Nanotechnology has introduced revolutionary progress in medical sciences, providing unparalleled prospects for diagnosing and treating diseases. Notably, Nanomedicine enables targeted drug delivery, maximizes therapeutic effects, limits undesirable effects, and enhances therapeutic precision, which was unattainable with conventional methods. Furthermore, integrating natural biomolecules in nanoparticle synthesis has evolved as a sustainable approach, combining ecological safety with improved biocompatibility and pharmacological performance. This review aims to systematically scrutinize the literature on the beneficial effects of green Selenium Nanoparticles (SeNPs) on antioxidant and anti-diabetic potential. For this study, the literature was meticulously searched, and data were collected from preferred sources, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, ScienceOpen, DOAJ, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Scilit. The literature search was restricted to English-language works published between 2014 and 2024. Data collection focused on the antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties of green-synthesized SeNPs, which were reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach. Methods like DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays were used to assess the antioxidant activity. This review finds that Aloe vera, Annona muricata (A. muricata), Waltheria indica (W. indica) (IC50 0.00692), Millettia pinnata (IC50 0.0077), Camellia sinensis, Citrus sinensis (IC50 0.00849) mediated NPs in DPPH and W. indica (IC50 0.01685), A. muricata, Calluna vulgaris (IC50 0.01687), Echinacea purpurea, Aloe vera, Blighia sapida NPs in ABTS (in mg/ml concentration) exhibited a very promising anti-oxidant effect. The plant Fagonia critica (F. cretica) (IC50 0.1), Cassica auriculata (C. auriculata), Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera), Caralluma tuberculate (C. tuberculate) in α-glucosidase and F. cretica, C. auriculata, M. oleifera, Broccoli florets, C. tuberculata mediated NPs, in α-amylase assay (mg/ml concentration) showed the most prominent antidiabetic effects. Therefore, the green-synthesized SeNPs could be considered as distinct antioxidant and antidiabetic agents, potentially contributing to both antidiabetic and anti-oxidant therapy.

Many genetically validated targets in cancer, including the transcription factor β-catenin (β-cat), have historically been viewed as undruggable. Cell-based phenotypic screening of chemical compounds can reveal unanticipated biological and pharmacological principles. Natural products are powerful probes because of their superior structural diversity, drug-like properties, and biological activities as compared to unoptimized synthetic compounds. We screened 326,304 natural product mixtures (40,744 extracts and 285,560 fractions derived from them) using mammalian cells expressing an oncogenic version of β-cat fused to a suicide protein. Multiple fractions degraded the β-cat fusion protein or drove it into a compartment where both fusion partners were apparently inactive. The active natural product from one of the latter specifically activates novel, but not classical, protein kinase Cs and thereby relocates β-cat to juxtamembrane vacuolar structures. These findings suggest a path for inactivating oncogenic β-cat and underscore the power of screening natural product collections with robust phenotypic assays.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the organic solvent extract of sponge Cribrochalina vasculum yielded three new linear asymmetric polyacetylenes, namely durynes G-I (3-5). Their structures were elucidated by combined spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques and the absolute configuration of the C-3 stereogenic center was determined via modified Mosher's ester methodology. The compounds were found to be unstable upon prolonged exposure to deuterated chloroform and gradually converted to multi-chlorinated analogues, whose structures were fully elucidated, and the mechanism of formation was proposed. In the NCI-60 cancer cell cytotoxicity panel, the new natural products showed potent antiproliferative activity with GI50 values in low micromolar ranges. Analogues with the addition of chlorine to the central olefin showed reduced cytotoxic activity, while the chlorination of the olefin of the alkenyl carbinol group was shown to diminish the activity of the scaffold.

