Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Eddie H. Chio, Qing X. Li
Summary: Discovering and developing a pesticide is a time-consuming and expensive process, with only a few companies able to afford it. Pesticide R&D is a high-risk, high-reward business.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Francois Azonwade, Balthazar B. Mabanza-Banza, Anne-Marie Le Ray, Dimitri Breard, Patricia Blanchard, Elvire Goubalan, Baba-Moussa Lamine, Henri Banga-Mboko, Pascal Richomme, Severine Derbre, Severine Boisard
Summary: This study analyzed eight batches of propolis collected from different regions in Benin and Congo, Africa. Results showed that propolis from the center of Benin contained pentacyclic triterpenes and methoxylated stilbenoids or phenanthrenoids, which exhibited antioxidant and potentially cytotoxic properties. Another sample from Benin contained prenylated flavanones known for their anti-AGE activity. The sample from Congo contained triterpene derivatives from the Mangifera indica species.
PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Hongyan Ma, Huiyun Liang, Shengxin Cai, Barry R. O'Keefe, Susan L. Mooberry, Robert H. Cichewicz
Summary: LLAMAS is an effective platform for natural product discovery, allowing for efficient identification and dereplication of DNA-binding molecules from complex mixtures.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mariacaterina Lianza, Ritchy Leroy, Carine Machado Rodrigues, Nicolas Borie, Charlotte Sayagh, Simon Remy, Stefan Kuhn, Jean-Hugues Renault, Jean-Marc Nuzillard
Summary: The role and importance of natural product identification, particularly in the study of secondary metabolites, are discussed in the article. Structural dereplication is recognized as a key element in natural product chemistry, with biological taxonomy of metabolite producing organisms, knowledge of metabolite molecular structures, and availability of metabolite spectroscopic signatures as the three pillars. The article also highlights the construction and role of databases, such as KNApSAcK, UNPD, CSEARCH, and COCONUT, and emphasizes the importance of calculated taxonomic and spectroscopic data as substitutes for missing original data.
Article
Ecology
Sufiya Rashid, Kausar Rashid, Aijaz H. Ganie, Irshad A. Nawchoo, Anzar Ahmad Khuroo
Summary: This study investigated the seed ecology traits and regeneration potential of Actaea kashmiriana. It found that the species' seeds are wind-dispersed and have gradually decreased viability. Treatment with gibberellic acid showed the highest percentage of seed germination.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Samyra Imad Boeno, Ivo Jose Curcino Vieira, Raimundo Braz-Filho, Michel de Souza Passos, Milena Goncalves Curcino Vieira, Maria Fernanda Alves do Nascimento, Douglas Costa Gontijo, Alaide Braga de Oliveira
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the antiplasmodial and cytotoxic effects of compounds isolated from Homalolepis suffruticosa roots and its methanol extract, as well as to dereplicate the extract for metabolic profiling. The isolated compounds and methanol extract showed good antiplasmodial activity, supporting the traditional medicinal use of Simaroubaceae species as antimalarial drugs.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Elia Lacchini, Jhon Venegas-Molina, Alain Goossens
Summary: Metabolic enzymes evolve towards catalytic effectiveness, precision, and speed. Ancient and conserved enzymes involved in fundamental cellular processes have limited metabolite numbers. However, sessile organisms like plants have a vast variety of specialized metabolites, which exceed primary metabolites in number and complexity. Gene duplication, positive selection, and diversifying evolution have allowed relaxed selection and accumulation of mutations in metabolic genes, broadening substrate/product specificity and lowering activation barriers and kinetics. This study showcases the structural and functional diversity of chemical signals and products in plant metabolism using oxylipins and triterpenes.
CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Dongyu Chen, Gefei Hao, Baoan Song
Summary: This article summarizes the research on absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADME-T) property concepts of pesticides, as well as the analysis of their physicochemical properties. Based on these analyses, it is suggested that molecular complexity and residual property concepts should be considered in the study of pesticide-likeness.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Stanislav Harizanov, Nikola Kosturski, Ivan Lirkov, Svetozar Margenov, Yavor Vutov
Summary: The study investigates numerical methods for spectral space-fractional elliptic equations and proposes solution methods with improved computational complexity by reducing the original non-local problem to solving auxiliary linear systems.
FRACTAL AND FRACTIONAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bin Han, Yaohua Wang, Chang Liu, Kexuan Sun, Mengjin Yang, Lisha Xie, Shuncheng Yang, Yuanyuan Meng, Shuyuan Lin, Peng Xu, Jun Li, Qingqing Qiu, Ziyi Ge
Summary: By incorporating a two-dimensional ferroelectric material into a three-dimensional perovskite, the built-in electric field is increased, enhancing exciton dissociation efficiency and leading to the formation of more homogeneous and highly-oriented perovskite crystals. This results in a highly efficient flexible perovskite solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of over 23% and outstanding ambient stability.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Qiang-Qiang Shi, Ya Gao, Jing Lu, Lin Zhou, Ming-Hua Qiu
Summary: Two new triterpenoid-chromone hybrids, cimitriteromones H and I, were isolated from Actaea cimicifuga rhizomes, along with two known analogues. Cimitriteromone I showed cytotoxicity on A-549/Taxol cell line, comparable to the positive control cisplatin.
NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
John Thor Arnason, Cory S. Harris, Jose A. Guerrero-Analco
Summary: Traditionally, phytochemistry has played a significant role in the ethnopharmacology of North and Central America. However, with new decolonial objectives from Indigenous communities, the emphasis has shifted towards evaluating the safety and efficacy of traditional medicines and preparations. This has led to a shift in scientific focus from individual bioactives to comprehensive chemical characterizations and polypharmacy of traditional medicines.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandra Prodea, Alexandra Mioc, Christian Banciu, Cristina Trandafirescu, Andreea Milan, Roxana Racoviceanu, Roxana Ghiulai, Marius Mioc, Codruta Soica
Summary: This review summarizes the recent achievements in triterpene:cyclodextrin inclusion complexes and bioconjugates, emphasizing their practical applications including the development of new isolation and bioproduction protocols, the elucidation of their underlying mechanism of action, the optimization of triterpenes' therapeutic effects, and the development of new topical formulations.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
C. Landa-Cansigno, E. Serviere-Zaragoza, T. K. Morales-Martinez, J. A. Ascacio-Valdes, Z. P. Morreeuw, C. Gauyat, V Stiger-Pouvreau, A. G. Reyes
Summary: This study evaluated the antioxidant and anti-elastase activity of Sargassum horridum extracts and described their chemical composition. The findings suggest that Sargassum horridum may have the potential to prevent skin aging.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Obianuju A. Nwokolo, Brant Kidd, Te'Kara Allen, Alexander S. Minasyan, Suchitra Vardelly, Kristopher D. Johnson, Irina V. Nesterova
Summary: In this study, a memory-based sensor was designed based on the unique kinetic properties of nucleic acid quadruplexes to measure heat changes in small open systems. The sensors are biocompatible, operate homogeneously, and measure small heats released over long time periods, and have been successfully applied to water/propanol mixing and ligand/protein binding.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Prabhakar S. Achanta, Shao-Nong Chen, Guido F. Pauli
Summary: Favipiravir, as an investigational drug for COVID-19 treatment, has a similar structure to essential medicines like pyrazinamide and nicotinamide, and H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) profiling can be used for specific identification and detection of drug falsification or adulteration. This accelerates pharmaceutical quality control measures under increased drug demand and altered economy during a pandemic.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yu Tang, J. Brent Friesen, Dejan S. Nikolic, David C. Lankin, James B. McAlpine, Shao-Nong Chen, Guido F. Pauli
Summary: This study explores the oxidative degradation of prenylated compounds, leading to the formation of aldehydes under certain conditions. The formation of these degradation products is likely realized through epoxidation and subsequent cleavage at the prenyl olefinic bond, as demonstrated in the investigation.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yu Tang, J. Brent Friesen, Dejan S. Nikolic, David C. Lankin, James B. McAlpine, Shao-Nong Chen, Guido F. Pauli
Summary: The off-line combination of CCS and qHNMR allows for the systematic dissection and gravimetric quantification of a chemically complex Rhodiola rosea crude extract, providing accurate discrimination of various metabolite classes. This approach resolves challenges with baselines in NMR and UHPLC analyses, allowing for precise quantitation of metabolites. The use of single, nonidentical internal calibrant in qHNMR enables unambiguous identification of metabolites and absolute quantification, realizing the first chemical standardization of a botanical material capturing a comprehensive metabolome.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Mariana Reis, Bin Zhou, Yvette Alania, Ariene A. Leme-Kraus, Shuxi Jing, James B. McAlpine, Shao-Nong Chen, Guido F. Pauli, Ana K. Bedran-Russo
Summary: The study found that increasing degree of polymerization enhances the biomimicry potential of proanthocyanidins in modulating the mechanical and chemical properties of dentin, the position of inter-flavanyl linkages affects the secondary structure of dentin collagen, and the terminal monomeric flavan-3-ol unit plays a modulatory role in the viscoelasticity of dentin.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yvette Alania, Bin Zhou, Mariana Reis, Ariene A. Leme-Kraus, James B. McAlpine, Shao-Nong Chen, Guido F. Pauli, Ana K. Bedran-Russo
Summary: The study found that galloylated PACs in plant extracts can impact the physical and biological properties of dentin, with de-galloylation reducing their effects on dentin and not altering damping capacity. These results provide valuable information for understanding the structure-activity relationships of PACs.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH PART A
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Shu-Xi Jing, Yvette Alania, Mariana Reis, James B. McAlpine, Shao-Nong Chen, Ana K. Bedran-Russo, Guido F. Pauli
