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Diabetes mellitus is one of the major health problems in the world, the incidence and associated mortality are increasing. Inadequate regulation of the blood sugar imposes serious consequences for health. Conventional antidiabetic drugs are effective, however, also with unavoidable side effects. On the other hand, medicinal plants may act as an alternative source of antidiabetic agents. Examples of medicinal plants with antidiabetic potential are described, with focuses on preclinical and clinical studies. The beneficial potential of each plant matrix is given by the combined and concerted action of their profile of biologically active compounds.

Anthraquinones are an interesting chemical class of polyketides since they not only exhibit a myriad of biological activities but also contribute to managing ecological roles. In this review article, we provide a current knowledge on the anthraquinoids reported from marine-derived fungi, isolated from various resources in both shallow waters such as mangrove plants and sediments of the mangrove habitat, coral reef, algae, sponges, and deep sea. This review also tentatively categorizes anthraquinone metabolites from the simplest to the most complicated scaffolds such as conjugated xanthone–anthraquinone derivatives and bianthraquinones, which have been isolated from marine-derived fungi, especially from the genera Apergillus, Penicillium, Eurotium, Altenaria, Fusarium, Stemphylium, Trichoderma, Acremonium, and other fungal strains. The present review, covering a range from 2000 to 2021, was elaborated through a comprehensive literature search using the following databases: ACS publications, Elsevier, Taylor and Francis, Wiley Online Library, MDPI, Springer, and Thieme. Thereupon, we have summarized and categorized 296 anthraquinones and their derivatives, some of which showed a variety of biological properties such as enzyme inhibition, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antitubercular (against Mycobacterium tuberculosis), cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antifouling, and antioxidant activities. In addition, proposed biogenetic pathways of some anthraquinone derivatives are also discussed.

Essential oils are complex mixtures of hydrocarbons and their oxygenated derivatives arising from two different isoprenoid pathways. Essential oils are produced by glandular trichomes and other secretory structures, specialized secretory tissues mainly diffused onto the surface of plant organs, particularly flowers and leaves, thus exerting a pivotal ecological role in plant. In addition, essential oils have been used, since ancient times, in many different traditional healing systems all over the world, because of their biological activities. Many preclinical studies have documented antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of essential oils in a number of cell and animal models, also elucidating their mechanism of action and pharmacological targets, though the paucity of in human studies limits the potential of essential oils as effective and safe phytotherapeutic agents. More well-designed clinical trials are needed in order to ascertain the real efficacy and safety of these plant products.

Plants of the genus Zingiber (Family Zingiberaceae) are widely used throughout the world as food and medicinal plants. They represent very popular herbal remedies in various traditional healing systems; in particular, rhizome of Zingiber spp. plants has a long history of ethnobotanical uses because of a plethora of curative properties. Antimicrobial activity of rhizome essential oil has been extensively confirmed in vitro and attributed to its chemical components, mainly consisting of monoterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons such as α-zingiberene, ar-curcumene, β-bisabolene and β-sesquiphellandrene. In addition, gingerols have been identified as the major active components in the fresh rhizome, whereas shogaols, dehydrated gingerol derivatives, are the predominant pungent constituents in dried rhizome. Zingiber spp. may thus represent a promising and innovative source of natural alternatives to chemical food preservatives. This approach would meet the increasing concern of consumers aware of the potential health risks associated with the conventional antimicrobial agents in food. This narrative review aims at providing a literature overview on Zingiber spp. plants, their cultivation, traditional uses, phytochemical constituents and biological activities.

Paclitaxel is a broad-spectrum anticancer compound, which was derived mainly from a medicinal plant, in particular, from the bark of the yew tree Taxus brevifolia Nutt. It is a representative of a class of diterpene taxanes, which are nowadays used as the most common chemotherapeutic agent against many forms of cancer. It possesses scientifically proven anticancer activity against, e.g., ovarian, lung, and breast cancers. The application of this compound is difficult because of limited solubility, recrystalization upon dilution, and cosolvent-induced toxicity. In these cases, nanotechnology and nanoparticles provide certain advantages such as increased drug half-life, lowered toxicity, and specific and selective delivery over free drugs. Nanodrugs possess the capability to buildup in the tissue which might be linked to enhanced permeability and retention as well as enhanced antitumour influence possessing minimal toxicity in normal tissues. This article presents information about paclitaxel, its chemical structure, formulations, mechanism of action, and toxicity. Attention is drawn on nanotechnology, the usefulness of nanoparticles containing paclitaxel, its opportunities, and also future perspective. This review article is aimed at summarizing the current state of continuous pharmaceutical development and employment of nanotechnology in the enhancement of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features of paclitaxel as a chemotherapeutic agent.

