Phytochemical investigation of the alkaloid composition in Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb. and Pandanus tectorius Parkinson was carried out. Nine pandane alkaloids were isolated and determined. The alkaloids pandamarilactonine B, N-acetylnorpandamarilactonine A and pandamarilactonine G were found for the first time in P. tectorius. The total alkaloid mixtures and alkaloid fractions of the species were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity using in vitro experimental models.

The present study aimed to fabricate innovative fibrous materials with various biological activities from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), sodium hyaluronate (HA), chitosan (Ch), Melissa officinalis (MO), Hypericum perforatum (HP) extract, or a combination of both extracts. Electrospinning or electrospinning followed by dip coating and the subsequent formation of a polyelectrolyte complex were the methods used to prepare these materials. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR) were applied for investigating the morphology of materials, their thermal characteristics, and their surface chemical composition. The composition and design of the mats had an influence on the in vitro release behavior of the main bioactive compounds present in the MO and HP extracts incorporated in the materials. It was found that as-created materials comprising a combination of both extracts and a Ch/HA complex exerted higher antioxidant activity than that of (non-)coated MO-containing mats and Ch/HA-coated mats containing HP. The novel materials manifested antibacterial efficacy towards the pathogenic bacteria S. aureus and E. coli, as evidenced by the performed microbiological screening. Furthermore, the mats possessed a great growth inhibitory effect on HeLa cancer cells but had a less pronounced effect on the growth of normal mouse BALB/3T3 fibroblasts. The loading of both extracts in the mats and the formation of coating led to the enhancement of the in vitro anticancer and antibacterial activities of the materials. Thus, the novel materials have potential for use in local cancer therapy as well as for use as wound dressings.

Genus Hypecoum Tourn. ex L. belongs to the poppy family Papaveraceae and comprises about 19 species occurring in Europe, Northern Africa and Asia. Hypecoum species have been widely used in traditional medicine as antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory remedies. Their effects are associated with the biologically and pharmacologically active isoquinoline alkaloids in them, such as protopines, protoberberines, benzophenanthridines, aporphines, simple isoquinolines, secoberbines, spirobenzylisoquinolines and others. In this study, we aimed to review and organize information on ethnomedicinal, phytochemical, chemotaxonomical and pharmacological studies of alkaloids and extracts obtained from Hypecoum plants, and to suggest opportunities for further research.

A phytochemical study of Phellodendron amurense bark of Vietnamese origin was carried out to achieve a detailed characterisation of its alkaloid composition. A total of twelve alkaloids were isolated and determined, including four tertiary (canthin-6-one, γ-fagarine, skimmianine, and platydesmine), and eight quaternary alkaloids (berberine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine, columbamine, N-methyltetrahydrocolumbamine, N-methylcanadine, N-methylisocorydin (menisperine), and magnoflorine). Centrifugal partition chromatography operating in pH-zone-refining mode was successfully applied for the separation of quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids. The alkaloid N-methyltetrahydrocolumbamine is reported for the first time in the species P. amurense, while N-methylcanadine is newly found for the genus Phellodendron. The results demonstrate that P. amurense with Vietnamese origin retains the characteristic to the species alkaloid profile, dominated by protoberberine-type derivatives.