Quassinoids from Picrasma crenata

Cytotoxicity of isolated compounds from Picrasma crenata (Vell.) Engl. in animal tumor cell (HTC)

The study aim was to evaluate the cytotoxic activity, using the MTT test [3-(4,5-Dimethilthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenil tetrazolium bromide], from the crude extract of Picrasma crenata (Pau Tenente) and its isolated compounds, quassin and parain, in culture of rat liver tumor cells (HTC). The test was carried out exposing the cells for 24, 48 and 72 hours to concentrations of 5, 10, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 1000 μg of crude extract of Pau Tenente/mL of culture medium and 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 μg of quassin or parain compounds/mL of culture medium. The absorbances averages results obtained showed that the crude extract did not present cytotoxicity for the HTC cells in all the concentrations and evaluated times. For quassin, the concentrations of 80 and 100 μg/mL were cytotoxic, after 72 hours of treatment. For parain, the concentrations of 1, 5, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 µg/mL, in 72 hours, were cytotoxic, revealing a new activity for this compound. Thus, the results demonstrate a first indication of the cytotoxic activity of compounds quassin and parain, adding an important social and economic value to them, and may have application in future research and in pharmaceutical industry.

Genus Picrasma: A comprehensive review on its ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and bioactivities

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The genus Picrasma belongs to the Simaroubaceae family and contains six species which are mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and America. The barks, roots, stems, branches, or leaves of several Picrasma species have been applied as folk medicines to treat fever, sore throat, dysentery, eczema, nausea, loss of appetite, diabetes mellitus, cancer, and hypertension.

AIM OF THE STUDY

A systematic summary on the botanic characterization, ethnopharmacological uses, phytochemistry, bioactivities and toxicity of species belonging to Picrasma was presented to facilitate the exploitation of the therapeutic potential of these plants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The literatures about Picrasma were retrieved from a series of scientific search engines including Web of Science, SciFinder, PubMed, CNKI, Google Scholar, Elsevier, Wiley, ACS publications, and SpringerLink between 1970 and 2020. Plant names were validated by "The Plant List" (www.theplantlist.org).

RESULTS

As ethnopharmacological uses, Picrasma species are valuable folk medicines to treat fever, inflammation, dysentery, eczema, cancer, diabetics, skin infection, and so on. Up to now, a total of 361 compounds including 126 alkaloids, 132 quassinoids, 67 triterpenoids, and 36 miscellaneous compounds were reported from Picrasma species. Quassinoids and alkaloids are the principal constituents in the genus. The extracts and phytochemical constituents of Picrasma species demonstrate a wide range of bioactivities including cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and other activities.

CONCLUSIONS

Picrasma species are widely used as traditional medicines, have diverse chemical constituents with obvious biological activities. Nevertheless, further studies are required on the Picrasma species to assert the ethnopharmacological uses, clarify their bioactive constituents, determine pharmacological actions, and toxicity. Therefore, the present review may provide a critical clue for future studies and further exploitations on Picrasma species.

Quassinoids: Phytochemistry and antitumor prospect

Quassinoids, originating from the oxidative degradation of tetracyclic tirucallane triterpene, are a diverse class of secondary metabolites identifying from nature mostly in Simaroubaceae family. The crucial pharmacological activities and structural complexity of quassinoids have long fascinated scientists due to their medicinal uses, infamous toxicity, and unique biosynthesis. In the past few decades, 482 quassinoids, assigned to 6 skeletons, have been isolated and identified from plants. The names, classes, molecular formula, and plant sources of these secondary metabolites are collated here. This review will be a detailed update of the naturally occurring quassinoids reported from the plant kingdom, providing an in-depth discussion of their diversity, antitumor activities, structure-activity relationship.

Health Benefits of Quassin from Quassia amara: A Comprehensive Review of their Ethnopharmacological Importance, Pharmacology, Phytochemistry and Analytical Aspects

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Medicinal plants have been indispensable to human life as they are used in food, cosmetics, medicines, nutraceuticals, perfumery, beverages and many more sectors. The medicinal plant contains various important classes of phytochemicals and broadly they are categorized into either primary or secondary metabolite. A large number of modern medicines are mainly derived from plant and other natural sources. Medicinal properties of plants are mainly due to the presence of their secondary metabolite and good examples are salicylic acid, morphine, quinine, vincristin and vinblastine. In spite of the great discovery of allopathic medicine, plant pure phytoconstituents play an important role in the modern medicine. Various plant based medicine are available in the market and people are using it on the basis of the belief that it is safer compared to the allopathic medicine. Furthermore, based on these believes, people use most of the traditional medicines in their routine life for the treatment of numerous disorders and this is called self-medication. Quassia amara plant belongs to Simaroubaceae family which is one of the best examples of the self-medicated plant. Traditionally Quassia amara has antimalarial, stomachic, antianaemic, antibiotics, cytotoxic and antiamoebic activity. Its reproductive, insecticidal, larvicidal and vermifuge properties have been also reported in the literature. Quassinoids are the important phytoconstituents of this plant and are the main bitter principles of Quassia amara too. Quassin is a white crystalline substance and is widely used in Chinese herbal medicine for their bitter taste. The purpose of this review is to gain an understanding of the Quassin and Quassia amara and to present information and knowledge regarding this phytoconstituent. Medicinal uses, pharmacological importance and various bioanalytical methods of Quassin and Quassia amara have been presented in this review. The benefit of this review is to get better understanding and ideas of Quassin and Quassia amara research findings in various disciplines. Furthermore, there is a need to perform more scientific investigation to explore the other beneficial properties of Quassia amara and Quassin.