Bridging the Chemical Profiles and Biological Effects of Spathodea campanulata Extracts: A New Contribution on the Road from Natural Treasure to Pharmacy Shelves.

Spathodea campanulata is an important medicinal plant with traditional uses in the tropical zone. In the current work, we aimed to determine the chemical profiles and biological effects of extracts (methanolic and infusion (water)) from the leaves and stem bark of S. campanulata. The chemical components of the tested extracts were identified using LC-ESI-QTOF-MS. Biological effects were tested in terms of antioxidant (radical scavenging, reducing power, and metal chelating), enzyme inhibitory (cholinesterase, amylase, glucosidase, and tyrosinase), antineoplastic, and antiviral activities. Fifty-seven components were identified in the tested extracts, including iridoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids as the main constituents. In general, the leaves-MeOH extract was the most active in the antioxidant assays (DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, metal chelating, and phosphomolybdenum). Antineoplastic effects were tested in normal (VERO cell line) and cancer cell lines (FaDu, HeLa, and RKO). The leaf infusion, as well as the extracts obtained from stem bark, showed antineoplastic activity (CC50 119.03-222.07 µg/mL). Antiviral effects were tested against HHV-1 and CVB3, and the leaf methanolic extract (500 µg/mL) exerted antiviral activity towards HHV-1, inhibiting the viral-induced cytopathic effect and reducing the viral infectious titre by 5.11 log and viral load by 1.45 log. In addition, molecular docking was performed to understand the interactions between selected chemical components and viral targets (HSV-1 DNA polymerase, HSV-1 protease, and HSV-1 thymidine kinase). The results presented suggest that S. campanulata may be a bright spot in moving from natural sources to industrial applications, including novel drugs, cosmeceuticals, and nutraceuticals.

A Prospective of Multiple Biopharmaceutical Activities of Procyanidins-Rich Uapaca togoensis Pax Extracts: HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS Coupled with Bioinformatics Analysis.

The article reports the chemical composition, antioxidant, six key enzymes inhibitory and antimicrobial activities of two solvent extracts (water and methanol) of leaves and stem bark of Uapaca togoensis. For chemical composition, methanol extract of stem bark exhibited significant higher total phenolic (129.86 mg GAE/g) and flavanol (10.44 mg CE/g) contents. Methanol extract of leaves and water extract of stem bark showed high flavonoids (20.94 mg RE/g) and phenolic acid (90.40 mg CAE/g) content, respectively. In addition, HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS analysis revealed that U. togoensis was rich in procyanidins. The methanol and water extracts of stem bark had overall superior antioxidant activity; however, only methanol extract of stem bark showed higher inhibition of cholinesterase (AChE: 2.57 mg GALAE/g; BChE: 4.69 mg GALAE/g), tyrosinase (69.53 mg KAE/g) and elastase (2.73 mmol CE/g). Potent metal chelating ability was showed by water extract of leaves (18.94 mg EDTAE/g), higher inhibition of amylase was detected for water extracts of leaves (0.94 mmol ACAE/g) and stem bark (0.92 mmol ACAE/g). The tested extracts have shown wide-spectrum antibacterial properties and these effects have shown to be more effective against Aspergillus ochraceus, Penicillium funiculosum, Trichoderma viride, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results revealed that the antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory and antimicrobial activities depended on the extraction solvents and the parts of plant. Bioinformatics analysis on the 17 major compounds showed modulation of pathway associated with cancer. In brief, U. togoensis might be valuable as potential source of natural agents for therapeutic application.

Multicomponent pattern and biological activities of seven Asphodeline taxa: potential sources of natural-functional ingredients for bioactive formulations.

The current study was carried out to evaluate multicomponent pattern, biological and enzymatic activities of seven Asphodeline taxa root extracts as useful ingredients, due to the fact that these plants are commonly used as traditional food supplements in Turkish regions. The extracts were characterized for free anthraquinones and phenolics to obtain a specific chemical fingerprint useful for quality control. These analyzes were coupled to biological and enzymatic activities in order to obtain comprehensive information of the natural product. Free anthraquinones and phenolics were determined using validated HPLC-PDA methods. Antioxidant properties were determined by different procedures including free radical scavenging, reducing power, phosphomolybdenum and metal chelating assays. Ames assay was performed to evaluate mutagenic/antimutagenic properties. Enzyme inhibitory activities were tested against cholinesterase, tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase. From the herein reported results, Asphodeline could be valuable for the production of bioactive products or food supplements for cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Anthraquinone profile, antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory effect of root extracts of eight Asphodeline taxa from Turkey: can Asphodeline roots be considered as a new source of natural compounds?

