Synthetic Cinnamides and Cinnamates: Antimicrobial Activity, Mechanism of Action, and In Silico Study.

The severity of infectious diseases associated with the resistance of microorganisms to drugs highlights the importance of investigating bioactive compounds with antimicrobial potential. Therefore, nineteen synthetic cinnamides and cinnamates having a cinnamoyl nucleus were prepared and submitted for the evaluation of antimicrobial activity against pathogenic fungi and bacteria in this study. To determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the compounds, possible mechanisms of antifungal action, and synergistic effects, microdilution testing in broth was used. The structures of the synthesized products were characterized with FTIR spectroscopy, 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, and HRMS. Derivative 6 presented the best antifungal profile, suggesting that the presence of the butyl substituent potentiates its biological response (MIC = 626.62 µM), followed by compound 4 (672.83 µM) and compound 3 (726.36 µM). All three compounds were fungicidal, with MFC/MIC ≤ 4. For mechanism of action, compounds 4 and 6 directly interacted with the ergosterol present in the fungal plasmatic membrane and with the cell wall. Compound 18 presented the best antibacterial profile (MIC = 458.15 µM), followed by compound 9 (550.96 µM) and compound 6 (626.62 µM), which suggested that the presence of an isopropyl group is important for antibacterial activity. The compounds were bactericidal, with MBC/MIC ≤ 4. Association tests were performed using the Checkerboard method to evaluate potential synergistic effects with nystatin (fungi) and amoxicillin (bacteria). Derivatives 6 and 18 presented additive effects. Molecular docking simulations suggested that the most likely targets of compound 6 in C. albicans were caHOS2 and caRPD3, while the most likely target of compound 18 in S. aureus was saFABH. Our results suggest that these compounds could be used as prototypes to obtain new antimicrobial drugs.

Antileishmanial Activity of Cinnamic Acid Derivatives against Leishmania infantum.

Leishmania infantum is the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in South America, the Mediterranean basin, and West and Central Asia. The most affected country, Brazil, reported 4297 VL cases in 2017. L. infantum is transmitted by female phlebotomine sand flies during successive blood meals. There are no validated vaccines to prevent the infection and the treatment relies on drugs that often present severe side effects, which justify the efforts to find new antileishmanial drugs. Cinnamic acid derivatives have shown several pharmacological activities, including antiparasitic action. Therefore, in the present study, the biological evaluation of cinnamic acid and thirty-four derivatives against L. infantum is reported. The compounds were prepared by several synthesis methods and characterized by spectroscopic techniques and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The results revealed that compound 32 (N-(4-isopropylbenzyl)cinnamamide) was the most potent antileishmanial agent (IC50 = 33.71 µM) with the highest selectivity index (SI > 42.46), followed by compound 15 (piperonyl cinnamate) with an IC50 = 42.80 µM and SI > 32.86. Compound 32 was slightly less potent and nineteen times more selective for the parasite than amphotericin B (MIC = 3.14 uM; SI = 2.24). In the molecular docking study, the most likely target for the compound in L. infantum was aspartyl aminopeptidase, followed by aldehyde dehydrogenase, mitochondrial. The data obtained show the antileishmanial potential of this class of compounds and may be used in the search for new drug candidates against Leishmania species.

In silico, in vitro, and in vivo investigation of antioxidant potential and toxicity of ethyl ferulate.

