Mycochemicals against Cancer Stem Cells.

Since ancient times, mushrooms have been considered valuable allies of human well-being both from a dietary and medicinal point of view. Their essential role in several traditional medicines is explained today by the discovery of the plethora of biomolecules that have shown proven efficacy for treating various diseases, including cancer. Numerous studies have already been conducted to explore the antitumoural properties of mushroom extracts against cancer.

Enhancement of agri-food by-products: green extractions of bioactive molecules with fungicidal action against mycotoxigenic fungi and their mycotoxins.

Introduction: Today, alternative strategies based on the use of bioactive compounds have been proposed to reduce mycotoxin contamination and limit the use of chemical fungicides.

Methods: In the present work, several by-products collected from the agri-food chain (i.e.

Choisy's Extraction, Chemical Characterization and Evaluation of the Potential Effects on Glycaemic Balance in a 3T3-L1 Adipocyte Cell Model.

(CP) is a common Indian herb, largely employed in Ayurvedic medicine and known for its neuroprotective and neuroinflammatory action. Its effectiveness against several pathologic/sub-pathologic conditions is widely accepted, but it is not yet completely chemically characterized. In recent years, several researchers have pointed out the involvement of CP and other Convolvulaceae in lipidic and glucidic metabolism, particularly in the control of hyperlipidaemia and diabetic conditions.

Phytochemical Profile and In Vitro Bioactivities of Plant-Based By-Products in View of a Potential Reuse and Valorization.

Wastes and by-products of plant origin are of particular interest to develop a circular economy approach, which attempts to turn them into resources. In this work, thirty-seven neglected plant matrices, including agricultural residues, pest plants, and by-products from the herbal and food industry were extracted and tested for their in vitro anti-tyrosinase, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity against the phytopathogens pv. ATCC 19310 and subsp.

Perillaldehyde is a new ferroptosis inducer with a relevant clinical potential for acute myeloid leukemia therapy.

Ferroptosis induction is an emerging strategy to treat cancer and contrast the tricky issue of chemoresistance, which can arise towards apoptosis. This work elucidates the anticancer mechanisms evoked by perillaldehyde, a monoterpenoid isolated from Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss. & Dur.

A Comparative Study on Chemical Compositions and Biological Activities of Four Amazonian Ecuador Essential Oils: L. (Zingiberaceae), (DC.) Stapf, (Poaceae), Mill. (Lamiaceae), and Roscoe (Zingiberaceae).

Essential oils (EOs) and their vapour phase of (Zingiberaceae), (Poaceae), (Lamiaceae), and (Zingiberaceae) of cultivated plants grown in an Amazonian Ecuador area were chemically characterised by Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID), Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), and Head Space-Gas Chromatograph-Flame Ionization Detector-Mass Spectrometry (HS-GC-FID-MS).figure The EOs analyses led to the identification of 25 compounds for (99.46% of the total; ar-turmerone: 23.

In Vitro Investigation of the Anticancer Properties of Ammodaucus Leucotrichus .

Little is known about the pharmacological activity of Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss. & Dur., a small annual species that grows in the Saharan and sub-Saharan countries.

Nutrients and Main Secondary Metabolites Characterizing Extracts and Essential Oil from Fruits of Coss. & Dur. (Western Sahara).

The ethnobotany of the Sahrawi people considers various species of plants and crude drugs as food, cooking spices and traditional health remedies. From among these, the fruits of Coss. & Dur.

Biotransformation of Waste Bile Acids: A New Possible Sustainable Approach to Anti-Fungal Molecules for Crop Plant Bioprotection?

Phytopathogenic fungi are among the main causes of productivity losses in agriculture. To date, synthetic chemical pesticides, such as hydroxyanilides, anilinopyrimidines and azole derivatives, represent the main treatment tools for crop plant defence. However, the large and uncontrolled use of these substances has evidenced several side effects, namely the resistance to treatments, environmental damage and human health risks.

Mill. from Amazonian Ecuador: Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Extracts and Their Main Constituents (Eugenol and Rosmarinic Acid).

The essential oil (EO), the methanolic (MeOH), and the 70% ethanolic (70% EtOH) extracts obtained from the aerial parts of Mill. (Ecuador) were chemically characterized through gas-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry detector (GC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array-mass spectrometry detectors (HPLC-DAD-MS) and studied for their in vitro biological activity. The radical scavenger activity, performed by spectrophotometric 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays, highlighted significant IC values for the EO, extracts and their main constituents (eugenol and rosmarinic acid).

Hemidesmus indicus induces apoptosis via proteasome inhibition and generation of reactive oxygen species.

Proteasome inhibition represents an important anticancer strategy. Here, we studied the mechanisms at the basis of the pro-apoptotic activity of the standardized decoction of Hemidesmus indicus, a plant evoking a complex anticancer activity, and explored its inhibition of proteasome activity in human leukemia cells. Additionally, we preliminary tested the cytotoxicity of some H.

Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Five Essential Oils from the Ecuadorian Amazon Rain Forest.

The chemical composition and biological activity of essential oils isolated from the leaves of , , , and the rhizome of were evaluated. These species are used medicinally in different ways by the Amazonian communities that live near the Kutukú mountain range. Chemical studies revealed that the main components for the two species were germacrene D, bicyclogermacrene, α-pinene, δ-cadinene, δ-elemene, α-copaene and β-caryophyllene; for the two species β-caryophyllene, germacrene D, α-()-farnesene, β-elemene, bicyclogermacrene, δ-cadinene and for 1,8-cineole, β-pinene, α-pinene and α-terpineol.

