Grimolobium glandulosum (L.) A.N. Egan C.H. Stirt. (Fabaceae; syn. Otholobium glandulosum (L.) J.W. Grimes, Psoralea glandulosa L.), known as culén, is a resinous shrub native to the Andes of Peru, Bolivia and Chile. It is one of the richest known plant sources of bakuchiol-type meroterpenoids, in which bakuchiol reaches higher reported relative abundance than those reported from Cullen corylifolium seed. This review synthesises the phytochemistry, synthetic chemistry and pharmacology of the species and separates evidence obtained from the plant itself from data extrapolated from the more extensively studied C. corylifolium. Its chemical profile is dominated by bakuchiol (1), which accounts for roughly 85
One of the most difficult blood malignancies that affects adults globally is leukemia. About 40
Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (D. officinale) is a traditional medicinal and edible plant that has been used for thousands of years. Extensive studies have revealed that D. officinale polysaccharides (DOP) are its principal biologically active components. The structural diversity of DOP-highly influenced by geographical origin, cultivation methods, growth period, and plant parts-dictates their multiple pharmacological effects, including antitumor, immunomodulatory, hypoglycemic, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant activities. This review systematically integrates the recent advancements in the extraction (highlighting green techniques like deep eutectic solvents), structural characterization, and bioactivities of DOP. More importantly, we establish a comprehensive structure–activity relationship framework, revealing that the bioactivities of DOP (predominantly O-acetyl-glucomannans) are not determined by a single factor, but rather governed by specific combinations of molecular weight, mannose/glucose ratios, and spatial conformations (e.g., glycosidic linkages and acetylation). Finally, this paper proposes future research directions, emphasizing the necessity of advanced saccharide mapping technologies for robust quality control and the targeted development of D. officinale functional products.
The cosmetics industry is evolving to meet the demands of environmentally conscious consumers, focusing on sustainability. This sector, with high environmental impact, has begun embracing innovative practices such as valorization of byproducts from the agro-food industry, such as fruit and vegetable peels, seeds, and pulp. This strategy offers a promising avenue for creating natural products rich in bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, with significant skin benefits. Traditionally, extraction processes in cosmetics often rely on toxic solvents, leading to considerable waste generation. Deep eutectic solvents and their natural counterparts, the natural deep eutectic solvents, emerge as sustainable alternatives, being environmentally friendly, safe, and cost-effective. This article provides an overview of sustainability efforts in the cosmetics industry, emphasizing the use of (natural) deep eutectic solvents to recover bioactive compounds from agro-food industry byproducts, to be used as ingredients in cosmetic formulations. Numerous research studies demonstrate the potential of valorizing byproducts of agro-food industry to extract bioactive compounds for cosmetics, mainly phenolic compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Natural deep eutectic solvents are increasingly used for these extractions, serving both as extraction agents and ingredients in cosmetics. In conclusion, the cosmetics industry is aligning with circular economy principles, adopting the green eutectic solvents discussed herein, representing a significant step towards sustainability goals.
Polyphenols have been widely explored for their potential antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties. This paper highlights the scope of polyphenols against oral pathogens explicitly, in the management of oral infectious diseases (caries and periodontitis). Polyphenols show strong in vitro and preclinical potential against oral pathogens. However, translational challenges, such as concentration-dependent activity, low bioavailability, the need for high, often unpalatable concentrations, taste and tolerability constraints, and formulation challenges, limit their clinical applications. This review summarizes recent strategic structural modifications of polyphenols that are expected to improve their clinical potential. and formulation-based strategies that can be used to enhance the antibiofilm efficacy of polyphenols. For instance, modifications such as adding galloyl groups, lipophilic prenyl/geranyl chains, and removing sugar moieties can yield more favorable clinical results. In addition to esterification, phosphorylation, hydroxylation, glycosylation, acylation, and semisynthetic/nanotechnology-based analogs, these approaches improve stability, bioavailability, and antimicrobial activity. However, the translation of these molecules into clinically useful therapeutic agents has been modest. A significant gap exists between their potential and their practical use in maintaining oral health. This paper quantifies shifts in structure–activity relationships and showcases specific fold increases in MIC or bioavailability for key derivatives from various research. The current state of the art of polyphenols and their reported activities helps researchers identify translational gaps, useful functionalities that can improve the intrinsic activity of the compound, and formulation-based strategies, which, when used in combination, have potential in oral hygiene practices to prevent and control dental caries, periodontitis, and oral candidiasis.
