Jesús G. Zorrilla

• PhD
• PhD at Universidad de Cádiz

Vitex agnus-castus L., a medicinal plant widespread in the Middle East and Europe, is traditionally used to treat various disorders. In this study, extracts from its leaves, collected in Algeria, were evaluated for their antioxidant, enzymatic, and antibacterial activities through in vitro and in silico studies. The hydroalcoholic extract was fract...

This investigation aimed to assess the in vitro and in silico biological properties of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract obtained from leaves of Rubus ulmifolius Schott collected in Alge-ria. The phytochemical screening data disclosed that flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, saponins, and anthocyanins were abundant. High levels of total phenolics, tota...

Citation: Masi, M.; Nedjar, D.; Bani, M.; Staiano, I.; Salvatore, M.M.; Khenaka, K.; Castaldi, S.; Zorrilla, J.G.; Andolfi, A.; Isticato, R.; et al. An Algerian Soil-Living Streptomyces alboflavus Strain as Source of Antifungal Compounds for the Management of the Pea Pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi. J. Fungi 2024, 10, 783. https://doi.

The negative implications for weeds encourage the finding of novel sources of phytotoxic agents for sustainable management. While traditional herbicides are effective, especially at large scales, the environmental impact and proliferation of resistant biotypes present major challenges that natural sources could mitigate. In this study, the potentia...

Staphylea, also called bladdernuts, is a genus of plants belonging to the family Staphyleaceae, widespread in tropical or temperate climates of America, Europe, and the Far East. Staphylea spp. produce bioactive metabolites with antioxidant properties, including polyphenols which have not been completely investigated for their phytotherapeutic pote...

The phytotoxicities of a selection of eudesmanolides and guaianolides, including natural products and new derivatives obtained by semisynthesis from plant-isolated sesquiterpene lactones, were evaluated in bioassays against three weeds of concern in agriculture (Amaranthus viridis L., Echinochloa crus-galli L., and Lolium perenne L.). Both eudesman...

The plant Centaurea cineraria L. subsp. cineraria has been investigated as a potential source of inhibitors of broomrape radicle growth. The latter are weeds that pose a threat to agriculture and for which there are few methods available for the control of infestations. Four sesquiterpene lactones have been isolated from C. cineraria L. subsp. cine...

Plasmopara viticola is a destructive oomycete that affects grapevines, causing significant economic losses worldwide. This study highlights how the plant Glechoma hederacea might be at the basis for the development of biofungicides to control P. viticola. The aqueous extract obtained from G. hederacea aerial parts showed strong inhibition activity...

Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs), plant-derived metabolites with broad spectra of biological effects, including anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory, hold promise for drug development. Primary cilia, organelles extending from cell surfaces, are crucial for sensing and transducing extracellular signals essential for cell differentiation and proliferation. T...

Buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) is an invasive C4 perennial grass species that substantially reduces native plant diversity of the Sonoran Desert through fire promotion and resource competition. Broad-spectrum herbicides are essentially used for its control, but they have a negative environmental and ecological impact. Recently, phytotoxicity on...

Broomrapes (Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.) are obligate parasitic weeds that drastically reduce the yield and quality of several crop species. They use host-induced germination and form haustorium to infect host plants. To date, no registered weed control methods that can selectively manage broomrape species have been reported. Tragopogon angustif...

Citation: Castaldi, S.; Zorrilla, J.G.; Petrillo, C.; Russo, M.T.; Ambrosino, P.; Masi, M.; Cimmino, A.; Isticato, R. Abstract: Alternaria alternata is one of the most devastating phytopathogenic fungi. This microorganism causes black spots in many fruits and vegetables worldwide, generating significant post-harvest losses. In this study, an A. alt...

(10S,11S)-(—)-epi-pyriculol is a phytotoxic metabolite produced by Pyricularia grisea, a fungus identified as a foliar pathogen on the invasive weed species buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris) in North America. The effective control of buffelgrass has not yet been achieved, and there is a need to develop effective and green solutions. Herbicides based...

Cuscuta campestris Yunck. is a parasitic weed responsible for severe yield losses in crops worldwide. The selective control of this weed is scarce due to the difficult application of methods that kill the parasite without negatively affecting the infected crop. trans-Cinnamic acid is secreted by plant roots naturally into the rhizosphere, playing a...

This lack of information is due to the primary role of HSTs in fungal pathogenesis, which often masks the functions of NSTs and CWDEs. So, the toxic effects of A. alternata metabolites due to NSTs and CWDEs have received minor attention than those reported for HSTs mycotoxins [11]. A wider study of the activity of isolated fungal metabolites can al...

