RNA-sequencing exploration on SIR2 and SOD genes in Polyalthia longifolia leaf methanolic extracts (PLME) mediated anti-aging effects in Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY611 yeast cells.

Polyalthia longifolia is well-known for its abundance of polyphenol content and traditional medicinal uses. Previous research has demonstrated that the methanolic extract of P. longifolia leaves (PLME, 1 mg/mL) possesses anti-aging properties in Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY611 yeast cells. Building on these findings, this study delves deeper into the potential antiaging mechanism of PLME, by analyzing the transcriptional responses of BY611 cells treated with PLME using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology. The RNA-seq analysis results identified 1691 significantly (padj < 0.05) differentially expressed genes, with 947 upregulated and 744 downregulated genes. Notably, the expression of three important aging-related genes, SIR2, SOD1, and SOD2, showed a significant difference following PLME treatment. The subsequent integration of these targeted genes with GO and KEGG pathway analysis revealed the multifaceted nature of PLME's anti-aging effects in BY611 yeast cells. Enriched GO and KEGG analysis showed that PLME treatment promotes the upregulation of SIR2, SOD1, and SOD2 genes, leading to a boosted cellular antioxidant defense system, reduced oxidative stress, regulated cell metabolism, and maintain genome stability. These collectively increased longevities in PLME-treated BY611 yeast cells and indicate the potential anti-aging action of PLME through the modulation of SIR2 and SOD genes. The present study provided novel insights into the roles of SIR2, SOD1, and SOD2 genes in the anti-aging effects of PLME treatment, offering promising interventions for promoting healthy aging.

Essential Oils of Polyalthia suberosa Leaf and Twig and Their Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Activities.

Essential oils from the leaf and twig of Polyalthia suberosa (Roxb.) Thwaites were analyzed using GC/MS/FID. A total of sixty-three constituents were namely identified accounting for 96.03 and 94.12 % in the hydrodistilled oils of the leaf and twig, respectively. Monoterpenes, monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenes, and sesquiterpenoids were characteristic derivatives of P. suberosa essential oils. Sesquiterpenes bicyclogermacrene (26.26 %) and (E)-caryophyllene (7.79 %), and monoterpene ß-pinene (12.71 %) were the major constituents of the leaf oil. Sesquiterpenes (E)-caryophyllene (17.17 %) and α-humulene (9.55 %), sesquiterpenoid caryophyllene oxide (9.41 %), and monoterpenes camphene (8.16 %) and tricyclene (6.35 %) were to be main components in the twig oil. The leaf oil indicated cytotoxic activity against three cancer cell lines HepG2, MCF7 and A549 with the IC50 values of 60.96-69.93 µg/mL, while the twig oil inhibited MCF7 with the IC50 value of 66.70 µg/mL. Additionally, the twig oil successfully suppressed the growth of the negative Gram bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, fungus Aspergillus niger, and yeast Candida albicans with the same MIC value of 50 µg/mL, whereas the leaf oil had the same result on the negative Gram bacterium Escherichia coli.

Phytochemicals from Polyalthia Species: Potential and Implication on Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Cancer, and Chemoprevention Activities.

Polyalthia belong to the Annonaceae family and are a type of evergreen tree distributed across many tropical and subtropical regions. Polyalthia species have been used long term as indigenous medicine to treat certain diseases, including fever, diabetes, infection, digestive disease, etc. Recent studies have demonstrated that not only crude extracts but also the isolated pure compounds exhibit various pharmacological activities, such as anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-tumor, anti-cancer, etc. It is known that the initiation of cancer usually takes several years and is related to unhealthy lifestyle, as well as dietary and environmental factors, such as stress, toxins and smoking. In fact, natural or synthetic substances have been used as cancer chemoprevention to delay, impede, or even stop cancer growing. This review is an attempt to collect current available phytochemicals from Polyalthia species, which exhibit anti-cancer potentials for chemoprevention purposes, providing directions for further research on the interesting agents and possible clinical applications.

α-Glucosidase inhibitory and nitric oxide production inhibitory activities of alkaloids isolated from a twig extract of Polyalthia cinnamomea.

