Antidiabetic compounds from Sarracenia purpurea used traditionally by the Eeyou Istchee Cree First Nation

Neurite Outgrowth-Promoting Compounds from the Petals of Paeonia lactiflora in PC12 Cells

Isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside and astragalin, flavonol glucosides, were isolated from the petals of Paeonia lactiflora as neurite outgrowth-promoting compounds. Isoquercitrin, formed by demethylating the B ring of isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside or by adding a hydroxyl group to the B ring of astragalin, was evaluated for neurite outgrowth-promoting activity and was compared with the activities of isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside and astragalin. The activities of isorhamnetin, kaempferol, and quercetin, aglycones corresponding to isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside, astragalin, and isoquercitrin, respectively, were also evaluated. Isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside and astragalin showed much stronger neurite outgrowth-promoting activities than the activities of the other tested flavonoids. They exhibited relatively weak anti-oxidant activities and moderate AChE inhibitory activities compared to the activities of the other tested flavonoids. Isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside and astragalin promoted morphological neurite outgrowth and the expression of neurofilaments induced by NGF in PC12 cells. Isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside and astragalin might be candidate compounds as neural differentiation agents in peripheral nerves and functional food ingredients preventing cognitive decline.

Secondary Metabolites with Biomedical Applications from Plants of the Sarraceniaceae Family

Carnivorous plants have fascinated researchers and hobbyists for centuries because of their mode of nutrition which is unlike that of other plants. They are able to produce bioactive compounds used to attract, capture and digest prey but also as a defense mechanism against microorganisms and free radicals. The main purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the secondary metabolites with significant biological activity found in the Sarraceniaceae family. The review also underlines the necessity of future studies for the biochemical characterization of the less investigated species. Darlingtonia, Heliamphora and Sarracenia plants are rich in compounds with potential pharmaceutical and medical uses. These belong to several classes such as flavonoids, with flavonol glycosides being the most abundant, monoterpenes, triterpenes, sesquiterpenes, fatty acids, alkaloids and others. Some of them are well characterized in terms of chemical properties and biological activity and have widespread commercial applications. The review also discusses biological activity of whole extracts and commercially available products derived from Sarraceniaceae plants. In conclusion, this review underscores that Sarraceniaceae species contain numerous substances with the potential to advance health. Future perspectives should focus on the discovery of new molecules and increasing the production of known compounds using biotechnological methods.

Anticancer and Antioxidant Activities of the Root Extract of the Carnivorous Pitcher Plant Sarracenia purpurea

The carnivorous pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea exhibits many ethnobotanical uses, including the treatments of type 2 diabetes and tuberculosis-like symptoms. In this study, we prepared different extracts from the leaves (pitchers), stems, and roots of S. purpurea and investigated their antioxidant and anticancer properties. To evaluate the extraction efficiency, we individually used different solvents, namely methanol, ethanol, acetone, and distilled water, for S. purpurea extract preparations. The root extract of S. purpurea, obtained by 100% acetone (S. purpurea-root-acetone), had the highest anticancer activities, antioxidation capacity (the DPPH activity with IC₅₀ of 89.3 ± 2.2 μg/mL), antibacterial activities, total phenolic content (33.4 ± 0.7 mg GAE/g), and total flavonoid content (107.9 ± 2.2 mg QUE/g). The most abundant compounds in S. purpurea-root-acetone were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; 7,8-Dihydro-α-ionone was the major compound present in S. purpurea-root-acetone. In addition, the co-cytotoxicity of S. purpurea-root-acetone (combined with the clinical anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on the survival, apoptosis, proliferation, and migration of the 4T1 mammary carcinoma) was examined. The combination of 5-FU with S. purpurea-root-acetone could be highly efficient for anti-4T1 cells. We also found that S. purpurea-root-acetone could inhibit the enzymatic activity of human dihydroorotase (huDHOase), an attractive target for potential anticancer chemotherapy. The sic most abundant compounds in S. purpurea-root-acetone were tested using an in silico analysis via MOE-Dock software for their binding affinities. The top-ranked docking conformations were observed for 7,8-dihydro-α-ionone and stigmast-5-en-3-ol, suggesting the inhibition potential against huDHOase. Overall, the collective data in this study may indicate the pharmacological potentials of S. purpurea-root-acetone for possible medical applications.

Sarracenia alata (Alph.Wood) Alph.Wood Microcuttings as a Source of Volatiles Potentially Responsible for Insects' Respond

Rare carnivorous plants representing the genus Sarracenia are perceived as very interesting to scientists involved in various fields of botany, ethnobotany, entomology, phytochemistry and others. Such high interest is caused mainly by the unique capacity of Sarracenia spp. to attract insects. Therefore, an attempt to develop a protocol for micropropagation of the Sarracenia alata (Alph.Wood) Alph.Wood, commonly named yellow trumpets, and to identify the specific chemical composition of volatile compounds of this plant in vitro and ex vivo was undertaken. Thus, the chemical volatile compounds excreted by the studied plant to attract insects were recognized with the application of the headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with the GC-MS technique. As the major volatile compounds (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol (16.48% ± 0.31), (E)-3-hexen-1-ol acetate (19.99% ± 0.01) and β-caryophyllene (11.30% ± 0.27) were identified. Further, both the chemical assumed to be responsible for attracting insects, i.e., pyridine (3.10% ± 0.07), and whole plants were used in in vivo bioassays with two insect species, namely Drosophila hydei and Acyrthosiphon pisum. The obtained results bring a new perspective on the possibilities of cultivating rare carnivorous plants in vitro since they are regarded as a valuable source of bioactive volatile compounds, as including ones with repellent or attractant activity.

