Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. Physiol Plant. 2024 Sep-Oct;176(5):e14559. doi: 10.1111/ppl.14559.

Identification and characterization of a key LcTPS in the biosynthesis of 
volatile monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in Litchi fruit.

Fu L(1)(2), Chen Q(1)(2), Li Y(1)(2), Li Y(1)(2), Pang X(3)(2), Zhang Z(1)(2), 
Fang F(1)(2).

Author information:
(1)College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 
China.
(2)State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical 
Agro-Bioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of 
Fruit and Vegetables/Engineering Research Center for Postharvest Technology of 
Horticultural Crops in South China, South China Agricultural University, 
Guangzhou, China.
(3)College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 
China.

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) has a desirable sweet taste and exotic aroma, 
making it popular in the markets. However, the biosynthesis of aroma volatiles 
in litchi fruit has rarely been investigated. In this study, the content and 
composition of volatile compounds were determined during litchi fruit ripening. 
In the mature green and mature red stages of litchi, 49 and 45 volatile 
compounds were detected, respectively. Monoterpenes were found to be the most 
abundant volatile compounds in mature red fruit, and their contents 
significantly increased compared to green fruit, mainly including citronellol, 
geraniol, myrcene, and D-limonene, which contributed to the aroma in litchi 
fruit. By comparing the expression profiles of the genes involved in the terpene 
synthesis pathway during fruit development, a terpene synthesis gene (LcTPS1-2) 
was identified and characterized as a major player in the synthesis of 
monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. A subcellular localization analysis found 
LcTPS1-2 to be present in the plastid and cytoplasm. The recombinant LcTPS1-2 
enzyme was able to catalyze the formation of three monoterpenes, myrcene, 
geraniol and citral, from geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP) and to convert farnesyl 
diphosphate (FPP) to a sesquiterpene, caryophyllene in vitro. Transgenic 
Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing LcTPS1-2 exclusively released one 
monoterpene D-limonene, and three sesquiterpenes cis-thujopsene, (E)-β-famesene 
and trans-β-ionone. These results indicate that LcTPS1-2 plays an important role 
in the production of major volatile terpenes in litchi fruit and provides a 
basis for future investigations of terpenoid biosynthesis in litchi and other 
horticultural crops.

© 2024 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

DOI: 10.1111/ppl.14559
PMID: 39377160 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


2. J Ethnopharmacol. 2024 Nov 15;334:118542. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118542. Epub
 2024 Jul 9.

Ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and quality control of Peucedanum 
decursivum (Miq.) Maxim: A critical review.

Tao Y(1), Pu J(2), Wang P(3).

Author information:
(1)College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, 
Hangzhou, 310032, China. Electronic address: taoyi1985@zjut.edu.cn.
(2)College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, 
Hangzhou, 310032, China. Electronic address: 211122070095@zjut.edu.cn.
(3)College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, 
Hangzhou, 310032, China. Electronic address: wangping45@zjut.edu.cn.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Dried roots of Peucedanum decursivum, a 
traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has historically respiratory diseases such 
as cough, thick phlegm, headache, fever, and gynecological diseases, rheumatoid 
arthritis, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
AIM OF THE STUDY: Made an endeavor to evaluate the research trajectory of P. 
decursivum, comprehensively discern its developmental status, and offer a 
guideline for future investigations.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A meticulous search of literatures and books from 1955 to 
2024 via databases like PubMed, Web of Science and CNKI was conducted, including 
topics and keywords of " P. decursivum" "Angelica decursivum" and "Zihua 
Qianhu".
RESULTS: P. decursivum and its prescriptions have traditionally been used for 
treating phlegm-heat cough, wind-heat cough, gastrointestinal diseases, pain 
relief and so on. It contains 234 identified compounds, encompassing coumarins, 
terpenes, volatile oils, phenolic acids, fatty acids and derivatives. It 
exhibits diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-asthmatic, 
anti-inflammatory, antioxidant effects, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, 
anti-Alzheimer, and anti-cancer properties, primarily attributed to coumarins. 
Microscopic identification, HPLC fingerprinting, and bioinformatics 
identification are the primary methods currently used for the quality control.
CONCLUSION: P. decursivum demonstrates anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, and 
antioxidant effects, aligning with its traditional use. However, experimental 
validation of its efficacy against phlegm and viruses is needed. Additionally, 
analgesic effects mentioned in historical texts lack modern pharmacological 
studies. Numerous isolated compounds exhibit highly valuable medicinal 
properties. Future research can delve into exploring these substances further. 
Rigorous of heavy metal contamination, particularly Cd and Pb, is necessary. 
Simultaneously, investigating its pharmacokinetics and toxicity in humans is 
crucial for the safety.

Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118542
PMID: 38992404 [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.


3. Heliyon. 2022 Dec 28;9(1):e12703. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12703. 
eCollection 2023 Jan.

Smelling the difference: separation of healthy and infected button mushrooms via 
microbial volatile organic compounds.

Radványi D(1).

Author information:
(1)Department of Food Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Food 
Science and Technology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 
29-43, Villányi út, H-1118 Budapest, Hungary.

In the literature there is a lack of consensus regarding mushroom volatiles; 
most of the studies identify only a few volatiles. This study deals with button 
mushrooms, their emitted volatiles, and the main changes during infections 
(green mould and cobweb disease) in a time series experiment. Emitted volatile 
profiles were determined using HS-SPME-GC-MS coupled analytical technique. The 
separation of healthy and infected mushroom samples was done using different 
multivariate statistical methods (PCA, PLS-DA, HeatMap). The main volatile 
compounds were also determined. As a result, several compounds were found to 
successfully distinguish healthy (bisabolene, cymene, myrtenol, d-limonene, 
etc.) and infected (thujopsene, cedr-8-ene, chamigrene, patchulane, longifolene, 
etc.), mushroom samples, and an early disease detection was achieved. Results 
can be used for further investigation of infected mushroom identification in an 
early stage in packaged mushroom products. Furthermore, these results could help 
to identify infections in commercially available mushrooms, thus increasing 
shelf-life in super/hypermarkets.

