Two new compounds from endemic Centaurea paphlagonica (Bornm.) Wagenitz and their cytotoxic activities.

Centaurea paphlagonica (Bornm.) Wagenitz is an endemic plant in Turkey. Pyrocatechol, vanillic acid, 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid, 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid, tamarixetin, chlorogenic acid methyl ester, quercetin, 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid, tamarixetin-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside, quercimetrin, daucosterin, paphlagonicanin B, tamarixetin-7-O-ß-rutinoside, rutin, chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, orientin, 3-O-feruloylquinic acid, quercetagetin-3-methyl ether 6-O-ß-glucopyranoside, diosmetin 6-C-ß-glucopyranoside, quercetagetin 4'-methyl ether 7-O-ß-glucopyranoside, paphlagonicanin A, nepetin, cirsiliol, desacylcynaropicrin, and 8α-O-(2',3'-dihydroxyisobutyryl) desacylcynaropicrin were isolated from both flower and aerial parts of C. paphlagonica. These compounds were identified using 1D and 2D NMR methods and ESI-MS. The MTT assay assessed the antiproliferative activities of all isolated (known and new compounds) compounds on Caco-2, LNCaP, A549, HeLa, and HEK-293 cell lines. The 8α-O-(2',3'-dihydroxyisobutyryl) desacylcynaropicrin demonstrated the highest activity against CaCo-2 and HeLa cancer cell lines.

Analysis of bioactive compounds using LC-ESI-MS/MS, cytotoxic, antimicrobial effects, and enzyme activities from Cyclotrichium origanifolium.

Cyclotrichium origanifolium is a medicinal plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. In this study, phenolic content analysis, antimicrobial effects, and cytotoxic effects of extracts of C. origanifolium were investigated. In the extracts, phenolic compound analysis by the liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method, antimicrobial effect by the minimum inhibition concentration method, and cytotoxic effect on human dermal fibroblasts (HDF), glioblastoma cell (U87), ovarian adenocarcinoma cell (Skov-3), and human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell (CaCo-2) cancer cell lines were investigated. Cytotoxicity analyses were performed by the MTT method. In addition, the GST and AChE enzyme activities of the extracts were also measured. Around 18 compounds were detected in both the methanol and ethanol extract. It was found that the best antimicrobial effect on Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa was on methanol extract, while the ethanol extract was on Candida albicans fungus (respectively, 2.50 mg/ml, 5.0 µg/ml). A 500 µg/ml of methanol extract has been shown to have cytotoxic activity high effect on HDF cells. GST and AChE activity were found to decrease in a concentration-dependent manner.

Three new iridoids from the aerial parts of Nepeta teucriifolia Willd. and antiproliferative activities of extracts.

The aerial parts of Nepeta teucriifolia Willd. were extracted with the solvents of different polarities. The antiproliferative activities of the extracts were evaluated against rat brain tumor (C6) and human cervix carcinoma (HeLa) cell lines. The phytochemical screening of the extracts was performed with TOF-LC/MS. The CH2Cl2 and EtOAc extracts showed considerable antiproliferative activities against HeLa cells at higher concentration (250 µg mL-1). The CH2Cl2 extract was found more active than the others on both cells. The phytochemical studies of the active extract led to the isolation of three new iridoids, teucriifolian A-C (1-3). The structure elucidations of the new compounds were performed using HPLC-TOF/MS, 1D and 2D NMR techniques. The compounds 1-3 were evaluated in terms of their antiproliferative activities against HeLa and C6 cells, respectively. The results indicated that only 2 had moderate antiproliferative activity against HeLa cells at 250 µg mL-1.

Chemical characterisation, hypoglycaemic and renoprotective effects of aqueous leaf extract of Limoniastrum guyonianum on fructose-induced metabolic syndrome in rats.

