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Recent Studies on Biological Activities of Alkaloids and Their Modifications
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Recent Studies on Biological Activities of Alkaloids and Their Modifications

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2025) | Viewed by 6030

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Beata Jasiewicz

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Guest Editor
Department of Bioactive Products, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 8, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
Interests: alkaloid modifications; natural product; organic synthesis; antioxidant properties; spectroscopic analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the search for new biologically active compounds, particular attention is paid to natural products isolated from plants. These include secondary metabolites with defense or signaling functions or as symbiotic agents between organisms or plants. Among these are alkaloids, which, due to their chemical diversity and potential therapeutic properties, are used as model compounds or precursors in the synthesis of modern drugs. These compounds exhibit various physiological effects, some of which are used in pharmacology, such as codeine, brucine, morphine, ephedrine, and quinine. Based on alkaloid biosynthetic precursors and heterocyclic ring systems, they have been classified into different categories, such as indole and purine alkaloids, essential therapeutic molecules. This Special Issue aims to collect publications on the impact of alkaloid modifications on changes in their broadly understood biological activity. We invite authors who deal not only with the design and synthesis of alkaloid derivatives, but also with their bioactivity and mechanism of action. These can be both research papers and reviews.

Dr. Beata Jasiewicz
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

  • alkaloids
  • chemical modification
  • biological activity

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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30 pages, 10231 KiB  
Article
Novel C3-Methylene-Bridged Indole Derivatives with and without Substituents at N1: The Influence of Substituents on Their Hemolytic, Cytoprotective, and Antimicrobial Activity
by Karolina Babijczuk, Natalia Berdzik, Damian Nowak, Beata Warżajtis, Urszula Rychlewska, Justyna Starzyk, Lucyna Mrówczyńska and Beata Jasiewicz
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(10), 5364; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25105364 - 14 May 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1557
Abstract
Alkaloids are natural compounds useful as scaffolds for discovering new bioactive molecules. This study utilized alkaloid gramine to synthesize two groups of C3-substituted indole derivatives, which were either functionalized at N1 or not. The compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods. The protective effects [...] Read more.
Alkaloids are natural compounds useful as scaffolds for discovering new bioactive molecules. This study utilized alkaloid gramine to synthesize two groups of C3-substituted indole derivatives, which were either functionalized at N1 or not. The compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods. The protective effects of the new compounds against in vitro oxidative hemolysis induced by standard oxidant 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane dihydro chloride (AAPH) on human erythrocytes as a cell model were investigated. Additionally, the compounds were screened for antimicrobial activity. The results indicated that most of the indole derivatives devoid of the N1 substitution exhibited strong cytoprotective properties. The docking studies supported the affinities of selected indole-based ligands as potential antioxidants. Furthermore, the derivatives obtained exhibited potent fungicidal properties. The structures of the eight derivatives possessing indole moiety bridged to the imidazole-, benzimidazole-, thiazole-, benzothiazole-, and 5-methylbenzothiazoline-2-thiones were determined by X-ray diffraction. The C=S bond lengths in the thioamide fragment pointed to the involvement of zwitterionic structures of varying contribution. The predominance of zwitterionic mesomers may explain the lack of cytoprotective properties, while steric effects, which limit multiple the hydrogen-bond acceptor properties of a thione sulfur, seem to be responsible for the high hemolytic activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Studies on Biological Activities of Alkaloids and Their Modifications)
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Review

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89 pages, 38659 KiB  
Review
Morphinan Alkaloids and Their Transformations: A Historical Perspective of a Century of Opioid Research in Hungary
by János Marton, Paul Cumming, Kenner C. Rice and Joannes T. M. Linders
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(6), 2736; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26062736 - 18 Mar 2025
Viewed by 2160
Abstract
The word opium derives from the ancient Greek word ὄπιον (ópion) for the juice of any plant, but today means the air-dried seed capsule latex of Papaver somniferum. Alkaloid chemistry began with the isolation of morphine from crude opium by Friedrich Wilhelm [...] Read more.
The word opium derives from the ancient Greek word ὄπιον (ópion) for the juice of any plant, but today means the air-dried seed capsule latex of Papaver somniferum. Alkaloid chemistry began with the isolation of morphine from crude opium by Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner in 1804. More than a century later, Hungarian pharmacist János Kabay opened new perspectives for the direct isolation of morphine from dry poppy heads and straw without the labor-intensive harvesting of opium. In 2015, Kabay’s life and achievements obtained official recognition as constituting a «Hungarikum», thereby entering the national repository of matters of unique cultural value. To this day, the study of Papaver alkaloids is a focus of medicinal chemistry, the (perhaps unstated) aspiration of which is to obtain an opioid with lesser abuse potential and side effects, while retaining good analgesic properties. We begin this review with a brief account of opiate biosynthesis, followed by a detailed presentation of semisynthetic opioids, emphasizing the efforts of the Alkaloida Chemical Company, founded in 1927 by János Kabay, and the morphine alkaloid group of the University of Debrecen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Studies on Biological Activities of Alkaloids and Their Modifications)
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22 pages, 6508 KiB  
Review
Alkaloids from Waltheria spp. (Malvaceae): Chemosystematic Aspects, Biosynthesis, Total Synthesis, and Biological Activities
by Raquel de M. Silva, Guilherme S. Caleffi and Fernando Cotinguiba
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(24), 13659; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252413659 - 20 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1374
Abstract
Waltheria, a genus within the Malvaceae family, is abundantly distributed in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide. Many species of this genus are widely utilized in various ways, including chewing, in folk medicine, acting as an anti-inflammatory agent, and treating gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatism, [...] Read more.
Waltheria, a genus within the Malvaceae family, is abundantly distributed in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide. Many species of this genus are widely utilized in various ways, including chewing, in folk medicine, acting as an anti-inflammatory agent, and treating gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatism, and asthma, among other conditions. These applications are largely due to their secondary metabolites, primarily quinolone alkaloids and cyclopeptides. Several biological activities have been reported for Waltheria species, including antifungal, anticancer, trypanocidal, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory, potential anti-HIV, antinociceptive, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and leishmanicidal activities. This review not only presents information on isolated alkaloids and their biological activities but also delves into biosynthetic, chemosystematic, medicinal chemistry, and total synthesis aspects. Additionally, the manuscript highlights other applications of alkaloids of the genus, such as a study on their herbicidal activity, which shows significant potential for agricultural use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Studies on Biological Activities of Alkaloids and Their Modifications)
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