Mitigation of cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity by Salvia officinalis: Attenuation of oxidative damage and inflammation in rats.

Salvia officinalis L., commonly known as sage and belonging to the Lamiaceae family, is a medicinal herb indigenous to the Mediterranean region. It is celebrated for its diverse pharmacological properties and traditional uses in folk medicine, particularly in addressing hepatotoxicity. Cisplatin (Cis), a potent chemotherapeutic agent widely employed in cancer treatment, is recognized for its efficacy but often accompanied by adverse effects, including hepatotoxicity. The aim of this study was to assess whether an ethanolic S. officinalis extract (ESOE) could provide protection against Cis-induced hepatotoxicity in an experimental rat model. The ESOE was prepared using standard extraction techniques, and its chemical constituents were elucidated through UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis, revealing the presence of bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids, which are associated with various therapeutic effects, including hepatoprotection. Adult male albino rats were allocated into four groups: control, ESOE (250 mg/kg), Cis (7.5 mg/kg), and ESOE (250 mg/kg) + Cis (7.5 mg/kg). The treatment duration lasted 21 days, with Cis administration on the 22nd day. Twenty-four hours post-Cis administration, blood and liver samples were collected for analysis. Cis-induced hepatotoxicity was evidenced by alterations in hematological parameters, including erythrocyte, thrombocyte, leukocyte, and lymphocyte counts, alongside elevated serum levels of liver enzymes (ALT, LDH, AST, ALP, and GGT), indicative of liver damage. Furthermore, Cis exposure resulted in increased hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) and Nitric oxide (NO) levels, oxidative stress markers, coupled with decreased levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), a non-enzymatic antioxidant, and histopathological changes in liver tissue, characterized by necrosis and inflammation. Additionally, Cis treatment led to elevated levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), TNF-α, and IL-6, indicating oxidative stress and inflammation. Remarkably, pretreatment with ESOE ameliorated these Cis-induced hepatotoxic effects, as evidenced by improved hematological parameters, reduced liver enzyme activities, alleviated oxidative stress, and ameliorated histopathological alterations. The observed hepatoprotective effects of ESOE against Cis-induced liver injury may be attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, highlighting its potential as a natural therapeutic agent in mitigating chemotherapy-associated hepatotoxicity.

Cakes fortified with papaya seeds effectively protects against CCl4-induced immunotoxicity.

Maintaining a robust immune system and safeguarding the liver from toxins are crucial for overall health. The study aimed to investigate the immunostimulant effects of papaya seed-enriched cakes (CPS) in countering carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced immunocytotoxicity in rats (n = 48). The rats were divided into six groups (8 each): a control group (Group 1), rats fed cakes containing 15% papaya seeds (Group 2 - CPS), rats exposed only to CCl4 (Group 3 - CCl4), rats injected with CCl4 and administered silymarin (Group 4 - CCl4 + S), rats receiving both CCl4 and cakes with papaya seeds (Group 5 - CCl4 + CPS), and rats receiving both CCl4 and silymarin with papaya seed-enriched cakes (Group 6 - CCl4 + CPS + S). HPLC analysis of papaya seeds revealed the presence of ten polyphenol compounds, with quercetin, apigenin, and catechin identified as major flavonoids, along with pyrogallol, ellagic, and gallic acid as predominant phenolic acids. These compounds displayed potent antioxidant activity, attributed to the seeds' high total phenolic and flavonoid content. The administration of CCl4 significantly affected hematological parameters, liver enzymes, hepatic oxidative stress, levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IgG, as well as IgM. However, rats fed with CPS exhibited mitigation of CCl4-induced toxic effects on hematological parameters and hepatotoxicity. CPS consumption enhanced the antioxidant system, improved inflammatory markers, and immune parameters, restoring them to normal levels. Histopathological analysis confirmed CPS's ability to reduce CCl4-induced hepatocellular necrosis. Immunohistochemical assessment further revealed reduced immunoreactivity against cleaved caspase-3 expression and increased COX2 immunoreactivity, indicating hepatocellular regeneration in CPS. The combination of CPS and silymarin demonstrated even more notable improvements, suggesting augmented protective impacts against CCl4-induced immunosuppression and hepatotoxicity. In conclusion, CPS exhibited antioxidant properties and effectively protected against CCl4-induced immunotoxicity and hepatotoxicity, with additional benefits observed when combined with silymarin. These findings emphasize the potential health advantages of incorporating papaya seeds into food products, promoting immune system health, and safeguarding against liver damage induced by hazardous agents like CCl4.

