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Natural Plants Extracts–Content, Composition and Identification to Enhance Their Applications

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 30718

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Dr. Ana Lourenço

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Centro de Estudos Florestais, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: biorefineries; biomass; lignin isolation and characterization; extractives; analytical pyrolysis; analytical methods
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Dr. Jorge Gominho

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Guest Editor

Centro de Estudos Florestais, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: biorefineries; biomass fractionation and characterization; energetic crops; biomass & bioenergy; pulp and paper; wood chemistry; extractives; lignin
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants extracts are rich in secondary metabolites with important functions in the plant in particular as a defence/protection response to different agents. These extracts are rich in many different families from fatty acids, sterols, terpenoids to aromatics, just to mention a few. Researchers are quite interested in these compounds due to their wide range of applications under the biorefinery context. Thus the identification of these compounds is of extreme importance. Gas chromatography linked with mass spectrometry has been an important technique for the identification of these natural extracts.

By creating this Special Issue focused on the extractives identification, quantification and their possible applications, we aim to compile new compounds identified by GC-MS techniques associated to analytical techniques and at the same time disclose new plants with potential to be used at industrial scale for the extraction of important green compounds.

Dr. Ana Lourenço
Dr. Jorge Gominho
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 2515 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mutagenicity of Tectona grandis Wood Extracts and Their Ability to Improve Carbohydrate Yield for Kraft Cooking Eucalyptus Wood

by Yulia Anita, Syelvia Putri Utami, Hiroshi Ohi, Evelyn Evelyn and Akiko Nakagawa-Izumi

Molecules 2021, 26(23), 7171; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26237171 - 26 Nov 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2148

Abstract

Considering the toxicity of the impurities of synthesized anthraquinone, this study clarified new catalytic compounds for kraft cooking with improved carbohydrate yield and delignification and less mutagenicity, which are important for ensuring the safety of paper products in contact with food. The 2-methylanthraquinone contents of teak (Tectona grandis) woods were 0.18–0.21%. Acetone extracts containing 2-methylanthraquinone from Myanmar and Indonesia teak woods as additives improved lignin removal during kraft cooking of eucalyptus wood, which resulted in kappa numbers that were 2.2–6.0 points lower than the absence of additive. Myanmar extracts and 2-methylanthraquinone improved carbohydrate yield in pulps with 1.7–2.2% yield gains. Indonesia extracts contained more deoxylapachol and its isomer than 2-methylanthraquinone. The residual content of 2-methylanthraquinone in the kraft pulp was trace. Although Ames tests showed that the Indonesia and Myanmar extracts were mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium, 2-methylanthraquinone was not. The kraft pulp obtained with the additives should be safe for food-packaging applications, and the addition of 0.03% 2-methylanthraquinone to kraft cooking saves forest resources and fossil energy in industries requiring increased pulp yield. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Plants Extracts–Content, Composition and Identification to Enhance Their Applications)

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13 pages, 2919 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Identification of New Triterpenoids in Eucalyptus globulus Wood

by Ana Lourenço, António Velez Marques and Jorge Gominho

Molecules 2021, 26(12), 3495; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26123495 - 8 Jun 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3150

Abstract

Eight polyhydroxy triterpenoid acids, hederagenin, (4α)-23-hydroxybetulinic acid, maslinic acid, corosolic acid, arjunolic acid, asiatic acid, caulophyllogenin, and madecassic acid, with 2, 3, and 4 hydroxyl substituents, were identified and quantified in the dichloromethane extract of Eucalyptus globulus wood by comparing their GC-retention time and mass spectra with standards. Two other triterpenoid acids were tentatively identified by analyzing their mass spectra, as (2α)-2-hydroxybetulinic acid and (2α,4α)-2,23-dihydroxybetulinic acid, with 2 and 3 hydroxyl substituents. Two MS detectors were used, a quadrupole ion trap (QIT) and a quadrupole mass filter (QMF). The EI fragmentation pattern of the trimethylsilylated polyhydroxy structures of these triterpenoid acids is characterized by the sequential loss of the trimethylsilylated hydroxyl groups, most of them by the retro-Diels-Alder (rDA) opening of the C ring with a π-bond at C12-C13. The rDA C-ring opening produces ions at m/z 320 (or 318) and m/z 278 (or 277, 276, 366). Sequential losses of the hydroxyl groups produce ions with m/z from [M - 90] to [M - 90*y], where y is the number of hydroxyl substituents present (from 2 to 4). Moreover, specific cleavage in ring E was observed, passing from m/z 203 to m/z 133 and conducting other major fragments such as m/z 189. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Plants Extracts–Content, Composition and Identification to Enhance Their Applications)

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16 pages, 4888 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Composition of Lyophilisates Obtained from Aloe arborescens Gel of Leaves of Different Ages from Controlled Crops

by Kamil Pawłowicz, Dominika Ludowicz, Marta Karaźniewicz-Łada, Kamil Wdowiak and Judyta Cielecka-Piontek