In response to the challenge of drug-resistant malaria, this study investigated the antimalarial potential of B. sapida ethanolic leaf extract using an in silico approach. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was performed to identify compounds present in the extract. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations were conducted to assess interactions and stability between selected lead compounds and the target protein PfDHODH using AutoDock Vina and GROMACS, respectively. A total of twenty-one compounds were identified and the three most abundant were D-Fructose 3-O-methyl- (21.02%), phytol (20.77%), and hexadecanoic acid ethyl ester (13.11%). Complementary in silico docking analyses demonstrated interactions between all 21 compounds and PfDHODH. Among them, three compounds demonstrated strong binding affinities (- 8.1 to - 10.0 kcal/mol) comparative to the positive control (N-(2,2-diphenylethyl)-4-hydroxy-1,2,5-thiadiazole-3-carboxamide) with binding energy - 8.9 kcal/mol. Linoleic acid ethyl ester, octadecanoic acid ethyl ester, and 2-methyl-6-(4-methylenecyclohex-2-en-1-yl)hept-2-en-4-one displayed favorable drug-likeness and ADMET profiles. Among these, 2-methyl-6-(4-methylenecyclohex-2-en-1-yl)hept-2-en-4-one emerged as the most stable inhibitor (RMSD = 0.12, RMSF = 0.10, ROG = 2.02, SASA = 171.90), followed by octadecanoic acid ethyl ester (RMSD = 0.13, RMSF = 0.11, ROG = 2.02, SASA = 172.31). These results highlight the promising antimalarial potential of B. sapida and provide insight into its bioactive constituents.

A high-throughput screening campaign designed to discover natural product inhibitors of rhabdomyosarcoma oncogene PAX3-FOXO1 gene expression identified partially purified fractions from an organic extract of the plant Gonystylus borneensis to have potent activity in the assay. Bioassay-guided isolation yielded five new 5,6-dihydro-α-pyrone natural products, namely, gonystylones A-E (1-5). Their structures were elucidated using 1D and 2D NMR experiments and their absolute configurations determined using semisynthetic and electronic circular dichroism methods. The gonystylones were found to be cytotoxic to rhabdomyosarcoma cells at low micromolar concentrations (3-19 μM).

In this study, we report on the identification of the active antimicrobial principles from the tunicate Didemnum granulatum. Two new natural products, minalemines G (1) and H (2), were isolated and their structures were elucidated. Both compounds showed potent antibacterial activity, with compound 1 showing sub-microgram inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, we also report a new mass spectrometry-based approach, named neutral loss graph, developed to explore minor metabolites from complex mixtures. This approach was applied here to reveal twelve additional minalemine analogues in the organic extract of D. granulatum.

Preclinical studies validated coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) as a targetable therapeutic vulnerability, leading to the development of Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras that specifically degrade CARM1. These compounds face significant translational challenges, including poor oral bioavailability and limited metabolic stability, which require extensive optimization. To identify more drug-like CARM1 degraders, we developed a high-throughput screening platform. We enabled antibody-free monitoring of CARM1 levels by fusing a HiBiT tag to CARM1 in MCF7 breast cancer cells. Complementation with LgBiT produces luciferase activity. Using this platform, we screened 1408 plant-derived natural product fractions to identify compounds that reduce CARM1 protein levels. This screen revealed two promising natural compounds, kusunokinin and exostemin, that specifically target CARM1 for degradation with selectivity over other protein arginine methyltransferases. Both compounds demonstrated functional anticancer activity, significantly inhibiting breast cancer cell colony formation and migration. Kusunokinin and exostemin represent lead compounds for developing next-generation CARM1-targeted therapeutics with enhanced translational potential.

Ingestion of the unripened Ackee fruit (Blighia sapida) may result in the metabolic syndrome known as "Jamaican vomiting sickness." Clinical manifestations may include profuse vomiting, altered mental status, and hypoglycemia. Severe cases have been reported to cause seizures, hypothermia, coma, and death. Medical treatment is primarily supportive care with intravenous fluids and dextrose.[1][2]

Cell-based phenotypic screening of natural product mixtures can reveal new biological and pharmacological principles but has been largely abandoned, partly because such mixtures can be difficult to deconvolute and often contain toxins that confound "down" assays. We reasoned that these concerns could be partly mitigated by screening prefractionated natural product mixtures in cell-based "up" assays. We tested 326,304 natural product mixtures (40,744 extracts and 285,560 fractions derived from them) in a high throughput screen using mammalian cells expressing an oncogenic version of β-catenin (β-cat) fused to a suicide protein. Multiple fractions degraded the β-cat fusion protein or drove it into a compartment where both fusion partners were apparently inactive. The active compound from one of the latter specifically activates novel, but not classical, protein kinase Cs (PKCs) and thereby relocates β-cat to juxtamembrane vacuolar structures. These findings suggest a path for inactivating oncogenic β-cat and underscore the power of natural product screening.

