The utility of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. to prepare metal oxides NPs for clinical application on osteoporosis supported by theoretical study.

Green synthesis of metal oxides as a treatment for bone diseases is still exploring. Herein, MgO and Fe2O3 NPs were prepared from the extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. to study their effect on vit D3, Ca+2, and alkaline phosphatase enzyme ALP associated with osteoporosis. Computational chemistry was utilized to gain insight into the possible interactions. These oxides were characterized by X-ray diffraction, SEM, FTIR, and AFM. Results revealed that green synthesis of MgO and Fe2O3 NPs was successful with abundant. MgO NPs were in vitro applied on osteoporosis patients (n = 35) and showed a significant elevation of vit D3 and Ca+2 (0.0001 > p < 0.001) levels, compared to healthy volunteers (n = 25). Thus, Hibiscus sabdariffa L. is a good candidate to prepare MgO NPs, with a promising enhancing effect on vit D3 and Ca+2 in osteoporosis. In addition, interactions of Fe2O3 and MgO NPs with ALP were determined by molecular docking study.

Hibiscus manihot L. flower extract induces anticancer activity through modulation of apoptosis and autophagy in A549 cells.

Lung cancer is a major public health issue and heavy burden in China and worldwide due to its high incidence and mortality without effective treatment. It's imperative to develop new treatments to overcome drug resistance. Natural products from food source, given their wide-ranging and long-term benefits, have been increasingly used in tumor prevention and treatment. This study revealed that Hibiscus manihot L. flower extract (HML) suppressed the proliferation and migration of A549 cells in a dose and time dependent manner and disrupting cell cycle progression. HML markedly enhanced the accumulation of ROS, stimulated the dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and that facilitated mitophagy through the loss of mitochondrial function. In addition, HML induced apoptosis by activation of the PTEN-P53 pathway and inhibition of ATG5/7-dependent autophagy induced by PINK1-mediated mitophagy in A549 cells. Moreover, HML exert anticancer effects together with 5-FU through synergistic effect. Taken together, HML may serve as a potential tumor prevention and adjuvant treatment for its functional attributes.

Evaluating the effectiveness of coagulation-flocculation treatment on a wastewater from the moroccan leather tanning industry : An ecological approach.

The removal of pollutants from tannery wastewaters, which is renowned for its substantial volumes, intricate composition, and considerable hazards to human health and the environment, is a prominent research area in the field of water treatment. The aim of this study is to employ a bio-coagulant derived from Parkinsonia aculeata seeds and a bio-flocculant derived from Hibiscus esculentus to minimise the concentration of pollutants in the combined wastewater originating from tanneries. In the course of the research, a thorough physicochemical analysis of the coagulating and flocculating agents, Parkinsonia aculeata (PA) and Hibiscus esculentus (HE), was performed using techniques such as XRD (X-ray diffraction), FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), and SEM-EDS (scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy). This analysis aimed to determine the composition and characteristics of these biomasses. Subsequently, a comprehensive overview was conducted to summarize the various factors that influence the treatment of tannery wastewater through coagulation/flocculation. This was accomplished by manipulating the target factors and observing their impact on the removal of specific physicochemical parameters such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), electrical conductivity (EC), total chromium (Cr) and Optical density (OD). The variables that were established include pH, dosage of coagulant and flocculant, as well as the speed and duration of agitation in both the fast and slow mixing stages. The experiments were carried out while taking into account the optimal parameters, leading to the near-complete removal of all analyzed pollutants. The optimal requirements for the Parkinsonia aculeata-Hibiscus esculentus Coagulation Flocculation System involve adjusting the pH to 8, choosing concentrations of approximately 1.25 g L-1 and 0.6 g L-1 for the coagulant and flocculant respectively, maintaining a fast speed of 170 rpm for 3 min while keeping the slow agitation at around 30 rpm for 20 min. The removal rates achieved after treating tannery wastewater using the PA-HE coagulant-flocculant combination demonstrate high efficacy, with values reaching approximately 100% for TSS, 98.71% for BOD5, 99.93% for COD, 98.88% for NH4+, 98.21% for NO3-, 90.32% for NO2-, 93.13% for SO42-, 95.44% for PO43-, 96.08% for OD and 60% for total chromium. These results indicate the successful removal of a wide range of pollutants from tannery wastewater through the PA-HE treatment method. In predicting the CF treatment approach, PCA has been employed to preprocess the input data and determine the key variables that impact the process. This can streamline the modeling process and enhance the precision of the predictions.