Molecules 2021, 26(11), 3204; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113204 - 27 May 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2880

Abstract

The aim of the study is to evaluate the composition of lyophilisates obtained from Aloe arborescens leaf gel at the age of one to four years. The leaves were obtained from controlled crops, which allowed to exclude environmental factors as variables. It was confirmed that the lyophilisates obtained from different years of Aloe arborescens leaf gel varied in chromatographic analyses in terms of aloin A and aloenin A content (high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection HPLC-DAD, high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection HPLC-MS/MS). Similarly, while testing the phenolic acids and the sum of polyphenols content, differences in their levels in leaf gel lyophilisates from plants of individual years were observed (spectrophotometric method UV-VIS). The lyophilisate composition analysis showed that the one-year-old leaves were characterized by the highest content of aloin A and aloenin A. While the content of polyphenols, including phenolic acids, was higher in the leaves of older plants. The antioxidant potential of the tested lyophilisates was assessed simultaneously. Regardless of the research model used (CUPRAC, DPPH, ABTS), an antioxidant effect was noted for Aloe arborescens leaves. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Plants Extracts–Content, Composition and Identification to Enhance Their Applications)

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19 pages, 2494 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In Vitro and In Silico Screening and Characterization of Antimicrobial Napin Bioactive Protein in Brassica juncea and Moringa oleifera

by Sangeeta Chandrashekar, Raman Vijayakumar, Ramachandran Chelliah, Eric Banan-Mwine Daliri, Inamul Hasan Madar, Ghazala Sultan, Momna Rubab, Fazle Elahi, Su-Jung Yeon and Deog-Hwan Oh

Molecules 2021, 26(7), 2080; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26072080 - 5 Apr 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3596

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the antibacterial activity of Mustard (Brassica juncea) and Moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaf extracts and coagulant protein for their potential application in water treatment. Bacterial cell aggregation and growth kinetics studies were employed for thirteen bacterial strains with different concentrations of leaf extracts and coagulant protein. Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MOS) and coagulant protein showed cell aggregation against ten bacterial strains, whereas leaf extract alone showed growth inhibition of five bacterial strains for up to 6 h and five bacterial strains for up to 3 h. Brassica juncea leaf extract (BJS) showed growth inhibition for up to 6 h, and three bacterial strains showed inhibition for up to 3 h. The highest inhibition concentration with 2.5 mg/mL was 19 mm, and furthermore, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (0.5 mg/mL) and MBC (1.5 mg/mL) were determined to have a higher antibacterial effect for <3 KDa peptides. Based on LCMS analysis, napin was identified in both MOS and BJS; furthermore, the mode of action of napin peptide was determined on lipoprotein X complex (LpxC) and four-chained structured binding protein of bacterial type II topoisomerase (4PLB). The docking analysis has exhibited moderate to potent inhibition with a range of dock score −912.9 Kcal/mol. Thus, it possesses antibacterial-coagulant potential bioactive peptides present in the Moringa oleifera purified protein (MOP) and Brassica juncea purified protein (BJP) that could act as an effective antimicrobial agent to replace currently available antibiotics. The result implies that MOP and Brassica juncea purified coagulant (BJP) proteins may perform a wide degree of antibacterial functions against different pathogens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Plants Extracts–Content, Composition and Identification to Enhance Their Applications)

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19 pages, 5543 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytochemical Analysis and In Vitro Effects of Allium fistulosum L. and Allium sativum L. Extracts on Human Normal and Tumor Cell Lines: A Comparative Study

by Adrian Bogdan Țigu, Cristian Silviu Moldovan, Vlad-Alexandru Toma, Anca Daniela Farcaș, Augustin Cătălin Moț, Ancuța Jurj, Eva Fischer-Fodor, Cristina Mircea and Marcel Pârvu

Molecules 2021, 26(3), 574; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26030574 - 22 Jan 2021