The first phytochemical investigation of Polyalthia cinnamomea led to the isolation and identification of two new oxoprotoberberine alkaloids, (-)-(13aS)-polyalthiacinnamines A and B, together with eleven known compounds. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods. The absolute configuration of miliusacunine E and consanguine B was established by X-ray diffraction analysis using Cu Kα radiation and ECD spectra, whereas the absolute configurations of polyalthiacinnamines A and B were established by comparison of their ECD spectra and specific rotations with those of miliusacunine E and consanguine B. Compounds 1-4, 6, and 8 exhibited α-glucosidase inhibitory activities (IC50 values ranging from 11.3 to 57.9 µM) better than a positive control (acarbose, IC50 83.5 µM). Compound 2 also exhibited NO production inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 24.4 µM (indomethacin, a positive control, IC50 = 32.2 µM).

Three new methylated Δ8-pregnene steroids from the Polyalthia laui-derived fungus Stemphylium sp. AZGP4-2.

Three new methylated Δ8-pregnene steroids, stemphylisteroids A-C (1-3) were isolated from the medicinal plant Polyalthia laui-derived fungus Stemphylium sp. AZGP4-2. Their structures were elucidated by the detailed analysis of comprehensive spectroscopic data. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Compound 1 show antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli with the MIC value of 6.25 µg/mL, and 2 exhibited a broad spectrum of antibacterial activities against six pathogenic bacteria with the MIC values ranging from 12.5 to 50 µg/mL. The discovery of three methylated Δ8-pregnene steroids 1-3 are a further addition to diverse and complex array of methylated steroids.

Discovery of a Natural Product That Binds to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Protein Rv1466 Using Native Mass Spectrometry.

Elucidation of the mechanism of action of compounds with cellular bioactivity is important for progressing compounds into future drug development. In recent years, phenotype-based drug discovery has become the dominant approach to drug discovery over target-based drug discovery, which relies on the knowledge of a specific drug target of a disease. Still, when targeting an infectious disease via a high throughput phenotypic assay it is highly advantageous to identifying the compound's cellular activity. A fraction derived from the plant Polyalthia sp. showed activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis at 62.5 µge/µL. A known compound, altholactone, was identified from this fraction that showed activity towards M. tuberculosis at an minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 64 µM. Retrospective analysis of a target-based screen against a TB proteome panel using native mass spectrometry established that the active fraction was bound to the mycobacterial protein Rv1466 with an estimated pseudo-Kd of 42.0 ± 6.1 µM. Our findings established Rv1466 as the potential molecular target of altholactone, which is responsible for the observed in vivo toxicity towards M. tuberculosis.

3,4- seco-Norclerodane Diterpenoids from the Roots of Polyalthia laui.

Ten new clerodane diterpenoids, polylauioids A-J (1-10), and five known analogues (11-15) were isolated from the roots of Polyalthia laui. Among the new compounds, 3 and 8 are artifacts. The structures were elucidated using spectroscopic methods and by comparison with published NMR spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations of 4, 5, and 7 were defined based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction and electronic circular dichroism data. Compounds 1 and 2 represent the first examples of rearranged 3,4- seco-norclerodane diterpenoids, and a putative biosynthesis pathway for these compounds is proposed. Compounds 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 10 showed anti-HIV activities with EC50 values ranging from 12.2 to 35.2 µM.

Functional Validation of DownRegulated MicroRNAs in HeLa Cells Treated with Polyalthia longifolia Leaf Extract Using Different Microscopic Approaches: A Morphological Alteration-Based Validation.

Several microscopy methods have been developed to assess the morphological changes in cells in the investigations of the mode of cell death in response to a stimulus. Our recent finding on the treatment of the IC50 concentration (26.67 µg/mL) of Polyalthia longifolia leaf extract indicated the induction of apoptotic cell death via the regulation of miRNA in HeLa cells. Hence, the current study was conducted to validate the function of these downregulated microRNAs in P. longifolia-treated HeLa cells using microscopic approaches. These include scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and acridine orange/propidium iodide (AO/PI)-based fluorescent microscopy techniques by observing the morphological alterations to cells after transfection with mimic miRNA. Interestingly, the morphological changes observed in this study demonstrated the apoptotic hallmarks, for instance, cell blebbing, cell shrinkage, cytoplasmic and nuclear condensation, vacuolization, cytoplasmic extrusion, and the formation of apoptotic bodies, which proved the role of dysregulated miRNAs in apoptotic HeLa cell death after treatment with the P. longifolia leaf extract. Conclusively, the current study proved the crucial role of downregulated miR-484 and miR-221-5p in the induction of apoptotic cell death in P. longifolia-treated HeLa cells using three approaches-SEM, TEM, and AO/PI-based fluorescent microscope.

Polyalthia Clerodane Diterpene Potentiates Hypoglycemia via Inhibition of Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4.

