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. Nat Prod Res. 2024 Oct 9:1-9. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2413428. Online ahead of print. HPTLC method to support formulation development and quality control of the tablets prepared from fruit extracts of Piper longum. Bodiwala KB(1), Kataria J(1), Dave J(1). Author information: (1)Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Quality Assurance, L. M. College of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad, India. Alcoholic extract of fruits of Piper longum is reported to have antihypertensive activity, significantly due to presence of alkaloids like piperine, piperlongumine, piperlonguminine and pipernonaline. A sensitive and specific HPTLC method was developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of piperine, piperlongumine and piperlonguminine in fruit extracts with a purpose to provide the analytical support during the development of formulation as well as to serve as a quality control tool for optimised formulation. Developed method was validated with respect to ICH (International Council for Harmonisation) Q2(R1) and found to be accurate, precise, sensitive, specific and robust for estimation of piperine, piperlongumine and piperlonguminine. Method was successfully applied for assay of dry powdered extract and optimised tablet formulation in terms of content of piperine, piperlongumine and piperlonguminine as well as to study the dissolution profiles of formulation batches during development stage. DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2413428 PMID: 39381942 2. Chem Biodivers. 2023 Sep;20(9):e202300280. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.202300280. Epub 2023 Sep 6. Piper longum Constituents Induce PANC-1 Human Pancreatic Cancer Cell Death under Nutrition Starvation. Fujihashi Y(1), Jo Kim M(1), Maneenet J(1), Awale S(1). Author information: (1)Natural Drug Discovery Laboratory, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan. Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive form of cancer with a poor prognosis, partly due to 'austerity', a phenomenon of tolerance to nutrient deprivation and survival in its hypovascular tumor microenvironment. Anti-austerity agents which preferentially diminish the survival of cancer cells under nutrition starvation is regarded as new generation anti-cancer agents. This study investigated the potential of Piper longum constituents as anti-austerity agents. The ethanolic extract of Piper longum was found to have preferential cytotoxicity towards PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells in a nutrient-deprived medium (NDM). Further investigation led to the identification of pipernonaline (3) as the lead compound with the strongest anti-austerity activity, inducing cell death and inhibiting migration in a normal nutrient medium, as well as strongly inhibiting the Akt/mTOR/autophagy pathway. Therefore, pipernonaline (3) holds promise as a novel antiausterity agent for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. © 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland. DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202300280 PMID: 37612242 [Indexed for MEDLINE] 3. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins. 2024 Oct;16(5):1541-1552. doi: 10.1007/s12602-023-10120-3. Epub 2023 Jul 18. Genomic, LC-MS, and FTIR Analysis of Plant Probiotic Potential of Bacillus albus for Managing Xanthomonas oryzae via Different Modes of Application in Rice (Oryza sativa L.). Chandwani S(1), Dewala S(2), Chavan SM(3), Paul D(4), Kumar K(5), Amaresan N(6). Author information: (1)C.G. Bhakta Institute of Biotechnology, Uka Tarsadia University, Bardoli, Surat, Gujarat, 394 350, India. (2)National Centre for Microbial Resource, National Centre for Cell Science, Pune, 411 021, India. (3)Laboratory - NGS, Centenarians Life Sciences Pvt Ltd., Bangalore, 560103, India. (4)Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 700, Kuopio, Finland. (5)Pandit Deendayal, Upadhyay College of Horticulture & Forestry, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, 843 121, India. (6)C.G. Bhakta Institute of Biotechnology, Uka Tarsadia University, Bardoli, Surat, Gujarat, 394 350, India. na.amaresan@gmail.com. Xanthomonas oryzae causes tremendous damage in rice plants (Oryza sativa L). Therefore, this study is focused on siderophore-producing Bacillus albus (CWTS 10) for managing BLB disease caused by X. oryzae. Both B. albus and its crude siderophore (methanolic and diethyl ether) extracts inhibited X. oryzae (10-12 mm). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis of the extracts indicated the presence of catecholate siderophore functional groups. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of antimicrobial compounds such as 2-deoxystreptamine, miserotoxin, fumitremorgin C, pipercide, pipernonaline, gingerone A, and deoxyvasicinone. Complete genome sequencing revealed the gene clusters for antibiotic, siderophore, antibacterial, antifungal, and secondary metabolite production. An in vivo study revealed that bacteria (CWTS 10) and their siderophore extracts effectively inhibited X. oryzae. The mode of application of bacterial or siderophore extracts in terms of DI and DSI percentage was as follows: soak method > inoculation method > spray method. In addition to providing enhanced antagonistic activity, there was a significant increase in root and shoot length and weight (wet and dry) of treated plants compared to control plants challenged with X. oryzae. Thus, the results clearly indicate that siderophore-producing B. albus and its siderophore extracts strongly inhibited X. oryzae. However, further field experiments are required before being formulated to protect rice crops from X. oryzae. © 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. DOI: 10.1007/s12602-023-10120-3 PMID: 37462829 [Indexed for MEDLINE] 4. J Appl Microbiol. 