A new nor-cardenolide, named toxicarioside H (1), was isolated from the latex of Antiaris toxicaria (Pers.) Lesch (Moraceae). Its structure was elucidated on the basis of HRFAB-MS and spectroscopic techniques (IR, UV, 1D and 2D NMR). Compound 1 showe...
Plants in the genus Erysimum produce both glucosinolates and cardenolides as a defense mechanism against herbivory. Two natural isolates of Erysimum cheiranthoides (wormseed wallflower) differed in their glucosinolate content, cardenolide content, an...
In this work, we have evaluated the molluscicidal activity of two cardenolide extracts from Adenium arabicum Balf f. [the benzene (B) and methanol (M) extracts], one cardenolide extract from Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T. Aiton (extract C), and meth...
Strophanthus sarmentosus is recognised for various ethnomedicinal applications, including treatment after snakebites. However, only limited scientific evidence exists on its antivenomous capabilities. This study investigates the efficacy of methanol...
Acospectoside A (1) and acovenoside B (2), two cytotoxic cardenolides extracted from the venomous South African bush Acokanthera oppositifolia, are distinguished by their unique structural motifs of the l-acovenose moiety at C-3 and a 1β-O-acety...
Periploca forrestii Schltr. (P. forrestii) is a species used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) known as “Miao medicine”, and has a long history of use in the treatment of rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and joint pain. The pres...
A phytochemical investigation of the whole plants of Adonis multiflora Nishikawa & Koki Ito. resulted in the isolation and identification of two new cardenolides—adonioside A (1) and adonioside B (6)—as well as four known cardenolides: tupichinol...
Microbial biotransformation is an important tool in drug discovery and for metabolism studies. To expand our bioactive natural product library via modification and to identify possible mammalian metabolites, a cytotoxic cardenolide (gitoxigenin) was...
Enzymes capable of processing a variety of compounds enable plants to adapt to diverse environmental conditions. PRISEs (progesterone-5β-reductase/iridoid synthase-like enzymes), examples of such substrate-promiscuous enzymes, are involved in ir...
Predators and parasitoids regulate insect populations and select defense mechanisms such as the sequestration of plant toxins. Sequestration is common among herbivorous insects, yet how the structural variation of plant toxins affects defenses agains...
Thevetia thevetioides is a species within the Apocynaceae family known for containing cardenolide-glycosides, commonly referred to as cardiac glycosides, which are characteristic of this genus. The seeds of the Thevetia species are frequently used as...
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, particularly those of subfamily B, are involved in cell detoxification, multidrug resistance, drug treatment pharmacodynamics, and also ecological adaptation. In this regard, ABCB transporters may play a decis...
Elevated levels of the amylo β-proteins (Aβ), particularly Aβ42, are associated with a high risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Aβ proteins are produced from cellular processing of the amyloid precursor proteins (APPs). To identify natural products...
Ouabain and other cardenolides are steroidal compounds originally discovered in plants. Cardenolides were first used as poisons, but after finding their beneficial cardiotonic effects, they were rapidly included in the medical pharmacopeia. The use o...
Cardenolides are an important group of steroidal natural products and have been used successfully for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases by targeting Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) and found more recently to show potential anticancer activity. Biological...
Cardiac glycosides, cardenolides and bufadienolides, are elaborated by several plant or animal species to prevent grazing or predation. Entomologists have characterized several insect species that have evolved the ability to sequester these glycoside...
Cardiac glycosides are a large class of secondary metabolites found in plants. In the genus Asclepias, cardenolides in milkweed plants have an established role in plant–herbivore and predator–prey interactions, based on their ability to i...
Pergularia tomentosa L., a milkweed tropical plant belonging to the family Asclepiadaceae, is a rich source of unusual cardiac glycosides, characterised by transfused A/B rings and a sugar moiety linked by a double link, generating a dioxanoid struct...
Influenza virus infections represent a major public health issue by causing annual epidemics and occasional pandemics that affect thousands of people worldwide. Vaccination is the main prophylaxis to prevent these epidemics/pandemics, although the ef...
Elaeodendron is a genus of tiny trees, shrubs, vines, and herbs consisting of about 23 species. It is used in traditional medicine and has a wide range of pharmacological activities. From the plants in this genus, flavonoids, terpenoids, cardiac glyc...
