Biochemical Composition, Antioxidant Capacity and Protective Effects of Three Fermented Plants Beverages on Hepatotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity Induced by Carbon Tetrachloride in Mice.

Functional beverages play an essential role in our modern life and contribute to nutritional well-being. Current efforts to understand and develop functional beverages to promote health and wellness have been enhanced. The present study aimed to investigate the production of three fermented plants beverages (FPBs) from aromatic and medicinal plants and to evaluate the fermented product in terms of physio-biochemical composition, the aromatic compounds, antioxidant activity, and in vivo protective effects on hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). The results showed that the fermented beverage NurtBio B had the highest levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins; 242.3 ± 12.4 µg GAE/mL, 106.4 ± 7.3 µg RE/mL and 94.2 ± 5.1 µg CE/mL, respectively. The aromatic profiles of the fermented beverages showed thirty-one interesting volatile compounds detected by GC-MS headspace analyses such as benzaldehyde, Eucalyptol, Fenchone, 3-Octadecyne, Estragole, and Benzene propanoic acid 1-methylethyl ester. In addition, the fermentation process was significantly improved, indicating its great potential as a functional food with both strong antioxidant activity and good flavor. In vivo administration of CCl4 in mice induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity by a significant rise in the levels of serum liver and kidney biomarkers. The protective effects of the FPBs showed that they significantly restored the majority of these biological parameters to normal levels, along with increase antioxidant enzyme activities, as well as an improvement of histopathological changes, suggesting their protective effects.

Potential bio-functional properties of Citrus aurantium L. leaf: chemical composition, antiviral activity on herpes simplex virus type-1, antiproliferative effects on human lung and colon cancer cells and oxidative protection.

This study examined the antioxidant, anticancer and antiviral properties of the methanolic extracts from bigarade (Citrus aurantium L.) leaves at two development stages. Ferulic acid, naringin and naringenin were the principal phenolic components of young and old leaves. The highest total antioxidant capacity was obtained in young leaf extracts (YLE). These latter also exhibited the highest antiradical DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) activities, while the highest iron chelating and reducing power activities were observed in old leaf extracts (OLE). The potent anticancer activity was observed in YLE for human lung carcinoma (A-549) and in OLE for colon adenocarcinoma (DLD-1) cells. YLE showed the highest virucidal effects as compared to OLE and the positive control acyclovir against herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) propagation in Vero cells during the absorption and replication periods. The young and old leaves might be a source of natural antioxidants and protective agents against oxidative damage.

Phytochemical analysis, antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities of Lycium europaeum fruits.

Lycium europaeum is used as a medicinal herb in many countries. In this study, cyclohexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water were used as solvents in the extraction of L. europaeum fruits. The contents of total phenolics, total flavonoids, total tannins and condensed tannins as well as the biological activities of these extracts were investigated using various in vitro and ex vivo assays. Results showed that all solvent extracts of L. europaeum had no anticancer activity against cancerous (A-549 and DLD-1) and non-cancerous (WS-1) human cells. Methanol and ethyl acetate were the most effective solvent for extraction of phenolic compounds and also exhibited the highest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The methanol extract of L. europaeum fruits was the richest in phenolic compounds with the predominance of ferulic acid, catechin and narengin. These results supported the use of L. europaeum fruit as natural source of bioactive compound for pharmaceutical applications.

Gelatin-chitosan-pectin films incorporated with rosemary essential oil: Optimized formulation using mixture design and response surface methodology.

The aim of this study was to optimize the mechanical and texture properties of edible film improving its antibacterial property after adding rosemary essential oil (REO) using a Doehlert matrix. Films with the highest mechanical properties were acquired using a polymer composition of 65.2% glycerol, 24.3% gelatin, 10.0% chitosan and 0.5% pectin. This composition provided the highest elongation at break, tensile strength and texture values, which were respectively 51.60 ± 6.04%, 8.53 ± 2.36 MPa and 13.67 ± 1.43. The antibacterial activity of REO enriched films against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus aerogenes, Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli was enhanced when applying a mixture of 1.995 and 1.250 mg/g of two REO extracted from two rosemary different varieties. The structural, optical and barrier properties of the films were evaluated. To conclude, the enriched film showed potential coatings for controlling most common food borne bacteria growth during the food storage.

Green extraction of oil from Carum carvi seeds using bio-based solvent and supercritical fluid: Evaluation of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

INTRODUCTION: The consumption of health-promoting products such as oil seeds may improve human health and prevent certain diseases. Carvi seeds have the potential to produce oil with nutritional and functional properties rich in active compounds. OBJECTIVE: To extract bioactive lipids from Carum carvi seeds using green methodologies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Supercritical-carbon dioxide (Sc-CO2 ) and ethanol as co-solvent and bio-based solvent 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MeTHF) were used to extract the oil from Carum carvi. The yield, the chemical composition, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of green extracted oils were investigated and compared to those obtained with conventional methods (hexane and Folch system). RESULTS: MeTHF extraction gave higher oil yield than that obtained by hexane. Fatty acids composition of the two obtained green extracted oils was similar to conventional extracted ones where petroselinic (39-43%), linoleic (29-31%) and oleic (19-21%) acids were the major compounds. Furthermore, MeTHF and Sc-CO2 green extracted oils were enriched of bioactive compounds including sterols (5.4 and 7.3 mg/g oil) and total polyphenols (9.3 and 7.6 mg GAE/g oil) which were correlated to enhanced antiradical capacity. Moreover, the green extracted oils exhibited high anti-inflammatory capacity inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) release in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 28 and 24 µg/mL. CONCLUSION: Green solvents are a good alternative to petroleum solvents to recover oil from carvi seeds with high amount of nutritionally important fatty acids, along with significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential.

