Phytochemistry of Commiphora erythraea: A Review:

Commiphora erythraea (Burseraceae) resin derives from the bark injury of the plant, a small tree native to the Arabian Peninsula. The resin is commonly known as myrrh and it is traditionally used to protect livestock from ticks and to treat diseases related to inflammation. The resin is constituted by a volatile and a non-volatile fraction. The volatile fraction is a source of furanosesquiterpenoids among which furanodienone showed to be the most promising pharmacological active compound. The composition and pharmacological activities of the extracts and the isolated compounds have been reviewed

Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Boronia Pinnata Sm

Boronia pinnata Sm. (Rutaceae) is a plant that is widespread in New South Wales (Australia). Although there are no reports about the use of this species in the local ethnomedical traditions, recent investigations led to the characterization of several secondary metabolites, most belonging to the class of prenyloxyphenylpropanoids. Some of the compounds extracted from B. pinnata showed valuable biological properties, such as anti-inflammatory activity and in vitro inhibition of growth of Helicobacter pylori. The aim of this review is to cover what has been reported so far in the literature on the title plant from a phytochemical and pharmacological point of view

Antiviral furanosesquiterpenes from Commiphora erythraea.

The crude methanolic extract obtained from C. erythraea resin was chromatographed on silica gel with solvent of increasing polarity. The extract and fractions were evaluated for cytotoxicity and antiviral activity [parainfluenza type 3 virus (PIV3)] by plaque forming units (PFU) reduction assay using HEp-2 cells (human larynx epidermoid carcinoma cell line). From the active fraction, five compounds were isolated and tested. Only two of these showed anti-PIV3 activity with a selectivity index (SI) of 66.6 and 17.5, respectively. Both the compounds are furanosesquiterpenoids

Phytochemical Analysis and Antiradical Properties of Sarcodon imbricatus (L.:Fr) Karsten:

The chemical composition of Sarcodon imbricatus (L.:Fr) Karsten (Hydnaceae) was evaluated to assess it as source of nutrients and nutraceuticals. The analyzed mushroom contains ergosterol and ergosterol peroxide. S. imbricatus methanolic extract showed a moderate antiradical activity (measured by DPPH radical scavenging activity). The combination of bioactive compounds and rich nutritional composition (high contents in protein, low content in fat, and its content of unsaturated fatty acids) makes the mushroom a good food

In Vitro Safety/Protection Assessment of Resveratrol and Pterostilbene in a Human Hepatoma Cell Line (HepG2).

The aim of this work was to evaluate in vitro the genotoxic and/or antigenotoxic effects of resveratrol (RESV) and pterostilbene (PTER) on HepG2 cells. Moreover, additional tests were performed to evaluate early and late apoptosis events induced by the tested stilbenes. RESV and PTER did not show any genotoxic activity. As regards antigenotoxicity testing, RESV and PTER showed a typical, U-shaped hormetic dose-response relationship characterized by a biphasic trend with small quantities having opposite effects to large ones. HepG2 cells treated with PTER exhibited a marked increase in early apoptosis (40.1 %) at 250 μM; whereas, the highest concentration tested for both RESV and PTER significantly increased the proportion of HepG2 cells undergoing late apoptosis (32.5 and 51.2 %, respectively). The observed pro-apoptotic activity could, at least in part, explain the hormetic response observed when the compounds were tested for antigenotoxicity ( i.e., in the presence of induced DNA damage)

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Bioactive Natural Products 2018

Throughout most of history, medicinal plants and their active metabolites have represented a valuable source of compounds used to prevent and to cure several diseases. Interest in natural compounds is still high as they represent a source of novel biologically/pharmacologically active compounds. Due to their high structural diversity and complexity, they are interesting structural scaffolds that can offer promising candidates for the study of new drugs, functional foods, and food additives.Plant extracts are a highly complex mixture of compounds and qualitative and quantitative analyses are necessary to ensure their quality. Furthermore, greener methods of extraction and analysis are needed today.This book is based on articles submitted for publication in the Special Issue entitled “Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Bioactive Natural Products” that collected original research and reviews on these topics

A Design of Experiment Approach for Ionic Liquid-Based Extraction of Toxic Components-Minimized Essential Oil from <i>Myristica fragrans</i> Houtt. Fruits ^†

The effect of the addition of ionic liquids (ILs) during the hydrodistillation of Myristica fragrans Houtt. (nutmeg) essential oil was studied. The essential oil of M. fragrans is characterized by the presence of terpenes, terpenoids, and of phenylpropanoids, such as methyl eugenol and safrole, that are regarded as genotoxic and carcinogenic. The aim of the work was to determine the best ionic liquid to improve the yield of the extraction of M. fragrans essential oil and decrease the extraction of toxic phenylpropanoids. Six ILs, namely 1,3-dimethylimidazolium chloride (1), 1,3-dimethylimidazolium dimethylphosphate (2), 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium chloride (3), 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium dimethylphosphate (4), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (5), and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dimethylphosphate (6), were prepared by previously reported, innovative methods and then tested. An experimental design was used to optimize the extraction yield and to decrease the phenylpropanoids percentage using the synthesized ILs. The influence of the molarity of ILs was also studied. MODDE 12 software established 0.5 M 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride as the best co-solvent for the hydrodistillation of M. fragrans essential oil

An Ethnopharmacological, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Review on Lignans from Mexican Bursera spp.

The genus Bursera belongs to the family Burseraceae and has been used in traditional Mexican medicine for treating various pathophysiological disorders. The most representative phytochemicals isolated from this genus are terpenoids and lignans. Lignans are phenolic metabolites known for their antioxidant, apoptotic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-protozoal properties. Though the genus includes more than 100 species, we have attempted to summarize the biological activities of the 34 lignans isolated from selected Mexican Bursera plants