Worldwide, there are plants known as psychoactive plants that naturally contain psychedelic active components. They have a high concentration of neuroprotective substances that can interact with the nervous system to produce psychedelic effects. Despite these plants' hazardous potential, recreational use of them is on the rise because of their psychoactive properties. Early neuroscience studies relied heavily on psychoactive plants and plant natural products (NPs), and both recreational and hazardous NPs have contributed significantly to the understanding of almost all neurotransmitter systems. Worldwide, there are many plants that contain psychoactive properties, and people have been using them for ages. Psychoactive plant compounds may significantly alter how people perceive the world.
1. Molecules. 2024 Aug 30;29(17):4116. doi: 10.3390/molecules29174116. Toxicity and Sublethal Effects of Piper hispidinervum Essential Oil on Behavioral and Physiological Responses of Sitophilus zeamais Populations. Lopes LM(1), Sousa AH(1)(2), Faroni LRA(2), Silva MVA(2), Ferraz MSS(2), Santos VBD(1). Author information: (1)Center of Biological and Natural Sciences, Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco 69920900, AC, Brazil. (2)Department of Agricultural Engineering, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570900, MG, Brazil. This study aimed to evaluate the toxicity of Piper hispidinervum essential oil (PHEO) against 11 Brazilian populations of Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The effects of sublethal doses of PHEO on the behavior (walking and flying), respiration, and population growth (ri) of the insect populations were investigated. PHEO toxicity was determined through concentration-mortality bioassays, with mortality curves established using increasing PHEO concentrations ranging from 140.00 to 1000.00 μL kg-1. Behavior was evaluated based on walking distance, walking time, walking speed, walking time proportion, flight height, and flight takeoff success. Respiration was measured via the respiratory rate, while population growth (ri) was assessed through the instantaneous growth rate. All 11 populations of S. zeamais were susceptible to PHEO, showing no signs of resistance. The populations exhibited varying behavioral and physiological responses to sublethal exposure to PHEO, indicating different mitigation strategies. The results confirm that PHEO possesses insecticidal potential for controlling S. zeamais populations. However, the observed behavioral and physiological responses should be considered when establishing control measures in pest management programs for stored products. DOI: 10.3390/molecules29174116 PMCID: PMC11397089 PMID: 39274963 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. 2. Plants (Basel). 2024 Jul 4;13(13):1845. doi: 10.3390/plants13131845. Chemical Compositions and Fumigation Effects of Essential Oils Derived from Cardamom, Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton, and Galangal, Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd, against Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Wanna R(1)(2), Khaengkhan P(3), Bozdoğan H(4). Author information: (1)Department of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Technology, Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai District, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand. (2)Resource Management in Agricultural Technology Research Unit, Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai District, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand. (3)Division of Plant Production Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Kalasin University, Kalasin 46000, Thailand. (4)Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Department of Plant and Animal Production, Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Kırşehir 40100, Turkey. This study explores the use of essential oils from cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton) and galangal (Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd) as alternatives to synthetic insecticides for controlling the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). The chemical compositions of these oils were analyzed using GC-MS, and their fumigation effects were tested in a vapor-phase bioassay. The experiment followed a factorial design with four types of essential oils, namely, those manually extracted from cardamom leaves (MCL) and galangal leaves (MGL) and those commercially produced from cardamom seeds (CCS) and galangal rhizomes (CGR), at seven concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 µL/L air). The manually extracted oils yielded 0.6% from cardamom leaves and 0.25% from galangal leaves. MCL contained 28 components, with eucalyptol (25.2%) being the most abundant, while CCS