By submitting this manuscript, each author certifies that they have made a direct and substantial contribution to the work reported in the manuscript. In this manuscript the conception, design, investigation, acquisition of data and analysis, interpretation of data and writing of the article were conducted by author Camila Bomfim de Sá under the guidance of professors Margareth de Fátima Formiga Melo Diniz, Hilzeth de Luna Freire Pessôa and Caliandra Maria Bezerra Luna Lima, who also approved the final version of the manuscript. Professor Damião Pergentino de Sousa and his student Mayara Castro de Morais performed the production, synthesis and chemical characterization of ethyl ferulate (EF). Professor Abrahão Alves de Oliveira Filho assessed the in silico tests. PhD student Andressa Brito Lira participated in the critical review of the text for important intellectual content and assisted in the in vitro antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity tests. Kardilandia Mendes de Oliveira participated in acute oral toxicity tests evaluating the biochemical parameters. Students, Tafaela Dias and Cinthia Rodrigues Melo also assisted in the acute oral toxicity testing and preparing of slides for histopathological analysis. Pathologist Alexandre Rolim da Paz analyzed the histopathology results. EF, a phenolic compound of the large class of phenylpropanoids, is derived from ferulic acid and is produced both naturally and synthetically. Its principal pharmacological activities are: anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. This study aimed to investigate the in silico, in vitro and in vivo toxicity and antioxidant activity of EF. The in silico prediction showed more than 20 biological activities as well as good absorption at the biological membranes and no theoretical toxicity. However, EF presented high environmental toxicity. EF presented low hemolytic potential and exerted protective activity for the erythrocyte membrane for only blood type O. EF presented antioxidant activity against H2O2 at all concentrations and all blood types, but no effect against phenylhydrazine, being unable to prevent its oxidative effects. In the acute nonclinical toxicological trial, the treated animals presented behavioral changes (e.g., sedation). Feed intake was higher for the 2000 mg/kg group, but with no significant difference in weight change. The biochemical parameters presented no differences between treated and control animals, and the organs remained intact with no change. Thus, EF presents a low toxic profile and this study provides important information about the toxicity of this compound, suggesting future safe use.

Gallic Acid Alkyl Esters: Trypanocidal and Leishmanicidal Activity, and Target Identification via Modeling Studies.

Eight gallic acid alkyl esters (1−8) were synthesized via Fischer esterification and evaluated for their trypanocidal and leishmanicidal activity using bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei and promastigotes of Leishmania major. The general cytotoxicity of the esters was evaluated with human HL-60 cells. The compounds displayed moderate to good trypanocidal but zero to low leishmanicidal activity. Gallic acid esters with alkyl chains of three or four carbon atoms in linear arrangement (propyl (4), butyl (5), and isopentyl (6)) were found to be the most trypanocidal compounds with 50% growth inhibition values of ~3 µM. On the other hand, HL-60 cells were less susceptible to the compounds, thus, resulting in moderate selectivity indices (ratio of cytotoxic to trypanocidal activity) of >20 for the esters 4−6. Modeling studies combining molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the trypanocidal mechanism of action of gallic acid alkyl esters could be related to the inhibition of the T. brucei alternative oxidase. This suggestion is supported by the observation that trypanosomes became immobile within minutes when incubated with the esters in the presence of glycerol as the sole substrate. These results indicate that gallic acid alkyl esters are interesting compounds to be considered for further antitrypanosomal drug development.

Antifungal Activity of N-(4-Halobenzyl)amides against Candida spp. and Molecular Modeling Studies.

Fungal infections remain a high-incidence worldwide health problem that is aggravated by limited therapeutic options and the emergence of drug-resistant strains. Cinnamic and benzoic acid amides have previously shown bioactivity against different species belonging to the Candida genus. Here, 20 cinnamic and benzoic acid amides were synthesized and tested for inhibition of C. krusei ATCC 14243 and C. parapsilosis ATCC 22019. Five compounds inhibited the Candida strains tested, with compound 16 (MIC = 7.8 µg/mL) producing stronger antifungal activity than fluconazole (MIC = 16 µg/mL) against C. krusei ATCC 14243. It was also tested against eight Candida strains, including five clinical strains resistant to fluconazole, and showed an inhibitory effect against all strains tested (MIC = 85.3-341.3 µg/mL). The MIC value against C. krusei ATCC 6258 was 85.3 mcg/mL, while against C. krusei ATCC 14243, it was 10.9 times smaller. This strain had greater sensitivity to the antifungal action of compound 16. The inhibition of C. krusei ATCC 14243 and C. parapsilosis ATCC 22019 was also achieved by compounds 2, 9, 12, 14 and 15. Computational experiments combining target fishing, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study the potential mechanism of action of compound 16 against C. krusei. From these, a multi-target mechanism of action is proposed for this compound that involves proteins related to critical cellular processes such as the redox balance, kinases-mediated signaling, protein folding and cell wall synthesis. The modeling results might guide future experiments focusing on the wet-lab investigation of the mechanism of action of this series of compounds, as well as on the optimization of their inhibitory potency.

Catechins: Therapeutic Perspectives in COVID-19-Associated Acute Kidney Injury.

