Nguyen Xuan Nhiem

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The Saururus genus (family Saururaceae) comprises two species, Saururus cernuus L. and Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill., which are widely distributed across Asia and North America, and are particularly common in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Aim of the study: This review focuses on the phytochemical and pharmacological aspects of the Saururus genus, aiming to elucidate the relationships between its traditional medicinal uses, phytochemical constituents, and bioactivities, thereby providing a scientific basis for further research into its phytochemical and pharmacological activities. Materials and methods: Information on the Saururus genus was collected from various databases, such as Web of Science, SciFinder, Google Scholar, PubMed, Wiley, ACS publications, Elsevier, and SpringerLink between 1982 and 2026. Plant names were verified by “World of Flora Online” (www.worldfloraonline.org). Results: A total of 158 compounds have been reported from species of the Saururus genus, predominantly lignans, along with flavonoids, alkaloids, and phenolic compounds. The extracts and phytochemical constituents of the Saururus genus represent a rich source of diverse biological activities, including anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and various other pharmacological effects. Conclusions: The review indicates that the Saururus genus is a promising source of biological compounds and highlights the potential of species within this genus. Thus, it will be helpful for further research into the pharmacognosy of the Saururus genus.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to analyze the anti-inflammatory potential of the phytochemical constituents of Turpinia montana Kurz, with a focus on nitric oxide (NO) inhibition and potential synergistic effects among isolated substances. Methods: The chemicals were isolated from methanolic extracts of T. montana leaves and twigs using combined chromatographic methods. The ability of each compound to decrease NO generation in RAW 264.7 macrophages activated with LPS was examined. Combination tests were used to further evaluate synergistic interactions, and the Chou–Talalay method was used for quantitative analysis. Results: One new flavonol glucoside, 7-O-(1,1-dimethyl-3-oxobutan-1-y1)kaempferol 3-O-β-Dglucopyranoside (1) and seven known compounds, kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), 2α,3β,19α-trihydroxy-5α,9α-urs-12-en-28-oic acid-28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (3), pedunculoside (4), rotungenoside (5), quadranoside III (6), urolic acid (7), and icariside E3 (8) were isolated. Moderate NO inhibitory activity was demonstrated by compounds 1, 3, and 4. Increased effects were found in combination experiments, especially for the combination Comp.1/Comp. 4, which showed consistent synergy with DRI values of roughly 4–9. Discussion: The anti-inflammatory properties of T. montana may result from the consequence of synergistic interactions between its ingredients. It may reflect the value of combination-based phytochemical approaches. conclusion: Overall, the isolation of the new compound 1 and the characterization of its quantitative synergy (CI, DRI) with compound 4 collectively validate the anti-inflammatory therapeutic potential of T. montana. These findings also emphasize that synergistic interactions among isolated compounds play a critical role in the anti-inflammatory activity of T. montana, providing a rational basis for further exploration of combination-based phytochemical strategies. Conclusion: The study confirms the anti-inflammatory properties of T. montana leaves and twigs. The overall bioactivity may be partially attributable to synergistic interactions.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) occurs due to a lack of insulin secretion by glucose stimulation, so high blood glucose levels predominate that associated with metabolic dysregulation. The exploration of bioactive compounds from natural sources has attracted considerable attention because these molecules provide chemically diverse scaffolds with broad pharmacological potential and have historically contributed to the successful development of numerous clinically approved drugs. In this study, we examined the effect of compounds isolated from Dregea volubilis (L.f.) Benth. ex Hook. f. (Apocynaceae) on glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) from the pancreatic β ‐cells. 17 β ‐Marsdenin ( 1 ), drevoluoside N ( 2 ), and dreageoside A11 ( 3 ) were screened for their ability to increase GSIS using a rat insulin ELISA kit. Western blotting was used to investigate the levels of pancreatic and duodenal homeobox‐1 (PDX‐1), phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate‐2 (P‐IRS‐2), phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (P‐PI3K), and phosphorylation of Akt (P‐Akt), which are related to β ‐cell function and insulin secretion in INS‐1 cells. Compounds 1 – 3 stimulated insulin secretion in INS‐1 cells without inducing cytotoxicity. A further experiment showed that compound 3 enhanced the expressions of PDX‐1, P‐IRS‐2, P‐PI3K, and P‐Akt in INS‐1 cells. The data suggest that compounds 1 – 3 from D. volubilis have the potential to improve insulin secretion in β ‐cells, representing the first step toward the development of potent antidiabetic drugs.

1. The acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE) is an enzyme belonging to the serine hydrolase group, which plays a role in hydrolysing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine into choline and acetic acid at ...