Serine protease dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) is involved in self/non-self-recognition and insulin sensitivity. DPP-4 inhibitors are conventional choices for diabetic treatment; however, side effects such as headache, bronchus infection, and nasopharyngitis might affect the daily lives of diabetic patients. Notably, natural compounds are believed to have a similar efficacy with lower adverse effects. This study aimed to validate the DPP-4 inhibitory activity of clerodane diterpene 16-hydroxycleroda-3,13-dien-15,16-olide (HCD) from Polyalthia longifolia, rutin, quercetin, and berberine, previously selected through molecular docking. The inhibitory potency of natural DPP-4 candidates was further determined by enzymatic, in vitro Caco-2, and ERK/PKA activation in myocyte and pancreatic cells. The hypoglycemic efficacy of the natural compounds was consecutively analyzed by single-dose and multiple-dose administration in diet-induced obese diabetic mice. All the natural-compounds could directly inhibit DPP-4 activity in enzymatic assay and Caco-2 inhibition assay, and HCD showed the highest inhibition of the compounds. HCD down-regulated LPS-induced ERK phosphorylation in myocyte but blocked GLP-1 induced PKA expression. For in vivo tests, HCD showed hypoglycemic efficacy only in single-dose administration. After 28-days administration, HCD exhibited hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective efficacy. These results revealed that HCD performed potential antidiabetic activity via inhibition of single-dose and long-term administrations, and could be a new prospective anti-diabetic drug candidate.

Cerasoidine, a Bis-aporphine Alkaloid Isolated from Polyalthia cerasoides during Screening for Wnt Signal Inhibitors.

A new bis-aporphine alkaloid, cerasoidine (1), was isolated from the root extract of Polyalthia cerasoides together with the known bis-aporphine bidebiline E (2) during screening for compounds with Wnt signal inhibitory activities. The structure of cerasoidine (1) was established by X-ray analysis and shown by chiral HPLC analyses and electronic circular dichroism to be a 57:43 mixture of R(-)- and S(+)-atropisomers. Bidebiline E (2) exhibited inhibition of transcriptional activity of TCF/ß-catenin with an IC50 value of 20.2 µM and was also found to inhibit Wnt signaling by decreasing nuclear ß-catenin.

Phytochemical screening and in vivo antimalarial activity of extracts from three medicinal plants used in malaria treatment in Nigeria.

The use of plant to meet health-care needs has greatly increased worldwide in the recent times. The search for new plant-derived bioactive agents that can be explored for the treatment of drug-resistant malaria infection is urgently needed. Thus, we evaluated the antimalarial activity of three medicinal plants used in Nigerian folklore for the treatment of malaria infection. A modified Peter's 4-day suppressive test was used to evaluate the antimalarial activity of the plant extracts in a mouse model of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium berghei ANKA strain. Animals were treated with 250, 500, or 800 mg/kg of aqueous extract. It was observed that of all the three plants studied, Markhamia tomentosa showed the highest chemosuppression of parasites of 73 % followed by Polyalthia longifolia (53 %) at day 4. All the doses tested were well tolerated. Percentage suppression of parasite growth on day 4 post-infection ranged from 1 to 73 % in mice infected with P. berghei and treated with extracts when compared with chloroquine diphosphate, the standard reference drug which had a chemosuppression of 90 %. The percentage survival of mice that received extract ranged from 0 to 60 % (increased as the dose increases to 800 mg/kg). Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, and phenolic compounds in all the three plants tested.

Composition and Chemical Variability of Ivoirian Polyalthia oliveri Leaf Oil.

The chemical composition of 45 essential oil samples isolated from the leaves of Polyalthia oliveri harvested in three Ivoirian forests was investigated by GC-FID (retention indices measured on two columns of different polarities), and by (13) C-NMR, following a method developed in our laboratory. In total, 41 components were identified. The content of the main components varied drastically from sample to sample: (E)-ß-caryophyllene (1.2 - 50.8%), α-humulene (0.6 - 47.7%), isoguaiene (0 - 27.9%), alloaromadendrene (0 - 24.7%), germacrene B (0 - 18.3%), δ-cadinene (0.4 - 19.3%), and ß-selinene (0.2 - 18.5%). The analysis of six oil samples selected in function of their chromatographic profiles is reported in detail. The 45 oil compositions were submitted to hierarchical cluster and principal components analysis, which allowed the distinction of three groups within the oil samples. The compositions of the oils from group I (15 samples) and II (12 samples) were dominated by (E)-ß-caryophyllene and α-humulene, respectively. Oil samples of group III (18 samples) needed to be partitioned into four subgroups III.1-III.4 whose compositions were dominated by alloaromadenrene, isoguaiene, germacrene B, and δ-cadinene, respectively.