Summary: This study investigated the interaction between PAC oligomers and dentin, and found that aesculitannin E is the most potent PAC compound known to date for enhancing the mechanical properties of dentin.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Takashi Ohtsuki, J. Brent Friesen, Shao-Nong Chen, James B. B. McAlpine, Guido F. F. Pauli
Summary: This study examines the chemical composition of Cannabis sativa products, particularly those containing CBD. The researchers utilize liquid-liquid separation techniques and NMR analysis to identify and quantify the various cannabinoids present. The study demonstrates the complexity and variability of cannabinoid composition in these products.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Bin Zhou, Prabhakar S. Achanta, Gauri Shetye, Shao-Nong Chen, Hyun Lee, Ying-Yu Jin, Jinhua Cheng, Mi-Jin Lee, Joo-Won Suh, Sanghyun Cho, Scott G. Franzblau, Guido F. Pauli, James B. McAlpine
Summary: The paper discusses the structures, naming, and anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity of cyclopeptides such as rufomycin and ilamycin. Through NMR spectroscopy, the configuration and diastereoisomers of these compounds were determined, and semisynthetic derivatives were prepared for validation. Structural differences and conformers were analyzed to understand the biological activity of these compounds, leading to a unified nomenclature for the group.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Long Chi Nguyen, Dongbo Yang, Vlad Nicolaescu, Thomas J. Best, Haley Gula, Divyasha Saxena, Jon D. Gabbard, Shao-Nong Chen, Takashi Ohtsuki, John Brent Friesen, Nir Drayman, Adil Mohamed, Christopher Dann, Diane Silva, Lydia Robinson-Mailman, Andrea Valdespino, Leticia Stock, Eva Suarez, Krysten A. Jones, Saara-Anne Azizi, Jennifer K. Demarco, William E. Severson, Charles D. Anderson, James Michael Millis, Bryan C. Dickinson, Savas Tay, Scott A. Oakes, Guido F. Pauli, Kenneth E. Palmer, David O. Meltzer, Glenn Randall, Marsha Rich Rosner
Summary: This study found that cannabidiol (CBD) can inhibit the infection of SARS-CoV-2 in cells and mice, potentially making it a preventative agent for early-stage SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study also discovered that CBD inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication partially by regulating the host cell's endoplasmic reticulum stress response and interferon signaling pathways. However, the current use of non-medical formulations for prevention or treatment is not recommended.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Shu-Xi Jing, Mariana Reis, Yvette Alania, James B. McAlpine, Shao-Nong Chen, Ana K. Bedran-Russo, Guido F. Pauli
Summary: A scalable preparative isolation scheme was developed to obtain six underivatized cocoa proanthocyanidins, revealing the importance of linkage site in determining the potency of these PACs as dentin biomodifiers.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Bin Zhou, Gauri Shetye, Nina M. Wolf, Shao-Nong Chen, Mallique Qader, G. Joseph Ray, David C. Lankin, Sanghyun Cho, Jinhua Cheng, Joo-Won Suh, Scott G. Franzblau, James B. McAlpine, Guido F. Pauli
Summary: This study identified four new rufomycins compounds from Streptomyces atratus strain MJM3502. Compounds 1 and 2 possess a unique skeletal structure, while compounds 3 and 4 showed remarkable anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Prabhakar S. Achanta, J. Brent Friesen, Guy Harris, Gregory K. Webster, Shao-Nong Chen, Guido F. Pauli
Summary: This study successfully applied countercurrent separation (CCS) to separate ADC molecules, which is the first application of this technique to tackle this problem. Results showed different partition coefficients (K) in an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) for ADC molecules (0.09 < K < 0.16) and its monoclonal antibody IgG (0.16 < K < 0.27), indicating the potential of ATPS and CCS for ADC separation.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Bin Zhou, Yvette Alania, Mariana Reis, Shu-Xi Jing, James B. McAlpine, Ana K. Bedran-Russo, Shao-Nong Chen, Daneel Ferreira, Guido F. Pauli
Summary: Investigation of a pine bark extract led to the discovery of new dimeric and trimeric proanthocyanidins, which have potential applications in enhancing dental biomaterials.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yu Tang, J. Brent Friesen, David C. Lankin, James B. McAlpine, Dejan Nikolic, Shao-Nong Chen, Guido F. Pauli
Summary: The study focuses on the chemical composition of Rhodiola rosea, a widely used dietary supplement. It identifies five new geraniol-derived glucosides and reveals the enantiomeric nature of their aglycone moieties. These findings resolve a dispute regarding the absolute configuration of certain compounds and may explain conflicting bioactivity reports. The study also highlights the importance of precise reporting in structural analysis.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Atieh Hajirahimkhan, Caitlin Howell, Tareisha Dunlap, Shao-Nong Chen, Susan E. Clare, Guido F. Pauli, Judy L. Bolton, Birgit M. Dietz, Seema A. Khan