Punica granatum Peel and Leaf Extracts as Promising Strategies for HSV-1 Treatment.

Punica granatum is a rich source of bioactive compounds which exhibit various biological effects. In this study, pomegranate peel and leaf ethanolic crude extracts (PPE and PLE, respectively) were phytochemically characterized and screened for antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiviral activity. LC-PDA-ESI-MS analysis led to the identification of different compounds, including ellagitannins, flavonoids and phenolic acids. The low IC50 values, obtained by DPPH and FRAP assays, showed a noticeable antioxidant effect of PPE and PLE comparable to the reference standards. Both crude extracts and their main compounds (gallic acid, ellagic acid and punicalagin) were not toxic on Vero cells and exhibited a remarkable inhibitory effect on herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) viral plaques formation. Specifically, PPE inhibited HSV-1 adsorption to the cell surface more than PLE. Indeed, the viral DNA accumulation, the transcription of viral genes and the expression of viral proteins were significantly affected by PPE treatment. Amongst the compounds, punicalagin, which is abundant in PPE crude extract, inhibited HSV-1 replication, reducing viral DNA and transcripts accumulation, as well as proteins of all three phases of the viral replication cascade. In contrast, no antibacterial activity was detected. In conclusion, our findings indicate that Punica granatum peel and leaf extracts, especially punicalagin, could be a promising therapeutic candidate against HSV-1.

In Vitro Anti-Epstein Barr Virus Activity of Olea europaea L. Leaf Extracts.

Olea europaea L. var. sativa (OESA) preparations are widely used in traditional medicine in the Mediterranean region to prevent and treat different diseases. In this research, olive extracts derived from the leaves of the OESA tree have been screened for antioxidant activity by two methods: the DPPH free radical scavenging assay (DPPH) and the Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The DPPH assay showed that OESA possesses a stronger antioxidant activity (84%) at 1 mg/mL while the FRAP method showed a strong metal ion chelating activity (90%) at 1 mg/mL. The low IC50 values, obtained by two different methods, implies that OESA has a noticeable effect on scavenging free radicals comparable to standards. During EBV infection, the free radicals increased triggering lipid oxidation. Therefore, the monitoring of the secondary lipid peroxidation products was done by measuring malonaldehyde (MDA) and conjugated dienes (DC). The simultaneous treatment of Raji cells with OESA and TPA, as an inductorof the lytic cycle, generated a significant decrease in MDA levels and DC (p < 0.05). Besides, Raji cells simultaneously exposed to TPA and OESA exhibited a percentage of EBV-positive fluorescence cells lower than TPA treated cells (**** p < 0.0001). This suggests that OESA treatment has a protective effect against EBV lytic cycle induction.

Lawsonia inermis essential oil: extraction optimization by RSM, antioxidant activity, lipid peroxydation and antiproliferative effects.

BACKGROUND: The present study was focused on the optimization of yield of the essential oil extraction from leaves of Lawsonia inermis, and the determination of chemical composition, antioxidant activities, and lipid peroxydation and antiproliferative effects. METHODS: Henna essential oil (HeEO) were extracted by hydrodistillation; the identification of the chemical composition were done by GC/MS method. HeEO was analyzed for antioxidant power in: (1) chemical system by the DPPH test, the ABTS test and the total antioxidant activity test; and (2) in biological system by lipid peroxydation tests (MDA and DC) in cells culture. The cytotoxicity effects of HeEO were assessed using MTT assay against Raji and HeLa cell lines. RESULTS: The optimal extraction yield was 6.8 g/100 g d.b. HeEO showed a remarkable anti-oxidant activities including DDPH (42%), ABTS (87%) and the power of ammonium phosphomolybdate (2992 ± 230 mg of HeEO by equivalent to 1 mg of vitamin C in terms of total antioxidant power). CONCLUSION: Beyond notable antioxidant activities of the HeEo, our results showed a significant decrease in the production of ERO in the Raji cell line. The anti-tumor power of the Henna essential oil shows an interesting cytotoxicity effect (IC50 at 0.26 µg/mL for Raji and at 1.43 µg/mL for HeLa) with a total mortality percentage reaching 60%, for both.

Optimization of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume) Essential Oil Extraction: Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Effects.

Having high cytotoxicity cell line effect, Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume essential oil offers a novel approach to the chemotherapy treatment. In order to enhance its quantity/purity, the experimental conditions to produce essential oil should be more exploited. Steam distillation was used to isolate essential oil, and its conditions' optimization was carried out with the surface-response methodology. The maximum amount (2.6 g/100 g d.b.) was obtained under minimum condensation water flow (0.8 mL/min), a sample size of 6.5 cm, a saline solution concentration of 262.5 g/L, and five washings. The produced essential oil contains >77% of polyphenols. In vitro cytotoxicity was examined using an MTT assay against HeLa and Raji cell lines. The essential oil's capability to inhibit the proliferation of HeLa and Raji cell lines was studied under some conditions presenting IC50 values of 0.13 and 0.57 µg/mL, respectively. The essential oil was evaluated for its potential as an antioxidant by using in vitro models, such as phosphomolybdenum, DPPH, and H2O2 methods, in comparison with the synthetic antioxidant BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as positive controls. The ammonium phosphomolybdate potency in the present study is of the order of 108.75 ± 32.63 mg of essential oil/equivalent to 1 mg of vitamin C in terms of antioxidant power, and the antioxidant activity of DPPH-H2O2 was 21.3% and 55.2%, respectively. The Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume essential oil (CEO) covers important antioxidant and antiproliferative effects. This can be attributed to the presence of few minor and major phenolic compounds.

Does supplemental zeolite (clinoptilolite) affect growth performance, meat texture, oxidative stress and production of polyunsaturated fatty acid of Turkey poults?

BACKGROUND: Following the ban on the use of growth factors, the use of zeolite in poultry feed could be a solution to obtain healthier food products that are more demanded by the consumer. METHODS: Zeolite (Clinoptilolite) was added to turkey male and female feed at concentrations 1% or 2% and was evaluated for its effectiveness on performance of the production. The turkeys were given free and continuous access to a nutritionally non-limiting diet (in meal form) that was either a basal diet or a 'Zeolite supplemented-diet' (the basal diet supplemented with clinoptilolite at a level of 1% or 2%). RESULTS: It was found that adding zeolite in the turkey diet had a positive effect on growth performance and increased weight gain compared to the control. In addition, zeolite treatment had a positive effect on oxidative stress and organoleptic parameters that were measured. It was found that adding zeolite in the turkey diet reduced the MDA level in the liver and in the meat, as compared to the control. Quality of meat was measured as a significantly increase (p < 0.05) in pH for male meat, indicated that the zeolite could maintain the quality of longer period. The adding of zeolite in the turkey diet increased level of polyunsaturated fatty acid. CONCLUSION: This study showed the significance of using zeolite, as a feed additive for turkey, as part of a comprehensive program to improve growth performance and oxidative stress parameters and to increase level of polyunsaturated fatty acid on the turkey body.