In the present study, we chemically characterised the aqueous leaf extract of Limoniastrum guyonianum by HPLC-TOF/MS and evaluated its effects on fructose-induced metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Wistar rats. MetS groups were given (10% w/v) fructose solution to drink ad libitum for 9 weeks, whereas, normal animals received ordinary water. LG extract was administrated to treated groups by gavage for the last 6 weeks of the experimental period. Fructose feeding as a liquid solution increased body weight, reduced insulin sensitivity, raised blood glucose level and provoked atherogenic dyslipidemia associated with renal oxidative stress and structural damage. Treating MetS rats with LG extract at doses of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg b.w./day considerably ameliorated the fructose-induced alterations. From this study, it was concluded that aqueous leaf extract of L. guyonianum possesses hypoglycaemic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant and renoprotective abilities against fructose-induced metabolic syndrome in rats.

Chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of two essential oils from Algerian propolis.

This study aims to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity of two essential oils (EOs) from Algerian propolis. The volatile constituents were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fifty components were identified from the oils. The major components were found to be: cedrol (17.0%), ß-eudesmol (7.7%), and α-eudesmol (6.7%) in EO of propolis from Oum El Bouaghi (EOPO) whilst α-pinene (56.1%), cis-verbenol (6.0%), and cyclohexene,3-acetoxy-4-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-1-methyl (4.4%) in EO of propolis from Batna (EOPB). The antioxidant properties of EOPO and EOPB were determined using 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS•+) and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC assays), respectively. Both EOs had more cupric ion reducing ability than scavenging ABTS•+ radicals. The antimicrobial potential of the two EOs against eight pathogens was assayed by the agar diffusion method and the mode of action was determined by microdilution assay. The results revealed that EOPB was bactericidal for all tested pathogenic bacteria and fungicidal for Candida albicans ATCC 10231, whereas, EOPO showed bacteriostatic effect against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853 and fungistatic effect against C. albicans ATCC 10231. Thus, the obtained results suggest the important use of propolis EOs as preservative agents.

LC/MS-MS Analyses and in vitro anticancer activity of Tourneuxia variifolia extracts.

Several Saharan plants, despite their abundance of natural compounds, have received little attention. In this study, the chemical composition of polar extracts of Tourneuxia variifolia Coss. (Asteraceae), an endemic species to Algerian Sahara, was investigated and their anticancer activity was evaluated in vitro. The phytoconstituents of both ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and n-butanol (n-BuOH) extracts were screened using LC/MS-MS technique. The anticancer activity of the above extracts was measured against human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cell line. The LC/MS-MS analyses results revealed that twenty-seven phytochemicals in EtOAc extract and twenty-three in n-BuOH extract were identified and quantified from which isoquercetin and astragalin were the most present. Moreover; the EtOAc extract was found to have a strong anticancer activity (IC50: 46.797 ± 0.060 µg/mL). These findings identified T. variifolia as a potential plant exhibiting anticancer properties.

The isolation of secondary metabolites from Rheum ribes L. and the synthesis of new semi-synthetic anthraquinones: Isolation, synthesis and biological activity.

Rheum ribes L. (Rhubarb) is one of the most important edible medicinal plants in the Eastern Anatolia region and is called "Iskin" by local people. Resveratrol and 6-O-methylalaternin were isolated from the Rhubarb for the first time in addition to well-known secondary metabolites including emodin, aloe-emodin, ß-sitosterol and rutin. The new semi-synthetic anthraquinone derivatives with the NαFmoc-l-Lys and ethynyl group were synthesized from the isolated anthraquinones emodin and aloe-emodin of Rhubarb to increase the bioactivities. Aloe-emodin derivative with NαFmoc-l-Lys shows the highest inhibition values by 94.11 ± 0.12 and 82.38 ± 0.00% against HT-29 and HeLa cell lines, respectively, at 25 µg/mL. Further, modification of the aloe-emodin with both the ethynyl and the NαFmoc-l-Lys groups showed an antioxidant activity-enhancing effect. From molecular docking studies, the relative binding energies of the emodin and aloe-emodin derivatives to human serum albumin ranged from -7.30 and -10.62 kcal/mol.

The cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity analysis of the isolated constituents and extracts from endemic Centaurea derderiifolia.

