Trends in Phytochemical Research
Volume:5 Issue: 3, Summer 2021

Ekebergia (Meliaceae) is a genus of flowering shrubs and trees widely distributed in the African continent. It is represented by four species namely E. capensis Sparrm, E. benguelensis Welw. ex C.DC, E. pterophylla (C.DC.) Hofmeyr and E. pumila I.M.Johnst. The information for this review has been collected via a survey performed through several online libraries including the Plantlist, Jstor, Scifinder, PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science and Dictionary of Natural Products. So far, about 69 distinct compounds have been isolated during the previous phytochemical studies of Ekebergia genus plants. These compounds belong to diverse classes of metabolites such as limonoids, triterpenoids, coumarins, steroids, alkaloids, stilbenes and phenolic compounds. Some of these isolates displayed various bioactivities including antiplasmodial, antimicrobial, antiproliferative or uterotonic activities. This review covers the traditional uses, the phytochemical and pharmacological investigations of the genus Ekebergia over the last four decades (1980 to 2020).

Quorum sensing (QS) is a bacterial communication mechanism that regulates the production of many pathogenic factors, including the formation of pigments and the ability to form biofilms that are essential for chronic infections. For discovering new inhibitors on the formation of biofilm formation, over 700 synthetic and natural compounds have been virtually screened against the triphenyl-LasR enzyme involved in Pseudomonas aeruginosa’s QS system. The 3D-QSAR studies revealed the relationship between the quantitative structure of compounds and their activity. The drug-like properties of compounds and effective pharmacophore features on the ligand interaction with protein were investigated by ADME and E-pharmacophore analysis. According to the obtained results, we identified compound with PubChem ID 118732838 with the glide score of -12.34 kcal/mol and oral absorption of 58.75% as the potential compound for inhibiting triphenyl-LasR protein. The study outcomes can help us to identify new drugs to inhibit biofilm formation and decrease bacterial resistance.

The plant Machilus thunbergii Siebold & Zucc., known as Makko tree, is distributed in many countries of south Asia: China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos. The bark of the tree is used for the preparation of incense powder, and the wood is exploited locally. A few applications of the plant in Chinese and Korean traditional medicines have been mentioned, for the treatment of headache, apoplexy, and dyspepsia. This review provides a survey of the main butanolides and neolignans isolated from the bark and leaves of Makko tree, with a focus on anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer compounds. The molecular targets of selected butanolides such as litsenolides A2 and obtusilactone B, and different lignans, including machilins A-I, are discussed. The targeting of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) by machilin A is at the origin of anticancer properties. The review highlights the structural diversity and properties of the machilins.

The aerial parts of Ferula ovina (Boiss.) Boiss.  were extracted by methanol and then fractionated with solvents with different polarity. The evaluation of the bioactivity of the plant extracts including antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiproliferative activity was carried out using various assays. The phenolic and flavonoid compound profile of the extract were established using HPLC analysis. The leaves showed the highest total phenolic content and radical scavenging activity; the flowers had the maximum amount of total flavonoid content, and the stems exhibited the maximum ferrous ion chelating ability. Among ten microorganisms, the plant extract prevented the growth of three strains, namely Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Streptococcus pneumonia. The flower of F. ovina (Boiss.) Boiss shows the best anti-human cervical carcinoma property against HeLa cell lines. Gallic acid was found as the major phenolic compound in the plant extract according to the HPLC analysis.

This study deals with the investigation of the efficacy of solvent free microwave extraction (SFME) method to extract the essential oils from the aerial parts of Malva neglecta Wallr.. The essential oils were then injected onto an HP-5MS column of a commercially available GC/MS (Hewlett-Packard 5973), which resulted in a chromatogram consisting of 24 compounds accounting for 99.9% of the oil composition. In terms of general categories, non-terpene hydrocarbons and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were found to be the major fractions of the chemical profiles. Moreover, hinokione was recognized as the most abundant constituent component of the essential oil comprising 40.7% of the total oil structure. Regarding our findings in this study, the SFME can be introduced as a rapid, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly extraction method for the separation of the essential oils.