Diversity of African fungi, chemical constituents and biological activities.

Besides plants and animals, the fungal kingdom consists of several species characterized by various forms and applications. Fungi are amazing producers of bioactive natural products with applications in medicine and agriculture. Though this kingdom has been extensively investigated worldwide, it remains relatively underexplored in Africa.

Chitosan-Based Nanoencapsulated Essential Oils: Potential Leads against Breast Cancer Cells in Preclinical Studies.

Since ancient times, essential oils (EOs) derived from aromatic plants have played a significant role in promoting human health. EOs are widely used in biomedical applications due to their medicinal properties. EOs and their constituents have been extensively studied for treating various health-related disorders, including cancer.

The genus Canthium: A comprehensive summary on its traditional use, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities.

Canthium Lam. is a genus of flowering plants of the Rubiaceae family with about 80-102 species mainly distributed in Asia, tropical and subtropical Africa. The genus is closely related to Keetia E.

Polyoxygenated Stigmastane-Type Steroids from Sch. Bip. ex Walp. and Their Chemophenetic Significance.

Four polyoxygenated stigmastanes (-) alongside known analogues (-) and flavonoids (-) were isolated from a dichloromethane/methanol (1:1, /) extract of the whole plant of Sch. Bip. ex Walp.

Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from Fungi of the Genus Ehrenb. (Ascomycota).

is a genus of fungi belonging to the Cytosporaceae family (Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota) considered as a prolific source of specialized metabolites due to their ability to produce diverse secondary metabolites with a broad range of biological activities. Since the first chemical investigation of this genus in the 1980s, further studies have led to the isolation and structural elucidation of several bioactive compounds including cytosporones, nonanolides, macrocyclic dilactones, and terpenoids. This review summarizes, for the first time, the chemical diversity of bioactive secondary metabolites from the genus and highlights its potential as an alternative source of secondary metabolites for pharmacological studies.

Potentiation effect of mallotojaponin B on chloramphenicol and mode of action of combinations against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus, the causative agent of many infectious diseases has developed resistance to many antibiotics, even chloramphenicol which was the essential antibiotic recommended for the treatment of bacterial infection. Thus, other alternatives to fight against S. aureus infections are necessary; and combinatory therapy of antibiotics with natural compounds is one of the approaches.

Atricephenols A and B, two phenolic compounds from Hook.f. (Fabaceae).

The phytochemical investigation of a previously unstudied species of the genus , Hook.f. was undertaken and two new phenolic compounds, atricephenols A () and B () were isolated, along with nine known secondary metabolites .

Identification of 3,3'-O-dimethylellagic acid and apigenin as the main antiplasmodial constituents of Endodesmia calophylloides Benth and Hymenostegia afzelii (Oliver.) Harms.

Background: Endodesmia calophylloides and Hymenostegia afzelii belong to the Guttiferae and Caesalpiniaceae plant families with known uses in African ethno-medicine to treat malaria and several other diseases. This study aimed at identifying antiplasmodial natural products from selected crude extracts from H. afzelii and E.

Antibacterial Flavonoids and Other Compounds from the Aerial Parts of Vernonia guineensis Benth. (Asteraceae).

An extensive phytochemical study of the aerial parts of Vernonia guineensis Benth. (Asteraceae) led to the isolation of a new flavone, vernoguinoflavone and a naturally isolated glycerol ester, eicosanoic acid 2-hydroxy-1,3-propanediyl ester, together with eighteen known secondary metabolites including quercetin, luteolin, vernopicrin, vernomelitensin, β-amyrin, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, lupeol, betulinic acid, β-carotene, a mixture of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol, β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucoside, 2,3-dihydroxypropyl heptacosanoate, pentacosanoic acid, docosan-1-ol, tritriacontan-1-ol, and heptatriacontan-1-ol. Eleven compounds are reported herein for the first time from this species.

Antibacterial phloroglucinols derivatives from the leaves of Mallotus oppositifolius (Geisler) Müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae).

From the ethno-medicinally used leaves of Mallotus oppositifolius, four acylphloroglucinol derivatives, namely Acronyculatin SU (1-3) and Mallotojaponin D (4) were isolated along with seven known compounds (5-11). Structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and HRMS data. Absolute configurations were assigned by careful comparison of their specific optical rotation with those of closely related compounds.

Sensitive Determination of C-Alkylated Flavonoids by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS Using Multiple Reaction Monitoring Approach: Pseudarthria hookeri as a Case Study.

One of the major problems with the formulation of herbal medicines is the quality control of plant material to ensure its efficacy and safety. Quality control of medicinal plants requires analysis of many bioactive compounds present in the plant. C-alkylated flavonoids are an important bioactive subclass of flavonoids.