Safrole

An ethanol extract of Piper auritum leaves (PAEE) inhibits the mutagenic effect of three food-borne aromatic amines (2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP); 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx); 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (4,8-DiMeIQx) in the TA98 Salmonella typhimurium strain. Preincubation with MeIQx demonstrated in mutagenesis experiments that inhibition of Cytochrome P450 (CYP), as well as direct interaction between component(s) of the plant extract with mutagens, might account for the antimutagenic observed effect...

The Middle east and North Africa harbour many native species with pharmaceutical and nutraceutical potential. Since the beginning of history, food and herbal medicinal plants have been an essential part of human lives and the traditional Middle Eastern healthcare system. The notable medicinal plants that have been mentioned in the Bible, which are common in West Asia and some regions of North Africa, are Aloe vera, anise, balm, cassia, cinnamon, cumin, flax, and fig. Chemical components of Aloe vera are aloin, sinapinic acid, catechin, chromone, myricetin, quercitrin and syringic acid...

The present work describes the development of a headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for the qualitative analysis of compounds in seized ecstasy tablets that can be easily implemented in regular laboratories. HS-SPME with a DVB/CAR/PDMS 50/30 µm fiber was used to extract the ecstasy pills' components, including major and minor ones, in a single extraction/chromatographic run. For HS-SPME, the incubation time (0 min to 30 min), the extraction time (10 min to 40 min) and temperature (40 °C to 80 ºC), the buffer volume (3 mL to 8 mL), the buffer pH (6 to 9) and the NaCl concentration (0 mol/L to 6 mol/L) were evaluated using fractional factorial design...

The present study aims to carry out the chemical characterization and microbiological potential of Piper mikanianum essential oil (EOPm), providing data that allows the development of a low-cost mouthwash formulation aimed at vulnerable communities. The evaluation of the antibacterial activity and modulator of bacterial resistance was performed by the microdilution method to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The chemical components were characterized by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, identified 28 constituents, in which Safrole Phenylpropanoid is the major compound, representing 72...

The family Myristicaceae harbour mind-altering phenylpropanoids like myristicin, elemicin, safrole, tryptamine derivatives such as N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and 5-methoxy N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) and β-carbolines such as 1-methyl-6-methoxy-dihydro-betacarboline and 2-methyl-6-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline. This study aimed to systematically review and propose the hypothetical biosynthetic pathways of hallucinogenic metabolites of Myristicaceae which have the potential to be used pharmaceutically...

This study aims to optimize the processing of Myristica fragrans Houtt. by talcum powder simmering using single-factor and orthogonal experimental methods, and the overall desirability values of dehydrodiisoeugenol and essential oils content were selected as indicators of the process. The new process reduced the total content of the three toxic components, namely myristicin, safrole and elemicin, from 1.91% to 1.16% before and after processing, indicating that the toxic components were reduced by 39%. The IC50 of the essential oils before and after processing were 1...

There is a growing interest in developing more efficient synthetic alternatives for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing allylic compounds. This article presents a straightforward two-step protocol to produce 5-(3-azidoprop-1-en-2-yl)benzo[ d ][1,3]dioxole 4 from the natural product safrole. The method yielded the expected α-azidomethyl styrene 4 , in good yield, via a dearomative rearrangement.

Piperine is a methylenedioxyphenyl (MDP) group-containing alkaloid that is found in black pepper. Although piperine has multiple physiological effects on the human body that make it a suitable supplement, little is known about its natural metabolism. In this study, we isolated microorganisms that can grow using piperine as the sole nitrogen source. One of these microorganisms (strain no. 14) was identified as Rhodococcus ruber . In this strain, a homolog of a sesamin-metabolizing enzyme (SesA) named PipA was discovered...

Safrole oxide (SAFO), a metabolite of naturally occurring hepatocarcinogen safrole, is implicated in causing DNA adduct formation. Our previous study first detected the most abundant SAFO-induced DNA adduct, N7-(3-benzo[1,3] dioxol-5-yl-2-hydroxypropyl)guanine (N7γ-SAFO-G), in mouse urine using a well-developed isotope-dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ID-HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method. This study further elucidated the genotoxic mode of action of SAFO in mice treated with SAFO 30, 60, 90, or 120 mg/kg for 28 days...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Fungal pathogens can cause deadly invasive infections and have become a major global public health challenge. There is an urgent need to find new treatment options beyond established antifungal agents, as well as new drug targets that can be used to develop novel antifungal agents. Cinnamomum cassia is a tropical aromatic plant that has a wide range of applications in traditional Chinese medicine, especially in the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections...

