Six new dammarane-type saponins, gypenosides CP1-6 (1–6), along with 19 known compounds 7–25, were isolated and characterized from the aerial parts of Gynostemma pentaphyllum. Among these compounds, eight dammarane-type saponins, 2, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 15, exhibited the greatest antiproliferative effects against two human tumor cell lines (A549 and HepG2).

In folk medicine, Stahlianthus thorelii Gagnep. has been used to treat diseases related to inflammation, ulcers, and cancer. There are no reports concerning the chemical components and bioactivities of S. thorelii; thus, this study aims to explore the phytochemicals, quantify the main compounds, and test the anticancer activity of isolates from S. thorelii. Dried rhizomes were extracted with 95% ethanol and, then, partitioned, fractionated, and isolated. On the basis of the result of the antiproliferative activity of the fractions, seven isolates were yielded and were identified by spectroscopic analyses. The inhibition of cancer proliferation was determined by an MTT assay and the deployed IC₅₀ to value their efficacy. Seven compounds containing one new C-benzylated dihydrochalcone derivative, thorechalcone A (1) and 2–7 were isolated from S. thorelii. In terms of the bioactivity, compounds 1 and 3 displayed promising antiproliferative activity (WiDr, A549, and HepG2), with IC₅₀ values <40 µM. The HPLC-UV method of quantification of two major compounds (3 and 4) was also validated. This study presented the isolations of antiproliferative potentials of new chalcone and known flavonoid derivatives from S. thorelii. The validated simple, accurate, and rapid HPLC method could be deployed for the quality control of herbal drugs.

Detecting toxic transition metal ions using carbon dots (CDs) as fluorescent probes is efficient and sensitive, yet the rational design of CDs with controlled composition and tunable sensing selectivity remains a key challenge. Herein, we report the one-step, solvent-free pyrolysis synthesis of novel fluorescent Cu,N-co-doped carbon dots (Cu,N-CDs) from two aromatic precursors, p-aminosalicylic acid (PAS) and copper(II) acetylacetonate (Cu(acac)₂), under mild conditions (170 °C, 3 h). The resultant Cu,N-CDs exhibited strong green fluorescence with a maximum emission at 495 nm under excitation at 395 nm and a quantum yield of 14.9%. Without further surface modification, these Cu,N-CDs demonstrated high performance as dual fluorescent probes for the simultaneous detection of Fe(III) and Cr(VI) ions. Upon excitation at 395 nm, introduction of either Fe(III) or Cr(VI) at 100 µM resulted in pronounced fluorescence quenching by factors of 50.3 and 3.53, respectively, through two mechanistically distinct pathways: Fe(III) quenching proceeds via formation of a non-fluorescent coordination complex with surface functional groups of the Cu,N-CDs, while Cr(VI) quenching arises primarily from the inner filter effect. The Cu,N-CDs offered high selectivity with low limits of detection for Fe(III) (1.48 µM) and Cr(VI) (19.6 nM). The scalable, solvent-free synthetic strategy and the dual-analyte sensing capability demonstrated here position these Cu,N-CDs as promising platforms for practical deployment in environmental water monitoring, food safety screening for detection of heavy metal pollutants.

This study investigates the phytochemical composition and biological activities of Ficus auriculata leaf extracts obtained from three geographical regions of Vietnam (Hue, Dak Lak, and Dong Nai) using solvents of varying polarity (heptane, ethanol, and distilled water). Qualitative phytochemical screening, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS–ESI), DPPH radical scavenging, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were employed to characterize the extracts. Polar extracts (ethanol and water) demonstrated superior phytochemical diversity, particularly in polyphenolic compounds such as flavonoids, tannins, and proanthocyanidins, correlating with markedly higher antioxidant activity. The Hue water extract (H-W) exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity (DPPH IC50 = 11.28 ± 0.22 µg/mL; FRAP EC50 = 4.89 ± 0.08 µg/mL). Geographical origin further modulated phytochemical accumulation, with the Dong Nai water extract (DN-W) showing notably elevated polyuronic compound levels. These findings provide a scientific basis for the development of F. auriculata-derived natural antioxidant agents for environmental and biomedical applications.