human monoamine oxidase (hMAO) A and hMAO B inhibitors from Artemisia dracunculus L. herniarin and skimmin: human mononamine oxidase A and B inhibitors from A. dracunculus L

Design, synthesis, in silico, and in vitro evaluation of novel benzyloxybenzene substituted (S)-α-amino amide derivatives as cholinesterases and monoaminoxidases inhibitor

In this study, a series of novel benzyloxybenzene substituted (S)-α-amino acid methyl esters and their amide derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory actions against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B). The synthetic strategy was based on starting from benzyl bromide (5) and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (6). The reaction of 5 and 6 in the presence of K2 CO3 gave benzyloxybenzaldehyde 7. Benzyloxybenzene substituted (S)-α-amino acid methyl esters 11, 12, 13, (±)-19, and (±)-20 were obtained from the reaction of  L-amino acid methyl esters with benzyloxybenzaldehyde (7) followed by in situ reduction with NaBH4 . The reaction of (S)-11, (S)-12, 13, (±)-19, and (±)-20 with excess ammonia gave amides (S)-14, (S)-15, 16, (±)-21, and (±)-22. The in vitro inhibitory activities of compounds against MAO-A, MAO-B, AChE, and BChE were investigated. Within the α-amino acid methyl ester series, 13 (21.32 ± 0.338 µM) showed selectivity by inhibiting the MAO-B better than MAO-A. 13 emerged as the most active member of this series, exhibiting a 12-fold selectivity for MAO-B. 14 (4.501 ± 0.295 µM) demonstrated a pronounced selectivity for MAO-A over MAO-B, with a selectivity ratio of 110-fold. In addition, it was determined that compound 15 (95.65 ± 3.09 µM) had high selectivity for BChE inhibition. 21 was demonstrated the most potent inhibition (18.36 ± 1.36 µM) against AChE.

Comparison of phytochemical properties and expressional profiling of artemisinin synthesis-related genes in various Artemisia species

The Artemisia genus belongs to the Asteraceae family and is used in the treatment of many different diseases such as hepatitis and cancer. So far, around 500 species of Artemisia have been found in different regions of the world. Artemisinin is one of the medicinal compounds found in Artemisia species. Hence, this medical feature encourages researchers to pay attention to various species of this genus to discover more genetic and phytochemical information. In the present study, five species of Artemisia including A. fragrans, A. annua, A. biennis, A. scoparia, and A. absinthium were compared to each other in terms of the artemisinin content and other phytochemical components. Moreover, the relative expression profiles of eight genes related to the accumulation and synthesis of artemisinin [including 4FPSF, DBR2, HMGR1, HMGR2, WIRKY, ADS, DXS, and SQS] were determined in investigated species. The result of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed that the content of artemisinin in various species was in the order of A. fragrans > A. annua > A. biennis > A. scoparia > A. absinthium. Based on the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, 34, 26, 26, 24, and 20 phytochemical compounds were identified for A. scoparia, A. biennis, A. fragrans, A. absinthum, and A. annua species, respectively. Moreover, camphor (38.86%), β-thujone (68.42%), spathulenol (48.33%), β-farnesene (48.16%), and camphor (29.04%) were identified as the considerable compounds A. fragrans, A. absinthium, A. scoparia, A. biennis, and A. annua species, respectively. Considering the relative expression of the targeted genes, A. scoparia revealed higher expression for the 4FPSF gene. The highest relative expression of the DBR2, WIRKY, and SQS genes was found in A. absinthium species. Moreover, A. annua showed the highest expression of the ADS and DXS genes than the other species. In conclusion, our findings revealed that various species of Artemisia have interesting breeding potential for further investigation of different aspects such as medicinal properties and molecular studies.