Does unsaponifiable fraction of grape seed oil attenuate nitric oxide production, oxidant and cytotoxicity activities.

Triterpenoids, tocopherols, and phytosterols presented in unsaponifiable fraction of grape seed oil have several beneficial effects comprising antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor capacities. In this study, the unsaponifiable fraction of three Tunisian grape seed varieties (Vitis vinifera L.), namely Merlot, Carignan, and Syrah, was investigated. The identified compounds were two triterpenic compounds (ß-amyrin, lanosterol), six phytosterols (campesterol, ∆7 -avenasterol, stigmasterol, ß-sitosterol, ß-sitostanol, cholesterol), and three tocopherols (α, ß, and γ tocopherols). The unsaponifiable fraction had significant protection against oxidative damage by modulating NO production and antioxidant activity. Statistical analysis showed the presence of three clusters of varieties associated to specific composition patterns. These results clearly demonstrated that unsaponifiable fraction profiles of grape species could be considered as a complementary data to the existing taxonomic evidence and classification purposes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Recently, much attention has been focused to substitute artificial antioxidant by others originating from natural products as plant matrices. The unsaponifiable fraction of grape seed oils is an interesting source of bioactive components like phytosterols, tocopherols, triterpenoids, and other various components. These components are known for their antitumor, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities.

Chemical composition and antioxidant potential of essential oil and methanol extract from Tunisian and French fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) seeds.

This study was designed to examine the effect of provenance on the phytochemical and antioxidant properties of essential oil and methanolic extract from Tunisian and French fennel seeds (FFS). Analysis of the essential oil showed that although the same main compounds were found in Tunisian and FFS cultivars, some differences were present in their proportions allowing to classify them in two chemotypes. The first class was composed by trans-anethole (63.41%-78.26%) for Tunisian cultivars and the second one by estragole (44.72%-88.92%) for French cultivars. The phenolic composition of all fennel seed extracts was characterized by its richness in quinic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, p-coumaric acid, and 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid. All fennel seed extracts showed a better antioxidant potential than their essential oils depending on the origin. Principal component analysis showed a dispersion of the cultivars on three groups depending on the chemotype diversity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Recently, much attention has been focused on fennel due to the nutritional and health-protective value of their seeds. Several studies have highlighted the importance of fennel seed extracts and essential oils as key ingredients rich in bioactive compounds serving in formulation of new functional food products. This investigation designed to examine the effect of provenance on phytochemical and antioxidant potentials of Tunisian and French fennel seed extracts and essential oils.

1,2,4-trihydroxynaphthalene-2-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside: A new powerful antioxidant and inhibitor of Aß42 aggregation isolated from the leaves of Lawsonia inermis.

Mounting evidence indicates free radicals as toxic species causing damage to human cells leading to the pathogenesis of many diseases such as neurodegenerative disease. Plant derived antioxidants are considered as promising strategy to prevent free radical toxicity. In this study, the crude extract (CE), 50%MeOH, Petroleum Ether (PE) and Ethyl acetate (EA) fractions of Lawsonia inermis leaves were investigated for their antioxidant activity and their ability to counteract amyloid-ß42 (Aß42) aggregation. Elution of the most bioactive fraction (EA) on silica gel column chromatography led to six sub-fractions. The most active sub-fraction (1) was further resolved on silica gel column chromatography. A new compound with powerful antioxidant and anti-Aß42 aggregation properties was purified and characterised by spectroscopic methods as 1,2,4-trihydroxynaphthalene-2-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (THNG). This finding suggests that the antioxidant and anti-Aß42 aggregation activities of L. inermis leaves are strongly correlated to this compound.

1,2,4-trihydroxynaphthalene-2-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside delays amyloid-ß42 aggregation and reduces amyloid cytotoxicity.

Presently, misfolding and aggregation of amyloid-ß42 (Aß42 ) are considered early events in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. The use of natural products to inhibit the aggregation process and to protect cells from cytotoxicity of early aggregate grown at the onset of the aggregation path is one of the promising strategies against AD. Recently, we have purified a new powerful antioxidant and inhibitor of Aß42 aggregation from the leaves of Lawsonia inermis. The new compound was identified as a new Lawsoniaside; 1,2,4-trihydroxynaphthalene-2-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (THNG). Herein, we show that THNG interferes with Aß42 aggregation, inhibits its conformational change to a ß-sheet-rich structure, decreases its polymerization into large fibrillar species, reduces oxidative stress, and aggregate cytotoxicity. These results indicate that THNG has great potential as a neuroprotective and therapeutic agent against AD. © 2018 BioFactors, 44(3):272-280, 2018.

A review of Tunisian medicinal plants with anticancer activity.

Cancer is a major public health problem in the world. The use of the medicinal plants in cancer prevention and management is frequent in Africa, especially in Tunisia, and it is transmitted from generation to generation within cultures. Many previous studies showed that a wide range of Tunisian medicinal plants exerted cytotoxic and anticancer activity. A comprehensive review was conducted to collect information from scientific journal articles, including indigenous knowledge researches, about Tunisian medicinal plants used for the prevention and management of cancer. The aim of this review article is to provide the reader with information concerning the importance of Tunisian medicinal plants in the prevention and management of cancer and to open the door for the health professionals and scientists working in the field of pharmacology and therapeutics to produce new drug formulations to treat different types of cancer.