Natural products – mycolab.ai

Clinically proven natural products against breast cancer, with mechanistic insights

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This comprehensive review examines ten natural products that have been proven in clinical studies to help fight breast cancer. These products—including omega-3 fatty acids from fish, compounds in broccoli sprouts, garlic, soy, curcumin from turmeric, and green tea—work by triggering cancer cells to self-destruct, stopping their growth, and preventing blood vessel formation that feeds tumors. What makes these findings especially promising is that these natural products appear to work well alongside conventional treatments while causing minimal side effects, offering patients additional options for managing this serious disease.

Targeting the AMP-activated protein kinase pathway: the active metabolites of botanical drugs represent potential strategies for treating metabolic-associated fatty liver disease

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Fatty liver disease is becoming increasingly common and current medications have side effects like dangerously low blood sugar. This review shows that natural plant-based compounds and traditional Chinese herbs can activate a key protein (AMPK) in the body that helps burn fat and regulate sugar levels. Over 30 different plant compounds from foods and herbs like ginger, curcumin, and ganoderma mushrooms have been shown to improve fatty liver disease by activating this protein through multiple beneficial mechanisms.

When Nature Meets Oncology: Unraveling Herb–Drug Interactions in Cancer Therapy

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Many cancer patients use herbal supplements and natural products alongside their cancer treatments without telling their doctors, which can be dangerous. Some natural products like St. John’s Wort and grapefruit juice significantly alter how the body processes cancer medications, potentially making treatments ineffective or toxic. The review provides guidance on which natural products are safe to use with cancer therapy and which should be avoided completely, emphasizing the importance of open communication between patients and healthcare providers.

Recent developments of tools for genome and metabolome studies in basidiomycete fungi and their application to natural product research

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Mushrooms and related fungi in the basidiomycete group produce many useful medicines and agricultural chemicals. Scientists have traditionally struggled to study these fungi because they grow slowly and have complex genomes. Recent technological breakthroughs—including faster DNA sequencing and gene-editing tools—are now making it much easier to discover and understand the helpful compounds these fungi produce, potentially leading to new medicines.

Screening and identifying natural products with SARS-CoV-2 infection inhibitory activity from medicinal fungi

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Researchers screened 167 extracts from 36 medicinal fungi to find natural compounds that could fight COVID-19. They discovered that certain fungi, particularly Inonotus obliquus and Pholiota adiposa, contain polysaccharides that effectively block the virus from infecting cells. These natural compounds showed promise as potential safe alternatives for developing new COVID-19 treatments and may have applications against other viral diseases.

Functional Approaches to Discover New Compounds via Enzymatic Modification: Predicted Data Mining Approach and Biotransformation-Guided Purification

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Scientists are developing faster ways to discover new medicines from plants using two innovative methods. The first approach uses computer programs to predict which plant compounds can be chemically modified by enzymes to create new medicines with better properties. The second approach combines enzyme chemistry with traditional purification to directly isolate these modified compounds from plant extracts. These methods have successfully created new compounds with improved effectiveness against diseases like diabetes and cancer, often with much better solubility for medical use.

From natural laboratory to drug discovery: Chemical structures, bioactivities, and biosynthesis of meroterpenoids from Ganoderma species

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This review examines special compounds called meroterpenoids found in Ganoderma mushrooms (commonly known as Reishi). Scientists have identified over 350 of these compounds from 14 different Ganoderma species. These compounds show promise for treating various health conditions including cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, and inflammatory disorders. The researchers also propose how these compounds are made inside the mushroom, which could help scientists produce them more efficiently for medical use.

Microminutinin, a Fused Bis-Furan Coumarin from Murraya euchrestifolia, Exhibits Strong Broad-Spectrum Antifungal Activity by Disrupting Cell Membranes and Walls

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Researchers discovered a natural compound called microminutinin from a plant used in traditional medicine. This compound shows strong ability to kill various fungal pathogens that damage crops, particularly tea plants. The compound works by breaking down the protective structures of fungal cells, making it a promising candidate for developing safer, plant-based fungicides for agriculture.

Algae and Cyanobacteria Fatty Acids and Bioactive Metabolites: Natural Antifungal Alternative Against Fusarium sp.

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Fusarium fungi cause serious crop diseases that farmers traditionally treat with chemical fungicides, but these chemicals harm the environment and create resistant fungi. Scientists are finding that algae and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) produce natural compounds like fatty acids that can fight these fungi effectively. This research shows promising results for developing natural, environmentally-friendly fungicides that could help farmers protect crops without chemical damage.

Sandalwood Sesquiterpene (Z)-α-Santalol Exhibits In Vivo Efficacy Against Madurella mycetomatis in Galleria mellonella Larvae

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Researchers tested sandalwood compounds against a fungal infection that causes a tropical disease called eumycetoma. Using a laboratory model with wax moth larvae infected with the fungus, they found that a specific compound called (Z)-α-santalol significantly extended the survival of infected larvae. This compound was more effective than current antifungal drugs and showed promise as a potential new treatment for this neglected tropical disease.

Research Keyword: Natural products