Volume 78, Issue 5-6

In the present study, it was evaluated the chemical composition and the antinociceptive activity of the essential oil obtained from the leaves of Guatteria friesiana . Seven compounds corresponding to 96.2% of the crude essential oil were identified. The main components identified were the mixture of β-eudesmol and α-eudesmol (58.1%), and γ-eudesmol (16.8%). A new α-eudesmol derivative, named 5-hydroxy-α-eudesmol, was isolated together with the known compounds β-eudesmol and a mixture of α-eudesmol, β-eudesmol and γ -eudesmol of the essential oil. The chemical structures were determined by 1D and 2D NMR, and MS experiments. Essential oil has significant antinociceptive properties, which are related probably with the involvement of the opioid receptors and K + -ATP channels.

In the course of finding new antifungal natural compounds against plant pathogens, the methanol extract of Desmodium triflorum was investigated phytochemically. From n -butanol-soluble fraction, seven compounds ( 1 – 7 ) were isolated and structurally elucidated. Of which, six compounds belong to flavone 6- or 8- C -glycoside class ( 1 – 6 ). Three major compounds ( 1 – 3 ) exhibited moderate in vitro antifungal activity against Sclerotium rolfsii , Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense , and Phytophthora palmivora. Compound 1 (IC 50 = 162.1 μg/mL) was most active against S. rolfsii in a dose-dependent manner. At 300 μg/mL, compounds 1 and 2 significantly inhibited P. palmivora , whereas compound 3 lacked effectiveness. In addition, the nanoemulsion of the methanol extract with a droplet size of 12.2 nm displayed an excellent inhibition against S. rolfsii and P. palmivora compared with the normal extract. The presence of 1 (0.846%) and 2 (0.759%) in the methanol extract may attribute to the antifungal activity of D. triflorum . These results proved the potential of D. triflorum and its C-glycoside flavonoids against phytopathogenic fungi for the first time. Besides, an enhancement in the effectiveness of nanoemulsion containing D. triflorum extract against the fungi was confirmed. The structural characteristics of 1 and 2 could be considered to develop new fungicidal substances in the future.

The aim of this study was to reveal the antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of ethanolic lyophilized extract of Achillea arabica flower extract against streptozotosine (STZ)-induced in diabetic rats and to determine its phytochemical content by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). After toxicity test, 35 female rats were divided into five groups. Control, diabetes mellitus (DM), A.arabica (400 mg/kg) extract, DM +  A. arabica (400 mg/kg) extract and DM + Glibenclamide (2 mg/kg). It was determined that while diabetic rats treated A.arabica plant extract significantly decreased blood glucose level, serum glucose, HbA1c, liver and kidney damage biomarker levels, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content compared to the DM group, it caused fluctuations in antioxidant enzyme levels. According to LC-MS/MS results of A. arabica flower extract, quinic acid (2439.9 μg/g), cyranoside (858.4 μg/g), chlorogenic acid (698.7 μg/g), and cosmosiin (347.8 μg/g) were determined as major compounds, respectively. In addition, two new compounds were determined in this extract according to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Mass analyses and these compounds were named edremitine and achillosine, respectively. Thus, A.arabica flower extract has possible therapeutic effects to prevent high blood glucose level and oxidative stress caused by DM in liver and kidney via its high phenolic content.

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial roots of Ficus sur , a Cameroonian medicinal plant, resulted in a previously undescribed cerebroside, suroside (1) , in addition to its aglycon congener suramide (2) . Moreover, six known natural products including alpinumisoflavone (3) , wighteone metabolite (4) , oleanolic acid (5) , β -sitosterol (6) , β -sitosterol-3- O - β -D-glucopyranoside (7), and epi- ѱ -taraxastanolone (8) were identified. The structures of the previously undescribed compounds were determined by analysis of 1D and 2D-NMR (One and two dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance), mass spectrometry, chemical conversion, and by comparison of these data with those from the literature. Wighteone metabolite (4) exhibited a weak cytotoxic activity against the human HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells with an IC 50 value of 51.9 µM.

Acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, and α -glucosidase inhibition activities of Euphorbia schimperiana and  Euphorbia balsamifera extracts, fractions, and available pure compounds were evaluated for the first time. Acetylcholinesterase assay revealed a significant inhibitory activity of E. balsamifera total extract and n -hexane fraction with 47.7% and 43.3%, respectively, compared to the reference drug, which was 75%. The n -butanol fraction demonstrated tyrosinase inhibitory activity for E. balsamifera and E. schimperiana with 36.7% and 29.7%, respectively, compared to 60% for the reference drug. Quercetin-3- O-α -glucuronide, quercetin-3- O-β-D -glucuronide-methyl ester, quercetin-3- O-α-L -rhamnoside, 3,3′-di- O -methyl ellagic acid, 3,3′ -di-O -methyl-ellagic acid-4- β-D -xylopyranoside, and 4- O -ethyl gallic acid were identified from E. schimperiana while quercetin-3- O -glucopyranoside and isoorientin were determined from E. balsamifera . The AChE inhibitory effect of pure compounds exhibited promising activity, where 4- O -ethylgallic acid demonstrated 51.1%, while the highest tyrosinase inhibition was demonstrated by isoorientin with 50.6% compared to the reference drug (60%). Finally, a molecular docking study was performed for the most promising AChE and tyrosinase inhibitors. The extracts, fractions, and isolated compounds showed no α-glucosidase inhibitory activity.