It is aimed to investigate the cytotoxic effects of the various extracts from the leaf and seed of Centaurea derderiifolia on the growth human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells by xCELLigence method and to isolate the cytotoxic constituents. The results showed that subfractions 2 and 3 exhibited remarkable inhibitory effect against HeLa (IC50 < 10 µg/mL). The chloroform extract of leaf displayed the highest cytotoxic effect on HeLa cells (IC50 < 50 µg/mL) and was therefore subjected to a bioassay-guided multistep separation procedure. The pure compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic and mass-spectrometric analyses, including 1 D-, 2 D-NMR. In addition to cytotoxic effects of the isolated constituents, their antioxidant activities were also studied. On the other hand, subfraction 4 exhibited the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 0.76 ± 0.03 mg/mL). ß-sitosterol-3-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside was isolated for the first time from this plant and three compounds from the bioactive subfractions were identified.

The Molecular Characterization and Biological Assessment of the Leaves Extracts of Loofah Reveal their Nutraceutical Potential.

BACKGROUND: Luffa cylindrica is a plant that is widely distributed in Africa and Asia and can be grown in regions with tropical or subtropical climates. Few patents dealt with Loofah biological properties, including some functional foods formulated from its leaves. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to structurally and functionally characterize the bioactive compounds of L. cylindrica leaves grown in two different environments. METHODS: The extracts of L. cylindrica leaves collected from two Tunisian locations: Essouasi (LE), a semi-arid region and Medenine (LM), an arid region, were investigated for their phenolic compounds and fatty acids using HPLC/TOF-MS and GC-MS techniques, respectively. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity was evaluated with DPPH, Chelating effect, Hydroxyl radical and Superoxide anion scavenging activities while the anticancer activity against HeLa cell lines was assessed using xCELLigence real time cell analyzer and lactate dehydrogenase cytotoxicity assay. RESULTS: The antiproliferative capacity of both extracts was time and dose-dependent, with LE presenting the lowest HeLa cell index (CI = 0.035 ± 0.018, 250 µg/ml). LE also showed the best cytotoxic capacity (56.49 ± 0.8%) and antioxidant potential (IC50 = 54.41 ± 1.12 µg/ml for DPPH and 12.12 ± 0.07 µg/ml for chelating effect). 14 phenolic compounds were detected in LE, with ferulic acid being the major compound (5128.5 ± 4.09 µg Phenols/g), while LM had only 6 phenolics. GCMS analysis showed the presence of omega-3 fatty acids in LE. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that L. cylindrica leaves, especially when collected from semiarid regions, are promising for formulating nutraceuticals of interest.

Chemical Constituents, Antioxidant, Anticholinesterase and Antiproliferative Effects of Algerian Pistacia atlantica Desf. Extracts.

BACKGROUND: Pistacia atlantica Desf. (Anacardiaceae) has various applications for dietetic and medicinal purposes. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate antioxidant, antiproliferative and anticholinesterase activities of different extracts from leaf and stem of Pistacia atlantica Desf. METHODS: The antioxidant activity was performed by four methods: DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC and reducing power assays. Anti-cholinesterase activity was performed against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and Butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) enzymes. Antiproliferative assays were investigated against HeLa cell lines using xCELLigence RTCA instrument. The secondary metabolites composition was established by HPLC-TOF/MS analysis. RESULTS: In DPPH, reducing power and in ABTS .+ scavenging activity, all the extracts showed strong inhibitory activity compared to synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), in which the activities were almost equal to the two standards. The results were less significant in CUPRAC assay. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extracts exhibited the best antioxidant activity in all tests. Moreover, P. atlantica extracts inhibited AChE and BChE activities in a dose-dependent manner. The strongest AChE and BuChE inhibition activities were obtained for EtOAc extract of the stem (IC50 values 15.14±0.74 and 24.01±0.21 µg/mL, respectively) compared to galantamine (IC50 values 6.27±1.15 and 34.75±1.99 µg/mL, respectively). P. atlantica extracts also showed significant antiproleferative activity against HeLa cell lines, the best antiproleferative activity was obtained for the methanol and EtOAc extracts. The observed biological activities can be attributed to the presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in the extracts. The HPLC-TOF/MS analysis identified the presence of 22 phytochemicals. Gallic acid and rutin were the main compounds detected. Cichoric, gentisic, vanillic, protocatechuic and rosmarinic acids as well as catechin and quercetin were also present. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated good antioxidant, anticholinesterase and antiproliferative activities of P. atlantica extracts, which opens up new possibilities for pharmaceutical and food industries.

