Natural Phytochemicals Derived from Gymnosperms in the Prevention and Treatment of Cancers.

The incidence of various types of cancer is increasing globally. To reduce the critical side effects of cancer chemotherapy, naturally derived compounds have been considered for cancer treatment. Gymnosperms are a group of plants found worldwide that have traditionally been used for therapeutic applications. Paclitaxel is a commercially available anticancer drug derived from gymnosperms. Other natural compounds with anticancer activities, such as pinostrobin and pinocembrin, are extracted from pine heartwood, and pycnogenol and enzogenol from pine bark. Gymnosperms have great potential for further study for the discovery of new anticancer compounds. This review aims to provide a rational understanding and the latest developments in potential anticancer compounds derived from gymnosperms.

Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils from the Aerial Parts of Pinus eldarica Grown in Northwestern Iran.

Pinus eldarica (Pinaceae), an evergreen plant, is distributed across the warm and dry climates of western Asia, including Asia Minor, the Middle East, and land surrounding the Caspian Sea. Essential oils (EOs) from different aerial parts of this tree have been used in traditional medicine. We aimed to investigate the chemical profile and antimicrobial activity of the EO from P. eldarica grown in northwestern Iran. EO from the needles, bark, and pollen were extracted with boiling water using a Clevenger apparatus at yield of 0.7-1.2 cm3/100 g of dry plant material. The main chemical components of the EO from the needles were D-germacrene (18.17%), caryophyllene (15.42%), γ-terpinene (12.96%), and ß-pinene (10.62%); those from the bark were limonene (16.99%), caryophyllene oxide (13.22%), and drimenol (13.2%); and those from the pollen were α-pinene (25.64%) and limonene (19.94%). In total, 83 constituents were characterized in the EOs, using gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis; mainly, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons in needle EO and monoterpene hydrocarbons in pollen and bark EOs. ß-Pinene, ß-myrcene, limonene, and caryophyllene were identified in the EOs from all three plant parts. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of the EOs were examined: pollen EO exhibited antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli; bark EO inhibited the growth of Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus; and the needle EO inhibited the growth of S. aureus. Thus, the EOs from aerial parts of P. eldarica can benefit the EO industry and antibiotic development.

Aldehyde and xanthine oxidase activities in tissues of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: effects of vitamin E and selenium supplementation.

Effects of vitamin E and selenium supplementation on aldehyde oxidase (AO) and xanthine oxidase (XO) activities and antioxidant status in liver, kidney, and heart of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats were examined. AO and XO activities increased significantly after induction of diabetes in rats. Following oral vitamin E (300 mg/kg) and sodium selenite (0.5 mg/kg) intake once a day for 4 weeks, XO activity decreased significantly. AO activity decreased significantly in liver, but remained unchanged in kidney and heart of vitamin E- and selenium-treated rats compared to the diabetic rats. Total antioxidants status, paraoxonase-1 (PON1) and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activities significantly decreased in the diabetic rats compared to the controls, while a higher fasting plasma glucose level was observed in the diabetic animals. The glutathione peroxidase activity remained statistically unchanged. Malondialdehyde and oxidized low-density lipoprotein levels were higher in the diabetic animals; however, these values were significantly reduced following vitamin E and selenium supplementation. In summary, both AO and XO activities increase in STZ-induced diabetic rats, and vitamin E and selenium supplementation can reduce these activities. The results also indicate that administration of vitamin E and selenium has hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, and antioxidative effects. It decreases tissue damages in diabetic rats, too.