The Hypoglycemic and Hypolipidemic Effects of Polyphenol-Rich Strawberry Juice on Diabetic Rats.

Obesity and diabetes are some of the most important modern health problems requiring simple preventative or palliative measures using dietary means. This study investigated the impact of strawberry juice on diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in rats using a single intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ). Fifty male rats were divided into five groups: normal control (NC), strawberry juice only (S), diabetic control (DC), and two diabetic groups treated with strawberry juice (DC + S) or metformin (DC + met). Rats were administered a single dose of both strawberry juice and oral metformin, and biochemical and histological analyses were conducted. The experiment was conducted in compliance with the Ethics Committee's regulations for the care and utilization of animals, microorganisms, and living cell cultures in education and scientific research at the Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University (MU/FA/006/12/22). Treatment of diabetic rats with strawberry juice led to a significant decrease in blood glucose. Insulin levels were also significantly increased, while lipid profiles were lowered in the diabetic rats treated with strawberry juice. Carbohydrate metabolism enzymes and antioxidant enzyme activities in the treated rats were restored to normal levels, and the levels of lipid peroxidation and proinflammatory cytokines were notably reduced. The microstructure of pancreatic and liver cells in diabetic rats was also improved with strawberry juice treatment. In addition, HPLC analysis revealed that strawberry juice was rich in flavonoids and phenolic compounds and exhibited potent antioxidant activity. These findings suggest that strawberry juice has considerable hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects on rats with diabetes which may be used in human after further investigations.

Effect of anthocyanin-rich blackberry juice on endoplasmic reticulum stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

This study investigates blackberry juice's effects on glucose metabolism, oxidative stress, inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Fifty Wistar rats were distributed to five groups randomly of ten rats each: Normal control, diabetic control, 9 mL/kg body weight (b.wt) blackberry juice only, blackberry juice plus diabetes, and 500 mg/kg b.wt metformin plus diabetes. A single intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg b.wt STZ induced diabetes in the rats. This animal study continued for 56 days after the confirmation of diabetes. The levels of liver function and renal function, as well as insulin, glucose-6-phosphatase, glucokinase, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were determined. Additionally, interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and activated transcription factor 4 (ATF4) expressions were examined in the liver homogenate of rats. Furthermore, the liver tissues were utilized for histopathological examination. The results showed that blackberry juice prevented drastic loss of body weight and reduced food consumption in diabetic rats. Additionally, the levels of blood glucose, total protein, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), uric acid, creatinine, and urea improved after the administration of blackberry juice in diabetic rats. Blackberry juice significantly increased glucose metabolism and antioxidant status while reducing ER stress and inflammation in diabetic rats. Moreover, blackberry juice improved glucose metabolism by increasing insulin levels and improving the dysregulated activities of glucose-metabolizing enzymes. The microstructure of liver tissues in diabetic rats was also improved with blackberry juice treatment. Therefore, blackberry juice has the potential to alleviate diabetes in rats and could be considered as a functional food for people with diabetes.

Assessment of Bioactive Phytochemicals and Utilization of Rosa canina Fruit Extract as a Novel Natural Antioxidant for Mayonnaise.

The oxidation of food emulsions causes rancidity, which reduces their shelf life. To prevent rancidity, synthetic antioxidants are widely used in the food industry. However, due to their potential health risks, researchers are exploring natural alternatives. This study aimed to investigate whether Rosa canina fruit extract (RCFE) could be used as a natural antioxidant to extend the shelf life of mayonnaise. Mayonnaise containing varying concentrations of RCFE [0.125% (T1), 0.25% (T2), 0.50% (T3), 0.75% (T4)] was compared to a mayonnaise control sample (C1) and a mayonnaise sample containing 0.02% BHT (C2) for 60 days of storage at 4 °C. RCFE was found to have high levels of total phenols content (52.06 ± 1.14 mg GAE g-1), total flavonoids content (26.31 ± 1.03 mg QE g-1), and free radical scavenging activity. The GC-MS analysis of RCFE revealed 39 different peaks, whereas the HPLC analysis showed the presence of 13 polyphenolic compounds in RCFE. The pH values of T2, T3, and T4 mayonnaise samples substantially declined as storage progressed; however, the reduction was less than that of C1 and C2. After 60 days, mayonnaise samples T2, T3, and T4 had greatly reduced peroxide and free fatty acid levels compared to C1 and C2. The mayonnaise enriched with RCFE (T3 and T4) had the most potent antioxidative ability and the lowest value of lipid hydroperoxides (peroxide value, POV) and the lowest value of thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances (TBARS). The sensory evaluation revealed that the T3 sample exhibited the highest overall acceptability. In conclusion, this study recommends that RCFE could be used as a natural preservative to enhance the shelf life of functional foods.

