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Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2022Cancer is still one of the most widespread diseases globally, it is considered a vital health challenge worldwide and one of the main barriers to long life expectancy.... (Review)
Review
Cancer is still one of the most widespread diseases globally, it is considered a vital health challenge worldwide and one of the main barriers to long life expectancy. Due to the potential toxicity and lack of selectivity of conventional chemotherapeutic agents, discovering alternative treatments is a top priority. Plant-derived natural products have high potential in cancer treatment due to their multiple mechanisms of action, diversity in structure, availability in nature, and relatively low toxicity. In this review, the anticancer mechanisms of the most common phytochemicals were analyzed. Furthermore, a detailed discussion of the anticancer effect of combinations consisting of natural product or natural products with chemotherapeutic drugs was provided. This review should provide a strong platform for researchers and clinicians to improve basic and clinical research in the development of alternative anticancer medicines.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Biological Products; Humans; Neoplasms; Phytochemicals
PubMed: 36080219
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27175452 -
The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical... Jun 2022Amauroderma rugosum (AR) is a basidiomycete in the Ganodermataceae family that has been used traditionally to prevent epileptic attacks and constant crying in babies.... (Review)
Review
Amauroderma rugosum (AR) is a basidiomycete in the Ganodermataceae family that has been used traditionally to prevent epileptic attacks and constant crying in babies. However, AR has not been widely studied scientifically. In this review, we summarize the phytochemical components and pharmacological properties of AR that have been reported in the literature. Chemical analyses have revealed that the components of AR include sterols, flavonoids, fatty acids and esters, aromatic acids and esters, phenols, polysaccharides, and triterpenes. Pharmacological properties of AR include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-cancer, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-epileptic, and antibacterial effects. These findings suggest that AR and its bioactive ingredients have potential therapeutic applications, particularly for age-related diseases.
Topics: Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Esters; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts; Polyporaceae
PubMed: 35548873
DOI: 10.1002/kjm2.12554 -
Pharmaceutical Biology Dec 2020ABSRACT (RC) is the dried tubers of (Y. H. Chou and Chun C. Hsu) W. T. Wang ex Z. Y. Su and C. Y. Wu (Papaveraceae). Traditionally, RC is used to alleviate pain such... (Review)
Review
ABSRACT (RC) is the dried tubers of (Y. H. Chou and Chun C. Hsu) W. T. Wang ex Z. Y. Su and C. Y. Wu (Papaveraceae). Traditionally, RC is used to alleviate pain such as headache, abdominal pain, and epigastric pain. Modern medicine shows that it has analgesic, anti-arrhythmia, and other effects. We provided an overview of the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of RC as a foundation for its clinical application and further research and development of new drugs. We collected data of various phytochemical and pharmacological effects of RC from 1982 to 2019. To correlate with existing scientific evidence, we used Google Scholar and the journal databases Scopus, PubMed, and CNKI. '', 'phytochemistry', and 'pharmacological effects' were used as key words. Currently, more than 100 chemical components have been isolated and identified from RC, among which alkaloid is the pimary active component of RC. Based on prior research, RC has antinociceptive, sedative, anti-epileptic, antidepressive and anti-anxiety, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect, drug abstinence, anti-arrhythmic, antimyocardial infarction, dilated coronary artery, cerebral ischaemia reperfusion (I/R) injury protection, antihypertensive, antithrombotic, antigastrointestinal ulcer, liver protection, antimicrobial, anti-inflammation, antiviral, and anticancer effects. RC is reported to be effective in treating a variety of diseases. Current pharmacological studies on RC mainly focus on the nervous, circulatory, digestive, and endocrine systems, as well as drug withdrawal. Although experimental data support the beneficial effects of this drug, its physiological activity remains a concern. Nonetheless, this review provides a foundation for future research.
