Toxicity of secondary metabolites

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham Madariaga-Mazón ◽  
Ricardo Bruno Hernández-Alvarado ◽  
Karla Olivia Noriega-Colima ◽  
Adriana Osnaya-Hernández ◽  
Karina Martinez-Mayorga
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Toxicity Assessment ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Food Preservatives ◽  
Living Organisms

Abstract Secondary metabolites, commonly referred to as natural products, are produced by living organisms and usually have pharmacological or biological activities. Secondary metabolites are the primary source for the discovery of new drugs. Furthermore, secondary metabolites are also used as food preservatives, biopesticides or as research tools. Although secondary metabolites are mainly used by their beneficial biological activity, the toxicity of some of them may limit their use. The toxicity assessment of any compound that is prone to be used in direct contact with human beings is of vital importance. There is a vast spectrum of experimental methods for toxicity evaluation, including in vitro and in vivo methodologies. In this work, we present an overview of the different sources, bioactivities, toxicities and chemical classification of secondary metabolites, followed by a sketch of the role of toxicity assessment in drug discovery and agrochemistry.

Associated microflora of medicinal ferns: biotechnological potentials and possible applications

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (03) ◽  
pp. 4927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shubhi Srivastava ◽  
Paul A. K.
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Growth Promotion ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Hydrolytic Enzymes ◽  
In Vitro Production ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Bacteria And Fungi

Plant associated microorganisms that colonize the upper and internal tissues of roots, stems, leaves and flowers of healthy plants without causing any visible harmful or negative effect on their host. Diversity of microbes have been extensively studied in a wide variety of vascular plants and shown to promote plant establishment, growth and development and impart resistance against pathogenic infections. Ferns and their associated microbes have also attracted the attention of the scientific communities as sources of novel bioactive secondary metabolites. The ferns and fern alleles, which are well adapted to diverse environmental conditions, produce various secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, steroids, alkaloids, phenols, triterpenoid compounds, variety of amino acids and fatty acids along with some unique metabolites as adaptive features and are traditionally used for human health and medicine. In this review attention has been focused to prepare a comprehensive account of ethnomedicinal properties of some common ferns and fern alleles. Association of bacteria and fungi in the rhizosphere, phyllosphere and endosphere of these medicinally important ferns and their interaction with the host plant has been emphasized keeping in view their possible biotechnological potentials and applications. The processes of host-microbe interaction leading to establishment and colonization of endophytes are less-well characterized in comparison to rhizospheric and phyllospheric microflora. However, the endophytes are possessing same characteristics as rhizospheric and phyllospheric to stimulate the in vivo synthesis as well as in vitro production of secondary metabolites with a wide range of biological activities such as plant growth promotion by production of phytohormones, siderophores, fixation of nitrogen, and phosphate solubilization. Synthesis of pharmaceutically important products such as anticancer compounds, antioxidants, antimicrobials, antiviral substances and hydrolytic enzymes could be some of the promising areas of research and commercial exploitation.

scholarly journals Secondary Metabolites from Gorgonian Corals of the Genus Eunicella: Structural Characterizations, Biological Activities, and Synthetic Approaches

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
Dario Matulja ◽  
Maria Kolympadi Markovic ◽  
Gabriela Ambrožić ◽  
Sylvain Laclef ◽  
Sandra Kraljević Pavelić ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Antimicrobial Activities ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Gorgonian Corals ◽  
Synthetic Approaches ◽  
Further Development

Gorgonian corals, which belong to the genus Eunicella, are known as natural sources of diverse compounds with unique structural characteristics and interesting bioactivities both in vitro and in vivo. This review is focused primarily on the secondary metabolites isolated from various Eunicella species. The chemical structures of 64 compounds were divided into three main groups and comprehensively presented: a) terpenoids, b) sterols, and c) alkaloids and nucleosides. The observed biological activities of depicted metabolites with an impact on cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities were reviewed. The most promising biological activities of certain metabolites point to potential candidates for further development in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and other industries, and are highlighted. Total synthesis or the synthetic approaches towards the desired skeletons or natural products are also summarized.

