Phytochemical Profiling, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Potentials of Ethanol and Ethyl Acetate Extracts of Chamaenerion latifolium L.

The study investigates the phytochemical profile, antioxidant capacity, and antimicrobial activities of ethanol (ChL-EtOH) and ethyl acetate (ChL-EtOAc) extracts from Chamaenerion latifolium L. (ChL) harvested in Kazakhstan. The ChL-EtOH extract exhibited higher total phenolic (267.48 ± 3.44 mg GAE/g DE) and flavonoid content (24.18 ± 1.06 mg QE/g DE) compared to ChL-EtOAc. HPLC-UV-ESI/MS identified key phenolic acids and flavonoids, including gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and quercetin 3-glucoside. FT-IR analysis confirmed the presence of characteristic functional groups. Antioxidant assays revealed strong DPPH scavenging and FRAP activities, with ChL-EtOH showing superior results (IC50 = 21.31 ± 0.65 µg/mL and 18.13 ± 0.15 µg/mL, respectively). Additionally, ChL-EtOH displayed notable antimicrobial efficacy against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as the fungal strain Candida albicans. These findings suggest that ethanol extraction is more efficient for isolating bioactive compounds from ChL, underscoring its potential for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.

Current Evidence on Molecular Mechanisms of Andrographolide in Cancer.

Cancer, a diverse group of diseases characterized by abnormal cell growth and the potential to spread throughout the body, accounts for approximately 10 million deaths globally each year. Current cancer therapies, including chemotherapy, radiation, and various pharmacological treatments, present several challenges and potential side effects. It is important to differentiate these conventional methods, which often involve synthetic drugs, from adjuvant therapies that might be used in conjunction. As a result, there is an increasing interest in alternative therapies, particularly in agents derived from natural sources for cancer treatment. Secondary metabolites have shown promise in promoting the development of new clinical drugs with various anti-cancer mechanisms. This review focuses on the anti-cancer potential of the novel metabolite Andrographolide, extracted mainly from Andrographis paniculata. The chemopreventive properties and the ability to inhibit various signaling pathways across different types of cancers without side effects posit Andrographolide as a promising natural antitumour agent. The review identified that Andrographolide inhibits multiple signaling pathways, contributing to its anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic, and apoptotic effects in various cancers. The compound's natural origin and lack of adverse side effects make it particularly attractive as a therapeutic agent. However, further detailed studies are needed to fully understand its specific mechanisms and potential clinical applications. Andrographolide presents a compelling option as a natural anticancer agent with the potential to overcome some limitations of traditional cancer treatments. Its broad spectrum of anti-cancer activities and absence of side effects highlight its therapeutic potential. The review highlights that continued research and clinical studies are important for confirming the effectiveness and safety of Andrographolide in human use, alongside optimizing dosage and delivery techniques.

Chemotherapeutic properties and side-effects associated with the clinical practice of terpene alkaloids: paclitaxel, docetaxel, and cabazitaxel.

Over the years, many biological and synthetic agents have been explored and tested in attempts to halt the spread of cancer and/or cure it. Currently, several natural compounds have and are being considered in this regard. For example, paclitaxel is a potent anticancer drug that originates from the tree Taxus brevifolia. Paclitaxel has several derivatives, namely, docetaxel and cabazitaxel. These agents work by disrupting microtubule assembling dynamics and inducing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, ultimately triggering apoptosis. Such features have helped to establish paclitaxel as an authoritative therapeutic compound against neoplastic disorders. After the completion of compound (hemi) synthesis, this drug received approval for the treatment of solid tumors either alone or in combination with other agents. In this review, we explore the mechanisms of action of paclitaxel and its derivatives, the different formulations available, as well as the molecular pathways of cancer resistance, potential risks, and other therapeutic applications. In addition, the role of paclitaxel in hematological malignancies is explored, and potential limitations in the therapeutic use of paclitaxel at the clinical level are examined. Furthermore, paclitaxel is known to cause increased antigen presentation. The immunomodulatory potential of taxanes, alone or in combination with other pharmacologic agents, is explored. Despite terpene-alkaloids derivatives' anti-mitotic potential, the impact of this class of drugs on other oncogenic pathways, such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the epigenetic modulation of the transcription profile of cancer cells, is also analyzed, shedding light on potential future chemotherapeutic approaches to cancer.

Lasia spinosa Chemical Composition and Therapeutic Potential: A Literature-Based Review.

Lasia spinosa (L.) is used ethnobotanically for the treatment of various diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation of the lungs, bleeding cough, hemorrhoids, intestinal diseases, stomach pain, and uterine cancer. This review is aimed at summarizing phytochemistry and pharmacological data with their molecular mechanisms of action. A search was performed in databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar using the keywords: "Lasia spinosa," then combined with "ethnopharmacological use," "phytochemistry," and "pharmacological activity." This updated review included studies with in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo experiments with compounds of known concentration and highlighted pharmacological mechanisms. The research results showed that L. spinosa contains many important nutritional and phytochemical components such as alkanes, aldehydes, alkaloids, carotenoids, flavonoids, fatty acids, ketones, lignans, phenolics, terpenoids, steroids, and volatile oil with excellent bioactivity. The importance of this review lies in the fact that scientific pharmacological evidence supports the fact that the plant has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antidiarrheal, antihelminthic, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, and antinociceptive effects, while protecting the gastrointestinal system and reproductive. Regarding future toxicological and safety data, more research is needed, including studies on human subjects. In light of these data, L. spinosa can be considered a medicinal plant with effective bioactives for the adjuvant treatment of various diseases in humans.