Alkaloids are a type of natural compound possessing different pharmacological activities. Natural products, including alkaloids, which originate from plants, have emerged as potential protective agents against neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) and chronic inflammations. A wide array of prescription drugs are used against these conditions, however, not free of limitations of potency, side effects, and intolerability. In the context of personalized medicine, further research on alkaloids to unravel novel therapeutic approaches in reducing complications is critical. In this review, a systematic survey was executed to collect the literature on alkaloids and their health complications, from which we found that majority of alkaloids exhibit anti-inflammatory action via nuclear factor-κB and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and neuroprotective interaction through acetylcholinesterase (AChE), COX, and β-site amyloid precursor protein activity. In silico ADMET and ProTox-II-related descriptors were calculated to predict the pharmacological properties of 280 alkaloids isolated from traditional medicinal plants towards drug development. Out of which, eight alkaloids such as tetrahydropalmatine, berberine, tetrandrine, aloperine, sinomenine, oxymatrine, harmine, and galantamine are found to be optimal within the categorical range when compared to nicotine. These alkaloids could be exploited as starting materials for novel drug synthesis or, to a lesser extent, manage inflammation and neurodegenerative-related complications.

The field of bioethanol production has seen rapid advancements in the past few decades. Despite the advancements, bioethanol production’s recent trends cannot prove effective and efficient transportation fuel. Fossil fuels, which currently power-ups most energy demands, from nonrenewable energies, meaning it will bring adverse effects to the environment, including ozone layer depletion and global warming. It makes bioethanol the best alternative to fossil fuels, owing to the fact than it is considered carbon-neutral. In some parts of the world, bioethanol is utilized as an alternative fuel by using the lignocellulosic (LC) residues, and prioritizing its production as better feedstocks available could fulfill the void created in the transportation fuel sector. Separate hydrolysis and co-fermentation (SSCF) and Pre-hydrolysis and simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (PSSCF) are superior to all techniques to achieve saccharification, hexose, and pentose fermentation in a one-pot reaction. For the feedstock modification, the genome engineering and cell wall modification are advanced methods so far. As of not long ago, there is no cost-effective and financially achievable pretreatment technique for the removal of lignin that could be industrialized to satisfy the worldwide requirement for bioethanol. In this review we provide the present scenario of energy demand and advancement on bioethanol technology and challenges. Mainly, altering the LC biomass composition, the robust enzyme that enables to hydrolyzed and maximum fermentable sugar yield, and effectively fermenting bacteria and yeast, which is genetically engineered for simultaneous fermentation with the high rate, is future stepping research which should be emphasized in the bioethanol industry. Graphical abstract

Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd is a profoundly used traditional medicinal plant in Asia. Previous studies conducted in this plant are more confined to extract level. Even though bioassay‐based studies indicated the true therapeutic potential of this plant, compound annotation was not performed extensively. This research is aimed at assessing the bioactivity of different solvent extracts of the plant followed by annotation of its phytoconstituents. Liquid chromatography equipped with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC‐HRMS) is deployed for the identification of secondary metabolites in various crude extracts. On activity level, its ethanolic extract showed the highest inhibition towards α-amylase and α‐glucosidase with an IC₅₀ of 67.8 ± 1 μg/mL and 10.3 ± 0.1 μg/mL respectively, inspected through the substrate‐based method. On the other hand, the plant extract showed an antioxidant activity of 23.76 ± 1.57 μg/mL, measured through radical scavenging activity. Similarly, ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts of A. catechu showed significant inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus with a zone of inhibition (ZoI) of 13 and 14 mm, respectively. With the LC‐HRMS‐based dereplication strategy, we have identified 28 secondary metabolites belonging to flavonoid and phenolic categories. Identification of these metabolites from A. catechu and its biological implication also support the community‐based usage of this plant and its medicinal value.

Antibiotics, nowadays, are not only used for the treatment of human diseases but also used in animal and poultry farming to increase production. Overuse of antibiotics leads to their circulation in the food chain due to unmanaged discharge. These circulating antibiotics and their residues are a major cause of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), so comprehensive and multifaceted measures aligning with the One Health approach are crucial to curb the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance through the food chain. Different chromatographic techniques and capillary electrophoresis (CE) are being widely used for the separation and detection of antibiotics and their residues from food samples. However, the matrix present in food samples interferes with the proper detection of the antibiotics, which are present in trace concentrations. This review is focused on the scientific literature published in the last decade devoted to the detection of antibiotics in food products. Various extraction methods are employed for the enrichment of antibiotics from a wide variety of food samples; however, solid-phase extraction (SPE) techniques are often used for the extraction of antibiotics from food products and biological samples. In addition, this review has scrutinized how changing instrumental composition, organization, and working parameters in the chromatography and CE can greatly impact the identification and quantification of antibiotic residues. This review also summarized recent advancements in other detection methods such as immunological assays, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based assays, and biosensors which have emerged as rapid, sensitive, and selective tools for accurate detection and quantification of traces of antibiotics.

With the emergence of epidemics, pandemics, and infectious diseases, several research activities have been carried out on natural products to tackle them. As there are structural diversities in natural products, researchers are focused on exploring them for treatment and/or management of various infections and/or diseases. Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd. belonging to the order Fabales and family Fabaceae shows a wide range of pharmacological functions in the management of diseases in humankind. This review was carried out to gather and provide information about the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of A. catechu through the literature survey of scientific articles. On preliminary assessments, A. catechu is demonstrated as a significant wellspring of bioactive compounds with a wide range of biological and pharmaceutical applications such as antidiabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, and so on. Although the metabolites from the plant are reported with diverse pharmacological applications, there is little information in regards to toxicity and clinical trials on bioactive compounds of this plant. Further research on diverse bioactive compounds from the plant is required to develop them as a successful potent drug.

Natural products have been the center of attraction ever since they were discovered. Among them, plant-based natural products were popular as analgesics, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and cosmetics and possess widespread biotechnological applications. The use of plant products as cosmetics and therapeutics is deep-rooted in Nepalese society. Although there are few ethnobotanical studies conducted, extensive research of these valuable medicinal plants has not been a priority due to the limitation of technology and infrastructure. Here, we selected 4 traditionally used medicinal plants to examine their bioactive properties and their enzyme inhibition potential. α-Glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities were investigated using an in vitro model followed up by antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The present study shows that ethyl acetate fraction of Melastoma melabathrium (IC₅₀ 9.10.3µg/mL) and water fraction Acacia catechu (IC₅₀ 9.00.6µg/mL) exhibit strong α-glucosidase inhibition. Likewise, the highest α-amylase inhibition was shown by crude extracts of Ficus religiosa (IC₅₀ 29.21.2µg/mL) and ethyl acetate fractions of Shorea robusta (IC₅₀ 69.31.1µg/mL), and the highest radical scavenging activity was shown by F. religiosa with an IC₅₀ 67.40.6µg/mL. Furthermore, to identify the metabolites within the fractions, we employed high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) and annotated 17 known metabolites which justify our assumption on activity. Of 4 medicinal plants examined, ethyl acetate fraction of S. robusta, ethyl acetate fraction of M. melabathrium, and water or ethyl acetate fraction of A. catechu extracts illustrated the best activities. With our study, we set up a foundation that provides authentic evidence to the community for use of these traditional plants. The annotated metabolites in this study support earlier experimental evidence towards the inhibition of enzymes. Further study is necessary to explore the clinical efficacy of these secondary molecules, which might be alternatives for the treatment of diabetes and pathogens.