Salinity alleviates arsenic stress-induced oxidative damage via antioxidative defense and metabolic adjustment in the root of the halophyte Salvadora persica.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Arsenic tolerance in the halophyte Salvadora persica is achieved by enhancing antioxidative defense and modulations of various groups of metabolites like amino acids, organic acids, sugars, sugar alcohols, and phytohormones. Salvadora persica is a facultative halophyte that thrives under high saline and arid regions of the world. In present study, we examine root metabolic responses of S. persica exposed to individual effects of high salinity (750 mM NaCl), arsenic (600 µM As), and combined treatment of salinity and arsenic (250 mM NaCl + 600 µM As) to decipher its As and salinity resistance mechanism. Our results demonstrated that NaCl supplementation reduced the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under As stress. The increased activities of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and glutathione reductase (GR) maintained appropriate levels of ROS [superoxide (O2•-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)] under salinity and/or As stress. The metabolites like sugars, amino acids, polyphenols, and organic acids exhibited higher accumulations when salt was supplied with As. Furthermore, comparatively higher accumulations of glycine, glutamate, and cystine under combined stress of salt and As may indicate its role in glutathione and phytochelatins (PCs) synthesis in root. The levels of phytohormones such as salicylate, jasmonate, abscisic acid, and auxins were significantly increased under high As with and without salinity stress. The amino acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle), phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and phenylalanine metabolism are the most significantly altered metabolic pathways in response to NaCl and/or As stress. Our study decoded the important metabolites and metabolic pathways involved in As and/or salinity tolerance in root of the halophyte S. persica providing clues for development of salinity and As resistance crops.

Salvadora persica extract attenuates cyclophosphamide-induced hepatorenal damage by modulating oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in rats.

OBJECTIVE: Salvadora persica (SP) is used as a food additive and is a common ingredient in folk medicine. This study investigates the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and beneficial effects of SP against cyclophosphamide (CYP) toxicity in rats. METHODS: In a 10-day study, 32 male rats were equally allocated into 4 groups (8 rats/group) as follows: the normal control (NC group), normal rats that only received oral aqueous extract of SP (100 mg/[kg·d]; SP group), animals treated with intraperitoneal CYP injections (30 mg/[kg·d]; CYP group), and the CYP + SP group that concurrently received CYP with SP aqueous extract. Serum samples were collected to measure the liver and renal biochemical profiles, as well as antioxidant and oxidative stress markers and the concentrations of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Hepatic and renal tissues were also harvested for histopathology and to measure apoptosis using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling technique, alongside tissue levels of oxidative stress markers. RESULTS: Liver enzymes, total bilirubin, creatinine and urea, as well as serum IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB increased significantly, whilst total protein, albumin, calcium, IL-10 and AMPK declined in serum of the CYP group relative to the NC group. The hepatorenal concentrations of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and catalase declined markedly in the CYP group, whereas malondialdehyde, protein adducts, and apoptosis index increased compared with the NC group. By contrast, the hepatorenal biochemistry and apoptosis index of the SP group were comparable to the NC group. Interestingly, the CYP + SP group had significant improvements in the liver and renal biochemical parameters, enhanced anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, and marked declines in hepatic and renal apoptosis relative to the CYP group. Moreover, all monitored parameters were statistically indistinguishable between the CYP + SP group and the NC group. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the aqueous extract of SP could be a potential remedy against CYP-induced hepatorenal damage and may act by modulating the AMPK/NF-κB signaling pathway and promoting anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities.

Antidepressant-like effects of aqueous extracts of miswak (Salvadora persica) and date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) on depression-like behaviors using CUMS model in male rats.

This study aimed to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of aqueous extracts of miswak (Salvadora persica) and date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) and their combination on depression-like behaviors using a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model of depression and to investigate the underlying possible mechanisms. Results showed that CUMS induced depression-like behaviors and anxiety in male rats, as determined by behavioral tests (FST, EPM, and OFT). CUMS significantly increased the levels of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), cortisol, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6), in addition to enhancing acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) activity while plasma total antioxidant capacity and serotonin level were reduced. In the prefrontal cortex, CUMS decreased the expression of CREB and BDNF mRNA. However, aqueous extracts of miswak and date palm and their combination effectively ameliorated depressive-like behaviors, body weight loss, and oxidative stress induced by CUMS and restored serotonin and cortisol secretion to normal levels. Furthermore, the studied extracts improved the levels of plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines and CREB and BDNF mRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex. In conclusion, aqueous extracts of miswak and date palm have significant antidepressant-like effects on depression-like behaviors in CUMS model in rats. Moreover, their combination has higher antidepressant-like effects than either extract alone, suggesting that it may be an effective treatment for stress-induced depression-like behaviors acting through modulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and CREB/BDNF signaling pathway in the prefrontal cortex. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Chronic stress is a major contributor to the development of depression. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of herbal remedies for the treatment of a variety of diseases, particularly mood disorders. Because of the side effects encountered by antidepressant drugs such as anxiety, sexual dysfunction, loss of appetite, and inadequate response or developing tolerance to these medications, there is a need for more efficient and convenient antidepressant treatments. According to this study, aqueous extracts of miswak and date palm are effective treatments for stress-induced depression-like behaviors.

