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. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Oct 2;25(19):10623. doi: 10.3390/ijms251910623. Ursolic Acid Regulates Immune Balance, Modulates Gut Microbial Metabolism, and Improves Liver Health in Mice. Zhao M(1), Cui Y(2), Wang F(1), Wu F(1), Li C(1), Liu S(1), Chen B(1). Author information: (1)College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071051, China. (2)College of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071051, China. Ursolic acid (UA) has demonstrated significant immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective effects; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to analyze the impact of UA on the gut microbiome, metabolome, and liver transcriptome, investigate UA's role in maintaining gut immune homeostasis and liver health, and evaluate the potential contributions of gut microbes and their metabolites to these beneficial effects. Our findings indicate that UA enhances immune balance in the jejunum, fortifies intestinal barrier function, and promotes overall gut health. UA modulates the intestinal microbiota and its metabolic processes, notably increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Odoribacter and Parabacteroides, along with their metabolites, including ornithine and lactucin. Additionally, UA inhibits the expression of interleukin-1 receptor 1 (IL1R1) and calcium (Ca2+) voltage-gated channel auxiliary subunit beta 2 (CACNB2) while enhancing the synthesis pathways of retinol and ascorbic acid, thereby exerting a protective influence on liver function. In summary, UA enhances intestinal immune homeostasis and promotes liver health, with these advantageous effects potentially mediated by beneficial bacteria (Odoribacter and Parabacteroides) and their metabolites (ornithine and lactucin). DOI: 10.3390/ijms251910623 PMCID: PMC11477038 PMID: 39408951 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. 2. Insect Sci. 2024 Sep 30. doi: 10.1111/1744-7917.13452. Online ahead of print. An integrative strategy used by the aphid Uroleucon formosanum to counter host sesquiterpene lactone defense: Insights from combined genomic and transcriptomic analysis. Li JB(1)(2), Jiang LY(1), Qiao GX(1)(2), Chen J(1). Author information: (1)Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. (2)College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Insect herbivores adapt and develop strategies to counteract plant chemical defenses. The aphid Uroleucon formosanum is a serious sap-sucking pest that infests lettuces containing toxic sesquiterpene lactones (STLs). Herein, we employed a combination of genome sequencing and RNA-seq transcriptome profiling to understand the mechanisms underlying phytotoxin tolerance in U. formosanum. We generated the first chromosome-level genome assembly for U. formosanum, with a total size of 453.26 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 33.22 Mb. Comparative genomic analyses revealed an enrichment of signals for positive selection and gene family expansion in immune-related pathways. Specifically, the expanded set of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) genes showed upregulation after treatment with lactucin, suggesting that they may play a role in the immune response against STLs. The expression of takeout-like genes and cuticle-associated genes was also significantly increased in the lactucin-treated samples. Additionally, 53 cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, 30 carboxylesterase, 19 glutathione S-transferase, 32 uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferase and 63 ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter genes were identified in the U. formosanum genome. CYP4C1, CYP6A13 and 7 ABC genes were strongly upregulated in response to lactucin treatment, indicating the involvement of detoxifying enzymes in the tolerance of U. formosanum to STLs. Our findings suggest that the cuticle barrier, immune response and enzyme-mediated metabolic detoxification jointly enhance the tolerance of U. formosanum to phytotoxins and promote its adaptation to host plants. This study presents a valuable genomic resource and provides insights into insect adaptation to plant chemical challenges and future technological developments for pest management. © 2024 The Authors. Insect Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13452 PMID: 39350312 3. Sci Rep. 2024 Aug 20;14(1):19323. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-70253-5. Lactucin reverses liver fibrosis by inhibiting TGF-β1/STAT3 signaling pathway and regulating short-chain fatty acids metabolism. Qin D(1), Han C(2), Gao Y(3), Li H(4), Zhu L(4). Author information: (1)Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Shihezi University, No. 59, North Second Road, Shihezi, 832002, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. qdm_pha@shzu.edu.cn. (2)Department of Pharmacy, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, People's Republic of China. (3)College of Applied Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Sanmenxia, People's Republic of China. (4)Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Shihezi University, No. 59, North Second Road, Shihezi, 832002, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. TGF-β1 activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), transcriptional activator 3 (Stat3) activation and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), metabolite of intestinal bacteria, is closely associated with hepatic fibrosis. Previous studies have shown that Lactucin has significant anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects; however, the mechanism of Lactucin's role in liver fibrosis associated with SCFAs remains unknown. This study was intended to investigate whether effect of Lactucin on liver fibrosis was mediated by TGF-β1/Stat3 and SCFAs. We found that Lactucin induced apoptosis in HSC-T6 cells, and inhibition of nuclear translocation of Stat3 and p-Stat3. And Smad3 and TGF-β1 protein expression was significantly inhibited, while TLR4 and Smad7 protein expression was significantly