Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2024 Oct 9. doi: 10.2174/0113892010322778240927073617. 
Online ahead of print.

Integrated Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Studies Reveal Steroid Biosynthesis 
Pathway and BCL2 Inhibitory Diazo-Progesterone of Drimia indica for Conservation 
and Sustainable Utilization.

Shit V(1), Dhakar MK(2), Kumar M(1).

Author information:
(1)Department of Life Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi-835222, 
India.
(2)ICAR-RCER, Farming System Research Centre for Hill and Plateau Region, 
Plandu, Ranchi- 834010, Jharkhand, India.

BACKGROUND: This study is the first report on the sequence of the transcriptome 
of Drimia indica, a non-model plant with medicinal properties found in a forest 
tribal belt, using the Illumina NovaSeq platform. The primary objectives of this 
study were to elucidate the gene expression profiles in different tissues, 
identify key regulatory genes and pathways involved in secondary metabolite 
biosynthesis, and explore the plant's potential pharmacological properties.
METHODS: The study generated 670087 unigenes from both leaves and roots and 
identified putative homologs of annotated sequences against UniProt/Swiss-Prot 
and KEGG databases. The functional annotation of the identified unigenes 
revealed the secondary metabolite biosynthetic process as the most prominent 
pathway, with gene enrichment analysis predominantly accounting for secondary 
metabolite pathways, such as terpenoid, steroid, flavonoid, alkaloid, 
selenocompound, and cortisol synthesis. The study also identified regulatory 
genes NAC, Bhlh, WRKY, and C2H2 on the transcriptome dataset.
RESULTS: The functionally annotated unigenes suggested phytocompounds in Drimia 
indica to have multi-potent properties, such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, 
and anti-diabetic activities, which has been further validated by GC-MS-based 
metabolite profiling. Notably, we have identified two novel molecules, di-azo 
progesterone and 4H-pyran-4-one 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy- 6-methyl, with 
potential BCL2 inhibitory anticancer properties, supported by stable binding 
interactions observed in molecular docking and dynamics simulations. 
Additionally, an abundance of mono-nucleotide SSR markers has been identified, 
useful for genetic diversity studies.
CONCLUSION: This study provides a foundational understanding of the molecular 
mechanisms in Drimia indica, highlighting its potential as a source for novel 
therapeutic agents and contributing valuable insights for future pharmacological 
and agricultural applications. However, further in vivo studies are warranted to 
confirm these findings and validate their pharmacological efficacy and 
therapeutic potential. The SSR markers identified also offer valuable tools for 
molecular genetics, plant breeding, and sustainable drug development.

Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at 
epub@benthamscience.net.

DOI: 10.2174/0113892010322778240927073617
PMID: 39410890


2. Foods. 2024 Aug 30;13(17):2777. doi: 10.3390/foods13172777.

Exploring the Volatile Profile of Vanilla planifolia after Fermentation at Low 
Temperature with Bacillus Isolates.

Manyatsi TS(1), Lin YH(2), Sung PH(3), Jou YT(2).

Author information:
(1)Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation, National 
Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Neipu Shuefu Road 1, Pingtung 
91201, Taiwan.
(2)Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University 
of Science and Technology, Neipu Shuefu Road 1, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan.
(3)Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Ministry of 
Agriculture, Dehe Road 2-6, Pingtung 90846, Taiwan.