Salvadora persica extract attenuates cyclophosphamide-induced hepatorenal damage by modulating oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in rats / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#Salvadora persica (SP) is used as a food additive and is a common ingredient in folk medicine. This study investigates the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and beneficial effects of SP against cyclophosphamide (CYP) toxicity in rats.@*METHODS@#In a 10-day study, 32 male rats were equally allocated into 4 groups (8 rats/group) as follows: the normal control (NC group), normal rats that only received oral aqueous extract of SP (100 mg/[kg·d]; SP group), animals treated with intraperitoneal CYP injections (30 mg/[kg·d]; CYP group), and the CYP + SP group that concurrently received CYP with SP aqueous extract. Serum samples were collected to measure the liver and renal biochemical profiles, as well as antioxidant and oxidative stress markers and the concentrations of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Hepatic and renal tissues were also harvested for histopathology and to measure apoptosis using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling technique, alongside tissue levels of oxidative stress markers.@*RESULTS@#Liver enzymes, total bilirubin, creatinine and urea, as well as serum IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB increased significantly, whilst total protein, albumin, calcium, IL-10 and AMPK declined in serum of the CYP group relative to the NC group. The hepatorenal concentrations of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and catalase declined markedly in the CYP group, whereas malondialdehyde, protein adducts, and apoptosis index increased compared with the NC group. By contrast, the hepatorenal biochemistry and apoptosis index of the SP group were comparable to the NC group. Interestingly, the CYP + SP group had significant improvements in the liver and renal biochemical parameters, enhanced anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, and marked declines in hepatic and renal apoptosis relative to the CYP group. Moreover, all monitored parameters were statistically indistinguishable between the CYP + SP group and the NC group.@*CONCLUSION@#This study suggests that the aqueous extract of SP could be a potential remedy against CYP-induced hepatorenal damage and may act by modulating the AMPK/NF-κB signaling pathway and promoting anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities.

Metabolomic study reveals key metabolic adjustments in the xerohalophyte Salvadora persica L. during adaptation to water deficit and subsequent recovery conditions.

Water deficit severely limits productivity of plants, and pose a major threat to modern agriculture system. Therefore, understanding drought adaptive mechanisms in drought-tolerant plants is imperative to formulate strategies for development of desiccation tolerance in crop plants. In present investigation, metabolic profiling employing GC-QTOF-MS/MS and HPLC-DAD was carried out to evaluate metabolic adjustments under drought stress in the xero-halophyte Salvadora persica. The metabolite profiling identified a total of 68 metabolites in S. persica leaf, including organic acids, amino acids, sugars, sugar alcohols, hormones, and polyphenols. The results showed that higher cellular osmolality under drought stress was accompanied by accumulations of several osmoprotectants like sugars and polyols (sucrose, glucose, mannose, galactose, erythrose, sorbose, glycerol, and myoinositol), organic acids (galactaric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, and citric acid), and amino acids (alanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine). Upregulation of ABA and JA support to achieve early drought tolerance in S. persica. Moreover, accumulation of coumarin, gallic acid, and chlorogenic acid provide antioxidative defense to S. persica. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that altered metabolites were associated with starch and sucrose metabolism, galactose metabolism, inositol phosphate metabolism, and phenylalanine metabolism. While during recovery, metabolites associated with lysine biosynthesis and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism were significantly altered. The results of the present study imply that coordinated regulations between various metabolites, metabolic processes, and pathways empower the xerohalophyte S. persica to adapt under drought environment. The knowledge from this study will enable the development of drought tolerance in crops using genetic engineering and breeding approaches.

Comparative secondary metabolites profiling and biological activities of aerial, stem and root parts of Salvadora oleoides decne (Salvadoraceae).

In this study, different parts (aerial, stem and root) of Salvadora oleoides Decne were investigated in order to explore their phytochemical composition and biological potential. The bioactive contents were evaluated by conventional spectrophotometric methods. Additionally, the secondary metabolite compounds were identified by UHPLC-MS analysis. Biological potential was evaluated by determining antioxidant (DPPH, FRAP, and Phosphomolybdenum) and enzyme inhibitory (butrylcholinesterase and lipoxygenase) effects. Higher total bioactive contents were found in methanolic extracts which tend to correlate with higher radical scavenging and reducing potential of these extracts. LC/MS spectrum revealed the presence of 16 different secondary metabolites belonging to terpene, glucoside and sesquiterpenoid dervivatives. Glucocleomin and emotin A were the main compounds present in all three parts. The strongest butrylcholinesterase and lipoxygenase inhibitory activity was observed for root and stem DCM extracts. Demonstrated biological potential of S. oleoides plant can trace a new road map for developing newly designed bioactive pharmaceuticals.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Salvadora persica L. and its antibacterial activity.

