Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 6;14(1):27017. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-76198-z.

Synchronous photocatalytic benzimidazole formation and olefin reduction by 
magnetic separable visible-light-driven 
Pd-g-C(3)N(4)-Vanillin@γ-Fe(2)O(3)-TiO(2) Nanocomposite.

Jafarpour M(1)(2), Rezaeifard A(3)(4), Pourmorteza N(5)(6), Kudeyani MG(5).

Author information:
(1)Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Petroleum Sciences, 
Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, 65178-38695, Iran. m.jafarpour@basu.ac.ir.
(2)Catalysis Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, 
University of Birjand, Birjand, 97179-414, Iran. m.jafarpour@basu.ac.ir.
(3)Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Petroleum 
Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, 65178-38695, Iran. 
a.rezaeifard@basu.ac.ir.
(4)Catalysis Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, 
University of Birjand, Birjand, 97179-414, Iran. a.rezaeifard@basu.ac.ir.
(5)Catalysis Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, 
University of Birjand, Birjand, 97179-414, Iran.
(6)South Raadab Engineering Company, Zahedan Desalination Plant, Zahedan, 
98169-13419, Iran.

A visible light-responsive magnetically separable photocatalyst 
Pd-g-C3N4-Vanillin@γ-Fe2O3-TiO2 is fabricated using vanillin as a natural 
junction under ultrasonic agitation. Structural, morphological, optical, 
thermal, and magnetic assessments of the as-prepared catalyst are carried out. 
The photocatalyst successfully drives the simultaneous benzimidazole formation, 
and olefin hydrogenation with high atom economy under blue LED light and mild 
conditions. The photocatalytic activity of Pd-g-C3N4-Vanillin@γ-Fe2O3-TiO2 is 
significantly affected by the γ-Fe2O3:TiO2 weight ratio. PL spectra revealed the 
effective separation of carriers in the fabricated catalyst promoting its 
photocatalytic activity. The action spectra using the apparent quantum 
efficiency (AQE) exhibited the maximum AQEs at 520 and 750 nm in which the 
highest performance for styrene hydrogenation is observed. The title 
magnetically separable heterogeneous photocatalyst provides high yields of 
products under perfectly safe visible light, produces low/zero waste, and avoids 
using an external high-pressure hydrogen gas source, harmful solvents, 
undesirable additives, and reducing agents rendering green conditions for 
chemical reactions.

© 2024. The Author(s).

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-76198-z
PMID: 39505916


2. RSC Med Chem. 2024 Oct 9. doi: 10.1039/d4md00511b. Online ahead of print.

Azo derivatives of monoterpenes as anti-Helicobacter pylori agents: from 
synthesis to structure-based target investigation.

Melfi F(1), Fantacuzzi M(1), Carradori S(1), D'Agostino I(2), Ammazzalorso A(1), 
Mencarelli N(1), Gallorini M(1), Spano M(3), Guglielmi P(3), Agamennone M(1), 
Haji Ali S(4)(5), Al-Samydai A(6), Sisto F(7).

Author information:
(1)Department of Pharmacy, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara via dei 
Vestini 31 66100 Chieti Italy simone.carradori@unich.it.
(2)Department of Pharmacy, Univerity of Pisa Via Bonanno 6 56126 Pisa Italy.
(3)Department of Drug Chemistry and Technology, "Sapienza" University of Rome 
P.le Aldo Moro 5 00185 Rome Italy.
(4)Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical 
University Erbil 44000 Iraq.
(5)Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu 
University Eskişehir 26470 Turkey.
(6)Pharmacological and Diagnostic Research Centre (PDRC), Faculty of Pharmacy, 
Al-Ahliyya Amman University Amman-Jordan- Al Salt Road Amman 19328 Jordan.
(7)Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan 
Via Pascal 36 20133 Milan Italy.

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection affects nearly half of the global population. 
Current therapeutic options include the administration of a combination of 
antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors, although antimicrobial resistance rise 
remains a big concern. Phenolic monoterpenes, e.g., eugenol, vanillin, 
carvacrol, and thymol, have always attracted researchers for their multifaced 
biological activities and the possibility to be easily derivatized. Thereby, 
herein we present the functionalization of such compounds through the 
conventional aryl diazotization reaction, generating a series of mono- and 
bis-azo derivatives (1-28). Also, to continue previous studies, we investigated 
the role of the free phenolic moiety of thymol with eight compounds (29-36). The 
compounds were tested against four Hp strains including three clinical isolates, 
finding some potent and selective inhibitors of bacterial growth. Thus, the 
representative compounds underwent in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation on two 
normal cell lines and putative target investigation by performing a 
structure-based approach based on docking calculations on some of the most 
studied pharmacological targets for Hp, e.g., urease, β-hydroxyacyl-acyl carrier 
protein dehydratase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and inosine 
5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase.

