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. F1000Res. 2024 Oct 30;13:106. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.145643.3. eCollection 2024. Comparison of the efficacy of aescin and diclofenac sodium in the management of postoperative sequelae and their effect on salivary Prostaglandin E2 and serum C-reactive protein levels after surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molar: a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. Singhai A(1)(2), Kambala R(2), Bhola N(2). Author information: (1)Oral Surgery, General Dentistry Program, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Makkah, 21442, Saudi Arabia. (2)Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, Maharashtra, 442001, India. INTRODUCTION: Surgical removal of an impacted third molar is one of the most common oral surgical procedures performed in dental offices. The postoperative phase is often associated with severe inflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are usually prescribed to manage postoperative discomfort. NSAIDs have been associated with gastrointestinal bleeding, renal function disturbances, and platelet count reductions. Thus, the present study demonstrates the utility of aescin in managing postoperative discomfort after the surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars.This study aimed to correlate and compare the impact of aescin and diclofenac on salivary PGE2 levels and serum C-reactive protein levels after surgical extraction of the mandibular third molar. The study will also evaluate and compare the effectiveness of individual drug therapy in managing postoperative pain, swelling and mouth opening. METHODS: The planned study is a single-center, double-blind, randomized, parallel, prospective clinical trial. Each patient will be prescribed either diclofenac sodium 150 mg/day or aescin (escin) 120 mg/day to be taken orally in divided doses for five days after surgically removing the impacted mandibular third molar.Pain will be assessed using a visual analog scale. Facial swelling and mouth opening will be recorded using a metric scale with standardized reference points. ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) will be employed to measure salivary Prostaglandin E2 and serum C-reactive protein levels. All parameters will be recorded preoperatively (T0) on the second postoperative day (T1) and fifth postoperative day (T2). CONCLUSION: The proposed study is expected to show a clinically acceptable response to the administration of aescin for the management of postoperative discomfort compared to diclofenac sodium after third molar surgery.The proposed study is expected to positively manipulate the levels of salivary Prostaglandin E2 and serum C-reactive protein, which are reliable inflammatory markers.The outcome of this study may provide an efficacious and safe alternative to conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for managing postoperative discomfort following third molar surgery. Copyright: © 2024 Singhai A et al. DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.145643.3 PMCID: PMC11538593 PMID: 39507581 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: No competing interests were disclosed.There are no financial or competing interests for the principal investigators for the overall trial or each study site. 2. Clin Lab. 2024 Nov 1;70(11). doi: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2024.240421. In Vitro Protective Effects of Total Extract and Fractions of Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum-Graecum L.) on Red Blood Cells. Morshedi I. BACKGROUND: Erythrocytes are susceptible to oxidative stress throughout their lifespan. While compounds like vitamin C can help mitigate oxidative stress, the exploration of natural herbal products continues to be a compelling area of research. To examine the impact of subfractions derived from acidified chloroform fractions of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) on red blood cells in the presence of H2O2 as an oxidant, we assessed the factors associated with erythrocyte aging and oxidative stress. METHODS: The maceration technique was employed for extracting fenugreek seeds. Through chromatography, a total of 12 subfractions were isolated from the acidified chloroform extract of fenugreek seeds. Following an initial assessment, four subfractions exhibiting lower erythrocyte toxicity were chosen for further investigation. The objective was to evaluate their impact on erythrocyte aging by measuring the levels of phosphatidylserine (PS), sialic acid, CD47 on the erythrocyte surface, as well as oxidative stress biomarkers. The obtained results were presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD), and data analysis was performed by using ANOVA. RESULTS: The results of this study revealed, that among the 12 subfractions derived from the acidified chloroform fraction of fenugreek, four subfractions demonstrated protective effects against H2O2-induced hemolysis and oxidative stress. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis indicated that treatment with three of these subfractions led to elevated levels of CD47 and reduced levels of phosphatidylserine on the surface of erythrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the subfractions of fenugreek extract which likely contain a higher concentration of flavonoids and a lower content of saponins could be responsible for the observed protection against erythrocyte aging processes. It appears that fenugreek seeds have the ability to safeguard human erythrocytes from oxidative damage by reducing oxidative stress, preserving the activity of antioxidative enzymes, and maintaining the integrity of erythrocyte structure. DOI: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2024.240421 PMID: 39506600 [Indexed for MEDLINE] 3. J Nat Prod. 2024 Nov 6. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.4c00847. Online ahead of print. Combining the Strengths of MS and NMR in Biochemometrics: A Case Study on Buddleja officinalis. Wasilewicz A(1), Areesanan A(2), Kirchweger B(1)(3), Nicolay S(2), Waltenberger E(1), Beniddir MA(4), Gründemann C(2), Rollinger JM(1), Grienke U(1). Author information: (1)Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria. (2)Translational Complementary Medicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Campus Rosental, Mattenstrasse 22, 4058 Basel, Switzerland. (3)Pharmaceutical Biology, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstraße 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany. (4)Équipe Chimie des Substances Naturelles, BioCIS, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 17 Avenue des Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France. Biochemometrics has emerged as promising strategy for the targeted identification of bioactive constituents from natural sources. It is based on the correlation of bioactivity data with chemical data to reveal constituents contributing to activity. Providing complementary data and structural information, MS- and NMR-based biochemometric approaches have both been separately applied in the past. The herein presented study is dedicated to the evaluation of a combined MS- and NMR-based biochemometric workflow for the unambiguous identification of bioactives. As an example, a flower extract of Buddleja officinalis Maxim. was selected to unravel bioactive constituents in the context of dry eye disease pathology. While NMR-based biochemometrics relies on heterocovariance analysis (HetCA) of 1H NMR spectra using the previously established ELINA approach, a biochemometric molecular network was generated for the MS-based approach. Both analyses were performed in parallel and were ultimately combined to increase their power to identify the bioactive constituents from the complex mixture. As a result, phenylethanoid glycosides and triterpene saponins were discovered as main contributors for the antioxidant and cytotoxic effects of the extract. This article illustrates the advantages, opportunities, and limitations of MS and NMR in the context of biochemometrics. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.4c00847 PMID: 39503999 4. Pest Manag Sci. 2024 Nov 6. doi: 10.1002/ps.8504. Online ahead of print. Naturally-occurring nematicides of plant origin: two decades of novel chemistries. Ibrahim H(1), Nchiozem-Ngnitedem VA(2), Dandurand LM(3), Popova I(1). Author information: (1)Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA. (2)Institut für Chemie, University of Potsdam, Potsdam-Golm, Germany. (3)Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, USA. Plant-parasitic nematodes are among the most destructive plant pathogens, resulting in a global annual economic loss of about 358 billion dollars. Using synthetic nematicides to control plant-parasitic nematodes has resulted in broad-spectrum toxicity to the environment. Plant-derived secondary metabolites have recently emerged as viable options that provide effective, greener, and renewable routes for managing plant-parasitic nematodes in various cropping systems. However, limited comprehensive information on plant-derived secondary metabolites sources, chemical structures, and nematicidal activities is available. This study aims to compile and analyze data on plant-based secondary metabolites with nematicidal properties collected over the last two decades. In this review, we identified 262 plant-based metabolites with nematicidal activities that were isolated from 35 plant families and 65 plant species. Alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, coumarins, thiophenes, and annonaceous acetogenins were among the most studied compounds. In addition to the structure-activity relation for specific metabolites with nematicidal potency, various techniques for their extraction and isolation from plant material are discussed. Our findings demonstrate the potential of plants as a feedstock for sourcing nematicidal compounds and discovering new chemistries that could potentially be used for developing the next generation of nematicides. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. DOI: 10.1002/ps.8504 PMID: 39503300 5. Nat Prod Res. 2024 Nov 5:1-7. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2424390. Online ahead of print. A comprehensive analysis of phytochemicals, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and phytoestrogenic properties of different parts of Tribulus terrestris. Lal M(1), Sutradhar D(1). Author information: (1)School of Advanced Science and Languages, VIT Bhopal University, Madhya Pradesh, India. Tribulus terrestris L., a medicinal plant rich in secondary metabolites, was studied for optimising bioactive compound extraction from various parts of the plant using ethanol-water (50:50), ethanol, and methanol solvents. Analysis of extracts for key phytochemicals like polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins, and alkaloids was performed using HPTLC, HPLC and gas chromatography. The ethanol-water mixture proved best for extracting saponins and polyphenols, ethanol for flavonoids, and methanol for alkaloids. The fruit yielded the highest saponin content (59.34% ± 3.87), while leaves were richest in polyphenols (18.94% ± 1.39), flavonoids (5.15% ± 1.01), and alkaloids (26.46% ± 1.71). Leaf extracts showed the highest antibacterial activity against B. subtilis and P. aeruginosa, and stem extracts were effective against E. coli. Root, stem, and leaf extracts exhibited antifungal activity with leaf extract also demonstrating strong phytoestrogenic activity. These findings highlight the varied phytochemical profiles and biological activities of T. terrestris, suggesting their potential therapeutic uses. DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2424390 PMID: 39499233