Unraveling the chemical profile, antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, cytotoxic potential of different extracts from Astragalus caraganae.

Six extracts (water, ethanol, ethanol-water, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and n-hexane) of Astragalus caraganae were studied for their biological activities and bioactive contents. Based on high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), the ethanol-water extract yielded the highest total bioactive content (4242.90 µg g-1 ), followed by the ethanol and water extracts (3721.24 and 3661.37 µg g-1 , respectively), while the least total bioactive content was yielded by the hexane extract, followed by the dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts (47.44, 274.68, and 688.89 µg g-1 , respectively). Rutin, p-coumaric, chlorogenic, isoquercitrin, and delphindin-3,5-diglucoside were among the major components. Unlike the dichloromethane extracts, all the other extracts showed radical scavenging ability in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay (8.73-52.11 mg Trolox equivalent [TE]/g), while all extracts displayed scavenging property in the 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assay (16.18-282.74 mg TE/g). The extracts showed antiacetylcholinesterase (1.27-2.73 mg galantamine equivalent [GALAE]/g), antibutyrylcholinesterase (0.20-5.57 mg GALAE/g) and antityrosinase (9.37-63.56 mg kojic acid equivalent [KAE]/g) effects. The molecular mechanism of the H2 O2 -induced oxidative stress pathway was aimed to be elucidated by applying ethanol, ethanol/water and water extracts at 200 µg/mL concentration to human dermal cells (HDFs). A. caraganae in HDF cells had neither a cytotoxic nor genotoxic effect but could have a cytostatic effect in increasing concentrations. The findings have allowed a better insight into the pharmacological potential of the plant, with respect to their chemical entities and bioactive contents, as well as extraction solvents and their polarity.

GC/MS Profiling, In Vitro and In Silico Pharmacological Screening and Principal Component Analysis of Essential Oils from Three Exotic and Two Endemic Plants from Mauritius.

The chemical and pharmacological profiles of essential oils (EOs) hydrodistilled in yields of 0.03-0.77 % (w/w) from three exotic (Cinnamomum camphora, Petroselinum crispum, and Syzygium samarangense) and two endemic (Pittosporum senacia subsp. senacia and Syzygium coriaceum) medicinal plants were studied. GC-MS/GC-FID analysis of the EOs identified the most dominant components to be myristicin (40.3 %), myrcene (62.2 %), 1,8-cineole (54.0 %), ß-pinene (21.3 %) and (E)-ß-ocimene (24.4 %) in P. crispum, P. senacia and C. camphora, S. samarangense and S. coriaceum EOs, respectively. All EOs were found to possess anti-amylase (0.70-1.50 mM ACAE/g EO) and anti-tyrosinase (109.35-158.23 mg KAE/g) properties, whereas no glucosidase inhibition was displayed. Only Syzygium EOs acted as dual inhibitors of both acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterases, while P. senacia and C. camphora EOs inhibited acetylcholinesterase selectively and P. crispum EO was inactive (AChE: 4.64-4.96 mg GALAE/g; BChE: 5.96 and 7.10 mg GALAE/g). Molecular docking revealed 1,8-cineole to present the best binding affinities with butyrylcholinesterase, amylase and tyrosinase, while both myristicin and ß-pinene with acetylcholinesterase and finally ß-pinene with glucosidase. In vitro antioxidant potency was also demonstrated in different assays (DPPH: 13.52-53.91 mg TE/g, ABTS: 5.49-75.62 mg TE/g; CUPRAC: 45.38-243.21 mg TE/g, FRAP: 42.49-110.64 mg TE/g; and phosphomolybdenum assay: 82.61-160.93 mM TE/g). Principal component analysis revealed the EOs to differ greatly in their bioactivities due to their chemodiversity. This study has unveiled some interesting preliminary pharmacological profiles of the EOs that could be explored for their potential applications as phytotherapeutics.

Essential Oils as Natural Sources of Fragrance Compounds for Cosmetics and Cosmeceuticals.