This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.

DOI: 10.1039/d4md00511b
PMCID: PMC11526209
PMID: 39493229

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.


3. Bioorg Chem. 2024 Oct 23;153:107907. doi: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107907. Online
 ahead of print.

Chlorine containing tetrahydropyrimidines: Synthesis, characterization, 
anticancer activity and mechanism of action.

Milović E(1), Matić IZ(2), Petrović N(3), Pašić I(2), Stanojković T(2), Petrović 
MR(4), Bogdanović GA(5), Ari F(6), Janković N(7).

Author information:
(1)Department of Science, Institute for Information Technologies Kragujevac, 
University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac 34000, Serbia.
(2)Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade 11 000, Serbia.
(3)Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade 11 000, Serbia; 
"VINČA" Institute of Nuclear Sciences-National Institute of the Republic of 
Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade 11000, Serbia.
(4)Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, 
Belgrade 11 000, Serbia.
(5)"VINČA" Institute of Nuclear Sciences-National Institute of the Republic of 
Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade 11000, Serbia.
(6)Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Art, Bursa Uludag University, 
Bursa 16059, Turkey.
(7)Department of Science, Institute for Information Technologies Kragujevac, 
University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac 34000, Serbia. Electronic address: 
nenad.jankovic@uni.kg.ac.rs.

The aim of the presented research was to explore anticancer potential of eleven 
newly synthesized tetrahydropyrimidine derivatives. The compounds were 
synthesized via Biginelli multicomponent one-pot reaction using different 
derivatives of vanillin, ethyl 4-chloroacetoacetate and (N-methyl)urea. The 
cytotoxic effects of the compounds were examined on three human malignant cell 
lines (HeLa, K562, and MCF7), and normal lung fibroblasts MRC-5. The mechanisms 
of anticancer activity were examined for two compounds 4a and 4b which showed 
the strongest and selective cytotoxicity against chronic myelogenous leukaemia 
K562 cells (IC50 = 1.76 ± 0.09, and 1.66 ± 0.05, respectively). The changes of 
matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), and 
vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) were investigated in the K562 cell 
line, as well as oncomiRNA miR-10b, miR-23a described to have both features, 
depending on a specific type of malignancy, and miR-34a with mostly described as 
a tumour suppressor.

Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107907
PMID: 39490136

Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of competing interest The authors 
declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal 
relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this 
paper.


4. Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Nov 1:137200. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.137200. 
Online ahead of print.

Potential of water-soluble chitosan Schiff bases extracted from Metapenaeus 
dobsoni shells as effective corrosion inhibitors.

Azmi CNA(1), Azahar SS(2), Shamsulazri NAN(3), Hamidon TS(2), Hussin MH(2), Nee 
TW(3), Sabar S(3), Yusof ENM(4).

Author information:
(1)School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, 
Malaysia.
(2)Materials Technology Research Group (MaTReC), School of Chemical Sciences, 
Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia.
(3)Chemical Sciences Programme, School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains 
Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia.
(4)Chemical Sciences Programme, School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains 
Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia. Electronic address: enisnadia@usm.my.

Corrosion causes significant economic losses and structural failures in 
industries, highlighting the need for eco-friendly inhibitors. Chitosan (CS), a 
biodegradable and non-toxic biopolymer, shows potential, though its limited 
water solubility restricts its applications. To overcome this challenge, this 
study presents the synthesis of two water-soluble chitosan Schiff bases (CSBs) 
derived from the shells of Metapenaeus dobsoni (M. dobsoni). The extracted CS 
exhibits a remarkable degree of deacetylation exceeding 95 %, which was 
subsequently modified through reactions with o-vanillin 
(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde) (CSB I) and 2,3-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (CSB 
II). Structural characterization using spectroscopic techniques confirmed the 
successful formation of CSBs. Electrochemical measurements were employed to 
assess the corrosion resistance of mild steel in 0.5 M HCl with varying 
concentrations of CSB I and CSB II. The results revealed superior corrosion 
inhibition by CSB II (% IE = 94.48 %) compared to CSB I (% IE = 88.80 %). The 
methoxy group in CSB II contributed to its higher electron density and enhanced 
adsorption, leading to better surface coverage and corrosion resistance. Both 
inhibitors followed the Langmuir isotherm, suggesting a mix of physisorption and 
chemisorption. These CSBs are promising for corrosion control in industries like 
pipelines, storage tanks, construction materials, and acid pickling.

Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.137200
PMID: 39489239

Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of competing interest The authors 
declare no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could 
have influenced the work reported in this paper.


