Elnur Garayev

Background/Objectives: Hydroethanolic extracts from Ageratum conyzoides L., Cassia alata L., Chromolaena odorata L., Crateva adansonii DC, and Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides Lam were investigated to provide scientific evidence supporting their traditional use in the treatment of dermatoses. Methods: Antimicrobial activity was measured using a disk diffusion test against micro-organisms associated with dermatosis. Anti-inflammatory action was investigated using the formalin-induced model of leg edema in Wistar rats. Phytochemical screening and LC-MS-based molecular networking analyses were performed to characterize the bioactive metabolites present in the extracts. Results: In terms of antimicrobial effect, extracts of A. conyzoides and Z. zanthoxyloides were the most active, giving the largest inhibition zones, followed by C. alata and C. adansonii extracts, with C. odorata being the least active. In the anti-inflammatory assay, edema inhibition reached 52.92% for C. odorata, 48.30% for C. adansonii, 45.86% for Z. zanthoxyloides, 43.61% for C. alata, and 34.27% for A. conyzoides, compared with 32.04% for aspirin. Phytochemical screening and molecular networking analyses revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids. Conclusions: These findings support the traditional use of these medicinal plants for inflammatory skin disorders. C. odorata showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity, while A. conyzoides and Z. zanthoxyloides exhibited the strongest antimicrobial effects.

Inula montana L. est une plante utilisée en médecine traditionnelle dans la région méditerranéenne. L’étude phytochimique a permis d’isoler et d’identifier 28 composés à partir des capitules et/ou feuilles d’Inula montana. Six sont des nouveaux composés : un acide sesquiterpénique, nommé Eldarine et cinq dérivés de l’inositol.Dix-neuf sont des composés décrits pour la première fois dans Inula montana.Une monographie de contrôle qualité des capitules d’Inula montana est proposée. Deux méthodes d’analyse qualitative et quantitative par CLUHP ont été mises au point et validées. La première méthode porte sur le dosage du Costunolide. La deuxième méthode concerne le profil des polyphénols avec une évaluation quantitative de trois composés. Ces deux méthodes d’analyse par CLUHP ont permis de réaliser une étude comparative des plantes sauvages et cultivées. Une étude comparative de la plante soumise à différents stress, tels que le stress salin et le stress UV-B ainsi que la plante obtenue par culture in vitro a été conduite.Des éco extraits actifs ont été préparés par extraction assistée par micro-ondes et ultrasons en utilisant les solvants verts à l’aide d’un plan d’expérience. L’activité anti-inflammatoire de différents extraits et molécules d’Inula montana ont été évalués in vitro. Les extraits et les produits purs présentent des activités importantes. Activités des teintures, préparation traditionnelles, d’Inula montana sont comparables à celles d’Arnica montana. Les études phytochimiques et pharmacologiques montrent qu’Inula montana pourrait être proposée comme une alternative à Arnica montana.

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a significant public health threat, with rising drug resistance and high incidence in multiple areas worldwide. In the search for novel antitubercular agents, this study explores the application of a bioactivity-guided molecular networking approach to identify bioactive compounds from seven plant species (Curatella americana, Davilla nitida, Dipteryx punctata, Indigofera suffruticosa, Quassia amara, Tetradenia riparia, and Zingiber zerumbet) collected in French Guiana. Using ultrasound-assisted extraction followed by liquid–liquid partitioning and UHPLC-HRMS/MS analysis, a library of 72 samples was tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The non-polar fractions from Indigofera suffruticosa, Tetradenia riparia, and Zingiber zerumbet showed the highest activity. The integration of metabolomic and bioassay data on molecular networks allowed the prioritization and annotation of active compounds, revealing flavonoids as contributors to the antitubercular activity of the active samples. In addition, the use of computational tools such as GNPS, SIRIUS, and TIMA-R enabled dereplication and increased the confidence in the structural prediction of active metabolites. This approach demonstrated its potential in accelerating the identification of both known and novel bioactive compounds without requiring exhaustive isolation, offering a robust strategy for natural product-based drug development against TB.

