Speakers

Biography

Saied Goodarzi is a medicinal Plants Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, interested in Pharmaceutical Biology. He completed a Ph.D. in Pharmacognosy.

Abstract

Apiaceae, one of the most influential families of flowering plants, consists of 3800 species in 434 genera and is distributed worldwide. Most of its members are indigenous to Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia including Iran. This family is rich in phytochemicals, and members of this family create a lot of added value due to having many biochemical precursors, such as benzodioxoles.

Benzodioxoles inhibited human cancer cell growth and induced apoptosis, albeit at relatively high concentrations. Many years ago, after clearing the role of Benzodioxoles in cancer, a new class of synthetic antineoplastic drugs showed derivatives of benzodioxole. These compounds inhibit microtubule assembly.

Crop plants of the family Apiaceae, such as dill, parsley, fennel, and parsnip, contain considerable amounts of benzodioxoles like apiol, dillapiol, myristicin, and allyltetrame-thoxybenzene. These remarkable structures exhibited a wide range of biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, and insecticidal activities, along with effects on nervous, cardiovascular, and genitourinary systems.

Two important benzodioxoles, apiol, and myristicin, are present in almost all essential oils of the Apiaceae family. These two calcium channel antagonists (apiol and myristicin) are toxic to insects. They are used as insecticides in research works.

In this decade, five new benzodioxole structures were obtained from the root extract of Astrodaucus persicus (Apiaceae) for the first time, which had significant antimalarial and cytotoxic effects.

1. 5-((propanoyl methyl)amino)-4,7-dimethoxybenzo[d][1,3]dioxole
2. 5-(3-ethyloxiran-2-yloxy)-4,7-dimethoxybenzo[d][1,3]dioxole
3. 4,7-dimethoxy-5-(propanonyl) benzo[d][1,3]dioxole
4. 4-ethoxybenzo[d][1,3]dioxol-6-carbaldehyde
5. 4-(O-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-6-(3-propanyloxiran-2-yloxy)benzo[d][1,3]dioxole