Application of an Ionic Liquid in the Microwave Assisted Extraction of Cytotoxic Metabolites from Fruits of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae)

Antitrypanosomal Lactones from Nectandra barbellata

Twigs of Nectandra barbellata were extracted using a solution of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (BMImBr) in H₂O, assisted by microwave (MAE). After successive chromatographic steps, one sesquiterpene, costic acid, and three new related lactones, (R)-3(7)-Z-3-hexadec-21-enylidene-5-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydrofuran-2-one (1), (R)-3(7)-Z-3-hexadecylidene-5-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydrofuran-2-one (2), and (R)-3(7)-Z-3-docosylidene-5-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydrofuran-2-one (3), were isolated. After structural elucidation using IR, UV, HRESIMS, NMR, ECD, and VCD, compounds 1-3 were tested against trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. The mechanism of action of bioactive isolated compounds was studied using different fluorescent-based approaches to investigate alterations of the plasma membrane, permeability/electric potential (ΔΨ_p), reactive oxygen species levels, mitochondria (electric membrane potential, ΔΨ_m/ATP levels), Ca²⁺ levels, and pH of the acidocalcisomes. In addition, in silico studies predicted no resemblance to pan assay interference compounds (PAINS).

Ionic Liquid Solutions as a Green Tool for the Extraction and Isolation of Natural Products

In the past few years, the application of ionic liquids (ILs) had attracted more attention of the researchers. Many studies focused on extracting active components from traditional herbals using ILs as alternative solvents so as to address the issue caused by the traditional methods for extraction of natural products (NPs) with organic chemical reagents. Through the summary of reported research work, an overview was presented for the application of ILs or IL-based materials in the extraction of NPs, including flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, phenylpropanoids and so on. Here, we mainly describe the application of ILs to rich the extraction of critical bioactive constituents that were reported possessing multiple therapeutic effects or pharmacological activities, from medicinal plants. This review could shed some light on the wide use of ILs in the field of natural products chemistry to further reduce the environmental damage caused by large quantity of organic chemical reagents.