Biotranformation of ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (1) using Psilocybe cubensis resulted in hydroxylated products. After two days of incubation, ent-16beta,17-dihydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid (2) was isolated. After further incubation for nine days, two novel metabolites, ent-12alpha,16beta,17-trihydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid (3) and ent-11alpha,16beta,17-trihydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid (4), were obtained. The metabolites were identified by spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallography. Compounds 1-4 were evaluated for their cytotoxic properties against the human leukaemia K562 cell line; only compound 1 showed moderate activity.

TiO2 and iron-doped TiO2 were synthesized by sol-gel method. TiO2 and 0.5 %mol Fe:TiO2 were calcined at 500 and 800 °C for 3 h. The synthesized particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-VIS diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry (UV/DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-Ray analysis (SEM-EDX). The XRD patterns of all samples that were calcined at 500 °C showed only anatase phase. On increasing temperature from 500 to 800 °C, the anatase phase transformed to rutile phase. For 0.5 %mol Fe:TiO2, pseudobrookite (Fe2TiO5) phase was observed at 800 °C. The particles that contained rutile showed higher antibacterial activities against E.coli, B. subtilis, and S. aureus than anatase phase, under fluorescent irradiation.

Phytochemical investigation of the stems from Brucea javanica led to the isolation of two new quassinoids, brujavanol C (1) and brujavanol D (2), together with six known compounds (3-8). The chemical structures were elucidated by means of various spectroscopic methods. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum and compounds 6 and 7 exhibited the most potent activity against the K1 strain, with IC values of 1.41 and 1.06 μM, respectively.

Two new oxoprotoberberine alkaloids, amocurine A and B (1 and 2), a new aporphine alkaloid, amocurine C (3), along with three known compounds (46) were isolated from the roots of Amoora cucullata. Their structures were determined by analysis of spectroscopic data. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against three human cancer cell lines (KB, oral cavity; MCF-7, breast cancer; and NCI-H187, small cell lung cancer). Compounds 3 showed the most potent activities against KB and MCF-7 cell lines with IC50 values 3.5 and 4.2 M, respectively.