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. Anim Sci J. 2024 Jan-Dec;95(1):e13981. doi: 10.1111/asj.13981. Effect of parsley (Petroselinum crispum) oil as feed additive on broiler performance, carcass, liver and kidney functions, antioxidant, lipid profile, and immunity. Alagawany M(1), Elewa MS(1), Abou-Kassem DE(2), Ismail TA(3), Salah AS(4), Madkour M(5), Di Cerbo A(6), Zizzadoro C(7). Author information: (1)Poultry Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt. (2)Animal Production Department, Faculty of Technology and Development, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt. (3)Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Turabah University College, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia. (4)Department of Animal Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, New Valley University, Egypt. (5)Animal Production Department, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt. (6)School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Matelica, Italy. (7)Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano, Italy. The current study evaluated the effects of parsley essential oil on broiler growth performance, carcass features, liver and kidney functions, immunity and antioxidant activity, and lipid profile. A total of 160 unsexed 7-day broiler chicks (Cobb500) were distributed into five groups; each group contained five replicates with eight birds each. The treatments were (1) basal diet (no additive, T1), (2) basal diet + 0.5 mL parsley essential oil/kg (T2), (3) basal diet + 1 mL parsley essential oil/kg (T3), (4) basal diet + 1.5 mL parsley essential oil/kg (T4), and (5) basal diet + 2 mL parsley essential oil/kg (T5). According to GC-MS analysis, parsley oil contains D-limonene, hexadecanoic acid, α-cyclocitral, globulol, α-pinene, myristicin, cryophyllene, bergapten, α-chamigrene, etc. The current results indicated that the most abundant molecules in parsley oil were D-limonene (18.82%), oleic acid (14.52%), α-cyclocitral (11.75%), globulol (11.24%), α-guaiene (7.34%), apiol (5.45%), and hexadecanoic acid (4.69%). Adding parsley essential oil to the broiler diet quadratically increased body weight (BW) during 1-3 weeks of age. The T5 group recorded the highest value (869.37 g) of BW in comparison to other treatments and the control group. The cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and total immunoglobulin, including immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels in the birds fed parsley essential oil were not affected. The T3 group recorded the highest value (159 ng/mL) of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the lowest value (2.01 ng/mL) of malondialdehyde (MDA) when compared to the control and other treatment. In conclusion, we recommend using parsley oil at levels of 1 mL/kg diet of broiler chicks. © 2024 Japanese Society of Animal Science. DOI: 10.1111/asj.13981 PMID: 39030799 [Indexed for MEDLINE] 2. J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2024 Apr;16(Suppl 2):S1281-S1286. doi: 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_570_23. Epub 2024 Apr 16. In Silico Analysis of Selective Bioactive Compounds from Acronychia Pedunculata as a Potential Inhibitor of HER2 in Colorectal Cancer. Ramya S(1), Manivannan HP(2), Veeraraghavan VP(2), Francis AP(2). Author information: (1)Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. (2)Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a pervasive malignancy that stands as a prominent contributor to global cancer-related mortality. Among the numerous causative factors, the overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is notably linked to CRC progression. Acronychia (A.) pedunculata has a longstanding history in folk medicine due to its multifaceted medicinal attributes. This study aimed to assess the potential of specific bioactive compounds derived from A. pedunculata for their inhibition of HER2 in CRC, utilizing in silico analysis. The compounds were systematically evaluated through a series of computational analyses. Drug-likeness assessment, pharmacokinetic evaluation, and toxicity analysis were conducted. Molecular docking studies were performed to investigate binding affinities with the HER2 target. Additionally, bioavailability radar analysis was employed to predict oral bioavailability, while molecular target prediction provided insights into potential protein interactions. All 12 compounds demonstrated favorable drug-likeness properties and adherence to Lipinski's rule of five, indicative of the potential for good oral bioavailability. Four compounds were found to have no toxicological endpoints. Molecular docking revealed two compounds, namely caryophylla-4 (14), 8 (15)-dien-5alpha-ol and (-)-globulol, which showed promising binding affinities between several compounds and HER2. From this study, two leads were identified from A. pedunculata. Further experimental studies are required to validate the action of leads. Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences. DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_570_23 PMCID: PMC11174219 PMID: 38882725 Conflict of interest statement: There are no conflicts of interest. 3. Nat Prod Res. 2024 May 20:1-6. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2353914. Online ahead of print. Chemical composition and biological activities of essential oil of the Malaysian endemic Syzygium variolosum (King) Chantar. & J.Parn. Rahim FAM(1), Salleh WMNHW(1), Ab Ghani N(2)(3), Salihu AS(1)(4), Arzmi MH(5). Author information: (1)Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Perak, Malaysia. (2)Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery (AuRIns), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. (3)Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. (4)Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar'adua University, Katsina, Nigeria. (5)Department of Fundamental Dental and Medical Sciences, Kulliyyah of Dentistry, International Islamic University Malaysia, Pahang, Malaysia. This study was designed to investigate the chemical composition of the essential oil of Syzygium variolosum (King) Chantar. & J.Parn. and their cytotoxicity, acetylcholinesterase, antityrosinase, and anti-inflammatory activities. In total, 32 chemical components were identified in the essential oil, which made up 98.9%. The essential oil is mainly composed of