Plant-based foods have become attractive for scientists and food producers. Beneficial effects related to their consumption as dietary supplements are due to the presence of natural occurring secondary metabolites. In this context, studies on these products are important for natural and safely food ingredients evaluation. The aim of this study was to evaluate root extract of eight Asphodeline species as antioxidants, enzyme inhibitors and phytochemical content. Spectrophotometric antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory assays were performed. Total phenolic and flavonoids contents as well as the chemical free-anthraquinones profiles were determined using routinely procedure (HPLC-PDA). Data show that Asphodeline roots can be considered as a new source of natural compounds and can be used as a valuable dietary supplement. Some differences related to biological activities can be inferred to other phytochemicals that can be considered in the future for their synergic or competitive activities.

GC-MS analysis and in vitro antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities of essential oil from aerial parts of endemic Thymus spathulifolius Hausskn. et Velen.

We investigated the antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities and chemical composition of the hydro-distilled essential oil (0.35% yield) from aerial parts of Thymus spathulifolius. Antioxidant capacity of the oil was assessed by different methods including free radical scavenging (DPPH and ABTS), reducing power (FRAP and CUPRAC) and phosphomolybdenum assay. Inhibitory activities were analyzed against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and tyrosinase. Twenty-one constituents were identified representing 97.2% of the total oil with thymol (50.5%), borneol (16.7%) and carvacrol (7.7%) as the major components. The essential oil exhibited good antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 3.82 and 0.22 mg/mL determined by free radical scavenging DPPH and ABTS, respectively. EC50 values of FRAP and CUPRAC were found to be 0.12 and 0.34 mg/mL, respectively. The results of the present study support the uses of T. spathulifolius essential oil as a source of natural antioxidants and bioactivities for functional foods and phytomedicines.

Comparative study of biological activities and multicomponent pattern of two wild Turkish species: Asphodeline anatolica and Potentilla speciosa.

The multicomponent pattern and biological characterization of plant material are essential for pharmaceutical field, in the food supplements quality control procedures and to all plant-based products. These nutrients often show valuable effects related to their consumption due to the occurrence of secondary metabolites that show useful properties on health. In this framework, researches performed on this topic play a central role for human health and drug development process. The aim of this study was to compare phenolics and free anthraquinones multicomponent pattern of two wild Turkish species: Asphodeline anatolica and Potentilla speciosa using validated high-performance liquid chromatography-photogiode array (HPLC-PDA) assays, coupled to biological evaluation. Even if some variances related to biological and enzymatic inhibition activities can be ascribed to other phytochemicals, the reported data support traditional use of Asphodeline anatolica and Potentilla speciosa roots as valuable natural font for the development of novel natural-derived drug formulations and/or food supplements with health and nutritional benefits.

Antioxidant capacity and fatty acid composition of different parts of Adenocarpus complicatus (Fabaceae) from Turkey.

