Metabolomics Profiling of Tunisian Sonchus oleraceus L. Extracts and Their Antioxidant Activities.

Sonchus oleraceus (L.) L. (Asteraceae) is an edible wild plant, known for its uses in traditional medicine. The aim of this study is to explore the phytochemical composition of the aerial parts (AP) and roots (R) of aqueous extracts of Sonchus oleraceus L. growing in Tunisia, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC/MS/MS), and determine the content of polyphenols and antioxidant activities. Results showed that aqueous extracts of AP and R contained, respectively, 195.25±33 µg/g and 118.66±14 µg/g gallic acid equivalent (GAE), and 52.58±7 µg/g and 3.2±0.3µg/g quercetin equivalent. AP and R extracts also contained tannins, 581.78±33 µg/g and 948.44±19 µg/g GAE. The AP extract in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging activities, hydroxyl radical scavenging (OH-) and in cupric reducing antioxidant activity (CUPRAC) assays were respectively 0.325±0.036 mg/mL, 0.053±0.018 mg/mL, 0.696±0.031 mg/mL and 60.94±0.004 µMTE/g, while the R extract using the same assays showed, 0.209±0.052 mg/mL, 0.034±0.002 mg/mL, 0.444±0.014 mg/mL and 50.63±0.006 µM Trolox equivalent/g, respectively. A total of 68 compounds were tentatively identified by LC/MS/MS in both extracts in which quinic acid, pyrogallol, osthrutin, piperine, gentisic acid, fisetin, luteolin, caffeic acid, gingerol, were the most abundant in the LC/MS/MS spectrum. Many of these metabolites were found for the first time in Tunisian Sonchus oleraceus L. which may take account for the antioxidant activities exhibited by the plant.

Design of 3D Hybrid Plant Extract/Marine and Bovine Collagen Matrixes as Potential Dermal Scaffolds for Skin Wound Healing.

Tissue engineering involves the use of smart biomimetic hybrid matrices to reinforce the cellular interaction with the matrix and restore native properties after regeneration. In this study, we highlight the potential of 3D collagen sponges soaked with bioactive extract, to enhance the wound healing process in vivo. Acid-soluble collagen from two sources, marine and bovine, were extracted and characterized physiochemically using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and SDS-PAGE. Our results confirmed that the extracted collagens were mainly composed of collagen type I with slight molecular structure differences. Both collagens present two different α chains (α1 and α2) and one ß chain. Highly interconnected 3D scaffolds from collagen from the skin are designed and added by the widely known healing plants Pistacia lentiscus and Calendula officinalis. The resulting 3D collagen matrices possess fine biocompatibility with skin cells, Hacat (keratinocytes), and 3T3-L1 (fibroblasts) cells. To evaluate the potential wound healing effect, a collagen sponge soaked with the bioactive extract was tested on BALB/c mice. Our findings confirmed that sponges significantly improve animal re-epithelialization by increasing wound closure. Consequently, spongy collagen scaffolds loaded with Pistacia lentiscus and Calendula officinalis could be used as potential wound dressing material.

Assessment of hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of medicinal plant Erica multiflora in triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemia and liver function repair in rats: A comparison with fenofibrate.

Hyperlipidemia is a serious health threat that has been linked to oxidative stress and systemic inflammation, causing among many other disorders essentially liver disease. The current study was conducted to evaluate the antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of methanol leaf extract from Erica multiflora (M-EML). Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemic rats were divided into six groups: control group (CG), hyperlipidemic group (300 mg/kg body weight "BW") (HG), hyperlipidemic group treated with M-EML (150 and 250 mg/kg) (HG + M-EML), normal rats treated with M-EML (250 mg/kg) and fenofibrate-treated group (HG + FF) (65 mg/kg). After 24 h of administration, triton WR-1339 induced a significant increase in lipid profile, atherogenic index (AI) and Coronary Risk Index (CRI) in HG group compared to control group. Furthermore, triton WR-1339 administration induced alteration in the status of pro-inflammatory markers (aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, IFN-γ and Nitric oxide production). HG group showed also, a high level of lipid peroxidation, an altered antioxidant enzyme profiles and an increase in DNA damages, in liver. However, orally administration of M-EML mitigates significantly these disorders, proving hence a protective potential against triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemia. These findings suggest that M-EML extract could be used as functional foods and natural adjuvant treatment of hyperlipidemia.

