Clinical studies on COVID-19 patients revealed among multiple symptoms, uncontrolled production of inflammatory mediators. The current study presents the inhibitory effects of eleven terpenoid deri...

Plant-derived resins, tars, and pitches have been utilised since prehistory across diverse cultural and geographic contexts; this review focuses primarily on materials documented in European and Mediterranean archaeological and historical records1. These substances represent some of the earliest known technological innovations in human history, with a long and complex trajectory of use extending from the Palaeolithic period to the modern industrial era2,3,4,5,6,7,8. Birch tar, derived from Betulaceae, is the oldest known adhesive, with archaeological evidence from the European Lower Palaeolithic indicating its use approximately 200,000 years ago8, and it may also have served as an insect repellent9. In the Scandinavian Iron Age, birch bark tar was employed as sealant for wooden containers10. While the exploitation of birch bark tar for hafting tools is ancient, the transition to resin and pitch or tar from Pinaceae trees marked a significant technological shift. The production of wood tar, derived from resinous and non-resinous woody materials, was practiced by the Minoans around 3000 B.C.11, and likely served as an essential commodity for ancient centres of power in Greece, Macedonia, Asia Minor and Egypt12. In ancient Egypt, plant resins were integral to embalming practices13,14, and extensive records on the practical and ritual use of tar...