Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects of Lotus corniculatus on Paracetamol-induced Hepatitis in Rats.

BACKGROUND: Herbal medicines have been used in the treatment of liver diseases for a long time. The current study was elaborated to evaluate in vitro and in vivo antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Lotus corniculatus (L. corniculatus) butanolic extract. METHODS: The in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of L. corniculatus were investigated by employing DPPH radical scavenging, H2O2 scavenging and BSA denaturation assays. In vivo antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of L. corniculatus were evaluated against paracetamol (APAP)-induced hepatitis in rats. L.corniculatus at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg was administered orally once daily for seven days. Serum transaminases (AST and ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total bilirubin levels, liver malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione S- transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels and inflammatory markers, such as serum Creactive protein (CRP), circulating and liver myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were investigated. Further histopathological analysis of the liver sections was performed to support the effectiveness of L. corniculatus. RESULTS: L. corniculatus exhibited strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro. In the in vivo study, our findings demonstrate that L. corniculatus (100 and 200 mg/kg) administration led to an amelioration of APAP effects on liver histology, liver functions parameters (AST, ALT, LDH, and total bilirubin levels) and liver oxidative stress markers (MDA, GSH, GST and SOD levels). Furthermore, serum CRP, circulating MPO and liver MPO levels were declined by both doses of L. corniculatus extract. The best benefits were observed with 200 mg/kg of L. corniculatus extract. CONCLUSION: Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of L. corniculatus extract may be due to the presence of active components.

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.

Glucopyranosylbianthrones from the Algerian Asphodelus tenuifolius: Structural Insights and Biological Evaluation on Melanoma Cancer Cells.

Two new glucopyranosylbianthrones (1 and 2) were isolated from the aerial part of the plant Asphodelus tenuifolius, collected in Southwest Algeria. The 2D structures of 1 and 2 were defined by NMR analysis, HRESIMS data, and comparison with literature data. The comparison of experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism and NMR data led to characterization of the ( M) and ( P) atropisomeric forms of the glucopyranosylbianthrones, asphodelins (1) and (2), respectively. The in vitro activities of these two metabolites were evaluated in human melanoma A375 cells, and both the compounds inhibited cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 20.6 ± 0.8 and 23.2 ± 1.1 µM, respectively. Considering their biological profile, an inverse virtual screening approach was employed to identify and suggest putative anticancer interacting targets.

New Constituents from Gymnocarpos decander.

The phytochemical investigation of Gymnocarpos decander aerial parts extract afforded two new saponins, 3-O-ß-D-glucuronopyranosyl-2ß,3ß,16α,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-O-ß-D-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 3)-ß-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl ester (1), 3-O-ß-D-glucuronopyranosyl-2ß,3ß,16α-trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-ß-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl ester (2), and three new flavonol glycosides, isorhamnetin 3-O-2''''-O-acetyl-ß-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-[ß-D-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 2)]-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3), isorhamnetin 3-O-2‴-O-acetyl-ß-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (4), and quercetin 3-O-2‴-O-acetyl-ß-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (5), together with three known compounds. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR analysis and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The new isolates were investigated for their potential cytotoxic activity on three cancer cell lines. Compounds 1 and 2 showed moderate antiproliferative activity.

Phytochemical and antioxidant activity studies on Ononis angustissima L. aerial parts: isolation of two new flavonoids.

Ononis angustissima aerial parts extract and exudate were subjected to phytochemical and biological studies. Two new natural flavonoids, (3S)-7-hydroxy-4'-methoxy-isoflavanone 3'-ß-d-glucopyranoside (1) and kaempferol 3-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside-7-O-(2'''-acetyl)-ß-d-galactopyranoside (4), and sixteen known compounds were isolated through a bio-oriented approach. Their structural characterisation was achieved using spectroscopic analyses including 2D NMR. The phytochemical profile of the extracts was also performed, and the antioxidant activity of all compounds was tested by three different assays. To get a trend in the results and to compare the antioxidant capacity among the different methods used, the obtained data were transformed to a relative antioxidant capacity index.