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. Nutrients. 2024 Oct 19;16(20):3549. doi: 10.3390/nu16203549. Network Pharmacology Combined with Experimental Validation to Investigate the Mechanism of the Anti-Hyperuricemia Action of Portulaca oleracea Extract. Zhang Y(1), Zhu S(1), Gu Y(1), Feng Y(1), Gao B(1)(2). Author information: (1)School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China. (2)Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering, Jilin University, Ministry of Education, Changchun 130012, China. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a common metabolic disease caused by purine metabolic disorders in the body. Portulaca oleracea L. (PO) is an edible wild vegetable. METHODS: In this study, the regulatory effect of PO on HUA and its potential mechanism were initially elucidated through network pharmacology and experimental validation. RESULTS: The results showed that PO from Sichuan province was superior to the plant collected from other habitats in inhibiting xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity. Berberine and stachydrine were isolated and identified from PO for the first time by UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS. The potential molecular targets and related signaling pathways were predicted by network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques. Molecular docking showed that berberine had strong docking activity with XOD, and the results of in vitro experiments verified this prediction. Through experimental analysis of HUA mice, we found that PO can reduce the production of uric acid (UA) in the organism by inhibiting XOD activity. On the other hand, PO can reduce the body 's reabsorption of urate and aid in its excretion out of the body by inhibiting the urate transporter proteins (GLUT9, URAT1) and promoting the high expression of urate excretory protein (ABCG2). The results of H/E staining showed that, compared with the positive drug (allopurinol and benzbromarone) group, there was no obvious renal injury in the middle- and high-dose groups of PO extract. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our findings reveal the potential of wild plant PO as a functional food for the treatment of hyperuricemia. DOI: 10.3390/nu16203549 PMCID: PMC11510147 PMID: 39458543 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. 2. Microorganisms. 2024 Oct 17;12(10):2081. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms12102081. The Effects of swnH1 Gene Function of Endophytic Fungus Alternaria oxytropis OW 7.8 on Its Swainsonine Biosynthesis. Li D(1)(2), Zhao X(1)(2), Lu P(1)(2), Min Y(1)(2)(3). Author information: (1)College of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot 010022, China. (2)Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Utilization in Mongolian Plateau for College and University of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot 010022, China. (3)College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China. The swnH1 gene in the endophytic fungus Alternaria oxytropis OW 7.8 isolated from Oxytropis glabra was identified, and the gene knockout mutant ΔswnH1 was first constructed in this study. Compared with A. oxytropis OW 7.8, the ΔswnH1 mutant exhibited altered colony and mycelium morphology, slower growth rate, and no swainsonine (SW) in mycelia, indicating that the function of the swnH1 gene promoted SW biosynthesis. Five differential expressed genes (DEGs) closely associated with SW synthesis were identified by transcriptomic analysis of A. oxytropis OW 7.8 and ΔswnH1, with sac, swnR, swnK, swnN, and swnH2 down-regulating. Six differential metabolites (DEMs) closely associated with SW synthesis were identified by metabolomic analysis, with P450, PKS-NRPS, saccharopine, lipopolysaccharide kinase, L-PA, α-aminoadipic, and L-stachydrine down-regulated, while L-proline was up-regulated. The SW biosynthetic pathways in A. oxytropis OW 7.8 were predicted and refined. The results lay the foundation for in-depth exploration of the molecular mechanisms and metabolic pathways of SW synthesis in fungi and provide reference for future control of SW in locoweeds, which would benefit the development of animal husbandry and the sustainable use of grassland ecosystems. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12102081 PMCID: PMC11510667 PMID: 39458390 Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. 3. J Agric Food Chem. 2024 Oct 2;72(39):21946-21956. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c05005. Epub 2024 Sep 18. Metabolome and Transcriptome Profiling Reveals Age-Associated Variations in Meat Quality and Molecular Mechanisms of Taihe Black-Bone Silky Fowls. Huang Y(1), Xu C(1), Huang X(1), Tan Y(1), Li S(1), Yin Z(1). Author information: (1)College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310030, China. To explore the changes in meat quality and molecular mechanisms during the growth and development of Taihe black-bone silky fowl, this study employed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) metabolomics to elucidate the dynamic changes of key differential metabolites (DMs) affecting meat quality, indicating that chicken at D120 had higher levels of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), creatine, anserine, and homocarnosine, while D150 had the most stachydrine and D210 had the most acylcarnitines. Additionally, D120 and D180 had more umami and sweet compounds. Furthermore, key metabolic pathways influenced by age included purine metabolism, the pentose phosphate pathway, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. Transcriptomic identified differential expression genes (DEGs) are predominantly enriched in focal adhesion, the TGF-β signaling pathway, and the MAPK signaling pathway. Integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics revealed complex regulatory networks of DEGs and DMs in key metabolic pathways. This research enhanced our understanding of the biology of Taihe black-bone silky fowl meat quality, revealing possible biomarkers. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c05005 PMID: 39354852 [Indexed for MEDLINE] 4. Front Microbiol. 2024 Sep 4;15:1444996. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1444996. eCollection 2024. Antifungal metabolites of biocontrol stain LB-1 and their inhibition mechanism against Botrytis cinerea. Zhang H(1), Ji H(1), Liu C(1). Author information: (1)University Characteristic Laboratory of Precision Cultivation and Germplasm Innovation of Horticultural Crops in Shandong, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang University, Weifang, Shandong, China. INTRODUCTION: Chaetomium subaffine LB-1 is a novel biocontrol strain that produces non-volatile metabolites that inhibit the growth of Botrytis cinerea. However, the specific metabolites and antimicrobial mechanism of the strain LB-1 remains unclear. METHODS: In this study, the antifungal substances produced by strain LB-1, as well as the underlying mechanism of its inhibitory effect against B. cinerea, were explored using metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis. RESULTS: The results found that 45 metabolites might be the key antifungal substances, such as ouabain, ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, spermidine, stachydrine, and stearic acid. The transcriptomic analysis indicated that the inhibition effect of LB-1 on B. cinerea resulted in the upregulation of genes related to adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, peroxisome, ER stress, and multiple metabolic pathways, and in downregulation of many genes associated with the synthesis of cell walls/membranes, carbohydrate metabolism, cell cycle, meiosis, and DNA replication. DISCUSSION: These results suggested that the inhibitory effect of strain LB-1 against B. cinerea might be due to the destroyed cell wall and membrane integrity exerted by antimicrobial substances, which affect cell metabolism and inhibit cell proliferation. Copyright © 2024 Zhang, Ji and Liu. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1444996 PMCID: PMC11409189 PMID: 39296286 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. 5. RSC Med Chem. 2024 Aug 27. doi: 10.1039/d4md00425f. Online ahead of print. Stachydrine, a pyrrole alkaloid with promising therapeutic potential against metabolic syndrome and associated organ dysfunction. Ahmed SA(1)(2), Manna P(3)(2), Borah JC(1)(2)(4). Author information: (1)Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Life Sciences Division, Institute of Advanced Study in Science & Technology Guwahati-781035 Assam India borahjc@gmail.com +91 361 2273063 +91 361 2273061. (2)Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) Ghaziabad India. (3)Biological Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology Jorhat Assam 785006 India pmanna2012@gmail.com +91 376 2370011 +91 376 2370012. (4)Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Guwahati Guwahati-781101 Assam India. Metabolic syndrome is a multifaceted condition marked by interconnected risk factors, significantly increasing the risk of serious diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. Effective management often demands new medications due to complexity of the conditions and limitations of current treatments. Natural compounds are increasingly recognized in drug discovery due to their vast chemical diversity, commercial availability, low cost, and minimal side effects. One such compound is stachydrine (STA), also known as proline betaine or N-dimethyl proline. This simple pyrrole alkaloid is a major constituent of the genus Leonurus and the family Lamiaceae, and it shows promise due to its potential therapeutic properties. A comprehensive review of the literature, sourced from databases such as PubMed, Scopus, SciFinder, and Google Scholar, has provided extensive information on the sources, chemistry, biosynthesis, derivatives, molecular targets, biological activities, bioavailability, and toxicity of STA. This review highlights numerous in vitro and in vivo studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of STA in various therapeutic areas, including anti-obesity, neuroprotective, nephroprotective, and cardiovascular protection, among others. The wide range of biological activities of STA is attributed to its influence on multiple molecular targets and signaling pathways, such as ACE/AngII/AT1R-TGFβ1, NF-κB, JAK/STAT, AKT/ERK, AMPK/CAMKKβ/LKB1, CaMKII/PLN, etc. which are critical in the development and progression of metabolic syndrome. Additionally, this review addresses limitations related to the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of STA. Overall, the findings underscore the potential of STA as a therapeutic agent for metabolic syndrome and related disorders, suggesting that further clinical investigation is warranted to fully understand and utilize its benefits. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry. DOI: 10.1039/d4md00425f PMCID: PMC11403578 PMID: 39290386 Conflict of interest statement: 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.