Metabolomics of endemic six Astragalus species by combined NMR and GC-MS analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Astragalus anthylloides, A. dipsaceus, A. karamasicus, A. lycius, A. sigmoideus and A. xylobasis var. angustus are an endemic and generally grow in the Irano-Turanian phytogeographic region of Turkey. Astragalus species contain saponins, polysaccharides, and phenolics, while the toxic compounds include imidazoline alkaloids, nitro toxins, and selenium derivatives. OBJECTIVES: To apply a combined metabolomic fingerprinting approach by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of endemic six Astragalus species extract. METHODOLOGY: The whole plant collected in Turkey of six endemic Astragalus subsp. were dried and then extracted with hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate, n-butanol and methanol solvents, respectively. The hexane extracts were analyzed by GC-MS. Carbon-13 (13 C)-NMR analyzes of all extracts were performed. In both analyses, a biomarker was obtained. RESULTS: The hexane extracts were determined as palmitic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, and linolenic acid as the main components. As a result of 13 C-NMR analyzes, in hexane, chloroform, and ethylacetate the extracts detected were palmitic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, and linolenic acid. d-Pinitol was obtained using 13 C-NMR analyzes with n-butanol and methanol extracts. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that d-pinitol is a biomarker for the endemic six Astragalus subsp.

Characterization of ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts of Cymbopogon schoenanthus and Helianthemum lippii and their effect on the smooth muscle of the rat distal colon.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE: Cymbopogon schoenanthus (C. schoenanthus) and Helianthemum lippii (H. lippii) are Saharan species found in the South West of Algeria, in the region of Bechar. Both plants are used in traditional medicine to treat gastrointestinal disorders. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to characterize the composition of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and n-Butanol (n-BuOH) extracts of C. schoenanthus and H. lippii, and to elucidate and compare their effect on the reactivity of the rat distal colon. MAIN METHODS: The plants were macerated in a hydroalcoholic solution. After concentration, the aqueous solutions of the residues were submitted to liquid-liquid extractions to obtain EtOAc and n-BuOH extracts. The phenolic and flavonoid content of the extracts was determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry with a time of flight analyzer (HPLC-TOF/MS). The effect of the extracts was tested on the rat distal colon, namely on the basal tone and on KCl- and Ach-induced precontracted preparations. RESULTS: HPLC-TOF/MS identified 32 phenols and flavonoids in the extracts. The four extracts relaxed the rat distal colon, the effect being noticed on the basal tone and on the KCl- and Ach-induced precontractions. The EtOAc and the n-BuOH extracts of H. lippii decreased the basal tone of the rat distal colon more markedly than the correspondent extracts of C. schoenanthus. Moreover, the n-BuOH extract of C. schoenanthus decreased the basal tone more markedly than the EtOAc extract of this plant but there was no difference between extracts of H. lippii. The EtOAc extracts of both C. schoenanthus and H. lippii totally reverted both the KCl- and the Ach-induced precontraction of the rat distal colon. However, the n-BuOH extracts of the two plants reverted the Ach-precontracted colon but not the colon that has been precontracted with KCl. CONCLUSION: Extracts of H. lippii contain a higher level of phenols compared to the extracts of C. schoenanthus. All extracts of C. schoenanthus and H. lippii caused marked relaxation of the isolated rat distal colon, either when applied directly or when tested over KCl- and Ach-induced precontraction. These results give support to the use of C. shoenanthus and H. lippii in traditional medicine, namely for gastrointestinal diseases.

In vitro antioxidant, DNA-damaged protection and antiproliferative activities of ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts of Centaurea sphaerocephalaL.

