Comparative LC-MS/MS-based molecular networking, DNA fingerprinting, and in vitro anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of three Egyptian Ficus cultivars.

Ficus species (Moraceae) have been used for nutrition and traditional medicine, and plants from this family are phytochemically abundant and serve as a potential source of natural products. As a result of the inherent complexity of the plant metabolomes and the fact that these Ficus species chemical space has not yet been fully decoded, it is still difficult to characterize their phytochemistry. Therefore, this study, we suggest the use of the molecular networking to elucidate the chemical classes existing in leaves of three Ficus species (F. deltoidei Jack, F. drupacea Thunb and F. sycomorus L.) and highlight the importance of molecular networking in examining their chemotaxonomy . By using computational tools, 90 metabolites were annotated , including phenolic acids, flavonoids, furanocoumarins, fatty acids and terpenoids. Phenolic acids were detected as the main class present in the three studied species. Flavonoids-C-glycosides, flavonoids-O-glycosides and isoflavonoids were mainly present in F. drupacea and F. sycomorus, while furanocoumarins were proposed in F. sycomorus. Vomifoliol-based sesquiterpenes were proposed in F. deltoidei. The chemotaxonomic differentiation agreed with the DNA fingerprinting using SCOT and ISSR markers. F. deltoidei, in particular, had a divergent chemical fingerprint as well as a different genotype. Chemotype differentiation using chemical fingerprints, in conjunction with the proposed genetic markers, creates an effective identification tool for the quality control of the raw materials and products derived from those three Ficus species. As well, F. drupacea exploited the most potent inhibition of H. pylori with MIC of 7.81 µg/ mL compared with clarithromycin. Overall, molecular networking provides a promising approach for the exploration of the chemical space of plant metabolomes and the elucidation of chemotaxonomy.

Phenolic acids-rich fraction from Ficus drupacea leaves for the prevention and treatment of ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats.

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of F. drupacea Thunb. extract revealed that the water fraction (FDWF) increased pH of the artificial gastric juice from 1.2 to 5.67 ± 0.015. The gastroprotective effect of FDWF against ulcer induced by ethanol was evaluated in rats. In ulcerogenic rats, increase in the gastric juice volume and ulcer lesions, and decrease in the gastric pH were evident. However, pretreatment with FDWF (100 mg/kg b.wt., p.o.) significantly inhibited lesion index, reduced gastric juice volume by 56.09% and increased gastric pH value. When given after ethanol, the same dose of FDWF led to significant healing of the gastric ulcer, with 75.60% reduction of gastric juice volume, and increase in pH value. In both prophylactic and therapeutic-treated groups, the level of superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione in gastric homogenate were increased, while that of malondialdehyde was decreased. Also, the levels of succinate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase were increased, while that of acid phosphatase was decreased. In addition, the inflammatory markers; IL-10 and PGE2 were significantly increased. The histopathological results confirmed the above findings and indicated that the antiulcer effect of FDWF is mediated, at least in part, through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Twenty-three compounds were tentatively identified in FDWF using UPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS and most of them were found to be phenolic acid derivatives. FDWF was standardized to contain 23.66 ± 2.62 mg/g and 8.86 ± 0.29 mg/g of quinic acid and chlorogenic acid, respectively. Accordingly, FDWF is a potential natural product that could increase the healing of gastric mucosal injury and prevents the development of ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats.

Flavonoid constituents of Dobera glabra leaves: amelioration impact against CCl4-induced changes in the genetic materials in male rats.

CONTEXT: Dobera glabra (Forssk.) Poir (Salvadoraceae) is a highly valued tree with diverse importance as special mineral sourced feed and a folkloric tool for forecasting droughts. However, there are no reports on its phytochemical and biological investigations. OBJECTIVE: Phytochemical investigation of D. glabra leaves and its protective potential against CCl4 inducing changes in the genetic materials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: D. glabra extract, DGE (70% MeOH/H2O), was applied to polyamide column chromatography, eluting with MeOH/H2O of decreasing polarities, followed by preparative chromatographic tools, yielded seven compounds. Three DGE doses (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg bw/d) were administrated for 8 weeks intragastrically to male albino rats prior treated with CCl4 (0.5 mL/kg/bw). The reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, expression changes of glutamate transporters (GLAST, GLT-1 and SNAT3) mRNA, DNA fragmentation and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were investigated in the liver tissues of these rats. RESULTS: Isorhamnetin-3-O-ß-glucopyranoside-7-O-α-rhamnopyranoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-α-rhamnopyranoside-7-O-ß-glucopyranoside, kaempferol-3,7-di-O-α-rhamnopyranoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-ß-glucopyranoside, kaempferol-3-O-ß-glucopyranoside, isorhamnetin and kaempferol were identified. DGE (200 mg/kg bw) + CCl4 exhibited the most significant reduction in ROS levels and DNA fragmentation with 251.3% and141% compared to 523.1% and 273.2% for CCl4, respectively. Additionally, it increased significantly the mRNA expression of GLAST, GLT-1 and SNAT3 to 2.16-, 1.72- and 2.09-fold, respectively. Also, GPx activity was increased to 4.8 U/mg protein/min compared to CCl4 (1.8 U/mg protein/min). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Flavonoid constituents, antioxidant effect and genotoxic protection activity of D. glabra were first reported. DGE may be valuable in the treatment and hindrance of hepatic oxidative stress and genotoxicity.

Two new flavonol glycosides and biological activities of Diplotaxis harra (Forssk.) Boiss.

Two new flavonol glycosides, isorhamnetin 3-O-ß-glucopyranoside-4'-O-ß-xylopyranoside (1) and kaempferol 3-O-ß-glucopyranoside -4'-O-ß-xylopyranoside (2), were isolated from the defatted aqueous methanol extract of the whole plant Diplotaxis harra along with 12 known flavonols (3-14). They were characterised by chemical and spectral methods. The 70% aqueous methanol, chloroform and defatted aqueous methanol plant extracts exhibited significant antioxidant effects (nitroblue tetrazolium reduction method). Their cytotoxic activity was carried out against 11 tumour cell lines (sulphorhodamine B assay). The three extracts expressed the greatest antiproliferative activity against colon 38, P388 and MKN-28 with GI50 (0.45, 0.4, 0.07 µg/mL) and against P388 [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay] with IC50 (0.26, 0.24, 0.25 µg/mL), respectively. The chloroform extract showed the highest activity as eukaryotic DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors of P388 with IC50 0.24 µg/mL. Antiviral screening of the extracts and the pure compounds against foot-and-mouth disease virus types A and O revealed a prominent inhibition of its cytopathic effect.

A new pyranone derivative from the leaves of Livistona australis.

A new pyranone derivative, 3-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one (1), was isolated from the leaves of Livistona australis. The structure was determined by NMR spectral analysis.