Isolinderanolide B, a butanolide extracted from the stems of Cinnamomum subavenium, inhibits proliferation of T24 human bladder cancer cells by blocking cell cycle progression and inducing apoptosis

Non-volatile constituents from Monimiaceae, Siparunaceae and Atherospermataceae plant species and their bioactivities: An up-date covering 2000-2021

The Monimiaceae, Siparunaceae, and Atherospermataceae, formerly included in the broad ''old'' Monimiaceae family, have long been known for their uses in traditional medicine and have proven to be rich sources of chemically diverse specialized metabolites with numerous potent biological and therapeutical properties. The progress made recently has expanded their phytochemistry and pharmacology albeit to different extents. This review focuses on the non-volatile constituents isolated from the three plant families during the last two decades and their emerging therapeutic potential. Based on the data collected from multiple databases without statistical analysis, approximately 93 components, of which 35 undescribed compounds including γ-lactones, alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, and homogentisic acid derivatives, have been reported. Moreover, diverse biological activities of pure isolated compounds such as anticancer, antioxidant, antiparasitic, antiviral, and antibacterial activities have been evidenced. Besides offering new important perspectives for different diseases' management, the chemical and biological diversities among the isolated compounds, open promising avenues of research and contribute to renewed interest in these families needing further studies. This review provides an updated overview of their potential as sources of leads for drug discovery, while also highlighting ongoing challenges and future research opportunities.

Review On Documented Medicinal Plants Used For The Treatment Of Cancer

Background:

Cancer is a frightful disease and it is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Naturally derived compounds are gaining interest of research workers as they have less toxic side effects as compared to currently used treatments such as chemotherapy. Plants are the pool of chemical compounds which provides a promising future for research on cancer.

Objective:

This review paper provides updated information gathered on medicinal plants and isolated phytoconstituents used as anticancer agents and summarises the plant extracts and their isolated chemical constituents exhibiting anticancer potential on clinical trials.

Methods:

An extensive bibliographic investigation was carried out by analysing worldwide established scientific databases like SCOPUS, PUBMED, SCIELO, ScienceDirect, Springerlink, Web of Science, Wiley, SciFinder and Google Scholar etc. In next few decades, herbal medicine may become a new epoch of medical system.

Results:

Many researches are going on medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer but it is a time to increase further experimental studies on plant extracts and their chemical constituents to find out their mechanism of action at molecular level.

Conclusion:

The article may help many researchers to start off further experimentation that might lead to the drugs for the cancer treatment.

Phytochemical Investigation and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of the Leaves of Machilus japonica var. kusanoi

In a series of anti-inflammatory screenings of lauraceous plants, the methanolic extract of the leaves of Machilus japonica var. kusanoi (Hayata) J.C. Liao showed potent inhibition on both superoxide anion generation and elastase release in human neutrophils. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the leaves of M. japonica var. kusanoi led to the isolation of twenty compounds, including six new butanolides, machinolides A–F (1–6), and fourteen known compounds (7–20). Their structures were characterized by 1D and 2D NMR, UV, IR, CD, and MS data. The absolute configuration of the new compounds were unambiguously confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses (1, 2, and 3) and Mosher’s method (4, 5, and 6). In addition, lignans, (+)-eudesmin (11), (+)-methylpiperitol (12), (+)-pinoresinol (13), and (+)-galbelgin (16) exhibited inhibitory effects on N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine/cytochalasin B (fMLP/CB)-induced superoxide anion generation in human neutrophils with IC₅₀ values of 8.71 ± 0.74 μM, 2.23 ± 0.92 μM, 6.81 ± 1.07 μM, and 7.15 ± 2.26 μM, respectively. The results revealed the anti-inflammatory potentials of Formosan Machilus japonica var. kusanoi.

Antitrypanosomal butanolides from Aiouea trinervis

In a search for new antitrypanosomal agents in the Brazilian flora, the ethanol extract of the xylopodium from Aiouea trinervis (Lauraceae) exhibited in vitro activity against the epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. Bioassay-guided chromatographic fractionation of the ethanol extract afforded three butanolides, isoobtusilactone A (1), epilitsenolide C2 (2), and epilitsenolide C1 (3). Butanolides 1 and 3 were more active against T. cruzi epimastigotes than the reference drug benznidazole (by 8.9-fold and 3.2-fold, respectively), while 2 proved inactive. Compounds 1 and 3 showed low cytotoxicity in mammalian Vero cells (CC50> 156 μmol L-1) and high selectivity index (SI) values for epimastigotes (SI = 56.8 and 28.6, respectively), and 1 was more selective than benznidazole (SI = 46.5). Butanolide 1 at 24 μmol L-1 also led to cell cycle alterations in epimastigote forms, and inhibited the growth of amastigote cells in more than 70 %. In silico ADMET properties of 1 were also analyzed and predicted favorable drug-like characteristics. This butanolide also complied with Lipinski's rule of five and was not predicted as interference compound (PAINS). This is the first report on the isolation of these bioactive butanolides under the guidance of in vitro trypanocidal activity against T. cruzi.

Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Leaf Oil from Cinnamomum subavenium In Vitro and In Vivo

The study determined the chemical constituents and anti-inflammatory effects of leaf oil from Cinnamomum subavenium (CS-LO) that has been used in folk medicine to treat various symptoms including inflammation. The anti-inflammatory effects of the oil were evaluated by LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and the Carr-induced hind mouse paw edema model, respectively. In vitro, nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE₂), TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β were significantly decreased by CS-LO, and the expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) protein was blocked as well. In in vivo, the malondialdehyde (MDA) and paw edema levels were decreased by CS-LO, and the same result came up on the NO and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-a) of serum at the 5th h after Carr injection. In addition, iNOS and COX-2 immunoreactive cells of the paw tissue were decreased significantly by CS-LO (200 mg/kg) in histological examination. The present findings indicated that CS-LO have anti-inflammatory properties, and the effects might be caused through inhibiting iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 expression via affecting NF-κB pathway, which will provide a power scientific basis for CS-LO to be used as the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Furanone derivative and sesquiterpene from Antarctic marine-derived fungus Penicillium sp. S-1-18

A new furanone derivative, butanolide A (1), and a new sesquiterpene, guignarderemophilane F (2), together with six known compounds, were isolated from the fungus Penicillium sp. S-1-18 derived from Antarctic marine. The new structures were determined by spectroscopic studies such as 1D- and 2D-NMR and MS analyses. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by the modified Mosher's method, while the absolute configuration of 2 was determined by calculated ECD spectroscopy. The isolated secondary metabolites were evaluated for their protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibitory activity. Compound 1 showed moderate inhibitory activity against PTP1B with IC₅₀ value of 27.4 μM.

Review on pharmacological activities of Cinnamomum subavenium

This review describes the morphological, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Cinnamomum subavenium (Lauraceae). The plant grows wild in southern Mainland China, Burma, Cambodia, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia. This plant is recorded as having long been used to treat carcinomatous swelling, stomach ache, chest pain, abdominal pain, hernia, diarrhoea, rheumatism, nausea and vomiting. This article enumerates an overview of phytochemical and pharmacological aspects that is useful to researchers for further exploration for the necessary development of this potential herb.