Mawardi Rahmani

Bio: Mawardi Rahmani is an academic researcher from Universiti Putra Malaysia. The author has contributed to research in topics: Friedelin & Xanthone. The author has an hindex of 24, co-authored 115 publications receiving 1871 citations.

Lignans and other constituents from aerial parts of Haplophyllum villosum.

Abstract: During our phytochemical investigation of Haplophyllum villosum (Rutaceae), a perennial herb from Iran, a new 4,8-diaryl-3,7-dioxobicyclo-(3,3,0)-octane type lignan, eudesmin A (1), together with four known compounds–eudesmin (2), haplamine (3), umbelliferone (4) and scopoletin (5)–were isolated from aerial parts of the plant. The structures of the compounds were elucidated using NMR spectral analysis (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, HSQC, COSY and HMBC) as well as UV, IR and MS spectra and comparison with previously reported data.

Antimicrobial activity of Cinnamomum impressicostatum and C. pubescens and bioassay-guided isolation of bioactive (E)-methyl cinnamate.

Abstract: The air dried barks of Cinnamomum impressicostatum and C. pubescens were separately and sequentially extracted with hexane, chloroform and methanol and assayed against five bacteria and four fungi by disc diffusion method. The hexane and chloroform extracts of the plants strongly suppressed the growth of the four fungi but range from moderate to weak towards bacteria. The methanol extracts only displayed weak activity on some of these organisms. Based on these results, further work was carried on bioassay-guided isolation of active extracts of C. impressicostatum and C. pubescens and on both occasions the active component was identified as (E)-methyl cinnamate. Other compounds were also isolated and identified as safrole, (E)-piperonylprop-2-enal, β-sitosterol, (E)-piperonylprop-2-enol and cinnamic acid. The structures of the compounds were established by spectroscopic method and comparison with literatures. (E)-methyl cinnamate exhibited strong growth inhibition towards four of the fungi Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida lipolytica, C. albicans, Microsporum canis with inhibition zone ranging from 24.5 to 19.8 mm. The compound is also capable of suppressing the growth of bacteria Bacillus cereus. It is proposed that the excellent antifungal activities of the hexane and chloroform extracts of C. impressicostatum and C. pubescens correlate with the presence of (E)-methyl cinnamate as the major component.

Alkaloids and sulphur-containing amides from glycosmis citrifolia and glycosmis elongata

Abstract: Air-dried leaves of both Glycosmis citrifolia and Glycosmis elongata collected from Bogor Botanical Garden, Indonesia were individually extracted with chloroform to give dark viscous extracts after solvent removal. Column chromatographic separation of the extract of G. citrifolia yielded 5(6)-glutene-3 alpha-ol, two sets conformers, (E)-dambullin and (Z)-dambullin, and (E)-methyldambullin and (Z)-methyldambullin. Similar treatment of the extract of G. elongata gave skimmianine and arborinine. The structures of the compounds were elucidated based on spectroscopic data and comparison with published reports.

Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry.

Abstract: Privileged structures have been widely used as an effective template in medicinal chemistry for drug discovery. Chalcone is a common simple scaffold found in many naturally occurring compounds. Many chalcone derivatives have also been prepared due to their convenient synthesis. These natural products and synthetic compounds have shown numerous interesting biological activities with clinical potentials against various diseases. This review aims to highlight the recent evidence of chalcone as a privileged scaffold in medicinal chemistry. Multiple aspects of chalcone will be summarized herein, including the isolation of novel chalcone derivatives, the development of new synthetic methodologies, the evaluation of their biological properties, and the exploration of the mechanisms of action as well as target identification. This review is expected to be a comprehensive, authoritative, and critical review of the chalcone template to the chemistry community.

The Wealth of India

Abstract: IT may occasion some surprise to those men of science who are ill-acquainted with India, and who so frequently express the view that Governments are unappreciative of the importance of science to learn that as far back as 1886 the Government of India arranged for Dr. George (later Sir George) Watt, professor of botany in the Presidency College, Calcutta, to prepare a "Dictionary of the Economic Products of India". The six volumes of this standard work were published during the years 1889-99. In 1908 Sir George Watt published a condensed version, "The Commercial Products of India". Whatever the defects of these 'dictionaries', they have been of inestimable value to all interested in Indian natural products. The Wealth of India A Dictionary of Indian Raw Materials and Industrial Products. Raw Materials, Vol. 1. Pp. xxvii+254+39 plates. 15 rupees ; 24s. Industrial Products, Part 1. Pp. xii+182+8 plates. 8 rupees ; 12s. (New Delhi : Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1948.)