Activity-guided isolation of a novel protein fromCroton tigliumwith antifungal and antibacterial activities

Protective Effects of Crotonis Semen Extract against Sepsis through NF-κB Pathway Inhibition

Sepsis is an inflammatory condition causing organ failure due to an uncontrolled immune response to infection and remains a significant challenge. Crotonis Semen has displayed various pharmacological effects, yet its potential in protecting against sepsis and the mechanisms involved remains largely unclear. Here, we explored the antiseptic properties of Crotons Semen extract (CSE) in both LPS-stimulated J774 macrophages and mice subjected to sepsis through Cecal ligation and Puncture (CLP) or LPS induction. We found that CSE enhanced survival rates in mouse models with acute sepsis induced by CLP operation and LPS injection. Administering CSE also reduced levels of enzymes indicating organ damage, such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and creatine kinase (CK), in septic mice. Furthermore, CSE lowered the serum levels of inflammatory mediators and cytokines, such as NO, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, in septic mice. In LPS-stimulated J774 macrophages, CSE reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory proteins, including iNOS and COX-2. Moreover, CSE inhibited the phosphorylation of IκBα and IKK, key components of the NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby reducing inflammatory mediators and cytokines. These results demonstrate CSE's protective effects against sepsis through NF-κB pathway disruption, indicating its potential as a therapeutic option for acute inflammatory conditions.

The Therapeutic Value of Solanum Steroidal (Glyco)Alkaloids: A 10-Year Comprehensive Review

Steroidal (glycol)alkaloids S(G)As are secondary metabolites made of a nitrogen-containing steroidal skeleton linked to a (poly)saccharide, naturally occurring in the members of the Solanaceae and Liliaceae plant families. The genus Solanum is familiar to all of us as a food source (tomato, potato, eggplant), but a few populations have also made it part of their ethnobotany for their medicinal properties. The recent development of the isolation, purification and analysis techniques have shed light on the structural diversity among the SGAs family, thus attracting scientists to investigate their various pharmacological properties. This review aims to overview the recent literature (2012-2022) on the pharmacological benefits displayed by the SGAs family. Over 17 different potential therapeutic applications (antibiotic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, etc.) were reported over the past ten years, and this unique review analyzes each pharmacological effect independently without discrimination of either the SGA's chemical identity or their sources. A strong emphasis is placed on the discovery of their biological targets and the subsequent cellular mechanisms, discussing in vitro to in vivo biological data. The therapeutic value and the challenges of the solanum steroidal glycoalkaloid family is debated to provide new insights for future research towards clinical development.

Phytobioactive compounds as therapeutic agents for human diseases: A review

Phytobioactive compounds are plant secondary metabolites and bioactive compounds abundantly present in medicinal plants and have remarkable therapeutic potential. Oxidative stress and antibiotic resistance are major causes of present-day ailments such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and inflammation. The data for this review were collected from Google Scholar, PubMed, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and Science Direct by using keywords: "Medicinal plants, Phytobioactive compounds, Polyphenols, Alkaloids, Carotenoids etc." Several studies have reported the pharmacological and therapeutic potential of the phytobioactives. Polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenes, and polysaccharides isolated from medicinal plants showed remarkable antioxidant, anticancer, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, and antidiabetic activities. This literature review was planned to provide comprehensive insight into the biopharmacological and therapeutic potential of phytobioactive compounds. The techniques used for the extraction and isolation of phytobioactive compounds, and bioassays required for their biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activities, have been discussed. Characterization techniques for the structural elucidation of phytobioactive compounds such as HPLC, TLC, FTIR, GC-MS/MS, and NMR have also been discussed. This review concludes that phytobioactive compounds may be used as potential alternative to synthetic compounds as therapeutic agents for the treatment of various diseases.

Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological and toxicological effects of Croton tiglium Linn.: a comprehensive review

OBJECTIVES

Croton tiglium Linn. (Euphorbiaceae) is an ancient medicinal plant that has been used for a long time, which is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. And it is widely used for defecation, induced labour, treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, headache, as well as rheumatoid arthritis.

