Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. RSC Adv. 2024 Nov 6;14(48):35498-35504. doi: 10.1039/d4ra05934d. eCollection 
2024 Nov 4.

Superior low temperature activity over α-MnO(2)/β-MnOOH catalyst for selective 
catalytic reduction of NO (x) with ammonia.

Takemoto M(1), Fujinuma H(1), Sugawara Y(2), Sasaki Y(2), Iyoki K(1), Okubo 
T(1), Yamaguchi K(3), Wakihara T(1)(4).

Author information:
(1)Department of Chemical System Engineering, School of Engineering, The 
University of Tokyo 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8656 Japan 
wakihara@chemsys.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
(2)Nanostructures Research Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Center 2-4-1 Mutsuno, 
Atsuta-ku Nagoya 456-8587 Japan.
(3)Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, The University of 
Tokyo 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8656 Japan.
(4)Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo 2-11-16 Yayoi 
Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8656 Japan.

Manganese octahedral molecular sieves with an α-MnO2 crystal structure (OMS-2) 
and their related materials have attracted significant attention for the 
selective catalytic reduction of NO x using NH3 (NH3-SCR) at low temperatures. 
Further lowering their operating temperature should be an effective method to 
develop an environmentally friendly de-NO x system; however, their catalytic 
activity at low temperatures, especially below 100 °C, remains poor. This study 
describes a post-synthetic approach to develop Mn-based catalysts superior to 
those in the literature that operate at ultralow temperatures. Post-synthetic 
planetary ball milling for OMS-2 caused the partial conversion of OMS-2 into 
β-MnOOH. The obtained nanocomposite catalysts possessed abundant surface oxygen 
vacancies and strong surface acidity, allowing the milled catalyst to exhibit 
higher NO conversion at 90 °C (91%) than that in freshly prepared OMS-2 without 
planetary ball milling (29%). Lowering the operation temperature of OMS-2 
catalysts contributed to the suppression of N2O evolution during NH3-SCR over 
manganese-based catalysts, resulting in high N2 selectivity over the milled 
OMS-2 catalyst (93%).

This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.

DOI: 10.1039/d4ra05934d
PMCID: PMC11539617
PMID: 39507685

Conflict of interest statement: There are no conflicts to declare.


2. Arch Pharm (Weinheim). 2024 Nov 6:e2400748. doi: 10.1002/ardp.202400748.
Online  ahead of print.

Unveiling tomorrow: Carbonic anhydrase activators and inhibitors pioneering new 
frontiers in Alzheimer's disease.

Mishra KA(1), Sethi KK(1).

Author information:
(1)Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical 
Education and Research (NIPER) Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and a principal basis 
of dementia in the elderly population globally. Recently, human carbonic 
anhydrases (hCAs, EC 4.2.1.1) were demonstrated as possible new targets for 
treating AD. hCAs are vital for maintaining pH balance and performing other 
physiological processes as they catalyze the reversible hydration of carbon 
dioxide to bicarbonate and a proton. Current research indicates that hCA plays a 
role in brain functions critical for transmitting neural signals. Activation of 
carbonic anhydrase (CA) has emerged as a promising avenue in addressing memory 
loss and cognitive issues. Conversely, the exploration of CA inhibition 
represents a novel frontier in this field. By enhancing glial fitness and 
cerebrovascular health and blocking amyloid-β (Aβ)-induced mitochondrial 
dysfunction pathways, cytochrome C (CytC) release, caspase 9 activation, and 
H2O2 generation in neurons, CA inhibitors improve cognition and lessen the 
pathology caused by Aβ. Recent research has pushed hCAs into the spotlight as 
critical players in AD pathogenesis and precise therapeutic targets. The 
captivating dilemma of choosing between hCA inhibitors and activators looms 
large, as inhibitors reduce Aβ aggregation and improve cerebral blood flow, 
while activators enhance cerebrovascular functions and restore pH balance. The 
current review sheds light on the clinical evidence for hCAs and the roles of 
inhibitors and activators in AD. Additionally, this review offers a fascinating 
outlook on the data that may aid medicinal chemists in designing and developing 
new leads that are more effective and selective for upcoming in vitro and in 
vivo studies, allowing for the discovery and introduction of novel drug 
candidates for the treatment of AD to the market and into the clinical pipeline.

© 2024 Deutsche Pharmazeutische Gesellschaft.

DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202400748
PMID: 39506506


3. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2024;72(11):944-949. doi: 10.1248/cpb.c24-00570.

Facile Synthesis of 1,2-Disubstituted Benzimidazoles as Potent Cytotoxic Agents.

Bui HTB(1), Htoo ZP(2), Hong QV(1), Le HT(1), Tran Q(1), Hnin SYY(2), Do 
KM(2)(3), Morita H(2).

Author information:
(1)Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Can Tho University.
(2)Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama.
(3)Faculty of Pharmacy, Nam Can Tho University.

Benzimidazoles have a broad spectrum of biological and pharmacological 
properties, including anticancer activity. This study reports the facile 
synthesis and cytotoxic evaluation of twenty-eight 1,2-disubstituted 
benzimidazoles (6a-β), based on condensation reactions between N-benzyl 
o-phenylenediamine and benzylamine. The reactions were solvent-free, with the 
use of Na2S2O5 as an inexpensive and environmentally friendly oxidizing agent, 
and progressed rapidly. Cytotoxicity assessments using the 
3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay were 
performed against the A549, HeLa, and MCF-7 cell lines for all synthesized 
compounds (6a-β). Among them, 6j, 6k, 6l, and 6n displayed good activities 
against the A549 and MCF-7 cell lines. These compounds possessed IC50 values 
ranging from 2.55 to 4.50 µM, corresponding to 1.4-fold to 2.4-fold stronger 
potencies than that of the positive control 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 
(IC50 = 6.08 µM) against MCF-7 cells, while 6k (IC50 = 3.22 µM) was consistent 
with 5-FU on the A549 cell line (IC50 = 3.77 µM). Structure-activity 
relationship analyses revealed the 3-pyridinyl moiety at C-2 and the CH3, OCH3, 
or 1,3-dioxolyl groups on the benzene ring at the N-1 position of the 
benzimidazole heterocycle as key structural features effectuating the observed 
cytotoxicities.

DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c24-00570
PMID: 39505544 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


4. Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Nov 4:137246. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.137246. 
Online ahead of print.

Modification of chitosan-ethyl formate polymer with zinc oxide nanoparticles and 
β-CD to minimize the harmful effects of Alternaria early blight on Vicia faba.

Taha AG(1), Attia MS(2), Abdelaziz AM(3).

Author information:
(1)Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, South Valley University, Qena 
83523, Egypt.
(2)Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, 
11884 Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address: 
drmohamedsalah92@azhar.edu.eg.
(3)Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, 
11884 Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt.

Derivatives of chitosan-ethyl formate polymers (Chs-EF) show promise as 
biologically relevant materials. The novelty of this study lies in the 
innovative use of Chs-EF doped with zinc oxide nanoparticles and 
beta-cyclodextrin, which significantly enhances the polymers' protective 
activities against Alternaria early blight disease in Vicia faba by improving 
both disease resistance and plant health. After doping Chs-EF with zinc oxide 
nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and inserting it into the beta-cyclodextrin (CD), two 
products emerged: Chs-EF/ZnONPs and Chs-EF/CD. Using βCD and ZnONPs to modify 
the Chs-EF polymer improves the optical properties of the generated polymers. 
Also, the energy gab values of the modified polymers (Chs-EF/ZnONPs and 
Chs-EF/βCD) were 3.3 and 3.7 eV, respectively, while energy gab value of the 
Chs-EF polymer was 3.9 eV. In this study, the effects of ZnONPs, chitosan, β-CD, 
and Chs-EF/ZnONPs on Alternaria solani early blight disease in Vicia faba plants 
were investigated. The treatments were evaluated based on disease symptoms and a 
disease index (DI) to assess their ability to protect against Alternaria early 
blight disease blight. The results show that the modified polymer with ZnONPs 
and beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and the modified polymer with ZnONPs (Chs-EF/ZnO 
NPs) provided the best protection, with DI values of 25 % and 12.5 %, 
respectively. Furthermore, it was discovered that the levels of carotenoids, 
chlorophyll a, and chlorophyll b in the infected plants had dropped by 52.6 %, 
69.2 %, and 36.1 %, respectively. Chs-EF/ZnONPs were the most effective 
treatment, showing significant increases in the contents of chlorophyll a and b 
in infected plants by 120.8 % and 225.4 %, respectively. The study revealed that 
Chs-EF/ZnONPs exhibited a 131 % increase in the total phenolic content of 
plants, peroxidase (POD) activity (110.6 %), and a 347 % increase in polyphenol 
oxidase (PPO) activity, respectively, compared to healthy plants. Malondialdhyde 
(MDA) decreased by 50.7 %, 49.7 %, 43.4 %, 36.6 %, 31.7 %, and 7.5 % in response 
to Chs-EF/ZnONPs, Chs-EF/β-CD, Chs-EF, ZnONPs, Chitosan, and β-CD, respectively. 
Also, application of Chs-EF/ZnONPs, Chs-EF/β-CD, Chs-EF, ZnONPs, Chitosan, and 
β-CD reduced the production of H2O2 by 77.5 %, 62.8 %, 62.5 %, 39.6 %, 22 %, and 
15.1 %, respectively, compared to infected controls. We recommend considering 
these substances as promising candidates for agricultural use, as they may 
effectively serve as control agents against early blight caused by Alternaria 
solani.

Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.137246
PMID: 39505187

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.


5. Inorg Chem. 2024 Nov 6. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c04247. Online ahead of 
print.

From β-KB(3)O(4)F(2) to α-KB(3)O(4)F(2): Phase Transition-Directed Great Changes 
in Structure and Optical Anisotropy.

Niu R(1)(2), Liu Q(1)(2), Gai M(1)(2), Yang Z(1)(2), Han S(1)(2), Pan S(1)(2).

Author information:
(1)Research Center for Crystal Materials, State Key Laboratory of Functional 
Materials and Devices for Special Environmental Conditions; Xinjiang Key 
Laboratory of Functional Crystal Materials, Xinjiang Technical Institute of 
Physics & Chemistry, CAS, 40-1 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, China.
(2)Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of 
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.

Herein, a new fluorooxoborate α-KB3O4F2 is synthesized successfully in a closed 
system. It crystallizes in the P21/n space group and features the rare 
one-dimensional (1D) zigzag [B6O8F4]∞ chains built by fundamental building 
blocks (FBBs) [B6O9F4]. To the best of our knowledge, KB3O4F2 is a unique 
example of inorganic anhydrous borate whose two polymorphs show 1D B-O/F chains 
constructed by different FBBs but the same symmetry operation. Different from 
β-KB3O4F2, the inconsistent arrangement of π-conjugated [B2O5] units in 
α-KB3O4F2 makes it exhibit a small birefringence (0.011@546 nm). Further, 
α-KB3O4F2 owns a deep-ultraviolet (DUV) cutoff edge (<200 nm), suggesting that 
it has a potential application as the zero-order waveplate material in the DUV 
region.

DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c04247
PMID: 39503510