Từ các mẫu nước thu mẫu ở 5 thuỷ vực ở khu vực Nghệ An, đã phân lập được 19 chủng vi tảo và vi khuẩn lam. Các mẫu được định danh là Chlorella vulgaris, Aphanizomenon sp., Microcystis aeruginosa, Scenedesmus acuminatus, Anabaena sp., Anabaena circinalis, Microcystis wesenbergii, Nostoc calcicola, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Cyclotella sp., Amphora sp., Spirulina platensis, Spirulina maxima, Microcystis sp.XO1, Hapalosiphon welwitschii, Westiellopsis prolifica, Mastigocladus sp., Nostoc sp4. và Nostoc sp5. Các chủng vi tảo được nuôi nhân sinh khối, tạo cao chiết MeOH và sau đó đánh giá tác dụng gây độc tế bào trên các dòng tế bào ung thư phổi (SK-LU-1) và ung thư gan (HepG2). Kết quả cho thấy, có 7/19 mẫu nghiên cứu thể hiện khả năng ức chế trên cả hai dòng tế bào ung thư SK-LU-1 và HepG2 bao gồm Microcystis aeruginosa NA03, Scenedesmus acuminatus NA04,Anabaena sp NA05, A. circinalis NA06,Spirulina platensis NA12, S. maxima NA13và Microcystis sp. NA14 với giá trị IC50 trong khoảng 35 - 95 μg/mL (SK-LU-1) và 42 - 86 μg/mL (HepG2). Đáng chú ý là các mẫu vi tảo Spirulina platensis NA12 và S. maxima NA13và Microcystis sp. NA14 gây độc tế bào mạnh với IC50 trong khoảng từ 35 - 58 μg/mL (SK-LU-1) và 42- 52 μg/mL (HepG2). Nghiên cứu này không chỉ có ý nghĩa đối với việc cung cấp thêm tư liệu về nguồn vi tảo ở Nghệ An, mà còn là cơ sở khoa học để định hướng việc nuôi trồng vi tảo để khai thác, ứng dụng vào phát triển các thuốc có tác dụng chống ung thư.

Background/Objectives: Microalgae are recognized as prolific producers of bioactive metabolites with pharmaceutical potential. This study aimed to isolate and characterize cytotoxic constituents from selected cytotoxic microalgae, collected in Hue city, Vietnam. Methods: Microalgal samples were collected from freshwater bodies, morphologically identified, and maintained in laboratory culture. Thirteen strains were successfully isolated and cultivated in BG11, Z8, and BBM media to determine optimal growth conditions. Cytotoxic effects of extracts/compounds were determined using the sulforhodamine B assay on human lung cancer (SK-LU-1) and human liver cancer (HepG2) cell lines. The methanol extract was partitioned with n-hexane and CH₂Cl₂, followed by extensive chromatographic separation and HPLC purification to afford twelve compounds, including two new and ten known compounds. The structures were elucidated by HR-ESI-MS and NMR spectra, chemical methods, and comparing compounds in the literature. Results: From the phytoplankton samples collected across six freshwater bodies in Hue city, Vietnam, thirteen microalgal strains were successfully isolated and purified under laboratory conditions. These strains were morphologically and taxonomically identified to be Microcystis aeruginosa HU05, Microcystis viridis HU13, Anabaena circinalis HU08, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae HU02, Dolichospermum smithii HU04, Calothrix braunii HU14, Nostoc muscorum HU12, Nostoc punctiforme HU11, Raphidiopsis raciborskii HU03, Lyngbya spiralis HU15, Planktothrix stagnina HU16, Phormidium subtilis HU06, and Scenedesmus quadricauda HU07. All methanol extracts of those microalgae were evaluated for cytotoxic activity. The MeOH extracts of M. viridis (HU13) and D. smithii (HU04) exhibited significant cytotoxic effects, with IC₅₀ values of 6.19 ± 0.80 and 4.89 ± 0.76 µg/mL for M. viridis, and 9.51 ± 0.84 and 8.32 ± 0.94 µg/mL for D. smithii against SK-LU-1 and HepG2 cell lines, respectively. Furthermore, chemical studies of D. smithii HU04 led to the isolation of two new compounds, smithioside A (1) and smithioside B (2) and ten known ones, 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-1-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), 4′-hydroxy-3′-methoxyphenol-β-D-[6-O-(4″-hydroxy-3″,5″-dimethoxylbenzoate)]-glucopyranoside (4), 4′-hydroxy-2′,6′-dimethoxyphenol 1-O-β-D-(6-O-syringoyl)glucopyranoside (5), mallophenol B (6), pisoninol II (7), guaiacylglycerol (8), (E)-asarone (9), deacetylsarmentamide B (10), (E)-2-hexenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (11), and 5,6-dihydropyridin-2(1H)-one (12). The cytotoxic activity of all isolated compounds was also evaluated against SK-LU-1 and HepG2 cancer cell lines. Compound 12 showed the strongest activity, with IC₅₀ values of 9.13 ± 0.89 µM (SK-LU-1) and 7.64 ± 0.46 µM (HepG2). Compounds 5 and 6 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity on both human cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values ranging from 25.99 to 51.47 µM. Conclusions: These results highlight the potential of Dolichospermum smithii HU04 as a source of bioactive compounds, particularly in anticancer applications. These findings suggest that D. smithii HU04 extracts could be developed for therapeutic purposes targeting cancer.

