Antimicrobial compounds of natural origin are of interest because of the large number of reports regarding the harmfulness of food preservatives. These natural products can be derived from plants, animal sources, microorganisms, algae, or mushrooms. The aim of this review is to consider known antimicrobials of natural origin and the mechanisms of their action, antimicrobial photodynamic technology, and ultrasound for disinfection. Plant extracts and their active compounds, chitosan and chitosan oligosaccharide, bioactive peptides, and essential oils are highly potent preservatives. It has been experimentally proven that they possess strong antibacterial capabilities against bacteria, yeast, and fungi, indicating the possibility of their use in the future to create preservatives for the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and food industries.

Cannabis plants have been used in medicine since ancient times. They are well known for their anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-cancer, anti-oxidative, anti-microbial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal activities. A growing body of evidence indicates that targeting the endocannabinoid system and various other receptors with cannabinoid compounds holds great promise for addressing multiple medical conditions. There are two distinct avenues in the development of cannabinoid-based drugs. The first involves creating treatments directly based on the components of the cannabis plant. The second involves a singular molecule strategy, in which specific phytocannabinoids or newly discovered cannabinoids with therapeutic promise are pinpointed and synthesized for future pharmaceutical development and validation. Although the therapeutic potential of cannabis is enormous, few cannabis-related approved drugs exist, and this avenue warrants further investigation. With this in mind, we review here the medicinal properties of cannabis, its phytochemicals, approved drugs of natural and synthetic origin, pitfalls on the way to the widespread clinical use of cannabis, and additional applications of cannabis-related products.

Nutrition, especially wheat consumption, is a major factor involved in the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and other autoimmune diseases such as celiac. While modern wheat cultivars possess similar gliadin proteins associated with the onset of celiac disease and T1D, alternative dietary wheat sources from Israeli landraces and native ancestral species may be lacking the epitopes linked with T1D, potentially reducing the incidence of T1D. The Non-Obese Diabetic (NOD) mouse model was used to monitor the effects of dietary wheat sources on the onset and development of T1D. The effects of modern wheat flour were compared with those from either T. aestivum, T. turgidum spp. dicoccoides, or T. turgidum spp. dicoccum landraces or a non-wheat diet. Animals which received wheat from local landraces or ancestral species such as emmer displayed a lower incidence of T1D and related complications compared to animals fed a modern wheat variety. This study is the first report of the diabetogenic properties of various dietary wheat sources and suggests that alternative dietary wheat sources may lack T1D linked epitopes, thus reducing the incidence of T1D.

Cannabinoids (the endocannabinoids, the synthetic cannabinoids, and the phytocannabinoids) are well known for their various pharmacological properties, including neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory features, which are fundamentally important for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The aging of the global population is causing an increase in these diseases that require the development of effective drugs to be even more urgent. Taking into account the unavailability of effective drugs for neurodegenerative diseases, it seems appropriate to consider the role of cannabinoids in the treatment of these diseases. To our knowledge, few reviews are devoted to cannabinoids’ impact on modulating central and peripheral immunity in neurodegenerative diseases. The objective of this review is to provide the best possible information about the cannabinoid receptors and immuno-modulation features, peripheral immune modulation by cannabinoids, cannabinoid-based therapies for the treatment of neurological disorders, and the future development prospects of making cannabinoids versatile tools in the pursuit of effective drugs.

Neurodegenerative diseases are a large and complex group of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and so on, which adversely affect the physical and mental health of millions of people globally. Unfortunately, these diseases currently have no cure; only symptomatic treatment is available. Therefore, there is still a growing interest in using cannabinoids to treat neurodegenerative diseases. This systematic review examines the interrelationship between cannabinoids, the blood–brain barrier, and neurodegeneration, and their mutual effects. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the endocannabinoid system at the neurovascular interface, the alterations and dysregulation of the ECS in neurodegenerative diseases, the interactions of phytocannabinoids with the blood–brain barrier, and their therapeutic potential in the context of neurodegeneration. The findings may facilitate the targeted application of cannabinoids to address multiple aspects of neurodegenerative diseases.

Ficus benjamina is a common park tree, with previous reports of some medicinal properties. In this work, we identified and explored phytochemicals from F. benjamina for potential antimicrobial, pro-wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, and effect on cancer cell lines’ proliferation, both experimentally and bioinformatically. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was performed to identify the volatile compounds. The nonvolatile active components of the extract were identified by HPLC and LC-ESI-MS. We found that some drug-resistant microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Serratia marcescens, and Salmonella enteritidis) were inhibited by the extract, the 80% fraction, and all the identified flavonoids except quercetin 3-O-rutinoside. Furthermore, the extract and above-mentioned compound also inhibited the growth of biofilm-producing bacterium. The extract and 80% fraction were very potent (p < 0.001) at inducing death of MCF7 and U87 cancer cell cultures and were more effective in that than the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin which served as a positive control. Additionally, the extract of F. benjamina, the 80% fraction, and selected phytochemicals had pronounced pro-wound-healing properties. Finally, the extracts, the 80% fraction, caffeic acid, kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside, and kaempferol 3-O-robinobioside significantly inhibited the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and IL-8 (p < 0.001). In conclusion, this comprehensive research revealed convincing and promising indications of significant therapeutic potential of a F. benjamina extract and its active phytochemicals.