Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. PLoS One. 2024 Oct 25;19(10):e0310298. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310298. 
eCollection 2024.

Anabasis setifera leaf extract from arid habitat: A treasure trove of bioactive 
phytochemicals with potent antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant 
properties.

Abdelaziz AM(1), A Abdel-Maksoud M(2), Fatima S(3), Almutairi S(2), Kiani BH(4), 
Hashem AH(1).

Author information:
(1)Faculty of Science, Botany and Microbiology Department, Al-Azhar University, 
Cairo, Egypt.
(2)Botany and Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, 
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
(3)Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical 
Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
(4)Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 
Worcester, Massachuesetts, United States of America.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the biological activities of 
Anabasis setifera extract, including its antimicrobial, anticancer, and 
antioxidant properties. In the current study, Anabasis setifera leaves extract 
was evaluated for antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant activities and 
phytochemical analyses. Ethyl acetate extract of Anabasis setifera (EA-AS) 
exhibited promising antimicrobial activity toward Escherichia coli, 
Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus subtilis, Candida 
albicans, Aspergillus brasiliensis, Aspergillus fumigatus with MICs 62.5, 125, 
62.5, 31.25, 62.5, 125 and 125 μg/mL respectively. Moreover, EA-AS showed 
anticancer activity at safe concentrations, where IC50 were 36.4 and 44 μg/mL 
toward Hep-G2 and MCF-7 cancerous cell lines. EA-AS was found to contain 55 
significant compounds identified through gas chromatography mass 
spectrophotometry (GCMS). The most abundant compounds were 
1,4-dimethoxy-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5-benzocycloheptenone (26.04%), 
hexa-2,4-diyn-1-ylbenzene (8.40%), dihydrobenzo[b]fluoranthene (6.10%), 
ethanone, 1-[2,3-dihydro-2-(1-methylethenyl)-5-benzofuranyl (6.10%), and 
valerenol (4.08%). GC mass analysis confirmed the antioxidant properties of AS 
by detecting several compounds with antioxidant activity, including 
hexa-2,4-diyn-1-ylbenzene, nerolidol, spathulenol, -naphthalenem ethanol, 
decahydro-4-trimethyl-8-methylene, hexadecenoic acid, tremetone, 
desmethoxyencecalin, heptadecyn-1-ol, thunbergol, hexadecanol, dotriacontane, 
taylorione, ligulatin, retinoic acid, and falcarinol. The analysis of EA-AS 
reveals that it is a rich source of valuable phytochemicals: total Phenolic 
Content: a promising 4,264 μg/mL /, suggesting substantial biological and 
pharmacological potential. Total tannin content: 391.17 μg/mL, indicating 
potential applications in industries like nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and 
cosmetics. Total flavonoid content exceptionally high at 5,163 μg/mL, while the 
total alkaloid content measured 1,036.26 μg/mL. Additionally, EA-AS demonstrated 
antioxidant activity with an EC50 of 30.6 μg/mL. In conclusion, the 
comprehensive analysis of the EA-AS reveals its immense potential as a rich 
source of valuable phytochemicals with diverse bioactivities, warranting further 
in-depth studies to unlock its full pharmaceutical and commercial prospects. Our 
results suggest substantial biological and pharmacological prospects for EA-AS 
as a promising antimicrobial, anticancer, and potent antioxidant.

Copyright: © 2024 Abdelaziz et al. This is an open access article distributed 
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits 
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the 
original author and source are credited.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310298
PMCID: PMC11508485
PMID: 39453934 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: The authors have declared that no competing 
interests exist.


2. Front Microbiol. 2024 Oct 3;15:1454623. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1454623. 
eCollection 2024.

Unveiling the Launaea nudicaulis (L.) Hook medicinal bioactivities: 
phytochemical analysis, antibacterial, antibiofilm, and anticancer activities.

Elkady FM(1), Badr BM(2)(3), Hashem AH(4), Abdulrahman MS(1), Abdelaziz AM(4), 
Al-Askar AA(5), AbdElgayed G(6), Hashem HR(7).

Author information:
(1)Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), 
Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
(2)Department of Basic Medical and Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Zarqa 
University, Zarqa, Jordan.
(3)Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, 
Al-Azhar University (Assiut Branch), Assiut, Egypt.
(4)Department Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, 
Cairo, Egypt.
(5)Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, King Saud 
University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
(6)Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research, Department of Biology, 
University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
(7)Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Fayoum 
University, Al-Fayoum, Egypt.