Certified reference materials (CRM) of amphetamine derivatives were produced through a simple, rapid and efficient synthesis in both batch and continuous-flow conditions, accompanied by the development of a comprehensive certification protocol for this class of substances. Our chemistry enabled the synthesis of MDA, MDMA, PMA and PMMA in two steps from safrole and estragole with overall yields of 38-61% in 48 hours under batch conditions and 61-65% in 65 minutes under continuous-flow conditions, followed by the development of a certification protocol for these materials through identity checking, homogeneity, stability, and characterization studies...

The addition of betel inflorescence (BI) and slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) to betel quid (BQ) formulation may be detrimental to human health. Here, we assessed BI extracts prepared using artificial saliva or aqueous solution with or without adding slaked lime to mimic the release of phytochemicals from BI in the oral cavity. The extracts were also profiled by HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS to understand the quality and quantity of phytochemicals released. The results indicate that slaked lime facilitates the extraction of phenolics, likely due to a high pH...

Biogenic silver nanoconjugates (AgNCs), derived from medicinal plants, have been widely explored in the field of biomedicines. AgNCs for the first-time were synthesized using ethyl acetate seed extracts of Abrus precatorius and their antiproliferative and antiangiogenic efficacies were evaluated against cervical and oral carcinoma. Ultraviolet-Visible spectrophotometry, dynamic light Scattering (DLS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used for characterization of AgNCs. Antiproliferative activity was investigated using MTT, DNA fragmentation and in-vitro antioxidant enzyme activity assays...

Nutmeg is an inexpensive, readily available spice used in a variety of recipes. However, the use of nutmeg powder as a recreational drug for its hallucinogenic effects is resulting in an increase in overdose rates. We encountered a male patient being hospitalized after ingesting 75 g of commercially available nutmeg powder with the intent of committing suicide. There are no available reports documenting the toxic or comatose-fatal blood concentrations or time-course of drug action in cases of nutmeg poisoning...

Asarum sieboldii Miq. possesses remarkable medicinal value due to its essential oil enriched with phenylpropenes (e.g., methyleugenol and safrole). Although the biosynthesis of phenylpropenes shares a common pathway with lignin, the regulation mechanisms in carbon flux allocation between them are unclear. This study is the first to genetically verify the carbon flux regulation mechanism in A. sieboldii roots. We regulated the expression of Caffeoyl-coenzyme A O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT), an essential enzyme in the common pathway, to investigate carbon flux allocation in vegetative organs...

Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of an essential oil from the seeds of Myristica fragrans Houtt. (nutmeg oil), when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. The additive contains myristicin (up to 12%), safrole (2.30%), elemicin (0.40%) and methyleugenol (0.33%). For long-living and reproductive animals, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) considered of low concern the use of the additive in complete feed at 0...

Alkenylbenzenes are naturally occurring secondary plant metabolites. While some of them are proven genotoxic carcinogens, other derivatives need further evaluation to clarify their toxicological properties. Furthermore, data on the occurrence of various alkenylbenzenes in plants, and especially in food products, are still limited. In this review, we tempt to give an overview of the occurrence of potentially toxic alkenylbenzenes in essential oils and extracts from plants used for flavoring purposes of foods...

Asarum essential oil (AEO) has been shown to have good pharmacological activities for the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, but increasing the dose may cause toxicity. Therefore, we studied the toxic and pharmacodynamic components of AEO by molecular distillation (MD). Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using RAW264.7 cells. Neurotoxicity was assessed in PC12 cells and the overall toxicity of AEO was evaluated in the mouse acute toxicity assay. The results showed that AEO is primarily composed of safrole, methyl eugenol, and 3,5-dimethoxytoluene...

The research aims to investigate the mortality effect of essential oil from Piper cordoncillo var. apazoteanum , an endemic plant from Campeche, Mexico, on early second-instar Aedes aegypti larvae; it also aims to identify the volatile compounds present in the fresh leaves of the plant. To test the effectiveness of the essential oil, we followed World Health Organization Standard Procedures. Larvae were observed for 17 consecutive days after treatment to determine the mortality and growth-inhibitory effect exerted by the essential oil...

The species Peperomia inaequalifolia , commonly known as congona, is a succulent herbaceous plant belonging to the Piperaceae family, which is used for different purposes in traditional medicine. In this study, the chemical composition, enantiomeric distribution, and biological activity of essential oil isolated from the leaves of this species was determined. Hydrodistillation was used to isolate the essential oil. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was used to determine the qualitative composition, a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector was used to determine quantitative composition, and gas chromatography on an enantioselective column was used to determine enantiomeric distribution...