Effects of Rhizopus-arrhizus-31-Assisted Pretreatment on the Extraction and Bioactivity of Total Flavonoids from Hibiscus manihot L.

The Hibiscus manihot L. (HML) Medic, an edible hibiscus of the Malvaceae family, is abundant with flavonoids. The study investigated how Rhizopus-arrhizus-31-assisted pretreatment affects the extraction and bioactivity of flavonoids from HML. The fiber structure of the fermented flavonoid sample (RFF) appears looser, more porous, and more disordered than the unfermented flavonoid sample (RUF). RFF demonstrates milder conditions and yields higher extraction rates. According to the Box-Behnken response surface optimization experiment, the optimal conditions for RFF include a material-liquid ratio of 1:41 g/mL, a 2 h extraction time, a 57% ethanol concentration, and an extraction temperature of 800 °C, resulting in a 3.69% extraction yield, which is 39.25% higher than that of RUF. Additionally, RFF exhibits greater activity than RUF in the radical-scavenging system. The IC50 values for DPPH, OH, and ABTS radicals are 83.43 µg/mL and 82.62 µg/mL, 208.38 µg/mL and 175.99 µg/mL, and 108.59 µg/mL and 75.39 µg/mL for RUF and RFF, respectively. UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis of the active components in the HML flavonoid sample revealed significant differences in the chromatograms of RUF and RFF, indicating that biofermentation led to substantial changes in composition and content from HML.

Research on optimization of spray drying conditions, characteristics of anthocyanins extracted from Hibiscus sabdariffa L. flower, and application to marshmallows.

Anthocyanin, a main-colored bioactive compound found in Hibiscus sabdariffa L., is well-known for a varied range of applications as food additives in foodstuff, and natural colorants in food, pharmaceutical, and printing industries. The study aimed to find out the suitable conditions for the spray-drying process to obtain anthocyanin powder from the extract as well as characterized the powder. In addition, the obtained powder was applied to marshmallows and determined the acceptability of appearance, quality, and scavenging capacity of the candy. The carrier of maltodextrin and gum arabic was selected for spray-drying, which had optimal conditions at 144°C and 7 mL/min, resulting in 100.22 mg/g anthocyanin content with an encapsulation efficiency of 93.87%. The obtained anthocyanin has appropriate moisture of 5.14%, quite appropriate bulk density, and tapped density, it also was high solubility, and poor flowability but easy compression. The shape of the particle by SEM analysis was low particle size (2-10 µm), wrinkled, unequal spherical size, rough surfaces with indentations, and slight cracks. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum of the sample had very low crystallinity and diffuse wide peaks revealing that anthocyanin still exists inside maltodextrin particles. The FT-IR spectrum had oscillations of characteristic groups of anthocyanin structure. Marshmallow samples added 5% anthocyanin powder gained high acceptability of appearance and maintained the scavenging capacity (DPPH) with an IC50 value of 7368.31 ppm after a month of storage.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Boswellia dalzielii and Hibiscus sabdariffa extracts in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the leading worldwide public health problems. It is characterized by hyperglycemia which induces oxidative stress and inflammation, both involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes. We previously showed that Boswellia dalzielii (BD) and Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) extracts reduced hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. In the present study, we evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of both plants in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Two sets of experiments were conducted in male Wistar rats subjected to a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg, b. w.). Then, diabetic rats were daily administered with either BD (1st set of experiments) or HS (2nd set of experiments) at 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg orally for 21 consecutive days. Glibenclamide (10 mg/kg) was also administered as a reference drug. At the end of the study, the animals were anesthetized, and blood samples were collected from each animal. Then, oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in the serum were determined. We found that treatment with BD and HS significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and enhanced the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT). These extracts also significantly decreased the inflammatory markers tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß). From the results obtained, it can therefore be concluded that BD and HS have the potential to being developed as natural sources of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents that can be used for the prevention or treatment of DM.