scholarly journals In vitro and in vivo activities of flavonoids – apigenin, baicalin, chrysin, scutellarin – in regulation of hypertension – a review for their possible effects in pregnancy-induced hypertension

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Ożarowski ◽  
Radosław Kujawski ◽  
Przemysław Ł. Mikołajczak ◽  
Karolina Wielgus ◽  
Andrzej Klejewski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Chemical Compounds ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Future Application ◽  
Mediators Of Inflammation ◽  
And Function

Summary Flavonoids and their conjugates are the most important group of natural chemical compounds in drug discovery and development. The search for pharmacological activity and new mechanisms of activity of these chemical compounds, which may inhibit mediators of inflammation and influence the structure and function of endothelial cells, can be an interesting pharmacological strategy for the prevention and adjunctive treatments of hypertension, especially induced by pregnancy. Because cardiovascular diseases have multi-factorial pathogenesis these natural chemical compounds with wide spectrum of biological activities are the most interesting source of new drugs. Extracts from one of the most popular plant used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi could be a very interesting source of flavonoids because of its exact content in quercetin, apigenin, chrysin and scutellarin as well as in baicalin. These flavonoids exert vasoprotective properties and many activities such as: anti-oxidative via several pathways, anti-in-flammatory, anti-ischaemic, cardioprotective and anti-hypertensive. However, there is lack of summaries of results of studies in context of potential and future application of flavonoids with determined composition and activity. Our review aims to provide a literature survey of in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo pharmacological studies of selected flavonoids (apigenin, chrysin and scutellarin, baicalin) in various models of hypertension carried out in 2008–2018.

scholarly journals Propolis: A Complex Natural Product with a Plethora of Biological Activities That Can Be Explored for Drug Development

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Silva-Carvalho ◽  
Fátima Baltazar ◽  
Cristina Almeida-Aguiar
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
Scientific Attention

The health industry has always used natural products as a rich, promising, and alternative source of drugs that are used in the health system. Propolis, a natural resinous product known for centuries, is a complex product obtained by honey bees from substances collected from parts of different plants, buds, and exudates in different geographic areas. Propolis has been attracting scientific attention since it has many biological and pharmacological properties, which are related to its chemical composition. Severalin vitroandin vivostudies have been performed to characterize and understand the diverse bioactivities of propolis and its isolated compounds, as well as to evaluate and validate its potential. Yet, there is a lack of information concerning clinical effectiveness. The goal of this review is to discuss the potential of propolis for the development of new drugs by presenting published data concerning the chemical composition and the biological properties of this natural compound from different geographic origins.

scholarly journals Virtual Screening in Pharmacokinetics, Bioactivity, and Toxicity of the Amburana cearensis Secondary Metabolites

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 8471-8491
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Phenolic Acids ◽  
Stem Bark ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Structure Property ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Popular Medicine ◽  
Anti Inflammatory

Bioprospecting has contributed to the work of pharmaceutical chemists in the development and commercial disposal of new drugs. Currently, the pharmaceutical industry has emphasized drugs produced from bioactive compounds extracted from natural sources, based on popular medicine discussed in the literature, such as secondary metabolites isolated from the stem bark and seeds of the Amburana cearensis, rich in coumarin derivatives, flavonoids, and phenolic acids and is popularly used in the treatment of respiratory diseases and with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant bioactivity. This review is a study of the structure/activity and structure/property (SAR/SPA) relationship with the physicochemical properties calculated by the algorithms of the MarvinSketch software for the secondary metabolites of A. cearensis, as well as their correlation with in silico test values the SwissADME and admetSAR 2.0 servers and in vitro and in vivo models of the dataset from the PreADMET, GUSAR Online and PASS Online servers. The results showed that substances derived from coumarin, flavonoids, and phenolic acids have attributes of good permeability and low efflux, which favor their oral bioavailability, since phenolic heterosides, amburoside analogs, and biflavonoids are effective in local action as subcutaneous application, constituting promising antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant therapeutic actions in their proper administration routes.

