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.

Chemical Constituents and Bioactivity of Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb.

Abstract: Phytochemical study on the rhizomes of Curcuma aeruginosa has yielded three sesquiterpenes, which were identified as zedoarol (1), curcumenol (2) and isocurcumenol (3). The structures of the compounds were determined by Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1D and 2D NMR) and Mass Spectroscopy (MS). The crude extracts and pure compounds obtained were tested against pathogenic microbes and cancer cell lines.

Cytotoxic activity of coumarins from Micromelum minutum

Abstract: The crude petroleum ether and chloroform extracts of Micromelum minutum (G. Frost.) Wright & Arn (Rutaceae) showed strong cytotoxic activity when tested against a T-lymphoblastic leukemia cell line. Further fractionation of the extracts resulted in the isolation of five new coumarins 3″,4″-dihydrocapnolactone, 2′,3′-epoxyisocapnolactone, 8-hydroxyisocapnolactone-29,39-diol, 8-hydroxy-3″,4″-dihydrocapnolactone-29,39-diol and 8,4″-dihydroxy-3″,4″-dihydrocapnolactone-29,39-diol, and two triterpenes. Some of these compounds were strongly active against T-lymphoblastic leukemia (CEM-SS), promyeolocytic leukemia (HL60), cervical cancer (HeLa) and liver cancer (HepG2) cell lines. 8-Hydroxyisocapnolactone-29,39-diol was found to be the most active with IC50 values of 2.9, 2.5, 6.9, and 5.9 μg/ml, respectively. This was followed by 2′,3′-epoxyisocapnolactone. When evaluated against the normal mouse fibroblast (3T3) cell line, 8-hydroxyisocapnolactone-29,39-diol was found to be inactive, hence it could serve as a v...

Cytotoxic constituents of Clausena excavata

Abstract: Phytochemical investigation on leaves, stem bark and roots of Malaysian Clausena excavata has led to the isolation and identification of limonoid compounds, clausenolide-1-methyl ether (1) and clausenarin (2), carbazole alkaloids, 3-formyl-2,7-dimethoxycarbazole (3) and clausine-K (4) together with coumarins, xanthyletin (5), dentatin (6) and nordentatin (7). Extracts of roots and isolated compounds (1), (2), (5) and (6) were subjected to cytotoxic screening against various cancer cell lines (HL-60, MCF- 7, HeLa and HT-29). All roots extracts except methanol showed strong activity against HL-60 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines with IC 50 values ranging from 4 to 6 μg/ml. Dentatin (6) was found to be the most cytotoxic constituent against all cancer cell lines with IC 50 values ranging from 5 to 10 μg/ml. Key words : Clausena excavata, carbazole alkaloids, limonoids, coumarins, cytotoxic.

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.)