Effect of Herniarin on Cell Viability, Cell Cycle, and Erk Protein Levels in Different Stages of Bladder Cancer Cells

This study examines the potential of herniarin from tarragon, as an agent with multifaceted effects on bladder cancer cells and investigates herniarin's impact on cell viability, migration, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis induction, and Erk signaling pathways in bladder cancer cell lines, including RT-112 (grade 1, non-invasive), HTB9 (grade 2, invasive), and HT1376 (grade 3, invasive), through comprehensive in vitro experiments. The compound causes cell cycle arrest at distinct phases in different cell lines: G1/S arrest in RT112 cells, G2/M arrest in HTB9 cells, and S phase arrest in HT1376 cells. Furthermore, herniarin induces caspase-mediated apoptosis in various cell lines and simultaneously modulates protein levels of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins, indicating its potential as a therapeutic agent. Herniarin's influence also extends to Erk signaling, a crucial pathway that regulates cell growth and differentiation. In conclusion, this study reveals herniarin's potential as a versatile agent in the treatment of bladder cancer.

Artemisia Species with High Biological Values as a Potential Source of Medicinal and Cosmetic Raw Materials

Artemisia species play a vital role in traditional and contemporary medicine. Among them, Artemisia abrotanum, Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia annua, Artemisia dracunculus, and Artemisia vulgaris are the most popular. The chemical composition and bioactivity of these species have been extensively studied. Studies on these species have confirmed their traditional applications and documented new pharmacological directions and their valuable and potential applications in cosmetology. Artemisia ssp. primarily contain sesquiterpenoid lactones, coumarins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Essential oils obtained from these species are of great biological importance. Extracts from Artemisia ssp. have been scientifically proven to exhibit, among others, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidepressant, cytotoxic, and digestion-stimulating activities. In addition, their application in cosmetic products is currently the subject of several studies. Essential oils or extracts from different parts of Artemisia ssp. have been characterized by antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activities. Products with Artemisia extracts, essential oils, or individual compounds can be used on skin, hair, and nails. Artemisia products are also used as ingredients in skincare cosmetics, such as creams, shampoos, essences, serums, masks, lotions, and tonics. This review focuses especially on elucidating the importance of the most popular/important species of the Artemisia genus in the cosmetic industry.

Insights into the Mechanism of the Therapeutic Potential of Herbal Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors in Neurological Diseases

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is an enzyme that catalyzes the deamination of monoamines and other proteins. MAO's hyperactivation results in the massive generation of reactive oxygen species, which leads to a variety of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, and depression-like disorders. Although synthetic MAO inhibitors are clinically available, they are associated with side effects such as hepatotoxicity, cheese reaction, hypertensive crisis, and so on, necessitating the investigation of alternative MAO inhibitors from a natural source with a safe profile. Herbal medications have a significant impact on the prevention of many diseases; additionally, they have fewer side effects and serve as a precursor for drug development. This review discusses the potential of herbal MAO inhibitors as well as their associated mechanism of action, with an aim to foster future research on herbal MAO inhibitors as potential treatment for neurological diseases.

Artemisia dracunculus (Tarragon): A Review of Its Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

Artemisia dracunculus L. (tarragon), Asteraceae, is a species that has long been used in traditional Asian medicine, mainly in Iran, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and India. It is known as a spice species in Asia, Europe and the Americas. The raw materials obtained from this species are herb and leaf. The presence of essential oil with a highly variable composition, as well as flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins and alkamides, determines the medicinal and/or spice properties of the plant. In traditional Asian medicine, this species is used, for example, in the treatment of digestive system diseases, as an analgesic, hypnotic, antiepileptic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic agent, and as an effective remedy in the treatment of helminthiasis. Nowadays, A. dracunculus is the subject of professional phytochemical and pharmacological researches. Pharmacological studies have confirmed its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects known from traditional uses; they have also proved very important new findings regarding its biological activity, such as antioxidant, immunomodulating and anti-tumour activities, as well as hepatoprotective and hypoglycaemic effects. A. dracunculus has long-held an established position in the food industry as a spice. And its use is growing in the cosmetics industry. Moreover, it is the subject of biotechnological research focused mainly on the development of micro-propagation protocols.