Adenocarpus complicatus is distributed throughout the Anatolian peninsula and is widely used for human and animal nutrition. The purpose of this work was to study the antioxidant properties and fatty acid composition of different parts of this plant (fruits and mixed materials). The species was collected from Golyuzu village of the Seydisehir district near Konya province, Turkey. Fruit and mixed parts obtained from this species were ground and a 15g sample was used to prepare methanolic extracts. Powdered plant samples were extracted with 100mL methanol in a mechanical shaker. The obtained extracts were filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure and were subsequently stored at -20 degrees C. Antioxidant components, namely total phenolic and flavonoid content, were detected for each extract using spectrophotometric methods. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated by various assays including phosphomolybdenum, DPPH free radical scavenging capacity, metal chelating activity, and ferric and cupric ion reducing power. The fatty acid profiles of plant parts were also determined by using gas chromatography. The total phenolic content of fruit (36.21mgGAE/g) was higher than that of mixed materials (13.79mgGAE/g). The methanolic extract of mixed material had higher amounts of flavonoid than fruit extract. The free radical scavenging activity of extracts was expressed as IC50 value (microg/mL) (amount required to inhibit DPPH radical formation by 50%). The lower IC50 value reflects better free radical scavenging action. The radical scavenging activity of the samples was compared with BHT, it showed the mixed material to be almost two times more potent than the fruit extract. However, BHT is an excellent free radical scavenger with an IC50 of 34.061 microg/mL. The ferric and cupric reducing power potentials of the extracts were expressed as EC50 value (the effective concentration at which the absorbance was 0.5). Fruit extract exhibited strong ferric reducing power with an EC50 of 871.25 microg/mL. The metal chelating activity of the extracts increased with concentration. Chelating effect was 83.60% for fruit extract at 1mg/mL concentration. Oil content of fruit and mixed parts were detected as 6.71 and 6.14%, respectively. A total of 32 fatty acids were found in the oil. Essential fatty acids (linoleic and a-linolenic acid) were identified as the most abundant fatty acids in the oil. These results demonstrated that this plant species can be considered as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants. Likewise, the oil obtained from the plant can be used as a source of essential fatty acids for food and pharmacological applications.

Novel Signposts on the Road from Natural Sources to Pharmaceutical Applications: A Combinative Approach between LC-DAD-MS and Offline LC-NMR for the Biochemical Characterization of Two Hypericum Species (H. montbretii and H. origanifolium).

The members of the genus Hypericum have great potential to develop functional uses in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications. With this in mind, we aimed to determine the chemical profiling and biological properties of different extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol and water) from two Hypericum species (H. montbretii and H. origanifolium). We combined two approaches (LC-DAD-MS and LC-NMR) to identify and quantify chemical compounds of the extracts. Antioxidant properties (free radical quenching, reducing power and metal chelating) and enzyme inhibitory effects (cholinesterase, tyrosinase, amylase and glucosidase) were determined as biological properties. The tested extracts were rich in caffeic acid derivatives and flavonoids, and among them, 3-caffeoyl quinic acid and myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside were found to be the main compounds. The total phenolic and flavonoid levels were determined to be 50.97-134.99 mg GAE/g and 9.87-82.63 mg RE/g, respectively. With the exception of metal chelating, the methanol and water extracts showed stronger antioxidant properties than the ethyl acetate extracts. However, different results were obtained for each enzyme inhibition assay, and in general, the ethyl acetate extracts present more enzyme-inhibiting properties than the water or methanol extracts. Results from chemical and biological analyses were combined using multivariate analysis, which allowed establishing relationships between composition and observed effects of the Hypericum extracts based on the extraction solvents. To gain more insights between chemical compounds and enzyme-inhibiting effects, we performed molecular docking analysis. We observed favorable interactions between certain compounds and the tested enzymes during our analysis, confirming the data obtained from the multivariate approach. In conclusion, the obtained results may shed light on the road from natural sources to functional applications, and the tested Hypericum species may be considered potential raw materials, with promising chemical constituents and biological activities.

LC-MS Based Analysis and Biological Properties of Pseudocedrela kotschyi (Schweinf.) Harms Extracts: A Valuable Source of Antioxidant, Antifungal, and Antibacterial Compounds.