Bioactive 6S-styryllactone constituents of Polyalthia parviflora.

Parvistones A-E (1-5), five new styryllactones possessing a rare α,ß-lactone moiety and a 6S configuration, were isolated from a methanolic extract of Polyalthia parviflora leaves. The structures and the absolute configuration of the isolates were elucidated using NMR spectroscopy, specific rotation, circular dichroism, and X-ray single-crystal analysis. Compounds 8, 9, 11, and 12 were isolated for the first time. The results were supported by comparing the data measured to those of 6R-styryllactones. Moreover, a plausible biogenetic pathway of the isolated compounds was proposed. The structure-activity relationship of the compounds in an in vitro anti-inflammatory assay revealed the 6S-styryllactones to be more potent than the 6R derivatives. However, the effect was opposite regarding their cytotoxic activity. In addition, 6S-styrylpyrones isolated showed more potent anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity when compared to the 1S-phenylpyranopyrones obtained.

Two new lanostane triterpenoids from the branches and leaves of Polyalthia oblique.

Two new lanostane triterpenoids, 20-hydroxyeuphorbol-7-one (1) and 15α-hydroxyeuphorbol-7,11-dione (2), together with four known triterpenoids, euphorbol-7-one (3), friedelin (4), stigmast-4-ene-6α-ol-3-one (5), stigmasta-4-en-3,6-dione (6), were isolated from ethanol extract of the branches and leaves of Polyalthia obliqua. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis and comparisons with related known compounds. Antibacterial activities of two new compounds and four known compounds were tested.

Three new clerodane diterpenes from Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula.

Three new clerodane diterpenes, (4→2)-abeo-cleroda-2,13E-dien-2,14-dioic acid (1), (4→2)-abeo-2,13-diformyl-cleroda-2,13E-dien-14-oic acid (2), and 16(R&S)- methoxycleroda-4(18),13-dien-15,16-olide (3), were isolated from the unripe fruit of Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula (Annonaceae) together with five known compounds (4-8). The structures of all isolates were determined by spectroscopic analysis. The anti-inflammatory activity of the isolates was evaluated by testing their inhibitory effect on NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Among the isolated compounds, 16-hydroxycleroda-3,13-dien-15,16-olide (6) and 16-oxocleroda-3,13-dien-15-oic acid (7) showed promising NO inhibitory activity at 10 µg/mL, with 81.1% and 86.3%, inhibition, respectively.

Anti-proliferative and apoptotic properties of a peptide from the seeds of Polyalthia longifolia against human cancer cell lines.

The peptides produced enzymatically from various plants have shown various biological activities including cytotoxicity. Different types of cytotoxic peptides have been reported from the seeds and leaves of Violaceae, Rubiaceae and Annonaceae families. In this study, we report purification and characterization of peptide(s) showing cytotoxic activity against A549 and HeLa cancer cell lines from the seeds of Polyalthia longifolia (Annonaceae). Seed proteins of P. longifolia were extracted and hydrolyzed using trypsin. The enzyme hydrolysate was applied on to a Sephadex G10 column and eluted using Tris-HC1 buffer (pH 7.5). Two fractions F1 and F2 were obtained, of which F2 showed significant cytotoxic activity against lung (A549) cancer cells at 10 microg/mL and cervical (HeLa) cancer cell lines at 30 microg/mL, as revealed by the MTT assay. DNA fragmentation was observed in the tested cancer cell lines treated with F2 peptide at a concentration of 10microg/mL and 30 pg/mL, respectively. Further, increased number of apoptotic cells was observed in sub-G0 phase of cell cycle of A549 and HeLa cell lines, when treated with 10 microg/mL and 30 microg/mL of F2, as revealed by the flow cytometric analyses. FTIR spectrum of F2 peptide detected the presence of stretching vibrations of carboxylic acid OH residue with peak at 3420 cm-and carbonyl (C=O) groups at 1636 cm-1, respectively. RP-HPLC analysis of F2 peptide showed a single peak at a retention time of 12.8 min detected at 280 nm, depicting the purity of F2 to be more than 90%. LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis showed the average theoretical mass of F2 to be 679.8 using m/z ratios. In conclusion, the findings suggest that F2 peptide is an effective inducer of apoptosis of cancer cells, thus offers an important strategy in the development of cancer therapeutics.