© 2022 The Author.

DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12703
PMCID: PMC9840114
PMID: 36647354

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


4. Talanta. 2022 Aug 1;245:123463. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123463. Epub 2022 
Apr 8.

Characterization of scents from Juniperus chinensis by headspace in-needle 
microextraction using graphene oxide-polyaniline nanocomposite coated wire 
followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Kim S(1), Bae S(2), Lee DS(3).

Author information:
(1)Department of Chemistry, Seoul Women's University, 621 Hwarang-ro, Nowon-gu, 
Seoul, 01797, South Korea.
(2)Department of Chemistry, Seoul Women's University, 621 Hwarang-ro, Nowon-gu, 
Seoul, 01797, South Korea. Electronic address: sbae@swu.ac.kr.
(3)Department of Chemistry, Seoul Women's University, 621 Hwarang-ro, Nowon-gu, 
Seoul, 01797, South Korea. Electronic address: aromabox0101@gmail.com.

Scents released by trees are the secondary metabolites that play various roles, 
including indirect plant defense against insects, attraction to pollinators, 
communication, adaptation to heat resistance, environmental stress, and 
protection from predators. In this study, the scents of three individual trees 
designated as Korean natural monuments (pair of Chinese junipers, Chinese 
juniper, and horizontal Chinese juniper tree) were analyzed using headspace 
in-needle microextraction (HS-INME) method with graphene oxide-polyaniline 
(GO-PANI) adsorbent followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). 
GO-PANI layer was coated on a stainless steel wire using cyclic voltammetry 
(CV). It was characterized through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier 
transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and field emission-scanning electron 
microscope (FE-SEM). As a result, it was confirmed that the GO-PANI coating was 
successfully prepared. α-Longipinene, α-cedrene, and cedrol, which are 
representative scent components of common juniper trees, were selected as target 
compounds through a preliminary test and used in the optimization processes. 
Response surface methodology (RSM) with Box Behnken Design (BBD) was applied to 
optimize the experimental conditions. The developed analytical method was 
validated by checking the limit of detection (LOD), the limit of quantitation 
(LOQ), recovery rate, sensitivity, and reproducibility. Significant scientific 
findings from three Korean natural monuments of Juniperus chinensis were 
characterized by their major scent components such as α-cedrene, γ-cadinene, 
thujopsene, and cedrol of pungent-woody base note.

Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123463
PMID: 35430531 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


5. Biomed Res Int. 2021 Aug 2;2021:9940591. doi: 10.1155/2021/9940591.
eCollection  2021.

Clove Buds Essential Oil: The Impact of Grinding on the Chemical Composition and 
Its Biological Activities Involved in Consumer's Health Security.

Ben Hassine D(1)(2), Kammoun El Euch S(3), Rahmani R(4)(5), Ghazouani N(1), Kane 
R(1), Abderrabba M(1), Bouajila J(6).

Author information:
(1)Laboratory Materials, Molecules, and Applications, IPEST, Carthage 
University, BP 51, La Marsa, Tunisia.
(2)National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia, Food Industries Department, Carthage 
University, Tunisia.
(3)Laboratory of Structural Organic Chemistry, Synthesis and Physicochemical 
Study, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.
(4)Research Unit of Valorisation of Active Biomolecules, Higher Institute of 
Applied Biology Medenine, University of Gabes, 4119 Medenine, Tunisia.
(5)Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences of Gabes, University of 
Gabes, Gabes, Tunisia.
(6)Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, UMR 5503, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, 
UPS, Toulouse, France.

This study is aimed at identifying the chemical composition of the essential oil 
extracted from the Syzygium aromaticum seeds, as well as investigating its 
biological activities, insecticide effect, and allelopathic properties. The 
extraction yield was about 14.3 and 7.14% for grounded and ungrounded seeds, 
respectively. The GC-MS analysis allowed the identification of 17 heterogeneous 
compounds, including eugenol (68.7-87.4%), as major compound, cyperene 
(20.5-7.2%), phenethyl isovalerate (6.4-3.6%), and cis-thujopsene (1.9-0.8%), 
respectively, for grounded and ungrounded seeds. Concerning the antibacterial 
activity, the diameter of the inhibition zone reached 35 mm when the essential 
oil extracted from grounded seeds was applied against Escherichia coli. 
Regarding the antioxidant activity via the DPPH radical scavenging test, the 
IC50 varied from 1.2 ± 0.1 to 2.8 ± 0.5 μg/mL. With respect to reducing power, 
the efficient concentration EC50 ranged from 32 to 50 μg/mL. The essential oil 
exhibited also an allelopathic effect against seeds of Hyoscyamus niger, as well 
as an insecticide effect against Sitophilus oryzae with a DL50 value of 
252.4 μL/L air. These findings enhance the use of this spice as a natural food 
preservative and encourage its use in several fields, including pharmaceutical, 
cosmetics, agriculture, and therapy, that could be a strategic way to guarantee 
the consumer's health.

Copyright © 2021 Dorsaf Ben Hassine et al.

DOI: 10.1155/2021/9940591
PMCID: PMC8352679
PMID: 34381841 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

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