In vitro anti-ageing activities of ethanolic extracts from Pink rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum Linn.) for skin applications.

Skin ageing is characterized by features such as wrinkles, loss of elasticity, laxity, rough-textured appearance, melasma and freckles. Several researches have focused for preventing, and treating skin ageing by many natural ingredients. This study aimed to assess the anti-ageing activities for anti-skin ageing of the ethanolic extracts of Pink rambutan (PR) (Nephelium lappaceum Linn.) from leaves (L), branches (B), seeds (S), and peels from ripe (R) and young (Y) fruits. The extraction yields of all Pink Rambutan (PR) extracted by the Maceration (M) and the Soxhlet extraction (Sox) using 95% ethanol as a solvent, ranged from 10.62% to 30.63%. Flavonoids were found as the main phytochemicals in almost all the PR extracts. The PR-Y-M and PR-Y-Sox extracts gave the highest total phenolic contents by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay of 67.60 ± 4.38 mgGAE/g, and total flavonoid contents by the modified aluminum chloride colorimetric assay of 678.72 ± 23.59 mgQE/g, respectively. The PR-L-M extracts showed the highest three anti-oxidative activities; the free radical scavenging (SC50 of 0.320 ± 0.070 mg/mL), the lipid peroxidation inhibition (LC50 of 0.274 ± 0.029 mg/mL), and the metal chelation activity (MC50 of 0.203 ± 0.021 mg/mL). All the PR extracts at 0.01 and 0.1 mg/mL showed no cytotoxicity on B16F10 cells, and human skin fibroblasts, respectively. Likewise, the PR-R-Sox extract exhibited the highest anti-melanogenesis on B16F10 cells (52.7 ± 0.9%) and, the mushroom tyrosinase inhibition activity (IC50 of 0.04 ± 0.02 mg/mL), which was significantly comparable to kojic acid (p < 0.05). The PR-Y-Sox extract showed the collagen biosynthesis by the Sirius Red method, and the stimulation of anti-ageing genes (Sirt1 and Foxo1) on human skin fibroblasts by the RT-PCR method, which were similar to standards ʟ-ascorbic acid and resveratrol, respectively. This study suggests that the PR-R-Sox and PR-Y-Sox extracts can be further developed as natural anti-ageing agents for whitening and anti-wrinkle in the cosmetics, cosmeceutical, and pharmaceutical industries.

Chemical composition and biological activities of essential oil of Beilschmiedia pulverulenta.

CONTEXT: The ethnopharmacological study of Beilschmiedia indicates that several species are used for the treatment of various ailments. OBJECTIVE: This is the first study of the chemical composition of Beilschmiedia pulverulenta Kosterm (Lauraceae) essential oil and its antioxidant, antimicrobial, antityrosinase, anti-inflammatory, and anticholinesterase activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antioxidant activities were evaluated by ß-carotene, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and phenolic content at different concentrations. The antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi were revealed by disk diffusion and microdilution. The antityrosinase and anti-inflammatory activities were assayed against mushroom tyrosinase and lipoxygenase enzymes. The anticholinesterase activity was analyzed using acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes. RESULTS: Forty-two components were detected in B. pulverulenta oil with eugenol (45.3%) being the major component. The oil phenolic content and the FRAP were 660.1 mg gallic acid/g and 604.0 mg ascorbic acid/g, respectively. The oil gave an IC50 value of 94.5 µg/mL and an inhibition of 93.9% in DPPH and ß-carotene, respectively. The antimicrobial activity showed that the oil had strong activity against all Gram-positive bacteria with an minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value each of 62.5 µg/mL and moderate against all fungi with MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values each of 125 µg/mL. The oil showed significant antityrosinase and anti-inflammatory activities with 67.6 and 62.5% inhibition, respectively. In addition, the oil had moderate AChE (56.5%) and BChE (48.2%) activities. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results show that the oil could potentially be used for nutraceutical industries, food manufactures, and therapeutic agents against various diseases such as inflammation and rheumatism.

Antioxidant and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Constituents from Hornstedtia Species of Malaysia.

Seven compounds were isolated from the n-hexane and chloroform extracts of the flowers and leaves of four Hornstedtia species and their structures were identified using spectroscopic techniques as 3,7,4'-trimethylkaempferol (1), 3,7-dimethylkaempferol (2), 7,4'-dimethylkaempferol (3), 3,5-dimethylkaempferol (4), 3-methylkaempferol (5), stigmast-4-en-3-one (6), and 6-hydroxy-stigmast-4-en-3-one (7). Compounds 1 to 7 were isolated from these species for the first time. They were assayed for free radical scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibition activities. The DPPH assay showed that 3-methylkaempferol (5) was the most potent antioxidant agent with an IC50 value 78.6 µM, followed by 7,4'-dimethylkaempferol (3) (IC50 = 86.1 µM). For α-glucosidase inhibition activity, 3-methylkaempferol (5) exhibited significant inhibitory activity with an IC50 value 21.0 µM. The present study revealed that Hornstedtia species have potential activities as antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitors.