scholarly journals Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Thymus broussonetii Boiss

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Hanae Naceiri Mrabti ◽  
Latifa Doudach ◽  
Naoual El Menyiy ◽  
Mohammed Bourhia ◽  
Ahmad Mohammad Salamatullah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Aerial Parts ◽  
Toxicological Studies ◽  
Toxicological Investigation ◽  
Antioxidant Effects

Thymus broussonetii Boiss (T. broussonetii) is a rare medicinal and aromatic plant. It is widely used in traditional medicine to treat several diseases, including diarrhea, fever, cough, irritation, skin diseases, rheumatism, respiratory ailments, influenza, and digestion problems. In this review, we have critically summarized previous data on T. broussonetii about its phytochemistry, botanical and geographical distribution, toxicological investigation, and pharmacological properties. Using scientific research databases such as Wiley Online, SciFinder, ScienceDirect, PubMed, SpringerLink, Web of Science, Scopus Wiley Online, and Google Scholar, the data on T. broussonetii were collected and discussed. The presented data regrouped bioactive compounds and biological activities of T. broussonetii. The findings of this work showed that essential oils and extracts of T. broussonetii exhibited numerous pharmacological activities (in vitro and in vivo), particularly antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, antipyretic, antinociceptive, and immunological and behavioral effects. While toxicological studies of T. broussonetii essential oils and extracts are lacking, modern scientific tools revealed the presence of different classes of secondary metabolites such as terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, quinones, carotenoids, and steroids. T. broussonetii essential oils, especially from the aerial parts, exhibited potent antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant effects. An in-depth toxicological investigation is needed to validate the efficacy and safety of T. broussonetii extracts and essential oils and their secondary metabolites. However, further pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies should be performed to validate its bioavailability.

scholarly journals Insightful Valorization of the Biological Activities of Pani Heloch Leaves through Experimental and Computer-Aided Mechanisms

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (21) ◽  
pp. 5153
Author(s):  
Naureen Banu ◽  
Najmul Alam ◽  
Mohammad Nazmul Islam ◽  
Sanjida Islam ◽  
Shahenur Alam Sakib ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Methanol Extract ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Clot Lysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Anti Inflammatory

Pani heloch (Antidesma montanum) is traditionally used to treat innumerable diseases and is a source of wild vegetables for the management of different pathological conditions. The present study explored the qualitative phytochemicals; quantitative phenol and flavonoid contents; in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and thrombolytic effects; and in vivo antipyretic and analgesic properties of the methanol extract of A. montanum leaves in different experimental models. The extract exhibited secondary metabolites including alkaloids, flavonoids, flavanols, phytosterols, cholesterols, phenols, terpenoids, glycosides, fixed oils, emodines, coumarins, resins, and tannins. Besides, Pani heloch showed strong antioxidant activity (IC50 = 99.00 µg/mL), while a moderate percentage of clot lysis (31.56%) in human blood and significant anti-inflammatory activity (p < 0.001) was achieved with the standard. Moreover, the analgesic and antipyretic properties appeared to trigger a significant response (p < 0.001) relative to in the control group. Besides, an in silico study of carpusin revealed favorable protein-binding affinities. Furthermore, the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity analysis and toxicological properties of all isolated compounds adopted Lipinski’s rule of five for drug-like potential and level of toxicity. Our research unveiled that the methanol extract of A. montanum leaves exhibited secondary metabolites that are a good source for managing inflammation, pyrexia, pain, and cellular toxicity. Computational approaches and further studies are required to identify the possible mechanism which responsible for the biological effects.

scholarly journals Biomedical Effects of Popular Phytonutrients and Their Phytochemicals: A Comprehensive Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yamixa Delgado ◽  
Céline Cassé ◽  
Yancy Ferrer-Acosta ◽  
Ivette J. Suárez-Arroyo ◽  
José Rodríguez-Zayas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Primary Metabolites ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Plant Foods