This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antiproliferative and inhibition of oxidative DNA-damage activities of n-butanol (n-BuOH) extract of Centaurea sphaerocephala. The in vitro antioxidant activity of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and the n-BuOH extracts of this plant were also assayed. To investigate the antioxidant potential, extracts were tested for their capacity to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·) and to inhibit lipid peroxidation using the TBARs method. The contents of total phenolics and flavonoids were measured. Additionally, antiproliferative activity and DNA-damage inhibition of the n-BuOH extract was determined using XCELLigence RTCA instrument and photolyzing 46966 plasmid, respectively. The results exhibited that the scavenging abilities of the EtOAc extract were better than the n-BuOH extract with an IC50= 11.59 µg/mL and 16.67 µg/mL for both extracts, respectively. The phenolic and flavonoid contents were found higher in the n-BuOH and EtOAc extracts. Furthermore, our results showed that n-BuOH extract exhibited a remarkable inhibition of lipid peroxidation with an IC50 of 340.94±7.49 µg/mL and had an antiproliferative effect against Hela cells. Extracts of C. sphaerocephala showed antioxidant activity on scavenging DPPH·. In addition, the n-BuOH extract inhibited the lipid peroxidation and exhibited an antiproliferative effect against HeLa cells line (human cervix carcinoma).

Hepatoprotective effects of the n-butanol extract from Perralderia coronopifolia Coss. against PCP-induced toxicity in Wistar albino rats.

In the present study, in vivo antioxidant properties of the n-butanol extract obtained from aerial parts of Perralderia coronopifolia were investigated in term of its hepatoprotective effect of female Wistar albino rats (n, 36; average age, 48 ± 5 days; weighing 150 ± 18 g) against PCP (pentachlorphenol)-induced toxicity. PCP (20 mg/kg b.w.) and plant extract (50 mg/kg b.w.) were administered daily by gavages for 2 weeks. Vitamin E (100 mg/kg b.w.) was given intraperitoneally as a positive control. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels, reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were evaluated in liver homogenates. While, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), cholesterol, and triglyceride parameters were analyzed in serums. The liver fragments were observed using light microscopy. Experimental results exhibited that PCP-treated group has a significant increase in the liver lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels of animals while decreased in plant extract-treated group. In addition, PCP caused significant decreases in glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels. Moreover, PCP induced hepatotoxicity by increasing serum transaminase enzymes, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. While, these levels were restored to control value in animals treated with plant extract. The regularized levels of LPO, GSH, cholesterol, triglyceride, transaminase enzymes, and GPx activities revealed the antioxidant properties of the extract plant as well as of the vitamin E. The histological study showed the hepatoprotective effect of our extracts against PCP-induced acute intoxication, protecting the hepatic architecture and decreasing the functional and structural alterations of the liver. The plant extract had high antioxidant potential and completely prevented the toxic effect of PCP on the above of liver and serum parameters.

Antioxidant Potential of Herbal Preparations and Components from Galactites elegans (All.) Nyman ex Soldano.

Galactites is a genus of flowering plants belonging to Asteraceae family. This genus is mainly represented by the Galactites elegans (All.) Nyman ex Soldano, the milky thistle, a plant of Mediterranean origin. Galactites elegans is consumed as a monofloral boar thistle honey. Chromatography separation of CHCl3 and n-BuOH extracts of aerial parts of G. elegans led to isolation of 18 pure compounds. Their structures were elucidated by 1D-and 2D-NMR spectroscopy and confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis. Sinapic aldehyde, abietin, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, 8α-hydroxypinoresinol, 9α-hydroxypinoresinol, pinoresinol, 4-ketopinoresinol, nortrachelogenin, and erythro-guaiacylglycerol-ß-O-4'-dihydroconiferyl alcohol were isolated from CHCl3 extract, while luteolin 4'-O-glucuronide, naringenin-7-O-neohesperidoside, kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside, apigenin-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside, quercitrin, quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside, ciwujiatone, and nortrachelogenin-4,4'-di-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside were obtained from n-BuOH extract. The majority of isolated compounds displayed a significant antioxidant potential in vitro test (DPPH). The ability of compounds to reduce the level of peroxides in control and BHP-treated Jurkat cells was studied. The lignan derivatives were also able to reduce at 50 µM the basal level of peroxides in Jurkat cells as well as counteract peroxide increase induced by BHP treatment. Particularly 8α-hydroxypinoresinol was the most active showing 70% of peroxide level inhibition.

