Analysis of Antioxidant and Antiviral Effects of Olive (Olea europaea L.) Leaf Extracts and Pure Compound Using Cancer Cell Model.

The present study aims to assess the antioxidant and antiviral effectiveness of leaf extracts obtained from Olea europaea L. var. sativa and Olea europaea L. var. sylvestris. The total antioxidant activity was determined via both an ammonium phosphomolybdate assay and a nitric oxide radical inhibition assay. Both extracts showed reducing abilities in an in vitro system and in human HeLa cells. Indeed, after oxidative stress induction, we found that exposition to olive leaf extracts protects human HeLa cells from lipid peroxidation and increases the concentration of enzyme antioxidants such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase. Additionally, OESA treatment affects viral DNA accumulation more than OESY, probably due to the exclusive oleuropein content. In fact, subtoxic concentrations of oleuropein inhibit HSV-1 replication, stimulating the phosphorylation of PKR, c-FOS, and c-JUN proteins. These results provide new knowledge about the potential health benefits and mechanisms of action of oleuropein and oleuropein-rich extracts.

Phytochemical composition of Urtica dioica essential oil with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties: In vitro and in vivo studies.

Background Urtica dioica (Urticaceae) is distinguished by its therapeutic medicinal and pharmacological properties from all over the world. This investigation was designed toassess the chemical composition, the total polyphenol and flavonoid content, antioxidant, anti-proliferative, and anti-inflammatory effects of Urtica dioica essential oil (UDEO). Methods GC/MS analysis was performed to assess the chemical composition, standard antioxidative test DPPH assay, reducing power assay, as well as the anti-proliferative capacities of UDEO against HeLa cell lines using the MTT test. In addition, the anti-inflammatory activities of UDEO were evaluated using paw thickness measurements in rats with carrageenan-induced paw edema and pathologic evaluation of inflammation in paw sections. Results GC/MS analysis revealed benzene dicarboxylic acid (14.69%), ß-linalool (9.79%), phytol (9.52%), menthol (6.65%), borneol (6.45%), 3-Eicosene (E) (6.10%), 1-8 cineole (5.60%) and camphor (5.36%) as the major components of UDEO. In vitro results showed that UDEO contained 191±2.04 mg GAE/g of polyphenols and 83.59±4.7 mg CE/g of flavonoids. In addition, the UDEO showed radical scavenging activity with IC50 = 0.14±0.003 mg/mL and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (optical density=0.556). A side from the UDEO's antioxidant properties, our findings revealed a reduction in ROS generation in the HeLa cell line. Furthermore, the anti-proliferative activity of UDEO is accompanied by acytotoxicity effect (IC50 at 3.20 µg ml-1). Data from inflammation models revealed that UDEO has an anti-inflammatory effect. The pretreatment with UDEO or Indomethacin (Ind) reduced significantly the volume of edema induced by Carr, the level of C-reactive protein (CRP), the reactive thiobarbituric acid (TBARS), the conjugated dienes (CD), the carbonyl proteins (CP) and the advanced protein oxidation products (AOPP). Furthermore, it restored the hematology parameters such as white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes (LYM), and platelets (PLT). In addition, it increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). In UDEO-treated rats, the histopathological examinations of the paws revealed little infiltration of inflammatory cells. Conclusion The decrease in paw edema and human cell lines HeLa cytotoxicity showed that UDEO possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which could be attributed to the high amount of phenolic and flavonoid contents.

In Vitro Anti-HSV-1 Activity of Polyphenol-Rich Extracts and Pure Polyphenol Compounds Derived from Pistachios Kernels (Pistacia vera L.).

Natural compounds are a prominent source of novel antiviral drugs. Several reports have previously shown the antimicrobial activity of pistachio polyphenol extracts. Therefore, the aim of our research was to investigate the activity of polyphenol-rich extracts of natural shelled (NPRE) pistachios kernels (Pistacia vera L.) on herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) replication. The Vero cell line was used to assess the cytotoxicity and antiviral activity. The cell viability was calculated by detection of cellular ATP after treatment with various concentrations of NPRE. For antiviral studies, five nontoxic-concentrations (0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 mg/mL) were tested. Our study demonstrated that treatment with NPRE (0.4, 0.6, 0.8 mg/mL) reduced the expression of the viral proteins ICP8 (infected cell polypeptide 8), UL42 (unique long UL42 DNA polymerase processivity factor) , and US11 (unique short US11 protein), and resulted in a decrease of viral DNA synthesis. The 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50), 50% inhibitory concentration (EC50), and the selectivity index (SI) values for NPRE were 1.2 mg/mL, 0.4mg/mL, and 3, respectively. Furthermore, we assessed the anti-herpetic effect of a mix of pure polyphenol compounds (NS MIX) present in NPRE. In conclusion, our findings indicate that natural shelled pistachio kernels have remarkable inhibitory activity against HSV-1.

Lawsonia inermis essential oil: extraction optimization by RSM, antioxidant activity, lipid peroxydation and antiproliferative effects.

BACKGROUND: The present study was focused on the optimization of yield of the essential oil extraction from leaves of Lawsonia inermis, and the determination of chemical composition, antioxidant activities, and lipid peroxydation and antiproliferative effects. METHODS: Henna essential oil (HeEO) were extracted by hydrodistillation; the identification of the chemical composition were done by GC/MS method. HeEO was analyzed for antioxidant power in: (1) chemical system by the DPPH test, the ABTS test and the total antioxidant activity test; and (2) in biological system by lipid peroxydation tests (MDA and DC) in cells culture. The cytotoxicity effects of HeEO were assessed using MTT assay against Raji and HeLa cell lines. RESULTS: The optimal extraction yield was 6.8 g/100 g d.b. HeEO showed a remarkable anti-oxidant activities including DDPH (42%), ABTS (87%) and the power of ammonium phosphomolybdate (2992 ± 230 mg of HeEO by equivalent to 1 mg of vitamin C in terms of total antioxidant power). CONCLUSION: Beyond notable antioxidant activities of the HeEo, our results showed a significant decrease in the production of ERO in the Raji cell line. The anti-tumor power of the Henna essential oil shows an interesting cytotoxicity effect (IC50 at 0.26 µg/mL for Raji and at 1.43 µg/mL for HeLa) with a total mortality percentage reaching 60%, for both.