Dietary guidelines universally advise adherence to plant-based diets. Plant-based foods confer considerable health benefits, partly attributable to their abundant micronutrient (e.g., polyphenol) content. Interest in polyphenols is largely focused on the contribution of their antioxidant activity to the prevention of various disorders, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Polyphenols are classified into groups, such as stilbenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans and others. Lignans, which possess a steroid-like chemical structure and are defined as phytoestrogens, are of particular interest to researchers. Traditionally, health benefits attributed to lignans have included a lowered risk of heart disease, menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis and breast cancer. However, the intake of naturally lignan-rich foods varies with the type of diet. Consequently, based on the latest humans’ findings and gathered information on lignan-rich foods collected from Phenol Explorer database this review focuses on the potential health benefits attributable to the consumption of different diets containing naturally lignan-rich foods. Current evidence highlight the bioactive properties of lignans as human health-promoting molecules. Thus, dietary intake of lignan-rich foods could be a useful way to bolster the prevention of chronic illness, such as certain types of cancers and cardiovascular disease.

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Naturally lignan-rich foods: a dietary tool for health promotion?

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2016/np/c6np00059b

Diterpenoids of terrestrial origin

Major lignans of sesame sesamin and sesamolin are benzodioxol--substituted furofurans. Sesamol, sesaminol, its epimers, and episesamin are transformation products found in processed products. Synthetic routes to all lignans are known but only sesamol is synthesized industrially. Biosynthesis of furofuran lignans begins with the dimerization of coniferyl alcohol, followed by the formation of dioxoles, oxidation, and glycosylation. Most genes of the lignan pathway in sesame have been identified but the inheritance of lignan content is poorly understood. Health-promoting properties make lignans attractive components of functional food. Lignans enhance the efficiency of insecticides and possess antifeedant activity, but their biological function in plants remains hypothetical. In this work, extensive literature including historical texts is reviewed, controversial issues are critically examined, and errors perpetuated in literature are corrected. The following aspects are covered: chemical properties and transformations of lignans; analysis, purification, and total synthesis; occurrence in Seseamum indicum and related plants; biosynthesis and genetics; biological activities; health-promoting properties; and biological functions. Finally, the improvement of lignan content in sesame seeds by breeding and biotechnology and the potential of hairy roots for manufacturing lignans in vitro are outlined.

Lignans of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.): A Comprehensive Review.

Coumarins are the largest group of 1-benzopyran derivatives found in plants. The initial member of this group of compounds, coumarin (2H-1-benzopyran-2-one), a fragrant colorless compound, was first isolated from the Tonka bean (Dipteryx odorata, family Fabaceae) in 1820. The name coumarin comes from a French term for the tonka bean, coumarou. Since the discovery of coumarin, several of its derivatives, with umbelliferone (7-hydroxycoumarin) being the most common one, have been reported from various natural sources. The families Apiaceae, Asteraceae, and Rutaceae are the three major plant sources of coumarins.

Progress in the Chemistry of Naturally Occurring Coumarins.

The genus Phyllanthus (L.) is one of the most important groups of plants belonging to the Phyllantaceae family. Phyllanthus urinaria (L.) is an annual perennial herbal species found in tropical Asia, America, China, and the Indian Ocean islands. P. urinaria is used in folk medicine as a cure to treat jaundice, diabetes, malaria, and liver diseases. This review provides traditional knowledge, phytochemistry, and biological activities of P. urinaria. The literature reviewed for this article was obtained from the Web of Science, SciFinder, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar journal papers published prior to December 2017. Phytochemical investigations reveal that the plant is a rich source of lignans, tannins, flavonoids, phenolics, terpenoids, and other secondary metabolites. Pharmacological activities include anticancer, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and cardioprotective effects. Thus, this present review summarizes the phytochemical constituents and their biological activities including biological studies on various crude extracts and fractions both in vitro and in vivo, and on clinical trial information about P. urinaria. This review compiles 93 naturally occurring compounds from P. urinaria along with their structures and pharmacological activities. The review is expected to stimulate further research on P. urinaria, and its pharmacological potential to yield novel therapeutic agents.

/pdf/a-review-of-the-phytochemistry-and-pharmacology-of-5d0rgd01f2.pdf

A Review of the Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Phyllanthus urinaria L.

Naturally occurring furofuran lignans: structural diversity and biological activities.

by Wen-Hui Xua), Qian Lianga), Ying-Jun Zhangb), and Ping Zhao*a) a) Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Use in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P. R. China (phone: þ86-871-63863042; fax: þ86-871-65223235; e-mail: hypzhao@yahoo.com) b) State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, P. R. China

Naturally occurring arbutin derivatives and their bioactivities.

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/pstorage-tf-iopjsd8797887/5683494/gnpl_a_1222385_sm0931.pdf

Wen-Hui Xu

Papers

Naturally occurring furofuran lignans: structural diversity and biological activities.

Naturally occurring arbutin derivatives and their bioactivities.

A new ent-kaurane diterpene from Euphorbia stracheyi Boiss.

A new tigliane-type diterpene from Euphorbia dracunculoides Lam

A new furofuran lignan from Piper terminaliflorum Tseng.