The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) shows special physicochemical properties, therefore they use many applications such as catalysis, health, electronic and optical. In this study, AgNPs was synthesized using aqueous extract of Salvadora persica bark. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods. The optimal synthesis condition to prepare nanoparticles was determined as silver nitrate 3 mM, 5 ml of aqueous extract in the room temperature for 1 h. The TEM image of AgNPs showed the formation of spherical, non-uniform nanoparticles of mean size of 50 nm. The antibacterial activity of synthesized AgNPs was evaluated using disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) methods on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The MIC values of AgNPs were 100 and 400 µg/mL on E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. Also the MBC of AgNPs was 200 µg/mL for E. coli and there was no result observed for S. aureus bacteria. The results showed that synthesized nanoparticles have favorable antibacterial properties.

Microwave treated Salvadora oleoides as an eco-friendly biosorbent for the removal of toxic methyl violet dye from aqueous solution--A green approach.

In the present study, microwave treated Salvadora oleoides (MW-SO) has been investigated as a potential biosorbent for the removal of toxic methyl violet dye. A batch adsorption method was experimented for biosorptive removal of toxic methyl violet dye from the aqueous solution. The effect of various operating variables, viz., adsorbent dosage, pH, contact time and temperature on the removal of the dye was studied and it was found that nearly 99% removal of the dye was possible under optimum conditions. Kinetic study revealed that a pseudo-second-order mechanism was predominant and the overall process of the dye adsorption involved more than one step. Hence, in order to investigate the rate determining step, intra-particle diffusion model was applied. Adsorption equilibrium study was made by analyzing Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) adsorption isotherm models and the biosorption data was found to be best represented by the Langmuir model. The biosorption efficiency of MW-SO was also compared with unmodified material, Salvadora oleoides (SO). It was found that the sorption capacity (qmax) increased from 58.5 mg/g to 219.7 mg/g on MW treatment. Determination of thermodynamic parameters such as free energy change (ΔG°), enthalpy change (ΔH°) and entropy change (ΔS°) confirmed the spontaneous, endothermic and feasible nature of the adsorption process. The preparation of MW-SO did not require any additional chemical treatment and a high percentage removal of methyl violet dye was obtained in much lesser time. Thus, it is in agreement with the principles of green chemistry. The results of the present research work suggest that MW-SO can be used as an environmentally friendly and economical alternative biosorbent for the removal of methyl violet dye from aqueous solutions.

Removal of chromium by some multipurpose tree seedlings of Indian thar desert.

An experiment was conducted to study the potential of chromium (Cr) phytoaccumulatory capabilities of four tree species viz., Anogeissus latifolia, Terminalia arjuna, Tecomella undulata, and Salvadora persica Possibility of enhancement of Cr uptake by citric acid and vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAM) amendments were also tried. Cr is a major pollutant of the environment. Chromium can exist in oxidation states from III to VI, but the most stable and common forms of Cr are trivalent and hexavalent species. Cr(VI) was more toxic to the tree growth in terms of collar diameter (CD) increment in all the tree species than Cr(lll). Roots accumulated more Cr than shoots in all the tree species. There was more than 10 fold increase in root Cr content in comparison with shoot Cr content in all the trees at all the concentration of Cr and all sources of Cr. Citric acid significantly increased the Cr content in the tissues of roots in all the species under both speciation of Cr. The highest increase in Cr content brought by 20 mM citric acid addition was in A. latifolia Results suggest that Anogeissus latifolia is a potential Cr accumulator with citric acid as soil amendment.

Effect of saline irrigation on growth characteristics and mineral composition of two local halophytes under Saudi environmental conditions.

A field experiment was carried out to determine the growth characteristics and mineral composition of two local halophytes (Atriplex halimus and Salvadora persica) under saline irrigation at Kind Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Research Station Al-Muzahmyia, Riyadh. The experiment treatments were one soil (sandy), four irrigation waters of different salinities (2000, 8000, 12000 and 16000 mg L(-1) TDS), two halophytes (Salvadora persica and Atriplex halimus) and one irrigation level (irrigation at 50% depletion of moisture at field capacity). Mean fresh biomass yield and fresh plant root weight of A. halimus increased while that of S. persica decreased significantly with increasing irrigation water salinity in all the treatments. Soil salinity increased significantly with increasing water salinity. A positive correlation (r = 0.987) existed between the irrigation water salinity and the soil salinity resulting from saline irrigation. The plant tissue protein contents increased in A. halimus, but decreased in S. persica with increasing irrigation water salinity. The Na ion uptake by plant roots was significantly less than K in A. halimus compared to S. persica which indicated adjustment of plants to high soil salinity and high Na ion concentration for better growth. The order of increasing salt tolerance was A. halimus > S. persica under the existing plant growing conditions. Among the two halophytes, A. halimus showed great potential for establishing gene banks of local species, because it has more forage value due to high protein contents than S. persica for range animals.