Immunomodulatory and cellular anti-oxidant activities of caffeic, ferulic, and p-coumaric phenolic acids: a structure-activity relationship study.

Many studies have been performed to assess the potential utility of natural products as immunomodulatory agents to enhance host responses and to reduce damage to the human body. To determine whether phenolic compounds (caffeic, ferulic, and p-coumaric acids) have immunomodulatory effects and clarify which types of immune effector cells are stimulated in vitro, we evaluated their effect on splenocyte proliferation and lysosomal enzyme activity. We also investigated the activity of natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). In addition, induction of the cellular antioxidant activity in splenocytes, macrophages, and red blood cells was determined by measuring the fluorescence of the DCF product. The study first results indicated that caffeic, ferulic, and p-coumaric acids significantly promote LPS-stimulated splenocyte proliferation, suggesting a potential activation of B cells, and enhanced humoral immune response in hosts treated by the tested natural products. Phenolic acids significantly enhanced the killing activity of isolated NK and CTL cells but had negligible effects on mitogen-induced proliferation of splenic T cells. We showed that caffeic acid enhances lysosomal enzyme activity in murine peritoneal macrophages, suggesting a potential role in activating such cells. Immunomodulatory activity was concomitant with the cellular antioxidant effect in macrophages and splenocytes of caffeic and ferulic acids. We conclude from this study that caffeic, ferulic, and p-coumaric acids exhibited an immunomodulatory effect which could be ascribed, in part, to their cytoprotective effect via their antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, these results suggest that these natural products could be potentially used to modulate immune cell functions in physiological and pathological conditions.

In vitro and in vivo anti-melanoma effects of Daphne gnidium aqueous extract via activation of the immune system.

The purpose of this study was to assess the antitumor and immunomodulatory effects of the aqueous extract from Daphne gnidium in mice-bearing melanoma tumor. Balb/C mice were subcutaneously implanted with B16-F10 cells and treated intraperitoneally with the aqueous extract at 200 mg/Kg b.w for 21 days. After euthanization on day 22, the tumors were weighed; lymphocyte proliferation, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), and natural killer (NK) cell activities were evaluated using the MTT assay. Macrophage phagocytosis was studied by measuring the lysosomal activity. In addition to its potential to inhibit the growth of the transplantable tumor, the aqueous extract remarkably induced splenocyte proliferation and both NK and CTL activities in tumor-bearing mice. The aqueous extract was also seen to have promoted lysosomal activity of host macrophages.

Evaluation of the antimutagenic, antigenotoxic, and antioxidant activities of Eriobotrya japonica leaves.

CONTEXT: The leaves of Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. (Rosaceae) are used in traditional medicine to treat inflammatory diseases. However, information about the antigenotoxic and antioxidant properties of its leaves remains to be elucidated. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work was to evaluate the mutagenic/antimutagenic, genotoxic/antigenotoxic, and antioxidant potentials of aqueous and total oligomers flavonoid (TOF) extracts from E. japonica. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mutagenic/antimutagenic and genotoxic/antigenotoxic potentials of extracts (50, 250, and 500 µg/plate) were evaluated, respectively, by the Ames test with 48 h incubation and the SOS chromotest test with 2 h incubation. The antioxidant capacity of these extracts (ranging from 50 to 700 µg/mL) was tested using xanthine/xanthine oxidase and the deoxyribose assays. RESULTS: Eriobotrya japonica extracts showed neither mutagenic nor genotoxic effect. The highest protective effect against methyl methanesulfonate and 2-aminoanthracene was obtained in the presence of aqueous extract, with IC50 values of 80 and 140 µg/plate, respectively, against S. typhimurium TA104. Moreover, this extract (500 µg/plate) was also able to reduce significantly the genotoxicity induced by nitrofurantoin and aflatoxin B1 with IC50 values of 140 and 240 µg/assay, respectively. Likewise, aqueous and TOF extracts inhibited xanthine oxidase and superoxide anion formation with IC50 values ranging from 45 to 95 and from 70 to 90 µg/mL, respectively. However, TOF extract is more efficient in inhibiting hydroxyl radical and chelating iron ion with IC50 values of 140 and 400 µg/mL, respectively, when compared with the aqueous extract. CONCLUSION: Eriobotrya japonica prevents the genotoxicity of some carcinogenic substances probably thanks to its antioxidant capacities.