β-elemene (20.2%), bicyclogermacrene (13.5%), viridiflorol (11.1%), globulol (8.6%), and selin-11-en-4α-ol (5.3%). Acetylcholinesterase, antityrosinase, and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated with the Ellman method, mushroom tyrosinase, and lipoxygenase enzymes, respectively, while cytotoxicity was assessed using an MTT assay. The results showed that essential oil gave significant percentage inhibition (I%: acetylcholinesterase 35.2%, antityrosinase 42.5%, lipoxygenase 48.6%). Furthermore, the essential oil exhibited cytotoxicity against three cancer cell lines, HepG2, MCF7, and A549, with IC50 values ranging from 90.2 to 95.2 μg/mL. The current study highlights the potential of the use of essential oils as an alternative to the development of pharmaceutical antichemopreventives or cosmetics. DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2353914 PMID: 38766974 4. Int J Environ Health Res. 2024 Apr 10:1-13. doi: 10.1080/09603123.2024.2338895. Online ahead of print. Valorisation of essential oil of Eucalyptus populifolia Desf, Eucalyptus woollsiana and Eucalyptus exserta for agro-industrial purposes. Souihi M(1)(2), Kouki H(1), Amri I(1), Maalej I(3), Souissi A(4), Trabelsi I(4), Dhaouadi F(1), Hamrouni L(5), Mabrouk Y(1). Author information: (1)Laboratory of Biotechnology and Nuclear Technology (LR16CNSTN01), National Centre for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies (CNSTN), Ariana, Tunisia. (2)Doctoral School of Computer Science, Communications, Design, and Environment (STICODE), University Campus of Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia. (3)Laboratory of Biomass Valorisation and Protein Production in Eukaryotes, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia. (4)Laboratory of Agricultural Sciences and Techniques, National Institute of Agricultural Research of Tunisia (INRAT), Carthage University, Ariana, Tunisia. (5)Laboratory of Management and Valorization of Forest Resources, National Institute of Research on Rural Engineering, Water, and Forests, Ariana, Tunisia. Forest species are characterized by their wealth of essential oils (EOs), which play key requested for alternative control methods against weeds, fungi and pests. This study reports the chemical composition and highlight the antioxidant, antifungal and phytotoxic properties of the EOs obtained from Eucalyptus populifolia Desf, Eucalyptus woollsiana and Eucalyptus exserta. The EOs were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Their antioxidant, antifungal and phytotoxic properties were investigated. All EOs displayed a specific richness in eucalyptol (75.94-7.01%), camphene (6.97-0.4%) globulol (5.20-5.83%) and α-pinene (0.71-12.82 %). EOs isolated from E. populifolia exhibited significant antioxidant activity. Furthermore, all investigated EOs displayed significant antifungal properties against four phytopathogenic fungi belonging to Fusarium genus. The phytotoxic activity against five weeds showed varying effectiveness on seed germination and seedling growth, which exhibited greater effectiveness compared to glyphosate. Eucalyptus EOs have the potential to be used in the formulation of biopesticides. DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2024.2338895 PMID: 38595153 5. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2024 Jun;79(2):410-416. doi: 10.1007/s11130-024-01159-w. Epub 2024 Mar 16. Eucalyptus Oils Phytochemical Composition in Correlation with Their Newly Explored Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Potential: in Vitro and in Silico Approaches. El-Shiekh RA(#)(1), Okba MM(#)(2), Mandour AA(3), Kutkat O(4)(5), Elshimy R(6)(5), Nagaty HA(7), Ashour RM(1). Author information: (1)Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, 11562, Egypt. (2)Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, 11562, Egypt. mona.morad@pharma.cu.edu.eg. (3)Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Future University in Egypt (FUE), Cairo, 11835, Egypt. (4)Center of Scientific Excellence for Influenza Viruses, National Research Centre, Giza, 12622, Egypt. (5)Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahram Canadian University, Giza, Egypt. (6)Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Egyptian Drug Authority, Cairo, Egypt. (7)School of Information Technology and Computer Science, Nile University, Giza, Egypt. (#)Contributed equally Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the latest arisen contagious respiratory pathogen related to the global outbreak of atypical pneumonia pandemic (COVID-19). The essential oils (EOs) of Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. ficifolia F. Muell., E. citriodora Hook, E. globulus Labill, E. sideroxylon Cunn. ex Woolls, and E. torquata Luehm. were investigated for its antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. The EOs phytochemical composition was determined using GC/MS analysis. Correlation with the explored antiviral activity was also studied using multi-variate data analysis and Pearson's correlation. The antiviral MTT and cytopathic effect inhibition assays revealed very potent and promising anti SARS-CoV-2 potential for E. citriodora EO (IC50 = 0.00019 µg/mL and SI = 26.27). The multivariate analysis revealed α-pinene, α-terpinyl acetate, globulol, γ -terpinene, and pinocarvone were the main biomarkers for E. citriodora oil. Pearson's correlation revealed that globulol is the top positively correlated compound in E. citriodora oil to its newly explored potent anti SARS-CoV-2 potential. A molecular simulation was performed on globulol via docking in the main active sites of both SARS-CoV-2 viral main protease (Mpro) and spike protein (S). In silico predictive ADMET study was also developed to investigate the pharmacokinetic profile and predict globulol toxicity. The obtained in silico, in vitro and Pearson's correlation results were aligned showing promising SARS-CoV-2 inhibitory activity of E. citriodora and globulol. This study is a first record for E. citriodora EO as a novel lead exhibiting potent in vitro, and in silico anti SARS-CoV-2 potential and suggesting its component globulol as a promising candidate for further extensive in silico, in vitro and in vivo anti-COVID studies. © 2024. The Author(s). DOI: 10.1007/s11130-024-01159-w PMCID: PMC11178612 PMID: 38492174 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no competing interests.