Effects of Juniperus phoenicea Hydroalcoholic Extract on Inflammatory Mediators and Oxidative Stress Markers in Carrageenan-Induced Paw Oedema in Mice.

Juniperus phoenicea (J. phoenicea) is a wild tree belonging to the Cupressaceae family, commonly used for the treatment of several disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the potential protective effects of J. phoenicea hydroethanolic extract (EtOH-H2OE) against oxidation, acute inflammation, and pain in mice models. For the purpose, chemical compounds of J. phoenicea EtOH-H2OE were also analyzed by GC-MS. The J. phoenicea EtOH-H2OE showed a potent antioxidant activity in vitro, thanks to its richness in phenolic and flavonoid compounds. Mice treated with EtOH-H2OE (100 mg/kg BW) showed reduced paw oedema formation and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The evaluation of antioxidant enzyme activities in paw oedema tissue after five hours of carrageenan induction showed a significant increase (P < 0.05). Inflammatory biomarkers explorations of J. phoenicea EtOH-H2OE-treated mice showed a restoration of the studied parameters to near-normal values. Furthermore, EtOH-H2OE of J. phoenicea produced a significant reduction of the number of abdominal writhes (P < 0.05) in a dose-dependent way. Phytochemical analysis of the J. phoenicea EtOH-H2OE by GC-MS showed the presence of hexadecanoic and stearic acids known as anti-inflammatory and analgesic compounds. Our investigation provided evidence that J. phoenicea EtOH-H2OE can effectively reduce the inflammation and pain in mice models.

Antioxidant, Hepatoprotective, and Antidepression Effects of Rumex tingitanus Extracts and Identification of a Novel Bioactive Compound.

Over the last few decades, Rumex species have been recognized as a promising source of new compounds with numerous pharmacological activities. Therefore, the antioxidant activity of Rumex tingitanus (R. tingitanus) leaves extracts was evaluated in vitro and then confirmed in vivo as well as the antidepressant-like and toxicological effects of the extracts. The ethyl acetate fraction (Rt EtOAcF) followed by hydroalcoholic extract (Rt EtOH-H2O) showed a remarkable in vitro antioxidant activity. The hydroalcoholic extract (Rt EtOH-H2O) showed significant hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride- (CCl4-) induced liver toxicity which is seen from inhibition of the malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation and enhancement of the liver antioxidant enzymes activities. The Rt EtOH-H2O and Rt EtOAcF extracts were able to reduce the immobility time in mice and then elicited a significant antidepressant-like effect. The ethyl acetate fraction (Rt EtOAcF) was purified and resulted in the identification of a new antioxidant component called 4'-p-acetylcoumaroyl luteolin. The Rt EtOAcF and the 4'-p-acetylcoumaroyl luteolin revealed a strong antioxidant activity using DPPH test with IC50 of 11.7 ± 0.2 and 20.74 ± 0.6 µg/ml, respectively, and AAI of 3.39 and 1.92 better than that of BHT, used as control.

Exploring the Urtica dioica Leaves Hemostatic and Wound-Healing Potential.

The present paper investigated the efficiency of Urtica dioica (U. dioica) on hemostatic and wound healing activities. U. dioica leaf extracts were evaluated for their antibacterial and antioxidant effects as well as their flavonoid and polyphenol content. The hydroethanolic extract (EtOH-H2OE), showing the most potent antibacterial and antioxidant activities in vitro, thanks to its flavonoid and polyphenol richness, was selected for hemostatic and wound healing evaluation. Twenty-four rats completing full-thickness wounds were split into four groups. The wounds were topically treated with saline solution, glycerol, "CICAFLORA," and U. dioica EtOH-H2OE (50 µL/mm2) until day 11. The wound healing effect was assessed by macroscopic, histological, and biochemical parameters. Rats treated with EtOH-H2OE showed fast wound closure (92.39%) compared to the control animals (60.91%) on the 11th day of wounding (P < 0.01). Histopathological and biochemical explorations showed full epidermal regeneration and an improvement of the hydroxyproline content in the U. dioica EtOH-H2OE treated rats. Analysis of fatty acids and sterols by GC-MS showed the presence of unsaturated fatty acids and a high concentration of lupeol known for their involvement in reepithelialization. These results prove the efficiency of U. dioica EtOH-H2OE in wound healing and supported its traditional use.