Topics: Animals; Corydalis; Humans; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Phytochemicals; Plant Preparations; Rhizome
PubMed: 32223481
DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2020.1741651 -
African Journal of Traditional,... 2017Tragia belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae which contains about 152 species. Interestingly, most of the earlier investigations have been done using only five Tragia... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Tragia belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae which contains about 152 species. Interestingly, most of the earlier investigations have been done using only five Tragia species, namely, , , , , and . The objective of the present review is to compile the phytochemical, pharmacological and biological studies of the selected five Tragia species reported in the literature.
METHODS
The reported data/information was retrieved mainly from the online databases of PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE and Botanical Survey of India.
RESULTS
The present review elaborated the phytochemical, pharmacological and biological properties of the selected five Tragia species obtained from recent literature.
CONCLUSION
This review provides a basis for future investigation of Tragia species and, especially for those species that have not been explored for biological and pharmacological activities.
Topics: Euphorbiaceae; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 28480421
DOI: 10.21010/ajtcam.v14i3.11 -
International Journal of Molecular... Dec 2023Inflammation is currently the most investigated cell response, not only for the frequency with which it occurs but essentially due to the growing incidence of...
Inflammation is currently the most investigated cell response, not only for the frequency with which it occurs but essentially due to the growing incidence of inflammatory diseases, increasingly labeled as characteristics of modern society [...].
Topics: Humans; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Inflammation; Plant Extracts; Phytochemicals
PubMed: 38139272
DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417443 -
Nutrients Apr 2022Phytonutrients comprise many different chemicals, including carotenoids, indoles, glucosinolates, organosulfur compounds, phytosterols, polyphenols, and saponins. This... (Review)
Review
Phytonutrients comprise many different chemicals, including carotenoids, indoles, glucosinolates, organosulfur compounds, phytosterols, polyphenols, and saponins. This review focuses on the human healthcare benefits of seven phytochemical families and highlights the significant potential contribution of phytonutrients in the prevention and management of pathologies and symptoms in the field of family health. The structure and function of these phytochemical families and their dietary sources are presented, along with an overview of their potential activities across different health and therapeutic targets. This evaluation has enabled complementary effects of the different families of phytonutrients in the same area of health to be recognized.
Topics: Antioxidants; Carotenoids; Delivery of Health Care; Flavonoids; Humans; Phytochemicals; Polyphenols
PubMed: 35565680
DOI: 10.3390/nu14091712 -
Nutrients Apr 2023Phytochemicals are natural compounds found in food ingredients with a variety of health-promoting properties. Phytochemicals improve host health through their direct... (Review)
Review
Phytochemicals are natural compounds found in food ingredients with a variety of health-promoting properties. Phytochemicals improve host health through their direct systematic absorption into the circulation and modulation of the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota increases the bioactivity of phytochemicals and is a symbiotic partner whose composition and/or diversity is altered by phytochemicals and affects host health. In this review, the interactions of phytochemicals with the gut microbiota and their impact on human diseases are reviewed. We describe the role of intestinal microbial metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, amino acid derivatives, and vitamins, from a therapeutic perspective. Next, phytochemical metabolites produced by the gut microbiota and the therapeutic effect of some selected metabolites are reviewed. Many phytochemicals are degraded by enzymes unique to the gut microbiota and act as signaling molecules in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and metabolic pathways. Phytochemicals can ameliorate diseases by altering the composition and/or diversity of the gut microbiota, and they increase the abundance of some gut microbiota that produce beneficial substances. We also discuss the importance of investigating the interactions between phytochemicals and gut microbiota in controlled human studies.
