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Medicinal plants have been used to treat diseases for centuries. One group of such plants is Ziziphus species belonging to Rhamnaceae family. The extracts from plants of this genus has been found beneficial for the treatment of cancer caused by high production of reactive oxygen species resulting from different oxidative stress mediated conditions. The mechanism of anticancer activity of two different species of this plant (Z.jujube and Z.mauritiana) have been discussed in this review. The constituents of this plant include the flavonoids, triterpenes, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper and polysaccharides such as reducing and non-reducing sugars. The underlying mechanisms of both species include the (Tumor protein P53) P53, (signal transducer and activator of transcription) STAT, (Matrix metalloproteinases) MMPs, (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) CRISPR and flavonoids and triterpenic acid mechanisms. The effects of the extract on different cells lines in both in vitro and in vivo models have been studied by observing the induction of apoptosis and reduction in angiogenesis leading to reduction in progression and proliferation of cancer cell lines. The biological properties of Ziziphus include the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer and hepato-protective characteristics.

Thirteen pyridine-3-carboxylic acid salt derivatives with various substituted phenacyl residues were prepared and their cytotoxicity, antibacterial and antifungal activities tested. Compounds 5 and 11 proved to be active in the brine shrimp bioassay, compounds 7, 9-12 and 14 showed promising antibacterial activities, whereas none of the compounds tested against 15 fungal cultures proved to be active. Extensive spectroscopic techniques were employed to confirm the structure of the synthetic products.

An isomer of the natural phthalate ester spatozoate (1), n-butyl 2-benzoyloxymethylbenzoate (2a) and a series of its new derivatives 2b–2s were synthesized and exposed to selected biological screening, as phthalates were reported to possess different biological activities. Compound 2g was found to be the most potent cytotoxic agent with a LD 50 = 8.98 µg/ml. In a bactericidal assay the compounds showed a broad spectrum of activities. Compound 2a has a very promising fungicidal activity against Microsporum canis .

Coupling reactions of a number of aliphatic, aromatic, and heterocyclic compounds bearing an acidic hydrogen atom attached to sulfur, with alkyl, acyl, benzyl, or benzoyl halides in acetonitrile with cesium fluoride-Celite are described. This procedure is convenient, efficient, and practical for the preparation of thioethers and thioesters.

Syntheses of benzopyrones 1, 13, and their derivatives, as well as their phytotoxic (in vitro) and antifungal (in vitro) screening was carried out. Compounds 2, 7, 8, and 10 showed significant phytotoxic activity, whereas 3, 8, 10, and 12 exhibited significant antifungal (in vitro) activity.

Treatment of aromatic carboxylic acids and substituted toluenes with a mixture of sodium bromate and sodium hydrogen sulfite in a two-phase system gave the corresponding esters in good yield. The intermediate α-brominated toluene was formed by the in situ generated hypobromous acid. The α-bromotoluene underwent an intermolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction with aromatic carboxylic acids present in the reaction mixture to afford the corresponding esters.

Phytochemical investigation on the whole plant of Salsola foetida resulted in the isolation of three new phenolic compounds 1, 2, and 3, which exhibit tyrosinase inhibition with moderate antioxidant activity. Compounds 1–3 inhibited tyrosinase with IC50 2.61, 1.85, and 0.40 μM, while exhibiting DPPH radical scavenging activity with IC50 383, 427 and 378 μM, respectively. The structures of 1, 2, and 3 were determined by modern spectroscopic techniques.

A variety of allylic and benzylic alcohols have been converted into the corresponding iodides using cesium iodide (CsI) in the presence of boron trifluoride etherate (BF3·Et2O) in acetonitrile under mild conditions.

Eight new beta-N-substituted acyl hydrazides along with their corresponding acyl derivatives were synthesized and screened for in vitro beta-glucuronidase inhibition and found to be active against the enzyme. All of these compounds were found to be noncompetitive inhibitors except for N'-(2-cyanoethyl)-4-hydroxy benzohydrazide (10), which was found to be an uncompetitive inhibitor. Structure-activity relationship studies indicated that the benzyloxy group present in compounds 12 and 13 is responsible for the beta-glucuronidase inhibition activity.

In the course of searching hepatoprotective agents from natural sources, the protective effect of chemical constituents of the marine brown alga Spatoglossum variabile Figaro et DE Notar (Dictyoaceae) against CCl₄-induced liver damage in Wistar rats was investigated. The compounds were first investigated for in vitro radical scavenging potential and were also tested for β-glucuronidase inhibition to further explore the relationship between hepatoprotection and antiradical potential.The compounds cinnamic acid esters 1 and 2 and aurone derivatives 3 and 4 were first investigated for in vitro radical scavenging potential against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH), and superoxide anion radicals. In vivo hepatoprotective studies were performed in seven groups (n = 6) of Wistar rats. The test groups were pretreated with compounds (10 mg/kg body weight, po) orally for 30 min before the intraperitoneal administration of a dose of 20% CCl₄ diluted with dietary cooking oil. Moreover, compounds were also tested for β-glucuronidase inhibition to explore the relationship between hepatoprotection and radical scavenging potential.The test compounds 1-4 were found to exhibit antiradical activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals with IC₅₀ values ranging between 54 and 138 µM, whereas aurone derivatives 3 and 4 additionally exhibited superoxide anion scavenging effects with IC₅₀ values of 95 and 87 µM, respectively. In addition, these compounds were found to be weak inhibitors of xanthine oxidase (IC₅₀ ≥1000 µM). In animal model, pretreatment with compounds 2-4 significantly blocked the CCl₄-induced increase in the levels of the serum biochemical markers.It appears that the hepatoprotection afforded by these compounds was mainly due to their radical scavenging activity that protected the cells from the free radicals generated by CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity.