The impact of two extraction solvents on the phenolic composition, antioxidant, and enzymes inhibitory and antimicrobial activities of two parts (leaves and stem bark) of P. kotschyi was studied. Two different LC-DAD-MSn approaches were used to identify and quantify the bioactive compounds in the different extracts. A total of thirty-two compounds were quantified, being the procyanidin the most abundant in stem bark while catechin and flavonoids are most abundant in leaves. Overall, the stem bark extraction using methanol showed higher amounts of total phenolic (131.83 ± 1.81 mg GAE/g) and flavanol (14.14 ± 0.11 mg CE/g) while the leaves extraction using water exhibited stronger levels of total flavonoid (44.95 ± 0.38 mg RE/g) and phenolic acid (63.58 ± 2.00 mg CAE/g). As regards the antioxidant assays, methanol stem bark extracts were characterized by the highest antioxidant activities (DPPH: 1.94 ± 0.01 mmol TE/g, ABTS: 3.31 ± 0.01 mmol TE/g, FRAP: 2.86 ± 0.02 mmol TE/g, CUPRAC: 5.09 ± 0.08 mmol TE/g, phosphomolybdenum: 5.16 ± 0.23 mmol TE/g and metal chelating: 17.12 ± 0.46 mg EDTAE/g). In addition, the methanolic extracts of stem bark had highest impact on acetylcholinesterase (2.54 mg GALAE/g), butyrylcholinesterase (5.48 mg GALAE/g). In contrast, the methanolic extracts of leaves was potent against tyrosinase (77.39 ± 0.21 mg KAE/g) and α-glucosidase (0.97 ± 0.01 mmol ACAE/g), while a higher anti-α-amylase (0.97 ± 0.01 mmol ACAE/g) was observed for water extracts of the same part. All of the tested extracts showed inhibitory effects on elastase, except methanolic leaves extracts. Additionally, the extracts exhibited appreciable antifungal toward A. ochraceus, A. fumigatus, P. ochrochloron, T. viride, and P. funiculosum and promising antibacterial activity against M. flavus, S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, E. cloacae, and S. typhimurium. Taken together, the outcomes demonstrated P. kotschyi as a novel source of bioactive molecules of interest with an evident therapeutic value.

NMR and LC-MSn coupled with pharmacological network analysis for the assessment of phytochemical content and biopharmaceutical potential of Carapa procera extracts.

The methanolic and water extracts of Carapa procera leaves and stem barks were screened for their phytochemical content using a multi-technique approach. The extracts were also assessed for their in vitro antioxidant capacity along with their anti-diabetic (α-amylase, α-glucosidase), anti-tyrosinase, anti-elastase and anti-cholinesterase (AChE, BChE) activities. Furthermore, antibacterial and antifungal effects were determined against several bacterial and fungal strains. Data Integration Analysis for Biomarker discovery using Latent components (DIABLO) integrative analysis was conducted on collected data to determine the influence of extraction solvents and plant parts on phytochemical content, antioxidant properties and enzyme inhibitory properties of C. procera samples. Additionally, the major identified compounds were screened as modulators of multiple pathways involved in human diseases via Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. Results showed that methanolic stem bark extract exhibited the most potent ABTS scavenging, Cu2+ and Fe3+ reducing power, total antioxidant capacity and Fe2+ chelating power and displayed the highest total flavanol content. Methanolic extracts of leaves and stem barks were abounded with phenolics and had the greatest anti-AChE, anti-BChE, anti-tyrosinase and anti-elastase activities. A significant antifungal activity was observed, with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal values of 0.07 and 0.15 mg/mL, respectively. DIABLO integrative analysis suggested that the phytochemical content and biological activities varied significantly within the plant parts and were influenced by types of solvent used. GO enrichment analysis on the main bioactive compounds showed modulation of multiple pathways associated with cancer. Obtained results demonstrated that stem bark and leaves of C. procera can be considered as promising sources of bioactive molecules with high pharmacological values.

Chemical Profiling and Biological Evaluation of Nepeta baytopii Extracts and Essential Oil: An Endemic Plant from Turkey.

Nepeta baytopii is a poorly studied, endemic Nepeta species (Lamiaceae) of Turkey. For the first time, the biological activities (antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, and cytotoxicity properties) of the hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, water/methanol, and water extracts and essential oil prepared from N. baytopii aerial parts were assessed. Hydro-methanol (41.25 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g) and water extracts (50.30 mg GAE/g), respectively showed the highest radical scavenging (94.40 and 129.22 mg Trolox equivalent (TE)/g, for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical scavenging assays) and reducing (229.37 and 129.55 mg TE/g, for ferric-reducing antioxidant power and cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity assays) capacities in vitro. An interestingly high inhibition was observed for ethyl acetate extract against butyrylcholinesterase (10.85 mg galantamine equivalent/g). The methanol extract showed high cytotoxicity (31.7%) against HepG2 cells. Caryophyllene oxide was identified in high concentrations in the essential oil (39.3%). Luteolin and apigenin and their derivatives were identified from the methanol and water extracts. The results obtained from this study highlighted that the abundance of highly bioactive compounds from Nepeta baytopii ensures the multiple biological activities of the tested extracts, and this suggests a potential use in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields, and therefore should be investigated further.

