The use of and search for drugs and dietary supplements derived from plants have accelerated in recent years. Ethnopharmacologists, botanists, microbiologists, and natural-products chemists are combing the Earth for phytochemicals and “leads” which could be developed for treatment of infectious diseases. While 25 to 50% of current pharmaceuticals are derived from plants, none are used as antimicrobials. Traditional healers have long used plants to prevent or cure infectious conditions; Western medicine is trying to duplicate their successes. Plants are rich in a wide variety of secondary metabolites, such as tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids, which have been found in vitro to have antimicrobial properties. This review attempts to summarize the current status of botanical screening efforts, as well as in vivo studies of their effectiveness and toxicity. The structure and antimicrobial properties of phytochemicals are also addressed. Since many of these compounds are currently available as unregulated botanical preparations and their use by the public is increasing rapidly, clinicians need to consider the consequences of patients self-medicating with these preparations.

Plant Products as Antimicrobial Agents

http://www.dietcan.net/docs/Polifenoles%20en%20alimentos%20y%20biodisponibilidad.pdf

Polyphenols: food sources and bioavailability

The therapeutic properties of light have been known for thousands of years, but it was only in the last century that photodynamic therapy (PDT) was developed. At present, PDT is being tested in the clinic for use in oncology--to treat cancers of the head and neck, brain, lung, pancreas, intraperitoneal cavity, breast, prostate and skin. How does PDT work, and how can it be used to treat cancer and other diseases?

Photodynamic therapy for cancer

Resveratrol, a phytoalexin found in grapes and other food products, was purified and shown to have cancer chemopreventive activity in assays representing three major stages of carcinogenesis. Resveratrol was found to act as an antioxidant and antimutagen and to induce phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes (anti-initiation activity); it mediated anti-inflammatory effects and inhibited cyclooxygenase and hydroperoxidase functions (antipromotion activity); and it induced human promyelocytic leukemia cell differentiation (antiprogression activity). In addition, it inhibited the development of preneoplastic lesions in carcinogen-treated mouse mammary glands in culture and inhibited tumorigenesis in a mouse skin cancer model. These data suggest that resveratrol, a common constituent of the human diet, merits investigation as a potential cancer chemopreventive agent in humans.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/275/5297/218.full.pdf

Cancer Chemopreventive Activity of Resveratrol, a Natural Product Derived from Grapes

Flavonoids are nearly ubiquitous in plants and are recognized as the pigments responsible for the colors of leaves, especially in autumn. They are rich in seeds, citrus fruits, olive oil, tea, and red wine. They are low molecular weight compounds composed of a three-ring structure with various substitutions. This basic structure is shared by tocopherols (vitamin E). Flavonoids can be subdivided according to the presence of an oxy group at position 4, a double bond between carbon atoms 2 and 3, or a hydroxyl group in position 3 of the C (middle) ring. These characteristics appear to also be required for best activity, especially antioxidant and antiproliferative, in the systems studied. The particular hydroxylation pattern of the B ring of the flavonoles increases their activities, especially in inhibition of mast cell secretion. Certain plants and spices containing flavonoids have been used for thousands of years in traditional Eastern medicine. In spite of the voluminous literature available, however, Western medicine has not yet used flavonoids therapeutically, even though their safety record is exceptional. Suggestions are made where such possibilities may be worth pursuing.

The Effects of Plant Flavonoids on Mammalian Cells:Implications for Inflammation, Heart Disease, and Cancer

Cette invention se rapporte a des procedes perfectionnes de production d'acide betulinique a partir de betuline. Ces procedes permettent une production a haut rendement du β-isomere de l'acide betulinique sous une forme tres pure.

Procedes perfectionnes de production d'acide betulinique

Summary: Every year, the number of studies that evaluate the pharmacological effects, (clinical) efficacy or the toxicity of medicinal plant extracts is constantly increasing, but the reporting quality remains unsatisfactory. One of the main reasons is that there is a lack of detailed reporting standards for guidance. In response to this long-standing challenge, a core group of nine experts with proficiency in phytochemical analysis, including editors-in-chief of leading specialist journals, and based in different research settings globally, developed the Consensus based reporting guidelines for Phytochemical Characterisation of Medicinal Plant extracts (ConPhyMP) through a multi-staged development process. This incorporated a) a global survey among medicinal plant researchers, b) a core group, who reviewed and developed the guidelines through a Delphi process, and c) an advisory group of 20 experts, including editors of leading journals and scientific societies in medicinal plants research, who provided feedback and sanctioned the final guidelines. The ConPhyMP guidelines comprise two tables with accompanying explanatory figures. The first table provides recommendations for reporting the starting material and its initial processing, and the second table presents recommendations for conducting and reporting the analytical methods for defining the chemical profile based on the type of extracts used in the research. The group hopes that the ConPhyMP will support authors as well as peer reviewers and editors assessing these studies for publication and assist the production of evidence-based guidance of studies utilising medicinal plant extracts.

Reporting guidelines for medicinal plant extracts used in pharmacological and toxicological research: ConPhyMP

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are potent cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors, mediate cancer preventive and tumour regressive effects in the human colon. COX is responsible for the biosynthesis of prostaglandins (PGs), represented by a large series of compounds. Importantly, an increase in PG synthesis may influence tumour growth in humans or experimental animals, and numerous studies have illustrated the effect of PG synthesis on carcinogen metabolism, tumour cell proliferation and metastatic potential. The patents discussed in this review present the synthesis and activities of some selective COX-2 inhibitors, the activity and toxicity of R-NSAIDs and S-NSAIDs, and some results obtained with NSAIDs combined with chemotherapeutic agents, in cancer treatment.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in cancer treatment

L'invention concerne une composition et un procede permettant d'eviter ou d'inhiber la croissance de tumeurs, et de traiter des tumeurs malignes sans effets secondaires toxiques. Le compose actif de la composition est l'acide betulinique ou un derive d'acide betulinique.

Procede et composition de traitement anti-cancer

As a result of a bioactivity-guided search for novel, plant-derived cancer chemopreventive agents, ixocarpalactone A (5) was isolated previously as a potent quinone reductase inducer from the leaves and stems of Physalis philadelphica. In the present study, this promising lead compound was reisolated in gram quantities for in vivo biological testing. During the course of this work, four additional minor new withanolides were also obtained and characterized, namely, 2,3-dihydro-3β-methoxyixocarpalactone A (1), 2,3-dihydro-3β-methoxyixocarpalactone B (2), 2,3-dihydroixocarpalactone B (3), and 4β,7β,20R-trihydroxy-1-oxowitha-2,5-dien-22,26-olide (4). However, compounds 1 and 2 were determined using liquid chromatography (LC)-MS-MS to be artifacts generated during the extraction and isolation procedure. Ixocarpalactone A was detected in the fresh fruits (tomatillos) of P. philadelphica by LC-MS-MS analysis at a concentration of 143±4.53 ppb.

Minor Withanolides from Physalis philadelphica: Structures, Quinone Reductase Induction Activities, and Liquid Chromatography (LC)‐MS‐MS Investigation as Artifacts.

John M. Pezzuto

Papers

Procedes perfectionnes de production d'acide betulinique

Reporting guidelines for medicinal plant extracts used in pharmacological and toxicological research: ConPhyMP

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in cancer treatment

Procede et composition de traitement anti-cancer

Minor Withanolides from Physalis philadelphica: Structures, Quinone Reductase Induction Activities, and Liquid Chromatography (LC)‐MS‐MS Investigation as Artifacts.