LC-ESI/MS-Phytochemical Profiling with Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antiviral and In Silico Pharmacological Properties of Algerian Asphodelus tenuifolius (Cav.) Organic Extracts.

Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav. (A. tenuifolius) is a medicinal plant with a long history of traditional use to treat ailments. In this study, total phenolic and flavonoid content evaluation using LC-ESI/MS analysis and various biological activities (antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and cytotoxicity) of organic extracts from the aerial parts of A. tenuifolius were analyzed. ADME tools were used to predict the potential of the identified compounds from the most potent extract as specific drugs. As shown, LC-ESI/MS results of chloroformic extract allowed the tentative identification of 12 compounds. Chloroformic extract was rich in polyphenols and flavonoids and exhibited the highest antioxidant activity given by DPPH (IC50 = 25 µg/mL) as compared to the BHT standard (11.5 µg/mL) and ß-carotene bleaching assays (IC50 = 95.692 µg/mL). Antibacterial activity results showed that chloroformic extract has a highest activity against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, especially against Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 (IZ = 19.3 mm, MIC = 18.75 mg/mL, MBC = 37.5 mg/mL). The MBC/MIC ratio was evaluated to interpret the activity that was bacteriostatic rather than bactericidal. Conversely, weaker antifungal activity was registered, and no antiviral activity was observed for all extracts against Herpes Simplex Virus type 2 and Coxsakievirus B-3 viruses. Cytotoxic activity on VERO cell line results revealed that butanol extract was not toxic, with CC50 value of 1430 µg/mL, while chloroformic extract showed moderate cytotoxicity. Additionally, in silico studies performed proved promising pharmacokinetic and drug-likeness properties of the main compounds from the chloroformic extract. Taken together, this work highlights the potent bioactivity and acceptable drug-likeness of this plant, which supports its further preclinical development.

Synthesis and in-vitro anticancer evaluation of polyarsenicals related to the marine sponge derived Arsenicin A.

In the light of the promising bioactivity of the tetraarsenic marine metabolite arsenicin A, the dimethyl analogue 2 and four isomeric methylene homologues (including the natural product itself) were obtained using a one-pot microwave-assisted synthesis, starting from arsenic (III) oxide. Due to the poor diagnostic value of the NMR technique in the structural elucidation of these molecules, they were fully characterized by mass spectrometry and infrared (IR)-spectroscopy, comparing density functional theory (DFT) simulated and experimental spectra. This synthetic procedure provided a fast and efficient access to the cytotoxicity evaluation of organoarsenical leads of the natural hit molecule. From in vitro screening, each tested compound resulted in being more active than the FDA-approved arsenic trioxide, with the most lipophilic molecule in the series showing the best growth inhibition of both leukemia and solid tumor cell lines. These results may open promising perspectives in the development of new more potent and selective arsenical drugs against solid tumors.

Bioactive poly(arsenic) compounds.

An overview of the biological activities of arsenic compounds containing more than one arsenic atom in their molecular structure is presented. This contribution covers the literature of the last 10-12 years concerning the in vitro and in vivo studies on arsenic species. They include inorganic oxides and sulfides, already employed for a long time in traditional Chinese medicine and currently investigated against hematological or solid malignancies, with arsenic trioxide clinically used in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. Chemical and biological aspects on the marine product arsenicin A, representing the first and only organic polyarsenical isolated from Nature, have also been reviewed, pointing out the characterization of its C3H6As4O3 molecular structure by experimental and theoretical vibrational spectroscopies, the potent antimicrobial activities, and the promising perspectives as an antitumor agent.