Publications by authors named "Wan Fei Li"

Latent fingerprint (LFP) powders are crucial in the detection of LFPs in forensic science. However, it is often plagued by poor image resolution and low contrast. Herein, enhanced LFP fluorescence (FL) visualizations are achieved by doping Eu(III) coordination compound Eu(TTA)phen directly into SiO microspheres instead of Eu(III) ions.

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  • Dengue virus (DENV) is a widespread mosquito-transmitted virus causing various symptoms, and currently, there are no effective antiviral drugs available for it.
  • Researchers developed a DENV-3 infectious clone and a subgenomic replicon to aid in drug discovery, enhancing the ability to study antivirals and the virus's behavior.
  • The study identified a compound, C169-P1, which inhibits the entry of DENV into cells and demonstrates effectiveness against multiple DENV serotypes, paving the way for potential future treatments.
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  • Three new diterpenes (fladins B, C, and D) were extracted from Chinese medicinal plants, and their chemical structures were confirmed using advanced techniques like X-ray crystallography.
  • These compounds have a unique structure formed through a rearrangement process, making them the first known isopimarane diterpenes with a specific lactone feature.
  • While most of the isolated compounds showed no significant cytotoxic or antiviral activities, one compound demonstrated an 81% inhibitory effect against Ebola, indicating potential for further development as an antiviral agent.
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Ebola virus disease (EVD), a disease caused by infection with Ebola virus (EBOV), is characterized by hemorrhagic fever and a high case fatality rate. With limited options for the treatment of EVD, anti-Ebola viral therapeutics need to be urgently developed. In this study, over 500 extracts of medicinal plants collected in the Lingnan region were tested against infection with Ebola-virus-pseudotyped particles (EBOVpp), leading to the discovery of as an anti-EBOV plant lead.

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We report the isolation of a novel diterpene, designated as `amethane', from Isodon amethystoides (Lamiaceae). The diterpene [amethinol A; systematic name: (4aR,4bR,7R,10aS)-4b,7-dihydroxy-7-isopropyl-1,1-dimethyl-9-oxododecahydrobenzo[a]azulene-4a(2H)-carboxylic acid], possesses a unique skeleton containing a six/five/seven-membered tricyclic system. Intermolecular O-H.

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Justicia gendarussa, a medicinal plant collected in Vietnam, was identified as a potent anti-HIV-1 active lead from the evaluation of over 4500 plant extracts. Bioassay-guided separation of the extracts of the stems and roots of this plant led to the isolation of an anti-HIV arylnaphthalene lignan (ANL) glycoside, patentiflorin A (1). Evaluation of the compound against both the M- and T-tropic HIV-1 isolates showed it to possess a significantly higher inhibition effect than the clinically used anti-HIV drug AZT.

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In a search for new anti-HIV active leads from over several thousands of plant extracts, we have identified a potent plant lead. The active plant is determined as Justicia gendarussa (Acanthaceae), a medicinal plant that has been used for the treatment of injury, arthritis and rheumatism in Asia including China. Our bioassay-guided fractionation of the methanol extract of the stems and barks of the plant led to the isolation of two anti-HIV compounds, justiprocumins A and B.

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The International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) Program based at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is a program aimed to address the interdependent issues of inventory and conservation of biodiversity, drug discovery and sustained economic growth in both developing and developed countries. It is an interdisciplinary program involving the extensive synergies and collaborative efforts of botanists, chemists and biologists in the countries of Vietnam, Laos and the USA. The UIC-ICBG drug discovery efforts over the past 18 years have resulted in the collection of a cumulative total of more than 5500 plant samples (representing more than 2000 species), that were evaluated for their potential biological effects against cancer, HIV, bird flu, tuberculosis and malaria.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Leigong Mountain is an area in the Southwest of China where there is a high incidence rate of athlete's foot, but the Miao people, a Chinese minority who reside in this mountainous area have suffered less from this disease due to their use of the herbal medicine Isodon flavidus (Hand.-Mazz.) H.

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Henrin A (1), a new ent-kaurane diterpene, was isolated from the leaves of Pteris henryi. The chemical structure was elucidated by analysis of the spectroscopic data including one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR spectra, and was further confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The compound was evaluated for its biological activities against a panel of cancer cell lines, dental bacterial biofilm formation, and HIV.

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