HPLC-DAD-UV analysis, anti-inflammatory and anti-neuropathic effects of methanolic extract of Sideritis bilgeriana (lamiaceae) by NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6 involvement.

Medicinal plants remain an invaluable source for therapeutics of diseases that affect humanity. Sideritis bilgeriana (Lamiaceae) is medicinal plant used in Turkey folk medicine to reduce inflammation and pain, but few studies scientific corroborates its medicinal use so creating a gap between popular use and scientific evidence. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the pharmacological effects of the methanolic extract of S. bilgeriana (MESB) in rodents nociception models and also performed its phytochemical analysis. Firstly, a screening was carried out that enabled the identification of the presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. In view of this, a chromatographic method by HPLC-DAD-UV was developed that made it possible to identify chlorogenic acid and its quantification in MESB. MESB-treated mice (MESB 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) reduced mechanical hyperalgesia and myeloperoxidase activity (p < 0.01), and also showed a reduced pain behavior in capsaicin test. In the carrageenan-induced pleurisy test, MESB (100 mg/kg p.o.) significantly reduced the leukocyte (polymorphonuclear) count in the pleural cavity and equally decreased the TNF-α and IL-1ß levels (p < 0.001). In the PSNL model, mechanical hyperalgesia was reduced on the first evaluation day and during the 7 days of evaluation compared to the vehicle group (p < 0.001). Thermal hyperalgesia was also reduced 1 h after treatment compared to the vehicle group (p < 0.001) and reversed the loss of force initially displayed by the animals, thus inferring an analgesic effect in the muscle strength test. Analysis of the marrow of these animals showed a decrease in the level of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 (p < 0.001) and factor NF-κB, in relation to the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the MESB treatment produced no noticeable side effects, no disturb in motor performance and no signs of gastric or hepatic injury. Together, the results suggests that MESB could be useful to management of inflammation and neuropathic pain mainly by the management of pro-inflammatory mediators (NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6), so reinforcing its use in popular medicine and corroborating the need for further chemical and pharmacological studies for the species.

Determination of some organochlorine pesticide residues in honeys from Konya, Turkey.

In this study, 24 organochlorine pesticide residues in 109 different honey samples collected from stores and open markets in Konya, Turkey were analyzed by gas chromatography-electron capture detection. Aldrin, cis-chlordane, trans-chlordane, oxy-chlordane, 2,4(')-DDE, and 4,4(')-DDE were found in all honey samples. The mean value was 0.0540 microg g(-1) for oxy-chlordane. In the 55 samples of 109, levels of organochlorine pesticide residues of oxy-chlordane were determined as higher than those of Turkish Alimentarius Codex maximum residual limits (MRLs). Other organochlorine pesticide residues also exceeded MRLs except for cis-heptachlor epoxide and alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane. Since all of the honey samples are found contaminated and most of these samples exceeded MRLs, a control of organochlorine pesticide residues in honey is necessary for consumer health.

Novel insights into the fruit and seed extracts of Morinda morindoides (Baker) Milne-Redh: HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS profiling, antioxidant, and enzyme inhibitory propensities.

In this study, we attempted for the first time to determine the phytochemical compositions and biopharmaceutical properties of the methanolic and aqueous extracts of Morinda morindoides fruits and seeds. Antioxidant propensities of the extracts were determined via free radical-scavenging, phosphomolybdenum, metal chelating, and reducing power assays. Inhibitory activities against cholinesterases (acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE)), tyrosinase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase were assessed. Moreover, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined. High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Electrospray Ionization Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS) analysis was performed to establish the chemical profile of the investigated extracts. The tested extracts showed remarkable antioxidant abilities with aqueous fruit extract being most potent in all assays, except for ferrous ion chelating assay. Overall, the methanolic extracts were potent inhibitors of the tested enzymes. In conclusion, M. morindoides may be endorsed as promising sources of bioactive compounds and used for designing functional foods. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In recent years, new compounds from plant sources have attracted great interest to design functional foods. Thus, we aimed to detect biological and chemical properties of Morinda morindoides fruits and seeds, a widely used as food with medicinal properties in Africa. Based on our findings, fruits extracts exhibited stronger activity when compared to seed extracts. Also, chemical identification was performed for each extracts. The presented findings could provide valuable information into the pool of scientific knowledge and may be basis for the design of novel functional applications from M. morindoides.

