The essential oil of Algerian Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss. & Dur. and its effect on the cholinesterase and monoamine oxidase activities

Detailed Phytochemical Composition, Cyto-/Hepatotoxicity, and Antioxidant/Anti-Inflammatory Profile of Moroccan Spices: A Study on Coriander, Caraway, and Mystical Cumin

Coriander, caraway, and mystical cumin are famous for their aromatic properties and widely used in Moroccan cuisine. The nutritional/phytochemical composition of their seeds (used for food flavoring and preservation) were compared. Their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and hepatotoxic effects were also explored. The fat content was similar among the samples (13%), with monounsaturated fatty acids being predominant. The coriander and mystical cumin seeds were extremely rich in C18:1n9c (81 and 85%, respectively) while, in the caraway, C18:1n12 (25%) was found together with C18:1n9c (32%). The caraway seeds also presented a higher proportion of C18:2n6c (34%) than the other seeds (13 and 8%, correspondingly). γ-Tocotrienol was the major vitamin E form in all the samples. The caraway seeds contained double the amount of protein (~18%) compared to the other seeds (~8%) but, qualitatively, the amino acid profiles among all seeds were similar. The seeds were also rich in dietary fiber (40-53%); however, differences were found in their fiber profiles. Caraway showed the highest antioxidant profile and anti-inflammatory activity and an LC-DAD-ESI/MSn analysis revealed great differences in the phenolic profiles of the samples. Cytotoxicity (NCI-H460, AGS, MCF-7, and CaCo2) and hepatotoxicity (RAW 264.7) were not observed. In sum, besides their flavoring/preservation properties, these seeds are also relevant source of bioactive compounds with health-promoting activities.

High perillaldehyde content from essential oils of Ammodaucus leucotrichus subsp. leucotrichus Cosson & Durieu fruits from Aougrout (Algeria)

The chemical composition of the essential oil produced by hydrodistillation from the fruits of Ammodaucus leucotrichus subsp. leucotrichus Cosson & Durieu collected from southern Algeria, precisely in Aougrout District (Adrar Province), was determined by GC-MS analysis. Nineteen (19) compounds, representing 85.71% of the essential oil, were found. The essential oil contained a high percentage of perillaldehyde (80.69%). This composition is compared to numerous reported essential oils of A. leucotrichus subsp. leucotrichus fruits that are found across Algeria and Morocco in various regions. The major component perillaldehyde has drawn a lot of interest in recent years due to its notable antifungal and broader antimicrobial properties, as well as its potential advantages for human health. Thus, the studied plant represents a source of this component that should be used as food additives, perfume ingredients, and in formulations of traditional medicine.

Potential applications of ferroptosis inducers and regulatory molecules in hematological malignancy therapy

Ferroptosis, a novel form of iron-dependent cell death, has emerged as a potential avenue for promoting tumor cell death by causing cell membrane rupture and the accumulation of lipid peroxides (LPO) in the cell. Since its discovery in 2012, extensive research has been conducted to explore the mechanism of ferroptosis inducers, including erastin, sulfasalazine, and sorafenib. These compounds inhibit system XC-, while Ras-selective lethal small molecule 3 (RSL3) and FION2 specifically target GPX4 to promote ferroptosis. Therefore, targeting ferroptosis presents a promising therapeutic approach for malignant tumors. While the study of ferroptosis in solid tumors has made significant progress, there is limited information available on its role in hematological tumors. This review aims to summarize the molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis inducers and discuss their clinical applications in hematological malignancies. Furthermore, the identification of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and genes that regulate key molecules in the ferroptosis pathway could provide new targets and establish a molecular theoretical foundation for exploring novel ferroptosis inducers in hematological malignancies.

Chemical composition, cholinesterase, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the essential oils of some Iranian native Salvia species

BACKGROUND

The plants from Salvia genus contain widely distributed species which have been used in folk medicine as well as pharmaceutical and food industries.

METHODS

The chemical composition of 12 native Iranian Salvia species (14 plants) was identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Also, the inhibitory activity of all essential oils (EOs) was evaluated toward α-glucosidase and two types of cholinesterase (ChE) using spectrophotometric methods. The in vitro α-glucosidase inhibition assay was performed by the determination of p-nitrophenol (pNP) obtained from the enzymatic dissociation of p-nitrophenol-α-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG) as the substrate. In vitro ChE inhibitory assay was conducted based on the modified Ellman's procedure using the measurement of 5-thio-2-nitrobenzoic acid produced from the hydrolysis of thiocholine derivatives as the substrate, in the presence of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE).