Fragrance is an integral part of cosmetic products and is often regarded as an overriding factor in the selection of cosmetics among consumers. Fragrances also play a considerable role in masking undesirable smells arising from fatty acids, oils and surfactants that are commonly used in cosmetic formulations. Essential oils are vital assets in the cosmetic industry, as along with imparting pleasant aromas in different products, they are able to act as preservatives and active agents and, simultaneously, offer various benefits to the skin. Moreover, the stimulating demand for natural ingredients has contributed massively to a renewed interest in cosmetic and wellness industries in plant derivatives, especially essential oils. This has led popular cosmetic companies to endorse natural fragrances and opt for minimally processed natural ingredients, given the potentially adverse health risks associated with artificial fragrance chemicals, which are major elements of cosmetics. Among the high-valued essential oils used as fragrances are citrus, lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree and other floral oils, among others, while linalool, geraniol, limonene, citronellol, and citral are much-appreciated fragrance components used in different cosmetics. Thus, this review aimed to highlight the enormous versatility of essential oils as significant sources of natural fragrances in cosmetics and cosmeceuticals. Moreover, a special focus will be laid on the different aspects related to essential oils such as their sources, market demand, chemistry, fragrance classification, aroma profile, authenticity and safety.

Lamium Plants-A Comprehensive Review on Health Benefits and Biological Activities.

This work is an updated snapshot of Lamium plants and their biological activities. The main features of the plant are described and the components of its essential oils are summarized. The traditional medicinal uses of Lamium plants has been reported. The presence of these chemicals i.e., hydroxycinnamic acids, iridoids, secoiridoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenylpropanoids, phytoecdysteroids, benzoxazinoids, betaine can provide biological activities. After the discussion of antioxidant properties documented for Lamium plants, the biological activities, studied using in vitro models, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive activity, and pain therapy and cytotoxicity and cytoprotective activity are here described and discussed. Finally, targeted examples of in vivo studies are reported.

Endemic and Indigenous Plants from Mascarene Islands with Antiviral Propensities.

BACKGROUND: Antiviral resistance and inefficiency of available antiviral drugs to effectively treat viral infections have prompted many researchers worldwide to explore medicinal plants and their isolated compounds as alternative antivirals. The rich flora from the Mascarene Islands has also been thoroughly studied for their wide therapeutic activities, including their antiviral properties. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to highlight the antiviral propensities of Mascarene endemic and indigenous medicinal plants. METHODOLOGY: A review of the literature was conducted via major databases and other primary sources of information. The inhibitory concentration/effective dose causing 50% viral inhibition (IC50/ED50), cytotoxic concentration causing 50% reduction in cell viability (CC50), and selectivity index (SI) were reported, and mechanisms of antiviral action were also discussed. RESULTS: Stillingia lineata was the most effective against chikungunya virus (SI: 10.9), and among its isolated compounds, 12-O-acetylphorbol-13(2″-methyl)- butyrate and 12-deoxyphorbol- 13(2″-methyl)butyrate were the most potent and selective inhibitors of chikungunya virus replication (SI: 41 and >240, respectively). 12-O-acetylphorbol-13(2″-methyl)- butyrate, 12ß-O-[nona- 2Z,4E,6E-trienoyl]-4α-deoxyphorbol-13-butyrate, 12-deoxyphorbol-13(2″-methyl)butyrate, and 12-deoxyphorbol-13-[8'-oxohexadeca-2E,4E,6E-trienoate showed strong selective antiviral effect on human immunodeficiency virus-I (SI: 36-899) and II (SI: 33-2056). Obetia ficifolia and Erythroxylon laurifolium were most active against the herpes virus (SI: 18.5 and 16, respectively). Labourdonnaisia glauca showed potent anti-poliovirus activity (SI: 40), while Badula insularis, Labourdonnaisia glauca and Myonima violacea were active against rhinovirus (SI: 1.3-2.5). Both anti-zika and anti-dengue virus activities were reported for Aphloia theiformis, Doratoxylon apetalum, Phyllanthus phillyreifolius and Psiloxylon mauritianum. CONCLUSION: Promising spectrum of antiviral properties notably against zika, dengue, chikungunya, polio-, rhino-, herpes, and human immunodeficiency viruses were presented by the Mascarene plants suggesting them as viable candidates for the potential development of effective natural antiviral drugs.

Comprehensive evaluation of two Astragalus species (A. campylosema and A. hirsutus) based on biological, toxicological properties and chemical profiling.

