Phytochemical screening, HPLC analysis, antimicrobial and antioxidant effect of Euphorbia parviflora L. (Euphorbiaceae Juss.).

Plant extracts are actively being used worldwide due to the presence of biologically active constituents helping in the preservation of food, and to aid against various diseases owing to their antimicrobial and antioxidant potential. The present research work was carried out to investigate the phytochemical constituents, antimicrobial activity, and antioxidant activity of different extracted samples of Euphorbia parviflora. Anti-microbial studies were carried out by Agar well diffusion while the DPPH method was employed for investigating anti-oxidant activity. Three samples from methanol, chloroform, and ethyl acetate extract were tested against five different bacterial strains comprising two species from Gram-negative bacteria i.e., Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and three species from Gram-positive bacteria i.e. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia along two fungal strains i.e. Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. The results of the qualitative phytochemical analysis showed that methanolic, chloroformic, and ethylacetate extract of Euphorbia parviflora consist of alkaloids, reducing sugars, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, and saponins. The total phenol and flavonoid content of E. parviflora showed that the methanolic extract of E. parviflora had a significantly higher total phenolic content (53.73 ± 0.30 mg of GAE/g) and flavonoid content (44.62 ± 0.38 mg of than other extracts. The content of total phenolic and flavonoids was more in methanolic extract as compared to other extracts of E. prolifera. The HPLC analysis showed that in the chloroform extract of E. parviflora Cinnamic acid (4.32 ± 2.89 mg/g) was dominant, in methanol extract quercetin (3.42 ± 2.89 mg/g) was dominant and in ethyl acetate extract of E. parviflora catechin (4.44 ± 2.89 mg/g) was found dominant. The antimicrobial activity revealed that amongst all the extracts the highest antibacterial activity was shown by methanolic extract against B. subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus as compared to the other extracts. The antioxidant activity revealed that methanolic extract of E. parviflora demonstrated higher antioxidant activity (82.42 ± 0.02) followed by chloroform extract (76.48 ± 0.08) at 150 µg/mL. The aim of this study was primarily to evaluate the potential of this plant as a reliable source of antimicrobials and antioxidants that may be used for the treatment of various infectious diseases in the future. The study provides evidence that this plant can act as a reliable source of antimicrobial and antioxidant agents and might be used against several infectious diseases.

Chemical and Nutritional Profiling of the Seaweed Dictyota dichotoma and Evaluation of Its Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Hypoglycemic Potentials.

Seaweed has been known to possess beneficial effects forhuman health due to the presence of functional bioactive components. The n-butanol and ethyl acetate extracts of Dictyota dichotoma showed ash (31.78%), crude fat (18.93%), crude protein (14.5%), and carbohydrate (12.35%) contents. About 19 compounds were identified in the n-butanol extract, primarily undecane, cetylic acid, hexadecenoic acid, Z-11-, lageracetal, dodecane, and tridecane, whereas 25 compounds were identified in the ethyl acetate extract, mainly tetradecanoic, hexadecenoic acid, Z-11-, undecane, and myristic acid. FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of carboxylic acid, phenols, aromatics, ethers, amides, sulfonates, and ketones. Moreover, total phenolic contents (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) in ethyl acetate extract were 2.56 and 2.51 mg GAE/g and in n-butanol extract were 2.11 and 2.25 mg QE/g, respectively. Ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts at a high concentration of 100 mg mL-1 showed 66.64 and 56.56 % inhibition of DPPH, respectively. Antimicrobial activity revealed that Candida albicans was the most susceptible microorganism, followed by Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, whereas Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed the least inhibition at all concentrations. The in vivo hypoglycemic study revealed that both extracts exhibited concentration-dependent hypoglycemic activities. In conclusion, this macroalgae exhibited antioxidant, antimicrobial, and hypoglycemic potentials.

Extraction and Fractionation of Prokinetic Phytochemicals from Chrozophora tinctoria and Their Bioactivities.

Chrozophora tinctoria is an annual plant of the family Euphorbiaceae, traditionally used as a laxative, a cathartic and an emetic. A methanolic extract of Chrozophora tinctoria (MEC) whole plant and an n-butanol fraction of Chrozophora tinctoria (NBFC) were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to detect the phytochemicals. MEC and NBFC were tested for in vitro anti acetylcholinesterase (AChE) potential. The effect of both samples on intestinal propulsive movement and spasmolytic activity in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was also studied. About twelve compounds in MEC and three compounds in NBFC were tentatively identified through GC-MS. Some of them are compounds with known therapeutic activity, such as toluene; imipramine; undecane; 14-methyl-pentadecanoic acid methyl ester; and hexadecanoic acid. Both NBFC and MEC samples were checked for acute toxicity and were found to be highly toxic in a dose-dependent manner, causing diarrhea and emesis at 1 g/kg concentration in pigeons, with the highest lethargy and mortality above 3 g/kg. Both the samples of Chrozophora tinctoria revealed significant (p ≤ 0.01) laxative activity against metronidazole (7 mg/kg) and loperamide hydrochloride (4 mg/kg)-induced constipation. NBFC (81.18 ± 2.5%) and MEC (68.28 ± 2.4%) significantly increased charcoal meal intestinal transit compared to distal water (41.15 ± 4.3%). NBFC exhibited a significant relaxant effect (EC50 = 3.40 ± 0.20 mg/mL) in spontaneous rabbit jejunum as compared to MEC (EC50 = 4.34 ± 0.68 mg/kg). Similarly, the impact of NBFC on KCl-induced contraction was more significant than that of MEC (EC50 values of 7.22 ± 0.06 mg/mL and 7.47 ± 0.57 mg/mL, respectively). The present study scientifically validates the folk use of Chrozophora tinctoria in the management of gastrointestinal diseases such as constipation. Further work is needed to isolate the phytochemicals that act as diarrheal agents in Chrozophora tinctoria.

Prokinetic and Laxative Effects of Chrozophora tinctoria Whole Plant Extract.

Chrozophora tinctoria (Euphorbiaceae) has been used as an emetic, anthelminthic, and cathartic agent in traditional medicine. We used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to characterize the composition of ethyl acetate (EAC) and dichloromethane (DCMC) fractions from the whole Chrozophora tinctoria plant. EAC and DCMC fractions were evaluated for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity and acute toxicity. Their effects on intestinal propulsive movement and spasmogenic activity of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) muscle were also assessed. The compounds detected in both fractions were mostly fatty acids, with about seven compounds in EAC and 10 in DCMC. These included pharmacologically active compounds such as imipramine, used to treat depression, or hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, an antioxidant. Both EAC and DCMC fractions inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity with IC50 values of 10 µg and 130 µg, respectively. Both the fractions were found to be toxic in a dose-dependent manner, inducing emesis at 0.5 g or higher and lethargy and mortality from 3-5 g upwards. Similarly, both of the fractions showed laxative activity in metronidazole- and loperamide-induced constipation models. EAC relaxed the intestinal muscle at a lower dose (1 mg/mL) than DCMC. Similarly, the EAC extract showed a significant relaxation effect (EC50 = 0.67 ± 0.15 mg/mL) on KCL-induced contraction in rabbit jejunum as compared to DCMC (EC50 = 5.04 ± 0.05 mg/kg). The present study strongly supports the folklore that this valuable plant is a cathartic agent. Further work is required to isolate and validate the bioactive compounds that act as diarrheal agents in Chrozophora tinctoria.