enhanced. For in vivo experiments, we demonstrated that Lactucin alleviated liver fibrosis in mice, as evidenced by a reduction in inflammatory factors, collagen deposition, liver injury and fibrosis-related factors expression, especially the expression of Smad3 and TGF-β1 proteins was significantly suppressed and Smad7 protein expression was significantly increased in the liver. In addition, the levels of acetic acid, butyric acid and valeric acid in the intestine of Lactucin-treated mice were significantly higher than those in the intestine of liver fibrosis mice. In conclusion, based on the results of in vivo and in vitro experiments, preventive mechanism of Lactucin against liver fibrosis in mice may be to improve the enterohepatic circulation by regulating the metabolites of intestinal microorganisms, acetic acid and butyric acid, and to further regulate the Stat3 and TGF-β1 signaling pathway through the "gut-liver axis" to combat liver fibrosis. © 2024. The Author(s). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70253-5 PMCID: PMC11336071 PMID: 39164375 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no competing interests. 4. Chem Biodivers. 2024 Aug 13:e202400993. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.202400993. Online ahead of print. Study on Active Components and Mechanism of Lettuce Latex Against Spodoptera Litura. Gu C(1), Zeng B(1), Wang M(1), Zhang Y(1), Yan C(1), Lin Y(1), Khan A(2), Zeng R(3), Song Y(3). Author information: (1)Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China. (2)Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad, 22060, Pakistan. (3)Laboratory of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Biological Breeding for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China. Plant latex is a sticky emulsion exuded from laticifers once the plant is damaged. Latex is an essential component of plant defense against herbivores. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in the Compositae family has relatively fewer insect herbivores compared with other leaf vegetables. The larvae of a generalist lepidopteran pest Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) avoided feeding on living lettuce plants. However, the larvae rapidly damaged the excised leaves that were unable to produce latex. Six compounds were isolated from lettuce latex. They were identified as 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (1), 3β-hydroxy-4,15-dehydrograndolide (2), annuolide D (3), lactucin (4), lactucopicrin (5), and hanphyllin (6). Bioassays showed that the inhibition rate of compound 1 (2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde) and 6 (hanphyllin, a sesquiterpene lactone) on the weight gain of S. litura were 52.4 % and 10 %, respectively, at the concentration of 100 μg/g. RNA-seq analyses showed that larval exposure to compound 1 down-regulated the genes associated with heterobiotic metabolism including drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, retinol metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and drug metabolism-other enzymes (mainly uridine diphosphate glucuronyltransferase, UGTs). RT-qPCR further confirmed that 33 genes in the family of carboxylesterase (CarE), P450s and UGTs were down-regulated by compound 1. The activities of CarE, P450s and UGTs in the larvae fed on diets containing compound 1 were significantly lower than those fed on control diets, with the inhibition for the three detoxification enzymes being 55.4 %, 53.9 %, and 52.9 %. These findings suggest that secondary metabolites including 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde in the latex play a key role in protecting lettuce from insect herbivory. © 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland. DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202400993 PMID: 39136195 5. Phytochemistry. 2024 Oct;226:114223. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2024.114223. Epub 2024 Jul 19. Guaianolide sesquiterpene lactones from Cichorium glandulosum and their anti-neuroinflammation activities. Wei Z(1), Turak A(2), Li B(3), Aisa HA(4). Author information: (1)State Key Laboratory Basis of Xinjiang Indigenous Medicinal Plants Resource Utilization and the Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Chemistry of Arid Zone, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. Electronic address: weizheyang1002@126.com. (2)State Key Laboratory Basis of Xinjiang Indigenous Medicinal Plants Resource Utilization and the Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Chemistry of Arid Zone, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China. (3)State Key Laboratory Basis of Xinjiang Indigenous Medicinal Plants Resource Utilization and the Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Chemistry of Arid Zone, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. (4)State Key Laboratory Basis of Xinjiang Indigenous Medicinal Plants Resource Utilization and the Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Chemistry of Arid Zone, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; College of Pharmacy, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830011, China. Electronic address: haji@ms.xjb.ac.cn. Eight undescribed guaianolide sesquiterpene lactones cicholosumins A-H and twelve known ones were isolated from the aerial parts of Cichorium glandulosum Boiss et Huet. Their structures were established by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data, electronic circular dichroism, quantum chemical calculations and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 9α-hydroxy-3-deoxyzaluzanin C, epi-8α-angeloyloxycichoralexin, 8-O-methylsenecioylaustricin and lactucin showed strong anti-neuroinflammation activity with IC50 values of 1.69 ± 0.11, 1.08 ± 0.23, 1.67 ± 0.28 and 1.82 ± 0.27 μM, respectively. The mechanism research indicated that epi-8α-angeloyloxycichoralexin inhibited neuroinflammation through the NF-κB and MAPK pathways. Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2024.114223 PMID: 39032793 [Indexed for MEDLINE] 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.