Commonly used antimicrobial agents are no longer effective due to their overuse 
or misuse. In addition, many medicinal plant extracts can combat infectious 
diseases due to their main active constituents or secondary metabolites. The 
current study aimed to assess the bioactivities of Launaea nudicaulis (LN) leaf 
extract (LE) against different multi-drug resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa 
(P. aeruginosa) isolates. The ethyl acetate extract of a Launaea nudicaulis (LN) 
leaf was analyzed using GC-MS, which identified 27 key bioactive compounds. The 
major constituents found were as follows: 
7-acetyl-6-ethyl-1,1,4,4-tetramethyltetralin, isopropyl myristate, thiocarbamic 
acid, N,N-dimethyl, S-1,3-diphenyl-2-butenyl ester, hahnfett, cyclopentane 
acetic acid, 3-oxo-2-pentyl-, methyl ester, hexadecanoic acid, and 
dotriacontane. Our study demonstrated that the LN leaf was a rich source of 
other important phytochemicals, including phenolic acids, tannins, saponins, and 
steroids. The relative biosafety of the L. nudicaulis LE was determined from the 
elevated inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) of 262 μg/mL, as calculated from the 
cytotoxicity assay against the Wi-38 normal cell line. Conversely, 12.7 and 
24.5 μg/mL were the recorded low IC50 values for the tested extract against the 
MCF-7 and Hep-G2 cancerous cell lines, respectively, reflecting its potent 
activity against the tested cancerous cell lines. Microbiologically, the 
susceptible P. aeruginosa isolates to the tested extract showed a growth 
inhibition zone diameter, in the well diffusion assay, ranging from 11.34 ± 0.47 
to 26.67 ± 0.47 mm, and a percent inhibition (PI) value of 50-106.2%, reflecting 
its acceptable activity. In addition, the broth microdilution assay recorded 
minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration 
(MBC) in the ranges of 15.625-1,000 μg/mL and 125-1,000 μg/mL, respectively. In 
conclusion, the L. nudicaulis LE revealed showed promising activity and high 
selectivity against P. aeruginosa. Moreover, the extract exhibited natural 
anticancer activities with safe low concentrations, indicating its potential as 
a superior candidate for future studies of its active constituents.

Copyright © 2024 Elkady, Badr, Hashem, Abdulrahman, Abdelaziz, Al-Askar, 
AbdElgayed and Hashem.

DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1454623
PMCID: PMC11484093
PMID: 39421554

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare 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 author(s) declared that 
they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. 
This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.


3. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2024 Oct 6. doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c12648. Online
ahead  of print.

Silk Fibroin-Based Multiple-Shape-Memory Organohydrogels.

Oral CB(1), Su E(2), Okay O(1).

Author information:
(1)Department of Chemistry, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Istanbul 
34469, Turkey.
(2)Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, Fatih, Istanbul 34134, 
Turkey.

Organohydrogels (OHGs) are intriguing materials due to their unique composition 
of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains. This antagonistic nature endows the 
OHGs with several remarkable properties, making them highly versatile for 
various applications. We present here a simple and inexpensive approach to 
fabricate silk fibroin (SF)-based OHGs with multistage switching mechanics and 
viscoelasticity. The continuous hydrophilic phase of the OHG precursor consists 
of an aqueous SF solution, while the hydrophobic droplet phase consists of a 
crystallizable n-octadecyl acrylate (C18A) monomer and several long-chain 
saturated hydrocarbons (HCs) with various chain lengths between 14 and 32 carbon 
atoms, namely, n-tetradecane, n-octadecane, n-docosane, n-dotriacontane, and 
1-docosanol. After the addition of a C18A/HC mixture containing Irgacure 
photoinitiator into the continuous aqueous SF phase under stirring, a stable 
oil-in-water emulsion was obtained, which was then photopolymerized at 23 ± 2 °C 
to obtain nonswelling OHGs with multiple-shape-memory behavior. By changing the 
chain length and mass proportion of HCs, a series of OHGs with tunable 
transition temperatures could be obtained, meeting various applications. OHGs 
containing dimer, trimer, and quadruple combinations of in situ-formed 
poly(C18A) and HC microinclusions exhibit effective triple- or quintuple-shape 
memory whose shape-recovery temperatures could be adjusted over a wide range, 
e.g., between 7 and 70 °C.

DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c12648
PMID: 39370600


4. Toxics. 2024 Mar 23;12(4):236. doi: 10.3390/toxics12040236.

White Stork Pellets: Non-Invasive Solution to Monitor Anthropogenic Particle 
Pollution.

Bjedov D(1)(2), Mikuška A(2), Gvozdić V(3), Glavaš P(2), Gradečak D(2), Sudarić 
Bogojević M(2).

Author information:
(1)Croatian Institute for Biodiversity, BIOTA Ltd., 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
(2)Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 
Osijek, Croatia.
(3)Department of Chemistry, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 
Osijek, Croatia.

The present study applied a non-invasive method to analyse anthropogenic 
particles and prey items in white stork (Ciconia ciconia) pellets. Pellets (n = 
20) were obtained from white stork nests during the 2020 breeding season from 
two sites in Croatia. In total, 7869 anthropogenic particles were isolated. The 
majority of particles were fragments, while previous studies on other birds 
often reported fibres. An ATR-FTIR polymer analysis detected glass and 
construction and building materials, as well as several compounds associated 
with plastic masses. Polymer investigation revealed the presence of 
dotriacontane and octacosane, which are by-products of polyethylene (PE) 
degradation and transformation. Additionally, the detection of vinylidene 
chloride (VDC) highlights the historical contribution of polyvinylidene chloride 
(PVDC) to plastic pollution. Significant variation in particle quantity and size 
between the sampling sites was detected, with larger particles found at sites 
associated with the metal mechanical engineering industry and agriculture. Prey 
assessment revealed chitin remains of large insects such as Orthoptera and 
Coleoptera. This research confirms the potential of pellet analysis as a 
valuable tool for assessing the presence of anthropogenic particles in the 
environment. However, further research is needed to fully understand the extent 
of particle ingestion, particle sources and potential impact.

DOI: 10.3390/toxics12040236
PMCID: PMC11054396
PMID: 38668458

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


5. Plants (Basel). 2023 May 24;12(11):2094. doi: 10.3390/plants12112094.

Wax Composition of Serbian Dianthus spp. (Caryophyllaceae): Identification of 
New Metabolites and Chemotaxonomic Implications.

Mladenović MZ(1), Ristić MN(2), Bogdanović AI(3), Ristić NR(2), Boylan F(4), 
Radulović NS(1).

Author information:
(1)Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of 
Niš, Višegradska 33, 18000 Niš, Serbia.
(2)Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics, University of Priština, Lole 
Ribara 29, 38220 Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia.
(3)Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, 
University of Niš, Višegradska 33, 18000 Niš, Serbia.
(4)School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panoz Institute, and Trinity 
Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 PN40 Dublin, Ireland.

Although ethnopharmacologically renowned, wax constituents of Dianthus species 
were sporadically studied. A combination of GC-MS analysis, synthesis, and 
chemical transformations enabled the identification of 275 constituents of 
diethyl-ether washings of aerial parts and/or flowers of six Dianthus taxa 
(Dianthus carthusianorum, D. deltoides, D. giganteus subsp. banaticus, D. 
integer subsp. minutiflorus, D. petraeus, and D. superbus) and one Petrorhagia 
taxon (P. prolifera) from Serbia. Seventeen of these constituents (nonacosyl 
benzoate, additional 12 benzoates with anteiso-branched 1-alkanols, eicosyl 
tiglate, triacontane-14,16-dione, dotriacontane-14,16-dione, and 
tetratriacontane-16,18-dione) and two additional synthesized eicosyl esters 
(angelate and senecioate) represent completely new compounds. The structures of 
the tentatively identified β-ketones were confirmed by analysis of the mass 
fragmentation of the corresponding pyrazoles and silyl enol ethers obtained by 
transformations of crude extracts and extract fractions. Silylation allowed the 
identification of 114 additional constituents, including a completely new 
natural product (30-methylhentriacontan-1-ol). The results obtained by 
multivariate statistical analyses showed that the chemical profile of Dianthus 
taxa's surface waxes is subject to both genetic and ecological factors, whereas 
the latter seemingly takes a more important role for the studied Dianthus 
samples.

DOI: 10.3390/plants12112094
PMCID: PMC10255586
PMID: 37299073

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