Vanilla planifolia is grown as a high-value orchid spice for its odor and savor 
attributes that increase due to the curing process associated with microbial 
colonization. This tends to influence the aromatic properties of vanilla. Hence, 
11 Bacillus sp. strains were isolated from V. planifolia and identified with 16S 
rRNA gene sequencing. The liquid culture (1 mL of 107 CFU mL-1) of selected 
Bacillus vallismortis NR_104873.1:11-1518, Bacillus velezensis ZN-S10, and 
Bacillus tropicus KhEp-2 effectively fermented green-blanched vanilla pods kept 
at 10 °C during the sweating stage. GC-MS analysis showed that the methanol 
extract of non-coated, and B. vallismortis treated vanilla detected three (3) 
volatile compounds, whereas seven (7) components were obtained in B. tropicus 
and B. velezensis treatment. 4H-pyran-4-one, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl 
was found in B. velezensis ZN-S10, B. tropicus KhEp-2, and B. vallismortis while 
it was not present in the control samples. This ketone compound suggested a 
Maillard reaction resulting in brown-increased aroma pods. Linoleic acid and 
Hexadecanoic acid ethyl esters were detected only in ZN-S10 strain-coated 
vanilla. A novel 3-Deoxy-d-mannoic lactone was detected only in B. 
vallismortis-treated vanilla characterized as a new compound in V. planifolia 
which suggested that the new compound can be altered with the coating of 
bacteria in vanilla during fermentation. Thus, the Bacillus strains improved the 
volatile profile and exhibited a new aroma and flavor profile of vanilla owing 
to bacteria fermentation during the curing process.

DOI: 10.3390/foods13172777
PMCID: PMC11394893
PMID: 39272542

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


3. Toxicon. 2024 Nov 6;250:108089. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.108089. Epub 2024 
Sep 4.

Obscure properties of a traditional herb Pittosporum neelgherrense used to treat 
snakebite envenoming against Daboia russelli venoms.

Dinesh MD(1), P T(2), Sivaraman T(3), Anju KV(4), James T(5), Nair DJ(3).

Author information:
(1)Department of Microbiology, Nehru Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, 641 
005, Tamil Nadu, India. Electronic address: md.dineshmd45@gmail.com.
(2)Department of Biotechnology, Nehru Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, 641 
005, Tamil Nadu, India.
(3)Department of Microbiology, Nehru Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, 641 
005, Tamil Nadu, India.
(4)Department of Panchakarma, Vaidyarathnam Ayurveda College, Thaikkattusseri, 
Thrissur, 680 306, Kerala, India.
(5)PG and Research Department of Aquaculture and Fishery Microbiology, MES 
Ponnani College, Ponnani, Malappuram, Kerala, India.

In tropical nations, snakebite envenomation is a significant public health issue 
with negative human and social effects. This is due to three factors: 1) more 
species of the most hazardous snakes are present; 2) emergency medical 
assistance is not readily available; and 3) inadequate health care. The problems 
caused by snakebite envenomation have been partially resolved by immunotherapy. 
An extensive collection of medicinal herbs is recognized to have antivenomous 
properties in traditional medicine. However, very few species have undergone 
scientific investigation, and even fewer have had their active components 
separated and structurally and functionally defined. In this work, the 
anti-venom potential of hot and cold aqueous extracts from Pittosporum 
neelgherrense is evaluated using an in-vitro model. The experimental results 
showed that 4H-pyran-4-one, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-(11.20), 
1-Undecanol (16.38), Lauryl acetate (18.25), and Cyclotridecane (19.14) were 
phytochemical substances whose chemical structures were recognized by GCMS. The 
Direct and Indirect hemorrhagic activity was found to be completely neutralized 
by P. neelgherrense extract (44.61% hot plant extract & 55.38% cold plant 
extract) and the zone (2.4 mm), respectively. The neutralization of venoms was 
indicated by the zone (0.5-0.9 cm) of hydrolysis production of proteolytic 
activity. Additionally, the results of the gelatine liquefaction study 
demonstrated that clot formation was not triggered by venom at low 
concentrations (50:50) but was instead brought on by higher concentrations. The 
present study suggested that the neutralization of venom by hot water extracts 
of P. neelgherrense is a potentially therapeutic application.

Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.108089
PMID: 39241868 [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.


4. Chem Biodivers. 2024 Oct;21(10):e202401013. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.202401013. Epub 
2024 Aug 27.

Optimization of Extraction Conditions for Biological Attributes of Newly 
Developed NARC-G1 Garlic Using Response Surface Methodology and Its GC-MS 
Characterization.

