Antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Aphanes arvensis extracts

Methanolic fraction of Cassia fistula L. bark exhibits potential to combat oxidative stress and possess antiproliferative activity

Cassia fistula L. is well known for its traditional medicinal properties as an anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antifungal, antibacterial, antimutagenic, and wound healing agent. The aim of the present study was to determine antioxidant, genoprotective, and cytotoxic potential of different fractions of C. fistula bark including hexane (CaMH), chloroform (CaMC), ethyl acetate (CaME), and methanol (CaMM). Among all the fractions studied, CaMM exhibited maximal radical scavenging activity in antioxidant DPPH assay, Superoxide anion radical scavenging assay and nitric oxide radical scavenging assay displayed an IC₅₀ value of 18.95, 29.41, and 13.38 µg/ml, respectively. CaMM fraction possessed the highest phenolic (130.37 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight of extract) and flavonoid (36.96 mg rutin equivalent/g dry weight of fraction) content. Data demonstrated significant positive correlation between polyphenol levels and radical scavenging activity. Single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet assay) exhibited genoprotective potential of C. fistula bark fractions against DNA damage induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in human lymphocytes. CaMM fraction displayed highest protective ability against H₂O₂ induced-toxicity as evidenced by significant decrease in % tail DNA content from 30 to 7% at highest concentration (200 µg/ml). CaMM was found to be rich in catechin, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and kaempferol. The phenolic content and antioxidant ability of the fractions was markedly negatively correlated with H₂O₂- induced DNA damage in human lymphocytes. Cytotoxic potential was evaluated against dermal epidermoid carcinoma (A431), pancreatic (MIA PaCa-2) and brain glioblastoma (LN-18) cancer cell lines using MTT assay. Results showed that C. fistula bark fractions possessed highest toxicity against the skin carcinoma cells. CaMM fraction reduced over 50% cell growth at the concentration of 76.72 µg/ml in A431 cells. These findings suggest that fractions of C. fistula bark exhibit potential to be considered as therapeutic agents in various carcinomas.

Anthelmintic activity of Tunisian chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) against Haemonchus contortus

The chemical treatment of gastrointestinal parasitic diseases has been undermined by increasing resistance and high toxicity. There is an urgent need to search for alternative natural sources for the treatment of such parasites. In this respect, the present study aims to quantify phenolic compounds of chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) and to study their in vitro anti-oxidant and anthelmintic activities in solvents with increasing polarity. In vitro determination of anti-oxidant capacity was carried out using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation methods. In vitro anthelmintic activity was investigated on egg-hatching inhibition and loss of motility of adult worms of Haemonchus contortus from sheep. The results showed that methanolic and aqueous extracts contain more total polyphenols, total flavonoids and condensed tannins than chloroformic and hexanic extracts. ABTS and DPPH assays showed that methanolic extracts had the highest anti-oxidant potency (IC50 = 1.19 μg/ml and 1.18 μg/ml, respectively). In vitro anthelmintic activity showed that both methanolic (IC50 = 1.559 mg/ml) and aqueous (IC50 = 2.559 mg/ml) extracts had the greatest effect on egg hatching and motility of worms (100% after 8 h post exposure at 8 mg/ml). A significant and positive correlation between DPPH and ABTS tests was observed for all tested extracts. Therefore, total phenolic, total flavonoid and condensed tannin values were correlated with IC50 from both ABTS and DPPH, and with inhibition of egg hatching. To our knowledge, this report is the first of its kind to deal with in vitro anthelmintic activities of chamomile extracts.

Assessment in vitro of the genotoxicity, antigenotoxicity and antioxidant of Ceratonia siliqua L. extracts in murine leukaemia cells L1210 by comet assay

Genotoxicity of Ceratonia siliqua extracts, was investigated by assessing their capacity to induce nucleus DNA degradation of murine leukaemia cells L1210, using the "Comet assay". The ability of total oligomer flavonoids (TOF) and aqueous extracts to protect cell DNA against oxidative stress induced by H2O2, was performed by pre- co or post-treatment of cells with the before mentioned extracts for different periods preceding exposure to H2O2 stress. No significant genotoxic effect was detected at different exposure times, except at the lowest concentration of TOF extract (16.25 μg/ml). It appears that extracts decreased DNA damage, induced by H2O2. Both of TOF and aqueous extracts exhibited cellular antioxidant capacity, with EC50 values of respectively <16.25 and < 35 μg/ml, as well as, a protective capacity against lipidperoxidation inducing using L1210 cells line as a cellular model. MDA inhibition percentages reached 88.43% and 90.52% with respectively 35.5 μg/ml of TOF extract and 70 μg/ml of aqueous extract. Antioxidant properties of carob leaf extracts revealed by our study make a good antioxidant protection and thus a good candidate as food addition component.

