Chromatographic and Mass Spectrometry Techniques to Detect Secondary Metabolites from Natural Products of Pharmacological Interest

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2025 | Viewed by 3670

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Secondary metabolites, so-called because they are not involved in basic vital functions, are organic compounds produced by bacteria, fungi and plants whose main function is to mediate interactions between plant and animal ecosystems, in addition to playing a role in defense against external attack (e.g., protecting plants against herbivores). Secondary metabolites of plant origin are widely used in the aromatic, medical and pharmaceutical sectors. Indeed, the extensive pharmacological effects of medicinal plants depend primarily on their phytochemical constituents.

Generally, the secondary metabolites extracted from plants are complex mixtures of compounds classified according to their chemical structures. Since plant chemistry underlies the therapeutic use of herbs, a good understanding of the plant’s chemical composition is essential for a better understanding of the possible medicinal value of the plant itself.  Chromatographic analysis, including liquid and/or gas, and mass spectrometry are suitable and robust techniques for the separation and identification of secondary metabolites including various classes of compounds.

Dr. Stefania Garzoli
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • GC and GC-MS
  • HPLC-MS
  • natural products
  • secondary metabolites
  • phytochemicals
  • medicinal plants
  • chemical analyses

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 2700 KiB  
Article
Antiarthritic and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabis sativa Essential Oil in an Animal Model
by Hamid Kabdy, Hajar Azraida, Fatimzahra Agouram, Sara Oufquir, Jawad Laadraoui, Abdelmounaim Baslam, Abdelfatah Aitbaba, Meryem El Ouazzani, Loubna Elyazouli, Rachida Aboufatima, Stefania Garzoli and Abderrahman Chait
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17010020 - 22 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2557
Abstract
Arthritis and inflammatory conditions require effective therapies, but conventional drugs have side effects. This study explored Cannabis sativa L. essential oil (CSEO) as a safer alternative. A chemical characterization of EO conducted via GC/MS showed the presence of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (67.63%), oxygenated sesquiterpenes [...] Read more.
Arthritis and inflammatory conditions require effective therapies, but conventional drugs have side effects. This study explored Cannabis sativa L. essential oil (CSEO) as a safer alternative. A chemical characterization of EO conducted via GC/MS showed the presence of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (67.63%), oxygenated sesquiterpenes (25.91%), and oxygenated monoterpenes (0.99%). The study used three established inflammation induction tests: xylene-induced ear swelling, carrageenan-induced paw inflammation, and inflammation in the paw induced by Freund’s complete adjuvant (CFA). Xylene triggered acute inflammation in the ear, while carrageenan-induced acute inflammatory responses through edema and immune-cell recruitment in the paw. CFA-induced arthritis simulated chronic inflammatory conditions. The obtained results demonstrated that treatment with CSEO significantly reduced ear weight in the xylene-induced ear-swelling test, indicating potential inhibition of neutrophil accumulation. In the carrageenan-induced paw inflammation test, CSEO reduced paw volume, suggesting interference with edema formation and leukocyte migration. In the CFA-induced paw inflammation test, CSEO decreased contralateral paw volume, restored body weight, and reduced C-reactive protein levels. Conclusion: this study provides compelling evidence supporting the antiarthritic and anti-inflammatory effects of CSEO. The findings indicate the therapeutic value of EO in the management of arthritis and inflammatory diseases while highlighting the need for further in-depth research to study the molecular mechanisms and validate their safety and efficacy for clinical applications. Preliminary data from this study suggests encouraging prospects for advancing the treatment and prevention of inflammation. Full article
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35 pages, 2917 KiB  
Review
Evaluation of the Pharmaceutical Activities of Chuanxiong, a Key Medicinal Material in Traditional Chinese Medicine
by Shiwei Huang, Jiamei Chen, Xiaohua Liu, Chunxin Xing, Lu Zhao, Kelvin Chan and Guanghua Lu
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(9), 1157; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17091157 - 31 Aug 2024
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Abstract
Szechwan lovage rhizome (SLR, the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., Chuanxiong in Chinese transliteration) is one Chinese materia medica (CMM) commonly used to activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis. SLR is applicable to most blood stasis syndromes. It has significant [...] Read more.
Szechwan lovage rhizome (SLR, the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., Chuanxiong in Chinese transliteration) is one Chinese materia medica (CMM) commonly used to activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis. SLR is applicable to most blood stasis syndromes. It has significant clinical efficacy in relation to human diseases of the cardiocerebrovascular system, nervous system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, etc. Apart from China, SLR is also used in Singapore, Malaysia, the European Union, and the United States of America. However, the current chemical markers in pharmacopeia or monography for the quality assessment of SLR are not well characterized or specifically characterized, nor do they fully reflect the medicinal efficacy of SLR, resulting in the quality of SLR not being effectively controlled. CMM can only have medicinal efficacy when they are applied in vivo to an organism. The intensity of their pharmaceutical activities can more directly represent the quality of CMM. Therefore, the chemical constituents and pharmacological actions of SLR are reviewed in this paper. In order to demonstrate the medicinal efficacy of SLR in promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, bioassay methods are put forward to evaluate the pharmaceutical activities of SLR to improve hemorheology, hemodynamics, and vascular microcirculation, as well as its anti-platelet aggregation and anticoagulation properties. Through comprehensive analyses of these pharmaceutical properties, the quality and therapeutic value of SLR are ascertained. Full article
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