KEY FINDINGS

Approximately 150 compounds have been isolated and identified from the seeds, stems, leaves and branches of C. tiglium, including fatty acids, terpenoids, alkaloids, the plants proteins and other types of components. Based on a wide range of biological properties, C. tiglium has a wide range of pharmacological effects, such as antitumor, anti-HIV, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects.

SUMMARY

The review aims to provide a critical and comprehensive evaluation of the botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicity of C. tiglium, with a vision for promoting further pharmaceutical research to explore its complete potential for better clinical application. The tigliane diterpenoids have been the most studied compounds isolated from C. tiglium, which showing a variety of biological activities, but there is insufficient evidence to explain the mechanism of action. In addition, C. tiglium may have potential toxic effects, and it is necessary to reduce the toxic effects to ensure the safety of clinical medication, which may promote the discovery and development of new drugs.

In vitro screening of peptidase inhibitory activity in some plants of North India

In the present study, trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory activity of some plants of different families was evaluated. A total of 55 plants were screened, out of which six showed the maximum trypsin inhibitory activity namely Acacia concinna, Caesalpinia bonducella, Lathyrus sativus, Mucuna pruriens, Psoralea corylifolia and Sapindus mukorossi. Results suggested that the plants showing trypsin inhibitory activity (TIA) also have chymotrypsin inhibitory activity (CIA). Both trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory activities were high in seeds compared to leaves followed by flowers. It was also observed that TIA was maximally present in Sapindaceae family whereas CIA was maximum in fabaceae family followed by others.

Neuroprotective and Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects of a Poisonous Plant Croton Tiglium Linn. Extract

Neuroinflammation is involved in various neurological diseases. Activated microglia secrete many pro-inflammatory factors and induce neuronal cell death. Thus, the inhibition of excessive proinflammatory activity of microglia leads to a therapeutic effect that alleviates the progression of neuronal degeneration. In this study, we investigated the effect of Croton tiglium (C. tiglium) Linn. extract (CTE) on the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators in microglia and astrocytes via RT-PCR, Western blot, and nitric oxide assay. Neurotoxicity was measured by cell viability assay and GFP image analysis. Phagocytosis of microglia was measured using fluorescent zymosan particles. CTE significantly inhibited the production of neurotoxic inflammatory factors, including nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-α. In addition, CTE increased the production of the neurotrophic factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and the M2 phenotype of microglia. The culture medium retained after CTE treatment increased the survival of neurons, thereby indicating the neuroprotective effect of CTE. Our findings indicated that CTE inhibited pro-inflammatory response and increased the neuroprotective ability of microglia. In conclusion, although CTE is known to be a poisonous plant and listed on the FDA poisonous plant database, it can be used as a medicine if the amount is properly controlled. Our results suggested the potential benefits of CTE as a therapeutic agent for different neurodegenerative disorders involving neuroinflammation.

Characterization of a novel seed protein of Prosopis cineraria showing antifungal activity

An antifungal protein with a molecular mass of 38.6 kDa was isolated from the seed of Prosopis cineraria. The protein was purified using ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The antifungal activity of purified protein was retained up to 50 °C for 10 min. The MALDI TOF mass spectroscopy revealed 15 assorted peptides. The molecular weight of the antifungal protein is different from antifungal proteins reported in seeds of other leguminous plants. The purified protein exerted antifungal activity against post-harvest fruit fungal pathogens Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Aspergillus fumigatus, isolated from the rotten fruits. The antifungal properties of this novel antifungal protein can be potentially exploited to manage post-harvest fungal disease of fruits through alternative means to reduce use of hazardous chemicals.

