Volume 80, Issue 7-8

Cordyceps sinensis , known as the caterpillar fungus, constitutes an invaluable and irreplaceable part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and is now gaining widespread global recognition and dedicated attention owing to both highly promising characteristics as well as grave dangers that are suggestive of an impending doom. C. sinensis possibly holds the key to the treatment of many human ailments with minimal side effects due to a wide array of biologically active chemical constituents. The powerful potential harbored by this fungus has led to a meteoric rise in its prices in the domestic and international markets which has caused the involvement of an increasing number of harvesters, traders, and buyers and unchecked overexploitation of this bioresource thus threatening its long-term survival in its natural habitat of the Himalayan region. This review focuses on the ethnopharmacology of C. sinensis, and various aspects related to its conservation, such as natural distribution, sale and revenue, decline in population density, and conservational practices prevalent in the current scenario of fungal depletion. The paper concludes with a comprehensive evaluation of the discrete therapeutic capabilities possessed by C. sinensis , the mechanistic insights into the remarkable treatment of chronic ailments using the fungus or its derivatives, and a suggested strategic roadmap that may be adopted for fruitful conservation of this natural miracle.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are prevalent among athletes, necessitating surgical intervention followed by comprehensive rehabilitation. Recently, the integration of nutraceuticals – bioactive compounds from food sources – into rehabilitation protocols has shown promise in enhancing recovery outcomes. This review explores the potential benefits of various nutraceuticals, including omega-3 fatty acids, collagen supplements, vitamin D, glucosamine and chondroitin, curcumin, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), in ACL rehabilitation. These nutraceuticals offer anti-inflammatory properties, support tissue repair, and improve joint and muscle health, which are critical during the rehabilitation process. Despite encouraging preclinical findings, there is a need for robust clinical trials to confirm their efficacy and establish optimal dosages and formulations. Personalized nutrition plans and interdisciplinary collaboration among healthcare providers are essential for optimizing patient care. This perspective underscores the potential of advanced nutraceuticals to revolutionize ACL rehabilitation, paving the way for faster and more effective recovery pathways.

Two new compounds ( 1 – 2 ) and a new artificial product ( 3 ) together with fifteen known compounds ( 4 – 18 ) were isolated from Viscum coloratum (Kom.) Nakai. Their structures were established by analysis of their spectroscopic data including MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra, and comparison with existing literature. All the compounds were assessed for their cytotoxic activity against 4T1 and LN229 cells (with cisplatin as the positive control), and the anti-LN229 cytotoxicity of compounds 3 , 4 and 5 were greater than that of 4T1 cells.

This study investigated the effects of flavonoid-rich extract from Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Malvaceae) leaves on liver damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by evaluating various biochemical parameters, including the molecular gene expressions of Nrf-2 and HO-1 as well as histological parameters. The extract was found to significantly reduce liver damage, as evidenced by lower levels of fragmented DNA and protein carbonyl concentrations. Oxidative stress markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA) level, were also significantly ( p  < 0.05) decreased, while antioxidant biomarkers, like reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were enhanced. Additionally, the extract improved the activities of key liver enzymes, including phosphatases and transaminases, and increased albumin levels. Importantly, the study demonstrated that H. sabdariffa extract effectively regulated the expression of Nrf-2 and HO-1, suggesting a significant role in mitigating liver damage. These findings highlight its potential as a therapeutic agent for liver protection in diabetic conditions.

Inflammation, a natural process of the innate immune system, involves elevated levels of various proinflammatory mediators, such as, nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin (PGE 2 ), cytokines such as interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and enzymes including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of homalolide A ( 1 ) and homalomenol A ( 2 ), two sesquiterpenoids isolated from the rhizome of Homalomena pendula , on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- stimulated macrophage cells. The results demonstrated that both 1 and 2 dose-dependently inhibited the production of PGE 2 , TNF-α and IL-6 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, 2 also stimulated IL-10 production in RAW 264.7 cells. Consistent with these findings, these compounds suppressed the LPS-stimulated protein levels of iNOS and COX-2 in RAW 264.7 cells. These results suggested that 1 and 2 could be effective candidates for ameliorating inflammatory-associated complications.