Antioxidant and Anticholinesterase Activities of Essential Oils of Cinnamomum griffithii and C. macrocarpum.

The essential oils of Cinnamomum griffithii and C. macrocarpum were analyzed by GC and GC-MS and evaluated for their antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities. The essential oils of leaf and bark of C. grffithii were characterized by the presence of 30 components, with methyl eugenol (38.5-43.8%) as the major component. A total of 11 components were characterized in.the leaf and bark of C. macrocarpum essential oil with the most abundant component was safrole (54.5-59.5%). The bark oil of C. griffithii demonstrated significant activity on DPPH (IC50 73.4 microg/mL) and a high phenolic content (192.0%), while the leaf oil inhibited oxidation of ß-carotene/linoleic acid with an inhibition value of 65.5 µg/mL. Acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition were assessed and the results showed that C. macrocarpun bark oil exhibited significant activity with inhibition values of 55.8% and 66.1%, respectively at a concentration of 1 mg/mL.

Chemical Compositions and Biological Activities of Essential Oils of Beilschmiedia glabra.

This study was designed to examine the chemical compositions of essential oils from Beilschmiedia glabra and their antioxidant, antimicrobial, antityrosinase, acetylcholinesterase and anti-inflammatory activities. In total, 47 components were identified in the essential oils, which made up 86.8% and 89.7% of the leaf and bark oils, respectively. The leaf oil is composed mainly of ß-eudesmol (15.4%), ß-selinene (12.2%), caryophyllene oxide (8.1%) and γ-gurjunene (5.2%), while the bark oil contains high percentages of ß-eudesmol (19.3%), ß-selinene (16.9%), δ-cadinene (15.8%), germacrene D (9.8%) and ß-caryophyllene (5.5%). Antioxidant activity showed that the leaf oil has the highest phenolic content at 233.4 mg GA/g, while the bark oil showed potent activity in the ß- carotene/linoleic acid bleaching assay. However, both oils showed weak activity in the DPPH and ABTS assays. For antimicrobial activity, the leaf and bark oils displayed strong activity against Candida glabrata and Saccharomyces cerevisiae with MIC values of 31.3 and 62.5 µg/mL, respectively. Percentage inhibitions against tyrosinase (leaf 73.7%; bark 76.0%) and acetylcholinesterase (leaf 48.1%; bark 45.2%) were tested at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, while anti-inflammatory activity (leaf 59.7%; bark 48.9%) was evaluated at a concentration of 100 µM. Evaluation of these assays indicated moderate levels of activity.

Chemical compositions and biological activities of the essential oils of Beilschmiedia madang Blume (Lauraceae).

The present study aimed to examine the chemical compositions of the essential oils of Beilschmiedia madang and their antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anticholinesterase and anti-tyrosinase activities. The major constituents of the essential oils of leaf and bark of B. madang were δ-cadinene (17.0 and 20.5 %), ß-caryophyllene (10.3 and 6.7 %), α-cubebene (11.3 and 15.6 %), and α-cadinol (5.8 and 10.6 %). The essential oils were screened for their antioxidant activities using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, ß-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching, and total phenolic content. The bark oil showed the highest ß-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching (90.3 % ± 0.2) and DPPH radical scavenging (IC50 212.0 µg/mL), while the highest phenolic content was exhibited by the leaf oil (94.5 % ± 0.3 mg GA/g). The antibacterial and antifungal activities were investigated by the disc diffusion and micro dilution method. The leaf and bark oils showed moderate activity towards Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value 125 µg/mL. For antifungal assay, the bark oil showed strong activity towards Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus fumigatus with MIC value 62.5 µg/mL. Anticholinesterase and anti-tyrosinase activities were evaluated against Ellman method and mushroom tyrosinase, respectively. The results showed that leaf oil gave significant percentage inhibition (I%: acetylcholinesterase 55.2 %, butyrylcholinesterase 60.4 %, tyrosinase 53.1 %).

Chemical compositions and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Hornstedtia havilandii (Zingiberaceae).

The chemical compositions and antimicrobial activity of the fresh rhizome and flower oils of Hornstedtia havilandii were studied. The components present were analyzed using GC and GC-MS. A total of forty-eight constituents were successfully identified from the flower and rhizome oils, representing 93.4% and 89.6%, respectively. The most abundant components of the flower oil were beta-pinene, (19.5%), beta-elemene, (10.0%), beta-cubebene, (6.2%), alpha-pinene, (5.6%), gamma-cadinene, (4.3%) and germacrene D, (3.3%), while alpha-copaene, (10.2%), beta-selinene, (8.4%), beta-elemene, (7.0%), gamma-cadinene, (6.9%), beta-cubebene, (5.3%) and germacrene D, (5.3%) were found as the main components of the rhizome oil. The essential oils were tested for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts. Both oils showed activity against the Gram-positive bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus, with moderate MIC values of 112.5 micro/mL, however, for Gram-negative bacteria, the flower oil showed weak antimicrobial activity with a MIC value of 225 microg/mL. Only very weak activity was shown against the yeasts Candida albicans and C. glabrata, with MIC values of 900-1800 microg/mL.

