Clausanisumine, a Prenylated Bicarbazole Alkaloid from the Fruits of Clausena anisum-olens and Its Potential Anti-HIV Activity

Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids from the stems and leaves of Tabernaemontana bovina and their potential antiproliferative activities

A phytochemical study on the stems and leaves of Tabernaemontana bovina led to the isolation and identification of a new monoterpenoid indole alkaloid, taberboviline (1), together with seven known monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (2-8). The chemical structure of 1 was elucidated on the basis of extensive spectral data analyses and the known compounds were identified by comparing their experimental spectral data with the reported data in the literature. All isolated indole alkaloids were evaluated for their antiproliferative activities against five human cancer cell lines in vitro. Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids 1-8 exhibited notable antiproliferative activities against five human cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 0.58 ± 0.05 to 26.19 ± 0.16 μM.

Natural products as potential lead compounds to develop new antiviral drugs over the past decade

Virus infection has been one of the main causes of human death since the ancient times. Even though more and more antiviral drugs have been approved in clinic, long-term use can easily lead to the emergence of drug resistance and side effects. Fortunately, there are many kinds of metabolites which were produced by plants, marine organisms and microorganisms in nature with rich structural skeletons, and they are natural treasure house for people to find antiviral active substances. Aiming at many types of viruses that had caused serious harm to human health in recent years, this review summarizes the natural products with antiviral activity that had been reported for the first time in the past ten years, we also sort out the source, chemical structure and safety indicators in order to provide potential lead compounds for the research and development of new antiviral drugs.

Xanthones with Potential Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-HIV Effects from the Stems and Leaves of Cratoxylum cochinchinense

Four new xanthones, cratocochinones A-D (1-4), together with eight known analogues (5-12), were isolated from the stems and leaves of Cratoxylum cochinchinense. The chemical structures of cratocochinones A-D (1-4) were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and the known compounds were identified by comparisons with the spectral data reported in the literature. All isolated compounds 1-12 were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities and anti-HIV-1 activities. Compounds 1-12 showed remarkable inhibitory activities on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide in mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells in vitro, with IC50 values in the range of 0.86 ± 0.05 to 18.36 ± 0.21 µM. Meanwhile, compounds 1-12 exhibited significant anti-HIV-1 activities with EC50 which ranged from 0.22 to 11.23 µM. These findings indicate that the discoveries of these xanthones, isolated from the stems and leaves of C. cochinchinense, showing significant anti-inflammatory and anti-HIV-1 effects could be of great importance to the research and development of new natural anti-inflammatory and anti-HIV agents.

The Importance of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Intervention and Treatment of HIV while Considering its Safety and Efficacy

Natural products have been considered a potential resource for the development of novel therapeutic agents, since time immemorial. It is an opportunity to discover cost-effective and safe drugs at the earliest, with the goal to hit specific targets in the HIV life cycle. Natural products with inhibitory activity against human immunodeficiency virus are terpenes, coumarins, flavonoids, curcumin, proteins, such as lectins, laccases, bromotyrosines, and ribosome-inactivating proteins. Terpenes inhibit virus fusion, lectins and flavonoids have an inhibitory impact on viral binding, curcumin and flavonoids inhibit viral DNA integration. The most important medicinal plants which have been used in traditional Chinese medicinal sciences with anti-HIV properties are Convallaria majalis, Digitalis lanata, Cassia fistula, Croton macrostachyus, Dodonaea angustifolia, Ganoderma lucidum, Trametes versicolor, Coriolus versicolor, Cordyceps sinensis, Gardenia jasminoides, Morus alba, Scutellaria baicalensis, Ophiopogon japonicus, Platycodon grandiflorus, Fritillaria thunbergii, Anemarrhena asphodeloides, Trichosanthes kirilowii, Citrus reticulata, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Rheum officinale, Poria cocos, Rheum palmatum, Astragalus membranaceus, Morinda citrifolia, Potentilla kleiniana, Artemisia capillaris, Sargassum fusiforme, Piperis longi fructus, Stellera chamaejasme, Curcumae rhizoma, Dalbergia odorifera lignum, Arisaematis Rhizoma preparatum, and Phellodendron amurense. The information provided is gathered from randomized control experiments, review articles, and analytical studies and observations, which are obtained from different literature sources, such as Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct from July 2000 to August 2023. The aim of this review article is to survey and introduce important medicinal plants and herbs that have been used for the treatment of HIV, especially the medicinal plants that are common in traditional Chinese medicine, as research to date is limited, and more evidence is required to confirm TCM,s efficacy.

Phyto-Carbazole Alkaloids from the Rutaceae Family as Potential Protective Agents against Neurodegenerative Diseases

Plant-derived (phyto) carbazole alkaloids are an important class of compounds, presented in the family of Rutaceae (Genera Murraya, Clausena, Glycosmis, Micromelum and Zanthoxylum). Due to several significant biological activities, such as antitumor, antibacterial, antiviral, antidiabetic, anti-HIV and neuroprotective activities of the parent skeleton (3-methylcarbazole), carbazole alkaloids are recognized as an important class of potential therapeutic agents. Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) may exhibit a vast range of conditions, affecting neurons primarily and leading ultimately to the progressive losses of normal motor and cognitive functions. The main pathophysiological indicators of NDs comprise increasing atypical protein folding, oxidative stresses, mitochondrial dysfunctions, deranged neurotransmissions and neuronal losses. Phyto-carbazole alkaloids can be investigated for exerting multitarget approaches to ameliorating NDs. This review presents a comprehensive evaluation of the available scientific literature on the neuroprotective mechanisms of phyto-carbazole alkaloids from the Rutaceae family in ameliorating NDs.