Extraction, isolation of heat-resistance phenolic compounds, antioxidant properties, characterization and purification of 5-hydroxymaltol from Turkish apple pulps.

Apple pulps (AP) were obtained as a side product in fruit juice factories and contains valuable phenolic compounds. The dried AP was subjected to extraction with water, ethyl acetate (APEA) and n-butanol (APBU), respectively. 5-Hydroxymaltol (5-HM) was isolated and confirmed by NMR techniques. The HPLC-TOF/MS analysis revealed the presence of 16 components including major components of morine, gentisic, 4-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic and fumaric acid. The antioxidant activities were evaluated with total antioxidant activity, reducing power, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, metal chelating, free radical and H2O2 scavenging activities. 5-HM, APEA and APBU exhibited the in vitro antioxidant activities in a concentration-dependent and moderate manner. The IC50 values were effective for free radical scavenging activity of 5-HM (8.22 µg mL-1), H2O2 scavenging activity for APEA (8.12 µg mL-1) and inhibition of lipid peroxidation for APEA (0.93 µg mL-1). The 5-HM and APEA have antioxidant capacities and also feasible to apply variety in vivo tests.

Phytochemical Screening, Antiproliferative and Antioxidant Properties of Various Extracts from Endemic Origanum acutidens.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: Origanum acutidens (Hand.-Mazz.) Ietsw. is an endemic and perennial plant grown mainly in East Anatolia. Recently, natural plant products have attracted interest due to their safety and therapeutic effects. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate phytochemical contents and biological effects of Origanum acutidens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aerial parts of O. acutidens were extracted with water, ethyl acetate, nbutanol, and methanol/chloroform solvents. Phenolic compounds and other constituents of the extracts were analyzed by HPLC/TOF-MS. The Ethyl Acetate extract (EA) was fractionated by flash chromatography. The extracts and fractions were investigated for their antiproliferative activities on human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cell line by using BrdU ELISA assay. Antioxidant activities of the extracts and fractions were evaluated by complementary test systems, namely determination of total phenolic contents, metal chelating ability and DPPH radical scavenging assay. RESULTS: Among the extracts, Ethyl Acetate extract (EA) exhibited the highest antiproliferative activity (IC50 = 15.71 ± 0.04 µg/mL) on HeLa cells. It was therefore fractionated by flash chromatography to obtain 10 fractions which were investigated for their phenolic compounds and bioactivities. Rosmarinic acid was determined as the major component of EA and its fractions. EA exhibited higher antiproliferative activity against HeLa cell line than its fractions and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) at the concentration of 100 µg/mL. EA and its fractions (F10, F6, F4, F7, F3, and F2) displayed higher radical scavenging activity compared to Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT). These effects may be attributed to the presence of rosmarinic acid in EA and its active fractions. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that O. acutidens is an essential natural source of polyphenols and a potent natural antioxidant and antiproliferative agent for food and pharmaceutical industries.

A comprehensive LC-MS/MS method validation for the quantitative investigation of 37 fingerprint phytochemicals in Achillea species: A detailed examination of A. coarctata and A. monocephala.

