Chicory is a perennial plant grown in different parts of the world, used as forage for livestock, as folklore remedies, or as a vegetable addition in human diets. There are several varieties of the chicory plant, known differently globally due to its numerous medicinal, culinary, and nutritional qualities. Most parts of the plant contain a potpourri of nutrients ranging within carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, soluble fiber, trace elements, and bioactive phenolic compounds, which are responsible for the various nutritive, prophylactic, and therapeutic qualities of chicory. Inulin, coumarins, tannins, monomeric flavonoids, and sesquiterpene lactones are some of the major phytocompounds mostly found in chicory plants. The health-promoting activities attributed to chicory comprise, among others, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antiviral, antibacterial, antimutagenic, antifungal, anthelmintic, immune-stimulating, and antihepatotoxic and its antioxidative qualities. As a versatile plant, chicory’s chemical composition and use as a suitable livestock feed supplement or as an alternative feed ingredient (AFI) are thus reviewed.

The growing world population is challenging the animal products supply system, particularly in developing countries, where demand for meat and milk in 2050 is estimated to increase to 109% and 116%, respectively, amidst deteriorating livestock feed sources. Globally, adequate production and availability of animal feed products to subsistence farmers has been declining due to factors such as global warming, growth in population, and low economic growth. This paper seeks to examine the existing scientific literature on the utilization of some unconventional feed resources, to abate the challenge of feed deficit and thus improve animal nutrition. The use of fruit waste and agricultural farm residues affords alternative, nutritive livestock dietary supplements; it has been proven they contain a spectrum of vital bioactive phytochemicals essential for sustainable growth and development of animals. The biochemical composition of the plant wastes and residues include carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and fatty acids, while the common bioactive phytochemicals are polyphenols, alkaloids, carotenoids, and flavonoids, along with tannins, terpenes, and saponins, which play vital roles in reducing disease-causing agents, such as bacteria, viruses, and free radical-associated diseases. The phytochemicals exhibit antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory, as well as anti-parasitic and antiprotozoal properties. However, it is important to guard against antinutritive and toxicity levels in animal feed products. The paper concludes that agroresidues’/wastes’ nutritive and therapeutic potential could serve as alternative livestock feed resource, while also acting as additional job and income generator for communities.

The coastal regions of Africa are endowed with indigenous wild fruit plants rich in nutritional and medicinal phytochemicals and micronutrients. South African wild fruit plants complement the diet and health needs of rural poor households by providing vital dietary nutrients and remedies for various health concerns, and alleviating food insecurity. Milk plum, Natal plum, wild custard apple, and wild medlar medicinal plants are found mainly in the coastal provinces of South Africa. Studies have established that these plants are good sources of vitamins, essential elements, and bioactive phytocompounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenoids, which demonstrate significant antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. The plants studied possess anti-epileptic, antiplasmodial, and snake antivenom qualities. Here we highlight the views of different reports on ethnopharmacological relevance, phytochemistry, and bioactivity of the selected South African indigenous medicinal plants. We found a research gap in the phytochemical composition and phytopharmacological activity evaluation of Carissa macrocarpa and Englerophytum magalismontanum.Significance: South African indigenous medicinal plants augment the dietary and other health needs of the rural populace. The phytochemistry and phytopharmacological activities of C. macrocarpa and E. magalismontanum have been only partially studied, hence the need for further studies to examine their worth and possible use in cosmetic product enrichment.

Background: Agave angustifolia (AA) and Agave sisalana (AS) are used by local communities for medicinal purposes to treat skin conditions. Small companies add Agave leaf extracts to their cosmetic products, claiming calming and skin-rejuvenating qualities. Aim: The study aimed to assess the phytochemical profiles and antioxidant activities of AA and AS verifying the traditional therapeutic claims about the species and accordingly establishing the assertions of cottage industries. Setting: The AA leaves were collected from the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, while AS leaves were sourced from the iLembe district municipality. Methods: The phytochemical extracts were obtained by gradient solvent maceration of the leaves. Qualitative phytochemical screening established the presence of bioactive phytochemicals in the extract. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) and the ferric reducing and/or antioxidant power (FRAP) methods measured the bioactive phytochemicals’ antioxidant activity. Results: Qualitative phytochemical evaluation confirmed the presence of secondary metabolites in both plants. AS extracts also contained alkaloids. The DPPH antioxidant activity indicated that Agave extracts had 20% to 80% scavenging activity. AS methanol extract had the maximum antioxidant activity among all the extracts. AA methanol and AS hexane extracts had no antioxidant activity. AA ethyl acetate extract had higher antioxidant activity (64%) than AS (52%). AA hexane extract had 70% activity while AS hexane extract had 30%. Conclusion: The detected phytochemicals indicate potential use for emulsifying, antioxidant, anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities. Contribution: This study contributes to the existing knowledge of the therapeutic properties of AA and AS plants.

A new series of phenylalanine‐derived carboxamides with sulfonamide functionality is designed, synthesized, and assessed for their in silico studies, in vitro antimalarial, and antioxidant activities. The interaction of 4‐nitrobenzene sulfonyl chloride with phenylalanine in a basic aqueous solution yielded an intermediate ((4‐nitrophenyl)sulfonyl)phenylalanine. The reaction of various cyclic amines with the intermediate, utilizing phenylboronic acid as the coupling agent, yielded the carboxamides derivatives. The derived‐carboxamides passed in silico test and fulfilled all the allowed ranges for molecular descriptors. Optimization was achieved before compounds were deployed as ligands in molecular docking studies using density functional theory utilizing the functional B3LYP and the basis set 6–31G**. The docking experiments were done on the active site of FKBP35 binding domain of Plasmodium falciparum for antimalarial impact whereas that of antioxidants was performed on the active site of PDB ID:IXAN. The computational antimalarial and antioxidant study demonstrated that the compounds displayed a high binding affinity with the target protein residues via hydrogen bonding, π‐π, π‐alkyl, π‐sigma, and π‐cation bonding interactions. Additionally, the new compounds were evaluated for in vitro antimalarial and antioxidant properties. The screening findings suggest that the new compounds exhibit effective antimalarial and antioxidant action compared to traditional medicines.

Procyanidins are polyphenols naturally ubiquitous in fruits, grains, seeds, nuts, plant barks and vegetables. However, isolating the natural bioactive compounds from plant materials produces mixtures of proanthocyanidins that are difficult to separate, thus compromising the yield of the desired pure–form procyanidins. Therefore, there is a need to synthesise high–yield homogeneous procyanidin compounds with well‐defined stereo‐ and regiochemistry. This study describes a method for synthesising the free phenolic procyanidin B‐3 analogue. Treatment of a solution of tetra‐ O ‐benzyl‐3‐oxocatechin 3 b (1 equiv.) and penta‐ O ‐benzylcatechin 2 c (3 equiv.) with silver tetrafluoroborate (AgBF ₄ ) readily afford the per‐ O ‐benzyl ethers of 3‐oxo‐catechin‐(4→8)‐catechin 18 exclusively. Subsequent sodium borohydride reduction followed by catalytic hydrogenation afforded the free phenolic B‐3 procyanidin (catechin‐(4β→8)‐catechin) 20 with 3,4‐cis Stereochemistry in a good percentage yield of 86 %.