Phytonutrients are plant foods that contain many natural bioactive compounds, called phytochemicals, which expose specific biological activities. These phytonutrients and their phytochemicals may play an important role in health care maintaining normal organism functions (as preventives) and fighting against diseases (as therapeutics). Phytonutrient&rsquo;s components are the primary metabolites (i.e., proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids) and phytochemicals or secondary metabolites (i.e., phenolics, alkaloids, organosulfides, and terpenes). For years, several phytonutrients and their phytochemicals have demonstrated specific pharmacological and therapeutic effects in human health such as anticancer, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and immune response. This review summarizes the effects of the most studied or the most popular phytonutrients (i.e., turmeric, garlic, cinnamon, graviola, and oregano), and any contraindication found. This article also calculated the physicochemical properties of the main phytochemicals in the selected phytonutrients using Lipinski&rsquo;s, Veber&rsquo;s and Ghose&rsquo;s rules. Based on our revisions for this article, all these phytonutrients have consistently shown several in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies with great potential as preventives and therapeutics on many diseases.

Emerging Potential of Naturally Occurring Autophagy Modulators Against Neurodegeneration

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 772-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Ataur Rahman ◽  
Md Rezanur Rahman ◽  
Toyfiquz Zaman ◽  
Md. Sahab Uddin ◽  
Rokibul Islam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Therapeutic Assistance ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Made In

Background: Naturally-occurring products derived from living organisms have been shown to modulate various pharmacological and biological activities. Natural products protect against various diseases, which could be used for therapeutic assistance. Autophagy, a lysosome-mediated self-digestion pathway, has been implicated in a range of pathophysiological conditions and has recently gained attention for its role in several neurodegenerative diseases. Methods: In this current review, we emphasized the recent progress made in our understanding of the molecular mechanism of autophagy in different cellular and mouse models using naturally-occurring autophagy modulators for the management of several neurodegenerative diseases. Results: Accumulating evidence has revealed that a wide variety of natural compounds such as alkaloids, polyphenols, terpenoids, xanthonoids, flavonoids, lignans, disaccharides, glycolipoproteins, and saponins are involved in the modulation of the autophagy signaling pathway. These natural products have been used to treat various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinocerebellar ataxia, neuroblastoma, and glioblastoma. Although a number of synthetic autophagy regulators have been recognized as encouraging neurodegenerative therapeutic candidates, natural autophagy- regulating compounds have been of further interest as potential disease therapeutics, as they cause insignificant side effects. Conclusion: Existing in vitro and in vivo data are promising and highlight that naturally-occurring autophagyregulating compounds play an important role in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

scholarly journals Biomedical Effects of the Phytonutrients Turmeric, Garlic, Cinnamon, Graviola, and Oregano: A Comprehensive Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 8477
Author(s):  
Yamixa Delgado ◽  
Céline Cassé ◽  
Yancy Ferrer-Acosta ◽  
Ivette J. Suárez-Arroyo ◽  
José Rodríguez-Zayas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Primary Metabolites ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Plant Foods

Phytonutrients are plant foods that contain many natural bioactive compounds, called phytochemicals, which show specific biological activities. These phytonutrients and their phytochemicals may play an important role in health care maintaining normal organism functions (as preventives) and fighting against diseases (as therapeutics). Phytonutrients’ components are the primary metabolites (i.e., proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids) and phytochemicals or secondary metabolites (i.e., phenolics, alkaloids, organosulfides, and terpenes). For years, several phytonutrients and their phytochemicals have demonstrated specific pharmacological and therapeutic effects in human health such as anticancer, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and immune response. This review summarizes the effects of the most studied or the most popular phytonutrients (i.e., turmeric, garlic, cinnamon, graviola, and oregano) and any reported contraindications. This article also presents the calculated physicochemical properties of the main phytochemicals in the selected phytonutrients using Lipinski’s, Veber’s, and Ghose’s rules. Based on our revisions for this article, all these phytonutrients have consistently shown great potential as preventives and therapeutics on many diseases in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies.

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