Chemical compositions and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Piper abbreviatum, P. erecticaule and P. lanatum (Piperaceae).

The study was designed to examine the chemical composition and antimicrobial activities of essential oils extracted from the aerial parts of three Piper species: Piper abbreviatum, P. erecticaule and P. lanatum, all from Malaysia. GC and GC/MS analysis showed qualitative and quantitative differences between these oils. GC and GC-MS analysis of P. abbreviatum, P. erecticaule and P. lanatum oils resulted in the identification of 33, 35 and 39 components, representing 70.5%, 63.4% and 78.2% of the components, respectively. The major components of P. abbreviatum oil were spathulenol (11.2%), (E)-nerolidol (8.5%) and ß-caryophyllene (7.8%), whereas P. erecticaule oil mainly contained ß-caryophyllene (5.7%) and spathulenol (5.1%). Borneol (7.5%), ß-caryophyllene (6.6%) and α-amorphene (5.6%) were the most abundant components in P. lanatum oil. Antimicrobial activity was carried out using disc diffusion and broth micro-dilution method against nine microorganisms. All of the essential oils displayed weak activity towards Gram-positive bacteria with MIC values in the range 250-500 µg/mL. P. erecticaule oil showed the best activity on Aspergillus niger (MIC 31.3 µg/mL), followed by P. lanatum oil (MIC 62.5 µg/mL). This study demonstrated that the essential oils have potential as antimicrobial agents and may be useful in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.

Chemical compositions and antibacterial activity of the leaf and stem oils of Piper porphyrophyllum (Lindl.) N.E. Br.

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from the fresh leaf and stem of Piper porphyrophyllum N.E. Br. were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Thirty four constituents were identified in the leaf oil, while thirty eight constituents were identified in the stems oil. The most abundant components in the leaf oil included bicyclogermacrene (14.7 %), α-copaene (13.2 %) and ß-phellandrene (9.5 %) while sabinene (15.5 %), bicyclogermacrene (12.3 %) and α-copaene (8.1 %) were the main constituents in the stem oil. The evaluation of antibacterial activity by using micro-dilution method revealed that both oils were moderately active against all the Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas putida and Escherichia coli) with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values in the range 125-1000 µg/ml.

Chemical compositions, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Piper officinarum (Piperaceae).

This study was designed to investigate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oils from Piper officinarum C. DC. GC and GC/MS analysis of the leaf and stem oils showed forty one components, representing 85.6% and 93.0% of the oil, respectively. The most abundant components in the leaf oil were beta-caryophyllene (11.2%), alpha-pinene (9.3%), sabinene (7.6%), beta-selinene (5.3%) and limonene (4.6%), while beta-caryophyllene (10.9%), alpha-phellandrene (9.3%), linalool (6.9%), limonene (6.7%) and alpha-pinene (5.0%) were the main components of the stem oil. The antioxidant activities were determined by using complementary tests: namely beta-carotene-linoleic acid, DPPH radical scavenging and total phenolic assays. The stems oil showed weak activity (IC50 = 777.4 microg/mL) in the DPPH system, but showed moderate lipid peroxidation inhibition in the beta-carotene-linoleic acid system (88.9 +/- 0.35%) compared with BHT (95.5 +/- 0.30%). Both oils showed weak activity against P. aeruginosa and E. coli with M IC values of 250 microg/mL.

Chemical compositions, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oils of Piper caninum Blume.

Chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the fresh leaves and stems oils of Piper caninum were investigated. A total of forty eight constituents were identified in the leaves (77.9%) and stems (87.0%) oil which were characterized by high proportions of phenylpropanoid, safrole with 17.1% for leaves and 25.5% for stems oil. Antioxidant activities were evaluated by using ß-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching, DPPH radical scavenging and total phenolic content. Stems oil showed the highest inhibitory activity towards lipid peroxidation (114.9 ± 0.9%), compared to BHT (95.5 ± 0.5%), while leaves oil showed significant total phenolic content (27.4 ± 0.5 mg GA/g) equivalent to gallic acid. However, the essential oils showed weak activity towards DPPH free-radical scavenging. Evaluation of antimicrobial activity revealed that both oils exhibited strong activity against all bacteria strains with MIC values in the range 62.5 to 250 µg/mL, but weak activity against fungal strains. These findings suggest that the essential oils can be used as antioxidant and antimicrobial agents for therapeutic, nutraceutical industries and food manufactures.