Antioxidant and antimelanogenic behaviors of Paeonia suffruticosa

Antioxidant properties of eight Paeonia suffruticosa (Ps) extracts (Ps-1 to Ps-8) were evaluated. The respective half maximally effective concentration (EC(50)) values of Ps-1 ~ 8 were 10.0, 9.8, 63.6, >100, 3.8, 85.1, 6.9, and 0.7 μg/ml for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH·) radical scavenging efficiency and 22.9, 11.4, 53.1, >100, 7.5, 97.6, 43.7, 4.2 μg/ml for 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS·(+)) radical scavenging capacity. The Ps-8 exhibited high free radical scavenging capacity, ion-chelating ability, reducing power, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation, which may have been attributable to its abundant phenolic and flavonoid content. In Hs68 and B16 cells treated with 100 μg/ml Ps-1, Ps-3, Ps-4 and Ps-6, expressions of toxic activities were lower than those in cells treated with arbutin and ascorbic acid. The antimelanogenesis properties were also tested in B16 cells. Extract Ps-1, and particularly extract Ps-6, considerably inhibited cellular tyrosinase and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) oxidase activity and also reduced melanin content in B16 cells by down-expression of melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R), microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase, and tyrosinase-related proteins-1 (TRP-1). The results suggest that P. suffruticosa extracts have antioxidant and antimelanogenesis activities with potential applications in cosmetic materials or food additives.

In vitro and in vivo antioxidant properties of extracts from Coptis chinensis inflorescence

The inflorescence of cultivated Coptis chinensis has been valued for tea production for many years in China. The antioxidant activities of C. chinensis inflorescence extracts prepared by various solvents were investigated by using several established in vitro systems: 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide radical scavenging assays, reducing power assay, and ferrothiocyanate (FTC) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assays. The results showed that the 70% ethanol extract (EE) had the strongest antioxidant activity in vitro among the various extracts. Based on the in vitro results, EE was used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of C. chinensis inflorescence in vivo. The liver and kidney of intoxicated animals showed a significant decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) levels, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) level showed a significant increase. These changes were significantly reversed after treatment with EE and the standard vitamin E. Thus, the C. chinensis inflorescence may be a valuable natural source that can be applicable to food industries.

Flourensia cernua: Hexane Extracts a Very Active Mycobactericidal Fraction from an Inactive Leaf Decoction against Pansensitive and Panresistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The efficacy of decoction in extracting mycobactericidal compounds from Flourensia cernua (Hojasé) leaves and fractionation with solvents having ascending polarity was compared with that of (i) ethanol extraction by still maceration, extraction with a Soxhlet device, shake-assisted maceration, or ultrasound-assisted maceration, followed by fractionation with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol; (ii) sequential extraction with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol, by still maceration, using a Soxhlet device, shake-assisted maceration, or ultrasound-assisted maceration. The in vitro mycobactericidal activity of each preparation was measured against drug-sensitive (SMtb) and drug-resistant (RMtb) Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. The results of which were expressed as absolute mycobactericidal activity (AMA). These data were normalized to the ΣAMA of the decoction fraction set. Although decoction was inactive, the anti-RMtb normalized ΣAMA (NAMA) of its fractions was comparable with the anti-RMtb NAMA of the still maceration extracts and significantly higher than the anti-SMtb and anti-RMtb NAMAs of every other ethanol extract and serial extract and fraction. Hexane extracted, from decoction, material having 55.17% and 92.62% of antituberculosis activity against SMtb and RMtb, respectively. Although the mycobactericidal activity of decoction is undetectable; its efficacy in extracting F. cernua active metabolites against M. tuberculosis is substantially greater than almost all pharmacognostic methods.

Phytochemical profile, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) germ flour extracts

This work aimed to evaluate the phytochemical content and to determine the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of methanol extracts of the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) germ flour. The extracts were rich in phenolic compounds, had considerable antioxidant activity, and reduced the viability of cervical (HeLa) cancer cells. The chemical content and the biological activities of the extracts were significantly affected by gender and cultivar. Female cultivar Galhosa had the highest levels of phenolic compounds, and the highest antioxidant activity. Extracts from the hermaphrodite trees and from the female cultivars Galhosa and Costela/Canela exhibited the highest cytotoxic activity. The most abundant compound was theophylline. The phenolic content was correlated to both antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. Our findings provide new knowledge about the health implications of consuming food supplemented with carob germ flour.

Consumption of Syzygium gratum promotes the antioxidant defense system in mice

Several vegetables have been shown to possess cytoprotective and antioxidant effects with various mechanisms of action. The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant effects and mechanism underlying of Syzygium gratum, a dietary and herbal plant commonly found in the Southeast Asia. Additionally, its effects on the induction of endogenous antioxidant defensive system were also investigated. Results showed that the leaf extract possessed an exceptionally strong antioxidant and intracellular oxygen radical scavenging activity in both aqueous and ethanolic extracts. The plant aqueous extract was further studied in C57BL/6J mice to evaluate its effects in vivo. The extract was well tolerated by the animals throughout the 30 days of study. The cytoprotective enzyme, heme oxygenase (HO-1) activity was significantly increased in the high dose-treated animals (1 g/kg/day). Consistent with the enzymatic activity, the expression of HO-1 mRNA tended to increase in those mice. There was no significant increase in hepatic γ-glutamylcysteine ligase (γ-GCL) activity, glutathione levels and GCL mRNA expression. Taken together, this study provides evidence that S. gratum exhibits potent direct antioxidant properties and can induce cytoprotective enzyme in vivo. Consumption of S. gratum may provide a health benefit against oxidative stress and other related disorders.