Exploration of the Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Potential of Cassia sieberiana DC and Piliostigma thonningii (Schumach.) Milne-Redh, Traditionally Used in the Treatment of Hepatitis in the Hauts-Bassins Region of Burkina Faso.

Inflammation is the supreme biological response to illness. In the Hauts-Bassins region, in traditional medicine, all parts of Cassia sieberiana and Piliostigma thonningii are used to treat hepatitis and inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of their aqueous extracts. High performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array (HPLC-DAD) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) analyses highlighted the presence of polyphenols and flavonoids. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were measured by various methods such as DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), TAC (total antioxidant capacity), anti-protease, anti-lipoxygenase, and membrane stabilization. The best antioxidant activity was observed in the bark (DPPH: IC50 = 13.45 ± 0.10 µg/mL) and roots (TAC = 29.68 ± 1.48 mg AAE/g DW) of Piliostigma thonningii and in the roots (ABTS: IC50 = 1.83 ± 0.34 µg/mL) of Cassia sieberiana. The best anti-inflammatory activity was observed in the bark (anti-lipoxygenase: IC50 = 13.04 ± 1.99 µg/mL) and leaves (anti-proteases: IC50 = 75.74 ± 1.07 µg/mL, membrane stabilization: IC50 = 48.32 ± 6.39 µg/mL) of Cassia sieberiana. Total polyphenols (ABTS: r = -0.679, TAC: r = 0.960) and condensed tannins (ABTS: r = -0.702, TAC: r = 0.701) were strongly correlated with antioxidant activity. Total flavonoids (anti-proteases: r = -0.729), condensed tannins (anti-proteases: r = 0.698), and vitamin C (anti-proteases: r = -0.953) were strongly correlated with anti-inflammatory activity. Total polyphenols, flavonoids, condensed tannins, and vitamin C could contribute to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the two studied plants. These results could validate the traditional use of these plants to treat various inflammatory diseases.

Bridging the Chemical Profile and Biological Activities of a New Variety of Agastache foeniculum (Pursh) Kuntze Extracts and Essential Oil.

This study investigated the phytochemical content of alcoholic extracts and essential oil of a new variety of medicinal plants, Agastache foeniculum (Pursh), which Kuntze adapted for cultivation in Romania, namely "Aromat de Buzau". The essential oil was investigated by GC-MS, while the identification and quantification of various compounds from alcoholic extracts were performed by HPLC-DAD. The total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extracts were evaluated by using standard phytochemical methods. The antioxidant activities of ethanol, methanol extracts, and essential oil of the plant were also assessed against 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•), 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS•+), and by ferric reducing power (FRAP) using spectroscopic methods. Cyclic voltammetry was used to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of the essential oil. The concentrations of phenolic compounds were higher in methanolic extract compared to ethanolic extract. A significant correlation was found between total phenol and total flavonoid contents (r = 0.9087). Significant high correlations were also found between the total phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activities of the extracts (r ≥ 0.8600, p < 0.05). In addition, the extracts and essential oil showed good antioxidant and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities. Estragole was detected as the major constituent of the essential oil (94.89%). The cytotoxic activity of the essential oil was evaluated by the MTT assay. At lower concentrations (1 µg/mL) high cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells was observed but not on the non-tumoral dermal fibroblasts (HDF) which indicated selectivity for cancer cells and suggests the presence of biologically active components that contribute to the observed high cytotoxic effect. Findings from the present study offer new perspectives on the use of A. foeniculum as a potential source of bioactive compounds and a good candidate for pharmaceutical plant-based products.

Comparative Study of the Chemical Compositions and Antioxidant Activities of Fresh Juices from Romanian Cucurbitaceae Varieties.

Cucurbitaceae is a family of health-promoting plants due to their compounds with beneficial effects. The aim of this study was to analyze, for the first time, the chemical composition, the antioxidant activity and the metal chelating properties of fruit juices obtained from four different species of the Cucurbitaceae family cultivated in Romania, namely Momordica charantia, Cucumis metuliferus, Benincasa hispida and Trichosanthes cucumerina. The samples of juice were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and all the four species displayed high levels of the two triterpenes, oleanolic and ursolic acids, and also in phenolic compounds, including catechin, (-)-epicatechin and gallic acid. The juices demonstrated significant antioxidant activity against the free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (ranging from 20 to 95%,), a good iron binding ability (ranging from 7.45 ± 0.28% to 86.95 ± 0.97%) and also promising antioxidant potential against the ABTS radical (ranging from 4.97 to 32.60 µETx/mL juice). Our findings raise interesting questions for further research on Cucurbitaceae fruit juices and, consequently, their very good antioxidant potential suggests these fruits should be further explored for their protective effect against oxidative damage. This is the first time the chemical composition and antioxidant activities of fruit juices from these four Romanian Cucurbitaceae varieties have been investigated.