Astragalus L. (Fabaceae) is an important genus with numerous species having various traditional medicinal uses making them of interest for scientific investigations to ascertain their therapeutic benefits. In the present study, the quantitative polyphenolic profiles of methanolic extracts from different parts (leaves, flowers, and roots) of two endemic Astragalus species growing in Turkey, i.e. A. campylosema Boiss. and A. hirsutus Vahl were determined, along with their antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties. A. campylosema and A. hirsutus extracts showed varying total phenolic (25.80-40.60 and18.59-29.46 mg GAE/g, respectively) and total flavonoid (11.21-105.91 and 16.06-131.91 mg RE/g, respectively) contents. HPLC-MS/MS revealed rutin to be the predominant phenolic compound in all the extracts of A. campylosema and leaf extract of A. hirsutus (133.53-752.42 µg g-1), while hyperoside was the major one in the flower and root extracts of A. hirsutus (2014.07 and 123.13 µg g-1, respectively). In DPPH and ABTS assays, radical scavenging capacity was demonstrated by all extracts of A. campylosema (47.13-48.10 and 87.03-115.36 mg TE/g, respectively) and A. hirsutus (17.82-38.67 and 47.84-57.29 mg TE/g, respectively). Reducing activity was also displayed by the extracts in CUPRAC and FRAP assays (A. campylosema: 83.06-135.20 and 59.15-90.19 mg TE/g, respectively; A. hirsutus: 53.02-83.42 and 31.25-43.25 mg TE/g, respectively). All extracts were also found to act as metal chelators (12.32-21.45 mg EDTAE/g) and exhibited total antioxidant capacity ranging from 1.16 to 1.60 mmol TE/g, in phosphomolybdenum assay. Acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterase inhibitory effects were observed by all the extracts of the two species (1.56-4.99 mg GALAE/g). Anti-hyperpigmentation potential by inhibiting tyrosinase (54.55-67.35 mg KAE/g) was reported as well. Carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes, amylase and glucosidase were also inhibited (0.22-1.03 mmol ACAE/g). Overall, A. campylosema extracts showed relatively better antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory potentials compared to A. hirsutus extracts. Strikingly, A. hirsutus extracts was found to have higher AGE inhibition activity than A. campylosema. Although the cytotoxic effect of three different organs obtained from A. campylosema and A. hirsutus increased depending on the dose (from 10 to 200 µg/mL), it was found that both plant extracts did not show a genotoxic effect at the highest concentration of 200 µg/mL. Indeed, data amassed from this current scientific work showed the two selected Astragalus species to be rich in bioactive polyphenols that could be responsible for the various pharmacological activities and hence demands to be further explored for their possible applications as natural health promoting agents.

Comprehensive chemical characterization and biological evaluation of two Acacia species: A. nilotica and A. ataxacantha.

The genus Acacia (Family Leguminosae) is composed of several medicinal plants used for treating miscellaneous diseases. Amid the important members of this genus, A. nilotica and A. ataxacantha are widely employed for their tremendous healing properties. Hence, this present work aimed to determine the total phenolic and flavonoid contents and investigate the antioxidant, antiproliferative, anti-enzyme and antimicrobial potentials of methanolic and water extracts of leaves and stem bark of A. nilotica and A. ataxacantha obtained by maceration and ultrasonication. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were obtained in the range of 33.35-116.60 mg GAE/g and 0.26-49.90 mg RE/g, respectively, with the methanolic leaf extracts of both species showing the highest contents. Moreover, the methanolic extracts were observed to display higher antioxidant potentials in almost all antioxidant assays performed compared to the water extracts (ABTS: 52.66-943.81 mg TE/g, DPPH: 8.51-493.90 mg TE/g, CUPRAC: 106.39-1193.75 mg TE/g; FRAP: 31.38-416.21 mg TE/g, and phosphomolybdenum: 0.90-4.17 mM TE/g). However, the water extracts were seen to be better metal chelators than the methanolic extracts (8.47-36.85 mg EDTAE/g). Additionally, all extracts were found to exhibit anti-tyrosinase (30.79-74.80 mg KAE/g) and anti-amylase (0.10-1.10 mM ACAE/g) properties. With the exception of a few extracts, glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase inhibitions (1.69-2.12 mg ACAE/g and 0.42-2.61 mg GALAE/g, respectively) were also demonstrated. While the methanolic extracts of both species showed antimicrobial potency against all the 18 tested microorganisms (gram positive, gram negative, and fungi), the water extracts were effective only against the gram positive bacteria. The extracts were also found to exhibit antiproliferative effects on SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, with the methanolic extracts showing higher cytotoxic potential than the water extracts. Therefore, this study showed these species to be good sources of antioxidants, enzyme inhibitors, antimicrobials and antiproliferative agents, which could be of great interest for their applications as natural bioactive ingredients in the development of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.

Chemical Composition and Biological Properties of Two Jatropha Species: Different Parts and Different Extraction Methods.