Biofabricated Green Synthesized Hibiscus Silver Nanoparticles Potentiate Antibacterial Activity and Cytotoxicity in Human Lung Cancer Cells.

Traditional medicine has long employed the shrub Hibiscus sabdariffa to treat a variety of illnesses. The biochemical characteristics of silver nanoparticles made using the plant extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa were examined in this work. According to the results, the plant extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa had a total phenolic quantity of 84.9 mg/gm and a total quantity of flavonoids of 41.50 mg/gm. The extract also showed antibacterial action against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (75.15% scavenging activity). The silver nanoparticles of plant extracts were stable in PBS solution for at least 30 days and had a mean size of particles of 21.22 nm. Silver nanoparticles were shown to both be cytotoxic on human lung cancer cell line A-549 and have anti-inflammatory action. Overall, the research's findings demonstrate the fascinating biological activity of the silver nanoparticles made from the extract of the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant. To assess these compounds' potential as medicines, more research is required.

Genetic Insights into the Extremely Dwarf Hibiscus syriacus var. micranthus: Complete Chloroplast Genome Analysis and Development of a Novel dCAPS Marker.

This study explored the chloroplast (cp) genomes of three Hibiscus syriacus (HS) specimens endemic to Korea possessing unique ornamental and conservation values: the dwarf H. syriacus var. micranthus (HSVM), renowned for its small stature and breeding potential; HS 'Tamra', a cultivar from Korea's southernmost islands, noteworthy for its distinctive beauty; and HS Natural Monument no. 521 (N.M.521), a specimen of significant lifespan and height. Given the scarcity of evolutionary studies on these specimens, we assembled and analyzed their cp genomes. We successfully assembled genomes spanning 160,000 to 160,100 bp and identified intraspecific variants. Among these, a unique ATA 3-mer insertion in the trnL-UAA region was identified in HSVM, highlighting its value as a genetic resource. Leveraging this finding, we developed a novel InDel dCAPS marker, which was validated across 43 cultivars, enhancing our ability to distinguish HSVM and its derivatives from other HS cultivars. Phylogenetic analysis involving 23 Malvaceae species revealed that HSVM forms a clade with woody Hibiscus species, closely associating with N.M.520, which may suggest a shared ancestry or parallel evolutionary paths. This investigation advances our understanding of the genetic diversity in Korean HS and offers robust tools for accurate cultivar identification, aiding conservation and breeding efforts.

A Bio-Inspired Approach to Improve the Toughness of Brittle Bast Fibre-Reinforced Composites Using Cellulose Acetate Foils.

Bast fibre-reinforced plastics are characterised by good strength and stiffness but are often brittle due to the stiff and less ductile fibres. This study uses a biomimetic approach to improve impact strength. Based on the structure of the spicules of a deep-sea glass sponge, in which hard layers of bioglass alternate with soft layers of proteins, the toughness of kenaf/epoxy composites was significantly improved by a multilayer structure of kenaf and cellulose acetate (CA) foils as impact modifiers. Due to the alternating structure, cracks are deflected, and toughness is improved. One to five CA foils were stacked with kenaf layers and processed to composite plates with bio-based epoxy resin by compression moulding. Results have shown a significant improvement in toughness using CA foils due to increased crack propagation. The unnotched Charpy impact strength increased from 9.0 kJ/m2 of the pure kenaf/epoxy composite to 36.3 kJ/m2 for the sample containing five CA foils. The tensile and flexural strength ranged from 74 to 81 MPa and 112 to 125 MPa, respectively. The tensile modulus reached values between 9100 and 10,600 MPa, and the flexural modulus ranged between 7200 and 8100 MPa. The results demonstrate the successful implementation of an abstract transfer of biological role models to improve the toughness of brittle bast fibre-reinforced plastics.

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) calyces tea improves physical fitness of healthy adults.