The current work describes an efficient synthesis of Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts (MBHAs) derived heterocycles ( 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 16 and 17 ) with the Michael addition of piperidine and piperazine heterocycles. The comparative studies of mono and di-hydrogen bond acceptors heterocycles, meta and para substituted nitro-phenyl rings and the isolated single diastereomer 16 through molecular docking coupled with in vivo bioactivities displayed very important results. The biological significances were observed against urease enzyme (IC 50  = 3.95 ± 0.10 µM). Almost all the compounds displayed different ranges of inhibition potential whereas the di-hydrogen bond donor diastereomers 12 and 13 were found to be highly potent against the targeted enzyme while the remaining had shown comparable inhibitory activity. The diastereomers 12 and 13 were the most active having minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) IC 50  = 3.95 ± 0.10 µM. All the synthesized compounds were docked and their best poses were explored for enhanced biological properties. The molecular docking studies revealed better binding interactions of the ligand with the target enzyme. Furthermore, ADMET predictions were also observed which revealed drug like properties for all the novel MBHAs based piperidine and piperazine derivatives.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disorder which is raised at the alarming level and it is characterized by the hyperglycemia results from the impaired action of insulin, production of insulin or both of these simultaneously. Consequently, it causes problems or failure of different body organs such as kidneys, heart, eyes, nerve system. Since this disease cannot be completely cured until now, we aimed to design series of enzymes inhibitors and tested them for DM treatment. In this series, benzimidazole-based thiazolidinone bearing chalcone derivatives completed in a four step reaction and their structures were confirmed through various spectroscopic techniques. A significant efficacy on antidiabetic enzymes was observed, with IC 50 values ranging from 25.05 ± 0.04 to 56.08 ± 0.07 μM for α-amylase and 22.07 ± 0.02 to 53.06 ± 0.07 μM for α-glucosidase. The obtained results were compared to those of the standard glimepiride drug (IC 50  = 18.05 ± 0.07 µM for α-amylase and IC 50  = 15.02 ± 0 .03 µM for α-glucosidase). The synthesized compounds showed promising antidiabetic potency. Moreover, a molecular docking study was conducted on the most active analogs of the compounds to better understand their interactions with the active sites of the targeted enzymes.

This study is to determine the antioxidant capacities, fatty acids and phenolic compounds, and antimicrobial activity in Berberis vulgaris. The antioxidant contents of the plants were determined using the CUPRAC, FRAP, and DPPH methods. The total phenolic content was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method, the phenolic compound profile was analyzed by HPLC, and the antimicrobial activity was assessed using the liquid microdilution method. The total polyphenol content was found to be 27.65 ± 1.12 mg GAE/g sample in the fruit of the plant with the highest amount, while the total flavonoid content was 15.13 ± 0.92 mg quercetin/g sample in the leaf part of the plant with the highest amount. Chlorogenic acid was identified as the major component in the fruit and leaf of B. vulgaris with concentrations of 1,195.56 ppm and 1,113.46 ppm, respectively. Catechin was identified as the major component in the seed part with a concentration of 130.29 ppm. B. vulgaris is a valuable source of bioactive phytochemicals with high functional quality.

In order to search for new chemotypes and to carry out a comparative study with the literature, the current study investigated the chemical composition of the essential oil of the flowers of Daucus carota (L.) ssp. carota using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Moreover, the antimicrobial and insecticidal potentials of essential oil were studied. Hydrodistillation was used to extract the essential oil. Due to the immiscibility of essential oils in water and, therefore, in the culture medium, emulsification was carried out using a 0.2 % agar solution to promote germ/composite contact. Fumigation with the oil phase of the essential oil was carried out in airtight and transparent plastic boxes, with a capacity of 1 L as an exposure chamber to test the lightness of essential oils against adults of Sitophilus oryzae (L.). In each box, five Petri dishes were placed. Each replicate consisted of five adults of S. oryzae (L.). The essential oils were spread on Wathman filter paper and placed inside the exposure chamber. Mortality control was carried out by counting insect deaths from the first day of treatment until the death of all individuals. α-Pinene (22.2 %) was the major compound in the essential oil of the oil phase of D. carota (L.) ssp. carota followed by β-asarone (15.1 %), sabinene (12.4 %), and α-himachalene (10.1 %), as well as the crystallized phase containing β-asarone. In terms of antimicrobial activity, the essential oils showed significant inhibition of the six bacteria and seven molds studied at a concentration of 0.45 mg/mL. The essential oils were found to be highly effective against S. oryzae (L.). This approach can help reduce the amount of synthetic antibiotics applied and, therefore, decrease the negative impact of artificial agents, such as residues, resistance, and environmental pollution.