Toxic proteins from Croton tiglium L. exert a proinflammatory effect by inducing release of proinflammatory cytokines and activating the p38-MAPK signaling pathway

The aim of the present study was to determine the toxic targets of proteins from Croton tiglium L. and to investigate the potential mechanism of their toxicity. The toxic targets were determined by oral medication and intraperitoneal injection. The median lethal dose of oral medication in mice was calculated using Bliss software (2,752.8–3,407.5 mg/kg), and that of intraperitoneal injection was 195.8–272.69 mg/kg. The results of histopathological examination demonstrated that the kidney was primarily impaired by intraperitoneal injection, with slight degeneration of renal tubular epithelial cells. As to oral medication, the digestive tract was primarily injured, which manifested as congestion, bleeding, serious edema and other symptoms. Oral administration of the proteins caused gastrointestinal edema by increasing the intestinal permeability. Severe edema was associated with the inflammatory response, therefore the association between the toxicity of the proteins and inflammation was investigated. The proinflammatory effects of the crude proteins on the release of inflammatory mediator prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were evaluated through intraperitoneal injection and the production of proinflammatory cytokines in RAW264.7 macrophages. Maximum PGE2 was released in the mice in vivo following intraperitoneal injection with 400 mg crude protein/kg body weight. Proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages, including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β, were produced in dose- and time-dependent manners in vitro. furthermore, the expressions of cell signaling molecules were detected by western blotting. The inflammatory response induced by crude protein in macrophages was associated with the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway mainly including p38-MAPK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2/3 and the activated p38-MAPK signaling pathway. However, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and c-Jun N-terminal kinases 1–3 exhibited no significant response.

Antidermatophytic Activity of Ethanolic Extract from Croton tiglium

Dermatophytosis, which is caused mainly by genera of Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, and Microsporum, is a frequent dermatological problem in tropical and subtropical countries. Investigations were carried out in this study to evaluate the antidermatophytic activity of the stems, leaves, and seeds of Croton tiglium, one of the traditional medicine plants indigenous to Asia. Ethanolic extracts of the stems, leaves, and seeds of C. tiglium were prepared by cold soak or heat reflux methods. The antidermatophytic activities of the extracts were evaluated by disc diffusion and microdilution susceptibility assays against Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, and Epidermophyton floccosum. The active components in the extracts were analyzed and identified by GC-MS. All ethanolic extracts of C. tiglium showed some antifungal activities against the three dermatophytes. The ethanolic stem extract had the greatest inhibitory activities against T. mentagrophytes and E. floccosum with MICs at 0.16 mg/mL and had a lower activity against T. rubrum (MIC: 0.31 mg/mL). Oleic acid and hexadecanoic acid were found to be the major constituents in the stem extract that demonstrated strong antidermatophytic activities. The ethanolic extracts of stem or seed of C. tiglium exhibit strong antidermatophytic activities and, thus, could be considered for application on treating skin fungal infections after appropriate processing.

Isolation and characterization of juncin, an antifungal protein from seeds of Japanese Takana (Brassica juncea Var. integrifolia)

An 18.9 kDa antifungal protein designated juncin was isolated from seeds of the Japanese takana (Brassica juncea var. integrifolia). The purification protocol employed comprised anion-exchange chromatography on Q-Sepharose, affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel, cation exchange chromatography on SP-Sepharose, and gel filtration on Superdex 75. Juncin was adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel and SP-Sepharose but unadsorbed on Q-Sepharose. The protein exhibited antifungal activity toward the phytopathogens Fusarium oxysporum, Helminthosporium maydis, and Mycosphaerella arachidicola with IC(50) values of 13.5, 27, and 10 μM, respectively. It was devoid of mitogenic activity toward splenocytes and nitric oxide inducing activity toward macrophages. It inhibited the proliferation of hepatoma (HepG2) and breast cancer (MCF7) cells with IC(50) values of 5.6 and 6.4 μM, respecitvely, and the activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with an IC(50) of 4.5 μM. Its N-terminal sequence differed from those of antifungal proteins that have been reported to date. Compared with Brassica campestris and Brassica alboglabra antifungal peptides, juncin exhibits a different molecular mass and N-terminal amino acid sequence but similar biological activities.