Cancer drug resistance remains a major obstacle in clinical oncology. As most anticancer drugs are of natural origin, we investigated the anticancer potential of a standardized cold-water leaf extract from Nerium oleander L., termed Breastin. The phy...
Bufadienolides exert broad-spectrum pharmacological activities relevant to cardiology and novel cancer treatments. Their efficacy, toxicity, and pharmacokinetic profiles are significantly affected by modifications at carbon-3 (C3) of the steroid core...
Cardiac glycosides (CGs), toxins well-known for numerous human and cattle poisoning, are natural compounds, the biosynthesis of which occurs in various plants and animals as a self-protective mechanism to prevent grazing and predation. Interestingly,...
Predators that feed on chemically-defended prey often experience non-lethal effects that result in learned avoidance of the prey species. Some predators are able to consume toxic prey without ill-effect. The Chinese mantid is able to consume cardenol...
The enzymatic acetylation in the organic solvents of a number of the important bioactive cardiac glycosides was investigated. With the bufanolide proscillaridin A and the cardenolide lanatoside C, acylation, as expected, occurred at the secondary 4&p...
Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in North America. Numerous studies document the negative effects of neonicotinoids on bees, and it remains crucial to demonstrate if neonicotinoids affect other non-target insects, such as butterfl...
Cardenolides with special chemical structures have been considered as effective anti-cancer drugs in clinic trials. Strophalloside is a cardenolide we recently isolated from Antiaris toxicaria obtained from Hainan, China. The aim of this study was t...
Cardiac glycosides (CGs) were initially described as a cure for cardiovascular diseases. More recently a correlation between CG intake and anticancer activity was suggested, further validated by in vivo and in vitro preclinical research. Our recent f...
Calotropis procera, a drought-tolerant shrub widely used in folk medicine, was evaluated for its antimicrobial potential and safety using an integrative in vitro/in silico workflow. Ethanolic leaf extract (EE-CP) displayed a dose-dependent inhibition...
Cardiotonic steroids (CTS) were first documented by ancient Egyptians more than 3000 years ago. Cardiotonic steroids are a group of steroid hormones that circulate in the blood of amphibians and toads and can also be extracted from natural products s...
Oleander (Nerium oleander) is an ornamental plant common in tropical and sub-tropical regions that is becoming increasingly widespread, even in temperate regions. Oleander poisoning may occur in animals and humans. The main active components containe...
The genus Strophantus belongs to the Apocynaceae family of flowering plants which grows primarily in tropical Africa. The plants are widely used in traditional herbal medicine. S. sarmentosus, in particular, is used for the treatment of, e.g., j...
Terpenes, the largest class of plant specialized products, are built from C5 building blocks via terpene synthases and oxidized by cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) for structural diversity. In some cases, CYPs do not simply oxidize the terpene backbone...
In developing countries, crop deterioration is mainly caused by inappropriate storage conditions that promote insect infestation. Synthetic pesticides are associated with serious adverse effects on humans and the environment. Thus, finding alternativ...
The present study aims to continue the study of corchorusoside C (1), a cardenolide isolated from Streptocaulon juventas, as a potential anticancer agent. A mechanistic study was pursued in a zebrafish model and in DU-145 prostate cancer cells to inv...
Cardenolide-free extracts from Digitalis obscura showed significant antifeedant effects against the aphid Myzus persicae and this activity correlated with their phenylethanoid content. The content in phenylethanoids of Digitalis obscura has been stud...
Despite significant progress in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer, drug resistance continues to be a major limitation of therapy. In this regard, studies aimed at creating combination therapy are gaining popularity. One of the most pro...
Male contraception remains an unmet need. Na,K-ATPase α4 (NKA α4), a specific Na⁺/K⁺ transporter of the sperm flagellum, is an attractive target for male contraception. NKA α4 is critical for sperm motility and fertility...
Small or specialized natural products (SNAPs) produced by plants vary greatly in structure and function, leading to selective advantages during evolution. With a limited number of genes available, a high promiscuity of the enzymes involved allows the...
The short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) gene family is widely distributed in all kingdoms of life. The SDR genes, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and progesterone 5-β-reductases (P5βR1, P5βR2) play a crucial role in cardenolide biosynt...