Evaluation of Nutritional Substances and Investigation of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Potentials of Boerhavia diffusa with in Silico Molecular Docking

An Overview of Secondary Metabolites from Soft Corals of the Genus Capnella over the Five Decades: Chemical Structures, Pharmacological Activities, NMR Data, and Chemical Synthesis

There has been no specific review on the secondary metabolites from soft corals of the genus Capnella till now. In this work, all secondary metabolites from different species of the title genus were described. It covered the first work from 1974 to May 2024, spanning five decades. In the viewpoint of the general structural features, these chemical constituents were classified into four groups: sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, steroids, and lipids. Additionally, the 1H and 13C NMR data of these metabolites were provided when available in the literature. Among them, sesquiterpenes were the most abundant chemical compositions from soft corals of the genus Capnella. A variety of pharmacological activities of these compounds were evaluated, such as cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activities. In addition, the chemical synthesis works of several representative sesquiterpenes were provided. This review aims to provide an up-to-date knowledge of the chemical structures, pharmacological activities, and chemical synthesis of the chemical constituents from soft corals of the genus Capnella.

The Role of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese Pharmacopoeia in the Evaluation and Treatment of COVID-19

The epidemic prompted by COVID-19 continues to spread, causing a great risk to the general population's safety and health. There are still no drugs capable of curing it. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) are the two other diseases caused by coronaviruses. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) showed benefits in treating SARS and MERS by preventing the disease early, substantially mitigating symptoms, shortening the treatment period, and minimizing risks and adverse reactions caused by hormone therapy. Although several vaccines have been developed and are being used for the treatment of COVID-19, existing vaccines cannot provide complete protection against the virus due to the rapid evolution and mutation of the virus, as mutated viral epitopes evade the vaccine's target and decrease the efficacy of vaccines. Thus, there is a need to develop alternative options. TCM has demonstrated positive effects in the treatment of COVID-19. Previous research studies on TCM showed broad-spectrum antiviral activity, offering a range of possibilities for their potential use against COVID-19. This study shed some light on common TCM used for SARS and MERS outbreaks and their effective use for COVID-19 management. This study provides new insights into COVID-19 drug discovery.

Ethnomedicinal values of Boerhaavia diffusa L. as a panacea against multiple human ailments: a state of art review

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Therapeutic botanicals (plants and derivatives) are in use since antiquity for various health ailments. The ethnic community is the repository of the information, the multifactorial therapeutic applications of which may often need scientific validation. The spreading hogweed or Boerhaavia diffusa L., also known as Punarnava, is a reassuring medicinal herb with diverse pharmacological benefits. It is used in Ayurveda in Asia and Africa as a rejuvenator or "Rasayan" for its excellent antiaging and antioxidant properties. Aim: The study aimed at compiling the state-of-art knowledge of the medicinal benefits of Boerhaavia diffusa L. and unraveling the unexplored commercially useful bioactive constituents by establishing their possible pharmacological benefits. Methods: The data from published literature, confined to pharmacological manifestations of various phytocomponents of Boerhaavia diffusa L. or its parts like root, leaf and stem were extracted from scientific databases, Google, Science Direct, PubMed, etc. using its antifungal, antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, renoprotective, antifertility benefits and molecular docking study as search strings and keywords. Further, the reported in silico studies for bioactivity and bioavailability are detailed. Results: The botanicals possess numerous bioactive compounds, the most widely reported ones being phenolic (punarnavoside, trans-caftaric acid, boerhavic acid), rotenoid (boeravinones A-J), flavonoid (borhaavone, quercetin, kaempferol), isoflavonoid (2'-O-methyl abronisoflavone), alkaloid (punarnavine), steroid (boerhavisterol, β-Ecdysone), anthracenes and lignans (liriodendrin, syringaresinol mono-β-D-glucoside). Some of the reported reassuring benefits of their purified forms or even the crude extracts are antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, renoprotective, cardioprotective, antifertility, etc. Conclusion: The article provides an extensive study on such pharmacological utility to support the ethnomedicinal use of Boerhaavia diffusa L. and propose possible mechanism of the various bioactive compounds in optimising metabolic dysfunctions, healing and protecting vital body organs, often related to the magnificent antioxidant property of this ayurvedic panacea. Further, establishing specific roles of its yet-to-explore bioactive constituents for diverse pharmacological applications is suggested.

