Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tingjun Xu, Weiming Chen, Junhong Zhou, Jingfang Dai, Yingyong Li, Yingli Zhao
Summary: Aristolochic acids and analogues are nephrotoxic and potentially carcinogenic, with a wide range of biological sources including traditional medicines. In silico research identified 238 naturally occurring aristolochic acid analogues in 175 species, raising awareness for avoiding toxic species, especially those used as herbal medicines.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Shu-Han Zhang, Yun Wang, Jing Yang, Dan-Dan Zhang, Yan-Lei Wang, Shu-Hui Li, Ying-Ni Pan, Hua-Min Zhang, Yi Sun
Summary: This study analyzed the composition and content of aristolochic acids (AAs) in three medicinal herbs of the Aristolochia genus and evaluated their cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. The results showed the presence of multiple AAs with high cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in these herbs.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Yanfen Zhang, Yehua Han, Chenglong Dong, Chen Li, Tuo Liang, Guannan Ling, Honggang Nie
Summary: A method for rapid characterization of AAAs in serum was developed using IMS-MS, which was validated and successfully applied to the pharmacokinetics study of AAAs in rats, offering a promising way for fast screening and evaluation with high sensitivity and reliability.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Chengcheng Li, Xiaodong Zhang, Yuxin Guo, Farzad Seidi, Xiaotong Shi, Huining Xiao
Summary: This research identified a new type of naturally occurring spherical EPS nanoparticles (EPS-R503) and explored their forming mechanism and potential applications for green synthesis of metal-containing nanosheets.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Salvatore Princiotto, Lalith Jayasinghe, Sabrina Dallavalle
Summary: This review provides an overview of the progress in the synthesis of tetronic acid as a structural key motif of natural compounds. It categorizes the synthetic pathways into intermolecular and intramolecular reactions, and discusses modern methodologies such as microwave irradiation and continuous flow processes.
BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Polymer Science
Emma J. Murphy, Gustavo Waltzer Fehrenbach, Ismin Zainol Abidin, Ciara Buckley, Therese Montgomery, Robert Pogue, Patrick Murray, Ian Major, Emanuele Rezoagli
Summary: The prevention and treatment of diseases require effective functioning immune systems, which can be achieved by eliminating infections and abnormal cells. Immune or biological therapy can stimulate or inhibit the immune system depending on the circumstances. Polysaccharides, abundant biomacromolecules in plants, animals, and microbes, interact with and affect the immune response, playing a crucial role in treating various human illnesses. There is an urgent need to identify natural biomolecules that can prevent infection and treat chronic diseases. This article discusses the therapeutic potential of naturally occurring polysaccharides, extraction methods, and immunological modulatory capabilities.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Morten Suk, Klaus Kuemmerer
Summary: The study investigated the biodegradability of pyridinium cations for the development of greener or sustainable ionic liquids. The results showed that trigonelline and 1-methylnicotinamide were completely mineralizable and non-toxic, while 1-methylnicotinamide was readily biodegradable. Nicotinium structures were biologically persistent but non-toxic, while S-nicotine itself was readily biodegradable. The biodegradability of these pyridinium structures was compared with commercial pyridinium ILs, and it was found that short alkyl residues negatively influenced biodegradability.
Article
Plant Sciences
Richard Philbrook, Marzieh Jafari, Sydney Gerstenberg, Krista L. Say, Jeremy Warren, Andrew Maxwell Phineas Jones
Summary: Polyploidy is a significant evolutionary process in plants and it has been recognized as a key mechanism driving plant diversification and adaptation. This study reveals that polyploidy is a naturally occurring event in cannabis, with natural triploids present at an average frequency of approximately 0.5%. These findings provide valuable insights into the natural variation in ploidy within cannabis populations and contribute to our understanding of cannabis genetics and breeding practices.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yanbei Tu, Ying Yang, Yanfang Li, Chengwei He
Summary: This comprehensive review summarizes the chemical structures and diverse pharmacological activities of coumestans isolated from various plant sources, providing important information on their medicinal values and potential for the rational design and development of more effective drugs. The focus on the counteraction of coumestans against bone diseases and organ damages, along with the involved molecular mechanisms, offers insights into the therapeutic potential of these compounds.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Nataliya Vorobyeva, Alena A. Kozlova
Summary: Classical psychedelics are a family of psychoactive substances with structural similarities to serotonin and affinity for serotonin receptors. They have been found effective in treating various psychiatric conditions. Mental health disorders are a major problem for public health, and current interventions often have limited success. Psychedelics have emerged as promising new tools for the treatment of mental health disorders.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hong-Jian Ji, Jia-Yuan Li, Shi-Fei Wu, Wen-Yong Wu, Chang-Liang Yao, Shuai Yao, Jian-Qing Zhang, De-An Guo
Summary: Among the twelve compounds obtained from Aristolochia contorta roots, compounds 3 and 9 exhibited higher cytotoxicity in human proximal tubular cells. Molecular modeling was used for the first time to evaluate the interactions of compounds 3 and 9 with the target protein OAT1. Structure-activity relationships were briefly discussed.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Suyan Liu, Zhong Xian, Yong Zhao, Lianmei Wang, Jingzhuo Tian, Chen Pan, Jiayin Han, Yushi Zhang, Chunying Li, Yan Yi, Chenyue Liu, Dunfang Wang, Jing Meng, Shasha Qin, Fang Wang, Aihua Liang
Summary: This study analyzed AA analogues in Asarum (Xixin) and its formulations using various methods, revealing that the levels of AA analogues in the main traditional Chinese patent medicines were in the nanogram-per-gram range, suggesting that controlled consumption of Asarum heterotropoides F. Schmidt (Xixin) can be relatively safe.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nalin Singh, Bogdan Barnych, Karen M. Wagner, Debin Wan, Christophe Morisseau, Bruce D. Hammock
Summary: The study explores the biological characteristics and activities of epoxydocosatrienoic acids (EDTs) as a potentially therapeutically relevant group of lipids. EDTs were found to be present in highest concentrations in the liver, with 16,17-EDT consistently being the greatest across analyzed tissues. Enzyme hydrolysis assessment revealed that EDTs are sEH substrates, with greatest relative rate preference for the 13,14-EDT regioisomer.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jingzhuo Tian, Chenyue Liu, Lianmei Wang, Zhong Xian, Yong Zhao, Shasha Qin, Yan Yi, Chunying Li, Jiayin Han, Chen Pan, Yushi Zhang, Suyan Liu, Jing Meng, Xuan Tang, Fang Wang, Meiting Liu, Aihua Liang
Summary: This study investigated the toxicity induced by traditional Chinese medicines containing aristolochic acids. The results showed that there were significant differences in the toxic effects of different types of aristolochic acid analogues, and AA-I might be the critical hazard factor for toxicity. Therefore, controlling the AA-I levels in herbal medicines is necessary to reduce the risk of toxicity associated with the use of Aristolochia herbs in clinical settings.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Ana Vila-Santa, Fernao C. Mendes, Frederico C. Ferreira, Kristala L. J. Prather, Nuno P. Mira
Summary: Microbially produced carboxylic acids have the potential to replace oil-derived chemicals for more sustainable industrial processes. However, implementing this approach for certain carboxylic acids may be difficult, requiring the use of synthetic biology and computational tools to develop new production pathways.
