Plant bioactive

There is a huge variety of plant defensive secondary metabolites that has been the subject of major phytochemical [1-6] or pharmacological and toxicological [7-12] compilations. This structural complexity is very briefly reviewed below before considering those plant bioactives with signal transduction targets. The major groups are the phenolics, the terpenoids and the alkaloids as well as bioactives structurally related to... 

V. Cyclic nucleotide signalling targets of plant bioactive compounds... 

A variety of plant bioactives inhibit the metallopeptidase aminopeptidase N [63-68], the most potent inhibitors (variously active at 1-7 pM) being the phenolics curcumin, phloretin and quercetin [64-67] and the lupane triterpene betulinic acid (IC5o value 7 pM) [68] (Table 2). 

Polya, G.M., Biochemical Targets of Plant Bioactive Compounds, Taylor Francis London, 2003, in press. 

Determining the molecular sites of action of bioactive medicinal plant constituents is clearly important for establishing the chemical and physiological basis for herbal medicinal efficacy, for quality control of commercial herbal preparations and for the discovery of lead compounds for synthetic (or semi-synthetic) pharmaceutical development. Of course, it must be recognized that medicinal plant efficacy may derive from complex synergistic effects or even from quasi-placebo effects connected with the taste, mild effects and appearance of the preparation. While recognizing these possible holistic complications, in order to find out how such preparations work, it is clearly important to initially isolate, structurally characterize and define the biochemical targets of plant bioactive substances. 

Other plant bioactive amines include a variety of neuroactive compounds and polyamines. Notable polyamines include cadaverine (1,5-diaminopentane), putrescine (1,4-diaminobutane), spermidine (NH2—(GH2)3—NH—(CH2)3—NH2), spermine (NH2—(CH2)3— NH-(CH2)3-NH-(GH2)3-NH2) and agmatine (NH2-C(=NH) CH2),-NH2). 

Caffeine (= 1,3,7-Trimethylxanthine Coffeine Guaranine Thein Theine) (purine, methylxanthine) the plant bioactive most consumed by humans ... 

II. 4 Plant bioactives affecting cytosolic receptor-mediated... 

This book summarizes current knowledge of the molecular basis of our interaction with plant defensive components that represents a major aspect of our dance with nature. However, knowledge must be used responsibly and has intrinsic dangers as illustrated in the ancient Greek myth of Pandora s box and as more recently explored in The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. Herbal medicine still represents a major therapeutic resort for a large part of humanity but the potential for deleterious effects of plant bioactive compounds means that expert medical advice should be sought before use of herbal extracts for medical conditions. 

Biochemical targets of plant bioactive compounds a pharmacological reference guide to sites of action and biological effects / Gideon Polya, p. cm. 

Polya, G. Biochemical targets of Plant Bioactive Compounds. A Pharmacological Reference Guide to Site Action and Biological Effects. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, 2003, pp. 149. 

A number of factors may affect plant bioactivity the time of year, stage of growth, even time of day, as well as the particular plant parts and the geographic locale. Conceivably, the makeup of the soil may enter, as has been observed for the vitamin and mineral content of a plant or crop.)... 

The study of plant bioactives has been of considerable importance in recent years with the recognition that they are involved in many vital biological and metabolic processes in plants as well as in the human body when consumed as part of a normal human diet This chapter deals mainly with the bioactives identified in Brazil nut. The potential health benefits of Brazil nut are also discussed. Several groups of plant bioactives have been identified in Brazil nut, including MUFA, PUFA, phenolics (mainly tocopherols), selenium, phytosterols, phytostanols, squalene, and other minor bioactives. 

Phenolics are ubiquitous secondary metabolites that are widely distributed in the plant kingdom. They play a very important role in plants and are one of the most important sources of plant bioactives in the human diet [26]. Phenolic compounds ntight participate in the prevention of various diseases associated with oxidative stress [27,28]. Tocopherols are the major phenolics identified in Brazil nut, thus more research is needed to determine other phenolics present in Brazil nut. This work is currently under investigation in onr laboratories. 

Pinho E, Grootveld M, Soares G, Henriques M. Cyclodextrins as encapsulation agents for plant bioactive compounds. Carbohydr Polym. )an 30, 2014 101 121-135. 

Rochfort, S., A.J. Parker, and F.R. Dnnshea, 2008. Plant bioactives for ruminant health and productivity. Phytodtenustr 69 299-322. 

FIGURE 9.1 A schematic representation of diet microbe interactions and how they shape immune function within the gut. Key metabolic processes within the human gut microbiota, especially carbohydrate fermentation, the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids and biotransformation of plant bioactive polyphenols by the gut microbiota play important roles in regulating both inflammatory and metabolic processes within the intestine, but also in other body tissues, like the liver, adipose tissue and brain, which are intimately involved in regulating whole-body glucose, lipid and energy metabolism, and also the chronic low-grade inflammation characteristic of metabolic diseases like diabetes, CVD, Alzheimer s and metabolic syndrome. 

Manipulating Ruminal Biohydrogenation by the Use of Plants Bioactive Compounds... 

The Impact of Plants Bioactive Compounds on Ruminal Biohydrogenation... 

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