0000000000538334
AUTHOR
Khaled A. Shams
Evaluation of genetic variability and relatedness among eight Centaurea species through CAAT-box derived polymorphism (CBDP) and start codon targeted polymorphism (SCoT) markers
Centaurea is a value-ultimate genus of medicinal plants showing high diversification levels, especially within the Mediterranean basin, and is still traditionally recognized as a complicated taxon. So far, few studies utilizing molecular markers have been done on Centaurea spp. towards a better dissection of its phylogeny and accurate assessment of genetic diversity. Here, two functional marker systems, start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism and CAAT box-derived polymorphism (CBDP), were implemented to assess the genetic diversity between eight wild Centaurea species in Egypt. Seventeen SCoT and 19 CBDP primers generated 197 and 179 bands, respectively. These primers generated 158 (80.2%)…
New antimicrobial metabolites from the medicinal herb Artemisia herba-Alba
Artemisia herba-alba is widely used in traditional medicines for the treatment of several diseases. From the aerial parts organic extract of A. herba-alba, two new compounds, 1,3,8-trihydroxyeudesm-4-en-7α,11βH-12,6α-olide (1) and 5-β-D-glucopyranosyloxy-7-methoxy-6H-benzopyran-2-one (2), respectively, together with five known metabolites: 3α,8β-dihydroxygermacr-4(15),9(10)-dien-7β,11αH,12,6α-olide (3), 1β,8α-dihydroxy-11α,13-dihydrobalchanin (4), 11-epiartapshin (5), tomenin (6) and benzoic acid, p-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-methyl ester (7), were isolated and identified. The chemical structures were proven depending upon spectroscopic analysis, including 1 D/2D NMR as and ESI-MS…
Cytotoxicity of 40 Egyptian plant extracts targeting mechanisms of drug-resistant cancer cells
Abstract Background The multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype encounters a major challenge to the success of established chemotherapy in cancer patients. We hypothesized that cytotoxic medicinal plants with novel phytochemicals can overcome MDR and kill MDR-cells with similar efficacy as drug sensitive cells. Purpose We evaluated plant extracts from an unexplored ecosystem in Egypt with unusual climate and nutrient conditions for their activity against sensitive and multidrug-resistant cancer cell lines. Material and methods/study design Methylene chloride: methanol (1:1) and methanol: H2O (7:3) extracts of 40 plants were prepared resulting in a sum of 76 fraction containing compounds with v…
Terpenoid bio-transformations and applications via cell/organ cultures: a systematic review.
Structurally diverse natural products are valued for their targeted biological activity. The challenge of working with such metabolites is their low natural abundance and complex structure, often with multiple stereocenters, precludes large-scale or unsophisticated chemical synthesis. Since select plants contain the enzymatic machinery necessary to produce specialized compounds, tissue cultures can be used to achieve key transformations for large-scale chemical and/or pharmaceutical applications. In this context, plant tissue-culture bio-transformations have demonstrated great promise in the preparation of pharmaceutical products. This review describes the capacity of cultured plant cells t…
Cytotoxic neo-clerodane diterpenes from Stachys aegyptiaca
Abstract Two new E/Z neo-clerodane diterpene isomers, trivially named stachaegyptin D (1) and E (2), together with known compounds, stachysolon monoacetate (3) and stachysolon diacetate (4), were isolated from an organic-solvent extract of the medicinal herb Stachys aegyptiaca. Structures were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic methods, including HREIMS, 1H, 13C, DEPT, and 2D NMR analysis, as well as, first time X-ray analysis for stachysolone (3). All isolated metabolites showed some activity against the human hepatocellular cell line, HepG2. Compound 4 was the most active with an IC50 of 59.5 μM.