Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. In Silico Pharmacol. 2024 Nov 2;12(2):97. doi: 10.1007/s40203-024-00269-2. 
eCollection 2024.

Effects of some anti-ulcer and anti-inflammatory natural products on 
cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes: insights from in silico analysis.

Metuge JA(1), Betow JY(2)(3), Bekono BD(2)(4), Tjegbe MJM(2), Ndip RN(2)(5), 
Ntie-Kang F(2)(3)(6).

Author information:
(1)Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Alabama A&M 
University, Huntsville, USA.
(2)Center for Drug Discovery, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, 
Cameroon.
(3)Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, 
Cameroon.
(4)Department of Physics, Ecole Normale Supérieure, University of Yaoundé I, 
Yaoundé, Cameroon.
(5)Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University 
of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
(6)Institute of Pharmacy, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 
Kurt-Mothes-Strasse 3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.

Gastric and duodenal ulcers are increasingly becoming global health burdens. The 
side effects of conventional treatments such as non-steroid anti-inflammatory 
drugs (NSAIDs), proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), antibiotics, and cytoprotective 
agents have necessitated the search for new medications. Plants are a rich 
source of active metabolites and herbal medicines have been used in the 
treatment of ulcers and cancers. In this study, we used in silico methods like 
molecular docking and MM-GBSA calculations to evaluate the effects of some 
anti-ulcer and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals on some key enzymes, 
cyclooxygenase (COX), and lipoxygenase (LOX), which are implicated in the 
protection and destruction of the gastric mucosa. The phytochemicals were 
retrieved from the literature and docked toward the binding sites of the three 
enzymes (COX-1, COX-2, and 5-LOX). Five compounds, rhamnetin, kaempferol, rutin, 
rosmarinic acid, and chlorogenic acid were observed to putatively bind to 
cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) but not to cyclooxygenase 1 
(COX-1). The interaction mechanisms between these phytochemicals and the target 
proteins are discussed. The compounds' drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and 
toxicity have been evaluated to assess their suitability as potential 
next-generation anti-ulcer and anti-inflammatory drugs.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material 
available at 10.1007/s40203-024-00269-2.

© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part 
of Springer Nature 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or 
other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing 
agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of 
the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms 
of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

DOI: 10.1007/s40203-024-00269-2
PMCID: PMC11531464
PMID: 39498163

Conflict of interest statement: Competing interestThe authors declare that they 
have no conflicts of interest.


2. J Med Food. 2024 Nov 4. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2024.0156. Online ahead of print.

Hypoglycemic Activity of the Hydroalcoholic Extract of Porophyllum ruderale in 
CD1 Mice.

Vázquez-Atanacio MJ(1)(2), Bautista M(2), de la O-Arciniega M(2), 
Castañeda-Ovando A(3), González-Cortazar M(4), Peláez-Acero A(1), Ojeda-Ramírez 
D(1).

Author information:
(1)Área Académica de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Instituto de Ciencias 
Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Tulancingo, México.
(2)Área Académica de Farmacia, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad 
Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, San Agustín Tlaxiaca, Mexico.
(3)Área Académica de Química de Alimentos, Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e 
Ingenierías, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Pachuca de Soto, 
Mexico.
(4)Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Sur, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro 
Social, Xochitepec, Mexico.

Diabetes, considered one of the main causes of death in the Mexican population, 
is a chronic disease caused by alterations in the synthesis of pancreatic 
insulin or because it is not used effectively by the body. Insufficient action 
of insulin causes hyperglycemia, which, if not controlled, causes damage to 
blood capillaries and nerve endings over time, affecting the functioning of 
various organs and systems. As mentioned above, controlling glucose levels in 
the population suffering from chronic diseases becomes an essential part of 
their treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hypoglycemic effect 
of a hydroalcoholic extract of the aerial parts of Porophyllum ruderale (HEPr). 
A glucose tolerance curve was developed by monitoring at different times (0-120 
min) glucose levels in blood samples taken from an apical tail slice of CD1 
mice. HEPr showed a significant effect from baseline on basal glucose levels 
(114.33 ± 14.74 mg/dL) compared with the control group (60.33 ± 4.16 mg/dL) and 
the metformin-treated group (129 ± 13 mg/dL). In addition, the values at the end 
of the tolerance curve (120 min) showed a significant decrease in the study 
group (66 ± 10.39 mg/dL) compared with the metformin-treated group (108.67 ± 
4.50 mg/dL). This effect can be attributed to the presence of chlorogenic acid, 
cryptochlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol 3-O-glucosides 
in HEPr. In conclusion, P. ruderale constitutes an important source of compounds 
for use as an adjuvant treatment for the control of hypoglycemia in different 
chronic diseases.

DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2024.0156
PMID: 39496277


3. Int J Biol Sci. 2024 Oct 14;20(14):5576-5593. doi: 10.7150/ijbs.96651. 
eCollection 2024.

ACAT1 Induces the Differentiation of Glioblastoma Cells by Rewiring Choline 
Metabolism.

You S(1)(2), Wang MJ(1), Hou ZY(1)(3), Wang WD(1), Zhang ZH(1), Du TT(1), Li 
SY(1), Liu YC(1), Xue NN(1), Hu XM(4), Chen XG(1)(5), Ji M(1)(6).

Author information:
(1)Department of Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and 
Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of 
Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
(2)Biomedical Engineering Facility of National Infrastructures for Translational 
Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical 
Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
(3)Department of Pharmacy, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100080, 
China.
(4)State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union 
Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union 
Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
(5)Beijing Key Laboratory of New Drug Mechanisms and Pharmacological Evaluation 
Study, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and 
Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
(6)Key Laboratory of Small Molecule Immuno-Oncology Drug Discovery, Chinese 
Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100050, China.

Abnormal differentiation of cells is a hallmark of malignancy. Induction of 
cancer-cell differentiation is emerging as a novel therapeutic strategy with low 
toxicity in hematological malignances, but whether such treatment can be used in 
solid tumors is not known. Here, we uncovered a novel function of acetyl 
coenzyme A acetyltransferase (ACAT1) in regulating the differentiation of 
glioblastoma (GBM) cells. Inhibition of ACAT1 promoted the differentiation of 
GBM cells into astrocytes but also delayed tumor growth. Mechanistically, 
suppression of ACAT1 restored mitochondrial function and led to metabolic 
"reprogramming" in GBM cells: reduction of fatty-acid oxidation and acetyl-CoA, 
but an increase in free fatty acids. Importantly, ACAT1 negatively regulated the 
choline metabolic pathway, which is crucial for the differentiation of GBM 
cells. Finally, we demonstrated that a naturally available substance, 
chlorogenic acid (CHA), could inhibit phosphorylation of ACAT1 and so delay GBM 
progression, CHA is a promising candidate to treat GBM because it could induce 
the differentiation of cancer cells.

© The author(s).

DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.96651
PMCID: PMC11528465
PMID: 39494339 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: Competing Interests: The authors have declared 
that no competing interest exists.


4. PeerJ. 2024 Oct 31;12:e18228. doi: 10.7717/peerj.18228. eCollection 2024.

Study on the effect of chlorogenic acid on the antimicrobial effect, physical 
properties and model accuracy of alginate impression materials.

Jiang S(#)(1)(2), Chen FQ(#)(1), Hu QQ(1), Yang F(1), Hu N(3), Luo XN(1)(4), 
Zhang Y(1)(4), Wu N(1)(4), Li N(1)(4).

Author information:
(1)Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical 
College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
(2)Loudi Vocational and Technical College, Loudi, Hunan, China.
(3)Department of Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang 
University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
(4)Nursing School, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
(#)Contributed equally