This study compares the antioxidant properties and phytochemical profiles of three pairs of widely used medicinal plant species to their counterparts from Provence, France: Arnica montana with Pentanema montanum (formerly known as Inula montana), Helichrysum italicum with Helichrysum stoechas, and Satureja hortensis with Satureja montana. Phytochemical composition has been investigated using UHPLC-HRMS/MS and molecular networking, revealing chemical profiles dominated by phenylpropanoids and flavonoids, with lignans, sesquiterpene lactones, or polyketides aside. Well-plate DPPH/ABTS assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of extracts, and post-column assays were used to identify antioxidant compounds. The three Provence species demonstrated comparable or superior antioxidant activities to their counterparts, primarily attributed to phenolic compounds such as mono- and di-caffeoylquinic acids, quercetagetin-7-O-glucoside, and myricetin acetylhexoside. These findings show the potential of Provence species to be substituted for some overharvested medicinal plants. This research supports biodiversity conservation while promoting the integration of these local species into pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c05415.].

Oxidative stress contributes to impairment of skin health, the wound healing process, and pathologies such as psoriasis or skin cancer. Five Polynesian medicinal plants, among the most traditionally used for skin care (pimples, wounds, burns, dermatoses) are studied herein for their antioxidant properties: Calophyllum inophyllum, Gardenia taitensis, Curcuma longa, Cordia subcordata, and Ficus prolixa. Plant extracts were submitted to in vitro bioassays related to antioxidant properties and their bioactive constituents were identified by a metabolomic analytical approach. High performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analysis was performed leading to the characterization of 61 metabolites. Compounds annotated for F. prolixa and C. subcordata extracts were reported for the first time. Antioxidant properties were evaluated by total phenolic content (TPC), free radical scavenging DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl), and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power activity (FRAP) assays. F. prolixa extract was the most active one and showed antioxidant intracellular activity on keratinocytes by Anti Oxydant Power 1 assay. Online HPLC-DPPH allowed the identification of phenolic bioactive compounds such as quercetin-O-rhamnoside, rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, procyanidins, epicatechin, 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid, and curcumin as being responsible for the scavenging properties of these plant extracts. These results highlight the potential of F. prolixa aerial roots as a source of antioxidants for skin care applications.

Isocaloteysmannic acid (1), a new chromanone, was isolated from the leaf extract of the medicinal species Calophyllum tacamahaca Willd. along with 13 known metabolites belonging to the families of biflavonoids (2), xanthones (3–5, 10), coumarins (6–8) and triterpenes (9, 11–14). The structure of the new compound was characterized based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-resolution electrospray mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) data. Its absolute configuration was assigned through electronic circular dichroism (ECD) measurements. Compound (1) showed a moderate cytotoxicity against HepG2 and HT29 cell lines, with IC₅₀ values of 19.65 and 25.68 µg/mL, respectively, according to the Red Dye method. Compounds 7, 8 and 10–13 exhibited a potent cytotoxic activity, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 2.44 to 15.38 µg/mL, against one or both cell lines. A feature-based molecular networking (FBMN) approach led to the detection of a large amount of xanthones in the leaves extract, and particularly analogues of the cytotoxic isolated xanthone pyranojacareubin (10).

Aloe plant species have been used for centuries in traditional medicine and are reported to be an important source of natural products. However, despite the large number of species within the Aloe genus, only a few have been investigated chemotaxonomically. A Molecular Network approach was used to highlight the different chemical classes characterizing the leaves of five Aloe species: Aloe macra, Aloe vera, Aloe tormentorii, Aloe ferox, and Aloe purpurea. Aloe macra, A. tormentorii, and A. purpurea are endemic from the Mascarene Islands comprising Reunion, Mauritius, and Rodrigues. UHPLC-MS/MS analysis followed by a dereplication process allowed the characterization of 93 metabolites. The newly developed MolNotator algorithm was usedfor molecular networking and allowed a better exploration of the Aloe metabolome chemodiversity. The five species appeared rich in polyphenols (anthracene derivatives, flavonoids, phenolic acids). Therefore, the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the five species were evaluated, and a DPPH-On-Line-HPLC assay was used to determine the metabolites responsible for the radical scavenging activity. The use of computational tools allowed a better description of the comparative phytochemical profiling of five Aloe species, which showed differences in their metabolite composition, both qualitative and quantitative. Moreover, the molecular network approach combined with the On-Line-HPLC assay allowed the identification of 9 metabolites responsible for the antioxidant activity. Two of them, aloeresin A and coumaroylaloesin, could be the principal metabolites responsible for the activity. From 374 metabolites calculated by MolNator, 93 could be characterized. Therefore, the Aloe species can be a rich source of new chemical structures that need to be discovered.