Bioactive Components and Health Potential of Endophytic Micro-Fungal Diversity in Medicinal Plants.

The endophytic fungi that reside inside medicinal plants have the potential to produce various pharmaco-potential bioactive compounds. The endophytic fungi Graminicolous helminthosporium, Bipolaris australiensis and Cladosporium cladosporioides were isolated from different medicinal plants. The GC-MS analysis of intra- and extracellular products of endophytic fungi revealed the presence of various bioactive metabolites, such as Anthracene, Brallobarbital, Benzo [h] quinolone, Ethylacridine, 2-Ethylacridine, Cyclotrisiloxane, 5 methyl 2 phenylindolizine, and 1,4-Cyclohexadien-1-one, etc. The phytochemical composition analysis of endophytic fungus extracts also revealed the presence of flavonoids, phenols, saponins, carbohydrates, glycosides, and proteins. The intra- and extracellular endophytic extracts exhibited strong antibacterial and antioxidant activity, which was screened with the agar-well diffusion method and DPPH, H2O2, and nitric oxide scavenging activity, respectively. The bioactive compounds identified in the endophytic extracts from GC-MS profiling served as ligands for molecular-docking analysis to investigate the anticancer potential against non-small cell lung carcinoma receptor EGFR. Molecular docking results showed that compounds, such as Brallobarbital, and 5 methyl 2 phenylindolizine had the lowest E- min values, which suggests that these compounds could be used in anticancer drug development. Thus, the isolated endophytic fungal species can be used to produce various bioactive compounds that could be used in novel drug development from natural sources and reduce the environmental burden of synthetic chemical drugs.

Preclinical and Clinical Antioxidant Effects of Natural Compounds against Oxidative Stress-Induced Epigenetic Instability in Tumor Cells.

ROS (reactive oxygen species) are produced via the noncomplete reduction in molecular oxygen in the mitochondria of higher organisms. The produced ROS are placed in various cell compartments, such as the mitochondria, cytoplasm, and endoplasmic reticulum. In general, there is an equilibrium between the synthesis of ROS and their reduction by the natural antioxidant defense system, called the redox system. Therefore, when this balance is upset, the excess ROS production can affect different macromolecules, such as proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and sugars, which can lead to an electronic imbalance than oxidation of these macromolecules. Recently, it has also been shown that ROS produced at the cellular level can affect different signaling pathways that participate in the stimulation of transcription factors linked to cell proliferation and, consequently, to the carcinogenesis process. Indeed, ROS can activate the pathway of tyrosine kinase, MAP kinase, IKK, NF-KB, phosphoinositol 3 phosphate, and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). The activation of these signaling pathways directly contributes to the accelerated proliferation process and, as a result, the appearance of cancer. In addition, the use of antioxidants, especially natural ones, is now a major issue in the approach to cancer prevention. Some natural molecules, especially phytochemicals isolated from medicinal plants, have now shown interesting preclinical and clinical results.

Evaluation of the anti-diarrheal effects of the whole plant extracts of Cuscuta reflexa Roxb in pigeons.

BACKGROUND: Cuscuta reflexa (dodder) belonging to the family Convolvulaceae has many ethno-medicinal uses such as antidiarrheal and antiemetic. This plant has been employed to treat diarrhea, where the antidiarrheal use of this plant is well established in different communities around the world without scientific bases. In addition, the antibacterial, anthelmintic, anticholinergic, and antihistaminic effects of this parasitic vine are partly responsible for the folkloric antidiarrheal use of this plant. In the present study, the antidiarrheal activity of C. reflexa was evaluated in pigeons (Columba livia) using the juice (JCR), aqueous (CRAE), and methanol (CRME) extracts. METHODS: The antidiarrheal effect of C. reflexa was evaluated using different reported research models, with few modifications. In pigeons, diarrhea was induced by administration of castor oil (6 mL/kg, PO), ampicillin (250 mg/kg, IP), magnesium sulfate (2 gm/kg, PO), and cisplatin (6 mg/kg, IV). In these experiments, loperamide (2 mg/kg, IM) was used as a positive control, whereas JCR (1 mL/kg (1%) and 1 mL/kg (2%), CRAE (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) and CRME (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) were administered intramuscularly at different doses into each pigeon in the test groups. RESULTS: In addition to cisplatin-induced diarrhea, all paradigms tested gave significant results (P < 0.01). The JCR, at different doses, exhibited a significant (p < 0.01) a dose-dependent antidiarrheal effect on both the frequency and the onset of diarrhea. Similarly, CRAE and CRME, at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, showed considerable (p < 0.001) inhibition against the onset and frequency of diarrhea. On the other hand, JCR, CRAE, and CRME exerted significant effects (p < 0.001) on the percentage inhibition (PI) of diarrhea and gastrointestinal charcoal transit in a dose-dependent manner. In this respect, the maximum PI (p < 0.01) of JCR, CRAE, and CRME in different experimental paradigms was 43.13, 49.14, and 55.99 %, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Taken all together, results from this study reveal that the juice, aqueous, and methanol extract of C. reflexa exhibit significant anti-motility and anti-secretory potential. These findings may explain the medicinal use of C. reflexa in folk medicine as an antidiarrheal medicinal plant.