Junipers of Various Origins as Potential Sources of the Anticancer Drug Precursor Podophyllotoxin.

Juniper representatives are natural sources of plenty of bioactive metabolites and have been used since ancient times as folk remedies against tapeworms, warts, cancer, etc. The antiproliferative activities of junipers are attributed to podophyllotoxin (PPT), which is a precursor for the synthesis of efficient anticancer drugs. However, the natural sources of PPT, Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Royle) T. S. Ying and Podophyllum peltatum L., are already endangered species because of their intensive industrial exploitation. Therefore, identification of other sources of PPT is necessary. This study is a broad comparative investigation of junipers, for which original sources have been accessed from different continents of the world. The present research is aimed at the identification of species, producing PPT and other lignans at concentrations that are sufficient for the high antiproliferative activity of the corresponding extracts. Cytotoxic juniper leaf extracts demonstrated a broad spectrum of activity on a panel of cancer cell lines. The antiproliferative properties of junipers were attributed to the combined activity of great diversity of lignans (podophyllotoxin, deoxypodophyllotoxin, ß-peltatin, yatein, matairesinol, anhydropodorhizol, etc.), detected by UHPLC-HRMS and LC-ESI-MS/MS in the corresponding extracts. Several species of the genus Juniperus L. were outlined as perspective sources of drug precursors with potential pharmaceutical applications.

Discovery of a Novel Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor by Fragment-Based Design and Virtual Screening.

Despite extensive and intensive research efforts in recent decades, there is still no effective treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. On this background, the use of drugs inhibiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) remains an eternal evergreen in the symptomatic treatment of mild to moderate cognitive impairments. Even more, the cholinergic hypothesis, somewhat forgotten in recent years due to the shift in focus on amyloid cascade, is back to life, and the search for new, more effective AChE inhibitors continues. We generated a fragment-based library containing aromatic moieties and linkers originating from a set of novel AChE inhibitors. We used this library to design 1220 galantamine (GAL) derivatives following the model GAL (binding core) - linker (L) - aromatic fragment (Ar). The newly designed compounds were screened virtually for blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and binding to AChE. Among the top 10 best-scored compounds, a representative lead molecule was selected and tested for anti-AChE activity and neurotoxicity. It was found that the selected compound was a powerful non-toxic AChE inhibitor, 68 times more active than GAL, and could serve as a lead molecule for further optimization and development.

Galantamine-Curcumin Hybrids as Dual-Site Binding Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors.

Galantamine (GAL) and curcumin (CU) are alkaloids used to improve symptomatically neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD). GAL acts mainly as an inhibitor of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). CU binds to amyloid-beta (Aß) oligomers and inhibits the formation of Aß plaques. Here, we combine GAL core with CU fragments and design a combinatorial library of GAL-CU hybrids as dual-site binding AChE inhibitors. The designed hybrids are screened for optimal ADME properties and BBB permeability and docked on AChE. The 14 best performing compounds are synthesized and tested in vitro for neurotoxicity and anti-AChE activity. Five of them are less toxic than GAL and CU and show activities between 41 and 186 times higher than GAL.

Chemical composition, olfactory evaluation and antimicrobial activity of selected essential oils and absolutes from Morocco.

The chemical compositions of selected essential oils from North Africa, especially Morocco, of geranium, wild Moroccan chamomile and rosemary as well as absolutes of rose and geranium were determined using GC/FID and GC/MS. These oils and absolutes were tested concerning their antimicrobial activity against some food spoilage strains obtained from fresh milk and minced meat products, like sausages and pork fillet, in accordance with ISO testing procedures. Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella abony and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) strains were used, as well as the yeast Candida albicans. Using a serial broth dilution method, all samples demonstrated weak antimicrobial activity against the Gram-negative bacteria and the yeast, compared with the activity towards the Gram-positive bacteria.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of cumin oil (Cuminum cyminum, Apiaceae).

Cumin oil samples (Cuminum cyminum L.) from four different geographical origins were analyzed using GC-MS and GC-FID for their qualitative and quantitative composition. The major compounds in all cumin oils were the monoterpenes beta-pinene, p-cymene and gamma-terpinene and the terpenoid aldehydes cuminic aldehyde and the isomeric menthadien carboxaldehydes. All essential oils, and cuminic aldehyde, were tested, using agar diffusion and serial dilution methods, against different Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria isolated from different sources of food (pork fillet, minced meat and sausages) and clinical isolates, as well as three different Candida albicans isolates. All cumin oils and cuminic aldehyde exhibited a considerable inhibitory effect against all the organisms tested, except Pseudomonas spp.

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of selected essential oils and some of their main compounds.

The chemical composition of essential oils of cabreuva (Myrocarpus fastigiatus Allemao, Fabaceae) from Brazil, cedarwood (Juniperus ashei, Cupressaceae) from Texas, Juniper berries (Juniperus communis L., Cupressaceae) and myrrh (Commiphora myrrha (Nees) Engl., Burseraceae) were analyzed using GC/FID and GC/MS. The antimicrobial activity of these essential oils and some of their main compounds were tested against eleven different strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by using agar diffusion and agar serial dilution methods. Animal and plant pathogens, food poisoning and spoilage bacteria were selected. The volatile oils exhibited considerable inhibitory effects against all tested organisms, except Pseudomonas, using both test methods. Higher activity was observed against Gram-positive strains in comparison with Gram-negative bacteria. Cabreuva oil from Brazil showed similar results, but in comparison with the other oils tested, only when higher concentrations of oil were used.

Chemical composition, olfactory evaluation and antioxidant effects of essential oil from Mentha canadensis.

The chemical composition of the essential oil from cornmint (Mentha canadensis L.) was analyzed by GC/FID and GC-MS. The main constituents were menthol (41.2%) and menthone (20.4%). It was established that cornmint oil had antiradical activity with respect to the DPPH and hydroxyl (OH*) radicals. The concentrations necessary for 50% neutralization of the respective radicals (IC50) were 365.0 microg/mL for DPPH and 0.3 microg/mL for OH*, which was indicative that the antioxidant activity in terms of OH* was higher than that of quercetin. Cornmint oil chelated the Fe3+ ions present in the solution. The oil demonstrated antioxidant activity in a linoleic acid emulsion model system, where at 0.1% concentration it inhibited the formation of conjugated dienes by 57.1% and the generation of secondary oxidized products of linoleic acid by 76.1%.

Chemical composition, olfactory evaluation and antioxidant effects of essential oil from Mentha x piperita.

The chemical composition of the essential oil from peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) was analyzed by GC/FID and GC-MS. The main constituents were menthol (40.7%) and menthone (23.4%). Further components were (+/-)-menthyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, limonene, beta-pinene and beta-caryophyllene. Peppermint oil possessed antiradical activity with respect to DPPH (diphenyl picryl hydrazyl) and hydroxyl (OH*) radicals, exercising stronger antioxidant impact on the OH* radical. The concentrations required for 50% inhibition of the respective radical (IC50) were 860 microg/mL for DPPH and 0.26 microg/mL for OH*. Peppermint essential oil demonstrated antioxidant activity in a model linoleic acid emulsion system in terms of inhibiting conjugated dienes formation by 52.4% and linoleic acid secondary oxidized products generation by 76.9% (at 0.1% concentration).