Mamona Nazir

New phthalates from Phyllanthus muellerianus (Euphorbiaceae)

Species of the genus Phyllanthus are known for their medicinal values and many are explored phytochemically. Some of them produce phthalates which usually have antimicrobial properties. This paper deals with the phytochemical investigation on Phyllanthus muellerianus. As a result, five compounds, bis(2-ethyloctyl)phthalate (1), bis(2-ethylicosyl)phthalate (2), 3-friedelanone (3), β-sitosterol (4), and methyl gallate (5), have been isolated and characterized. Metabolites 1 and 2 are new compounds, while 3–5 have been isolated for the first time from this source. Structures of all the isolates were established on the basis of MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectral data and in comparison with the reported data.

Depsitinuside: a new depside galactoside from an endophytic fungus isolated from Viburnum tinus

Chromatographic purification of the extract of an endophytic fungal culture yielded depsitinuside (1), a new phenolic ester together with ergosterol (2) and (22E,24S)-24-methyl-5-α-cholesta-7,22-diene-3β,5,6β-triol (3). The structure of 1 was elucidated based on 1D, 2D NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry, whereas the known compounds (2 and 3) were identified by 1H NMR, mass spectrometry, and in comparison with the literature values. Compound 1 was evaluated for its enzyme inhibitory potential against acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and lipoxygenase, and was found inactive (10%–40% inhibition at a concentration of 2 mg/ml).

Natural Phenolics as Inhibitors of the Human Neutrophil Elastase (HNE) Release: An Overview of Natural Anti-inflammatory Discoveries during Recent Years

Serine protease, Human Neutrophil Elastase (HNE), has been shown to be useful in medical science, however, its over production and malfunctioning may produce devastating effects and cause serious damage to the host. Unfortunately, the present approved drug, sivelestat, only alleviates the symptoms of the diseases caused by malfunction of HNE but not the disease progression. Therefore, there is a crucial need to search potent and safer molecules as elastase inhibitors and to develop better anti-inflammatory drugs in future. In addition, nature is the best architect that may provide a safer future drug candidate as HNEproduction/ activity inhibitor. Since phenolic natural products are already known as antiinflammatory compounds, either by acting as antioxidants or by any other mechanism, thus, this review article summarizes the discovery and elastase inhibitory activity of ∼180 phenolics isolated from diverse natural sources during more than one decade, i.e. 2005-2017.