Topics: Humans; Microbiota; Colon; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Intestines; Phytochemicals
PubMed: 37111207
DOI: 10.3390/nu15081989 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2022Alzheimer's disease remains one of the most widespread neurodegenerative reasons for dementia worldwide and is associated with considerable mortality and morbidity.... (Review)
Review
Alzheimer's disease remains one of the most widespread neurodegenerative reasons for dementia worldwide and is associated with considerable mortality and morbidity. Therefore, it has been considered a priority for research. Indeed, several risk factors are involved in the complexity of the therapeutic ways of this pathology, including age, traumatic brain injury, genetics, exposure to aluminum, infections, diabetes, vascular diseases, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity. The pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease is mostly associated with hyperphosphorylated protein in the neuronal cytoplasm and extracellular plaques of the insoluble β-amyloid peptide. Therefore, the management of this pathology needs the screening of drugs targeting different pathological levels, such as acetylcholinesterase (AchE), amyloid formation, and lipoxygenase inhibitors. Among the pharmacological strategies used for the management of Alzheimer's disease, natural drugs are considered a promising therapeutic strategy. Indeed, bioactive compounds isolated from different natural sources exhibit important anti-Alzheimer effects by their effectiveness in promoting neuroplasticity and protecting against neurodegeneration as well as neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the brain. These effects involve different sub-cellular, cellular, and/or molecular mechanisms, such as the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AchE), the modulation of signaling pathways, and the inhibition of oxidative stress. Moreover, some nanoparticles were recently used as phytochemical delivery systems to improve the effects of phytochemical compounds against Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the present work aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the key advances concerning nano-drug delivery applications of phytochemicals for Alzheimer's disease management.
Topics: Humans; Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Acetylcholinesterase; Phytochemicals; Nanoparticles
PubMed: 36558176
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27249043 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Jan 2021To cope with environmental challenges, plants produce a wide diversity of phytochemicals, which are also the source of numerous medicines. Despite decades of research in...
To cope with environmental challenges, plants produce a wide diversity of phytochemicals, which are also the source of numerous medicines. Despite decades of research in chemical ecology, we still lack an understanding of the organization of plant chemical diversity across species and ecosystems. To address this challenge, we hypothesized that molecular diversity is not only related to species diversity, but also constrained by trophic, climatic, and topographical factors. We screened the metabolome of 416 vascular plant species encompassing the entire alpine elevation range and four alpine bioclimatic regions in order to characterize their phytochemical diversity. We show that by coupling phylogenetic information, topographic, edaphic, and climatic variables, we predict phytochemical diversity, and its inherent composition, of plant communities throughout landscape. Spatial mapping of phytochemical diversity further revealed that plant assemblages found in low to midelevation habitats, with more alkaline soils, possessed greater phytochemical diversity, whereas alpine habitats possessed higher phytochemical endemism. Altogether, we present a general tool that can be used for predicting hotspots of phytochemical diversity in the landscape, independently of plant species taxonomic identity. Such an approach offers promising perspectives in both drug discovery programs and conservation efforts worldwide.
Topics: Altitude; Biodiversity; Climate; Conservation of Natural Resources; Drug Discovery; Ecosystem; Europe; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Metabolome; Phylogeny; Phytochemicals; Plants; Soil; Temperature
PubMed: 33431671
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2013344118 -
Journal of Food Science Apr 2022Coriandrum sativum (coriander) is an edible herb in the family Apiaceae. The leaves, fruits, and stems of C. sativum have long been used as culinary spice due to their... (Review)
Review
Coriandrum sativum (coriander) is an edible herb in the family Apiaceae. The leaves, fruits, and stems of C. sativum have long been used as culinary spice due to their favorable odor. Traditional practitioners used this plant for treating different diseases like blepharitis, scabies, aphthous stomatitis, laryngitis, headache, and palpitation. In modern researches, coriander has demonstrated anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, antimigraine, neuroprotective, analgesic, diuretic, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, hypotensive, anticancer, and antioxidant activities. Coriander contains a wide range of bioactive phytochemicals among which phenylpropenes, terpenoids, isocoumarins, phytosterols, and fatty acids are the most important. This review provides information about the botanical and ethnobotanical aspects, chemical profile, therapeutic uses in Islamic traditional medicine (ITM), and recent pharmacological studies of coriander effects. The results have shown that coriander and its monoterpenoid compound, linalool, can be considered as potential drug candidates for treating metabolic syndrome and different inflammatory conditions especially neural and CNS diseases.
Topics: Antioxidants; Coriandrum; Monoterpenes; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 35279837
DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.16085