Phytotoxic Activity of Sesquiterpene Lactones-Enriched Fractions from L. Leaves on Pre-Emergent and Post-Emergent Weed Species and Putative Mode of Action.

Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are compounds that are highly produced in leaves, known for their phytotoxic activity. This study aims to assess SL-enriched fractions' (cynaropicrin, aguerin B, and grosheimin) phytotoxic potentials and putative modes of action, compared to an initial extract, using two approaches: first, against a panel of nine weed species in pre-emergence, and then on L.'s post-emergency stage.

Dereplication of New Saponins from .

The genus comprises over 400 species that are known for their diverse applications, which include being sources of fiber, food, and beverages. There has recently been increased interest in exploring the metabolic content of this genus, and in this respect, saponins are the main compounds of interest. Saponins for have not been described to date, and the current work addresses the dereplication of a saponin-rich fraction to identify the structures of six compounds.

Dereplication of Bioactive Saponin Fractions: The Hidden Saponins.

The good phytotoxicity and selectivity against weeds versus tomato or cress make saponin-rich fractions from , , , and attractive candidates as bioherbicides. The saponin contents have only previously been reported for , and as a consequence, simultaneous dereplication has been performed on saponin-rich fractions from the other plants by mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This strategy enables the identification of a total of 26 saponins, 14 of which have been described previously and 12 of which are proposed as new saponins.

Bioprospection of Phytotoxic Plant-Derived Eudesmanolides and Guaianolides for the Control of , , and Weeds.

The phytotoxicities of a selection of eudesmanolides and guaianolides, including natural products and new derivatives obtained by semisynthesis from plant-isolated sesquiterpene lactones, were evaluated in bioassays against three weeds of concern in agriculture ( L., L., and L.

Effects of Sesquiterpene Lactones on Primary Cilia Formation (Ciliogenesis).

Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs), plant-derived metabolites with broad spectra of biological effects, including anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory, hold promise for drug development. Primary cilia, organelles extending from cell surfaces, are crucial for sensing and transducing extracellular signals essential for cell differentiation and proliferation. Their life cycle is linked to the cell cycle, as cilia assemble in non-dividing cells of G/G phases and disassemble before entering mitosis.

Allelopathic studies with furanocoumarins isolated from Ducrosia anethifolia. In vitro and in silico investigations to protect legumes, rice and grain crops.

Six different furanocoumarins were isolated from the aerial parts of Ducrosia anethifolia and tested in vitro for plant cell elongation in etiolated wheat coleoptile. They were also tested for their ability to control three different weeds: ribwort plantain, annual ryegrass, and common purslane. These compounds exhibited strong inhibition of plant cell elongation.

Biological Activity of Naphthoquinones Derivatives in the Search of Anticancer Lead Compounds.

Naphthoquinones are a valuable source of secondary metabolites that are well known for their dye properties since ancient times. A wide range of biological activities have been described highlighting their cytotoxic activity, gaining the attention of researchers in recent years. In addition, it is also worth mentioning that many anticancer drugs possess a naphthoquinone backbone in their structure.

Stability and p Modulation of Aminophenoxazinones and Their Disulfide Mimics by Host-Guest Interaction with Cucurbit[7]uril. Direct Applications in Agrochemical Wheat Models.

Aqueous solubility and stability often limit the application of aminophenoxazinones and their sulfur mimics as promising agrochemicals in a sustainable agriculture inspired by allelopathy. This paper presents a solution to the problem using host-guest complexation with cucurbiturils (). Computational studies show that is the most suitably sized homologue due to its strong affinity for guest molecules and its high water solubility.

On the formulation of disulfide herbicides based on aminophenoxazinones: polymeric nanoparticle formulation and cyclodextrin complexation to combat crop yield losses.

Background: The resistance of weeds to herbicides is a significant issue in ensuring future food supply. Specific examples are Plantago lanceolata, Portulaca oleracea and Lolium rigidum, which mainly infect rice, wheat, barley and pastures, and cause high yield losses every year. In this regard, natural products and their mimics have provided new hope as a result of their different modes-of-action, activity at low concentrations and reduced pollution effects relative to conventional herbicides.

Steroidal Saponins with Plant Growth Stimulation Effects; as a Commercial Source.

Plant growth-stimulation bioactivity of triterpenoid saponins is well known, especially for oleanane-type compounds. Nevertheless, a few phytotoxicity bioassays performed on some steroidal saponins have shown hormesis profiles and growth stimulation on roots. The focus of the work described here was on the use of the wheat coleoptile bioassay to evaluate plant growth stimulation, and on the search for a commercially available source of active saponins by bio-guided fractionation strategy.

In Silico Evaluation of Sesquiterpenes and Benzoxazinoids Phytotoxins against M, RNA Replicase and Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2 by Molecular Dynamics. Inspired by Nature.

In the work described here, a number of sesquiterpenes and benzoxazinoids from natural sources, along with their easily accessible derivatives, were evaluated against the main protease, RNA replicase and spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 by molecular docking. These natural products and their derivatives have previously shown remarkable antiviral activities. The most relevant compounds were the 4-fluoro derivatives of santamarine, reynosin and 2-amino-3-phenoxazin-3-one in terms of the docking score.

Evaluation of the phytotoxic and antifungal activity of C -sesquiterpenoids as potential biopesticides.

