Nutritional Value and in vitro Antigiardial Activity of Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) Seeds.

The present study focused on evaluating the proximate analysis, mineral composition, and in vitro anti-giardial activity of Pimpinella anisum seed extracts, which are aromatic plants with a long history of usage in folk and conventional medicine, as well as pharmaceutical manufacturing. Standard methods were used to determine the proximate analysis of the powdered plant sample, including dry matter, ash, fat, protein, fiber, and carbohydrates. The mineral contents of Pimpinella anisum seed were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), revealing that the plant has a high fiber content (42.62%) followed by carbohydrates (38.79%). The seeds were also found to be a rich source of minerals, with notable amounts of Rubidium, Magnesium, and Calcium. The extracts showed a high mortality percentage compared to Metronidazole, with the chloroform extract exhibiting higher anti-giardial activity (78.71%) than the ethanolic extract (75.29%) at a concentration of 500 ppm. These findings support the traditional use of Anise in treating gastrointestinal issues and as a natural supplement. Further studies are needed to isolate the active ingredients and understand their mechanism of action.

Clerodane Furanoditerpenoids from Tinospora bakis (A.Rich.) Miers (Menispermaceae).

Tinospora bakis (A.Rich.) Miers (Menispermaceae) has traditionally been used to alleviate headaches, rheumatism, mycetoma, and diabetes, among others. Despite its extensive use, the active components of the plant have never been investigated. In this work, a series of furanoditerpenoids (1-18) and five compounds from other classes (19-23) were isolated from T. bakis. Notably, two new compounds were discovered and named: tinobakisin (1) and tinobakiside (10). Their molecular structures were elucidated with NMR, MS, UV, IR, and ECD spectra. Additionally, known compounds (2-9 and 11-23) were corroboratively identified through spectral comparisons with previously reported data, while highlighting and addressing some inaccuracies in the prior literature. Remarkably, compounds 6, 7, 13, and 17 exhibited a superior anti-glycation effect, outperforming established agents like rutin and quercetin in a lab model of protein glycation with glucose. The overall findings suggest that furanoditerpenoids play a crucial role in the antidiabetic properties of T. bakis. This research marks the first comprehensive phytochemical investigation of T. bakis, opening the door for further investigation into furanoditerpenoids and their biological mechanisms.

A new ent-clerodane diterpene from Detarium microcarpum Guill. & Perr. and its protective potential for osteoporosis.

A new clerodane diterpene, named 6α-hydroxy-3,13E-clerodien-15-oic acid (1), together with a known clerodane diterpene (2), four known labdane diterpenes (3-6), a triterpenoid (7), a known steroid (8), and two benzenoid compounds (9 and 10) were isolated from Detarium microcarpum Guill. & Perr. The structures of all obtained compounds were determined by chemical properties and spectroscopic evidence, accompanied by comparisons with data in the literature. Electronic circular dichroism (ECD) was performed for compounds 1-4 to confirm the absolute configuration. Compounds 1-3 and 8-10 were evaluated for the protective effect on osteoblasts. Compound 1 was observed to increase the proliferation of dexamethasone (DEX)-treated MC3T3-E1 cells significantly at 1 µM, which was comparable with the positive control geniposide at 10 µM. The results were further confirmed by flow cytometry analysis. In addition, compound 1 increased the level of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and mineralization in osteoblasts inhibited by DEX. Moreover, Compound 9 (vanillic acid) showed a pronounced inhibition (IC50 6.5 ± 0.6 µM) on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and 10 (4-O-methyl gallic acid) showed a good inhibition with IC50 as 103.3 ± 2.2 µM, compared with the standard drug ibuprofen (IC50 54.2 ± 9.2 µM). Besides, compounds 1-3 and 8-10 were non-cytotoxic against MCF-7, NCI-H460, Hela, and BJ cell lines.