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. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Oct 15;25(20):11077. doi: 10.3390/ijms252011077. Oilseed Cakes: A Promising Source of Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Agents-Insights from Lactuca sativa. Majed M(1), Galala AA(1)(2), Amer MM(1), Selmar D(3), Abouzeid S(1)(3). Author information: (1)Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt. (2)Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Horus University in Egypt (HUE), New Damietta 34517, Egypt. (3)Institute for Plant Biology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Mendelssohnsstr. 4, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany. This study evaluated the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of methanolic extracts derived from oilseed cakes of Lactuca sativa (lettuce), Nigella sativa (black seed), Eruca sativa (rocket), and Linum usitatissimum (linseed). Lettuce methanolic extract showed the highest potential, so it was selected for further investigation. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD) analysis and bioassay-guided fractionation of lettuce seed cake extract led to the isolation of five compounds: 1,3-propanediol-2-amino-1-(3',4'-methylenedioxyphenyl) (1), luteolin (2), luteolin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (3), apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (4), and β-sitosterol 3-O-β-D-glucoside (5). Compound (1) was identified from Lactuca species for the first time, with high yield. The cytotoxic effects of the isolated compounds were tested on liver (HepG2) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines, compared to normal cells (WI-38). Compounds (2), (3), and (4) exhibited strong activity in all assays, while compound (1) showed weak antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic effects. The anti-inflammatory activity of lettuce seed cake extract and compound (1) was evaluated in vivo using a carrageenan-induced paw oedema model. Compound (1) and its combination with ibuprofen significantly reduced paw oedema, lowered inflammatory mediators (IL-1β, TNF-α, PGE2), and restored antioxidant enzyme activity. Additionally, compound (1) showed promising COX-1 and COX-2 inhibition in an in vitro enzymatic anti-inflammatory assay, with IC50 values of 17.31 ± 0.65 and 4.814 ± 0.24, respectively. Molecular docking revealed unique interactions of compound (1) with COX-1 and COX-2, suggesting the potential for targeted inhibition. These findings underscore the value of oilseed cakes as a source of bioactive compounds that merit further investigation. DOI: 10.3390/ijms252011077 PMCID: PMC11507441 PMID: 39456857 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. 2. RSC Adv. 2024 Aug 5;14(34):24503-24515. doi: 10.1039/d4ra04496g. eCollection 2024 Aug 5. In vivo determination of analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of isolated compounds from Cleome amblyocarpa and molecular modelling for the top active investigated compounds. El-Ayouty MM(1), Eltahawy NA(2), Abd El-Sameaa AM(1), Badawy AM(1), Darwish KM(3), Elhady SS(4)(5), Shokr MM(6), Ahmed SA(2). Author information: (1)Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sinai University El-Arish 45511 Egypt miada.mohamed@su.edu.eg ahmed.abdelsameaa@su.edu.eg ahmed.badawy@su.edu.eg. (2)Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University Ismailia 41522 Egypt Nermeenazmy25@gmail.com nermeen.azmy@pharm.suez.edu.eg safwat_aa@yahoo.com safwat_ahmed@pharm.suez.edu.eg +20-064-323074 +20-010-92638387. (3)Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University Ismailia 41522 Egypt Khaled_darwish@pharm.suez.edu.eg. (4)King Abdulaziz University Herbarium, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University Jeddah 21589 Saudi Arabia ssahmed@kau.edu.sa. (5)Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University Jeddah 21589 Saudi Arabia. (6)Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sinai University - Arish Branch Arish 45511 Egypt mostafa.mohsen@su.edu.eg. Cleome amblyocarpa Barr. and Murb. from the family Cleomaceae is used in folk medicine as it has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant activities. In this study, ten compounds from the whole plant of C. amblyocarpa, a wild plant that grows in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, were isolated. Six compounds, β-sitosterol 3-O-β-d-glucoside 2, calycopterin 5, rhamnocitrin 6, 17α-hydroxycabraleahy-droxylactone 7, cleogynol 8, and β-sitosterol 10 were first isolated from this species. In addition, four previously reported compounds, kaempferol-3, 7-dirhamnoside 1, 15α-acetoxycleomblynol A 3, and 11-α-acetylbrachy-carpone-22(23)-ene 4, as well as cleocarpanol 9, were isolated and identified. Isolated compounds were evaluated to determine their analgesic properties utilizing a hot-plate test method, and their anti-inflammatory effects utilizing rat paw edema. In