Search Results (3)

The genus Myristica is a medicinally important genus belonging to the Myristicaceae. Traditional medicinal systems in Asia have employed plants from the genus Myristica to treat a variety of ailments. Acylphenols and dimeric acylphenols are a rare group of secondary metabolites, which, to date, have only been identified in the Myristicaceae, in particular, in the genus Myristica. The aim of the review would be to provide scientific evidence that the medicinal properties of the genus Myristica could be attributed to the acylphenols and dimeric acylphenols present in the various parts of its plants and highlight the potential in the development of the acylphenols and dimeric acylphenols as pharmaceutical products. SciFinder-n, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and PubMed were used to conduct the literature search between 2013–2022 on the phytochemistry and the pharmacology of acylphenols and dimeric acylphenols from the genus Myristica. The review discusses the distribution of the 25 acylphenols and dimeric acylphenols within the genus Myristica, their extraction, isolation, and characterization from the respective Myristica species, the structural similarities and differences within each group and between the different groups of the acylphenols and dimeric acylphenols, and their in vitro pharmacological activities. Full article

The high rates of morbidity and mortality due to fungal infections are associated with a limited antifungal arsenal and the high toxicity of drugs. Therefore, the identification of novel drug targets is challenging due to the several resemblances between fungal and human cells. Here, we report the in vitro antifungal evaluation of two acylphenols series, namely 2-acyl-1,4-benzo- and 2-acyl-1,4-naphthohydroquinones. The antifungal properties were assessed on diverse Candida and filamentous fungi strains through the halo of inhibition (HOI) and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). The antifungal activities of 2-acyl-1,4-benzohydroquinone derivatives were higher than those of the 2-acyl-1,4-naphthohydroquinone analogues. The evaluation indicates that 2-octanoylbenzohydroquinone 4 is the most active member of the 2-acylbenzohydroquinone series, with MIC values ranging from 2 to 16 μg/mL. In some fungal strains (i.e., Candida krusei and Rhizopus oryzae), such MIC values of compound 4 (2 and 4 μg/mL) were comparable to that obtained by amphotericin B (1 μg/mL). The compound 4 was evaluated for its antioxidant activity by means of FRAP, ABTS and DPPH assays, showing moderate activity as compared to standard antioxidants. Molecular docking studies of compound 4 and ADMET predictions make this compound a potential candidate for topical pharmacological use. The results obtained using the most active acylbenzohydroquinones are promising because some evaluated Candida strains are known to have decreased sensitivity to standard antifungal treatments. Full article

Malabaricones A–C (1–3) and giganteone A (4) were isolated from the bark of Myristica cinnamomea King. Their structures were elucidated and characterized by means of NMR and MS spectral analyses. These isolates were evaluated for their anti-quorum sensing activity using quorum sensing biosensors, namely Escherichia coli [pSB401] and Escherichia coli [pSB1075], whereby the potential of giganteone A (4) as a suitable anti-quorum sensing agent was demonstrated. Full article