Propolis, a resinous substance produced by honeybees from various plant sources, has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine for several purposes all over the world. The precise composition of propolis varies according to plant source, seasons harvesting, geography, type of bee flora, climate changes, and honeybee species at the site of collection. This apiary product has broad clinical applications such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, analgesic, antidepressant, and anxiolytic as well asimmunomodulatory effects. It is also well known from traditional uses in treating purulent disorders, improving the wound healing, and alleviating many of the related discomforts. Even if its use was already widespread since ancient times, after the First and Second World War, it has grown even more as well as the studies to identify its chemical and pharmacological features, allowing to discriminate the qualities of propolis in terms of the chemical profile and relative biological activity based on the geographic place of origin. Recently, several in vitro and in vivo studies have been carried out and new insights into the pharmaceutical prospects of this bee product in the management of different disorders, have been highlighted. Specifically, the available literature confirms the efficacy of propolis and its bioactive compounds in the reduction of cancer progression, inhibition of bacterial and viral infections as well as mitigation of parasitic-related symptoms, paving the way to the use of propolis as an alternative approach to improve the human health. However, a more conscious use of propolis in terms of standardized extracts as well as new clinical studies are needed to substantiate these health claims.

Anxiety disorders are general and psychological problems that are also linked to symptoms of depression. This study aimed to investigate the anxiolytic- like effects of Urena lobata L. (MEUL) methanolic extract in different behavioral paradigms in Swiss albino mice. For this, after an oral acute toxicity study, adult male mice were treated with MEUL (250 and 500 mg/kg, p.o.) and/or diazepam (2 mg/kg, i.p.), and subjected to a number of behavioral studies. In the open-field test, the number of square field cross, grooming, and rearing, was counted, while in the light/dark and swing test, the time spent in the dark portion and number of swings was calculated, respectively. Additionally, the phytochemical analysis was also done. Results reveal that the MEUL possesses alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, terpenes (including triterpenes), gums, and reducing sugars. MEUL showed a significant ( p  < 0.05) anxiolytic- like effect in experimental animals, where it’s dose-dependently modulated the test parameters in an open-field test. The MEUL also increased the light residence time and the number of swings in a dose-dependent manner. A dose of 500 mg/kg of MEUL caused the highest calming effect when combined with the experimental animals’ diazepam group. Taken together, findings expand an understanding of the impact of U. lobata on the central nervous system and show that this plant may be useful for the treatment of disorders associated with anxiety.

Two novel fluorescent peptide–based chemosensors, including A (2-amino-benzoyl-Ser-Glu-Glu-NH2) and B (2-amino-benzoyl-Ala-Glu-Pro-Glu-Ala-Glu-Pro-NH2) were synthesized and characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. These fluorescent probes exhibited excellent selective and sensitive responses to Al3+ ions over other metal ions in aqueous buffered solutions. The limits of detection for both chemosensors towards the Al3+ ions were in the order of ∼10−7 M (A: 155 nM and B: 195 nM), which clearly indicates that these probes have significant potential for biological applications. They also displayed high binding affinity (1.3029 × 104 M−1 and 1.7586 × 104 M−1 relevant to A and B respectively). These two chemosensors are great analytical probes that produce turn-on responses upon binding to Al3+ ions through an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism. In addition, the application of both chemosensors was examined over a wide range of pH. The fluorescent peptide–based probes and Al3+ form a 1:1 coordination complex according to the ESI-MS and Job’s plot analysis. Notably, upon addition of Al3+ to these chemosensors, a fluorescence enhancement of approximately 8-fold was observed and the binding mode was determined using NMR titration and fluorescence emission data.

Curcumin is a natural polyphenol with antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammation effects. This substance has been shown to affect the activity of Nrf2 signaling, a pathway that is activated in response to stress and decreases levels of reactive oxygen species and electrophilic substances. Nrf2-related effects of curcumin have been investigated in different contexts, including gastrointestinal disorders, ischemia-reperfusion injury, diabetes mellitus, nervous system diseases, renal diseases, pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular diseases as well as cancers. In the current review, we discuss the Nrf2-mediated therapeutic effects of curcumin in these conditions. The data reviewed in the current manuscript indicates curcumin as a potential activator of Nrf2 and a therapeutic substance for the protection of cells in several pathological conditions.

Resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxy- trans -stilbene) is a natural phenol that is present in the skin of the grape, blueberry, raspberry, mulberry, and peanut. This substance is synthesized in these plants following injury or exposure to pathogens. Resveratrol is used as a dietary supplement for a long time and its effects have been assessed in animal models of human disorders. It has potential beneficial effects in diverse pathological conditions such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypertension, neoplastic conditions, Alzheimer's disease, and cardiovascular disorders. Notably, resveratrol has been found to affect the expression of several genes including cytokine coding genes, caspases, matrix metalloproteinases, adhesion molecules, and growth factors. Moreover, it can modulate the activity of several signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT, Wnt, NF-κB, and Notch pathways. In the current review, we summarize the results of studies that reported modulatory effects of resveratrol on the expression of genes and the activity of signaling pathways. We explain these results in two distinct sections of non-neoplastic and neoplastic conditions.