). Compounds 1a and 6 showed higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitory activity at 20 μg/mL when compared with other natural compound-based antioxidants such as ascorbic acid. Considering the role of ROS in nuclear-factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation, compounds 1a and 6 were evaluated for NF-κB inhibitory activity and showed a concentration-dependent inhibition in Human Embryonic Kidney 293 cells (Luc-HEK-293).     

Phytoconstituents and Pharmacological Activities of Indian Camphorweed (Pluchea indica): A Multi-Potential Medicinal Plant of Nutritional and Ethnomedicinal Importance

Pluchea indica (L.) Less. (Asteraceae) commonly known as Indian camphorweed, pluchea, or marsh fleabane has gained great importance in various traditional medicines for its nutritional and medicinal benefits. It is utilized to cure several illnesses such as lumbago, kidney stones, leucorrhea, inflammation, gangrenous and atonic ulcer, hemorrhoids, dysentery, eye diseases, itchy skin, acid stomach, dysuria, abdominal pain, scabies, fever, sore muscles, dysentery, diabetes, rheumatism, etc. The plant or its leaves in the form of tea are commonly used for treating diabetes and rheumatism. The plant is a rich source of calcium, vitamin C, dietary fiber, and β-carotene. Various biomolecules have been isolated from P. indica, including thiophenes, terpenes, quinic acids, sterols, lignans, phenolics, and flavonoids. The current review reports detailed information about the phytoconstituents and pharmacological relevance of P. indica and the link to its traditional uses. The reported studies validated the efficacy and safety of P. indica, as well as supported its traditional uses for treating various ailments and promoting health and well-being. Thus, this could encourage the development of this plant into a healthy food supplement or medicine for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. However, further studies on the drug interactions, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, and metabolism, as well as clinical trials, should be carried out.     

α-Glucosidase, α-Amylase and Antioxidant Evaluations of Isolated Bioactives from Wild Strawberry

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder and is a global challenge to the current medicinal chemists and pharmacologists. This research has been designed to isolate and evaluate antidiabetic bioactives from Fragaria indica. The crude extracts, semi-purified and pure bioactives have been used in all in vitro assays. The in vitro α-glucosidase, α-amylase and DPPH free radical activities have been performed on all plant samples. The initial activities showed that ethyl acetate (Fi.EtAc) was the potent fraction in all the assays. This fraction was initially semi-purified to obtain Fi.EtAc 1–3. Among the semi-purified fractions, Fi.EtAc 2 was dominant, exhibiting potent IC₅₀ values in all the in vitro assays. Based on the potency and availability of materials, Fi.EtAc 2 was subjected to further purification to obtain compounds 1 (2,4-dichloro-6-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxytoluene) and 2 (2-methyl-6-(4-methylphenyl)-2-hepten-4-one). The two isolated compounds were characterized by mass and NMR analyses. The compounds 1 and 2 showed excellent inhibitions against α-glucosidase (21.45 for 1 and 15.03 for 2 μg/mL), α-amylase (17.65 and 16.56 μg/mL) and DPPH free radicals (7.62 and 14.30 μg/mL). Our study provides baseline research for the antidiabetic bioactives exploration from Fragaria indica. The bioactive compounds can be evaluated in animals-based antidiabetic activity in future.     

Three novel tetracyclic triterpenoids of biogenetic interest from the leaves of Azadirachta indica

From the methanolic extract of Azadirachta indica leaves, we have isolated three new tetracyclic triterpenoids of biogenetic interest, namely, melianol 1, desfurano-desacetylnimbin-17-one 2 and meliatetraone 3. The structure elucidation is based on extensive spectral studies including ¹H–¹H-COSY, NOESY, HMQC, and HMBC experiments.     

High-performance liquid chromatography and LC-ESI-MS method for the identification and quantification of two biologically active polyisoprenylated benzophenones xanthochymol and isoxanthochymol in different parts of Garcinia indica

A reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of xanthochymol (1), and isoxanthochymol (2) in the fruit rinds, leaves and seed pericarps of Garcinia indica with confirmation using PDA detection and electrospray ionization MS. Absorption at 276 nm was chosen as the measuring wavelength at which resolution and baseline separation of compounds (1) and (2) could be obtained. The identity of the above two isomeric compounds (1) and (2) in the samples was unambiguously determined by their respective quasi-molecular ion [M - H]- in ESI-MS. Compounds (1) and (2) were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed in the above three samples of Garcinia indica. The overall analytical procedure is rapid and reproducible and is considered for the analysis of the above two compounds.     