RESULTS

Totally, 139 compounds were detected and caryophyllene oxide and trans-β-caryophyllene were the most abundant compounds in all EOs. The yield of EOs extracted from the plants were also calculated in the range of 0.06 to 0.96% w/w. Herein, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of 8 EOs was reported for the first time and among all, S. spinosa L. was found to be the most potent inhibitor (90.5 inhibition at 500 μg/mL). Also, the ChE inhibitory activity of 8 species was reported for the first time and our results showed that the BChE inhibitory effect of all EOs was more potent than that of AChE. The ChE inhibition assay indicated that S. mirzayanii Rech.f. & Esfand. collected from Shiraz was the most potent inhibitor (72.68% and 40.6% at the concentration of 500 μg/mL, toward AChE and BChE, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

It seems that native Salvia species of Iran could be considered in the development of anti-diabetic and anti-Alzheimer's disease supplements.

Polyacetylenic caffeoyl amides from Ammodaucus leucotrichus

Six undescribed polyacetylenic caffeoyl amides, five known flavones and three known lignans were obtained from the fruits of the North African traditional medicinal plant Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss. & Durieu (Apiaceae). Isolation was achieved by a combination of chromatographic methods, and structures were established by extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, electronic circular dichroism, and by GC-MS analysis of sugar derivatives. Polyacetylenic caffeoyl amides are reported for the first time as specialized metabolites.

Perillaldehyde is a new ferroptosis inducer with a relevant clinical potential for acute myeloid leukemia therapy

Ferroptosis induction is an emerging strategy to treat cancer and contrast the tricky issue of chemoresistance, which can arise towards apoptosis. This work elucidates the anticancer mechanisms evoked by perillaldehyde, a monoterpenoid isolated from Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss. & Dur. We investigated and characterized its antileukemic potential in vitro, disclosing its ability to trigger ferroptosis. Specifically, perillaldehyde induced lipid peroxidation, decreased glutathione peroxidase 4 protein expression, and depleted intracellular glutathione on HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. Besides, it stimulated the active secretion of ATP, one of the most crucial events in the induction of efficient anticancer response, prompting further studies to disclose its possible nature as an immunogenic cell death inducer. To preliminarily assess the clinical relevance of perillaldehyde, we tested its ability to induce cell death on patient-derived acute myeloid leukemia biopsies, recording a similar mechanism of action and potency compared to HL-60 cells. To round the study off, we tested its selectivity towards tumor cells and disclosed lower toxicity on normal cells compared to both HL-60 and acute myeloid leukemia biopsies. Altogether, these data depict a favorable risk-benefit profile for perillaldehyde and reveal its peculiar antileukemic potential, which qualifies this natural product to proceed further through the drug development pipeline.

Angelica purpurascens (Avé-Lall.) Gilli. Essential Oil Improved Brain Function via Cholinergic Modulation and Antioxidant Effects in the Scopolamine-Induced Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Model

Angelica purpurascens (Avé-Lall.) Gilli. is a medicinal plant that displays antioxidant, anticholinesterase, and neuroprotective properties. The effect of A. purpurascens essential oil (APO) on memory impairments and brain oxidative stress in zebrafish (Danio rerio) treated with scopolamine (Sco), as well as the underlying mechanism involved, were investigated in this study. Exposure to Sco (100 μM) resulted in anxiety in zebrafish, as assessed by the novel tank diving test (NTT), whereas spatial memory and novelty response dysfunctions, as evidenced by the Y-maze test and novel object recognition test (NOR), were noticed. When zebrafish were given Sco and simultaneously given APO (25 and 150 μL/L, once daily for 13 days), the deficits were averted. An increase in brain antioxidant enzymes, a reduction of lipid peroxidation, and protein oxidation were linked to this impact. Furthermore, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was significantly reduced in the brains of APO-treated zebrafish. The main detected components in the APO composition were β-phellandrene (33.80%), sabinene (6.80%), α-pinene (5.30%), germacrene-D (4.50%), α-phellandrene (4.20%), and p-cymene (3.80%) based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) investigations. Our findings show that APO's beneficial effect in a zebrafish model of Sco-induced memory impairment is mediated through multiple mechanisms, including the restoration of cholinergic system function and the improvement of the brain antioxidant state. As a result, APO could be employed as a potential source of bioactive molecules with useful biological properties and medicinal uses.