had 34 components, primarily α-terpinyl acetate (46.1%) and eucalyptol (31.2%). MGL included 25 components, mainly caryophyllene (28.7%) and aciphyllene (18.3%), whereas CGR comprised 27 components, with methyl cis-cinnamate (47.3%) and safrole (19.8%) as the major constituents. The fumigation bioassay results revealed that CGR was the most effective, demonstrating the highest mortality rates of T. castaneum across all the tested periods and concentrations, achieving up to 96% mortality at 168 h with a concentration of 300 µL/L air. Statistical analyses showed significant differences in mortality based on the type and concentration of essential oil, particularly after 96 h. These findings highlight the potential of CGR, with its advantages and differences in chemical composition, as an effective biopesticide against T. castaneum, with increasing efficacy over time and at higher concentrations. DOI: 10.3390/plants13131845 PMCID: PMC11244261 PMID: 38999684 Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. 3. Plants (Basel). 2024 Jun 30;13(13):1806. doi: 10.3390/plants13131806. Chemical Profiling of Drimys granadensis (Winteraceae) Essential Oil, and Their Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Anticholinesterase Properties. Cartuche L(1), Vallejo C(2), Castillo E(2), Cumbicus N(3), Morocho V(1). Author information: (1)Departamento de Química, Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL), Calle París s/n y Praga, Loja 110107, Ecuador. (2)Carrera de Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL), Calle París s/n y Praga, Loja 110107, Ecuador. (3)Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL), Calle París s/n y Praga, Loja 110107, Ecuador. A complete and comprehensive chemical and biological study of Drimys granadensis, a native Ecuadorian aromatic plant, was conducted. By conventional steam distillation from dried leaves, a yellowish, translucent essential oil (EO) with a density of 0.95 and a refractive index of 1.5090 was obtained. The EO was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC/MS) and an FID detector (GC/FID), respectively. Enantiomeric distribution was also carried out by GC/MS using a chiral selective column (diethyl tert-butylsilyl-BETA-cyclodextrin). The microdilution broth method was employed to assess the antibacterial and antifungal activity of the EO against a panel of opportunistic microorganisms. Antioxidant capacity was measured using diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and azino-bis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radicals. Finally, the inhibitory potential of the EO against acetylcholinesterase was also valued. Sixty-four chemical compounds, constituting 93.27% of the total composition, were identified, with major components including γ-muurolene (10.63%), spathulenol (10.13%), sabinene (5.52%), and δ-cadinene (4.22%). The characteristic taxonomic marker of the Drimys genus, Drimenol, was detected at very low percentages (<2%). Two pairs of enantiomers ((1S,5R)-(+)-α-pinene/(1S,5S)-(-)-α-pinene; (1S,5R)-(+)-β-pinene/(1S,5S)-(-)-β-pinene) and one pure enantiomer (1R,4S)-(-)-camphene were identified. Regarding antimicrobial potency, the EO exhibited a significant moderate effect on Listeria monocytogenes with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 250 µg/mL, while with the remaining microorganisms, it exerted less potency, ranging from 500 to 2000 µg/mL. The EO displayed moderate effects against the ABTS radical with a half scavenging capacity of 210.48 µg/mL and no effect against the DPPH radical. The most notable effect was noticed for acetylcholinesterase, with a half inhibition concentration (IC50) of 63.88 ± 1.03 µg/mL. These antiradical and anticholinesterase effects hint at potential pharmacological applications in Alzheimer's disease treatment, although the presence of safrole, albeit in low content (ca. 2%), could limit this opportunity. Further in vivo studies are necessary to fully understand their potential applications. DOI: 10.3390/plants13131806 PMCID: PMC11243853 PMID: 38999646 Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. 4. Narra J. 2024 Apr;4(1):e621. doi: 10.52225/narra.v4i1.621. Epub 2024 Feb 29. Wound healing effect of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) cream on second-degree burn in animal model. Angilia C(1), Sary NL(2), Indah R(3), Suryawati S(4), Farsa BS(5), Zeir HA(5), Fajri F(6), Husna F(4). Author information: (1)Master of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia. (2)Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia. (3)Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia. (4)Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia. (5)Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia. (6)Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Second-degree burn, the most common among burn degrees, underscores the importance of timely and proper treatment in influencing prognosis. Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), renowned for its potent antibacterial and antifungal properties, also serves as an effective antiseptic for open wounds. The aim of this study was to identify the phytochemical constituents of nutmeg essential oil and analyze the wound healing effect of nutmeg cream on second-degree burns in an animal model. An experimental study with a completed randomized design was conducted on Rattus norvegicus strain Wistar rats with second-degree burn. This study had four groups and each group consisting of four rats: B (burn-treated base cream), B+N (burn-treated 3% nutmeg cream), B+SSD (burn-treated silver sulfadiazine (BSS)), and B+N+SSD (burn-treated 3% nutmeg cream and SSD in a 1:1 ratio). The phytochemical analysis of nutmeg essential oil was conducted by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The burn diameter and burn wound healing percentage were measured from day 0 to 18. One-way ANOVA followed by post hoc analysis using the least significant difference (LSD) was employed to analysis the effect. The phytochemical analysis of nutmeg essential oil found that myristicin, terpinene-4-ol, terpinene, safrole and terpinolene were the most abundant putative compounds in nutmeg essential oil. On day 0, the average burn wound diameters were 1.4 cm in all groups and increases were observed in all groups on day 3. The wound diameter decreased until day 18 with the smallest burn wound diameter was found in the B+N group (0.86±0.37 cm), followed by B+SSD (0.93±0.29 cm). The B+SSD group exhibited the highest percentage of burn wound healing (56.80±14.05%), which was significantly different from the base cream (p<0.05). The percentage of burn wound healing in rats given 3% nutmeg cream was 41.88±13.81%, suggesting that nutmeg cream could promote burn wound healing in rats induced by second-degree burns. © 2024 by the authors. DOI: 10.52225/narra.v4i1.621 PMCID: PMC11125405 PMID: 38798873 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: All the authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest. 5. Plant Methods. 2024 May 17;20(1):72. doi: 10.1186/s13007-024-01184-5. The isolation strategy and chemical analysis of oil cells from Asari Radix et Rhizoma. Hu H(#)(1)(2), Liu G(#)(2), Li Y(3). Author information: (1)National Engineering Research Center for Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Hakka Medical Resources Branch, School of Pharmacy, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, China. (2)School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. (3)School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. 0016177070@bjmu.edu.cn. (#)Contributed equally BACKGROUND: Single-cell analysis, a rapidly evolving field, encounters significant challenges in detecting individual cells within complex plant tissues, particularly oil cells (OCs). The intricate process of single-cell isolation, coupled with the inherent chemical volatility of oil cells, necessitates a comprehensive methodology. RESULTS: This study presents a method for obtaining intact OC from Asari Radix et Rhizoma (ARR), a traditional herbal medicine. The developed approach facilitates both qualitative and quantitative analysis of diverse OCs. To determine the most reliable approach, four practical methods-laser capture microdissection, micromanipulation capturing, micromanipulation piping, and cell picking-were systematically compared and evaluated, unequivocally establishing cell picking as the most effective method for OC isolation and chemical analysis. Microscopic observations showed that OCs predominantly distribute in the cortex of adventitious and fibrous roots, as well as the pith and cortex of the rhizome, with distinct morphologies-oblong in roots and circular in rhizomes. Sixty-three volatile constituents were identified in OCs, with eighteen compounds exhibiting significant differences. Safrole, methyleugenol, and asaricin emerged as the most abundant constituents in OCs. Notably, cis-4-thujanol and tetramethylpyrazine were exclusive to rhizome OCs, while isoeugenol methyl ether was specific to fibrous root OCs based on the detections. ARR roots and rhizomes displayed marked disparities in OC distribution, morphology, and constituents. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the efficacy of cell picking coupled with HS-SPME-GC-MS as a flexible, reliable, and sensitive method for OC isolation and chemical analysis, providing a robust methodology for future endeavors in single-cell analyses. © 2024. The Author(s). DOI: 10.1186/s13007-024-01184-5 PMCID: PMC11100110 PMID: 38760854 Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.