Jatropha L. species, in particular, J. curcas and J. gossypiifolia, are well known medicinal plants used for treating various diseases. In the present study, leaf and stem bark extracts of J. curcas and J. gossypiifolia obtained by maceration or homogenizer assisted extraction, were investigated for their phytochemical contents and biological potential as antioxidants, enzyme inhibitors and neuromodulators. In this regard, the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was investigated in hypothalamic HypoE22 cells. Finally, a bioinformatics analysis was carried out with the aim to unravel the putative mechanisms consistent with both metabolomic fingerprints and pharmacological effects. The leaf extracts of J. curcas showed higher total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) than the stem bark extracts (range: 5.79-48.95 mg GAE/g and 1.64-13.99 mg RE/g, respectively), while J. gossypiifolia possessed TPC and TFC in the range of 42.62-62.83 mg GAE/g and 6.97-17.63 mg RE/g, respectively. HPLC-MS/MS analysis revealed that the leaf extracts of both species obtained by homogenizer assisted extraction are richer in phytochemical compounds compared to the stem bark extracts obtained by the same extraction method. In vitro antioxidant potentials were also demonstrated in different assays (DPPH: 6.89-193.93 mg TE/g, ABTS: 20.20-255.39 mg TE/g, CUPRAC: 21.07-333.30 mg TE/g, FRAP: 14.02-168.93 mg TE/g, metal chelating activity: 3.21-17.51 mg EDTAE/g and phosphomolybdenum assay: 1.76-3.55 mmol TE/g). In particular, the leaf extract of J. curcas and the stem bark extract of J. gossypiifolia, both obtained by homogenizer assisted extraction, showed the most potent antioxidant capacity in terms of free radical scavenging and reducing activity, which could be related to their higher TPC and TFC. Furthermore, anti-neurodegenerative (acetylcholinesterase inhibition: 1.12-2.36 mg GALAE/g; butyrylcholinetserase inhibition: 0.50-3.68 mg GALAE/g), anti-hyperpigmentation (tyrosinase inhibition: 38.14-57.59 mg KAE/g) and antidiabetic (amylase inhibition: 0.28-0.62 mmol ACAE/g; glucosidase inhibition: 0.65-0.81 mmol ACAE/g) properties were displayed differentially by the different extracts. Additionally, the extracts were effective in reducing the gene expression of both TNFα and BDNF, which could be partially mediated by phenolic compounds such as naringenin, apigenin and quercetin. Indeed, the scientific data obtained from the present study complement the several other reports highlighting the pharmacological potentials of these two species, thus supporting their uses as therapeutically active plants.

Deeper Insights on Alchornea cordifolia (Schumach. & Thonn.) Müll.Arg Extracts: Chemical Profiles, Biological Abilities, Network Analysis and Molecular Docking.

Alchornea cordifolia (Schumach. & Thonn.) Müll. Arg. is a well-known African medicinal plant traditionally used for various healing purposes. In the present study, methanolic, ethyl acetate and infusion extracts of A. cordifolia leaves were studied for their total phenolic and flavonoid contents and screened for their chemical composition. Moreover, the enzyme (acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterases, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and tyrosinase) inhibitory and cytotoxicity activities on HepG2: human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, B16 4A5: murine melanoma cells, and S17: murine bone marrow (normal) cells of extracts were evaluated. Finally, components-targets and docking analyzes were conducted with the aim to unravel the putative mechanisms underlying the observed bio-pharmacological effects. Interestingly, the infusion and methanolic extracts showed significantly higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents compared with the ethyl acetate extract (TPC: 120.38-213.12 mg GAE/g and TFC: 9.66-57.18 mg RE/g). Besides, the methanolic extracts followed by the infusion extracts were revealed to contain a higher number of compounds (84 and 74 compounds, respectively), while only 64 compounds were observed for the ethyl acetate extract. Gallic acid, ellagic acid, shikimic acid, rutin, quercetin, myricetin, vitexin, quercitrin, kaempferol, and naringenin were among the compounds that were commonly identified in all the studied extracts. Additionally, the methanolic and infusion extracts displayed higher antioxidant capacity than ethyl acetate extract in all assays performed. In ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging assays, the methanol extract (500.38 mg TE/g for DPPH and 900.64 mg TE/g for ABTS) exhibited the best ability, followed by the water and ethyl acetate extracts. Furthermore, the extracts exhibited differential enzyme inhibitory profiles. In particular, the methanolic and infusion extracts showed better cytotoxic selectivity activity against human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Overall, this study demonstrated A cordifolia to be a species worthy of further investigations, given its richness in bioactive phytochemicals and wide potentialities for antioxidants and pharmacological agents.