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 6567

Abstract

Allium sativum L. (garlic bulbs) and Allium fistulosum L. (Welsh onion leaves) showed quantitative differences of identified compounds: allicin and alliin (380 µg/mL and 1410 µg/mL in garlic; 20 µg/mL and 145 µg/mL in Welsh onion), and the phenolic compounds (chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, gentisic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, kaempferol, isoquercitrin, quercitrin, quercetin, and rutin). The chemical composition determined the inhibitory activity of Allium extracts in a dose-dependent manner, on human normal cells (BJ-IC₅₀ 0.8841% garlic/0.2433% Welsh onion and HaCaT-IC₅₀ 1.086% garlic/0.6197% Welsh onion) and tumor cells (DLD-1-IC₅₀ 5.482%/2.124%; MDA-MB-231-IC₅₀ 6.375%/2.464%; MCF-7-IC₅₀ 6.131%/3.353%; and SK-MES-1-IC₅₀ 4.651%/5.819%). At high concentrations, the cytotoxic activity of each extract, on normal cells, was confirmed by: the 50% of the growth inhibition concentration (IC₅₀₎ value, the cell death induced by necrosis, and biochemical determination of LDH, catalase, and Caspase-3. The four tumor cell lines treated with high concentrations (10%, 5%, 2.5%, and 1.25%) of garlic extract showed different sensibility, appreciated on the base of IC₅₀ value for the most sensitive cell line (SK-MES-1), and the less sensitive (MDA-MB-231) cell line. The high concentrations of Welsh onion extract (5%, 2.5%, and 1.25%) induced pH changes in the culture medium and SK-MES-1 being the less sensitive cell line. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Plants Extracts–Content, Composition and Identification to Enhance Their Applications)

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Review

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24 pages, 6976 KiB

Open AccessReview

Ziziphus nummularia: A Comprehensive Review of Its Phytochemical Constituents and Pharmacological Properties

by Joelle Mesmar, Rola Abdallah, Adnan Badran, Marc Maresca, Abdullah Shaito and Elias Baydoun

Molecules 2022, 27(13), 4240; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27134240 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4491

Abstract

Ziziphus nummularia, a small bush of the Rhamnaceae family, has been widely used in traditional folk medicine, is rich in bioactive molecules, and has many reported pharmacological and therapeutic properties. Objective: To gather the current knowledge related to the medicinal characteristics of Z. nummularia. Specifically, its phytochemical contents and pharmacological activities in the treatment of various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, are discussed. Methods: Major scientific literature databases, including PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Chemical Abstracts, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Abstracts, Henriette’s Herbal Homepage, Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases, were searched to retrieve articles related to the review subject. General web searches using Google and Google scholar were also utilized. The search period covered articles published between 1980 and the end of October 2021.The search used the keywords ‘Ziziphus nummularia’, AND (‘phytochemical content’, ‘pharmacological properties, or activities, or effects, or roles’, ‘anti-inflammatory’, ‘anti-drought’, ‘anti-thermal’, ‘anthelmintic’, ‘antidiabetic’,’ anticancer’, ‘anticholinesterase’, ‘antimicrobial’, ‘sedative’, ‘antipyretic’, ‘analgesic’, or ‘gastrointestinal’). Results: This plant is rich in characteristic alkaloids, especially cyclopeptide alkaloids such as nummularine-M. Other phytochemicals, including flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, tannins, and phenolic compounds, are also present. These phytochemicals are responsible for the reported pharmacological properties of Z. nummularia, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, antidiabetic, anticancer, analgesic, and gastrointestinal activities. In addition, Z. nummularia has anti-drought and anti-thermal characteristics. Conclusion: Research into the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Z. nummularia has demonstrated that this plant is a rich source of novel bioactive compounds. So far, Z. nummularia has shown a varied pharmacological profile (antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective), warranting further research to uncover the therapeutic potential of the bioactives of this plant. Taken together, Z. nummularia may represent a new potential target for the discovery of new drug leads. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Plants Extracts–Content, Composition and Identification to Enhance Their Applications)

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19 pages, 1008 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review on the Main Phytoconstituents, Traditional Uses, Inventions, and Patent Literature of Gum Arabic Emphasizing Acacia seyal

by Mohamed A. Ashour, Waseem Fatima, Mohd. Imran, Mohammed M. Ghoneim, Sultan Alshehri and Faiyaz Shakeel

Molecules 2022, 27(4), 1171; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27041171 - 9 Feb 2022

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 6321

Abstract

Acacia seyal is an important source of gum Arabic. The availability, traditional, medicinal, pharmaceutical, nutritional, and cosmetic applications of gum acacia have pronounced its high economic value and attracted global attention. In addition to summarizing the inventions/patents applications related to gum A. seyal, the present review highlights recent updates regarding its phytoconstituents. Traditional, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and medicinal uses with the possible mechanism of actions have been also reviewed. The patent search revealed the identification of 30 patents/patent applications of A. seyal. The first patent related to A. seyal was published in 1892, which was related to its use in the prophylaxis/treatment of kidney and bladder affections. The use of A. seyal to treat cancer and osteoporosis has also been patented. Some inventions provided compositions and formulations containing A. seyal or its ingredients for pharmaceutical and medical applications. The inventions related to agricultural applications, food industry, cosmetics, quality control of gum Arabic, and isolation of some chemical constituents (L-rhamnose and arabinose) from A. seyal have also been summarized. The identification of only 30 patents/patent applications from 1892 to 15 November 2021 indicates a steadily growing interest and encourages developing more inventions related to A. seyal. The authors recommend exploring these opportunities for the benefit of society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Plants Extracts–Content, Composition and Identification to Enhance Their Applications)

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