A Review on Metabolites from Onchidium Genus: Chemistry and Bioactivity

The Onchidium genus (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Systellommatophora, Onchidiidae family) is used as the important economical shellfish, due to the high nutritional value and medicinal value. Research over the previous decades indicated that Onchidium sp. mainly contains polypropionates, depsipeptides, terpenoids and other chemical components. Many biological activities of Onchidium (e. g., cytotoxic activities against tumor cells, anti-viral and anti-bacterial activities) have been reported. This review reports a total of 60 compounds, synthetic work and biological studies on Onchidium genus, covering the literature from 1978 to date, with a view to providing a reference and helping for the in-depth research of this genus.     

Ethnobotany, chemistry, and biological activities of the genus Tithonia (Asteraceae)

The genus Tithonia is an important source of diverse natural products, particularly sesquiterpene lactones, diterpenes, and flavonoids. The collected information in this review attempts to summarize the recent developments in the ethnobotany, biological activities, and secondary metabolite chemistry of this genus. More than 100 structures of natural products from Tithonia are reported in this review. The species that has been most investigated in this genus is T. diversifolia, from which ca. 150 compounds were isolated. Biological studies are described to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimalarial, antiviral, antidiabetic, antidiarrhoeal, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, vasorelaxant, cancer-chemopreventive, cytotoxic, toxicological, bioinsecticide, and repellent activities. A few of these studies have been carried out with isolated compounds from Tithonia species, but the majority has been conducted with different extracts. The relationship between the biological activity and the toxicity of compounds isolated from the plants of this genus as well as T. diversifolia extracts still remains unclear, and mechanisms of action remain to be determined.     

Chemical Constituents of Plants from the Genus Ixora

Ixora is a genus of ca. 400 species in the family Rubiaceae. Since the 1940s, eighty‐one compounds including phenolics, peptides, terpenoids, and sterols have been isolated from six species of the genus Ixora. Pharmacological studies have shown that these compounds and extracts from the Ixora genus have extensive activities, such as antitumor, chemoprotective, and antioxidant activities. In this review, we summarize the phytochemical progress and list the compounds isolated from the genus Ixora. The biological activities of this genus are also covered.     

Saccharopolyspora: an underexplored source for bioactive natural products

Actinomycetes are a rich source for secondary metabolites with a diverse array of biological activities. Among the various genera of actinomycetes, the genus Saccharopolyspora has long been recognized as a potential source for antibiotics and other therapeutic leads that belong to diverse classes of natural products. Members of the genus Saccharopolyspora have been widely reported from several natural sources including both terrestrial and marine environments. A plethora of this genus has been chemically investigated for the production of novel natural products with interesting pharmacological effects. Therefore, Saccharopolyspora is considered one of the pharmaceutical important genera that could provide further chemical diversity with potential lead compounds. In this review, the literature from 1976 until December 2018 was covered, providing a comprehensive survey of all natural products derived from this genus and their semi-synthetic derivatives along with their biological activities, whenever applicable. Moreover, the biological diversity of Saccharopolyspora species and their habitats were also discussed.     

鼠尾草属植物二萜类化学成分的研究进展

鼠尾草属植物富含二萜类化合物,该类成分不仅具有结构的多变性,而且具有广泛的生物活性。该综述就近十年来从鼠尾草属植物中发现的新二萜类化合物及其生物活性进行总结。     

天然二萜酚类化合物研究进展

本文从来源、结构类型和生物活性三方面,对近８年来新发现的９８种天然二萜酚类化合物进行了综述。这些化合物主要来源于唇形科、灯心草科、卫预先科等科植物,以唇形科鼠属草属最多,结构类型以脱氢松香酸型及重排脱氢松香酸型三环二萜酚类为主。生物活必玉要为抗氧化、抗微生物及抗肿瘤活性。     

金丝桃属植物化学成分研究进展

到目前为止,已从金丝桃属植物中分离得到300多种化合物,主要特征化学成分为萘骈二蒽酮、间苯三酚、酮和黄酮等类型化合物;也含有香豆素、苯丙素、萜类和挥发油等其它类型的化学成分。本文按照化合物结构类型进行了归纳,综述了该类植物的化学成分研究进展,同时简述了这些成分的相关药理作用。     

The use of biological activities to monitor the removal of fuel contaminants—perspective for monitoring hydrocarbon contamination: a review

Soil biological activities are vital for the restoration of soil contaminated with hydrocarbons. Their role includes the biotransformation of petroleum compounds into harmless compounds. In this paper, the use of biological activities as potential monitoring tools or bioindicators during bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil are reviewed. The use of biological activities as bioindicators of hydrocarbon removal in soil has been reported with variable success. This variability can be attributed partially to the spatial variability of soil properties, which undoubtedly plays a role in the exposure of organisms to contaminants. Widely used bioindicators have been enzyme activities, seed germination, earthworm survival and microorganisms or microbial bioluminescence. A mixture of some successful utilization of biological activities and several failures, and inconsistencies reported, show that at this stage there is no general guarantee of successful utilization of biological activities as monitoring tools. Wherever possible, the use of biological activities as bioindicators of hydrocarbon removal must be used to complement existing traditional monitoring tools.     