Network analysis, chemical characterization, antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory effects of foxglove (Digitalis cariensis Boiss. ex Jaub. & Spach): A novel raw material for pharmaceutical applications.

The present study outlines the phenolic composition and pharmacological properties of different extracts of Digitalis cariensis Boiss. ex Jaub. & Spach root and aerial parts. The metabolic profiles of the studied extracts were characterized by UHPLC-MS. The in vitro antioxidant and enzyme (acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), tyrosinase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase) inhibitory potential of the extracts were determined. Bioinformatics and docking investigations were also conducted to support the enzyme inhibition test and predict putative targets for potential pharmacological applications. Overall, the methanolic extract followed by the water extract of the D. cariensis root were found to be superior source of antioxidant compounds except for metal chelating ability, in which the water extract of the root (26.34 ± 1.54 mg EDTAE/g) and aerial parts (16.47 ± 0.88 mg EDTAE/g) have showed the highest activity. The tested extracts were potent against AChE (9.11 ± 0.27-9.79 ± 0.28 mg GEs/g extract), α-amylase (0.12 ± 0.01- 0.50 ± 0.01 mmol ACEs/g extract) and α-glucosidase (0.28 ± 0.01-17.29 ± 0.24 mmol ACEs/ g extract). Notable activity against tyrosinase was displayed by the methanolic extracts (Root-MeOH: 123.71 ± 2.70 and aerial parts - MeOH: 137.96 ± 1.07 mg KAE/g extract), while none of the extracts were potent against BChE. According to docking investigations, the observed anti-tyrosinase effect could be related, at least partially, to the presence of luteolin, rosmarinic acid and kaempferol in the extracts. Results amassed herein is the first report on the biological attributes of D. cariensis, which validate the pharmacological uses of this plant.

Metabolomics profiling and biological properties of root extracts from two Asphodelus species: A. albus and A. aestivus.

The pharmacological properties of Asphodelus species have been advocated previously. In this respect, the present study attempts to unravel the antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activity of root extracts of two Asphodelus species, namely, A. albus and A. aestivus. Data gathered demonstrated that the dichloromethane (25.49, 51.30, 104.31, and 81.58 mg Trolox equivalents [TEs]/g, for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH], 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) [ABTS], cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity [CUPRAC], and ferric reducing antioxidant power[FRAP] assays respectively) and ethyl acetate (20.60, 41.86, 89.07, and 57.85 mg TEs/g, for DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, and FRAP assays respectively) extracts of A. albus roots showed highest radical scavenging and reducing potential. These findings were in accordance with total phenolic content observed which showed the highest phenolic content of A. albus dichloromethane (30.74 mg gallic acid equivalents [GAEs]/g) and ethyl acetate (23.41 mg GAEs/g) extracts. Interestingly, A. albus and A. aestivus root extracts were active inhibitors of tyrosinase and lipase, with values varying from 56.52 to 71.49 mg kojic acid equivalent/g and 34.88 to 86.32 mg orlistat equivalent/g, respectively. Flavonoids, anthraquinones, and phenolic acids were identified as main individual compounds in chemical profile analysis. This is the first report of the presence of aloin A, aloin B, and aloesin in species other than in Aloe. Scientific evidences gathered from this study claimed the biological activity of the studied Asphodelus species and provided rationale for further investigations which might lead to the development of novel pharmacophores to alleviate oxidative stress related complications, obesity, as well as, skin hyperpigmentation complications.

Chemical fingerprints, antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and cell assays of three extracts obtained from Sideritis ozturkii Aytaç & Aksoy: An endemic plant from Turkey.