Roselle calyces (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is a plant that contains anthocyanin and flavonoids, which function as exogenous antioxidants for the human body to counteract excess oxidative stress. Roselle has anti-hypertensive, anti-cancer and anti-diabetic effects. The present study evaluated roselle to see whether it affects physical fitness. The components of physical fitness include strength, balance, right and left hand grip, vertical jump and VO2max (maximum oxygen consumption). A total of 30 subjects received 200 ml rosella tea for 30 days every morning and evening. Every week, subjects were assessed for physical fitness. Data analysis used paired t and Wilcoxon test according to the normality test results. The results showed significant improvements in strength (from 24.9 to 27.3 kg; P=0.025), balance (from 23.3 to 42.2 sec; P=0.004), right (from 31.8 to 35.1 kg; P<0.0001) and left hand grip (from 29.8 to 31.6 kg; P=0.020), vertical jump (from 38.6 to 41.1 m/sec; P=0.008) and VO2max (from 31.1 to 34.3 ml/kg/min; P=0.014). This demonstrated that roselle significantly improved six parameters of physical fitness and may be used as a supplement to improve physical fitness without severe side effects.

Meta-Transcriptomic Analysis Uncovers the Presence of Four Novel Viruses and Multiple Known Virus Genera in a Single Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Plant in Colombia.

Hibiscus is not native to Colombia but well suited to its arid soil and dry climates. A single hibiscus plant from Risaralda, showing black spots on upper and lower sides of its leaves, was collected for virome analysis using meta-transcriptomic high-throughput sequencing technology. Bioinformatic analysis identified 12.5% of the total reads in the Ribo-Zero cDNA library which mapped to viral genomes. BLAST searches revealed the presence of carlavirus, potexvirus, and of known members of the genera Betacarmovirus, Cilevirus, Nepovirus, and Tobamovirus in the sample; confirmed by RT-PCR with virus-specific primers followed by amplicon sequencing. Furthermore, in silico analysis suggested the possibility of a novel soymovirus, and a new hibiscus strain of citrus leprosis virus C2 in the mixed infection. Both RNA dependent RNA polymerase and coat protein gene sequences of the potex and carla viruses shared less than 72% nucleotide and 80% amino acid identities with any alphaflexi- and betaflexi-virus sequences available in GenBank, identifying three novel carlavirus and one potexvirus species in the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis plant. The detection of physalis vein necrosis nepovirus and passion fruit green spot cilevirus in hibiscus are also new reports from Colombia. Overall, the meta-transcriptome analysis identified the complex virome associated with the black spot symptoms on hibiscus leaves and demonstrated the diversity of virus genera tolerated in the mixed infection of a single H. rosa-sinensis plant.

First report of Hibiscus latent Singapore virus and Hibiscus latent Fort Pierce virus infecting Lantana camara in China.