Data obtained from several intensive care units around the world have provided substantial evidence of the strong association between impairment of the renal function and in-hospital deaths of critically ill COVID-19 patients, especially those with comorbidities and requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT). Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common renal disorder of various etiologies characterized by a sudden and sustained decrease of renal function. Studies have shown that 5-46% of COVID-19 patients develop AKI during hospital stay, and the mortality of those patients may reach up to 100% depending on various factors, such as organ failures and RRT requirement. Catechins are natural products that have multiple pharmacological activities, including anti-coronavirus and reno-protective activities against kidney injury induced by nephrotoxic agents, obstructive nephropathies and AKI accompanying metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the anti-SARS-CoV-2 and reno-protective effects of catechins from a mechanistic perspective. We believe that catechins may serve as promising therapeutics in COVID-19-associated AKI due to their well-recognized anti-SARS-CoV-2, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that mediate their reno-protective activities.

Methyl 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamate suppresses inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophages and blocks macrophage-adipocyte interaction.

Methyl 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamate (MTC) is a bioactive natural phenylpropanoid. We evaluated anti-inflammatory effects of synthetic MTC in RAW264.7 macrophages and RAW264.7-3T3-L1 adipocytes co-culture. Levels of cytokines and chemokines, as well as NO and PGE2 in cell supernatants were analysed using ELISAs, Griess assay and enzyme immunoassays, respectively. In-cell cytoblot was used to assess levels of proteins; while DNA binding and reporter gene assays were used to measure transcription factor DNA binding and transcriptional activities, respectively. Glucose uptake in adipocytes was evaluated with 2-deoxy-2-[(7-nitro-2, 1, 3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl) amino]-D-glucose uptake. MTC (5-20 µM) suppressed LPS + IFNγ-induced release of TNFα, IL-6 and IL-1ß, as well as NO/iNOS and PGE2/COX-2 levels in RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, there was a reduction in phospho-IκB and phospho-p65 proteins, accompanied by a reduction in total IκB in RAW264.7 cells. Further studies showed that MTC also produced a reduction in NF-κB DNA binding and luciferase activity. Treatment of RAW264.7 cells with MTC (5-20 µM) resulted in enhanced DNA binding of Nrf2 and an increase in ARE-luciferase activity. In a macrophage-adipocyte co-culture, the compound reduced the release of TNFα, IL-6, IL-1ß, MCP-1 and RANTES, while enhancing glucose uptake and activation of AMPKα. Our results suggest that MTC produced anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities in macrophages. MTC also prevented inflammation in macrophage-adipocyte co-culture. The effect of MTC on glucose uptake in adipocytes is proposed to be linked to activation of AMPK.

Piperlongumine as anticancer agent: The story so far about killing many birds with one stone.

Piperlongumine is a biologically and pharmacologically active constituent of the plant Piper longum. This compound is gradually gaining attention because of its ability to inhibit/prevent different cancers. Modern era of molecular oncology is incomplete without ground-breaking discoveries made in the field of cell signaling pathways. High-throughput technologies have considerably improved our understanding about wide ranging signal transduction cascades which play crucial role in cancer development and progression. It is exciting to note that piperlongumine has been shown to pleiotropically modulate different oncogenic signaling pathways. We partition this multi-component review into discrete sections and categorically summarize key findings related to excellent ability of piperlongumine to therapeutically target JAK-STAT, NF-kB and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways. We also set spotlight on regulation of TRAIL pathway and autophagy by piperlongumine in different cancers. On the basis of the current understanding of piperlongumine, molecular biologists and pharmacologists will develop the next generation of translational studies, which will prove to be helpful in improving the clinical outcome and getting a step closer to personalized medicine.

Piplartine Analogues and Cytotoxic Evaluation against Glioblastoma.

Piplartine (1) is an alkamide extracted from plants of the genus Piper which shows several pharmacological properties, including antitumor activity. To improve this activity, a series of analogues based on 1 have been synthesized by esterification and amidation using the 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid-like starting material. During the study, the moieties 3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)acrylate and 3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)acrylamide were maintained on esters and amides respectively. Meanwhile, functional changes were exploited, and it was revealed that the presence of two aromatic rings in the side-chain was important to improve the cytotoxic activity against the U87MG cell line, such as the compound (E)-benzhydryl 3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)acrylate (10), an ester that exhibited strong cytotoxicity and a similar level of potency to that of paclitaxel, a positive control. Compound 10 had a marked concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on the viability of the U87MG cell line with apoptotic and oxidative processes, showing good potential for altering main molecular pathways to prevent tumor development. Moreover, it has strong bioavailability with non-genotoxic and non-cytotoxic properties on human blood cells. In conclusion, the findings of the present study demonstrated that compound 10 is a promising agent that may find applications combatting diseases associated with oxidative stress and as a prototype for the development of novel drugs used in the treatment of glioblastoma.

