• Anticancer agents
• Dioscoreaceae
• Glycosylated triterpenoids
• Immune-activation
• Steroidal saponins
• Tacca plantaginea
• Tacca species

• Animals
• Humans
• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology
• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/isolation & purification
• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/chemistry
• Biological Products/pharmacology
• Biological Products/chemistry
• Biological Products/isolation & purification
• Cell Proliferation/drug effects
• Dioscoreaceae/chemistry
• Molecular Structure
• Saponins/pharmacology
• Saponins/isolation & purification
• Saponins/chemistry
• Spirostans/pharmacology
• Spirostans/chemistry
• Spirostans/isolation & purification

• GC–MS analysis
• Pintoa chilensis
• ROS
• antioxidant activity
• cytotoxic activity
• extremophile plants
• lipid peroxidation

• FONDEQUIP EQM 190025 Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico

• Axin
• Melanogenesis
• Phenanthridine alkaloids
• Vitiligo
• Wnt/β-catenin signalling

The present study focused on extracting green larvicides from extracts of the combination of Foeniculum vulgare and Matricaria chamomilla using different solvents of increasing polarity in a Soxhlet extractor and evaluating their ovicidal, larvicidal, and cytotoxic activities. The most promising among all tested extracts was hexane extract. The ovicidal activity of the hexane PH2 extract resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in egg hatchability from 95.00 ± 6.16% to 15 ± 9.04% at doses ranging from 62.5 to 500 µg/mL. The larval mortality with the hexane extract ranged from 13.33 ± 3.3% to 93.33 ± 3.3% at doses ranging from 31.25 to 250 µg/mL, respectively. The LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ values of the larvicidal activity of the hexane extract were estimated to be 148.3 and 242.17 µg/mL, respectively, after 24 h of exposure. Similarly, the LC₅₀ values after 48 and 72 h of exposure were 124.93 and 100.3 µg/mL, respectively, against the third instar of Cx. pipiens. PH2 treatment of larvae resulted in histopathological changes such as degenerated epithelial cells and destruction of microvilli on the epithelial cells. The PH2 extract achieved a dose-dependent decrease in the rate of cell survival. The IC₅₀ value of PH2-treated HUVECs was 192.07 µg/mL after 24 h of incubation. The cells showed changes in cellular and nuclear morphology. In conclusion, the hexane extract of PH2 could be used in mosquito management programs.

• Culex pipiens
• Extract
• Larvicide
• Non-target organism
• Plant extract
• Vector mosquito

• (−)-cubebin
• Chagas disease
• PLGA
• lignans
• molecular docking

Eugenol, the generic name of 4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol, is the major component of clove essential oil, and has demonstrated relevant biological potential with well-known antimicrobial and antioxidant actions. New O-alkylated eugenol derivatives, bearing a propyl chain with terminals like hydrogen, hydroxyl, ester, chlorine, and carboxylic acid, were synthesized in the present work. These compounds were later subjected to epoxidation conditions to give the corresponding oxiranes. All derivatives were evaluated against their effect upon the viability of insect cell line Sf9 (Spodoptera frugiperda), demonstrating that structural changes elicit marked effects in terms of potency. In addition, the most promising molecules were evaluated for their impact in cell morphology, caspase-like activity, and potential toxicity towards human cells. Some molecules stood out in terms of toxicity towards insect cells, with morphological assessment of treated cells showing chromatin condensation and fragmentation, which are compatible with the occurrence of programmed cell death, later confirmed by evaluation of caspase-like activity. These findings point out the potential use of eugenol derivatives as semisynthetic insecticides from plant natural products.

• Spodoptera frugiperda
• eugenol derivatives
• natural product-derived insecticides
• phenylpropanoids
• semisynthetic insecticides

Historically, natural products have been the most successful source of inspiration for the development of new drugs. Members of the Thymelaeaceae family have been of interest owing to their excellent medicinal value. Given the successful history of natural product-based drug discovery, extracts from the aerial parts of Thymelaea hirsuta were evaluated for their potential anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) activity. Ethyl acetate extracts from leaves (71B) and branches (72B) of Thymelaea hirsuta showed potent and selective activity against HIV-1 wt (EC₅₀ = 0.8 µg/mL) at non-cytotoxic concentrations (CC₅₀ > 100 µg/mL). They proved to be active against HIV-1 variants carrying clinically relevant NNRTI and NRTI mutations at low concentration (0.3–4 µg/mL range) and against the M-tropic strain HIV-1 BaL. The 72B extract, chosen as a lead, was not able to inhibit the RT and protease enzymatic functions. Furthermore, it was not virucidal, since exposure of HIV to high concentration did not affect virus infectivity. The pre-clinical safety profile of this extract showed no adverse effect on the growth of Lactobacilli, and non-toxic concentration of the extract did not influence the Caco-2 epithelial cells monolayer integrity. Additionally, extract 72B prevented syncytia formation at low concentration (0.4 µg/mL). The potent inhibitory effect on the syncytia formation in co-cultures showed that 72B inhibits an early event in the replication cycle of HIV. All of these findings prompt us to carry on new studies on Thymelaea hirsuta extracts.

