Aim. Ducrosia anethifolia is used as flavoring additive. There have been little detailed phytochemical reports on this genus and the antidiabetic activity of this plant is not yet evaluated. Method. Structure of compounds was deduced by spectroscopic analyses. Preliminary in vitro evaluation of the antidiabetic activity of crude extract and its furanocoumarins was carried out (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and β-galactosidase). The in vivo activity was investigated by measuring some oxidative stress markers. Biomarkers of liver injury and kidney were also determined. Results. Eight linear furanocoumarins, psoralen, 5-methoxypsoralen, 8-methoxypsoralen, imperatorin, isooxypeucedanin, pabulenol, oxypeucedanin methanolate, oxypeucedanin hydrate, and 3-O-glucopyranosyl-β-sitosterol, were isolated. All compounds were reported for the first time from the genus Ducrosia except pabulenol. The blood glucose level, liver function enzymes, total protein, lipid, and cholesterol levels were significantly normalized by extract treatment. The antioxidant markers, glucolytic, and gluconeogenic enzymes were significantly ameliorated and the elevated level of kidney biomarkers in the diabetic groups was restored. The compounds showed inhibitory activity in a concentration dependant manner. Imperatorin and 5-methoxypsoralen showed the most potent inhibiting power. Conclusion. D. anethifolia extract showed hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant effect as well as ameliorating kidney function. This extract and some linear furanocoumarins exhibited carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes inhibitory effect.

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Evaluation of the antiviral activities of flowers, flower-peduncles, leaves, and roots of Aloe hijazensis against haemagglutinating viruses of avian paramyxovirus type-1 (APMV-1), avian influenza virus type A (AI-H5N1), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and egg-drop syndrome virus (EDSV) in specific pathogen free (SPF) chicken embryos were carried out. Extract of the flowers and leaves showed relatively higher activity than the extracts of other plant parts. Thirteen compounds were isolated from both the flowers and flower-peduncles of A. hijazensis. The isolated compounds were classified into: five anthraquinones; ziganein, ziganein-5-methyl ether, aloesaponarin I, chrysophanol, aloe-emodin, one dihydroisocoumarin; feralolide, four flavonoids; homoplantaginin, isoorientin, luteolin 7-glucuronopyranoside, isovitexin, one phenolic acid; p-coumaric acid, the anthrone; barbaloin together with aloenin. Eleven compounds were attributed to the flowers and seven to the flower-peduncles. Homoplantaginin and luteolin 7-glucuronopyranoside are reported here for the first time from Aloe spp. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the chemical composition and biological activity of those plant parts.

A novel biflavone di-C-glucoside, 6,6″-di-C-β-D-glucopyranoside-methylene-(8,8″)- biapigenin (1), was isolated from the leaves of Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae), together with six known compounds; apigenin 7-O-β-D-neohesperidoside (2), apigenin 7-O-β-Dgalactoside (3), orientin (4), vitexin (5), vicenin II (6), and apigenin (7). Their structures were determined on the basis of extensive chemical and spectroscopic analyses (UV, NMR and HRESI-MS). The immunomodulatory effect of an 80% aqueous methanol extract (AME) and compounds 1 - 5 (0.25 mg/kg body wt) to one-day-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) chicks was determined. Stimulation of both humoral and cell-mediated seroresponse was observed, especially those of AME and compound 1. Remarkable effective increases of the antibody titers, lymphocyte and macrophage cells, in blood were recorded. SPF chicks treated with the tested samples exhibited protection against Newcastle disease challenge virus after being vaccinated.

The chemical constituents and biological activities of leaves and roots of Aloe hijazensis, collected in Saudi Arabia, are reported here for the first time. Twenty-two compounds were obtained, among them eight hydroxyquinones: aloe-emodin (1), emodin (2), chrysophanol (3), aloesaponarin II 3-methyl ether (4), ziganein (5), ziganein-5-methyl ether (6a), aloesaponarin I (7) and chrysophanein (8), the dihydro-isocoumarin feralolide (9), 4,7-dichloro-quinoline (10), the triterpene lupeol (11), the anthrone aloin (12), three aloenin derivatives, aloenin (13) ethylidene-aloenin (14), and aloenin B (15), four flavonoids, quercetin (16), kaempferol (17) cosmosiin (18) and isovitexin (19), and cinnamic acid (20) and two further analogues, caffeic acid (21) and ferulic acid (22). While 15 of the isolated compounds were found in the leaves, 12 were isolated from roots of the plant. Compounds 6a and 10 are reported as new natural constituents, while the compounds 4, 5, 8, and 18 are reported here for the first time from Aloe spp. The structures of the compounds were deduced by intensive studies of their UV, NMR, MS data and by comparison with related structures. The biological activity of plant extracts was studied against various microbial strains, and potent anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activities were found. [image omitted] [image omitted].