Evaluation of in vitro antioxidant and apoptotic activities of Cyperus rotundus

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate in vitro antioxidant and apoptotic activities of Cyperus rotundus (C. rotundus).@*METHODS@#The phytochemical study and the antioxidant activities of both methanol and aqueous extracts from C. rotundus aerial part were determined. In addition, these extracts were also investigated for their cytotoxic and apoptotic activities. The major compound of the methanol extract was isolated. Both methanol and aqueous extracts (300, 150, and 50 μg/mL) were evaluated for their antioxidant activity by the xanthine/xanthine oxidase assay system. However, 16, 8, and 4 mg/mL of each extract were tested to investigate their OH. formation scavenging potential. Aqueous extract (800, 400, and 200 μg/mL) and methanol extract (350, 175, and 88 μg/mL) were tested against lipid peroxidation, induced by 75 μM H2O2. The cytotoxicity (by MTT assay) and cell DNA fragmentation of both extracts were evaluated towards K562 and L1210 cell lines. The major compound was obtained from the butanol fraction of methanol extract and its structure was determined by RMN spectroscopic analysis.@*RESULTS@#The methanol and aqueous extracts showed respectively, 88% and 19% inhibition of xanthine oxidase activity. Yet, the same extracts inhibited lipid peroxidation by 61.5% and 42.0%, respectively. Both extracts inhibited OH. formation by 27.1% and 25.3%, respectively. Only methanol extract induced DNA degradation. Orientin was determined as the major compound isolated from the butanol fraction of methanol extract.@*CONCLUSIONS@#It appears that C. rotundus extracts exhibit a potential use as a natural antioxidant and an apoptosis inducer.

Relationship correlation of antioxidant and antiproliferative capacity of Cyperus rotundus products towards K562 erythroleukemia cells.

A Total Oligomers Flavonoids (TOFs) and ethyl acetate extracts of Cyperus rotundus were analyzed, in vitro, for their antioxidant activity using several biochemical assays: the xanthine (X)/xanthine oxidase (XO), the lipid peroxidation induced by H(2)O(2) in K562 human chronic myelogenous leukemia cells and the DNA damage in pKS plasmid DNA assay induced by H(2)O(2)/UV-photolysis and for their apoptotic effect. TOF and ethyl acetate extracts were found to be efficient in inhibiting xanthine oxidase with IC(50) values of 240 and 185 microg/ml and superoxide anion with IC(50) values of 150 and 215 microg/ml, respectively. Also, all the extracts tested were effective in reducing the production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and were able to protect against H(2)O(2)/UV-photolysis induced DNA damage. The highest activity, measured as equivalents of MDA concentration, was observed in the ethyl acetate extract (MDA=2.04 nM). In addition, the data suggest that only TOF enriched extract exerts growth inhibition on K562 cells through apoptosis induction. Therefore, these extracts were subjected to further separation by chromatographic methods. Thus, three major compounds (catechin, afzelechin and galloyl quinic acid) were isolated from the TOF enriched extract and five major compounds (luteolin, ferulic acid, quercetin, 3-hydroxy, 4-methoxy-benzoic acid and 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin) from ethyl acetate extract. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data analysis and comparison with the literature. In addition, we evaluate the biological activities of the catechin, ferulic acid and luteolin. This investigation has revealed that the luteolin was the most active in reducing the production of TBARS (MDA=1.5 nM), inhibiting significantly the proliferation of K562 cells (IC(50)=25 microg/ml) and protecting against H(2)O(2)/UV-photolysis induced DNA damage. In conclusion, the study reveals that the ability of C. rotundus to inhibit the enzyme xanthine oxidase (XO), the lipid peroxidation and to exert apoptotic effect, may explain possible mechanisms by which C. rotundus exhibits its health benefits.