• HIV resistant mutants
• TEER
• Thymelaea hirsuta extracts
• anti-HIV-1 activity
• lactobacilli

• Animals
• Anti-HIV Agents/pharmacology
• Caco-2 Cells
• Cattle
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Chlorocebus aethiops
• Cricetinae
• Drug Discovery/methods
• HIV Infections/drug therapy
• HIV-1/drug effects
• Humans
• Plant Extracts/pharmacology
• Plant Leaves/chemistry
• Thymelaeaceae/chemistry
• Vero Cells

• Citrullus colocynthis
• LC50
• fernenol
• insecticidal activity
• spinasterol, 22,23-dihydrospinasterol

• Animals
• Aphids/drug effects
• Citrullus colocynthis/chemistry
• Insecticides/analysis
• Insecticides/isolation & purification
• Insecticides/toxicity
• Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• Mass Spectrometry
• Plant Extracts/chemistry
• Plant Extracts/isolation & purification
• Plant Extracts/toxicity
• Plant Leaves/chemistry
• Sitosterols/analysis
• Sitosterols/chemistry
• Sitosterols/isolation & purification
• Sitosterols/toxicity
• Stigmasterol/analogs & derivatives
• Stigmasterol/analysis
• Stigmasterol/chemistry
• Stigmasterol/isolation & purification
• Stigmasterol/toxicity
• Triterpenes/analysis
• Triterpenes/chemistry
• Triterpenes/isolation & purification
• Triterpenes/toxicity

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is widely consumed as an important spice or a common condiment in food and beverages. This study focuses on the determination of pungent and bioactive components in ginger and their antioxidant activity using voltammetric and spectroscopic methods. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis revealed that the major components of the pungent compounds were zingerone, shogaols, gingerols, paradols, wikstromol, and carinol. Using spectroscopic methods, the antioxidant capacity of ginger aqueous extract was found to be 16.0 μmol gallic acid equivalent (GAE) per gram of ginger extract, and the total phenolic and flavonoid content was estimated to be 7.8 mg GAE/g ginger extract and 15.4 mg Quercetin equivalent (QE) per gram of ginger extract, respectively. Electroanalytical quantification estimated the antioxidant capacity of the ginger infusion to be 23.5 μmol GAE/g ginger extract, which is slightly higher than that estimated using chemical assay. The results may provide useful information for the development of ginger processing and utilization as a flavoring agent, and for our understanding of ginger as a source of natural antioxidants.

• Chemistry
• Food analysis
• Food science
• Natural product chemistry

• HepG2 cell line
• ROS
• apoptosis
• cytotoxic effect
• mitochondrial membrane potential
• polyphenols

• Anacardiaceae/chemistry
• Antioxidants/chemistry
• Antioxidants/pharmacology
• Apoptosis
• Fibroblasts/drug effects
• Fibroblasts/metabolism
• Hep G2 Cells
• Humans
• Mitochondria/drug effects
• Mitochondria/metabolism
• Oxidation-Reduction
• Plant Bark/chemistry
• Plant Extracts/chemistry
• Plant Extracts/pharmacology
• Plant Leaves/chemistry
• Polyphenols/analysis
• Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
• Tannins/analysis

Cancer is the major cause of death in the world, representing a significant public health problem. Plants have been shown as a great source of secondary metabolites with anticancer activity. The aim of this work was evaluated the antiproliferative activity of the methanolic extracts, chemical fractions and the compound spinasterol isolated of medicinal plant Stegnosperma halimifolium. The methanolic extracts of stem, leaf and stem/leaf was obtained by maceration. The methanolic extract of stem was purified by successive extractions with solvents as n-hexane, ethyl acetate and ethanol. The n-hexane fraction was separated by column chromatographic and monitored by thin layer chromatographic. The compound spinasterol was characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and Mass Spectrometry. Methanolic extracts, chemical, chromatographic fractions and spinasterol was evaluated against RAW 264.7, M12.C3.F6, PC-3, LS-180, A549 and HeLa cancer cell lines by the standardized method MTT for determinate the antiproliferative activity. Methanolic extract of stem shown the better antiproliferative activity against the murine macrophage cancer cell line RAW 264.7. n-Hexane chemical fraction shown antiproliferative activity against human alveolar cancer cell line A549 and RAW 264.7. Was isolated and characterized a compound by NMR ¹H and ¹³C, revealing the presence of sterol spinasterol. Spinasterol shown to have antiproliferative activity against cervical cancer cell line HeLa and RAW 264.7, indicating that spinasterol can be a responsible compound of antiproliferative activity found in the methanolic extract of Stegnosperma halimifolium.

• Antiproliferative activity
• Spinasterol
• Stegnosperma halimifolium
• Stegnospermaceae

• anti-microbial activity
• green chemistry
• natural products
• silver nanoparticles

• Anti-Infective Agents/chemistry
• Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology
• Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects
• Gram-Positive Bacteria/drug effects
• Green Chemistry Technology/methods
• Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests
• Particle Size
• Plant Extracts/chemistry
• Plant Extracts/pharmacology
• Plant Roots/chemistry
• Reducing Agents/chemistry
• Reducing Agents/pharmacology
• Salvadoraceae/chemistry
• Silver/chemistry
• Silver/pharmacology
• Solubility
• Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared