An overview of secondary metabolites in Mexican Annonaceae

Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) have gained considerable attention for their potent biological activities, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The use of plant extracts for the green synthesis of nanoparticles offers an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to conventional methods. Quassia amara (Amargo), a medicinal plant known for its bioactive compounds such as quassinoids and flavonoids, has potential as a reducing and stabilizing agent in nanoparticle synthesis. This study explores the biological activity of CuNPs synthesized using Quassia amara extract. Methods:Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by mixing aqueous Quassia amara leaf extract with copper sulfate solution under controlled conditions. The synthesis was confirmed by color change and further characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, and TEM for determining structural, morphological, and chemical properties. The biological activities of the CuNPs, including antimicrobial (against E. coli, S. aureus, C. albicans), antioxidant (DPPH assay), and cytotoxicity (MTT assay on cancer cell lines), were evaluated. Results:The synthesized CuNPs exhibited a characteristic absorption peak at ~570 nm in UV-Vis spectroscopy, confirming nanoparticle formation. FTIR analysis showed functional groups from plant extract involved in stabilization, and TEM images revealed spherical nanoparticles with an average size of 15–30 nm. The CuNPs demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity, especially against Staphylococcus aureus, with a clear zone of inhibition. DPPH assay confirmed strong antioxidant potential, and cytotoxicity tests showed dose-dependent inhibition of cancer cell viability. Conclusion:Silver nanoparticles synthesized using Quassia amara extract possess promising biological properties, making them suitable candidates for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. This green synthesis approach provides a sustainable method for producing functional nanomaterials with therapeutic potential.

Phytochemical composition, biological activities and antioxidant potential of pomegranate fruit, juice and molasses: A review

Fungi are of considerable importance due to their capacity to biosynthesize various secondary metabolites with bioactive properties that draw high attention in new drug discovery with beneficial uses for improving human well-being and life quality. Aspergillus genus members are widespread and cosmopolitan species with varying economic significance in the fields of industry, medicine, and agriculture. Its species are renowned for their biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, characterized by both potent biological activity and structural novelty, making them a substantial reservoir for the development of new pharmaceuticals. The current work aimed at focusing on one species of this genus, Aspergillus wentii Wehmer, including its reported secondary metabolites in the period from 1951 to November 2023. A total of 97 compounds, including nitro-compounds, terpenoids, anthraquinones, xanthones, benzamides, and glucans. A summary of their bioactivities, as well as their biosynthesis was highlighted. Additionally, the reported applications of this fungus and its enzymes have been discussed. This review offers a useful reference that can direct future research into this fungus and its active metabolites, as well as their possible pharmacological and biotechnological applications.

Neonothopanus gardneri (N. gardneri) is a species of bioluminescent fungus belonging to the order Agaricales (Marasmiaceae) found in South America. Its existence was first reported in 1840 by George Gardner in his travels to Brazil, where it is popularly called "coco flower". Found mainly in decaying leaves and in the trunk of dwarf palm trees called "pindoba" (Attalea oleifera) or babaçu (Orbignya phalerata), recently N. gardneri had some of its bioactives isolated and their respective structures elucidated. Thus, this paper aims to present and discuss the findings of the works produced involving this theme. Thus, for the development of this literature review, books and scientific articles were searched in the following databases: Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, web of science, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Publishing and Google Scholar (1990-2021). The following keywords were used to filter the productions: "Neonothopanus", "Neonothopanus gardneri", "Bioactivities", "Bioprospecting", "Secondary metabolite", "Endophytic" and "bioluminescence". Finally, it is possible to observe that studies involving this species of bioluminescent fungus have focused on explaining the mechanism of light production and its potential biological activities, among them, antitumor, antioxidant, antimicrobial and antileishmanial effects.

Chapter 26 - Role of fungal metabolites in pharmaceuticals, human health, and agriculture

Bioactive compounds isolated from plant sources are the secondary metabolites that have toxicological or pharmacological properties depending upon their structure. Recently, these compounds have received more attention due to their diverse role in providing protection against various types of pathogenic and non-pathogenic diseases. These miraculous bioactive compounds also pursue pharmacological activities against several microbial pathogens and are also known to exhibit antidiabetic, antipyretic, anticancerous, antidiuretic, and antioxidant properties. Some bioactive compounds extracted from plants such as phenolic compounds, anthocyanidins, flavonoids, tannins, and flavones are found in significantly high concentration in the biosphere, and certain others are present in less amount but their pharmacological as well as commercial importance cannot be denied. The activities of bioactive compounds like flavonoids, polyphenols, not only functions to inhibit microbial growth but also they act synergistically with other drugs which make them ideal for alternative cancer remedies. This chapter provides a general insight into secondary metabolites having antimicrobial and anticancerous properties, their plant source, and their mode of actions.KeywordsBioactive compoundsAntimicrobialAnticancerousHuman health

Streptomyces are Gram positive aerobic bacteria from the phylum Actinobacteria with close to 570 known species. They are popular for providing a variety of compounds having medicinal properties including - antibiotics, antifungals, antitumor amongst others. Various researches in the past have tested these properties of Streptomyces sp. and species including Streptomyces avermitilis, Streptomyces venezuelae, Streptomyces aureofaciens, Streptomyces clavuligerns and Streptomyces erythrens have been found effective in producing these varied compounds. For instance, S. avermitilis produces avermectins which are used to treat river blindness while S. venezuelae secretes chloramphenicol. Additionally S. venezuelae has been suggested as ideal test organism for studies based on physiology and also for analysis of differentiation on biochemical basis (Chater, 2013). Although a high number of metabolites of Streptomyces are now available in the health care industry as effective drugs for a variety of diseases, increasing number of cases of antibiotic resistance is threatening global public health. The emergence of resistance has resulted in drug ineffectiveness and there is a wide search for suppressing these strains. Such resistance has been identified to have occurred due to both phenotypic and genotypic modifications (Suzuki, Horinouchi, & Furusawa, 2015). Properties of Streptomyces and increasing cases of antibiotic resistance have fuelled research to identify more and more species of Streptomyces and to look out for novel metabolites released from them. Other reasons for the need of identifying newer compounds include the breakout of new diseases in the second half of the last century, incompetence in fighting naturally resistant bacteria such as P.aerogenosa that causes fatal infections and the toxic effects resulting from consumption of currently available antibiotic drugs (Sanchez & Demain, 2011).Hence this research attempted to study antimicrobial properties of three Streptomyces species isolated from the desert soil of Qatar. The antimicrobial properties were assessed firstly through direct testing against five test organisms - Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas sp. as Gram-negative bacteria, Candida albicans as fungi, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus faecolis as Gram-positive bacteria. The three strains designated as sp. A, sp. B and sp. D exhibited good inhibition of the test organisms. Acetone, ethanol, ethyl acetate and methanol were used to prepare extracts of the three species and were used to re-assess antibacterial properties and also determine anticancer and antifungal properties. Antimicrobial properties were re-tested using disc-diffusion and puncture method while anticancer properties were studied by subjecting HCT-116 cancer cells to two different concentrations of extracts – 0.05%(v/v) and 0.5%(v/v). Acetone extracts showed some kind of inhibitory pattern hence a third concentration of 5%(v/v) was tested. Antifungal properties were examined by testing all extracts at 10%(v/v) against Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. Acetone extracts of all three species A,B and D displayed high inhibition of Aspergillus niger with 99.07% ± 0.12, 99.2% ± 0.01 and 99.19% ± 0.00 inhibition percentages respectively, and also inhibited growth of Penicillium sp. with 82.62% ± 1.62, 79.63% ± 0.11 and 87.44% ± 0.2 inhibition percentage respectively (% as compared to acetone control). These extracts were then re-tested at two other concentrations of 2.5%(v/v) and 5%(v/v). While the extracts at these concentrations were effective against Aspergillus niger, they could not inhibit growth of Penicillium sp.ReferencesChater, K. F. (2013). Streptomyces. In S. M. Hughes (Ed.), Brenner's Encyclopedia of Genetics (Second Edition) (pp. 565–567). San Diego: Academic Press.Sanchez, S., & Demain, A. L. (2011). 1.12 – Secondary Metabolites. In M. Moo-Young (Ed.), Comprehensive Biotechnology (Second Edition) (pp. 155–167). Burlington: Academic Press.Suzuki, S., Horinouchi, T., & Furusawa, C. (2015). Suppression of antibiotic resistance acquisition by combined use of antibiotics. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering(0). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiosc.2015.02.003

Mangrove ecosystems have attracted widespread attention because of their high salinity, muddy or sandy soil, and low pH, as well as being partly anoxic and periodically soaked by tides. Mangrove plants, soil, or sediment-derived fungi, especially the Penicillium species, possess unique metabolic pathways to produce secondary metabolites with novel structures and potent biological activities. This paper reviews the structural diversity and biological activity of secondary metabolites isolated from mangrove ecosystem-derived Penicillium species over the past 5 years (January 2020-October 2024), and 417 natural products (including 170 new compounds, among which 32 new compounds were separated under the guidance of molecular networking and the OSMAC approach) are described. The structures were divided into six major categories, including alkaloids, polyketides, terpenoids, benzene derivatives, steroids, and other classes. Among these natural products, the plausible biosynthetic pathways of 37 compounds were also proposed; 11 compounds have novel skeleton structures, and 26 compounds contain halogen atoms. A total of 126 compounds showed biological activities, such as cytotoxic, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and α-glucosidase-inhibitory activities, and 11 compounds exhibited diverse biological activities. These new secondary metabolites with novel structures and potent bioactivities will continue to guide the separation or synthesis of structurally novel and biologically active compounds and will offer leading compounds for the development and innovation of pharmaceuticals and pesticides.

Background: Marine ecosystems are a vast reservoir of bioactive compounds with immense pharmacological potential. Objectives: This review explores the molecular mechanisms of action, potential therapeutic applications, and challenges in the clinical translation of marine-derived bioactive molecules targeting immune pathways. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted, analyzing studies on the immunomodulatory effects of marine-derived polysaccharides, peptides, and secondary metabolites. Result: In recent years, molecules derived from marine organisms, such as polysaccharides, peptides, and secondary metabolites, have shown promise as modulators of immune responses. These compounds interact with molecular pathways to enhance or suppress immune functions, making them valuable for treating diseases ranging from infections to autoimmune disorders and cancer. Conclusion: Marine-derived bioactive compounds exhibit significant potential as immunomodulatory agents by targeting various immune pathways. However, further research is required to optimize their pharmacological applications and address challenges in clinical translation.

Environmental friendly synthesis of silver nanomaterials from the promising Streptomyces parvus strain Al-Dhabi-91 recovered from the Saudi Arabian marine regions for antimicrobial and antioxidant properties

Dinoflagellates make up the second largest marine group of marine unicellular eukaryotes in the world ocean and comprise both heterotrophic and autotrophic species, encompassing a wide genetic and chemical diversity. They produce a plethora of secondary metabolites that can be toxic to other species and are mainly used against predators and competing species. Dinoflagellates are indeed often responsible for harmful algal bloom, where their toxic secondary metabolites can accumulate along the food chain, leading to significant damages to the ecosystem and human health. Secondary metabolites from dinoflagellates have been widely investigated for potential biomedical applications and have revealed multiple antimicrobial, antifungal, and anticancer properties. Species from the genus Amphidinium seem to be particularly interesting for the production of medically relevant compounds. The present review aims at summarising current knowledge on the diversity and the pharmaceutical properties of secondary metabolites from the genus Amphidinium. Specifically, Amphidinium spp. produce a range of polyketides possessing cytotoxic activities such as amphidinolides, caribenolides, amphidinins, and amphidinols. Potent antimicrobial properties against antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains have been observed for several amphidinins. Amphidinols revealed instead strong activities against infectious fungi such as Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Finally, compounds such as amphidinolides, isocaribenolide-I, and chlorohydrin 2 revealed potent cytotoxic activities against different cancer cell lines. Overall, the wide variety of antimicrobial, antifungal, and anticancer properties of secondary metabolites from Amphidinium spp. make this genus a highly suitable candidate for future medical applications, spanning from cancer drugs to antimicrobial products that are alternatives to currently available antibiotic and antimycotic products.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the biological activities of Anabasis setifera extract, including its antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. In the current study, Anabasis setifera leaves extract was evaluated for antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant activities and phytochemical analyses. Ethyl acetate extract of Anabasis setifera (EA-AS) exhibited promising antimicrobial activity toward Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans, Aspergillus brasiliensis, Aspergillus fumigatus with MICs 62.5, 125, 62.5, 31.25, 62.5, 125 and 125 μg/mL respectively. Moreover, EA-AS showed anticancer activity at safe concentrations, where IC50 were 36.4 and 44 μg/mL toward Hep-G2 and MCF-7 cancerous cell lines. EA-AS was found to contain 55 significant compounds identified through gas chromatography mass spectrophotometry (GCMS). The most abundant compounds were 1,4-dimethoxy-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5-benzocycloheptenone (26.04%), hexa-2,4-diyn-1-ylbenzene (8.40%), dihydrobenzo[b]fluoranthene (6.10%), ethanone, 1-[2,3-dihydro-2-(1-methylethenyl)-5-benzofuranyl (6.10%), and valerenol (4.08%). GC mass analysis confirmed the antioxidant properties of AS by detecting several compounds with antioxidant activity, including hexa-2,4-diyn-1-ylbenzene, nerolidol, spathulenol, -naphthalenem ethanol, decahydro-4-trimethyl-8-methylene, hexadecenoic acid, tremetone, desmethoxyencecalin, heptadecyn-1-ol, thunbergol, hexadecanol, dotriacontane, taylorione, ligulatin, retinoic acid, and falcarinol. The analysis of EA-AS reveals that it is a rich source of valuable phytochemicals: total Phenolic Content: a promising 4,264 μg/mL /, suggesting substantial biological and pharmacological potential. Total tannin content: 391.17 μg/mL, indicating potential applications in industries like nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Total flavonoid content exceptionally high at 5,163 μg/mL, while the total alkaloid content measured 1,036.26 μg/mL. Additionally, EA-AS demonstrated antioxidant activity with an EC50 of 30.6 μg/mL. In conclusion, the comprehensive analysis of the EA-AS reveals its immense potential as a rich source of valuable phytochemicals with diverse bioactivities, warranting further in-depth studies to unlock its full pharmaceutical and commercial prospects. Our results suggest substantial biological and pharmacological prospects for EA-AS as a promising antimicrobial, anticancer, and potent antioxidant.

Phytochemistry and pharmacological aspects of Tridax procumbens (L.): A systematic and comprehensive review

This review article provides a comprehensive overview of imidazole, triazine, and isatin derivatives, focusing on their synthesis approaches and potential applications in pharmaceutical research. These molecules are characterized by their structural diversity, particularly the presence of nitrogen atoms, which can serve as primary functional groups or form complex heterocyclic systems. The derivatives display varying degrees of substitution and oxidation states, contributing to their potent biological activities. Notably, many of these compounds exhibit antiviral, antiulcer, antibacterial, and anticancer properties, with several commercially available drugs and patents utilizing these scaffolds. This review outlines the synthesis methodologies employed for these compounds and details the structural modifications that enhance their pharmacological potential. The article also lists key commercially available drugs and patents filed in various patent agencies, offering insights into the therapeutic relevance of these molecules. By presenting a detailed comparison of synthesis methods and highlighting the pharmacological applications of these scaffolds, the review serves as a valuable resource for researchers and students aiming to develop biologically active compounds.

Cereal grains are a good source of macronutrients and micronutrients that are required for metabolic activity in the human body. Sprouts have been studied to enhance the nutrient profile. Moreover, secondary metabolites are examined as green food engineering technology that is used in the pharmaceutical, functional ingredients, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries. The sprout-based food is commonly used to enhance the quality of products by softening the structure of the whole grain and increasing the phytochemicals (nutritional value and bioactive compounds). These sprouting grains can be added to a variety of products including snacks, bakery, beverage, and meat. Consuming whole grains has been shown to reduce the incidence and mortality of a variety of chronic and noncommunicable diseases. Sprouting grains have a diversity of biological functions, including antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. Cereal sprout-based products are more beneficial in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and gastrointestinal tract diseases. The novel extraction techniques (microwave-existed extraction, pulse electric field, and enzyme-associated) are applied to maintain and ensure the efficiency, safety, and nutritional profile of sprout. Nutrient-dense sprouts have a low environmental impact and are widely accepted by consumers. This review explores for the first time and sheds light on the antioxidant potential, sensory evaluation, industrial applications, and health perspective of cereal sprout-based food products.