Secondary Metabolites of Plants from the Genus Chloranthus: Chemistry and Biological Activities

Chloranthus, a genus of the family Chloranthaceae, which is mainly distributed in eastern and southern Asia, has been used in Chinese folk medicine due to its antitumor, antifungal, and anti‐inflammatory activities. This review compiles the research on isolation, structure elucidation, structural diversity, and bioactivities of Chloranthus secondary metabolites reported between 2007 and 2013. The metabolites listed encompass 82 sesquiterpenoids, 50 dimeric sesquiterpenoids, 15 diterpenoids, one coumarin, and five other compounds. Among them, dimeric sesquiterpenoids, the characteristic components of plants from the genus Chloranthus, have attracted considerable attention due to their complex structures and significant biological features, e.g., antitumor, antibacterial, antifungal, anti‐inflammatory, and hepatoprotective activities, and potent and selective inhibition of the delayed rectifier (IK) K⁺ current and tyrosinase.     

Terpenes from the Soft Corals of the Genus Sarcophyton: Chemistry and Biological Activities

This review covers structural diversity and biological activities of terpenes from soft corals of the genus of Sarcophyton, reported from 1995 to July, 2011. During this period, besides undefined species, 16 species of the genus Sarcophyton, from different geographical areas, had been chemically examined. Two hundred and five terpenes had been isolated from this genus, including eleven sesquiterpenes, 165 diterpenes, 29 biscembranoids, some of which had novel skeletons. They exhibited various biological features, such as antifeedant, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, and antifouling activities.     

The genus Laggera (Asteraceae) – Ethnobotanical and Ethnopharmacological Information,Chemical Composition as well as Biological Activities of Its Essential Oils and Extracts: A Review

Most species of the genus Laggera are often used in traditional and folk medicines for the treatment of jaundice, inflammation, leukemia, removing phlegm, bronchitis and bacterial diseases. The essential oils obtained from Laggera plants are rich sources of oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. Among oxygenated monoterpenes, aromatic ether 2,5‐dimethoxy‐p‐cymene is the most abundant and dominant compound of many essential oils of the Laggera species. Till today, to the best of our knowledge, chemical compounds of the essential oils and/or extracts of only eight Laggera species were reported from different countries. Thus, this review presents the chemical compositions and biological activities of the essential oils of these plants studied in thirteen countries. In addition, it discusses the reported ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological information as well as biological activities of the extracts and some of the isolated compounds of Laggera plants species.     

Chemical and Pharmacological Studies of the Plants from Genus Celastrus

The plants of genus Celastrus, distributed in Asia, have been used as natural insecticides and folk medicines to treat fever, chill, joint pain, edema, rheumatoid arthritis, and bacterial infection in China for a long time. This contribution reviews the chemical constituents, 1 – 144 , isolated from the plants in genus Celastrus in the past few decades, and their biological activities. The compounds listed are sesquiterpenes (β‐agarofurans), diterpenes, triterpenes, alkaloids, and flavonoids.     

Phytochemistry and pharmacognosy of the genus Psorospermum

The genus Psorospermum Baker (tribe Vismieae, family Guttiferae, subfamily Hypericoideae) comprises 55 species, mainly of which are represented by shrubs or small trees typically growing in tropical regions of South America, Africa, and Madasgascar. Most of the species of the title genus have been used for centuries in the ethnomedical traditions of indigenous African populations as febrifugal, antidote against poisons, purgative, stomachic, and as a remedy for the treatment of leprosy, skin diseases (like dermatitis, scabies and eczemas), and subcutaneous wounds. Phytochemicals isolated from Psorospermum spp. comprise alkaloids, simple and prenylated anthraquinones, flavonoids, long chain alcohols and hydrocarbons, steroids, tannins, terpenes, and simple and prenylated xanthones. The reported biological activities of the above mentioned natural compounds refer to anti-bacterial, anti-protozoal, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, and neuroprotective effects. The aim of this review is to examine in detail from a phytochemical and pharmacologically points of view what is reported in the current literature about the properties of phytopreparations or individual active principles obtained from plants belonging to Psorospermum genus.     