The current study aims to optimize and validate a comprehensive LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of 37 phytochemicals (15 phenolic acids, 17 flavonoids, 3 non-phenolic organic acids, 1 phenolic aldehyde and 1 benzopyrene) in Achillea species. Though Achillea species were chosen as real life samples, the current method is applicable to a wide range of plant species. The developed method was fully validated in terms of linearity, accuracy (recovery), inter-day and intra-day precision (repeatability), limits of detection and quantification (LOD/LOQ) and relative standard uncertainty (U% at 95% confidence level (k = 2)). Reversed-phase ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography was optimized to achive optimum separation for 37 phytochemical compounds and to overcome the suppression effects. MS detection was performed using a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and negative or positive ionization modes were optimized for each analyte. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was used to quantify the analytes, related molecular ions and transition ions were optimized. Phytochemical screening of ethanol and methanol-chloroform extracts of root and aerial parts of A. coarctata and A. monocephala were performed by using the developed and validated LC-MS/MS method. Root and aerial parts of both species have considerable amounts of certain phenolic-nonphenolic acids (quinic, malic, fumaric, chlorogenic and vanillic acids) and flavonoids (rutin, hesperidin, isoquercitrin, apigetrin, luteolin, apigenin). Additionally, total phenolic and flavonoid amounts, antioxidant (DPPH free radical scavenging assay, ABTS radical cation decolorization assay, ß-carotene lipid peroxidation test system and CUPRAC cupper reduction capacity methods), anticholinesterase, tyrosinase, urease inhibition and cytotoxic activities (on HeLa (Human Cervical Carcinoma Cell Line) of A. coarctata and A. monocephala were also investigated. It has been determined that the studied Achillea species, that are rich in total phenolic-flavonoid and chlorogenic acid contents, have high antioxidant and cytotoxic potential at the same time. According to the results of LC-MS/MS, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity studies, after detailed chemical investigation and toxicity studies on these species, A. coarctata and A. monocephala may be promoted as promising sources of natural agents and used for the development of nutraceuticals or functional food ingredients in future.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Potential of Essential Oil and Organic Extracts of Euphorbia tithymaloides L. from Kushtia Region.

BACKGROUND: In the traditional system of medicine, leaves and stem bark of Euphorbia tithymaloides L. have been used for the treatment of asthma, persistent coughing, laryngitis, skin diseases and mouth ulcers. Some studies have reported the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of phytochemicals from the leaf; however, the analysis of essential oil and its antioxidant property is still unexplored. METHODS: This study evaluates the in vitro antioxidant potential of the essential oil and organic extracts from aerial parts of Euphorbia tithymaloides L. RESULTS: Thirty one compounds representing 96.37% of total oil were detected by GC-MS, of which eugenol (22.52%), phenyl ethyl alcohol (14.63%), 3-pentanol (9.22%), caryophyllene oxide (7.73%), isoeugenol (7.32%), pentadecanol (5.14%), spathulenol (5.11%) and α-pinene (3.32%) were the major compounds. The oil and ethyl acetate extract displayed potent DPPH (IC50 = 13.67 and 17.59 µg/mL, respectively) and superoxide (IC50 = 21.83 and 42.34 µg/mL, respectively) radical-scavenging activities among all the tested samples. The oil and methanol extract also exhibited remarkable nitric oxide radical-scavenging activities (IC50 = 90.45 and 112.63 µg/mL, respectively) among other extracts. Furthermore, the methanol extract contained the highest amount of total phenolics as compared to other samples. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that the oil and extracts of E. tithymaloides could serve as natural antioxidants for using in pharmaceutical or cosmetic industries.

Bioactivity-guided isolation of flavonoids from Cynanchum acutum L. subsp. sibiricum (willd.) Rech. f. and investigation of their antiproliferative activity.

Cynanchum acutum L. subsp. sibiricum (Willd.) Rech. f. was extracted with hexane, acetone, methanol and water individually. A sample was heated in water then extracted with ethyl acetate. Among the extracts, the ethyl acetate extract exhibited the most antiproliferative activity, so isolation of bioactive compounds was carried out from this extract. A new compound, kaempferol-3-O-ß-xylopyranosyl-(1-2)-ß-rhamnopyranoside (1) along with five known compounds, quercetin-3-O-ß-xyloside (2), kaempferol-3-O-ß-glucoside (3), quercetin-3-O-ß-glucoside (4), kaempferol-3-O-ß-rhamnopyranoside (5), and kaempferol-3-O-ß-d-neohesperidoside (6) were isolated from ethyl acetate extract. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques, basically 1D NMR, 2D NMR and LC-TOF/MS. Antiproliferative effects of isolated compounds were determined by xCELLigence using the HeLa (human uterus carcinoma) cell lines. Compound 2 and compound 5 revealed the good antiproliferative activity against HeLa cell lines.