RESUMEN
Argemone mexicana L. has been used in traditional Mexican medicine. Among its bioactive constituents, berberine (BER) has garnered attention for its cytotoxic properties against different tumor cell lines. This study investigates the in vitro toxicity against HEP-G2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma) and murine lymphoma (L5178Y-R) cells using the MTT assay of the methanol extract (AmexM), sub-partitions of A. mexicana, and BER. Selectivity indices (SIs) were determined by comparing their cytotoxic effects on VERO (monkey kidney epithelial) and PBMC (human peripheral blood mononuclear) non-tumoral cells. Additionally, the anti-hemolytic effect of these treatments was assessed using the AAPH method. The treatment with the most promising activity against tumor cells and anti-hemolytic efficacy underwent further evaluation for toxicity in Artemia salina and antioxidant activities using DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. BER demonstrated an IC50 = 56.86 µg/mL in HEP-G2 cells and IC50 < 5.0 µg/mL in L5178Y-R cells, with SI values of 15.97 and >5.40 in VERO and PBMC cells, respectively. No significant hemolytic effects were observed, although AmexM and BER exhibited the highest anti-hemolytic activity. BER also demonstrated superior antioxidant efficacy, with lower toxicity in A. salina nauplii compared to the control. Additionally, BER significantly attenuated nitric oxide production. This study highlights the antiproliferative effects of A. mexicana, particularly BER, against HEP-G2 and L5178Y-R tumor cell lines, along with its selectivity towards normal cells. Furthermore, its anti-hemolytic and antioxidant potentials were demonstrated, suggesting that BER is a promising candidate for potent chemotherapeutic agents.
RESUMEN
Seven medicinal plants from Chiapas, Mexico, used by Native Americans were analyzed, aiming to improve the understanding of their medicinal properties through the evaluation of various biological activities, i.e., bactericidal, antioxidant, α-glucosidase inhibition, and toxicity, to provide a scientific basis for the management of infectious and hyperglycemic diseases in the Mexican southeast. Plant extracts were obtained from Cordia dodecandra, Gaultheria odorata, Heliotropium angiospermum, Justicia spicigera, Leucaena collinsii spp. collinsii, Tagetes nelsonii, and Talisia oliviformis through maceration techniques using methanol and chloroform (1:1). Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was employed to determine the antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter faecalis, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeuroginosa. The antiradical/antioxidant activity was determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays and antihemolytic activity using the 2,2'-Azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride radical (APPH). The anti-α-glucosidase activity was evaluated in vitro through the chromogenic PNPG assay. The toxicity was assessed using the brine shrimp lethality assay. The highest antimicrobial activity was displayed by T. nelsonii, mainly against E. faecalis and P. aeuroginosa. The extracts of L. collinsii, J. spicigera, and T. nelsonii possess antioxidant properties with EC50 < 50 µg/mL. J. spicigera and T. nelsonii extracts showed the highest antihemolytic activity with IC50 < 14 µg/mL. T. nelsonii exhibited a remarkable inhibitor effect on the α-glucosidase enzyme and the greatest toxic effect on Artemia salina with IC50 = 193 ± 20 µg/mL and LD50 = 14 ± 1 µg/mL, respectively. According to our results, G. odorata, J. spicigera, T. nelsonii, and T. oliviformis extracts contained active antimicrobial compounds. At the same time, T. nelsonii stands to be a possible source of effective antineoplastic and antihyperglycemic compounds.
RESUMEN
Ehretia tinifolia Linnaeus (Boraginacea) and Sideroxylon lanuginosum Michaux (Sapotaceae) are wild fruits consumed in North America and are appreciated for their pleasant flavor and sweet taste. However, details regarding their composition and biological properties in the available literature are scarce. This study reports the phenolic composition, antioxidant, antiproliferative activities, and digestive enzymatic inhibition of amberlite-retained methanolic extracts from both fruits. Results revealed that these wild fruit extracts are rich in antioxidants. S. lanuginosum had lower phenolic but higher flavonoid contents (21.4 ± 1.5 mg GAE/100 g FW and 6.42 ± 0.9 mg CE/100 g FW) than E. tinifolia (64.7 ± 2.6 mg GAE/100 g FW and 5.1 ± 0.4 mg CE/100 g FW). HPLC-DAD-MS/MS analysis showed rosmarinic acid as a major polyphenol in E. tinifolia and quercetin glucoside in S. lanuginosum. Polyphenols content in E. tinifolia was related to a significant free radical scavenging ability: DPPH (EC50 = 0.32 ± 0.03 mg/mL), TEAC (4134 ± 9.7 µM TE/g dry extract), and hemolysis inhibition (IC50 = 58.55 ± 2.4 µg/mL). Both extracts were capable of inhibiting α-glucosidase, partially inhibiting α-amylase, and showed no inhibition against lipase, while showing antiproliferative activity against HeLa, HT-29 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines. Our study revealed that these wild fruit extracts are rich in health-beneficial phytochemicals and hold significant potential for elaborating functional foods.
