There is a strong drive worldwide to discover and exploit the therapeutic potential of a large variety of plants. In this work, an alcoholic extract of Helleborus purpurascens (family Ranunculaceae) was investigated for the identification of amino acids and peptides with putative antiproliferative effects. In our work, a separation strategy was developed using solvents of different polarity in order to obtain active compounds. Biochemical components were characterized through spectroscopic (mass spectroscopy) and chromatographic techniques (RP-HPLC and GC-MS). The biological activity of the obtained fractions was investigated in terms of their antiproliferative effects on HeLa cells. Through this study, we report an efficient separation of bioactive compounds (amino acids and peptides) from a plant extract dependent on solvent polarity, affording fractions with unaffected antiproliferative activities. Moreover, the two biologically tested fractions exerted a major antiproliferative effect, thereby suggesting potential anticancer therapeutic activity.
Currently, wide world research is focused on sustainable development and the demand for innovative clean technologies, nevertheless natural potential reconsideration could represent a viable solution for the identification and design of new pharmacological agents from renewable resources. The main reason consists of special properties of these natural derivates: immunomodulating activity with continuously perfectible selectivity and efficiency. Plants and herb extracts have been used for centuries as traditional medicines, throughout the entire world. Romanian phytotherapy represents practically a very important part of our traditional knowledge and heritage. Therapeutic properties of plant active principles still continue to be the subject of many researches. In this chapter, an overview of plant bioactive molecules from the perspective of modern phytochemistry is presented. A special part is devoted to a very special medicinal plant, Viscum album, in particular identification of amino acids and thionins from mistletoe.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.