The Value of the Tree of Life

The value of the Tree of Life to human well-being and survival is enormous—our species simply cannot thrive without a biodiverse planet; that is, a healthy Tree of Life. The vast importance of the Tree of Life falls into several general categories. First, the immense overall importance of biodiversity not only involves providing food, medicines, and ecosystem services such as clean air and water, but also a second major theme of this chapter is the importance to human well-being of knowledge of how species are related. Knowledge of how organisms are related has predictive value. We all know from our own family trees that relationships matter. For example, if a close relative has a disease or cancer that is genetically inherited, we realize that there is a chance we may have inherited that trait. Similarly, broad knowledge of relationships is fundamental, providing crucial new information regarding the discovery of medicines, combatting disease, crop improvement, while also providing insight into the study of ecosystem function and services (clean air and water). Knowledge of species relationships and the Tree of Life can help in the discovery of new medicines—closely related organisms produce similar chemicals; similarly, that knowledge of relationships is essential to improve crops by identifying close wild relatives that may have important traits (disease resistance, drought tolerance). Knowledge of the Tree of Life can also aid in the study of ecology and conservation efforts. As closely related species will often respond in similar ways to environmental factors such as temperature and moisture availability, the Tree of Life can also provide critical information in predicting how species may respond to climate change.

Novel Approach to Identify Potential Bioactive Plant Metabolites: Pharmacological and Metabolomics Analyses of Ethanol and Hot Water Extracts of Several Canadian Medicinal Plants of the Cree of Eeyou Istchee

We evaluated and compared the antidiabetic potential and molecular mechanisms of 17 Cree plants' ethanol extracts (EE) and hot water extracts (HWE) on glucose homeostasis in vitro and used metabolomics to seek links with the content of specific phytochemicals. Several EE of medical plants stimulated muscle glucose uptake and inhibited hepatic G6Pase activity. Some HWE partially or completely lost these antidiabetic activities in comparison to EE. Only R. groenlandicum retained similar potential between EE and HWE in both assays. In C2C12 muscle cells, EE of R. groenlandicum, A. incana and S. purpurea stimulated glucose uptake by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway and increasing glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) expression. In comparison to EE, HWE of R. groenlandicum exhibited similar activities; HWE of A. incana completely lost its effect on all parameters; interestingly, HWE of S. purpurea activated insulin pathway instead of AMPK pathway to increase glucose uptake. In the liver, for a subset of 5 plants, HWE and EE activated AMPK pathway whereas the EE and HWE of S. purpurea and K. angustifolia also activated insulin pathways. Quercetin-3-O-galactoside and quercetin 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside, were successfully identified by discriminant analysis as biomarkers of HWE plant extracts that stimulate glucose uptake in vitro. More importantly, the latter compound was not identified by previous bioassay-guided fractionation.

The anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects of kaempferol glycosides from unripe soybean leaves in high-fat-diet mice

The present study investigated the anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects of kaempferol glycoside (KG) fractions which were composed of four kaempferol glycosides and purified from unripe Jindai-soybean (Edamame) leaves in C57BL/6J mice. High fat-fed mice treated with 0.15% dietary KG for 92 days had reduced body weight, adipose tissue and TG levels compared to the high fat-fed control group. KG-treatment also decreased fasting blood glucose, serum HbA1c (hemoglobin A(1c)) levels and improved insulin resistance. Gene expression analysis of the liver showed that KG decreased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR-γ) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP-1c) expression. These results suggest that KG reduced the accumulation of adipose tissue, improving hyperlipidemia as well as diabetes in obese mice by increasing lipid metabolism through the downregulation of PPAR-γ and SREBP-1c. Thus, KG may have an anti-obesity and anti-diabetic potential.

Natural Flavonoids as Potential Herbal Medication for the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus and its Complications

Diabetes mellitus, together with its various complications, is becoming a serious threat to human health. Natural products are secondary metabolites widely distributed in plants, having a broad range of biological activities. The development of antidiabetic medication from natural products, especially those originating from plants with a traceable folk-usage history in treating diabetes, is receiving more attention. Many studies highlighted not only the benefits of natural flavonoids with hypoglycemic effects, but also their importance in the management of diabetic complications. This review describes selected natural flavonoids that have been validated for their hypoglycemic properties, together with their mechanisms of action. Also discussed are their activities in the treatment of diabetic complications demonstrated via laboratory diabetic animal models, in vitro and clinical trials using human subjects. Published papers from 2000 to date on flavonoids and diabetes were covered through accessing Web of Science and multiple databases for biomedical sciences. The major potential benefits of natural flavonoids discussed in this review clearly suggest that these substances are lead compounds with sufficient structural diversity of great importance in the antidiabetic drug developing process.

Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Solander ex Ellis) Contains Powerful Compounds that Prevent and Cure Cancer

Chemoprevention uses natural or synthetic molecules without toxic effects to prevent and/or block emergence and development of diseases including cancer. Many of these natural molecules modulate mitogenic signals involved in cell survival, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, angiogenesis, or on processes involved in the development of metastases occur naturally, especially in fruits and vegetables bur also in non-comestible plants. Carnivorous plants including the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Solander ex Ellis) are much less investigated, but appear to contain a wealth of potent bioactive secondary metabolites. Aim of this review is to give insight into molecular mechanisms triggered by compounds isolated from these interesting plants with either therapeutic or chemopreventive potential.