Anahit M. Hovhannisyan

Plant proteins represent both important nutritional resources and reservoirs of encrypted bioactive peptide sequences. However, protein nutritional quality and peptide bioactivity are distinct properties: a favorable indispensable amino acid profile or high digestibility does not necessarily predict the generation of biologically active peptides. This review examines plant-derived proteins and peptides with particular emphasis on the relationship between parent-protein composition, peptide release, sequence-dependent activity, analytical identification, and biological validation. The relevant peer-reviewed literature was critically evaluated, with detailed search and selection criteria. Major plant protein sources, peptide-generation strategies, purification and mass-spectrometric characterization approaches, and reported antioxidant, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and other regulatory activities are discussed. Particular attention is given to experimentally validated peptide sequences and to the hierarchy of evidence from computational prediction and biochemical assays to cellular, animal, and human studies. Structure–activity relationships are interpreted cautiously, recognizing that peptide length, charge, hydrophobicity, and individual amino acid residues are contributory rather than independently predictive features. The review further integrates computational prediction with experimental validation and highlights gastrointestinal stability, intestinal transport, bioavailability, safety, scalability, and regulatory considerations as major translational challenges. This evidence-based framework distinguishes nutritional adequacy from peptide function and supports more rigorous development of plant-derived bioactive peptides for functional-food, nutraceutical, and related applications.

This study reports the convenient synthesis of a new series of sustainable heterocyclic compounds called 3-N-Substituted 5-aryl(hetaryl)-thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones, encompassing two biologically important pharmacophores namely thiophen and pyrimidine. A stepwise synthesis of 5-aryl(hetaryl)thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine-4(3H)-ones with variable substituents at the N 3 position was proposed, which involves the synthesis of aromatic and heteroaromatic substituted 2-aminothiophenes, their condensation with N,N′-dimethylformamide dimethylacetal. Obtained 2-dimethylaminomethyleneamino-thiophenes condense with primary amines. This sequence of reactions leads to the production of new polyheteroconjugated systems with advantages like simple work up, easy separation of the products and chromatography-free purification. Structural elucidation was done by spectroscopic method and elemental analysis and have confirmed their molecular structure. The synthesized compounds were tested on their antibacteriial activity against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Compound 6k showed notable antibacterial activity compared to the standard drug (Gentamicin) against S. aureus bacteria. Compounds 6e and 6k were evaluated for their antimicrobial potential via molecular docking against S. aureus Aminoglycoside Phosphotransferase and P. aeruginosa TrmD. Compound 6k exhibited superior binding affinity and an enhanced pharmacokinetic profile, positioning it as a promising lead for further optimization and development as an antimicrobial agent. However, as this study represents an initial screening, further in silico investigations are required for predicting antibacterial activity of target derivatives with calculated substituents. Overall, this work highlights the efficiency of a convenient approach for synthesizing 3-N-Substituted 5-aryl(hetaryl)-thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones and underscores their potential as promising scaffolds for the development of potent antibacterial agents.

Species of the genus Juniperus have been used in traditional medicine since antiquity due to their wide ecological distribution and potent bioactivity. In Armenia, five species: J. sabina, J. polycarpos, J. foetidissima, J. excelsa, and J. oblonga are of ecological and pharmacological significance. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of their taxonomy, pharmacognostic characteristics, essential oil composition, and pharmacological and toxicological activities. Based on approximately 60 scientific sources, the study identifies key bioactive compounds and the analytical methods used for their evaluation. Special emphasis is placed on the Armenian species and their potential for further applied research and utilization.

The World Health Organization, taking into account available scientific studies, recognized Stevia (Sweet Clover) in 2006 as a harmless, beneficial crop and allowed its widespread use in food and pharmaceutical production. This decision has served as a basis for various scientific groups to continue large-scale studies on the composition and bioactivity of stevia. Considering the nearly complete absence of studies on the stevia cultivated in Armenia, this work investigates the quantitative content of certain biologically active substances in stevia grown in Armenia. The following data were obtained: diterpene glycosides 19.69%, fructose, glucose, and sucrose. The study of the antimicrobial properties of the water extract from the raw material showed that it possesses pronounced antimicrobial activity.