a hot-plate test, compounds 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9 showed significant pain inhibition in latency time as compared to the normal group. Compounds 3-9 exhibited a significant inhibition of carrageenan-induced inflammation. According to the results of this work, compounds 3 and 4 (Dammarane triterpenoid) have the strongest analgesic/anti-inflammatory activity as compared to the other tested compounds. These results give support to the medicinal benefits of the plant as an analgesic along with an anti-inflammatory agent in traditional therapy. Molecular modelling studies of the isolated compounds 3 and 4 assessed the molecular affinity and binding interaction patterns for these compounds towards COX-2 as compared to specific COX-2 inhibitors and in relation to COX-1 isozyme. Compound 3 revealed extended accommodation across COX-2's hydrophobic sub-pockets and preferential thermodynamic stability across molecular dynamics simulations. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry. DOI: 10.1039/d4ra04496g PMCID: PMC11299235 PMID: 39108954 Conflict of interest statement: There are no conflicts to declare. 3. Nat Prod Res. 2024 Jan 23:1-12. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2023.2301682. Online ahead of print. New triterpenoid saponin from the aerial part of Abrus canescens Welw ex. Bak. (Fabaceae) and their antibacterial activities. Mahamat Djamalladine D(1), Mabou FD(1), Feugap Tsamo DL(1), Tamokou JD(2), Voutquenne-Nazabadioko L(3), Tsopmo A(4), Ngnokam D(1). Author information: (1)Research Unit of Environmental and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon. (2)Research Unit of Microbiology and Antimicrobial Substances, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon. (3)Groupe Isolement et Structure, Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de Reims (ICMR), Reims, France. (4)Food Science, Department of Chemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada. The chemical investigation of the aerial part of Abrus canescens led to isolation of a new triterpenoid glycoside named Canescensoside (1) and four known compounds including longispinogenin-3-O-β-D-glucuronopyranoside (2), β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucoside (3), apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4) and apigenin-7-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-glucopyranoside] (5). Structures of compounds were assigned by interpretation of their spectral data, mainly 1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS, and by comparison with the reported data. The MeOH extract, EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions as well as isolated compounds were tested for their antibacterial activities against four bacteria strains among which, two Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 76110 and Escherichia coli ATCC 8739) and two Gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923) bacteria using the broth microdilution method. The MeOH extract and EtOAc fraction exhibited significant activities (MIC values ranging from 128 to 512 μg/mL) against all the tested bacteria. Compounds 2 and 3 showed the lowest MIC values of 55.47 and 50.40 µM, respectively. DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2023.2301682 PMID: 38258449 4. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2023 Oct 12;2023:1901529. doi: 10.1155/2023/1901529. eCollection 2023. Antioxidant Potential of Ethiopian Medicinal Plants and Their Phytochemicals: A Review of Pharmacological Evaluation. Nigussie G(1)(2), Siyadatpanah A(3), Norouzi R(4), Debebe E(1)(2), Alemayehu M(1), Dekebo A(2)(5). Author information: (1)Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (2)Department of Applied Chemistry, Adama Science and Technology University, P.O. Box 1888, Adama, Ethiopia. (3)Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran. (4)Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran. (5)Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Adama Science and Technology University, P.O. Box 1888, Adama, Ethiopia. BACKGROUND: Free radicals are very reactive molecules produced during oxidation events that in turn initiate a chain reaction resulting in cellular damage. Many degenerative diseases in humans, including cancer and central nervous system damage, are caused by free radicals. Scientific evidence indicates that active compounds from natural products can protect cells from free radical damage. As a result, the aim of this review is to provide evidence of the use of diverse Ethiopian medicinal plants with antioxidant properties that have been scientifically validated in order to draw attention and foster further investigations in this area. METHODS: The keywords antioxidant, radical scavenging activities, reactive oxygen species, natural product, Ethiopian Medicinal plants, and 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay (DPPH) were used to identify relevant data in the major