Background: Natural products are a promising source for the development of new pesticides with alternative mechanisms of action. In this study, we evaluated the phytotoxic and antifungal activity of a novel family of natural C -sesquiterpenoids and performed a study of the effect caused by the elimination of the α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone system and its importance to their biological activity.

Results: Many tested compounds exhibited a strong phytotoxic activity.

Encapsulation of Cynara Cardunculus Guaiane-type Lactones in Fully Organic Nanotubes Enhances Their Phytotoxic Properties.

The encapsulation of bioactive natural products has emerged as a relevant tool for modifying the poor physicochemical properties often exhibited by agrochemicals. In this regard, natural guaiane-type sesquiterpene lactones isolated from L. have been encapsulated in a core/shell nanotube@agrochemical system.

Strigolactones: New players in the nitrogen-phosphorus signalling interplay.

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are among the most important macronutrients for plant growth and development, and the most widely used as fertilizers. Understanding how plants sense and respond to N and P deficiency is essential to optimize and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. Strigolactones (SLs) are phytohormones acting as modulators and sensors of plant responses to P deficiency.

Dereplication of Bioactive Spirostane Saponins from .

A dereplication strategy using UPLC-QTOF/MS, the HMAI method, and NMR spectroscopy led to the identification of five main steroidal saponins (-), including three previously unknown compounds named macroacanthosides A-C (-), in a bioactive fraction of . The major saponins were isolated, and some of them together with the saponin-rich fraction were then evaluated for phytotoxicity on a standard target species, . The inhibition values exhibited by the pure compounds were confirmed to be in agreement with the phytotoxicity of the saponin-rich fraction, which suggests that the saponin fraction could be applied successfully as an agrochemical without undergoing any further costly and/or time-consuming purification processes.

Structure, Bioactivity and Analytical Methods for the Determination of Saponins.

is one of the main sources of steroidal saponins, hence different extracts are commercialized for use as surfactant additives by beverage, animal feed, cosmetics or agricultural products. For a deeper understanding of the potential of the saponins that can be found in this genus, an exhaustive review of the structural characteristics, bioactivities and analytical methods that can be used with these compounds has been carried out, since there are no recent reviews on the matter. Thus, a total of 108 saponins from eight species of the genus have been described.

Synthesis of Pertyolides A, B, and C: A Synthetic Procedure to C-Sesquiterpenoids and a Study of Their Phytotoxic Activity.

C-sesquiterpenoids are a group of natural products that have been recently discovered. These compounds have the peculiarity of lacking the α,β-methylene butyrolactone system, which is known to be quite relevant for many of the biological activities reported for sesquiterpene lactones. Unfortunately, the biological interest of C-sesquiterpenoids has not been studied in-depth, mainly due to the poor isolation yields in which they can be obtained from natural sources.

Bioactive Diterpenes from the Brazilian Native Plant () and Their Application in Weed Control.

Even today, weeds continue to be a considerable problem for agriculture. The application of synthetic herbicides produces serious environmental consequences, and crops suffer loss of their activity due to the appearance of new resistant weed biotypes. Our aim is to develop new effective natural herbicides that improve the problem of resistance and do not harm the environment.

Search of New Tools for Weed Control Using , a Dominant Species in the Cerrado.

(Less.) Baker stands out as one of the species with the highest frequency, density, and relative dominance in the Cerrado formations. However, no phytochemical studies have been carried out with this species to date.

Pharmacological Activities of Aminophenoxazinones.

Aminophenoxazinones are degradation products resulting from the metabolism of different plant species, which comprise a family of natural products well known for their pharmacological activities. This review provides an overview of the pharmacological properties and applications proved by these compounds and their structural derivatives during 2000-2021. The bibliography was selected according to our purpose from the references obtained in a SciFinder database search for the Phx-3 structure (the base molecule of the aminophenoxazinones).

A Study on the Phytotoxic Potential of the Seasoning Herb Marjoram ( L.) Leaves.

In the search of new alternatives for weed control, spices appear as an option with great potential. They are rich in bioactive natural products and edible, which might minimize toxicity hazard. Marjoram ( L.

An Overview of the Chemical Characteristics, Bioactivity and Achievements Regarding the Therapeutic Usage of Acetogenins from Mill.

Mill., or the custard apple, is one of the species belonging to the Annonaceae family, is widely used in traditional medicine, and has been reported to be a valuable source of bioactive compounds. A unique class of secondary metabolites derived from this family are Annonaceous acetogenins, lipophilic polyketides considered to be amongst the most potent antitumor compounds.

One-Step Encapsulation of -Disulfides in Functionalized Zinc MOF. Enabling Metal-Organic Frameworks in Agriculture.

Application of natural products as new green agrochemicals with low average lifetime, low concentration doses, and safety is both complex and expensive due to chemical modification required to obtain desirable physicochemical properties. Transport, aqueous solubility, and bioavailability are some of the properties that have been improved using functionalized metal-organic frameworks based on zinc for the encapsulation of bioherbicides (-disulfides). An method has been applied to achieve encapsulation, which, in turn, led to an improvement in water solubility by more than 8 times after 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin HP-β-CD surface functionalization.

Allelopathy: The Chemical Language of Plants.

In Nature, the oldest method of communication between living systems is the chemical language. Plants, due to their lack of mobility, have developed the most sophisticated way of chemical communication. Despite that many examples involve this chemical communication process-allelopathy, there is still a lack of information about specific allelochemicals released into the environment, their purpose, as well as in-depth studies on the chemistry underground.