Characterization of stenocephol from Seriphidium stenocephalum as potent HepG2 cell growth and glycogen phosphorylase inhibitor.

Plant-derived compounds represent an important source for developing innovative drugs. One of the widely distributed plants, especially in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Seriphidium stenocephalum, was investigated in this study to identify bioactive compounds. The plant extract was subjected to silica gel column chromatography, four phenolic acid derivatives were isolated, while stenocephol was obtained by ethyl acetate fraction. Stenocephol was subjected to experimental screening for anti-diabetic and anti-cancer activities, measuring its inhibitory potency against glycogen phosphorylase, and its cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells. Further insights into the mechanism of action of stenocephol were obtained from a computational investigation. Stenocephol showed a dose-dependent manner of inhibition against glycogen phosphorylase and HepG2 cells in the low micromolar range. Notably, coupling in vitro and computational investigation, we identified the natural product stenocephol as a possible anti-diabetic and anti-cancer agent, representing a possible starting point for developing novel therapeutics, enriching the armamentarium against the mentioned diseases.

Isolation of bioactive compounds from Rumex hastatus extract and their biological evaluation and docking study as potential anti-oxidant and anti-urease agents.

Herein, the methanolic extract of Rumex hastatus was prepared and subjected to silica gel column chromatographic separation for purification. The chromatographic analysis yielded four bioactive compounds namely, 1,8-dihydroxy-3-methyl-anthraquinone (C1, chrysophanol), 3-methoxy-7-methyl-1,5-dihydroxy-anthraquinone (C2), 6-methyl-1,3,7-trihydroxy-anthraquinone (C3), and 4-hydroxycinnamic acid (C4). The structures of all the isolated bio-entities were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis (1D, 2D-NMR, and MS). The biological potentialities of bioactive compounds were evaluated by determining their antioxidant and anti-urease activities. The results revealed that compound 1 showed the highest nitrite radical scavenging activity (IC50  = 0.39 mM) followed by C2 and C4 (IC50  = 0.45) mM and C3 (IC50  = 0.47 mM). Similarly, the determined IC50  values for anti-urease activity were C2 (IC50  = 0.39 mM), C1 (IC50  = 0.40), C4 (IC50  = 0.41), and C3 (IC50  = 44). Molecular docking study revealed maximum interactions among the hydroxyl group of all compounds. In conclusion, Rumex hastatus extract could be a promising alternative to chemical additives in pharmaceutical industries due to its noteworthy biological activities. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: As we have shown in this study that Rumex hastatus is a prolific source of biologically active compounds with potent antioxidant and anti-urease activities, therefore, R. hastatus extract could be used as a promising alternative to chemical additives in pharmaceutical industries due to its unique compounds and noteworthy biological activities.

Chemical Composition and in-Vitro Evaluation of the Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Essential Oils Extracted from Seven Eucalyptus Species.

Eucalyptus is well reputed for its use as medicinal plant around the globe. The present study was planned to evaluate chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the essential oils (EOs) extracted from seven Eucalyptus species frequently found in South East Asia (Pakistan). EOs from Eucalyptus citriodora, Eucalyptus melanophloia, Eucalyptus crebra, Eucalyptus tereticornis, Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Eucalyptus microtheca were extracted from leaves through hydrodistillation. The chemical composition of the EOs was determined through GC-MS-FID analysis. The study revealed presence of 31 compounds in E. citriodora and E. melanophloia, 27 compounds in E. crebra, 24 compounds in E. tereticornis, 10 compounds in E. globulus, 13 compounds in E. camaldulensis and 12 compounds in E. microtheca. 1,8-Cineole (56.5%), α-pinene (31.4%), citrinyl acetate (13.3%), eugenol (11.8%) and terpenene-4-ol (10.2%) were the highest principal components in these EOs. E. citriodora exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity against the five microbial species tested (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus solani). Gram positive bacteria were found more sensitive than Gram negative bacteria to all EOs. The diphenyl-1-picrylhydazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and percentage inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation were highest in E. citriodora (82.1% and 83.8%, respectively) followed by E. camaldulensis (81.9% and 83.3%, respectively). The great variation in chemical composition of EOs from Eucalyptus, highlight its potential for medicinal and nutraceutical applications.