electronic scientific databases, including Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Medline, and Science domain. All articles with descriptions that were accessed until November 2022 were included in the search strategy. RESULTS: A total of 54 plant species from 33 families were identified, along with 46 compounds isolated. More scientific studies have been conducted on plant species from the Brassicaceae (19%), Asphodelaceae (12%), and Asteraceae (12%) families. The most used solvent and extraction method for plant samples are methanol (68%) and maceration (88%). The most examined plant parts were the leaves (42%). Plant extracts (56%) as well as isolated compounds (61%) exhibited significant antioxidant potential. The most effective plant extracts from Ethiopian flora were Bersama abyssinica, Solanecio gigas, Echinops kebericho, Verbascum sinaiticum, Apium leptophyllum, and Crinum abyssinicum. The best oxidative phytochemicals were Rutin (7), Flavan-3-ol-7-O-glucoside (8), Myricitrin (13), Myricetin-3-O-arabinopyranoside (14), 7-O-Methylaloeresin A (15), 3-Hydroxyisoagatholactone (17), β-Sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucoside (22), Microdontin A/B (24), and Caffeic acid (39). CONCLUSION: Many crude extracts and compounds exhibited significant antioxidant activity, making them excellent candidates for the development of novel drugs. However, there is a paucity of research into the mechanisms of action as well as clinical evidence supporting some of these isolated compounds. To fully authenticate and then commercialize, further investigation and systematic analysis of these antioxidant-rich species are required. Copyright © 2023 Gashaw Nigussie et al. DOI: 10.1155/2023/1901529 PMCID: PMC10586904 PMID: 37868204 Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. 5. Plants (Basel). 2023 Feb 27;12(5):1062. doi: 10.3390/plants12051062. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS Profiling and Cytotoxic, Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Antidiabetic, and Antiobesity Activities of the Non-Polar Fractions of Salvia hispanica L. Aerial Parts. Abdel Ghani AE(1), Al-Saleem MSM(2), Abdel-Mageed WM(3)(4), AbouZeid EM(1), Mahmoud MY(1), Abdallah RH(1). Author information: (1)Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt. (2)Department of Chemistry, Science College, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia. (3)Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia. (4)Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut 71526, Egypt. Salvia hispanica L. is an annual herbaceous plant commonly known as "Chia". It has been recommended for therapeutic use because of its use as an excellent source of fatty acids, protein, dietary fibers, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. A literature survey concerning phytochemical and biological investigations of chia extracts revealed less attention towards the non-polar extracts of S. hispanica L. aerial parts, which motivates us to investigate their phytochemical constituents and biological potentials. The phytochemical investigation of the non-polar fractions of S. hispanica L. aerial parts resulted in the tentative identification of 42 compounds using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis with the isolation of β-sitosterol (1), betulinic acid (2), oleanolic acid (3), and β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucoside (4). GLC-MS analysis of the seeds' oil showed a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acid, with a percentage of 35.64% of the total fatty acid content in the seed oil. The biological results revealed that the dichloromethane fraction showed promising DPPH radical-scavenging activity (IC50 = 14.73 µg/mL), antidiabetic activity with significant inhibition of the α-amylase enzyme (IC50 673.25 μg/mL), and anti-inflammatory activity using in vitro histamine release assay (IC50 61.8 μg/mL). Furthermore, the dichloromethane fraction revealed moderate cytotoxic activity against human lung cancer cell line (A-549), human prostate carcinoma (PC-3), and colon carcinoma (HCT-116) with IC50s 35.9 ± 2.1 μg/mL, 42.4 ± 2.3 μg/mL, and 47.5 ± 1.3 μg/mL, respectively, and antiobesity activity with IC50 59.3 μg/mL, using pancreatic lipase inhibitory assay. In conclusion, this study's findings not only shed light on the phytochemical constituents and biological activities of the non-polar fractions of chia but also should be taken as a basis for the future in vivo and clinical studies on the safety and efficacy of chia and its extracts. Further study should be focused towards the isolation of the active principles of the dichloromethane fraction and studying their efficacy, exact mechanism(s), and safety, which could benefit the pharmaceutical industry and folk medicine practitioners who use this plant to cure diseases. DOI: 10.3390/plants12051062 PMCID: PMC10005563 PMID: 36903922 Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.