Optimization of Pressurized Liquid Extraction and In Vitro Neuroprotective Evaluation of Ammodaucus leucotrichus. Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis by UHPLC-MS/MS

Ammodaucus leucotrichus is a spontaneous plant endemic of the North African region. An efficient selective pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) method was optimized to concentrate neuroprotective extracts from A. leucotrichus fruits. Green solvents were tested, namely ethanol and water, within a range of temperatures between 40 to 180 °C. Total carbohydrates and total phenolics were measured in extracts, as well as in vitro antioxidant capacity (DPPH radical scavenging), anticholinesterase (AChE) and anti-inflammatory (LOX) activities. Metabolite profiling was carried out by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-q-TOF-MS/MS), identifying 94 compounds. Multivariate analysis was performed to correlate composition with bioactivity. A remarkable effect of the temperature using water was observed: the higher temperature, the higher extraction yield, the higher total phenolic content, as well as the higher total carbohydrates content. The water extract obtained at 180 °C, 10.34 MPa and 10 min showed meaningful anti-inflammatory (IC50_LOX = 39.4 µg/mL) and neuroprotective activities (IC50_AChE = 55.6 µg/mL). The Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and the cluster analysis correlated these activities with the presence of carbohydrates and phenolic compounds.

Synergistic Anticandidal Effects of Six Essential Oils in Combination with Fluconazole or Amphotericin B against Four Clinically Isolated Candida Strains

The development of opportunistic pathogenic Candida strains insensitive to several classes of antifungals has emerged as a major health care problem during the last years. Combinational therapy of natural products (e.g., essential oils, EOs) with conventional antifungals has been suggested as a promising alternative to overcome this medical problem. The present study investigates the potential antifungal activity of EOs extracted from some selected medicinal plants, alone and in combination with two common conventional antifungals (fluconazole and amphotericin B) against four clinical Candida isolates. MIC assays indicated that EOs induced strong anticandidal activities with MIC values ranging from 0.162 to 4.950 mg/mL. The combination of amphotericin B with Thymus leptobotrys, Origanum compactum and Artemisia herba alba EOs provided a synergistic effect against C. krusei only, with MIC gain of four-fold, and additive effect against remaining strains (MIC gain = two-fold). Interesting synergistic interactions were observed by combining all studied EOs with fluconazole, with reduction rates of their MICs ranging from 16 to 512-fold. This synergistic effect was very pronounced with the combination of T. leptobotrys EO and fluconazole. These findings indicate that studied EOs can be used as anti-candidals in combination with antifungals, particularly fluconazole, to counteract the emergence of resistant Candida spp.

Impact on cholinesterase-inhibition and in silico investigations of sesquiterpenoids from Amazonian Siparuna guianensis Aubl

The plant popularly known as "negramina" (Siparuna guianensis Aubl.), member of the family Siparunaceae produces an essential oil that presents several biological activities reported in literature. Here, the essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation from fresh leaves collected in the state of Roraima, far north of the Amazon. Chemical composition of the essential oil was characterized by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The sesquiterpenoid shyobunone and its derivatives were identified as major compounds in the oil (>40%). The effect of S. guianensis essential oil on the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity from Crassostrea rhizophorae, Litopenaeus vannamei and Electrophorus electricus was tested by spectrophotometric assays. The essential oil has been identified as an AChE inhibitor. The mechanism of inhibition was investigated as well as spectrofluorimetric interactions between the essential oil and the enzyme. ¹H NMR titration and molecular docking were also investigated. The spectrophotometric results revealed that shyobunone and its derivatives strongly interact with AChE with a kind of non-competitive inhibition. Interaction studies support the results of enzyme inhibition. Molecular coupling predicted that iso-shyobunone is the strongest ligand, corroborated by fluorescence suppression and ¹H NMR titration results. In conclusion, Siparuna guianensis essential oil can be a new source of shyobunone and derivatives capable to reversibly inhibit AChE showing potential neuroprotective properties to be applied in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Ammodaucus leucotrichus

This review summarizes selected scientific evidence on phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of Ammodaucus leucotrichus. Information was gathered via the Internet (using Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, Elsevier, Springer, Science Direct, Researchgate and Web of Science) as well as from libraries and local books. Ammodaucus leucotrichus (A. leucotrichus), belongs to the family Apiaceae, has been reported to possess a wide range of traditional medicinal uses including in diarrhea, cough, pulmonary diseases, anorexia, allergy, tachycardia, helminthiasis, stomach pain, gastralgias, otitis, indigestion, cold, fever, anorexia and cardiac diseases. Phytochemical investigations revealed that this plant possesses many bioactive chemical constituents including monoterpenes and their derivatives, sesquiterpenes and their derivatives, tannins, anthracenes compounds, sterols, triterpenes, reducing compounds, alkaloids, phenol acids, saponins, flavonoids and coumarins. The most important pharmacological activities are antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticholinesterase and cytotoxicity activities. Ammodaucus leucotrichus has potential for the treatment of a wide range of diseases and has been well studied for its phytochemical properties. However, further scientific studies are needed to explore mechanisms of actions, adverse effects of the extracts, toxicity and the therapeutic effect of major secondary metabolites.

