Chemical constituents from the calyxes of Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino

Genus Physalis L.: A review of resources and cultivation, chemical composition, pharmacological effects and applications

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The genus Physalis L. (Solanaceae) is commonly used in the treatment of dermatitis, leprosy, bronchitis, pneumonia, hepatitis and rheumatism in China and other Asian countries.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This article reviews the resources, cultivation, phytochemistry, pharmacological properties, and applications of Physalis L., and proposes further research strategies to enhance its therapeutic potential in treating various human diseases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a systematic search of electronic databases, including CNKI, SciFinder and PubMed, using the term "Physalis L." to collect information on the resources, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and applications of Physalis L. in China during the past ten years (2013.1-2023.1).

RESULTS

So far, a variety of chemical constituents have been isolated and identified from Physalis L. mainly including steroids, flavonoids, and so on. Various pharmacological activities were evaluated by studying different extracts of Physalis L., these activities include anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral, antineoplastic, and other aspects.

CONCLUSION

Physalis L. occupies an important position in the traditional medical system. It is cost-effective and is a significant plant with therapeutic applications in modern medicine. However, further in-depth studies are needed to determine the medical use of this plant resources and cultivation, chemical composition, pharmacological effects and applications.

Phytonutrient Composition of Two Phenotypes of Physalis alkekengi L. Fruit

Physalis alkekengi L. is the only representative of the genus Physalis (Solanaceae) that is native to Bulgaria, found in wild habitats under different climatic and soil conditions. The plant is poisonous, but produces edible fruit, which are a source of functional nutrients—vitamins, phenolic antioxidants, minerals, etc. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the presence of certain nutrient and bioactive substances in two phenotypes of P. alkekengi fruit from Bulgaria, in order to better reveal the prospects of fruit use in nutrition. Different macro and micronutrients were determined in the fruit—protein, ash, lipids, fiber, natural pigments, sugars, amino acids, minerals—and the results showed differences between the phenotypes. Fruit energy values were low and identical in the samples, 43 kcal/100 g. The fruits were rich in extractable phenolics (TPC, 17.74–20.25 mg GAE/100 g FW; flavonoids, 15.84–18.03 mg QE/100 g FW) and demonstrated good antioxidant activity (DPPH, 171.55–221.26 mM TE/g; FRAP, 193.18–256.35 mM TE/g). P. alkekengi fruits were processed to obtain a dry extract with ethanol (yield 47.92–58.6%), and its individual composition was identified (GC-MS). The results in this study supported the presumed phytonutritive potential of P. alkekengi fruit, thus, opening doors for further research.

Separation and anti-inflammatory evaluation of phytochemical constituents from Pleurospermum candollei (Apiaceae) by high-speed countercurrent chromatography with continuous sample load

Pleurospermum (Apiaceae) species possess a wide range of biological properties viz. analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, and so on. Pleurospermum candollei (DC.) Benth. Ex C. B. Clark. is reported to cure diarrhea, gastric, respiratory, stomach, abdominal, joint, and back pain problems. In addition, it is also used for both male and female infertility. The present study deals with an efficient technique using high-speed countercurrent chromatography for separation of chemical components from the methanol extract of P. candollei. Notably, nine main compounds namely luteolin 7-O-glucoside (1), oxypeucedanin hydrate (2), pabulenol (3), bergapten (4), heptadecanoic acid (5), (E)-isoelemicin (6), trans-asarone (7), α-linolenic acid (8), and isoimperatorin (9) were very efficiently separated and isolated in pure form. Multiple injections were applied followed by two off-line recycling high-speed countercurrent chromatography. The inhibitory effect of nitric oxide production of all compounds was tested in the presence of 200 ng/mL lipopolysaccharide in RAW264.7 mice macrophage cells. The results demonstrated that compounds 7 and 8 effectively inhibited nitric oxide production, with IC₅₀ values of 28.44 and 53.18 μM, respectively. This study thus validates the traditional claim of using P. candollei. Taken together, these findings will be useful in future research to find a potential candidate with anti-inflammatory properties.

Labdanes, Withanolides, and Other Constituents from Physalis nicandroides

Chemical investigation of the aerial parts (except fruits and calixes) of Physalis nicandroides var. attenuata led to the isolation of a series of new labdane-type diterpenoids, including the closely related compounds 1-3, the labdane glucosides 4 and 5, a mixture of the epimeric alcohols 6 and 7, and one labdanetriol, isolated as its tri-O-acetyl derivative 9. In addition, three new withanolides (14-16) and six known compounds were isolated. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by analysis of their spectroscopic data and chemical transformations, and those of compounds 1, 4, and 16 were confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis of the natural product (1) and of the corresponding acetyl derivatives 4a and 16a. Fourteen of these compounds were assayed for their in vitro inhibitory activity against yeast α-glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase enzymes. The results were negative in both cases, except for compound 3a that marginally inhibited the activity of acetylcholinesterase with an IC₅₀ value of 64.4 μM.