Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Effects of Zingiberaceae Oils: A Natural Solution for Oral Health.

Essential oils have been recognised for their potential benefits in oral care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial and antiproliferative activity of essential oils derived from four Zingiberaceae species. A combination of GC/MS and GC-FID was employed to analyse these essential oils. The results showed that ß-myrcene (79.77 %) followed by ethyl-cinnamate (40.14 %), ß-curcumene (34.90 %), and alloaromadendrene (25.15 %) as the primary constituents of Curcuma mangga, Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Kaempferia galanga and Curcuma aeruginosa, respectively. The Zingiberaceae oils were tested for their antibacterial activity against oral bacteria using the disc diffusion test. Curcuma xanthorrhiza oil showed the largest inhibition zones against Streptococcus mitis (19.50±2.22 mm) and Streptococcus sanguinis (15.04±3.05 mm). Similarly, Curcuma mangga oil exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans (12.55±0.45 mm) and mixed oral bacteria (15.03±3.82 mm). Furthermore, the MTT viability assay revealed moderate inhibitory activity of these essential oils against H103 and ORL-204 oral cancer cells. The study findings demonstrate that Curcuma xanthorrhiza and Curcuma mangga essential oils have potent antibacterial properties, suggesting their potential use as natural alternatives to synthetic antibacterial agents in oral care products. However, further investigations are necessary to fully explore their therapeutic applications.

Neuroprotective Properties of Wild Medicinal Mushroom, Sanguinoderma rugosum (Agaricomycetes), Extracts against Glutamate-Induced Hippocampal Cells.

Neurological diseases are increasingly recognized as a health burden worldwide, mainly affecting the elderly population. Sanguinoderma rugosum (=Amauroderma rugosum) is a wild medicinal mushroom traditionally used to alleviate inflammation and prevent seizures. The present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective and neurorescue effects as well as the possible mechanisms of S. rugosum extracts on glutamate-induced HT-22 mouse hippocampal neuronal cells. The mycelia of S. rugosum were subjected to submerged liquid fermentation followed by solvent extraction and fractionation. The neurotoxicity, neuroprotective, and neurorescue activities of S. rugosum extracts were assessed via the MTT viability assay at 24 and 48 h. The effects of S. rugosum extracts on glutamate-induced oxidative stress and cell death were investigated through flow cytometry. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was conducted to identify the bioactive compounds in the S. rugosum hexane fraction (SR-HF). All extracts were noncytotoxic toward HT-22 cells. Pretreatment with S. rugosum ethanolic extract (SR-EE; 12.5 µg/mL) or SR-HF (100 µg/mL) markedly (P < 0.05) improved the loss of cell viability and attenuated the accumulation of reactive oxygen species production. Pretreatment with SR-HF was also demonstrated to inhibit glutamate-induced cell death. The MTT assay showed that all extracts generally rescued glutamate-induced HT-22 cells at 24 and 48 h. The GC/MS analysis revealed the existence of 11 bioactive components in SR-HF, with linoleic acid, ergosterol, and ethyl linoleate being the main chemical constituents. The current findings suggest that SR-HF could be used as a potential therapeutic intervention to ameliorate oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.

A Quantum Chemical and Statistical Study of Cytotoxic Activity of Compounds Isolated from Curcuma zedoaria.

A series of 21 compounds isolated from Curcuma zedoaria was subjected to cytotoxicity test against MCF7; Ca Ski; PC3 and HT-29 cancer cell lines; and a normal HUVEC cell line. To rationalize the structure-activity relationships of the isolated compounds; a set of electronic; steric and hydrophobic descriptors were calculated using density functional theory (DFT) method. Statistical analyses were carried out using simple and multiple linear regressions (SLR; MLR); principal component analysis (PCA); and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). SLR analyses showed that the cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds against a given cell line depend on certain descriptors; and the corresponding correlation coefficients (R2) vary from 0%-55%. MLR results revealed that the best models can be achieved with a limited number of specific descriptors applicable for compounds having a similar basic skeleton. Based on PCA; HCA and MLR analyses; active compounds were classified into subgroups; which was in agreement with the cell based cytotoxicity assay.