Identification of non-alkaloid natural compounds of Angelica purpurascens (Avé-Lall.) Gilli. (Apiaceae) with cholinesterase and carbonic anhydrase inhibition potential

In current study is done antioxidant, anticholinesterase, and carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes I and II inhibition assays, screening of biological active compounds and electronic microscopy analysis of secretory canals of fruits, flowers, roots, and aerial parts extracts and essential oils of Angelica purpurascens. Phenolic constituents, antioxidant, and anti-lipid peroxidation potentials of variants were estimated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) processes. Cholinesterase inhibition effect was detected through Ellman’s method. The GC/ Mass Spectrometry (MS) and gas chromatography (GC)-flame Ionization Detector (FID) was used for essential oils analysis. NMR techniques was used for identification of the isolated compounds. The fruit hexane and dichloromethane fractions exhibited a greater antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content. The dichloromethane fraction of fruit demonstrated the most higher acetylcholinesterase inhibition (39.86 ± 2.63%), while the fruit hexane fraction displayed the best inhibition towards butyrylcholinesterase (84.02 ± 1.28%). Cytosolic isoenzymes of human carbonic anhydrase (hCA) I, and II isoenzymes were influentially suppressed by flower and fruit dichloromethane fractions with 1.650 and 2.020 µM IC₅₀ values, respectively. The electronic microscopy analysis of secretory canals found that the small number of secretory canals were at leaf while the largest shape of secretory canals was at the fruit. The secretory canals of roots, aerial parts, and fruits include more monoterpene hydrocarbons, while the canals, existing in the flowers are qualified by a higher presence of sesquiterpenes β-caryophyllene (12.1%), germacrene D (4.5%) and ether octyl acetate (11.9%). The highest level of monoterpene β-phellandrene (47.6%) and limonene (8.2%) were found in the fruit essential oil. The next isolated compounds from fruits of A. purpurascens like stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, bergapten, and oxypeucedanin have shown high anticholinesterase and antioxidant activities.

Essential oil of Schisandra chinensis ameliorates cognitive decline in mice by alleviating inflammation

In this study, we aim to assess possible impacts of essential oil (SEO) from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (S. chinensis) on mice with cognition impairment. Our data showed that SEO improved the cognitive ability of mice with Aβ_1-42 or lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) and suppressed the production of tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the hippocampus. Furthermore, SEO inhibited p38 activation, but had little effect on other signaling proteins in the MAPK family, such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2 (JNK). The SEO and BV-2 microglia co-culture was performed to further confirm the anti-inflammatory activity of SEO. The data showed that SEO decreased nitric oxide (NO) levels in LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglia and significantly blocked LPS-induced MAPKs activation. Taken together, these findings suggested that SEO produces anti-AD effects on AD mice partly by modulating neuroinflammation through the NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway.

Molecular Docking Studies of Coumarins Isolated from Extracts and Essential Oils of Zosima absinthifolia Link as Potential Inhibitors for Alzheimer's Disease

Coumarins and essential oils are the major components of the Apiaceae family and the Zosima genus. The present study reports anticholinesterase and antioxidant activities of extracts and essential oils from aerial parts, roots, flowers, fruits and coumarins—bergapten (1); imperatorin (2), pimpinellin (3) and umbelliferone (4)—isolated of the roots from Zosima absinthifolia. The investigation by light and scanning electron microscopy of the structures of secretory canals found different chemical compositions in the various types of secretory canals which present in the aerial parts, fruits and flowers. The canals, present in the aerial parts, are characterized by terpene hydrocarbons, while the secretory canals of roots, flowers and fruits include esters. Novel data of a comparative study on essential oils constituents of aerial parts, roots, flowers and fruits of Z. absinthfolia has been presented. The roots and fruits extract showed a high content of total phenolics and antioxidant activity. The GC-FID and GC-MS analysis revealed that the main components of the aerial parts, roots, flowers and fruits extracts were octanol (8.8%), octyl octanoate (7.6%), octyl acetate (7.3%); trans-pinocarvyl acetate (26.7%), β-pinene (8.9%); octyl acetate (19.9%), trans-p-menth-2-en-1-ol (4.6%); octyl acetate (81.6%), and (Z)-4-octenyl acetate (5.1%). The dichloromethane fraction of fruit and flower essential oil was characterized by the highest phenolics level and antioxidant activity. The dichloromethane fraction of fruit had the best inhibition against butyrylcholinesterase enzyme (82.27 ± 1.97%) which was higher then acetylcholinesterase inhibition (61.09 ± 4.46%) of umbelliferone. This study shows that the flowers and fruit of Z. absinthifolia can be a new potential resource of natural antioxidant and anticholinesterase compounds.