The Yangambi Biosphere Reserve (YBR) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faces significant challenges regarding the livelihoods of local communities and biodiversity conservation. The lack of scientific information on the spatial distribution of useful woody species hinders sustainable forest resource management and is a development constraint. This study was conducted in the villages of Yaselia, Lilanda, and Bagbanye on the outskirts of the protected area and aimed to identify the most useful woody species, analyze their socio-cultural value, assess their uses based on local community involvement, and evaluate their abundance beyond village forests to contribute to reforestation and conservation policies. An ethnobotanical survey of 105 households and a forest inventory of 9 ha were conducted to assess the abundance of 29 useful woody species. The results revealed that species such as Entandrophragma cylindricum (Sprague) Sprague and Hoyle, Petersianthus macrocarpus (P.Beauv.) Liben, Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Pierre ex Heckel, Scorodophloeus zenkeri Harms, Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth., Uapaca guineensis Müll.Arg., Blighia welwitschii (Hiern) Radlk., Chrysophyllum lacourtianum De Wild., Dacryodes edulis (G.Don) H.J.Lam, and Gilbertiodendron dewevrei (De Wild.) J.Léonard have high use and cultural value for local communities. The forest inventory showed that primary forests are better represented in terms of abundance and biomass of species with high use and cultural value, while fallow lands are less diverse and dominated by small-diameter trees. However, most of the useful species identified with high use and cultural value have low density/biomass or are absent in most of the plots in secondary forests and fallow land. These results underscore the urgent need to implement sustainable management strategies that include these species through traditional agroforestry projects. Such initiatives would enhance resource valorization, support local livelihoods, and reduce pressure on the YBR, contributing to the preservation of this biodiversity sanctuary and the promotion of sustainable forest management in the region.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health problem and identification of new chemical scaffolds is important to overcoming this threat. In a recent high-throughput discovery campaign, fractions derived from the organic extract of crinoid, Heterometra sp. (Echinodermata), showed antibacterial activity. Chemical investigation of this extract led to the isolation of three natural products, namely crinemodin bianthrone (1), the new structure 1''-dehydrocrinemodin bianthrone (2), and 1''-hydroxycrinemodin bianthrone (3). Their planar structures were determined through HRESIMS and 1D and 2D NMR analysis while a combination of chemical and chirooptical methods was employed to define their absolute configurations for the first time. Variations in proton chemical shifts as well as instability in DMSO and pyridine were observed for 3. Compounds 1 and 3 showed selective antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacterial strains.

Blighia sapida oil, a substance with a rich history of use for its nutritional, therapeutic, traditional, and cosmetic benefits, was the focus of our study. We investigated the impact of consuming edible oil from B. sapida arils on Wistar rats. The crude oil from unripe arils was extracted using cold pressing and then administered to the rats. The toxicity was evaluated according to the OECD method. Notably, there were no signs of food poisoning or adverse effects on the weight and behavior of the rats treated with B. sapida oils. The LD50 of the oil was more significant than 5000 mg/kg of body weight, and hematological and biochemical parameters did not differ significantly from the control group. Rats fed with an oil-supplemented diet showed an increase in weight compared to the negative control group. No fatty deposits were found in vital organs, and consuming the oil did not affect the immune system or biochemical biomarkers. However, excessive intake of fat may have harmful effects on tissues. Our findings strongly suggest that B. sapida oil is safe for consumption within reasonable limits. The data we present here reveal that the oil derived from B. sapida is suitable for moderate consumption and may offer various health advantages, a potential that warrants further exploration.