In search of novel potential drug candidates that could be used as treatments or prophylactics for memory impairment, an aporphine alkaloid magnoflorine (MAG) isolated from the root of Berberis vulgaris was proven to exhibit beneficial anti-amnestic properties. Its effects on immunoreactivity to parvalbumin in the mouse hippocampus were assessed together with a study on its safety and concentration in the brain and plasma. For this purpose, four experimental groups were created: the MAG10 group—treated with 10 mg MAG/kg b.w. i.p., the MAG20 group—treated with 20 mg MAG/kg b.w. i.p., the MAG50 group—treated with 50 mg MAG/kg b.w. i.p., and a control group—injected with saline i.p. at a volume corresponding to their weight. Our results indicated that the hippocampal fields CA1–CA3 were characterized by an elevated number of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons (PV-IR) and nerve fibers in mice at the doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg b.w. (i.p.). No significant changes to the levels of IL-1β, IL-6 or TNF-α were observed for the above two doses; however, the administration of 50 mg/kg b.w. i.p. caused a statistically significant elevation of IL-6, IL-1beta plasma levels and an insignificant raise in the TNF-alpha value. The HPLC–MS analysis showed that the alkaloid’s content in the brain structures in the group treated with 50 mg/kg b.w. did not increase proportionally with the administered dose. The obtained results show that MAG is able to influence the immunoreactivity to PV-IR in hippocampal neurons and might act as a neuroprotective compound.

Emodin-8-O-glucoside (E-8-O-G) is a glycosylated derivative of emodin that exhibits numerous biological activities, including immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, or anticancer activities. However, there are no reports on the activity of E-8-O-G against cancers of the nervous system. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the antiproliferative and cytotoxic effect of E-8-O-G in the SK-N-AS neuroblastoma, T98G human glioblastoma, and C6 mouse glioblastoma cancer cells. As a source of E-8-O-G the methanolic extract from the aerial parts of Reynoutria japonica Houtt. (Polygonaceae) was used. Thanks to the application of centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) operated in the descending mode using a mixture of petroleum ether:ethyl acetate:methanol:water (4:5:4:5 v/v/v/v) and a subsequent purification with preparative HPLC, E-8-O-G was obtained in high purity in a sufficient quantity for the bioactivity tests. Assessment of the cancer cell viability and proliferation were performed with the MTT (3-(bromide 4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium), CTG (CellTiter-Glo^®) and BrdU (5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine) assays, respectively. E-8-O-G inhibits the viability and proliferation of SK-N-AS neuroblastoma, T98G human glioblastoma multiforme, and C6 mouse glioblastoma cells dose-dependently. E-8-O-G seems to be a promising natural antitumor compound in the therapy of nervous system tumors.

This study investigates the phytochemical composition and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity of Anabasis salsa (C.A. Mey.) Benth. ex Volkens (Chenopodiaceae), with a particular focus on secondary metabolites present in its extracts. The plant extracts were profiled using HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS, revealing a diverse composition including organic acids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and alkaloids. The latter were represented by anabasine and lupinine that were identified as significantly present compounds. Depending on the type of extract and plant part, lupinine was present in the extracts at a quantity range from 0.0033 to 6.35%, and its highest concentration was noted in the acidified macerate from the overground parts of the plant. Centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) operated using the solvent system composed of MTBE:ACN:n-BuOH:H₂O, 2:2:1:5 (v/v/v/v), was applied for the fractionation of the most promising extract, enabling efficient separation using a biphasic solvent system. The obtained fractions were evaluated for AChE inhibitory activity, and the most active fractions were found to contain lupinine, which was successfully isolated in a purified fraction using CPC. These findings highlight lupinine as a significant bioactive compound with neuroprotective potential and demonstrate the applicability of CPC as an efficient and scalable method for the isolation of alkaloids from complex plant matrices.