Teclea nobilis is a medicinal plant widely used to treat oral pathogens, gonorrhea, fever, analgesics, asthma, joint pains, pneumonia, and intestinal worms in Ethiopia. Anticipated by these claims, column chromatographic separation of the roots extract of T . nobilis led to the isolation of eight alkaloids (1–8). The structures of the isolated compounds were identified based on their NMR (1D and 2D) spectral data analysis and comparison with reported literature data. In-silico molecular docking analysis of the isolated compounds were performed against Staphylococcus aureus DNA Gyrase (PDB ID: 2XCT) and human topoisomerase IIβ DNA (PDB ID: 3QX3) by using AutoDock Vina. ADMET analysis were performed by SwissADME, PreADMET, and OSIRIS Property predictions. The study revealed that the isolated compounds exhibited promising binding affinity to DNA gyrase, especially with compound 5 forms a stable drug-protein complex. Whereas the ADME and drug-likeness analysis revealed that compound 5 is less absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, crossblood brain barrier and a P-glycoprotein substrate. This indicated that compound 5 could be a good candidate as anticancer agent provided that in vivo analysis done for more confirmation.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of the seeds, exocarp and aril extracts from Trichilia catigua A. Juss. (Meliaceae) against Spodoptera frugiperda and present the phytochemical study carried out with the aril extract of T. catigua . Limonoids were isolated from the aril of T. catigua through chromatographic techniques and their structures were proposed by spectroscopic analysis and comparison with literature data. The effects of the seeds, exocarp and aril extracts from T. catigua against S. frugiperda were evaluated considering as parameters the duration and mortality of the larval phase, in addition to the pupal weight. Phytochemical investigation of the aril extracts of T. catigua has led to the identification of the limonoids 6α-O-acetyl-7-deacetyl-14,15-dihydro-15-oxo-nimocinol ( 1 ), cedrelone ( 2 ) and 6α-O-acetyl-7-deacetylnimocinol ( 3 ). The hexane and CH 2 Cl 2 extracts of the aril showed a high rate of larval mortality (100 and 90%, respectively). In addition, a prolongation of larval phase and a reduction in the pupal weight were observed for insects treated with hexane, CH 2 Cl 2 and methanol extracts of seeds and with CH 2 Cl 2 extract of exocarp of T. catigua.

Different parts of Camellia sinensis (L.) were extracted with solvents according to polarity, and the extracts’ phytochemical profiling and biological activities were examined. The total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid (TFC) contents increased with the increasing polarity of the solvent which met its maximum in polar solvents. The increasing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic activities were recorded with increasing polarity of solvents which showed hydroalcoholic as best solvent. The strong and significant correlation was among the TPC, TFC, DPPH, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic activities for different parts of tea. HPTLC study of individual phenolic acids, epigallocatechin gallate, gallocatechin and theaflavin met their maximum level of content with polar solvents like hydroalcohol, methanol and water mostly in mainly tea leaves. Our finding suggested that the polar solvents and young leaves of tea were beneficial for obtaining extracts. On the other hand, phenolics were found to be potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic agent.

From the CHCl 3 -soluble extract of Annona muricata L. (Annonaceae) leaves, one new 3-benzazepine-type alkaloid, anonazepine ( 1 ), and four known aporphine-type alkaloids, (+)-laurotetanine ( 2 ), (+)-norglaucine ( 3 ), (−)-xylopine ( 4 ), and lanuginosine ( 5 ), were isolated. Except for (−)-xylopine ( 4 ), these remaining known alkaloids were first reported in A. muricata . The structures of the isolated alkaloids were established by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and MS, as well as comparison with literature data. The new 3-benzazepine-type alkaloid existed in an inseparable mixture of two equilibrium conformers. Its absolute configuration was determined based on comparing their experimental and calculated ECD data. The anti-inflammatory activity of the isolated alkaloids was investigated, but none of the alkaloids showed a significant result.

Two new natural products, belonging to alkaloids, identified as ((2R,3S,4R,5R)-5-(2,4-dioxo-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-1(2H)-yl)-3,4-dihydroxytetrahydrofuran-2-yl)methyl acetate ( 1 ) and (5-hydroxypyridin-2-yl)methyl acetate ( 2 ), were isolated from Portulaca oleracea L. The structures were identified by spectroscopic methods, including 1D, 2D NMR, and UHPLC-ESI-QTOF/MS methods. Meanwhile, the anti-inflammatory and anticholinesterase bioactivities were found in these two compounds.