Analgesic-Like Activity of Essential Oil Constituents: An Update.

The constituents of essential oils are widely found in foods and aromatic plants giving characteristic odor and flavor. However, pharmacological studies evidence its therapeutic potential for the treatment of several diseases and promising use as compounds with analgesic-like action. Considering that pain affects a significant part of the world population and the need for the development of new analgesics, this review reports on the current studies of essential oils' chemical constituents with analgesic-like activity, including a description of their mechanisms of action and chemical aspects.

Cardiovascular Activity of the Chemical Constituents of Essential Oils.

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death in developed and developing countries and decrease the quality of life, which has enormous social and economic consequences for the population. Recent studies on essential oils have attracted attention and encouraged continued research of this group of natural products because of their effects on the cardiovascular system. The pharmacological data indicate a therapeutic potential for essential oils for use in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, this review reports the current studies of essential oils chemical constituents with cardiovascular activity, including a description of their mechanisms of action.

Modulation of chemical dermal absorption by 14 natural products: a quantitative structure permeation analysis of components often found in topical preparations.

A large number of cosmetics and topical pharmaceuticals contain compounds of natural origin. There is a rising concern if these compounds can interact with the activity of other topically applied components in these formulations. The current study demonstrates modulation of dermal absorption of model components often found in topical preparations (14C caffeine and 14C salicylic acid) by a set of 14 compounds of natural origin using a flow through in vitro porcine skin diffusion system. The parameters of flux and permeability were calculated and quantitative structure permeation relationship (QSPR) analysis conducted on different molecular descriptors of modulator compounds. Terpinyl acetate was the greatest permeability/flux enhancer for caffeine followed by s-perillyl acetate and limonene 1,2-epoxide. The permeability/flux of salicylic acid was highest with hydroxycitronellal followed by limonene 1,2-epoxide and s-perillyl acetate. The optimum descriptors using stepwise regression analysis for predicting additive modulation on penetrant permeability/flux were polar surface area, log P for caffeine and Henry's Law constant, number of freely rotatable bonds, and water solubility for salicylic acid. In parallel with the experimental techniques, a novel mathematical model was developed to estimate the permeability coefficients and improve the stepwise regression analysis for assessing modulator effects. The r2 values significantly increased for multicomponent QSPR models. Notably, limonene 1,2-epoxide and s-perillyl acetate were excellent enhancers for both caffeine and salicylic acid. These results confirm that some natural products incorporated into topical formulations will enhance absorption of other components which could affect their safety and efficacy profiles.

Antinociceptive and anticonvulsant effects of the monoterpene linalool oxide.

CONTEXT: Linalool oxide (OXL) (a monoterpene) is found in the essential oils of certain aromatic plants, or it is derived from linalool. The motivation for this work is the lack of psychopharmacological studies on this substance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate OXL's acute toxicity, along with its anticonvulsant and antinociceptive activities in male Swiss mice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: OXL (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg, i.p.) was investigated for acute toxicity and in the Rota-rod test. Antinociceptive activity was evaluated by the acetic acid-induced writhing test, and by formalin testing. Anticonvulsant effects were demonstrated by testing for pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures and by Maximum Electroshock headset (MES) test. OXL was administered to the animals intraperitoneally 30 min before for pharmacological tests. RESULTS: OXL showed an LD50 of ∼721 (681-765) mg/kg. In the Rota-rod test, it was observed that OXL caused no damage to the animal's motor coordination. OXL significantly reduced (p < .001) the number of writhings. OXL also significantly decreased (p < .05, p < .01 or p < .001) paw-licking time in the two phases of the formalin test. OXL significantly reduced (p < .01 or p < .001) the duration of tonic seizures in the MES test, and at the dose 150 mg/kg, significantly increased (p < .01) the latency to first seizure in the PTZ test. CONCLUSION: The tested doses of OXL were safe, with no motor impairment, and show clear antinociceptive and anticonvulsant potential. Future investigations with this monoterpene may lead to the development of a new molecule with even higher potency and selectivity.

