Trends in Phytochemical Research
Volume:8 Issue: 4, Autumn 2024

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.), a popular spice, is explored in the literature for its chemical constituents and pharmacological potential. In the current investigation, a comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate the role of stigmasterol in the biochemical and therapeutic properties of fenugreek grown under controlled and natural environmental conditions. Fenugreek treated with stigmasterol significantly (p < 0.001) increased the production of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, and tannins, as well as antioxidants, in field grown plants compared to in vitro calli. In vivo-grown plants also showed stronger antitumor (IC50 = 0.001 μg/mL) and antidiabetic activities (IC50 < 1.0 µg/mL) upon treatment with stigmasterol. GC-MS analysis depicted an augmentation of ester acids along with phytol and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol production in stigmasterol-treated samples. This suggests that stigmasterol effectively boosts the medicinal properties of fenugreek and could be explored for enhancing the bioactive properties of other medicinal plants.

Giardiasis, caused by Giardia lamblia, is a prevalent and problematic infection. Current treatments, such as metronidazole have some limitations. Flavonoids may possess anti-giardia properties. As CP2 (giardipain-1) plays a critical role in the parasite's pathogenicity, the present study aimed to discover if the flavonoids of marjoram can target CP2 and inhibit it. After modeling the CP2 spatial structure and obtaining the chemical structure of flavonoids, molecular docking was performed using PyRx. Subsequently, pharmacokinetics and the toxicity of flavonoids with the highest binding affinity for CP2 were investigated. Finally, molecular dynamics simulation was conducted on CP2 and the final candidate. Among marjoram flavonoids, isovitexin, cosmosiin, and apigenin 7-O-methylglucuronide exhibited the highest binding affinity for CP2. However, toxicity studies revealed that isovitexin and cosmosiin are mutagens. Therefore, only apigenin 7-O-methylglucuronide can be considered a potential drug for treating giardiasis. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

The gum of Ferula ammoniacum (D.Don) Spalik, M.Panahi, Piwczyński & Puchałka is an herbal remedy used in traditional medicines for its effectiveness against various ailments. The phytochemical analysis of the ethyl acetate extract of the gum ammoniacum led to the discovery of two novel meroterpene derivatives 1 and 2. The structural elucidation of these isolated compounds was accomplished though 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, and HRESIMS, alongside comparison with existing literature data. Compound 1 represents a previously unreported meroterpenoid with a unique natural skeleton. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for this compound has also been proposed.

This study explored the impact of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) on the biochemistry and seed oil profile of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). Sesame plants were treated foliarly with varying dosages of SeNPs (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mg/L) and 5 mg/L of selenium salt. UV-Visible spectrum indicated a peak absorption at 279 nm for SeNPs, while FTIR analysis confirmed the reduction of sodium selenite to SeNPs using Allium sativum extract. The highest total flavonoid content (TFC) and total phenolic content (TPC) were recorded at 14.72 and 14.24 mg/g, respectively, for the 40 mg/L treatment. Additionally, GC-MS analysis identified thirty-five chemical compounds in sesame seed oil. The Kyoto encyclopaedia of gene and genomics (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed significant metabolite enrichment across eight pathways, particularly in pyruvate metabolism. Overall, SeNPs enhanced the biochemical profile and metabolite detection in sesame seed oil, potentially improving crop yield and stress resilience.

Forest savory (Satureja mutica Fisch. & C. A. Mey) is known as an oil-bearing plant which is used in the pharmaceutical, health and food industries. We studied the effect of 0, 50, 100 and150 mM NaCl on some physio-biochemical, photosynthetic and antioxidant characteristics  in a greenhouse completely randomized design experiment (CRD, r = 3). Results showed that NaCl levels on average reduced the shoot dry weight, EO yield/plant, chlorophyll a, b, a+b, carotenoied and carvacrol content respectively by 40.90, 38.65, 38.39, 24.41, 34.92,444, and 63.90%. However NaCl levels on average increased leaf proline content (805.13%), leaf protein content (36.06%), SOD activity (392.98%), POD (115.52%), catalase activity (704.60%), EO percent (10.70%), p-cymene (58.06%), and thymol content (22.66%). Results confirmed that S. mutica tolerates salt less than 100 mM. Therefore, plantation of this species don’t recommend in the salty soils.

In the present study, we have extracted the secondary metabolites from Dictyota dichotoma and evaluated their anticancer properties against Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) breast cancer cell lines. Different solvent extracts were used to isolate the bioactive molecules form D. dichotoma. Among them, methanol extract showed the highest total phenol content (TPC: 306.31 ± 1.7 GAE mg/g extract), total tannin content (TTC: 291.90 ± 1.2 RE mg/g extract) and total flavonoid content (TFC: 92.89 ± 0.6 GAE mg/g extract). The antioxidant ABTS assay of methanol extract inhibited 74.51 ± 0.10% of free radicals and phosphomolybdenum assay showed 62.36 ± 0.04 mg/g AAE/g extract. Furthermore, bioactive compounds were characterised by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), highly performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The GC-MS results revealed 29 bioactive compounds that are highly potential biological activities. The extracted compound was quantified and confirmed by HPLC and FT-IR. The D. dichotoma methanol extract effectively induced the apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and recorded IC50 value of 44.35  ±  8.62 µg/mL.