Larvicidal activity of Ocimum campechianum, Ocotea quixos and Piper aduncum essential oils against Aedes aegypti.

Aedes aegypti, the main arbovirus vector of the Yellow fever, Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika viruses, is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas throughout the world. Preventive control efforts have been implemented worldwide aimed at reducing its impact on human health. The recent reduction of chemicals available for vector control due to their negative impact on the environment and human health and the increase in mosquito resistance to insecticides have driven the research community to identify and evaluate sustainable alternatives to synthetic insecticides.

Rediscovering Medicinal Amazonian Aromatic Plants: (Piperaceae) Essential Oil as Paradigmatic Study.

Ruiz & Pav. (Piperaceae) is a perennial aromatic shrub of Amazonian area of Ecuador and Peru, belonging to the ethnomedicine of these countries. The traditional preparations of the crude drug (fresh leaves used topically as is, and dried leaves in infusions or decoctions) are known for anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, antidiarrheal, antiparasitic effects, and wound healing properties.

Flavonoids in Ecuadorian (Lam.) R. Br.: Perspectives of Use of This Species as a Food Supplement.

(Lam.) R. Br.

In Vitro Study of the Cytotoxic, Cytostatic, and Antigenotoxic Profile of Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R.Br. (Apocynaceae) Crude Drug Extract on T Lymphoblastic Cells.

In traditional Indian medicine, the crude drug root-commonly known as Indian sarsaparilla-is used alone or in poly-herbal preparations for the treatment of a wide range of diseases. The present study focuses on the cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic potential of extracts on an acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line (CCRF-CEM). With this aim in mind, we subjected roots to two subsequent extractions (hydro-alcoholic extraction and soxhlet extraction).

4-Alkyliden-azetidinones modified with plant derived polyphenols: Antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major and growing concerns in hospital- and community acquired infections, and new antimicrobial agents are therefore urgently required. It was reported that oxidative stress could contribute to the selection of resistant bacterial strains, since reactive oxygen species (ROS) revealed to be an essential driving force. In the present work 4-alkylidene-azetidinones, a new class of antibacterial agents, were functionalized with phytochemical polyphenolic acids such as protocatechuic, piperonyl, caffeic, ferulic, or sinapic acids and investigated as dual target antibacterial-antioxidant compounds.

Myrcia splendens (Sw.) DC. (syn. M. fallax (Rich.) DC.) (Myrtaceae) Essential Oil from Amazonian Ecuador: A Chemical Characterization and Bioactivity Profile.

In this study, we performed the chemical characterization of (Sw.) DC. (Myrtaceae) essential oil from Amazonian Ecuador and the assessment of its bioactivity in terms of cytotoxic, antibacterial, and antioxidant activity as starting point for possible applicative uses.

Phytochemical and pharmacological properties of essential oils from Cedrus species.

Natural products frequently exert pharmacological activities. The present review gives an overview of the ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of the Cedrus genus, e.g.

β-Sitosterol Reduces the Expression of Chemotactic Cytokine Genes in Cystic Fibrosis Bronchial Epithelial Cells.

Extracts from L. seeds, which are widely used as anti-inflammatory remedies in traditional medicine of Northern Africa, were able to inhibit the expression of the pro-inflammatory neutrophil chemokine Interleukin (IL)-8 in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) bronchial epithelial IB3-1 cells exposed to the Gram-negative bacterium . The chemical composition of the extracts led to the identification of three major components, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol, which are the most abundant phytosterols, cholesterol-like molecules, usually found in plants.

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) for the delivery of natural molecules with antimicrobial activity: production, characterisation and in vitro studies.

This study describes the preparation, characterisation and in vitro activity of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) encapsulating natural molecules with antimicrobial activity, such as plumbagin, hydroquinon, eugenol, alpha-asarone and alpha-tocopherol. NLCs were prepared by melt and ultrasonication method, characterised by Cryo-TEM for morphology and SdFFF for dimensional distribution and active encapsulation yields. In vitro tests were conducted on bacteria, fungi and human cell cultures.

In vitro activity of plant extracts against biofilm-producing food-related bacteria.

The identification of effective antimicrobial agents also active on biofilms is a topic of crucial importance in food and industrial environment. For that purpose methanol extracts of Turkish plants, Ficus carica L., Juglans regia L.

Cytotoxic Effect and TLC Bioautography-Guided Approach to Detect Health Properties of Amazonian Hedyosmum sprucei Essential Oil.

Bioautography has been used as rapid and easy strategy to detect and identify bioactive fractions/molecules in the never before investigated Hedyosmum sprucei Solms (Chloranthaceae) essential oil (EO). The antioxidant activity, performed through DPPH bioautographic assay and spectrophotometric evaluations (IC50 = 230 ± 10 µg/mL), seemed to be mainly due to α-cadinol and α-muurolol. (HP)TLC bioautography, focused on antimicrobial capacities, pointed out α-cadinol, α-muurolol, τ-muurolol, caryophyllene oxide, and methyleugenol as the most effective compounds against Staphylococcus aureus, considered as testing strain.