BACKGROUND: Dental impressions are essential for accurately capturing the 
detailed anatomy of teeth and surrounding oral structures. However, these 
impressions often become contaminated with saliva and blood, making proper 
disinfection necessary. The application of chemical disinfectants has been 
associated with negative side effects, leading to suboptimal disinfection 
practices in clinical settings.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of 
chlorogenic acid (CA) as a disinfectant for alginate impression materials, the 
impact of CA disinfection on the physical properties and dimensional accuracy of 
alginate impressions was also investigated.
METHODS: The physical properties of alginate impression materials, such as 
elastic recovery, strain-in-compression, initial setting time, and fluidity, 
were assessed after mixing the alginate impression materials with three 
different concentrations of CA solution (10 mg/mL, 15 mg/mL, 20 mg/mL). To 
evaluate the antimicrobial effect of CA, alginate impressions mixed with a 10 
mg/mL CA solution and impressions mixed with distilled water (control group) 
were contaminated with four types of microorganism: Escherichia coli, 
Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Following 
a five-minute incubation period, a CA solution at a concentration of either 
50 mg/mL, 55 mg/mL, or 60 mg/mL was sprayed on the samples for disinfection. 
Samples were collected at different time intervals (10 min, 20 min, 30 min) and 
cultured to determine the number of colony-forming units (CFU/mL), providing 
insight into the antimicrobial efficacy of these CA solutions. The dimensional 
accuracy of alginate impressions was assessed in three groups: one with alginate 
impressions mixed with distilled water, another with alginate impressions 
sterilized with available chlorine (2,000 mg/L) mixed with distilled water, and 
the last group consisting of alginate impressions mixed with 10 mg/mL CA 
solution and sprayed with 60 mg/mL CA solution. Both the standard model and the 
plaster model underwent 3D scanning, and the data were processed and compared by 
software. The root mean square (RMS) was used as a parameter to evaluate the 
deviation between models.
RESULTS: All alginate impression materials mixed with either 10 mg/mL, 15 mg/mL, 
or 20 mg/mL concentrations of CA solution met the ISO 21563 standard for elastic 
recovery, strain-in-compression, and fluidity. However, only the material mixed 
with a concentration of 10 mg/mL CA had an initial setting time within the range 
specified by the T-6505 Japanese industrial standard. The application of CA 
solution by mixing or spraying showed significant antimicrobial effects on 
Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Streptococcus 
pneumoniae. There was no significant difference in the dimensional accuracy of 
the alginate impressions between the group of the CA solution applied, the blank 
group, or the chlorine intervention group.

©2024 Jiang et al.

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.18228
PMCID: PMC11531742
PMID: 39494305 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare there are no competing 
interests.


5. Food Sci Biotechnol. 2024 Jun 8;33(15):3567-3577. doi: 
10.1007/s10068-024-01601-4. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Euonymus alatus and its compounds suppress hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative 
stress in HT22 cells.

You YL(1), Byun HJ(1), Lee JS(2), Choi HS(1), Youk JS(3).

Author information:
(1)Department of Food Nutrition, Sangmyung University, Hongjimun 2-gil 20, 
Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03016 Republic of Korea.
(2)Forest Environment Research Institute of Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongju, 38174 
Republic of Korea.
(3)Department of Food & Beverage Management, Hanyang Women's University, 200, 
Salgoji-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

This study aimed to explore the protective effects of Euonymus alatus (EA) 
leaves and its compounds on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced neuronal cell 
death. EA effectively reversed the H2O2-induced decrease in HT22 cell viability. 
Anti-apoptotic marker poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase significantly increased with 
EA treatment, whereas BAX/BCL2 and cleaved caspase-3/procaspase-3 ratios, which 
represent apoptotic markers, were dose-dependently decreased by EA treatment. 
Additionally, EA effectively decreased β-secretase production, acetylcholine 
esterase activity, and Tau phosphorylation, pathological features observed in 
Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, EA significantly increased the protein levels 
of NRF2 and HO-1, as well as the gene expression of antioxidant enzymes, 
including catalase, superoxide dismutase 1, and glutathione peroxidase. LC-MS/MS 
and HPLC analyses revealed the presence of chlorogenic acid and leucosides in 
EA. Both chlorogenic acid and leucosides showed protective effects against 
H2O2-induced neuronal cell death. This study highlights the potential of EA and 
its compounds as functional edible agents for neuroprotection against oxidative 
stress.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material 
available at 10.1007/s10068-024-01601-4.

© The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology 2024. Springer Nature or its 
licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this 
article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other 
rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of 
this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and 
applicable law.

DOI: 10.1007/s10068-024-01601-4
PMCID: PMC11525359
PMID: 39493395

Conflict of interest statement: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no 
conflict of interest.