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. Pharmacogn Mag. 2017 Apr-Jun;13(50):222-225. doi: 10.4103/0973-1296.204566. Epub 2017 Apr 18. Flavonoids Isolated From the Flowers of Limonium bicolor and their In vitro Antitumor Evaluation. Chen J(1)(2), Teng J(1), Ma L(1), Tong H(1)(2), Ren B(1)(2), Wang L(1), Li W(1). Author information: (1)Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China. (2)The Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Nanjing, China. BACKGROUND: Limonium bicolor, a halophytic species, can grow in saline or saline-alkali soil, is well known as a traditional Chinese medicine. Recently it attracted much attention for its treatment for cancer. OBJECTIVE: The present study was performed to evaluate this species from the phytochemical standpoint and the possible relationship between the antitumor activity and its natural products. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chemical constituents from the flowers of L. bicolor were investigated through bioassay-guided fractionation and isolation. All the individual compounds were characterized by spectroscopic analysis and their potential antitumor activity was tested against three different human tumor cell lines by MTT assays. RESULTS: The EtOAc extract was proven as the most potent fraction and further fractionation led to the isolation of 15 natural flavonoids, which were characterized as luteolin (1), acacetin (2), quercetin (3), isorhamnetin (4), kaempferol (5), eriodictyol (6), kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (7), kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucoside (8), quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (9), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside (10), quercetin-3-O-β-D-galactoside (11), myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (12), kaempferol-3-O-(6″-O-galloyl)-β-D-glucoside (13), hesperidin (14) and rutin (15). The biotesting results demonstrated that both compounds 1 and 3 showed good cytotoxicity against human colon cancer cells (LOVO). Compound 5 exhibited relative greater growth inhibition against both human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and osteosarcoma cell lines (U2-OS) at the concentration of 100 μg/mL. CONCLUSION: On the basis of these findings, the flavonoids were deduced to be potentially responsible for the antitumor activity of L. bicolor. The preliminary structure-activity relationship analysis suggests that the 3-O-glycosylation moiety in natural flavonoids was not essential for the antiproliferative activity on LOVO and U2-OS cells. SUMMARY: The phytochemical investigation of Limonium bicolor led to the isolation of 15 flavonoids.The biotesting of the isolates against three different human tumor cell lines was evaluated.The structure-antitumor activity relationship between the isolated flavonoids was discussed. Abbreviation used: MTT: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, EtOAc: Ethyl acetate; LOVO: human colon cancer; MCF-7: human breast, cancer; U2-OS: human osteosarcoma; 5-FU: 5-Fluorouracil; DMSO: dimethyl sulfoxide, NMR: nuclear magnetic resonance; HR-ESI-MS: high resolution electrospray ionization mass chromatography, HPLC: high performance liquid chromatography, EtOH: ethanol; n-BuOH: n-butanol; CC: column chromatography, TLC: thin layer chromatography; PBS: phosphate-buffered saline. DOI: 10.4103/0973-1296.204566 PMCID: PMC5421416 PMID: 28539711 Conflict of interest statement: There are no conflicts of interest. 2. Nat Prod Res. 2014;28(5):324-9. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2013.863200. Epub 2013 Dec 4. New cytotoxic spirostane saponin and biflavonoid glycoside from the leaves of Acacia saligna (Labill.) H.L. Wendl. Gedara SR(1), Galala AA. Author information: (1)a Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy , Mansoura University , Mansoura 35516 , Egypt. New naturally occurring spirostane saponin (25S)-5β-spirostan-3β-yl-3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl(1 → 3)-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl(1 → 4)-β-D-galactopyranoside (6) and biflavonoid glycoside myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside (C7-O-C7) myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside (4) along with a series of known compounds erythrodiol (1), 3β-O-trans-p-coumaroyl-erythrodiol (2), quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (3) and myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (5) were separated from the leaves of Acacia saligna (Labill.), H.L. Wendl. Compounds 1 and 2 were separated for the first time from genus Acacia. The structures of compounds 1-6 were established on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques in combination with EI-MS and HR-ESI-MS. These compounds were screened for their antioxidant and cytotoxic activities against HEPG2 (liver cancer) cell line and significant results were obtained. DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2013.863200 PMID: 24304383 [Indexed for MEDLINE] 3. Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2013 Dec;171(8):1956-67. doi: 10.1007/s12010-013-0459-9. Epub 2013 Sep 8. Improvement of regio-specific production of myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside in engineered Escherichia coli. Thuan NH(1), Pandey RP, Thuy TT, Park JW, Sohng JK. Author information: (1)Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Institute of Biomolecule Reconstruction, Sun Moon University, #100, Kalsan-ri, Tangjeong-myeon, Asan-si, Chungnam, 336-708, Republic of Korea. Myricetin is an important flavonol whose medically important properties include activities as an antioxidant, anticarcinogen, and antimutagen. The solubility, stability, and other biological properties of the compounds can be enhanced by conjugating aglycon with sugar moieties. The type of sugar moiety also plays a significant role in the biological and physical properties of the natural product glycosides. Reconstructed Escherichia coli containing thymidine diphosphate-α-L-rhamnose sugar gene cassette and Arabidopsis-derived glycosyltransferase were used for rhamnosylation of myricetin. Myricetin (100 μM) was exogenously supplemented to induced cultures of engineered E. coli. The formation of target product-myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside-was confirmed by chromatographic and NMR analyses. The yield of product was improved by using various mutants and methylated cyclodextrin as a molecular carrier for myricetin in combination with E. coli M3G3. The maximal yield of product is 55.6 μM (3.31-fold higher than the control E. coli MG3) and shows 55.6 % bioconversion of substrate under optimized conditions. DOI: 10.1007/s12010-013-0459-9 PMID: 24013882 [Indexed for MEDLINE] 4. Pharmacognosy Res. 2012 Apr;4(2):85-91. doi: 10.4103/0974-8490.94723. Chemical and biological study of Manilkara zapota (L.) Van Royen leaves (Sapotaceae) cultivated in Egypt. Fayek NM(1), Monem AR, Mossa MY, Meselhy MR, Shazly AH. Author information: (1)Department of Pharmacognosy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. BACKGROUND: Manilkara zapota (L.) Van Royen is an evergreen tree, native to the tropical Americas and introduced to Egypt as a fruiting tree in 2002. No previous study was reported on the plant cultivated in Egypt. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, the leaves of the plant cultivated in Egypt were subjected to phytochemical and biological investigations. The lipoidal matter was analyzed by GLC. Five compounds were isolated from the petroleum ether and ethyl acetate fractions of the alcoholic extract of the leaves by chromatographic fractionation on silica gel and sephadex, the structures of these compounds were identified using IR, UV, MS, (1)H-NMR and (13)C-NMR. The LD(50) of the alcoholic and aqueous extracts of the leaves was determined and their antihyperglycemic, hypocholesterolemic and antioxidant activities were tested by enzymatic colorimetric methods using specific kits. RESULTS: Unsaturated fatty acids represent 32.32 % of the total fatty acids, oleic acid (13.95%), linoleidic acid (10.18 %) and linoleic acid (5.96 %) were the major ones. The isolated compounds were identified as lupeol acetate, oleanolic acid, apigenin-7-O-α-L-rhamnoside, myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside and caffeic acid. This is the first report about isolation of these compounds from Manilkara zapota except myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside, which was previously isolated from the plant growing abroad. The LD(50) recorded 80 g/Kg b. wt. for both the tested extracts, so they could be considered to be safe. They exhibited antihyperglycemic, hypocholesterolemic and antioxidant activities. CONCLUSION: The observed biological activities were attributed to the different chemical constituents present in the plant mainly its phenolic constituents. DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.94723 PMCID: PMC3326762 PMID: 22518080 Conflict of interest statement: Conflict of Interest: None declared. 5. Pharmacogn Mag. 2011 Oct;7(28):298-306. doi: 10.4103/0973-1296.90410. Bioactive constituents from Harpephyllum caffrum Bernh. and Rhus coriaria L. Shabana MM(1), El Sayed AM, Yousif MF, El Sayed AM, Sleem AA. Author information: (1)Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. BACKGROUND: The leaf ethanol extract of Harpephyllum caffrum Bernh. has evidenced medicinal value due to its hepatoprotective activity. It demonstrated inhibitory effects on test standard microbes approximated to 40% the potency of ofloxacin and fluconazole. The same extract evidenced in vitro cytotoxicity on human cell lines, liver carcinoma HEPG2, larynx carcinoma HEP2, and colon carcinoma HCT116 cell lines when compared to doxorubicin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fractionation of the leaf ethanol extract led to the isolation of the polyphenols, ethyl gallate, and quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside, a hydrocarbon, hendecane, the fatty acid ester, methyl linoleate, and four triterpenoids, betulonic acid, 3-acetyl-methyl betulinate, lupenone and lupeol for the first time, in addition to the previously reported phenol acids and flavonoids, gallic acid, methyl gallate, quercetin, kaempferol, kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside, kaempferol-3-O-galactoside, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, and quercetin-3-O-arabinoside. RESULTS: The ethanol extract of the fruit of the genetically related Rhus coriaria L., known as sumac, afforded protocatechuic acid, isoquercitrin, and myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside from the fruits for the first time, in addition to the previously reported phenol acids and flavonoids, gallic acid, methyl gallate, kaempferol, and quercetin. CONCLUSION: The leaf ethanol extract of H. caffrum Bernh. exhibited variable anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic activities, besides the hepatoprotective, in vitro cytotoxic and anti-microbial activities. DOI: 10.4103/0973-1296.90410 PMCID: PMC3261063 PMID: 22262932 Conflict of interest statement: Conflict of Interest: None declared.