N-Tert-butoxycarbonylglycyl-(S)-β-imidazolyl-α-alanine and N-tert-butoxycarbonylglycyl-(S)-[4-allyl-3-(3'-hydroxypropyl)-5-thioxo-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]-α-alanine dipeptides, previously not described in the literature, were synthesized using the activated ester method for classical peptide synthesis. The structures of these synthesized dipeptides were confirmed through NMR spectroscopic analysis. The antifungal activity of initial non-protein amino acids and synthesized dipeptides was studied by choosing wide spread pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic fungal strains as test fungi: Aspergillus versicolor 12134, A. flavus 10567, A. candidus 10711, Penicillium chrysogenum 8190, P. aurantiogriseum 12053, P. funiculosum 8258, Alternaria alternata 8126, Ulocladium botrytis 12027, Aureobasidium pullulans 8269. The antifungal activity of the initial (S)-β-imidazolyl-α-alanine amino acid is notable against the P. aurantiogriseum 12053 and U. botrytis 12027 fungal strains. N-Tert-butoxycarbonylglycyl-(S)-β-imidazolyl-α-alanine dipeptide demonstrates a strong inhibitory effect specifically on the P. aurantiogriseum 12053 strain, with a similar level of inhibition observed at a concentration of 0.6 mL (0.331 mmol/mL). The initial amino acid exhibited comparable inhibition at a higher volume of 0.9 mL (0.495 mmol/mL). In contrast, the (S)-[4-allyl-3-(3'-hydroxypropyl)-5-thioxo-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]-α-alaninе amino acid effectively suppresses the growth of multiple strains, including P. aurantiogriseum 12053, P. funiculosum 8258, U. botrytis 12027, and A. pullulans 8269, when tested at 0.9 mL (0.495 mmol/mL). The corresponding N-tert-butoxycarbonylglycyl-(S)-[4-allyl-3-(3'-hydroxypropyl)-5-thioxo-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]-α-alanine dipeptide also shows significant inhibitory effects similar to those of (S)-[4-allyl-3-(3'-hydroxypropyl)-5-thioxo-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]-α-alaninе.

The work is devoted to a comparative study of fatty acids formation in natural and genetically modified blackberry seeds (collected in the foothill landscapes of Alaverdi Town, Republic of Armenia, and those of genetically modified blackberries (Rubus caesius L.), grown in greenhouse conditions in Yerevan City, harvest of 2023) capable of accumulating them in large quantities in order to justify the choice of the most valuable oilseed raw material for the production of natural oils that are in high demand in the food industry and cosmetology. It has been shown that the oil content of the studied genetically modified blackberry seeds is about two times higher than that of natural blackberry seeds. These seeds are the most promising oilseed raw material for the production of natural oils by the method of cold pressing that are in high demand in cosmetology, for example, for the production of moisturizing cream for hands and feet based on chemically pure glycerin.

The purpose of this research is the extraction of phenolic compounds from nettle leaves, grown in urban conditions, with different concentrations of ethanol and the study of the antioxidant properties of these extracts. Nettle (Urtica dioica) is a great source of bioactive compounds. The content of biologically active compounds in nettle leaves depends on the growing conditions of the plant. Analysis of the electronic spectra of the extract shows that all extracts contain aurones and coumarins, hydroxybenzoic acid and flavonoids. The antioxidant activity (AO) of polyphenols in alcoholic extracts of nettle was studied using the stable radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). It was found that the total amount of biologically active substances is greatest in a 70% ethanol solution of nettle leaves, but the antioxidant activity is higher in a 95% solution. The total amount of flavonoids in the leaves of urban nettles is higher than in the leaves of the nettle grown in the meadow. Perhaps this is connected with the process of the plant’s protective mechanisms caused by air pollution in the city.