Comparative LC-MS/MS-based molecular networking, DNA fingerprinting, and in vitro anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of three Egyptian Ficus cultivars.

Ficus species (Moraceae) have been used for nutrition and traditional medicine, and plants from this family are phytochemically abundant and serve as a potential source of natural products. As a result of the inherent complexity of the plant metabolomes and the fact that these Ficus species chemical space has not yet been fully decoded, it is still difficult to characterize their phytochemistry. Therefore, this study, we suggest the use of the molecular networking to elucidate the chemical classes existing in leaves of three Ficus species (F. deltoidei Jack, F. drupacea Thunb and F. sycomorus L.) and highlight the importance of molecular networking in examining their chemotaxonomy . By using computational tools, 90 metabolites were annotated , including phenolic acids, flavonoids, furanocoumarins, fatty acids and terpenoids. Phenolic acids were detected as the main class present in the three studied species. Flavonoids-C-glycosides, flavonoids-O-glycosides and isoflavonoids were mainly present in F. drupacea and F. sycomorus, while furanocoumarins were proposed in F. sycomorus. Vomifoliol-based sesquiterpenes were proposed in F. deltoidei. The chemotaxonomic differentiation agreed with the DNA fingerprinting using SCOT and ISSR markers. F. deltoidei, in particular, had a divergent chemical fingerprint as well as a different genotype. Chemotype differentiation using chemical fingerprints, in conjunction with the proposed genetic markers, creates an effective identification tool for the quality control of the raw materials and products derived from those three Ficus species. As well, F. drupacea exploited the most potent inhibition of H. pylori with MIC of 7.81 µg/ mL compared with clarithromycin. Overall, molecular networking provides a promising approach for the exploration of the chemical space of plant metabolomes and the elucidation of chemotaxonomy.

Phenolic acids-rich fraction from Ficus drupacea leaves for the prevention and treatment of ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats.

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of F. drupacea Thunb. extract revealed that the water fraction (FDWF) increased pH of the artificial gastric juice from 1.2 to 5.67 ± 0.015. The gastroprotective effect of FDWF against ulcer induced by ethanol was evaluated in rats. In ulcerogenic rats, increase in the gastric juice volume and ulcer lesions, and decrease in the gastric pH were evident. However, pretreatment with FDWF (100 mg/kg b.wt., p.o.) significantly inhibited lesion index, reduced gastric juice volume by 56.09% and increased gastric pH value. When given after ethanol, the same dose of FDWF led to significant healing of the gastric ulcer, with 75.60% reduction of gastric juice volume, and increase in pH value. In both prophylactic and therapeutic-treated groups, the level of superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione in gastric homogenate were increased, while that of malondialdehyde was decreased. Also, the levels of succinate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase were increased, while that of acid phosphatase was decreased. In addition, the inflammatory markers; IL-10 and PGE2 were significantly increased. The histopathological results confirmed the above findings and indicated that the antiulcer effect of FDWF is mediated, at least in part, through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Twenty-three compounds were tentatively identified in FDWF using UPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS and most of them were found to be phenolic acid derivatives. FDWF was standardized to contain 23.66 ± 2.62 mg/g and 8.86 ± 0.29 mg/g of quinic acid and chlorogenic acid, respectively. Accordingly, FDWF is a potential natural product that could increase the healing of gastric mucosal injury and prevents the development of ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats.

Antiulcerogenic effect of Cuphea ignea extract against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats.

BACKGROUND: Cuphea ignea is one of the herbal resources belonging to Lythraceae family. Some species of this family have been used traditionally in South and Central America's folk medicine for treating stomach disorders. Therefore, the present study was performed to evaluate the gastropreventive effect of aqueous ethanolic extract of C. ignea aerial parts on ethanol-induced gastric ulcer. METHODS: Gastric ulcers were induced in Sprague Dawley rats using one oral dose of absolute ethanol (1.5 mL/rat). The C. ignea aerial parts extract at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight and ranitidine (a reference drug) at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight were orally administrated daily for 7 days before ulcer induction. One hour after ethanol administration blood samples were collected and then stomachs of sacrificed rats were subjected to biochemical, macroscopic and microscopic studies. RESULTS: Oral administration of C. ignea extract significantly attenuated gastric ulcer as revealed by significant reduction in the gastric ulcer index and volume of gastric juice while significantly increased preventive percentage, gastric pH value and pepsin activity. Pre-treatment of C. ignea extract markedly improved the serum level of TNF-α, the gastric MPO activity and NO content. Furthermore, C. ignea pre-treatment significantly increased the gastric levels of enzymatic and non- enzymatic antioxidants namely CAT, SOD, GSH-Px, and GSH with concomitant reduction in MDA level compared with those in the ethanol group. These results were further supported by histopathological findings which revealed the curing effect of C. ignea on the hemorrhagic shock induced by ethanol toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: C. ignea extract showed a potential gastroprotective effect on ethanol-induced gastric ulcer, and its effect may be mediated through suppression of oxidative stress and gastric inflammation.