“…Ornithine is a precursor for pyrrolidine and tropic alkaloids, while lysine gives the piperidine alkaloids. Tyrosine and tryptophan are formed by the shikimic acid pathway and originate the isoquinolinic and indole alkaloids respectively [ 104 ]. Alkaloids are considered the most toxic among the several active principles.…”
Section: Anti-inflammatory Molecules Of Medicinal Plants and Mechamentioning
Plants represent the main source of molecules for the development of new drugs, which intensifies the interest of transnational industries in searching for substances obtained from plant sources, especially since the vast majority of species have not yet been studied chemically or biologically, particularly concerning anti-inflammatory action. Anti-inflammatory drugs can interfere in the pathophysiological process of inflammation, to minimize tissue damage and provide greater comfort to the patient. Therefore, it is important to note that due to the existence of a large number of species available for research, the successful development of new naturally occurring anti-inflammatory drugs depends mainly on a multidisciplinary effort to find new molecules. Although many review articles have been published in this regard, the majority presented the subject from a limited regional perspective. Thus, the current article presents highlights from the published literature on plants as sources of anti-inflammatory agents.
“…Ornithine is a precursor for pyrrolidine and tropic alkaloids, while lysine gives the piperidine alkaloids. Tyrosine and tryptophan are formed by the shikimic acid pathway and originate the isoquinolinic and indole alkaloids respectively [ 104 ]. Alkaloids are considered the most toxic among the several active principles.…”
Section: Anti-inflammatory Molecules Of Medicinal Plants and Mechamentioning
Plants represent the main source of molecules for the development of new drugs, which intensifies the interest of transnational industries in searching for substances obtained from plant sources, especially since the vast majority of species have not yet been studied chemically or biologically, particularly concerning anti-inflammatory action. Anti-inflammatory drugs can interfere in the pathophysiological process of inflammation, to minimize tissue damage and provide greater comfort to the patient. Therefore, it is important to note that due to the existence of a large number of species available for research, the successful development of new naturally occurring anti-inflammatory drugs depends mainly on a multidisciplinary effort to find new molecules. Although many review articles have been published in this regard, the majority presented the subject from a limited regional perspective. Thus, the current article presents highlights from the published literature on plants as sources of anti-inflammatory agents.
“…Ornithine, nicotinic acid ( Fig. 1 ), anthranilic acid, and some β-hydroxy amino acids are also precursors for several classes of alkaloid compounds ( 192 , 193 ). Figure 1 Nonprotein amino acids (NPAAs) with anti-infective properties.…”
Section: Unusual Amino Acids and Derivativesmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The true alkaloids are derived primarily from the aromatic amino acids, namely, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, whereas NPAAs can also contribute to their biosynthesis. True alkaloids are classified based on the heterocyclic structure ( 192 ) and more than 2500 sub-ring skeleton types have been detected in the KNApSAcK Core Database of 12,000 alkaloids ( 206 ). The enormous potential of alkaloids as drug leads is far from exhausted and a variety of pharmacological effects continues to be reported and reviewed ( 207 , 208 , 209 , 210 , 211 , 212 ).…”
For millennia, humanity has relied on plants for its medicines, and modern pharmacology continues to reexamine and mine plant metabolites for novel compounds and to guide improvements in biological activity, bioavailability, and chemical stability. The critical problem of antibiotic resistance and increasing exposure to viral and parasitic diseases has spurred renewed interest into drug treatments for infectious diseases. In this context, an urgent revival of natural product discovery is globally underway with special attention directed toward the numerous and chemically diverse plant defensive compounds such as phytoalexins and phytoanticipins that combat herbivores, microbial pathogens, or competing plants. Moreover, advancements in “
omics
,” chemistry, and heterologous expression systems have facilitated the purification and characterization of plant metabolites and the identification of possible therapeutic targets. In this review, we describe several important amino acid–derived classes of plant defensive compounds, including antimicrobial peptides (
e.g.
, defensins, thionins, and knottins), alkaloids, nonproteogenic amino acids, and phenylpropanoids as potential drug leads, examining their mechanisms of action, therapeutic targets, and structure–function relationships. Given their potent antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antiviral properties, which can be superior to existing drugs, phytoalexins and phytoanticipins are an excellent resource to facilitate the rational design and development of antimicrobial drugs.
“…The largest group of secondary metabolites that are involved in the defense mechanisms of plants include naturally occurring hydrocarbons, terpenes [86,87]. This group is found in all plants and represents a huge class of more than 22,000 compounds (e.g., Table 2 and Table 3).…”
In this review, we describe the role of plant-derived biochemicals that are toxic to insect pests. Biotic stress in plants caused by insect pests is one of the most significant problems, leading to yield losses. Synthetic pesticides still play a significant role in crop protection. However, the environmental side effects and health issues caused by the overuse or inappropriate application of synthetic pesticides forced authorities to ban some problematic ones. Consequently, there is a strong necessity for novel and alternative insect pest control methods. An interesting source of ecological pesticides are biocidal compounds, naturally occurring in plants as allelochemicals (secondary metabolites), helping plants to resist, tolerate or compensate the stress caused by insect pests. The abovementioned bioactive natural products are the first line of defense in plants against insect herbivores. The large group of secondary plant metabolites, including alkaloids, saponins, phenols and terpenes, are the most promising compounds in the management of insect pests. Secondary metabolites offer sustainable pest control, therefore we can conclude that certain plant species provide numerous promising possibilities for discovering novel and ecologically friendly methods for the control of numerous insect pests.
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