Phytochemical analysis, antioxidant capacities, and in vitro biological activities of the extract of seed coat as by-products of pea.

Converting seed coat peas (hulls) (SCP) into beneficial products provides a solution for waste treatment. This study aimed to investigate the phytoconstituents and biological activities of SCP extract. Phytochemical screening, total bioactive compounds, and GC-MS analysis were evaluated. Then, the antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, and antiviral activities of SCP extract were determined. The results demonstrate that SCP extract has bioactive compounds such as carbohydrates (29.53 ± 4.23 mg/mL), protein (0.24 ± 0.02 mg/mL), phenolics (27.04 ± 0.94 mg GAE/g extract), and flavonoids (17.19 ± 0.48 mg QE/g extract). The existence of more than 16 substances was determined using GC-MS analysis. The extract showed potential antioxidant activities, with the maximum activity seen for extract (IC50 µg/mL) = 79.16 ± 1.77 for DPPH, 67.40 ± 5.20 for ORAC, and 61.22 ± 4.81 for ABTS assays. The SCP extract showed potent antimicrobial activity against four gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Streptomyces sp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella sp.) and two gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas sp.). SCP extract exhibited potential anticancer activity against lymphoma U937 and leukemic cells (THP1). The extract exhibited potential antiviral activity, with a selectivity index (SI) equal to 11.30 and 18.40 against herpes simplex-II (HSV-2) and adenovirus (Ad7), respectively. The results demonstrate more accurate information about peas by-products' chemical and antioxidant activities in various applications. The chemical components of peas by-products were found to have an in vitro antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiviral activity against leukemia and lymphoma.

Efficacy of licorice extract on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, blood indices and antioxidants capacity in broilers.

Some studies have suggested that dietary medicinal plants or herbs may have a variety of biological functions such as anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antifungal, antioxidative stress, and anticarcinogenic activities. The present study was undertaken to assess the incorporation of the extract of licorice supplementation on the growth performance, carcass yield, blood indices, and antioxidative capacity in broilers. Three hundred twenty unsexed one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were allocated randomly into four groups. Chicks in each group were randomly subdivided into eight replicates of ten chicks. The first group received a basal diet and was considered a control. The respective groups received a basal diet supplemented with 1, 2, and 3 g licorice extract/kg diet. The obtained results indicated that supplementation of licorice extract to broiler chicks resulted in heavier BW and weight gain and a better feed conversion ratio during the experimental periods compared with the control group. However, feed consumption increased during the entire growing period. Supplementing the broiler's diet with licorice extract led to a higher value of erythrocytes, leukocytes, haemoglobin, plasma total protein, albumin, and antioxidant concentration and a low value in plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, urea, and total cholesterol. It could be concluded that the dietary addition of licorice extracts 2 and 3 g licorice extract/kg diet improved broiler chicks' growth performance and physiological status.

Phytochemical Profile of the Ethanol Extract of Malvaviscus arboreus Red Flower and Investigation of the Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Cytotoxic Activities

Flowers are rich sources of bioactive antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer components. This study aimed to determine the constituents of the ethanol extract of Malvaviscus arboreus red flower (ERF) by GC-MS analysis and HPLC identification of phenolic compounds and flavonoids, in addition to the 1HNMR fingerprint. The antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities of the ERF were investigated. The GC-MS analysis revealed twenty-one components, while HPLC analysis revealed the presence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The ERF showed antifungal and antibacterial activity. The highest antibacterial activity was found against Vibrio damsela where a time-kill assay revealed a decline in the amount of viable V. damsela. For fungi, the highest activity was observed against Aspergillus terreus. Using the SRB test on HepG2, the anti-proliferative efficacy of the ERF was evaluated. Cell cycle analysis was utilized to determine autophagic cell death. The ERF prevented the proliferation of the HepG2 cell line with an IC50 of 67.182 µg/µL. The extract primarily promoted apoptosis in HepG2 cells by accumulating hypodiploid cells in the sub-G0/G1 phase, increased caspase 3/7 activity, and caused considerable autophagic cell death in apoptosis-deficient cells. Finally, the observed elevation of cancer cell death indicated that ERF had substantial anticancer potential against HepG2 cells.