Two new phloroglucinol glucosides, spiruplatosides A (1) and B (2) along with six known compounds, including 5,7-dimethoxyflavone (3), 5-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavone (4), 5,7,4'-dimethoxyflavone (5), terephthalic acid dimethyl ester (6), terephthalic acid-(2-hydroxyethyl ester)-methyl ester (7), 13S-hydroxy-9Z,11E-octadecadienoic acid (8) were isolated from the microalgae Spirulina platensis. Compounds 1–8 were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against SK-LU-1 and HepG2 cancer cells. Compounds 1 and 2 were the most active with IC₅₀ values ranging from 1.40 to 3.66 μM. Compounds 4 and 5 showed moderate effects with IC50 values ranging from 66.09 to 74.46 μM.

Objectives: The aim of the project was the isolation, structure elucidation, and cytotoxic evaluation of compounds from Annona squamosa L. seeds. Methods: Chromatographic techniques were used to isolate cytotoxic compounds from the methanol extract of A. squamosa seeds. The structures of compounds were elucidated by analyses of mass spectra and nuclear magnetic resonance data. Compounds were evaluated using cytotoxic assays. Results: One new lignanamide, squamosamide, and seven known compounds, cannabisin M ( 2 ), trans - N -caffeoyltyramine ( 3 ), cyclo(L-Ala-L-Ile-L-Pro-L-Met-L-Tyr-L-Thr-L-Val) ( 4 ), annosquacin B ( 5 ), squamocin M ( 6 ), 34,5-trimethoxyphenyl- β -glucopyranoside ( 7 ), and 34,5-trimethoxyphenyl-1- O -β-apiofuranosyl-(1ʹʹ→6ʹ)- β -glucopyranoside ( 8 ) were isolated from the methanol extract of A. squamosa seeds. Compounds 5 and 6 displayed significant cytotoxic activity on both KB and PC9 cancer cell lines with IC ₅₀ values ranging from 6.8 to 8.7 µM. Compounds 1 – 3 exhibited significant cytotoxicity on PC9 cancer cell line with IC ₅₀ values ranging from 6.9 to 9.4 µM and moderate activity on KB cancer cell line with IC ₅₀ values ranging from 11.2 to 16.7 µM. Mechanistic assays in PC9 cells showed that compounds 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , and 6 increased caspase-3 activity (2.41-3.40-fold) and PARP1 cleavage (2.01-3.40-fold), indicating involvement of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Conclusions: The seeds of A. squamosa yielded one new lignanamide and seven known compounds, several of which demonstrate potent cytotoxicity associated with apoptosis. Compounds 5 and 6 emerge as promising leads for further investigation.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The genus Symplocos (Symplocaceae family) includes 500 accepted names and is distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Some Symplocos species are used in traditional medicines for the treatment of bacterial diseases, hemorrhage, gynecological disorders, and live diseases. Aim of the study: This review focuses on the phytochemistry and pharmacology of Symplocos genus to understand the link between the traditional medicinal uses, phytochemistry, and bioactivities. Thus, they provide a scientific foundation for further research in the phytochemical and pharmacological activities. Materials and methods: Information about the Symplocos genus was collected using various databases, such as Web of Science, SciFinder, Google Scholar, PubMed, Wiley, ACS publications, Elsevier, and SpringerLink between 1980 and 2024. Plant names were validated by “World of Flora Online” (www.worldfloraonline.org). Results: Up to now, total 202 compounds have been reported from Symplocos species, including triterpenoids, flavonoids, iridoids, lignans, steroids, phenolics, and athraquinones. The extracts and phytochemical constituents of the Symplocos genus are a rich source of biological activities, including anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hypoglycemic, and other activities. Conclusions: The review indicated that the Symplocos genus is a promising source of biological compounds, and special anti-cancer activity of chromanes. The results of this review confirm the great potential of Symplocos species. Thus, it will be helpful for further research in the phytochemistry and pharmacology of the Symplocos genus.