Knema is one of the genera in the Myristicaceae family. The genus includes 60 species in Southeast Asia and is traditionally used for treating skin disorders. Here, for the first time, the essential oil, anti-tyrosinase, and molecular docking studies of Knema intermedia were evaluated. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and fully characterized by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Anti-tyrosinase activity was evaluated against mushroom tyrosinase, whereas molecular docking studies were performed using Autodock vina embedded in PyRx to evaluate the binding interactions of major components. A total of 37 components (97.3%) were successfully identified in the essential oil, which was characterized by high amounts of t-muurolol (20.1%), α-copaene (14.4%), δ-cadinene (13.9%), germacrene B (9.5%), and δ-selinene (7.0%). The essential oil displayed moderate inhibitory activity towards tyrosinase with an IC50 value of 70.2 μg/mL. The best docking energy was observed with δ-selinene (-7.8 kcal/mol), and it also forms interactions with His85, His263, and His244 which are important amino acid residues of the tyrosinase receptor. Hence, this study provides valuable scientific data on K. intermedia as potential candidate for the development of natural antiaging formulations.
This study aims to assess the chemical compositions of the essential oils from three Horsfieldia species namely H. fulva Warb., H. sucosa Warb. and H. superba Warb., which are found in Malaysia. The essential oils were derived from the samples through hydrodistillation which were then characterised by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Based on the findings, the H. fulva, H. sucosa and H. superba essential oils represented 98.2%, 98.7% and 98.5% of the total oils, respectively. The major component of H. fulva oil was identified to be germacrene D (20.8%), H. sucosa oil mainly contained α-cadinol (17.5%), whereas H. superba oil was rich in δ-cadinene (18.2%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of the composition of the essential oils from these selected Horsfieldia species.
Phytol (PHY), a chlorophyll-derived diterpenoid, exhibits numerous pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities. This study evaluates the anti-diarrheal effect of phytol (PHY) along with its possible mechanism of action through in-vivo and in-silico models. The effect of PHY was investigated on castor oil-induced diarrhea in Swiss mice by using prazosin, propranolol, loperamide, and nifedipine as standards with or without PHY. PHY at 50 mg/kg (p.o.) and all other standards exhibit significant (p < 0.05) anti-diarrheal effect in mice. The effect was prominent in the loperamide and propranolol groups. PHY co-treated with prazosin and propranolol was found to increase in latent periods along with a significant reduction in diarrheal section during the observation period than other individual or combined groups. Furthermore, molecular docking studies also suggested that PHY showed better interactions with the α- and β-adrenergic receptors, especially with α-ADR1a and β-ADR1. In the former case, PHY showed interaction with hydroxyl group of Ser192 at a distance of 2.91Å, while in the latter it showed hydrogen bond interactions with Thr170 and Lys297 with a distance of 2.65 and 2.72Å, respectively. PHY exerted significant anti-diarrheal effect in Swiss mice, possibly through blocking α- and β-adrenergic receptors.
Morusin is a natural product that has been isolated from the bark of Morus alba, a species of mulberry tree. It belongs to the flavonoid family of chemicals, which is abundantly present in the plant world and is recognized for its wide range of biological activities. Morusin has a number of biological characteristics, including anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, neuro-protective, and antioxidant capabilities. Morusin has exhibited anti-tumor properties in many different forms of cancer, including breast, prostate, gastric, hepatocarcinoma, glioblastoma, and pancreatic cancer. Potential of morusin as an alternative treatment method for resistant malignancies needs to be explored in animal models in order to move toward clinical trials. In the recent years several novel findings regarding the therapeutic potential of morusin have been made. This aim of this review is to provide an overview of the present understanding of morusin's beneficial effects on human health as well as provide a comprehensive and up-to-date discussion of morusin's anti-cancer properties with a special focus on in vitro and in vivo studies. This review will aid future research on the creation of polyphenolic medicines in the prenylflavone family, for the management and treatment of cancers.
With the advent of highly effective plant-based medications with few or no side effects, the use of phytomedicines against complex diseases such as cancer is becoming more widespread. The broadly recognized pentacyclic triterpenes known as boswellic acids (BAs) are derived from the oleogum resin, or frankincense, extracted from the plant species of the genus Boswellia. The frankincense mixture contains various BA types, each having a different potential and helping treat certain cancers. This review focuses on details regarding the traits of the BAs, their roles as anti-cancer agents, the mechanism underlying their activities, and the function of their semi-synthetic derivatives in managing and treating certain cancers. The review also explores the biological sources of BAs, how they are conserved, and how biotechnology might help preserve and improve in vitro BA production. The review concludes that the BAs and their semi-synthetic derivatives are effective against a broad spectrum of cancer cell lines. The detailed information in the review can be helpful for researchers to gain more information about BAs and BA-based medications for efficient and cost-effective cancer treatments.
Piper species are aromatic plants used as spices in the kitchen, but their secondary metabolites have also shown biological effects on human health. These plants are rich in essential oils, which can be found in their fruits, seeds, leaves, branches, roots and stems. Some Piper species have simple chemical profiles, while others, such as Piper nigrum, Piper betle, and Piper auritum, contain very diverse suites of secondary metabolites. In traditional medicine, Piper species have been used worldwide to treat several diseases such as urological problems, skin, liver and stomach ailments, for wound healing, and as antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agents. In addition, Piper species could be used as natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents in food preservation. The phytochemicals and essential oils of Piper species have shown strong antioxidant activity, in comparison with synthetic antioxidants, and demonstrated antibacterial and antifungal activities against human pathogens. Moreover, Piper species possess therapeutic and preventive potential against several chronic disorders. Among the functional properties of Piper plants/extracts/active components the antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and neuropharmacological activities of the extracts and extract-derived bioactive constituents are thought to be key effects for the protection against chronic conditions, based on preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies, besides clinical studies. Habitats and cultivation of Piper species are also covered in this review. In this current work, available literature of chemical constituents of the essential oils Piper plants, their use in traditional medicine, their applications as a food preservative, their antiparasitic activities and other important biological activities are reviewed.