Two new natural products, n-butyl and isopropyl 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxycinnamate were isolated from Spatoglossum variabile. Three known compounds, methyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate, 2-deoxyinosine and 9-beta-(D-ribofuranosyl)adenine were isolated for the first time from the methanolic extracts of this alga. The structure elucidations of the new compounds were carried out with the help of modern spectroscopic techniques.

o-Alkylbenzenecarboxylic acids are treated with a sodium bromate and sodium hydrogen sulfite reagent under a two-phase system using ethyl acetate as solvent, under mild conditions to give the corresponding cyclized phthalides in moderate to satisfactory yield. Intermediately the α-brominated alkylbenzenecarboxylic acids are formed by the in situ generated hypobromous acid. These α-brominated acids undergo an intramolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction to afford the corresponding γ-lactones.

Two new aurones, 4'-chloro-2-hydroxyaurone (1) and 4'-chloroaurone (2) were isolated from Spatoglossum variabile. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by modern spectroscopic techniques.

In situ generation of hydrogen iodide from cesium iodide/methanesulfonic acid was found to be an attractive reagent combination for the conversion of alkyl, allyl, and benzyl alcohols to their corresponding iodides under mild conditions. The method is compared with that using cesium iodide/p-toluenesulfonic acid or cesium iodide/aluminium chloride.

The studies presented here deal with the convenient and efficient one-step conversion of o-alkylbenzoic acids into their corresponding isobenzofuran-1 (3H)-ones (phthalides) using NaBrO3/NaHSO3 in a two-phase system. A range of o-alkylbenzoic acids was used with the object of getting a variety of phthalide derivatives as multipurpose biologically active compounds. Seventeen phthalides have been synthesized and tested for cytotoxicity, antibacterial and antifungal activities. Some of these compounds showed promising cytotoxic effects against Artemia salina. Compounds 4j-4p were highly active against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria among all tested compounds. In the fungicidal assay, the compounds showed a broad spectrum of activity against six fungi. All compounds were characterized via elemental analysis, UV, IR, mass and-NMR spectroscopy.

A variety of 2-(1-bromoalkyl) benzoic acids 4 undergo intramolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction when treated with a CsF-Celite as solid base in acetonitrile under reflux condition to give the corresponding cyclized phthalides in moderate to very good yield. These 2-(1-bromoalkyl) benzoic acids 4 are formed by the α-bromination of 2-alkylbenzoic acids 3 using N-bromosuccinimide and a catalytic amount of α,α′-azoisobutyronitrile in carbon tetrachloride under reflux.

7-Hydroxy-4-methyl-2 H -chromen-2-one (2) , 7-hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-2 H -chromen-2-one (15) and their some derivatives were synthesized for exploring selected biological screening. The compounds 9 and 13 had shown high degree of cytotoxic activity. Three compound 9 , 10 and 13 showed high degree of bactericidal activity amongst the present series.

Twenty-one hydrazides were synthesized by treating different esters with hydrazine hydrate. Substituted hydrazides were obtained by treating hydrazides with alkyl/aryl/acyl halides. Some of these compounds exhibit potential in vitro leishmanicidal activity. The structures of all the synthesized compounds were confirmed by spectroscopic analysis.

Thirteen pyridine-3-carboxylic acid salt derivatives with various substituted phenacyl residues were prepared and their cytotoxicity, antibacterial and antifungal activities tested. Compounds 5 and 11 proved to be active in the brine shrimp bioassay, compounds 7, 9-12 and 14 showed promising antibacterial activities, whereas none of the compounds tested against 15 fungal cultures proved to be active. Extensive spectroscopic techniques were employed to confirm the structure of the synthetic products.

Two new compounds, spatosterol (1) and thyminol (2) were isolated from Spatoglossum variabile and colonial Zoanthid, respectively. Three known compounds, 2-deoxyinosine (3), 2-deoxythymidine (4) and hexadecylhexadecanoate (5) were also isolated for the first time from the methanolic extract of the colonial Zoanthid.

Isochrysophanol, isozyganein, ω-hydroxyisochrysophanol, and morindaparvin are naturally occurring substituted anthraquinones. We report the synthesis of these compounds as well as selected biological activities.

Two new compounds, spatozoate and varninasterol were isolated from Spatoglossum variabile. Four known compounds, fucosterol, cholesta-5-ene-23-yne-3β-ol, apiole and nothoapiole were also isolated for the first time from the methanolic extracts of this alga. The structure elucidation of the new compounds were carried out with the help of modern spectroscopic techniques.