The recent discovery and structure elucidation of approximately 100 new sesquiterpene lactones during a systematic study of Artemisia and other genera of the family of Compositae in our laboratory (16) have provided the opportunity for further investigations on the potential of these sesquiterpene lactones as new therapeutic agents. Much of the earlier study on sesquiterpene lactones for medici...

Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are a group of secondary metabolites that represent a diverse and unique class of natural products and are important constituent of essential oils, formed from head-to-tail condensation of three isoprene units and subsequent cyclization and oxidative transformation to produce a cis or trans-fused lactone. In this editorial we are going to focus on anticancer, anti-i...

BACKGROUND The Australian cushion bush (Leucophyta brownii) of the Compositae family of plants has become a popular pot and container plant. The plant produces the sesquiterpene lactone allergen calocephalin. OBJECTIVES To assess the sensitizing potential of sesquiterpene lactones from cushion bush. PATIENTS/MATERIALS/METHODS Eleven Compositae-sensitive patients were patch tested with seven...

The aim of this study was to investigate the antiprotozoal and antiviral activities of four Argentinean Mikania species. The organic and aqueous extracts of Mikania micrantha, M. parodii, M. periplocifolia, and M. cordifolia were tested on Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes, Leishmania braziliensis promastigotes, and dengue virus type 2. The organic extract of M. micrantha was the most active agai...

Seven sesquiterpene lactones were isolated by the chromatographic separation of the MeOH extract of the aerial parts of Saussurea calcicola (Compositae). Their structures were determined spectroscopically to be cynaropicrin (1), arguerin B (2), cebellin F (3), 8alpha-hydroxy-11alpha, 13-dihydrozaluzanin C (4), desacylcynaropicrin (5), 3beta-hydroxy-8alpha-epoxymethylacriloiloxy-4(15),10(14),11(...

Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are plant-derived compounds often used in traditional medicine against inflammation and cancer. This review focuses on the chemical and biological properties of SLs that lead to enhanced anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects. The chemical properties comprise alkylating center reactivity, lipophilicity, and molecular geometry and electronic features. SLs in clinic...

OBJECTIVES Arnica montana is a widely used therapeutic plant used traditionally to treat various ailments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the botany, phytochemistry and ethnopharmacology along with special emphasis given on pharmacological activity of plant A. montana. KEY FINDINGS The plant extracts have been reported to possess antibacterial, antitumor, antioxidant, anti-inflam...

Four sesquiterpene lactones including an eremophilenolide dimer, named as biligulaplenolide, 1, 8beta-hydroxy-1-oxo-(14alpha,15alpha eremophil-7(11),9(10)-dien-12,8alpha-olide, 2, 1-hydroxy-2-oxo-(14alpha,15alpha eremophil-1(10),7(11),8(9)-trien-12,8-olide, 3, 4alpha,8beta,9alpha-trihydroxy- 5alphaEta-7(11)-eudesmen-12,8alpha-olide, 4, along with two known ones, 10alpha-hydroxy-1-oxo-eremophil-...

Infectious diseases such as trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis are considered neglected tropical diseases due the lack for many years of research and development into new drug treatments besides the high incidence of mortality and the lack of current safe and effective drug therapies. Natural products such as sesquiterpene lactones have shown activity against T. brucei and L. donovani, the paras...

This study was designed to isolate the compounds responsible for the cytotoxic properties of South Indian Elephantopus scaber L. and further investigate their effects on quiescent and proliferating cells. Bioassay-guided isolation of the whole plant of chloroform extract of South Indian Elephantopus scaber afforded the known sesquiterpene lactone, deoxyelephantopin, and isodeoxyelephantopin who...