The octocoral family Alcyoniidae represents a rich source of bioactive substances with intriguing and unique structural features. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the compounds isolated from Alcyoniidae and displaying potential cytotoxic activity. In order to allow a better comparison among the bioactive compounds, we focused on molecules evaluated in vitro by using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, by far the most widely used method to analyze cell proliferation and viability. Specifically, we surveyed the last thirty years of research, finding 153 papers reporting on 344 compounds with proven cytotoxicity. The data were organized in tables to provide a ranking of the most active compounds, to be exploited for the selection of the most promising candidates for further screening and pre-clinical evaluation as anti-cancer agents. Specifically, we found that (22S,24S)-24-methyl-22,25-epoxyfurost-5-ene-3β,20β-diol (16), 3β,11-dihydroxy-24-methylene-9,11-secocholestan-5-en-9-one (23), (24S)-ergostane-3β,5α,6β,25 tetraol (146), sinulerectadione (227), sinulerectol C (229), and cladieunicellin I (277) exhibited stronger cytotoxicity than their respective positive control and that their mechanism of action has not yet been further investigated.
Climate change associated with global warming is a major warning of the twenty-first century, threatening ecosystems through uncontrolled temperature rises, drought, lack of water with a strong impact on productivity, economy, and worldwide life well-being. In most cases, the poor regions of the planet suffer from a lack of exploitable resources deriving from natural reserves. For this reason, wild vegetables able to grow in deserted areas are attracting increasing attention due to their beneficial properties. Among them, Prosopis cineraria has been recently recognized in the UAE not only as a cultural heritage but also as a potential source of raw materials for agri-food and pharmaceutics still poorly valued. P. cineraria occurs in most of the world's hot arid and semi-arid regions as a native or introduced species and, due to its multiple properties, could be exploited for medical, food, and, more recently, in different growing productivity fields like a luxury, especially in countries like the UAE. The use of actives-rich natural sources offers clear advantages over synthetic compounds in terms of process and product eco-sustainability. In this manuscript, we review the main properties and potential applications of P. cineraria aiming to promote the scientific interest toward the development of innovative approaches in several productive fields, including pharma and cosmetics, exploiting the versatility of materials that can be extracted from the various parts of the plant and discuss commercialization opportunities of the plant to support biodiversity and sustainability. In conclusion, P. cineraria turns out to be a plant able to grow in hostile environments, already providing nutrients for populations of Western Asia and the Indian subcontinent and possibly translatable to poor arid regions.
Exploring the potential of natural extracts for pharmaceutical applications in the treatment of different diseases is an emerging field of medical research, owing to the tremendous advantages that they can offer. These include compound sustainability due to the natural origin and virtually unlimited availability. In addition, they contribute to promoting the countries in which they are extracted and manufactured. For this reason, wild active compounds derived from plants are attracting increasing interest due to their beneficial properties. Among them, Avicennia marina has been recently recognized as a potential source of natural substances with therapeutic activities for anti-cancer treatment. A. marina beneficially supplies different chemical compounds, including cyclic triterpenoids, flavonoids, iridoids, naphtaquinones, polyphenols, polysaccharides, and steroids, most of them exhibiting potent antitumor activity. The in vivo and in vitro studies on different models of solid tumors demonstrated its dose-dependent activity. Moreover, the possibility to formulate the A. marina extracted molecules in nanoparticles allowed researchers to ameliorate the therapeutic outcome of treatments exploiting improved selectivity toward cancer cells, thus reducing the side effects due to nonspecific spread.
Since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, a phenomenon of biotic immigration, often reported as ‘Lessepsian migration’, took place from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. Besides causing huge ecological impacts, this massive invasion has resulted in the introduction of toxic species producing tetrodotoxin (TTX), with associated risks for human health. The subject of this review is the silver checked pufferfish Lagocephalus scelaratus, which has rapidly spread through the eastern Mediterranean and is currently expanding. The aim of this study is to provide a review of the current state of the art regarding the presence of L. sceleratus in the Mediterranean Sea and the related emerging problem of food poisoning risks to European consumers due to the tetrodotoxin contained in this species. In addition, the production of tetrodotoxin in pufferfish, its mechanism of action once ingested, and its potential lethality to humans is discussed. Here we listed 93 reported cases of intoxication and 12 deaths due to the consumption of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. It is clear from this review that the likelihood of catching L. sceleratus in the Mediterranean Sea is increasing and consequently the possibility of it accidentally ending up in the food chain. Possible solutions to this emerging issue are reported and discussed.
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