Recent developments and biological activities of thiazolidinone derivatives: a review

Thiazolidinone is considered as a biologically important active scaffold that possesses almost all types of biological activities. Successful introduction of ralitoline as a potent anti-convulsant, etozoline as a antihypertensive, pioglitazone as a hypoglycemic agent and thiazolidomycin activity against streptomyces species proved potential of thiazolidinone moiety. This diversity in the biological response profile has attracted the attention of many researchers to explore this skeleton to its multiple potential against several activities. This review is complementary to earlier reviews and aims to review the work reported on various biological activities of thiazolidinone derivatives from year 2000 to the beginning of 2011. Data are presented for active compounds, some of which have passed the preclinical testing stage.     

Naturally occurring plant isoquinoline N-oxide alkaloids: Their pharmacological and SAR activities

The present review describes research on novel natural isoquinoline alkaloids and their N-oxides isolated from different plant species. More than 200 biological active compounds have shown confirmed antimicrobial, antibacterial, antitumor, and other activities. The structures, origins, and reported biological activities of a selection of isoquinoline N-oxides alkaloids are reviewed. With the computer program PASS some additional SAR (structure–activity relationship) activities are also predicted, which point toward new possible applications of these compounds. This review emphasizes the role of isoquinoline N-oxides alkaloids as an important source of leads for drug discovery.     

Secondary metabolites of plants from the genus cipadessa: chemistry and biological activity

The plants of genus Cipadessa, which are distributed across India and southwest of China, have been used as natural insecticides, as well as folk medicines for the treatment of a range of maladies such as diabetes, dysentery, malaria, piles, snake poison, rheumatism, etc. This article reviews the chemical constituents that have been isolated from Cipadessa species to date, including their biological activities. The compounds listed are tetranortriterpenoids (limonoids), diterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, flavonoids, steroids, and some others.     

香椿属中三萜类化学成分及生物活性研究进展

香椿属植物在我国民间应用广泛,自1846年香椿属建立以来,不少学者已经对本属植物进行各方面的研究,包括植物生态学和植物化学方面。但到目前为止还不曾见到对该属植物中化学成分和生物活性方面的研究进展进行综述报道。目前对香椿属植物化学成分及生物活性的报道相对集中在三萜类成分,此类成分也是香椿属所在的楝科其他植物特征性成分,该科植物中存在特有的新奇的三萜类成分,不论是化学成分还是生物活性方面都是是当前的研究热点。鉴于此作者对目前国内外报道的香椿属植物中三萜类成分的化学成分及其生物活性研究进行归纳总结,特别是香椿属中三萜的类型以及不同类型三萜代表性的生物活性进行系统归纳,以便为以后研究香椿属其他植物或进一步深入研究开发提供文献支持。     

Diversity of natural products of the genera Curvularia and Bipolaris

Covering from 1963 to 2017.This review provides a summary of some secondary metabolites isolated from the genera Curvularia and Bipolaris from 1963 to 2017. The study has a broad objective. First to afford an overview of the structural diversity of these genera, classifying them depending on their chemical classes, highlighting individual examples of chemical structures. Also some information regarding their biological activities are presented. Several of the compounds reported here were isolated exclusively from endophytic and pathogenic strains in culture, while few from other sources such as sea Anemone and fish. Some secondary metabolites of the genus Curvularia and Bipolaris revealed a fascinating biological activities included: anti-malarial, anti-biofouling, anti-larval, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-cancer, leishmanicidal and phytotoxicity. Herein, we presented a bibliography of the researches accomplished on the natural products of Curvularia and Bipolaris, which could help in the future prospecting of novel or new analogues of active metabolites from these two genera.     

Hypericum sp.: essential oil composition and biological activities

Phytochemical composition of Hypericum genus has been investigated for many years. In the recent past, studies on the essential oils (EO) of this genus have been progressing and many of them have reported interesting biological activities. Variations in the EO composition of Hypericum species influenced by seasonal variation, geographic distribution, phenological cycle and type of the organ in which EO are produced and/or accumulated have also been reported. Although many reviews attributed to the characterization as well as biological activities of H. perforatum crude extracts have been published, no review has been published on the EO composition and biological activities of Hypericum species until recently (Crockett in Nat Prod Commun 5(9):1493–1506, 2010; Bertoli et al. in Global Sci Books 5:29–47, 2011). In this article, we summarize and update information regarding the composition and biological activities of Hypericum species EO. Based on experimental work carried out in our laboratory we also mention possible biotechnology approaches envisaging EO improvement of some species of the genus.     

neo-Clerodane diterpenoids from Ajuga: structural elucidation and biological activity

The presence of several types of allelochemicals has been reported from Ajuga, a Labiatae genus comprising more than 40 species of wide distribution in extratropical regions of both hemispheres. The genus is of great medicinal and economic importance and among the biological properties of the secondary metabolites, the antifeedant activity against pest insects appears to be related to the presence of neo-clerodane type diterpenes. This review focuses on the isolation and structural elucidation of this type of compounds from Ajuga species and the hemisynthetic compounds of closely related structure obtained. The reported biological activity of crude extracts and isolated diterpenes will be briefly commented.