The study of allelopathic activity of plants and the isolation and characterization of the responsible allelochemicals can lead to the development of environment friendly alternative approaches to weed control. Conyza species are invasive weeds that use allelopathic activity as part of a successful strategy to outcompete neighboring plants. Broomra...

Cuscuta campestris is a parasitic weed species that inflicts worldwide noxious effects in many broadleaf crops due to its capacity to withdraw nutrients and water directly from the crop vascular system using haustorial connections. Cuscuta campestris control in the majority of crops affected is non-existent, and thus, research for the development o...

Cuscuta campestris is a parasitic weed species with noxious effects in broadleaf crops worldwide. The control of Cuscuta in the majority of crops affected is limited or non-existing. We tested, for the first time, the effect of eighteen metabolites in in vitro-grown Cuscuta seedlings. We found that 2-benzoxazolinone, hydrocinnamic acid and pisatin...

The genus Pyrenophora includes two important cereal crop foliar pathogens and a large number of less well-known species, many of which are also grass pathogens. Only a few of these have been examined in terms of secondary metabolite production, yet even these few species have yielded a remarkable array of bioactive metabolites that include compound...

The antibiotic and nematocidal activities of extracts from two coastal lichen species collected on Lampedusa Island (Sicily), Ramalina implexa Nyl. and Roccella phycopsis Ach., were tested. Methyl orsellinate, orcinol, (+)-montagnetol, and for the first time 4-chlororcinol were isolated from Roccella phycopsis. (+)-Usnic acid was obtained from Rama...

Alkaloids are a wide family of basic N-containing natural products, whose research has revealed bioactive compounds of pharmacological interest. Studies on these compounds have focused more attention on those produced by plants, although other types of organisms have also been proven to synthesize bioactive alkaloids, such as animals, marine organi...

Luteolin 7-O-glucoside (1), 10β-acetoxy-8α-butyryloxy-11α-hydroxy-2β-((2-methylbutanoyl)oxy)-1βH,6αH,7αH,11βH-guaian-3-en-12,6-olide (2) and thapsigargin (3) herbicidal activities’ were evaluated in comparison with their binary and tertiary mixtures, against Lolium perenne. These allelochemicals were isolated from Thapsia garganica leaves methanoli...

Strigolactones (SLs) are natural products with promising applications as agrochemicals to prevent infestation with parasitic weeds due to their ability to trigger seed germination. However, their use is still limited because of the low yields in which they are isolated from natural sources. As such, numerous studies have led to strategies for obtai...

Strigolactones (SLs) are a prime example of allelochemicals, promoting parasitic plant germination and certain hyphal branching factors associated to the growth of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). However, the study of SLs is complex, and various issues have yet to be studied in depth. This review intends to provide an overview of the...

Aminophenoxazinones are degradation products resulting from the metabolism of different plant species, which comprise a family of natural products well known for their pharmacological activities. This review provides an overview of the pharmacological properties and applications proved by these compounds and their structural derivatives during 2000...

Semisynthetic analogs of natural products provide an important approach to obtain safer and more active drugs and they can also have enhanced physicochemical properties such as persistence, cross‐membrane processes and bioactivity. Acyl derivatives of different natural product families, from sesquiterpene lactones to benzoxazinoids, have been synth...

Strigolactones are natural products that are exuded by plants and stimulate parasitic weed germination. Their use in herbicides is limited since they are produced in small quantities but the synthesis of bioactive analogs provides an alternative source. In this work eleven analogs have been synthesized. Among them, nine compounds belong to a novel...

Thapsia garganica L. phytotoxicity was studied on Lactuca sativa L. and associated weeds, by adding powdered dried leaves to soil in amounts of 0.2%, 0.6%, 1% and 2% in pot experiments. The isolation, purification, and identification of the bioactive molecules on L. sativa and on a weed, Lolium perenne L., were carried out using bio-guided tests. I...

This chapter provides an in-depth overview of the sesquiterpenes found in cereals and spices. These aliments provide an important source of nutrients for our health, and they are consumed daily. Thus, a knowledge of the constituents is vital to understand the origin of their benefits for human health as well as the possible side effects that can ar...

It has been hypothesized that the α-methylene-γ-lactone moiety of sesquiterpene lactones is a key unit for their bioactivity. As a consequence, modifications of these compounds have been focused on this fragment. In the work reported here, two sesquiterpene lactones, namely dehydrocostuslactone and β-cyclocostunolide, a eudesmanolide obtained by co...

Natural product anhydrojudaicin is a eudesmanolide that has been synthesized from costunolide in three steps with good yield, simplifying procedures available in the literature. The key step was the efficient oxidation and rearrangement using 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ). Following the same methodology, 11,13-dehydroanhydrojudaic...