New trans-β-bergamotene derivatives in the root and the flower essential oils of Cyanthillium cinereum (L.) H. Rob. from Côte d'Ivoire

Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities of Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less.: An Updated Review

Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less. is a perennial herbaceous plant found mainly in tropical areas, particularly in Southeast Asia, South America, and India. Various parts of V. cinerea have traditionally been used in folk medicine to treat several diseases, such as malaria, fever, and liver diseases. V. cinerea has so far yielded about 92 secondary metabolites. The majority of these are sesquiterpene lactones, but triterpenes, flavonoids, steroids, phenolics, and other compounds are present as well. V. cinerea crude extracts reportedly exhibit anti-inflammatory, antiprotozoal, antidiabetic, anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and renoprotective activities. This study aims to provide the latest up-to-date information on the botanical characterization, distribution, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activity of V. cinerea. Information on V. cinerea was thoroughly reviewed. The literature published between 1950 and 2024 was compiled through online bibliographic databases, including SciFinder, Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer Link, Wiley, and the MDPI online library. The keywords used for the literature search included Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less. and the synonyms Cyanthillium cinereum (L.) H.Rob., Conyza cinerea L., and various others.

Bergamotenes: A comprehensive compile of their natural occurrence, biosynthesis, toxicity, therapeutic merits and agricultural applications

Sesquiterpenoids constitute the largest subgroup of terpenoids that have numerous applications in pharmaceutical, flavor, and fragrance industries as well as biofuels. Bergamotenes, a type of bicyclic sesquiterpenes, are found in plants, insects, and fungi with α-trans-bergamotene as the most abundant compound. Bergamotenes and their related structures (Bergamotane sesquiterpenoids) have been shown to possess diverse biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and insecticidal effects. However, studies on their biotechnological potential are still limited. This review compiles the characteristics of bergamotenes and their related structures in terms of occurrence, biosynthesis pathways, and biological activities. It further discusses their functionalities and potential applications in pharmaceutical, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and pest management sectors. This review also opens novel perspectives in identifying and harnessing bergamotenes for pharmaceutical and agricultural purposes.

Brazilian essential oils as source for the discovery of new anti-COVID-19 drug: a review guided by in silico study

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in China and its spread worldwide has become one of the biggest health problem due to the lack of knowledge about an effective chemotherapy. Based on the current reality of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, this study aimed to make a review literature about potential anti-coronavirus natural compounds guided by an in silico study. In the first step, essential oils from native species found in the Brazilian herbal medicine market and Brazilian species that have already shown antiviral potential were used as source for the literature search and compounds selection. Among these compounds, 184 showed high antiviral potential against rhinovirus or picornavirus by quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis. (E)-α-atlantone; 14-hydroxy-α-muurolene; allo-aromadendrene epoxide; amorpha-4,9-dien-2-ol; aristochene; azulenol; germacrene A; guaia-6,9-diene; hedycaryol; humulene epoxide II; α-amorphene; α-cadinene; α-calacorene and α-muurolene showed by a molecular docking study the best result for four target proteins that are essential for SARS-CoV-2 lifecycle. In addition, other parameters obtained for the selected compounds indicated low toxicity and showed good probability to achieve cell permeability and be used as a drug. These results guided the second literature search which included other species in addition to native Brazilian plants. The majority presence of any of these compounds was reported for essential oils from 45 species. In view of the few studies relating essential oils and antiviral activity, this review is important for future assays against the new coronavirus.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11101-021-09754-4.

Plant Natural Sources of the Endocannabinoid (E)-β-Caryophyllene: A Systematic Quantitative Analysis of Published Literature

(E)-β-caryophyllene (BCP) is a natural sesquiterpene hydrocarbon present in hundreds of plant species. BCP possesses several important pharmacological activities, ranging from pain treatment to neurological and metabolic disorders. These are mainly due to its ability to interact with the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) and the complete lack of interaction with the brain CB1. A systematic analysis of plant species with essential oils containing a BCP percentage > 10% provided almost 300 entries with species belonging to 51 families. The essential oils were found to be extracted from 13 plant parts and samples originated from 56 countries worldwide. Statistical analyses included the evaluation of variability in BCP% and yield% as well as the statistical linkage between families, plant parts and countries of origin by cluster analysis. Identified species were also grouped according to their presence in the Belfrit list. The survey evidences the importance of essential oil yield evaluation in support of the chemical analysis. The results provide a comprehensive picture of the species with the highest BCP and yield percentages.