Research Topic: Natural products

Novel Antimicrobial Activities of Albofungin, Albonoursin, and Ribonucleosides Produced by Streptomyces sp. Caat 5-35 Against Phytopathogens and Their Potential as a Biocontrol Agent

Scientists discovered that a soil bacterium called Streptomyces sp. Caat 5-35 produces natural compounds that can kill crop-damaging pathogens. These compounds, including albofungin and albonoursin, showed strong activity against diseases affecting cacao and palm crops. The bacterium also helps plants by breaking down cellulose and making phosphorus more available, making it a promising tool for natural crop protection without synthetic chemicals.

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The Potential of Naturally Derived Compounds for Treating Chronic Kidney Disease: A Review of Autophagy and Cellular Senescence

This review explores how natural products from traditional Chinese medicine may help treat chronic kidney disease by targeting two key aging processes: autophagy (cellular self-cleaning) and cellular senescence (cellular aging). Common natural compounds like curcumin, green tea extract, and Astragalus have shown promise in protecting kidney function and reducing harmful inflammation. While these natural treatments show potential as complementary therapies alongside mainstream medicines, more clinical research is needed to confirm their effectiveness and determine optimal dosages.

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Emerging paradigms for target discovery of traditional medicines: A genome-wide pan-GPCR perspective

Traditional medicines from plants, animals, and fungi contain chemical compounds that can interact with specific proteins in our cells called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). These receptors control many important body functions and are targeted by about one-third of all FDA-approved medications. This review explains how scientists are discovering new therapeutic compounds from traditional medicines by systematically screening them against the complete library of human GPCRs, using advanced techniques to identify which compounds bind to which receptors. Famous examples include morphine from poppies for pain relief and compounds from ginseng that help regulate blood sugar.

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Phytochemical Analysis and Anti-Ulcer Potential of Phenolic Compounds of Inonotus nidus-pici Pilát

Researchers studied a wood mushroom called Inonotus nidus-pici to understand its healing potential. They found it contains beneficial compounds like quercetin and rosmarinic acid that act as antioxidants. When tested on rats with chemically-induced stomach ulcers, the mushroom extract provided protection similar to common ulcer medications, suggesting it could help prevent stomach damage from pain relievers.

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Clinical Isolate of Candida tropicalis from a Patient in North Carolina: Identification, Whole-Genome Sequence Analysis, and Anticandidal Activity of Ganoderma lucidum

Researchers in North Carolina identified a drug-resistant yeast infection (Candida tropicalis) from a hospital patient and tested whether extracts from reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum) could kill it. Using genetic analysis, they found mutations in the yeast that help it resist antifungal drugs. All three types of mushroom extracts tested successfully stopped the yeast’s growth and damaged its cells, suggesting that reishi mushrooms could be a promising natural treatment option for hard-to-treat candida infections.

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Can Ganoderma Triterpenoids Exert Immunogenic Cell Death in Human Cancer Cells? A Systematic Review and Protein Network Analysis

This review examines whether compounds from medicinal mushrooms called Ganoderma can help the body’s immune system fight cancer more effectively. Researchers analyzed 69 scientific studies and found that Ganoderma compounds cause cancer cells to die and trigger immune-activating signals. While these results are promising, more experiments are needed to prove whether these mushroom compounds actually activate the specific immune pathways required for long-term cancer control.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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Synergistic potential and apoptosis induction of Bunium persicum essential oil and its pure components, cuminaldehyde and γ-terpinene, in combination with fluconazole on Candida albicans isolates: in vitro and in silico evaluation

Researchers tested a spice-derived essential oil called Bunium persicum and two of its active compounds to see if they could work better with the antifungal drug fluconazole against drug-resistant yeast infections. They found that one component called cuminaldehyde was particularly effective and worked synergistically with fluconazole, meaning the combination was more powerful than either treatment alone. These natural compounds could potentially help treat fungal infections that no longer respond to standard medications, offering a promising approach using plant-based remedies alongside conventional drugs.

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