In vivo efficacy and synergistic interaction of 16α-hydroxycleroda-3, 13 (14) Z-dien-15, 16-olide, a clerodane diterpene from Polyalthia longifolia against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The Staphylococcus aureus bacterium, a nosocomial pathogen often causing untreatable and lethal infection in patients, mutated to become resistant to all the first-line drugs. The present study details the potential of clerodane diterpene 16α-hydroxycleroda-3, 13 (14) Z-dien-15, 16-olide (CD) isolated from Polyalthia longifolia against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) through in vitro and in vivo assays. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CD exhibited significant anti-MRSA activity (15.625-31.25 mg/l) against reference strain and seven clinical isolates, while time kill assays at graded MICs indicated 2.78-9.59- and 2.9-6.18-fold reduction in growth of reference strain and clinical isolates of S. aureus, respectively. The combined effect of the CD and 7.5 % NaCl resulted in significant reduction in microbial count within 24 h, indicating the loss of the salt tolerance ability of S. aureus. Further, release of 260-nm absorbing material and flow cytometric analysis revealed an increased uptake of propidium iodide. These assays may indicate the membrane-damaging potential of CD. The molecule CD was found to interact synergistically with clinically used antibiotics (FICI ≤ 0.5) against all clinical isolates. In infected mice, CD significantly (P < 0.001) lowered the systemic microbial load in blood, liver, kidney, lung and spleen tissues and did not exhibit any significant toxicity at 100 mg/kg body weight.

New gastroprotective labdeneamides from (4S,9R,10R) methyl 18-carboxy-labda-8,13(E)-diene-15-oate.

Starting from the diterpene (4S,9R,10R) methyl 18-carboxy-labda-8,13(E)-dien-15-oate (PMD) and its 8(9)-en isomer [PMD 8(9)-en], 11 amides were prepared and assessed for a gastroprotective effect in the ethanol/HCl-induced gastric lesions model in mice. Basal cytotoxicity of the compounds was determined on the following human cell lines: normal lung fibroblasts (MRC-5), gastric epithelial adenocarcinoma (AGS), and hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep G2). All compounds are described for the first time. At the single oral dose of 0.1 mg/kg, compounds 1, 10, and 11 presented a strong gastroprotective effect, at least comparable with that of the reference compound lansoprazole at 1 mg/kg, reducing gastric lesions by 76.7, 67.7, and 77.2 %, respectively. The leucyl amide methyl ester 3, tryptophanyl amide methyl ester 5, and benzyl amide 6 of PMD presented a selective basal cytotoxicity on Hep G2 cells with IC50 values of 136.8, 105.3, and 94.2 µM, respectively, while the IC50 values towards AGS cells were 439.5, 928.0, and 937.3 µM, respectively. The three compounds did not affect fibroblast viability with IC50 values > 1000 µM. Compounds 7, 8, 10, and 11 showed no toxic effect against the three selected cell lines.

Acute oral toxicity of Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula leaf extract in Wistar albino rats.

CONTEXT: Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Thw. var. pendula (Annonaceae), a tall evergreen tree, is cultivated all over India. The plant is used in traditional systems of medicine for the treatment of fever, skin diseases, and hypertension. OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the acute oral toxicity of Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula leaf extract in Wistar albino rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The parameters evaluated daily after oral drug administration of the extract (540, 1080, 2160 and 3240 mg/kg body weight) were mortality, signs of toxicity, feed and water consumption and body weight changes up to 14 days. The effect of different doses of the extract on organ weight, biochemical and hematological parameters were evaluated on the 15th day. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Methanol extract of Polyalthia longifolia leaf up to the dose level 3240 mg/kg body weight did not produce any toxic effects or deaths; the extract was well tolerated by the rats. It did not alter body weight, feed and water consumption. The organ weight, biochemical and hematological analysis did not show any dose-dependent changes in any of the parameters examined in animals of both sexes. The acute oral administration of the methanol extract of Polyalthia longifolia leaf was not toxic and safe in a single dose.

Anticancer activities of constituents from the stem of Polyalthia rumphii.

Nine known compounds were firstly isolated from the chloroform extract of Polyalthia rumphii stem by anticancer activity guidance, and the chemical structures were identified by using spectroscopic and physico-chemical analysis. Cytotoxic evaluation against four cancer cell lines was performed on all these compounds, which showed that K562 could be significantly inhibited by partial compounds with IC(50) values at the range from 40 to 60 µ/mL.