2023 Apr 3;134(4):lxad066. doi: 10.1093/jambio/lxad066. Complete genome sequencing of Bacillus subtilis (CWTS 5), a siderophore-producing bacterium triggers antagonistic potential against Ralstonia solanacearum. Chandwani S(1), Dewala S(2), Chavan SM(3), Paul D(4), Pachaiappan R(5), Gopi M(5), Amaresan N(1). Author information: (1)C.G. Bhakta Institute of Biotechnology, Uka Tarsadia University, Bardoli, Surat 394350, India. (2)National Centre for Microbial Resource, National Centre for Cell Science, Pune 411021, India. (3)Laboratory - NGS, Centenarians Life Sciences Pvt Ltd., Bangalore 560103, India. (4)Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio 70210, Finland. (5)School of Bioengineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai 603303, India. AIM: The aims of this study were to explore the antagonistic potential of siderophore-producing Bacillus subtilis (CWTS 5) for the suppression of Ralstonia solanacearum and to explore the mechanisms of inhibition by FTIR, LC-MS, and whole genome analysis. METHODS AND RESULTS: A siderophore-producing B. subtilis (CWTS 5) possessing several plant growth-promoting properties such as IAA and ACC deaminase production, phosphate solubilization, and nitrogen fixation was assessed for its inhibitory effect against R. solanacearum, and its mechanisms were explored by in vitro and in vivo analyses. The active secondary metabolites in the siderophore extracts were identified as 2-deoxystreptamine, miserotoxin, fumitremorgin C, pipercide, pipernonaline, gingerone A, and deoxyvasicinone by LC-MS analysis. The Arnow's test and antiSMASH analysis confirmed the presence of catecholate siderophores, and the functional groups determined by FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of secondary metabolites in the siderophore extract possessing antagonistic effect. The complete genome sequence of CWTS 5 revealed the gene clusters responsible for siderophore, antibiotics, secondary metabolite production, and antibacterial and antifungal metabolites. Furthermore, the evaluation of CWTS 5 against R. solanacearum in pot studies demonstrated 40.0% reduced disease severity index (DSI) by CWTS 5, methanolic extract (DSI-26.6%), ethyl acetate extract (DSI-20.0%), and increased plant growth such as root and shoot length, wet weight and dry weight of Solanum lycopersicum L. owing to its antagonistic potential. This genomic insight will support future studies on the application of B. subtilis as a plant growth promoter and biocontrol agent against R. solanacearum for bacterial wilt management. CONCLUSION: The results of this study revealed that B. subtilis (CWTS 5) possesses multiple mechanisms that control R. solanacearum, reduce disease incidence, and improve S. lycopersicum growth. © The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Applied Microbiology International. DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxad066 PMID: 37002541 [Indexed for MEDLINE] 5. Bioorg Med Chem. 2022 Oct 1;71:116963. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116963. Epub 2022 Aug 10. Design and synthesis of novel pipernonaline derivatives as anti-austerity agents against human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells. Okada T(1), Chino Y(2), Yokoyama K(3), Fujihashi Y(4), Duy Phan N(4), Maneenet J(4), Prudhvi L(3), Awale S(5), Toyooka N(6). Author information: (1)Graduate School of Pharma-Medical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-8555, Japan; Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-8555, Japan. Electronic address: tokada@eng.u-toyama.ac.jp. (2)Graduate School of Pharma-Medical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-8555, Japan. (3)Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-8555, Japan. (4)Natural Drug Discovery Laboratory, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan. (5)Natural Drug Discovery Laboratory, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan. Electronic address: suresh@inm.u-toyama.ac.jp. (6)Graduate School of Pharma-Medical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-8555, Japan; Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-8555, Japan. Pipernonaline (1), one of the components of the spice pepper, preferentially reduced the survival of human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells under nutrient-deprived conditions witha PC50 value of 7.2 μM, suggesting that1couldpotentially lead to the development ofnew anticanceragents basedon theanti-austerity strategy. We have synthesized a total of 31 pipernonaline derivatives, revealing clear structure-activity relationships. Compound 9, which showed the strongest preferential cytotoxicity among synthesized derivatives, inhibited Akt activation and cancer cell migration, making it an extremely promising candidate compound for new pancreatic cancer agents based on the anti-austerity strategy. Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116963 PMID: 35969895 [Indexed for MEDLINE]