Ullah S(1)(2), Fayyaz Ur Rehman M(1).

Author information:
(1)University of Sargodha, Sargodha, 40100, Pakistan.
(2)Govt. Ambala Muslim Graduate College, Sargodha, Pakistan.

The present paper is a comprehensive study on the optimization of ultrasonic 
assisted extraction and characterization of valued components from the newly 
developed garlic cultivar NARC-G1. The response surface methodology was employed 
to optimize the extraction time, solvent-to-solid ratio and extraction 
temperature, for optimal total phenolic contents (TPC), DPPH radical scavenging 
activity, α-amylase inhibition, and α-glucosidase inhibition. Under the 
optimized conditions (23 min extraction time, 60 °C temperature, and 39 : 1 
solvent-to-solute ratio) the optimal TPC (13.76 mg GAE/g), DPPH radical 
scavenging activity (62.76 %), α-amylase inhibition (71.43 %), and α-glucosidase 
inhibition (79.43 %) were obtained. Significant correlations were observed 
between actual values and predicted values for the selected responses. Gas 
chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), revealed 26 high-value bioactives, 
with diallyl disulphide being the most abundant (16.22 %), followed by 
2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl, 4H-pyran-4-one and 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural. 
Additionally, in silico investigation indicated that stigmasterol, arbutin, 
squalene, α-tocopherol and linoleic acid were responsible for antihyperglycemic 
potential. Moreover, antimicrobial activity revealed that S. mutans 
(19.25±1.98 mm) and L. monocytogenes (19.34±2.04 mm) were the most sensitive, 
while P. aeruginosa was the least sensitive bacterial strains against the 
optimized NARC-G1 garlic extract. This research effectively explains the optimal 
recovery of high-valued components from NARC-G1 and may contribute to 
nutra-pharmaceutical and functional food developments.

© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202401013
PMID: 39189631 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


5. J Sep Sci. 2024 Jul;47(14):e2400250. doi: 10.1002/jssc.202400250.

Multiple analyses of main flavor components in reconstituted tobacco and 
transfer behavior of their key substances during heating.

Shi J(1)(2), Yang Y(3), Zhang T(1), Liang K(1)(2), Guo L(1)(2), Deng R(3), Liu 
K(1)(2), Ren Y(3).

Author information:
(1)Harmful Components and Tar Reduction in Cigarette Key Laboratory of Sichuan 
Province, Chengdu, China.
(2)New Tobacco Products Engineering and Technology Research Center of Sichuan 
Province, Chengdu, China.
(3)College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 
China.

Reconstituted tobacco (RT) is a product made by reprocessing tobacco waste, 
experiencing a growing demand for heat-not-burn products. The purpose of this 
study is to analyze the main flavor ingredients in RT aerosol, as well as the 
transfer behavior of key flavor substances from substrates to aerosol and the 
concentrations of these compounds in the substrate after heating. First, we 
demonstrated that the odor of four RT aerosol samples could be distinguished 
using an electronic nose. Through non-targeted analysis, 93 volatile compounds 
were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and 286 non/semi-volatile 
compounds were identified by ultra-high-performance liquid electrophoresis 
chromatography-mass spectrometry in aerosol. Furthermore, we found that the 
formation of RT aerosol involves primarily evaporation and distillation, 
however, the total content delivered from unheated RT samples to aerosol remains 
relatively low due to compound volatility and cigarette filtration. Thermal 
reactions during heating indicated the pyrolysis of chlorogenic acid to generate 
catechol and resorcinol, while Maillard reactions involving glucose and proline 
produced 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4h-pyran-4-one. The study 
highlighted that heating RT at approximately 300°C could mitigate the production 
of harmful substances while still providing a familiar sensory experience with 
combusted tobacco.

© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.

DOI: 10.1002/jssc.202400250
PMID: 39034833 [Indexed for MEDLINE]