Biodiesel Production from Alkali-Catalyzed Transesterification of Tamarindus indica Seed Oil and Optimization of Process Conditions

Biodiesel is considered a sustainable alternative to petro-diesel owing to several favorable characteristics. However, higher production costs, primarily due to the use of costly edible oils as raw materials, are a chief impediment to its pecuniary feasibility. Exploring non-edible oils as raw material for biodiesel is an attractive strategy that would address the economic constraints associated with biodiesel production. This research aims to optimize the reaction conditions for the production of biodiesel through an alkali-catalyzed transesterification of Tamarindus indica seed oil. The Taguchi method was applied to optimize performance parameters such as alcohol-to-oil molar ratio, catalyst amount, and reaction time. The fatty acid content of both oil and biodiesel was determined using gas chromatography. The optimized conditions of alcohol-to-oil molar ratio (6:1), catalyst (1.5% w/w), and reaction time 1 h afforded biodiesel with 93.5% yield. The most considerable contribution came from the molar ratio of alcohol to oil (75.9%) followed by the amount of catalyst (20.7%). In another case, alcohol to oil molar ratio (9:1), catalyst (1.5% w/w) and reaction time 1.5 h afforded biodiesel 82.5% yield. The fuel properties of Tamarindus indica methyl esters produced under ideal conditions were within ASTM D6751 biodiesel specified limits. Findings of the study indicate that Tamarindus indica may be chosen as a prospective and viable option for large-scale production of biodiesel, making it a substitute for petro-diesel.     

The Development of a Green Innovative Bioactive Film for Industrial Application as a New Emerging Technology to Protect the Quality of Fruits

Today, the most significant challenge encountered by food manufacturers is degradation in the food quality during storage, which is countered by expensive packing, which causes enormous monetary and environmental costs. Edible packaging is a potential alternative for protecting food quality and improving shelf life by delaying microbial growth and providing moisture and gas barrier properties. For the first time, the current article reports the preparation of the new films from Ditriterpenoids and Secomeliacins isolated from Melia azedarach (Dharek) Azadirachta indica plants to protect the quality of fruits. After evaluating these films, their mechanical, specific respirational, coating crystal elongation, elastic, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), film thickness, and nanoindentation test properties are applied to apple fruit for several storage periods: 0, 3, 6, 9 days. The fruits were evaluated for postharvest quality by screening several essential phytochemical, physiological responses under film coating and storage conditions. It was observed that prepared films were highly active during storage periods. Coated fruits showed improved quality due to the protection of the film, which lowered the transmission rate and enhanced the diffusion rate, followed by an increase in the shelf life. The coating crystals were higher in Film-5 and lower activity in untreated films. It was observed that the application of films through dipping was a simple technique at a laboratory scale, whereas extrusion and spraying were preferred on a commercial scale. The phytochemicals screening of treated fruits during the storage period showed that a maximum of eight important bioactive compounds were present in fruits after the treatment of films. It was resolved that new active films (1–5) were helpful in the effective maintenance of fruit quality and all essential compounds during storage periods. It was concluded that these films could be helpful for fruits growers and the processing industry to maintain fruit quality during the storage period as a new emerging technology.     

Antiviral phytochemicals identification from Azadirachta indica leaves against HCV NS3 protease: an in silico approach

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major health problem across the world affecting the people of all age groups. It is the main cause of hepatitis and at chronic stage causes liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Various therapeutics are made against HCV but still there is a need to find out potential therapeutics to combat the virus. The goal of this study is to identify the phytochemicals of Azadirachta indica leaves having antiviral activity against HCV NS3 protease through molecular docking and simulation approach. Results show that the compound 3-Deacetyl-3-cinnamoyl-azadirachtin possesses good binding properties with HCV NS3/4A protease. It can be concluded from this study that Deacetyl-3-cinnamoyl-azadirachtin may serve as a potential inhibitor against NS3/4A protease.