This study was geared towards assessing the possible antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and cytotoxic activities of ethyl acetate, methanol, and water extracts of Sideritis ozturkii Aytaç & Aksoy. The phytochemical profiles of the studied extracts were characterised by HPLC-MS/MS. The methanol extract, rich in phenolics (78.04 mg gallic acid equivalent/g), exhibited the strongest antioxidant activities. However, the ethyl acetate extract was the most active extract in the enzyme inhibitory assays. The water extract of S. ozturkii (1 mg/ml, 48 h incubation) slightly inhibited (22%) growth of human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231 cells). On the other hand, the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts showed strong inhibition (98% and 97%, respectively) of MDA-MB-231 cells and caused apoptotic cell death. Scientific data generated from this study further appraises the multiple biological activities of plants belonging to the Sideritis genus. In addition, preliminary evidence gathered from the current investigation advocates for further studies geared towards the preparation of therapeutic formulations from S. ozturkii.

Chemical profile, antioxidant, and enzyme inhibitory properties of two Scutellaria species: S. orientalis L. and S. salviifolia Benth.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates into the biological effects of solvent extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, and water) of Scutellaria orientalis L. and Scutellaria salviifolia Benth. based on its enzyme inhibitory activity and antioxidant ability together with the screening of bioactive compounds. METHODS: Total and individual bioactive components were determined using spectrophotometric and HPLC-ESI-MS methods. Six antioxidant assays were conducted and enzyme inhibition was tested against key enzymes linked to the pathology of common chronic disorders. KEY FINDINGS: Results revealed that the aqueous extracts of both plants exerted better 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid scavenging, reducing power, metal chelating, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. The methanol extracts showed highest tyrosinase inhibition and antioxidant activity in phosphomolybdenum assay while the less polar ethyl acetate extracts showed better acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and α-amylase inhibition. Phytochemical evaluation by HPLC-ESI-MS revealed the presence of high amounts of flavones. CONCLUSIONS: Scutellaria orientalis and S. salviifolia are important sources of bioactive agents that warrants further studies.

Chemical profiling and pharmaco-toxicological activity of Origanum sipyleum extracts: Exploring for novel sources for potential therapeutic agents.

The phytochemical, antiradical, and enzyme inhibition profile of three solvent extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, water) of Origanum sipyleum were assessed. We also performed a pharmacological study in order to explore protective effects induced by extracts in inflamed colon. LC-MS analysis revealed that the extracts contained different classes of phenolics. The aqueous extract showed the highest antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory effects. Total phenol and flavonoid contents were highest in aqueous and ethyl acetate extract, respectively. All extracts were effective in reducing colon pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory biomarkers. The extracts revealed also able to inhibit fungal and bacterial species involved in ulcerative colitis, including Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus thyphimurium. Finally, we also showed the antiproliferative effects exerted by the EA extracts on human colon cancer HCT116 cell line. Concluding, our results indicated that O. sipyleum extracts displayed promising therapeutic properties which warrants further validation. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The present phytochemical and biological studies, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobic assessments, showed significant protective effects exerted by O. sipyleum extracts in an experimental model of ulcerative colitis. The results are intriguing and suggest potential applications O. sipyleum extracts as sources of natural agents for the management of clinical symptoms related to ulcerative colitis, characterized by increased burden of oxidative stress and microbiome dysbiosis.

Biological effects and chemical characterization of Iris schachtii Markgr. extracts: A new source of bioactive constituents.

This study gathers information about the effects of different extracts (methanol and water) from rhizomes and aerial parts of Iris schachtii on selected enzymes (cholinesterases, alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase, tyrosinase and lipase) as well as of their antioxidant capacities and antimutagenic properties in relation with their phenolic composition. The chemical composition was assessed by determining total phenolic and flavonoid content as well as individual phenolic compounds by HPLC-DAD. Moreover, antioxidant abilities of the investigated extracts were tested by using different assays including free radical scavenging (DPPH and ABTS), reducing power (CUPRAC and FRAP), phosphomolybdenum and metal chelating, overall rhizomes being indicated as a superior source of antioxidant compounds. HPLC analysis revealed the abundance of some phenolics including apigenin (2584 µg/g extract) and luteolin (2510 µg/g extract) in aerial parts extracts while rhizomes were rich in apigenin (4734 µg/g extract) and kaempferol (4214 µg/g extract). The methanolic extracts exhibited a high anti-lipase activity while all extracts presented a relatively high inhibition on α-glucosidase. Furthermore, interactions between dominant compounds from extracts and selected enzymes were investigated by molecular modeling studies in order to explain at a molecular level the interactions between selected compounds and active sites of the enzyme/s.