Hibiscus latent Singapore virus (HLSV) and Hibiscus latent Fort Pierce virus (HLFPV) both belong to the genus Tobamovirus in the family Virgaviridae. The genomes of both HLSV and HLFPV consist of a linear positive sense single-stranded RNA of about 6.3 kb. HLSV is the causal agent of hibiscus leaf crinkle disease. Infections of HLSV in hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) have so far only been reported in Singapore, Japan and Malaysia (Srinivasan et al., 2002; Yoshida et al., 2018; Yusop et al., 2021). In 2017, leaf curling and chlorosis symptoms of lantana (Lantana camara) plants were found in Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, China. To detect potential virus(es) in these lantana samples, leaves from one lantana plant were collected and total RNA was extracted with RNAiso Plus (TaKaRa). A cDNA library was prepared by TruSeq RNA Sample Prep Kit (Illumina) after removing ribosomal RNA by Ribo-ZeroTM rRNA Removal Kit (Epicentre). The paired-end sequencing was then performed on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000. A total of 61,085,018 high quality reads were obtained and de novo assembly by StringTie revealed 124,516 contigs (greater than 50 bp, N50=719 bp) with an average length of 537 bp. BLASTx analyses in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database showed that 1 long contig of 6,305 bp, assembled of 1794 clean reads, shared significant nucleotide similarities with the genomic sequence of HLSV, and 1 contig of 6,271 bp, assembled of 3174 clean reads, shared significant similarities with the genomic sequence of HLFPV, yielding an average coverage of the whole genome at 42.65 and 75.83 per million reads, respectively. To obtain the complete genome of the viral RNA in this lantana sample, eleven overlapping regions covering the entire HLSV viral genome, and nine overlapping regions covering the entire HLFPV viral genome were amplified by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and sequenced. In addition, the exact 5' and 3' ends of the genomic RNA of each virus were determined by rapid amplification of the cDNA ends (RACE) (Wang et al. 2020). The complete genome of the identified HLSV, deposited in GenBank: MZ020960, is 6,486 nt in length and shows 98.4% nucleotide sequence identity with HLSV Singapore isolate (GenBank: AF395898). Similar to other HLSV isolates, this virus isolate possesses an internal poly(A) tract of 87 nucleotides, which is crucial to virus replication (Niu et al., 2015). The complete genome of the Lantana HLFPV isolate is 6,463 nt (GenBank MZ020961) including a 73 nt internal poly(A) tract, and has 98.4% nt identity to HLFPV-Japan (AB917427). In two other lantana plants from the same site, the presence of HLSV and HLFPV was confirmed by RT-PCR using the primer pairs (5'-GCATCTGCATAACACGGTTG-3'/5'-ACGTTGTAGTAGACGTTGTTGTAG-3' and 5'-GGACCTTGCTAATCCGCTAAAGTTG-3'/5'-GGTCCATGTCCATCCAGATGCAATC-3'). In addition to the HLSV and HLFPV genomes, BLASTx analysis of three contigs of 3,006 bp, 2,845 bp and 2,200 bp, assembled of 1328, 352 and 2280 clean reads respectively, showed high identity to RNAs 1 (MG182148), 2 (DQ412731) and 3 (KY794710) of cucumber mosaic virus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of L. camara as a new natural host of HLSV and HLFPV, and first identification of a mixed infection of HLSV and HLFPV.

In Vivo Diuretic Activity and Anti-Hypertensive Potential of Hibiscus sabdariffa Extract by Inhibition of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme and Hypertension Precursor Enzymes.

Aqueous extracts of calyx from Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) (roselle) are highly appreciated for their nutritional and therapeutic effects, especially as anti-hypertensive substances. This study aimed to evaluate their anti-hypertensive potential through an in vitro inhibition assay of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and hypertension precursor enzymes and to assess the in vivo diuretic activity of HS. Results showed that HS extract inhibited enzymes belonging to several classes, such as α-amylase, trypsin, chymotrypsin, xanthine oxidase, lipoxygenase, and angiotensin-converting enzyme. In particular, enzymatic kinetics of ACE indicated a competitive inhibition fashion of HS extract. Furthermore, the extracts showed remarkable diuretic and natriuretic effects at doses of 50 mg/kg/bw, 100 mg/kg/b.w, and 200 mg/kg.b.w. These activities can be explained by the high content of phenolic compounds and essential amino acids. Roselle could be a potential source of nutraceuticals and anti-hypertensive bioactive compounds.

Targets and Effects of Common Biocompounds of Hibiscus sabdariffa (Delphinidin-3-Sambubiosid, Quercetin, and Hibiscus Acid) in Different Pathways of Human Cells According to a Bioinformatic Assay.

The utilization of food as a therapeutic measure for various ailments has been a prevalent practice throughout history and across different cultures. This is exemplified in societies where substances like Hibiscus sabdariffa have been employed to manage health conditions like hypertension and elevated blood glucose levels. The inherent bioactive compounds found in this plant, namely, delphinidin-3-sambubioside (DS3), quercetin (QRC), and hibiscus acid (HA), have been linked to various health benefits. Despite receiving individual attention, the specific molecular targets for these compounds remain unclear. In this study, computational analysis was conducted using bioinformatics tools such as Swiss Target Prediction, ShinnyGo 0.77, KEGG, and Stringdb to identify the molecular targets, pathways, and hub genes. Supplementary results were obtained through a thorough literature search in PubMed. DS3 analysis revealed potential genetic alterations related to the metabolism of nitrogen and glucose, inflammation, angiogenesis, and cell proliferation, particularly impacting the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. QRC analysis demonstrated interconnected targets spanning multiple pathways, with some overlap with DS3 analysis and a particular focus on pathways related to cancer. HA analysis revealed distinct targets, especially those associated with pathways related to the nervous system. These findings emphasize the necessity for focused research on the molecular effects of DS3, QRC, and HA, thereby providing valuable insights into potential therapeutic pathways.