5. Hum Brain Mapp. 2024 Nov;45(16):e70061. doi: 10.1002/hbm.70061.

Olfactory Dysfunction and Limbic Hypoactivation in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Schmidt M(1)(2), Bauer T(1)(2)(3), Kehl M(2), Minarik A(2)(4), Walger L(1)(2), 
Schultz J(5)(6), Otte MS(7), Trautner P(5), Hoppe C(2), Baumgartner T(2), 
Specht-Riemenschneider L(8), Mormann F(2), Radbruch A(1)(3)(8), Surges R(2), 
Rüber T(1)(2)(3)(8).

Author information:
(1)Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
(2)Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
(3)German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.
(4)Department of Medical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie 
University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
(5)Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, University of 
Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
(6)Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
(7)Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Faculty, 
University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
(8)Center for Medical Data Usability and Translation, University of Bonn, Bonn, 
Germany.

The epileptogenic network in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) contains structures of 
the primary and secondary olfactory cortex such as the piriform and entorhinal 
cortex, the amygdala, and the hippocampus. Olfactory auras and olfactory 
dysfunction are relevant symptoms of TLE. This study aims to characterize 
olfactory function in TLE using olfactory testing and olfactory functional 
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We prospectively enrolled 20 individuals with 
unilateral TLE (age 45 ± 20 years [mean ± SD], 65% female, 90% right-handed) and 
20 healthy individuals (age 33 ± 15 years [mean ± SD], 35% female, 90% 
right-handed). In the TLE group, the presumed seizure onset zone was left-sided 
in 75%; in 45% of the individuals with TLE limbic encephalitis was the presumed 
etiology; and 15% of the individuals with TLE reported olfactory auras. 
Olfactory function was assessed with a Screening Sniffin' Sticks Test (Burkhart, 
Wedel, Germany) during a pre-assessment. During a pre-testing, all individuals 
were asked to rate the intensity, valence, familiarity, and associated memory of 
five different odors (eugenol, vanillin, phenethyl alcohol, decanoic acid, 
valeric acid) and a control solution. During the fMRI experiment, all 
individuals repeatedly smelled eugenol (positively valenced odor), valeric acid 
(negatively valenced odor), and the control solution and were asked to rate odor 
intensity on a five-point Likert scale. We acquired functional EPI sequences and 
structural images (T1, T2, FLAIR). Compared to healthy individuals, individuals 
with TLE rated the presented odors as more neutral (two-sided Mann-Whitney U 
tests, FDR-p < 0.05) and less familiar (two-sided Mann-Whitney U tests, 
FDR-p < 0.05). fMRI data analysis revealed a reduced response contrast in 
secondary olfactory areas (e.g., hippocampus) connected to the limbic system 
when comparing eugenol and valeric acid in individuals with TLE when compared 
with healthy individuals. However, no lateralization effect was obtained when 
calculating a lateralization index by the number of activated voxels in the 
olfactory system (two-sided Mann-Whitney U test; U = 176.0; p = 0.525). TLE is 
characterized by olfactory dysfunction and associated with hypoactivation of 
secondary olfactory structures connected to the limbic system. These findings 
contribute to our understanding of the pathophysiology of TLE. This study was 
preregistered on OSF Registries (www.osf.io).

© 2024 The Author(s). Human Brain Mapping published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

DOI: 10.1002/hbm.70061
PMCID: PMC11530705
PMID: 39487626 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: Markus Schmidt, Tobias Bauer, Marcel Kehl, Anna 
Minarik, Lennart Walger, Johannes Schultz, Martin S. Otte, Peter Trautner, 
Christian Hoppe, Tobias Baumgartner, Louisa Specht‐Riemenschneider, and Florian 
Mormann declare no conflicts of interest. Alexander Radbruch serves on the 
scientific advisory boards for GE Healthcare, Bracco, Bayer, Guerbet, and 
AbbVie; has received speaker honoraria from Bayer, Guerbet, Siemens, and 
Medscape; and is a consultant for, and has received institutional study support 
from, Guerbet and Bayer. Rainer Surges has received fees as speaker or for 
serving on the advisory board from Angelini, Arvelle, Bial, Desitin, Eisai, 
Janssen‐Cilag GmbH, LivaNova, Novartis, Precisis GmbH, UCB Pharma, UnEEG and 
Zogenix and grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the 
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), the Bundesministerium für 
Gesundheit, and the Marga and Walter Boll Stiftung. These activities were not 
related to the content of this manuscript. None of the previously mentioned 
activities were related to the content of this manuscript. Theodor Rüber has 
received fees as a speaker from Eisai. He declares that the research was 
conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could 
be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The results were presented on 
a poster at the BONFOR‐Symposium 2024 in Bonn, Germany, at the DGfE 2024 in 
Offenburg, Germany, and at the EEC 2024 in Rome, Italy.