Epigenetic Induction of Secondary Metabolites Production in Endophytic Fungi Penicillium chrysogenum and GC-MS Analysis of Crude Metabolites with Anti-HIV-1 Activity

The continuous burden of human immunodeficiency virus-1 in Sub-Saharan Africa, coupled with the inability of antiretroviral agents to eradicate HIV-1 from viral reservoirs, the potential risks of drug resistance development, and the development of adverse effects, emphasizes the need to develop a new class of HIV-1 inhibitors. Here, we cultivated four endophytic fungal isolates from a medicinal plant, Albizia adianthifolia with the addition of small epigenetic modifiers, sodium butyrate, and valproic acid, to induce the expression of biosynthetic gene clusters encoding active secondary metabolites with probable anti-HIV activities. We identified a non-toxic crude extract of the endophytic fungus Penicillium chrysogenum treated with sodium butyrate to possess significantly greater anti-HIV activity than the untreated extracts. Penicillium chrysogenum P03MB2 showed anti-HIV activity with an IC₅₀ of 0.6024 µg/mL compared to untreated fungal crude extract (IC₅₀ 5.053 µg/mL) when treated with sodium butyrate. The profile of secondary metabolite compounds from the bioactive, partially purified extracts were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and more bioactive compounds were detected in treated P. chrysogenum P03MB2 fractions than in untreated fractions. Pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, hexahydro (13.64%), cyclotrisiloxane, hexamethyl (8.18%), cyclotetrasiloxane, octamethyl (7.23%), cyclopentasiloxane, decamethyl (6.36%), quinoline, 1,2-dihydro-2,24-trimethyl (5.45%), propanenitrile (4.55%), deca-6,9-diene (4.55%), dibutyl phthalate (4.55%), and silane[1,1-dimethyl-2-propenyl)oxy]dimethyl (2.73%) were the most abundant compounds. These results indicate that treatment of endophytic fungi with small epigenetic modifiers enhances the secretion of secondary metabolites with stronger anti-HIV-1 properties, acknowledging the feasibility of epigenetic modification as an innovative approach for the discovery of cryptic fungal metabolites which can be developed into therapeutic compounds.

Anti-quorum sensing activity of Boerhavia diffusa against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

Quorum sensing (QS) is one of the key virulence factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and causes recalcitrant infections. Multi-drug resistance and biofilm formation seem to be regulated by cell-to-cell communication system through QS. Thus this study is aimed to assess the efficacy of ethanolic leaf extract of Boerhavia diffusa in acting against the QS-regulated virulence traits. Fresh leaves of B. diffusa were dried and the ethanolic crude extract was checked for antimicrobial and anti biofilm effect against P. aeruginosa. The active components and the biological structures were elucidated by GC-MS, HPLC and NMR analysis respectively. Further, computational analyses were also performed to assess the drug ligand interactions based on the docking scores and binding energy. The results suggested that the MIC concentration showed a significant effect in inhibiting the QS network circuit of P. aeruginosa. The docking results showed that leaf had bioactive compounds that exhibit strong binding affinity towards transcriptional activators of the QS circuit in P. aeruginosa, i.e., LasR, as compared to the natural ligands, 3-oxo-C12-HSL and C4-HSL. These results clearly depictthe efficacy of Boerhavia diffusa and its phytoconstituents as promising QS antagonist which can be further applied in the treatment strategies for the diseases caused by P. aeruginosa.