A Short Note on Designing Curriculum for Medicinal Phytochemistry

Phytochemistry is defined as study of chemical composition of medicinal plants or phyto-drugs. Phytochemistry is significant subject of Pharmacognosy curriculum. Today we can witness explosive growth of herbal drug industry. Standardized herbal extracts and phytochemicals are in high demand for applied research as well as commercial use. The phytochemistry course taught in pharmacy schools deals with process of isolation, purification and pre-clinical studies of herbal extracts and phytochemicals

Phytochemistry Predicts Habitat Selection by an Avian Herbivore at Multiple Spatial Scales

Animal habitat selection is a process that functions at multiple, hierarchically structured spatial scales. Thus multi-scale analyses should be the basis for inferences about factors driving the habitat selection process. Vertebrate herbivores forage selectively on the basis of phytochemistry, but few studies have investigated the influence of selective foraging (i.e., fine-scale habitat selection) on habitat selection at larger scales. We tested the hypothesis that phytochemistry is integral to the habitat selection process for vertebrate herbivores. We predicted that habitats selected at three spatial scales would be characterized by higher nutrient concentrations and lower concentrations of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) than unused habitats. We used the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), an avian herbivore with a seasonally specialized diet of sagebrush, to test our hypothesis. Sage-Grouse selected a habitat type (black sagebrush, Artemisia nova) with lower PSM concentrations than the alternative (Wyoming big sagebrush, A. tridentata wyomingensis). Within black sagebrush habitat, Sage-Grouse selected patches and individual plants within those patches that were higher in nutrient concentrations and lower in PSM concentrations than those not used. Our results provide the first evidence for multi-scale habitat selection by an avian herbivore on the basis of phytochemistry, and they suggest that phytochemistry may be a fundamental driver of habitat selection for vertebrate herbivores

Hypoglycemic Effect of Gongronema latifolia Extracts in Rats

Phytochemistry and hypoglycemic effect of the water and Ethanolic Extracts of the leaves of Gongronema latifolium were screened for. The extracts were Soxhlet extracted and phytochemically screened. Three tolerated doses were estimated from acute toxicity studies and orally administered to three groups of 10 rats per group, daily for 21 days. After treatments, rats of groups 1 to 3 were sacrificed and blood samples collected for glucose analysis and was compared to control group 4. Phytochemistry reveals that, both extracts of the plant contain predominant amount of Saponins and Polyphenols among other phytochemicals. Glucose analysis shows dose related reduction in the blood glucose levels compared to control. The polyphenols content of the plant extracts could cause the hypoglycemic effect observed, suggesting insulin-like activity which justifies the use of the plant leaf in the management of diabetic Mellitus in Nigeria herbal medicine. Keywords: Phytochemistry, phytopharmacology, hypoglycemia, extracts, Gongronema latifoliu

Isodon Diterpenoids, Derivatives and their Pharmacological Potentials-A Review

The searches of various literatures have shown the genus Isodon to be a source of different compounds with interesting biological activities. The genus has provided many efficacious herbal medicines that are used in various countries including China; therefore, it has become the centre of attention to phytochemistry and pharmacology researchers. There are many reports on chemical and biological aspects of Isodon species, especially in China and other parts of the world; however, reports on African Isodon species are scanty. Since the literature indicates the genus to be rich in diterpenoids with potential therapeutic activities as revealed herein, with African species waiting to be explored, it is the responsibility of the phytochemists and pharmacologists to fill this knowledge gap. Herein, ethnomedicinal uses of some of Isodon plants in various traditional medicine systems, phytochemistry of the genus from 2016 to date, synthesis of Isodon diterpenoids and derivatives are discussed. Keywords: Isodon diterpenoids; Natural Products; Isodon phytochemistry; Herbal Medicines; Diterpenoids synthesis

Pedicularis L. Genus. Systematics, botany, phytochemistry, chemotaxonomy, ethnopharmacology, and other

In this review, the relevance of the plant species belonging to the Pedicularis L. genus has been considered from different points of view. Particular emphasis was given to phytochemistry and ethnopharmacology, since several classes of natural compounds have been reported within this genus and many of its species are well known to be employed in the traditional medicines of many Asian countries. Some important conclusions on the chemotaxonomic and chemosystematic aspects of the genus have also been provided for the first time. Actually, this work represents the first total comprehensive review on this genus

3-N-oxalyl-L-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid, a multifunctional plant metabolite of toxic reputation

3-N-oxalyl-L-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid (beta-ODAP) is a neuroexcitatory non- protein amino acid identified in grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) and in ginseng (Panax spp). Its presence in the drought tolerant grass pea is thought to be responsible for the crippling disease neurolathyrism, while in the longevity promoting ginseng it is named dencichine and praised for its haemostatic properties. Some properties of beta-ODAP are put in perspective

WikiFactMine for Phytochemistry

Poster presentation delivered at Text and Data Mining Symposium held at the University of Cambridge

Structural characterization of phytotoxic terpenoids from Cestrum parqui.

Isolation, chemical characterization and phytotoxicity of nine polyhydroxylated terpenes (five C13 nor-isoprenoids, two sesquiterpenes, a spirostane and a pseudosapogenin) from Cestrum parqui LHerr are reported. In this work we completed the phytochemical investigation of the terpenic fraction of the plant and described the structural elucidation of polar isoprenoids using NMR methods. All the configurations of the compounds have been assigned by NOESY experiments. Four new structures have been identified as (3S,5R,6R,7E,9R)-5,6,9-trihydroxy-3-isopropyloxy-7-megastigmene, 5a-spirostan-3b,12b,15a-triol, and 26-O-(30-isopentanoyl)-b-Dglucopyranosyl- 5a-furost-20(22)-ene-3b,26-diol, and as an unusual tricyclic sesquiterpene. The compounds have been assayed for their phytotoxicity on lettuce at the concentrations ranging between 104 and 107 M. The activities of some compounds were similar to that of the herbicide pendimethalin

Cassane diterpenoids from lonchocarpus laxiflorus

This article examines cassane diterpenoids from lonchocarpus laxiflorus