Discovery of Cadinane-Type Sesquiterpenoids from the Infected Stems of Hibiscus tiliaceus as Potential Agrochemical Fungicides.

Ten new cadinane-type sesquiterpenoids, named hibisceusins I-R (1-10), along with 14 known sesquiterpenoids (11-24), were acquired from the tainted stems of Hibiscus tiliaceus. Their structures were identified via spectroscopic analysis, one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR, and computer-assisted structure elucidation techniques, including infrared (IR) and mass spectrometry (MS) data. Additionally, subsequent DP4/DP4+ probability methods were used to resolve 3's relative configurations by comparing their experimental values to the predicted NMR data. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-4 were measured through electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. The ability of all isolates to inhibit the growth of five phytopathogenic fungi (Rhizopus stolonifer, Verticillium dahliae Kleb., Thanatephorus cucumeris, Fusarium oxysporum Schltdl., and F. oxysporum HK-27) was evaluated. Aldehydated sesquiterpenoids (1, 6-9, 11, 12, and 22) and a known sesquiterpenoid quinine (18) exhibited significant inhibitory activities against V. dahliae, T. cucumeris, F. oxysporum, and F. oxysporum HK-27 with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 2.5-50 µg/mL, but all isolates remained inactive against R. stolonifer. Moreover, the effects of the isolates on the mycelial morphology were watched through scanning electron microscopy. This study revealed that aldehydated cadinane-type sesquiterpenoids could be used as novel antifungal molecules to develop agrochemical fungicides in plant protection.

Unique properties of titanium dioxide quantum dots assisted regulation of growth and biochemical parameters of Hibiscus sabdariffa plants.

Owing to the uniqueness of quantum dots (QDs) as a potential nanomaterial for agricultural application, hence in the present study, titanium dioxide quantum dots (TiO2 QDs) were successfully synthesized via sol-gel technique and the physico-chemical properties of the prepared TiO2 QDs were analyzed. Based on the results, the TiO2 QDs showed the presence of anatase phase of TiO2. TEM examination revealed spherical QDs morphology with an average size of 7.69 ± 1.22 nm. The large zeta potential value (-20.9 ± 2.3 mV) indicate greater stability of the prepared TiO2 QDs in aqueous solutions. Moreover, in this work, the application of TiO2 QDs on Hibiscus sabdariffa plants was conducted, where H. sabdariffa plants were foliar sprayed twice a week in the early morning with different concentrations of TiO2 QDs (0, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 30 ppm) to evaluate their influence on these plants in terms of morphological indexes and biochemical parameters. The results exhibited an increasing impact of the different used concentrations of TiO2 QDs on morphological indexes, such as fresh weight, dry weight, shoot length, root length, and leaf number, and physio-biochemical parameters like chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoid contents, total pigments and total phenolic contents. Remarkably, the most prominent result was recorded at 15 ppm TiO2 QDs where plant height, total protein and enzymatic antioxidants like catalase and peroxidase were noted to increase by 47.6, 20.5, 29.5 and 38.3%, respectively compared to control. Therefore, foliar spraying with TiO2 QDs positively serves as an effective strategy for inducing optimistic effects in H. sabdariffa plants.

Antioxidant and Antineoplastic Activities of Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn. Petal Extracts against Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Line.

