Polyphenols are representative bioactive substances with diverse biological effects. Here, we show that apigenin, a flavonoid, has suppressive effects on microRNA (miRNA) function. The effects were mediated by impaired maturation of a subset of miRNAs, probably through inhibition of the phosphorylation of TRBP, a component of miRNA-generating complexes via impaired mitogen-activated protein kin...

Amentoflavone (C30H18O10) is a well-known biflavonoid occurring in many natural plants. This polyphenolic compound has been discovered to have some important bioactivities, including anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-diabetes, and anti-senescence effects on many important reactions in the cardiovascular and central nervous system, etc. Over 120 plants have been found to contain this bioac...

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the major bioactive component of green tea. Our experimental data indicated that EGCG treatment suppresses cell proliferation of SSC-4 human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the effect being dose- and time-dependent. In parallel was observed the activation of apoptosis and autophagy, in response to EGCG exposure in SSC-4 cells. Treatment with EGCG activa...

The development of new practical and green methods for the synthesis of small heterocycles is an attractive area of research due to the well-known potential of heterocyclic small molecule scaffolds in the drug discovery process. Herein we report a one-pot, three-component sequential procedure for the synthesis of diversely 1,3,5- and 1,3,5,5-substituted hydantoins, in high yields and very mild ...

As much as the popularity of ginseng in herbal prescriptions or remedies, ginseng has become the focus of research in many scientific fields. Analytical methodologies for ginseng, referred to as ginseng analysis hereafter, have been developed for bioactive component discovery, phytochemical profiling, quality control, and pharmacokinetic studies. This review summarizes the most recent advances ...

Nano Bioactive glass material of the type CaO–P2O5–SiO2 was obtained by the sol-gel processing method at considerably lower temperatures than required for conventional melting methods. As a new modification, volume of solution was changed in order to investigate its effects on the properties of bioglass samples. The obtained material was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), surface ...

The bioactive component harpagoside was successfully separated from the crude extract of Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsley by one-step purification using high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). A two-phase solvent system containing n-butanol:ethyl acetate:water (1:9:10) was selected following consideration of the partition coefficient of the target compound. A 276 mg quantity of the c...

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the main non-psychotropic component of the glandular hairs of Cannabis sativa. It displays a plethora of actions including anticonvulsive, sedative, hypnotic, antipsychotic, antiinflammatory and neuroprotective properties. However, it is well established that CBD produces its biological effects without exerting significant intrinsic activity upon cannabinoid receptors. For ...

An alternative approach toward the simple and robust synthesis of highly substituted peptidic thiazole derivatives using Ugi-multicomponent reaction (U-MCR) is described. Thus, we introduced the enantiopure (R)-2-methyl-2-isocyano-3-(tritylthio)propanoate as a novel class of isocyanide in MCR. This bifunctional isocyanide was found to undergo mild cyclodehydration to afford thiazole containing ...

A majority of terrestrial and marine organisms use to fend off a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi by employing “antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)” that are ribosomally synthesized from proteinogenic amino acids. AMPs are a primary component of innate immune mechanisms in marine invertebrates. In contrast, marine sponges seem to contain no AMPs, but often contain nonribosom...