Evaluation of Antiparasitc Activity of Mentha crispa Essential Oil, Its Major Constituent Rotundifolone and Analogues against Trypanosoma brucei.

Considering the pressing need for new drugs to treat sleeping sickness and Nagana disease, Mentha crispa essential oil, its principal constituent rotundifolone, and four related p-menthane-type monoterpenes (two stereoisomers of limonene epoxide, perillyl alcohol, and perillyl aldehyde) were investigated for their activity against bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei. The general cytotoxicity of the compounds was determined with human myeloid HL-60 cells. The effect of the M. crispa essential oil and the monoterpenes on the growth of parasite and human cells was evaluated in cell cultures with the resazurin viability assay. Of all of the compounds tested, M. crispa essential oil, rotundifolone, and perillyl aldehyde showed the highest trypanocidal activities with 50 % growth inhibition (GI50) and minimum inhibitory concentration values of 0.3 µg/mL and 1 µg/mL, respectively. In contrast, HL-60 cells were considerably less sensitive to the compounds with minimum inhibitory concentration values of 100 µg/mL and GI50 values ranging between 3.4 to 13.8 µg/mL. As a consequence of this, GI50 and minimum inhibitory concentration ratios of cytotoxic to trypanocidal activity (selectivity index) of these three compounds were promising with values of 11-45 and 100, respectively. These results indicate that the p-menthane-type monoterpenes rotundifolone and perillyl aldehyde are interesting lead candidates for further rational antitrypanosomal drug development.

Trypanocidal and cysteine protease inhibitory activity of isopentyl caffeate is not linked in Trypanosoma brucei.

Previously, it was reported that caffeic acid esters inhibit the growth of bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei and the activity of its major lysosomal cathepsin L-like cysteine protease, TbCATL. However, whether this trypanocidal activity is due to inactivation of TbCATL has not so far been demonstrated. Caffeic acid isopentyl ester (isopentyl caffeate) displayed antitrypanosomal activity against T. brucei bloodstream forms with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and 50 % growth inhibition (GI50) values of 1 and 0.31 µg/ml, respectively. The ester also inhibited the activity of purified TbCATL but with a 27-fold higher half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 8.5 µg/ml compared to its GI50 value. In contrast to previous suggestion, isopentyl caffeate did not interact with the active site of TbCATL but inhibited the enzyme in a non-competitive way. In addition, the ester was ineffective in blocking the proteolysis in the lysosome of the parasite, which, however, is a hallmark for inhibitors whose trypanocidal action is through inactivation of TbCATL. These results suggest that the antitrypanosomal activity of isopentyl caffeate (and probably of other caffeic acid esters) cannot be attributed to inhibition of TbCATL. Nevertheless, caffeic acid esters are interesting compounds with promising antitrypanosomal activity. This is supported by a more than 100 times less sensitivity of human HL-60 cells to isopentyl caffeate indicating that the ester has a favourable selectivity profile.

In Vivo Anti-Tumor Activity and Toxicological Evaluations of Perillaldehyde 8,9-Epoxide, a Derivative of Perillyl Alcohol.

Recent studies have revealed the high cytotoxicity of p-menthane derivatives against human tumor cells. In this study, the substance perillaldehyde 8,9-epoxide, a p-menthane class derivative obtained from (S)-(-)-perillyl alcohol, was selected in order to assess antitumor activity against experimental sarcoma 180 tumors. Toxicological effects related to the liver, spleen, kidneys and hematology were evaluated in mice submitted to treatment. The tumor growth inhibition rate was 38.4%, 58.7%, 35.3%, 45.4% and 68.1% at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg/day for perillaldehyde 8,9-epoxide, perillyl alcohol and 25 mg/kg/day for 5-FU intraperitoneal treatments, respectively. No toxicologically significant effect was found in liver and kidney parameters analyzed in Sarcoma 180-inoculated mice treated with perillaldehyde 8,9-epoxide. Histopathological analyses of the liver, spleen, and kidneys were free from any morphological changes in the organs of the animals treated with perillaldehyde 8,9-epoxide. In conclusion, the data suggest that perillaldehyde 8,9-epoxide possesses significant antitumor activity without systemic toxicity for the tested parameters. By comparison, there was no statistical difference for the antitumor activity between perillaldehyde 8,9-epoxide and perillyl alcohol.

In vitro and in vivo toxicological evaluations of methyl ferulate, methyl p-coumarate, and pulegone 1,2-epoxide.