PURPOSE: To assess the antioxidant and antineoplastic effects of Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn. on oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human squamous cell carcinoma HSCC cells were tested for cytotoxicity by a methanol extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa (MEHSP). After 24, 48, and 72 h, the MTT assay and Trypan blue exclusion test were used to determine cell survival and death. 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), DNA Protection Assay (DPA), and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAPA) measured the antioxidant activity of MEHSP. RESULTS: The antioxidant activity (%) ranged from 47.92-82.24 in the DPPH test, 11.61-73.65 in the DPA, and 4.97-52.09 in the FRAPA. The HSCC in-vitro cytotoxicity assay showed dose- and time-dependent cell viability. MEHSP at 5 µg/ml inhibited viable cells, while increasing MEHSP doses decreased cell viability. The Trypan blue exclusion test showed that MEHSP significantly reduced cell viability at 24, 48, and 72 h. CONCLUSION: Hibiscus sabdariffa contains antioxidant and HSCC-cytotoxic properties.

Medicinal herbs, especially Hibiscus sabdariffa, inhibit oral pathogenic bacteria.

OBJECTIVES: Medicinal herbs are plants with potential medicinal and health benefits. In recent years, they are being increasingly used as a treatment alternative owing to their effectiveness against various diseases. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of 15 medicinal herbs on causative bacteria for dental caries and periodontal disease. METHODS: This study evaluated the effects of the extracts of 15 medicinal herbs on growth and biofilm formation in five oral pathogenic bacterial strains. The herbs were processed into extracts, and bacterial strains were cultured. Then, bacterial growth and biofilm formation were assessed using various methods. Finally, the extract of the herb Hibiscus sabdariffa (hibiscus) was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Incubation of bacteria with the herbal extracts showed that hibiscus exerted a significant inhibitory effect on all the oral pathogenic bacterial strains evaluated in this study. In addition, the pigment delphinidin-3-sambubioside, which is found in hibiscus extract, was identified as a particularly important inhibitory component. CONCLUSIONS: These results lay the ground work for the potential development of novel therapeutic or preventive agents against dental caries and periodontal disease, two major oral diseases.

Production of functional recombinant roseltide rT1 antimicrobial peptide in tobacco plants.

Plant-derived peptides represent a promising group of natural compounds with broad industrial and pharmaceutical applications. Low-efficiency production level is the major obstacle to the commercial production of such bioactive peptides. Today, recombinant techniques have been developed for fast and cost-effective production of high-quality peptides for various applications in the chemical and food industries. The roseltide rT1 is a plant peptide with different antimicrobial properties and therapeutic applications in the prevention and treatment of inflammatory lung diseases by inhibiting human neutrophil elastases. Here, we report the expression of functional recombinant roseltide rT1 peptide in tobacco plants. Transgenic plants were generated by the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method followed by molecular analysis of transgenic plants to demonstrate successful integration and expression of recombinant rT1 peptide. Protein extracts of transgenic plants expressing a single-copy rT1 gene showed efficient antimicrobial properties as verified by growth inhibition of different bacterial strains. Our results illustrate that plant-derived recombinant rT1 peptide is a promising alternative for rapid and cost-effective production of this important antimicrobial peptide for application in therapeutic and food industries.

Determination of anthocyanins, organic acids, and phenolic acids in hibiscus market products using LC/UV/MS.

Hibiscus sabdariffa has gained increasing attention from consumers as a natural, healthy food ingredient, leading to a myriad of available products, yet there is a lack of understanding of the quality and chemical diversity among commercially available hibiscus products. Here, we conducted a survey on the chemistry of 29 hibiscus products (calyces, beverages, and extracts). UHPLC-DAD and UHPLC-QQQ/MS methods with high sensitivity and selectivity were developed to evaluate the chemical profiles pertaining to the sensory attributes (color and taste). Two major anthocyanins (delphinidin-3-sambubioside and cyanindin-3-sambubioside), eight organic acids, and 23 phenolic acids were identified and quantified in hibiscus market products. The results showed that hibiscus samples contained < 0.001-2.372% of total anthocyanins, 0.073-78.002% of total organic acids, and 0.001-1.041% of total phenolic acids, and demonstrated significant variations in market products. This is the first time that an in-depth organic acid profiling was conducted on hibiscus products using UHPLC-QQQ/MS. This method can also be extended to chemical profiling, sensory analysis, quality control, authentication, and standardization of other natural products.