This study provides a phytochemical characterization of Sambucus nigra L. (elderflower) and correlates its chemical profile with anti-inflammatory bioactivity, establishing an optimized extraction methodology. A comparative analysis of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), and shaking maceration was conducted using solvents of varying polarity (ethanol, ethanol–water mixture (1:1, v/v), and water). High-resolution fingerprinting via HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS confirmed a rich polyphenolic profile, dominated by flavonoids such as rutin, naringenin, and phenolic acids, notably chlorogenic acid. Quantitative analysis revealed that UAE with ethanol–water mixture (1:1, v/v) for 20 min yielded the highest recovery of rutin (4.87%) and chlorogenic acid (8.22%). The anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated in TNFα-stimulated HaCaT NF-κB Luc reporter keratinocytes. Anhydrous ethanolic extracts demonstrated superior efficacy, significantly inhibiting NF-κB pathway activation at non-cytotoxic concentrations. Chemometric analysis, specifically PLS-DA, identified naringenin as a principal contributor to this observed anti-inflammatory effect. These findings underscore the critical role of solvent selection in modulating the phytochemical composition and resultant bioefficacy of elderflower extracts. The potent, naringenin-driven inhibition of NF-κB in keratinocytes highlights the significant therapeutic potential of optimized S. nigra extracts for applications in dermatological and cosmetic formulations aimed at managing inflammatory skin disorders.

Papaver nudicaule L. is a medicinal plant traditionally used in Asian ethnomedicine, yet its phytochemical composition and biological activity remain insufficiently explored. This study bridges phytochemistry and neuroactive potential. It includes metabolite profiling with bioactivity-guided fractionation, performed to evaluate its potential as a source of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. The methanolic extract of the aerial parts was analysed using HPLC–ESI–QTOF-MS/MS, which enabled the tentative identification of 34 compounds, predominantly isoquinoline alkaloids and flavonoid derivatives. The extract was subsequently fractionated by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) using an optimised biphasic solvent system, yielding fractions enriched in alkaloid constituents. The obtained fractions were evaluated for AChE inhibitory activity, revealing significantly higher activity than that of the crude extract. The most active fractions exhibited marked inhibition based on the comparison with the reference compound berberine, indicating effective enrichment of bioactive metabolites. Further analysis demonstrated that the activity of the most potent fraction was associated with the presence of amurensinine, which was purified by preparative HPLC and subsequently identified by NMR and LC-MS. The Papaver nudicaule extract showed no significant cytotoxicity toward SH-SY5Y neuronal cells up to 200 µg/mL, whereas the amurensinine-containing fraction reduced cell viability only at higher concentrations (≥100 µg/mL). Notably, when expressed in the micromolar range, this effect corresponds to relatively weak cytotoxicity, suggesting a potential safety margin at lower, biologically relevant concentrations. These findings demonstrate that P. nudicaule possesses a highly diverse alkaloid profile and represents a promising natural source of compounds with potential relevance for the development of agents targeting neurodegenerative disorders.

Background/Objectives: The identification of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors from complex natural matrices remains challenging due to the limitations of conventional colorimetric assays. This study aimed to develop a fluorescence-based AChE inhibition assay (FAIA) suitable for screening plant extracts, while simultaneously characterizing the metabolite profile of Berberis julianae fruits, identifying bioactive alkaloid-enriched fractions, and evaluating their cytotoxicity in neuronal cell models. Methods: Methanolic extracts of B. julianae fruits were profiled by HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS and fractionated using centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC). The developed FAIA, based on 4-methylumbelliferyl acetate as a fluorogenic substrate, was optimized and validated using berberine as a reference inhibitor. CPC fractions and selected protoberberine alkaloids were screened for AChE-inhibitory activity, while cytotoxicity was assessed in differentiated and undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells using the resazurin assay. Results: Twenty-five metabolites, including eight isoquinoline alkaloids, were tentatively identified in the fruit extract. The optimized FAIA enabled reliable evaluation of AChE inhibition without the limitations associated with chromogenic assays. Among the CPC fractions, fraction 7 exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity. LC-MS analysis revealed that this fraction was enriched in protoberberine alkaloids, including berberine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine, magnocurarine, and demethyleneberberine. Cytotoxicity studies demonstrated concentration-dependent effects of both the isolated fractions and the individual alkaloids, with differentiated and undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells exhibiting distinct sensitivity profiles. At 200 µg/mL, cell viability ranged from approximately 20–40% in undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells and from approximately 25–45% in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, depending on the CPC fraction. Among the tested protoberberine alkaloids, demethyleneberberine exhibited the lowest cytotoxic effect, maintaining the highest viability of differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, followed by jatrorrhizine and berberine. Conclusions: The proposed FAIA represents a sensitive and practical approach for screening AChE inhibitors in complex plant matrices. Combined with metabolomic profiling and CPC-based bioassay-guided fractionation, it enabled the identification of alkaloid-rich fractions of B. julianae with pronounced anti-AChE activity. These findings support the applicability of the developed workflow for natural-product-based drug discovery targeting neurodegenerative disorders.