ABSTRACT Solanaceae is an important family of plants where many species of this family are source for food, industrial products, ornamental and medicinal uses. Within the family of Solanaceae, the genus Datura is one of the most interesting, in principle for its known medicinal and psychotropic uses against different pathologies. Multiple biological activities of Datura species have been documented. The species of the genus are attributed with insecticide, fungicide, antioxidant, antimicrobial, hypoglycemic, and immune response enhancing activity against cancer cells. These activities are related to the presence of different secondary metabolites such us: terpenoids, flavonoids, withanolides, tannins, phenolic compounds and tropane alkaloids, the main secondary metabolite of the genus Datura , being the most abundant atropine and scopolamine. The propose of this review is to identify the main phytochemical compounds isolated from the genus Datura and describe their biological activities associated to different secondary metabolites.

Abstract Galanthamine is an Amaryllidaceae-derived acetylcholinesterase inhibitor used to treat memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. There is evidence that galanthamine, in addition to its effects on acetylcholinesterase, may enhance or inhibit brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which could increase or decrease the therapeutic efficacy of galanthamine, respectively. Here, we evaluated the effects of galanthamine and two others Amaryllidaceae acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (haemanthamine and tazettine) analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and identified by comparing their mass fragmentation patterns with literature and database NIST vs.2.0 on the agonist responses of brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors α7, α3β4, (α4)2(β2)3 and (α4)3(β2)2. Using nicotinic acetylcholine receptors expressed heterologously in Xenopus oocytes, in conjunction with two-electrode voltage clamping, we found that galanthamine inhibits the function of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors assayed through a mix competitive and non-competitevely. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 were significantly more sensitive to inhibition (17 ± 0.6 µM) than the heteromeric receptor, α3β4 (90 ± 3.4 µM). Neither haemanthamine nor tazettine were more potent than galanthamine.

ABSTRACT Acetylcholinesterase is an important target for control of neurodegenerative diseases causing cholinergic signaling deficit. Traditionally, galanthamine has been used as an Amaryllidaceae-derived acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, although new Amaryllidaceae plants could serve as source for better acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the alkaloid composition from bulbs of Rhodolirium andicola (Poepp.) Traub, a native Chilean Amaryllidaceae specie, and assess their inhibitory activity on acetylcholinesterase by in vitro and in silico methodologies. Alkaloidal extracts from R. andicola exhibited an inhibitory activity with IC50 values between 11.25 ± 0.04 and 57.78 ± 1.92 µg/ml that included isolated alkaloid, galanthamine (2.3 ± 0.18 µg/ml), Additionally, 12 alkaloids were detected using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and identified by comparing their mass fragmentation patterns with literature and database NIST vs.2.0. To better understand the bioactivity of isolated compounds and alkaloidal extracts against acetylcholinesterase, a molecular docking approach was performed. Results suggested that alkaloids such as lycoramine, norpluvine diacetate and 6α-deoxy-tazettine expand the list of potential acetylcholinesterase inhibitors to not only galanthamine. The role of R. andicola as a source for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors is further discussed in this study.

The contents of long-chain fatty acids in non-polar root extracts from 1.6 year-old red clover plants of two cultivars (Superqueli INIA and Quiñequeli INIA) and one experimental line (Syn II Pre III), their relationships with H. obscurus populations, and the stimulant or deterrent effects of the root extracts and of individual fatty acids on the weight gain of H. obscurus were investigated. There was an inverse relationship between the insect population size and the palmitic acid content. The Superqueli INIA cultivar contained the highest palmitic acid content and the lowest insect load. When solutions of either palmitic or oleic acids were individually incorporated into an artificial diet, palmitic acid caused a decrease in weight gain, whereas the effect of oleic acid was similar to that of the phagostimulant saccharose. Hence, palmitic acid might be applied directly in H. obscurus control programs to prevent or reduce feeding and oviposition behaviors or might be used as a tool for selecting resistant cultivars.

El contenido de ácidos grasos de cadena larga en extractos apolares de raíces de trébol rosado de 1,6 años de edad provenientes de dos cultivares (Superqueli INIA y Quiñequeli INIA) y una línea experimental (Syn II Pre III), su relación con poblaciones de H. obscurus, y el efecto estimulante o disuasivo de extractos de raíces y ácidos grasos individuales sobre la conducta de alimentación de H. obscurus fueron investigados. Se determinó una relación inversa en el cultivar Superqueli INIA entre la población de insectos y el contenido de ácido palmítico. Cuando soluciones de ácido palmítico y oleíco fueron incorporadas individualmente en una dieta artificial, solo el ácido palmítico mostró un efecto disuasivo en la alimentación, mientras que el ácido oleico mostro un efecto similar al fagoestimulante sacarosa (control positivo). Por lo tanto, el ácido palmítico podría ser utilizado en programas de control de H. obscurus aplicado directamente para prevenir o reducir la conducta de alimentación y oviposición, o convertirse en una herramienta para la selección de cultivares resistentes a este insecto.

Background Enteric red mouth disease and Saprolegniasis, which are caused by the bacteria Yersinia ruckeri and the oomycete Saprolegnia parasitica, respectively, are important illnesses that affect salmonid farming. Sanitary problems in farms are addressed by the prevention of disease outbreaks or by the treatment of diseases with chemicals. Environmental and governmental restrictions, toxicity and high treatment costs limit the use of drugs. Marine organisms, such as algae, sponges and corals, have developed an antimicrobial defense strategy based on the production of bioactive metabolites. Among these organisms, seaweeds offer a particularly rich source of potential new drugs. Hence, many pharmacologically active substances have been isolated from seaweeds. In the Ceramium genus, Ceramium rubrum has been emphasized by several authors for its antimicrobial properties. Based on this background, the present study focused on the antimicrobial activity of a lipophilic extract of C. rubrum on Y. ruckeri and S. parasitica. Results The alga, collected from the Pacific coast of Chile, underwent an ethanol extraction, and the concentrated extract was partitioned between water and dichloromethane. From the dichloromethane extract, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, one hydrocarbon and phytol were identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. The antimicrobial study showed that the whole extract was more active than the individual components, which suggests a strong synergistic effect among the components. Conclusions These results may constitute a basis for promising future applied research that could investigate the use of C. rubrum seaweed as a source of antimicrobial compounds against fish pathogens.