CONTEXT: Toxicological screening of natural compounds for medicinal purposes. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to evaluate the toxicity of methyl ferulate (MF), methyl p-coumarate (MpC), and pulegone 1,2-epoxide (PE) with in vitro and in vivo assays. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The in vitro toxicity of MF, MpC, and PE was assessed at a concentration of 10 mg/ml with the Ames assay using two strains of Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100. Human red blood cells (RBC) were used to determine the hemolytic activity of these compounds. The cytotoxicity of above compounds was determined with brine shrimp lethality bioassay (BSLB) at the concentrations of 0.1-20 mg/ml. While dermal and ocular irritation studies were conducted on healthy rabbits (n = 8) for 96 and 12 h post-topical application of test compounds, respectively. RESULTS: PE produced 6-8% hemolysis of RBCs at all the tested concentrations while MF and MpC produced 10-5% hemolysis up to 20 mg/ml, and 50-85% hemolysis at concentrations of 40 and 80 mg/ml, respectively. The Ames assay indicated that MF, MpC, and PE were non-mutagenic as the test values were not significantly higher as compared with background values of the assay. BSLB suggested the lethal concentration (LC50) values of MF, MpC, and PE as 4.38, 6.74, and 25.91 mg/ml, respectively. In vivo ocular and dermal irritation scores of MF, MpC, and PE were comparable with ethanol (control) in rabbits indicating the non-irritant nature of these natural compounds. CONCLUSION: The present studies suggest that these compounds are non-toxic/non-irritant and might be used for medicinal purposes.

Oxime derivatives with larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti L.

Oximes containing secondary metabolites constitute an important group of bioactive compounds and have been described and frequently updated in the literature due to their pharmacological properties. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the larvicidal activity of a series of fourteen structurally related [1,4]-Benzoquinone mono-oximes on third-instar Aedes aegypti larvae and to investigate structure-activity relationships (SAR) of these compounds. Results of larvicidal assay revealed that all oximes were found to have larvicidal activity. Compound 2,6-dimethyl-[1,4]-benzoquinone oxime tosylate (11) was the most bioactive (LC50 = 9.858 ppm), followed by 2-methyl-[1,4]-benzoquinone oxime tosylate (9) (LC50 = 14.450 ppm). [1,4]-benzoquinone oxime (1) exhibited the lowest potency, with an LC50 = 121.181 ppm. The molecular characteristics which may help to understand the assayed compounds larvicidal activity were identified. SAR indicates that the addition of alkyl groups attached to the ring, number, position in the unsaturated cyclic structure, and size of these groups influence the larvicidal activity. Moreover, the lipophilicity seems to play an important role in increasing the larvicidal effect, because, in general, tosyl-containing products were more potent than products containing free OH.

Analgesic Potential of Essential Oils.

Pain is an unpleasant sensation associated with a wide range of injuries and diseases, and affects approximately 20% of adults in the world. The discovery of new and more effective drugs that can relieve pain is an important research goal in both the pharmaceutical industry and academia. This review describes studies involving antinociceptive activity of essential oils from 31 plant species. Botanical aspects of aromatic plants, mechanisms of action in pain models and chemical composition profiles of the essential oils are discussed. The data obtained in these studies demonstrate the analgesic potential of this group of natural products for therapeutic purposes.

A Systematic Review of the Anxiolytic-Like Effects of Essential Oils in Animal Models.

The clinical efficacy of standardized essential oils (such as Lavender officinalis), in treating anxiety disorders strongly suggests that these natural products are an important candidate source for new anxiolytic drugs. A systematic review of essential oils, their bioactive constituents, and anxiolytic-like activity is conducted. The essential oil with the best profile is Lavendula angustifolia, which has already been tested in controlled clinical trials with positive results. Citrus aurantium using different routes of administration also showed significant effects in several animal models, and was corroborated by different research groups. Other promising essential oils are Citrus sinensis and bergamot oil, which showed certain clinical anxiolytic actions; along with Achillea wilhemsii, Alpinia zerumbet, Citrus aurantium, and Spiranthera odoratissima, which, like Lavendula angustifolia, appear to exert anxiolytic-like effects without GABA/benzodiazepine activity, thus differing in their mechanisms of action from the benzodiazepines. The anxiolytic activity of 25 compounds commonly found in essential oils is also discussed.