Isolation and biological activities of compounds from Rumex vesicarius L. and their use as a component of a synbiotic preparation

Bioactive profiling of Rumex vesicarius L. from the Hail region of Saudi Arabia: a study on its phytochemical and elemental analysis, antibiofilm, antibacterial, antioxidant properties, and molecular docking analysis

Background

Rumex vesicarius is a wild leafy plant belonging to the family Polygonaceae, renowned for its therapeutic benefits. The genus Rumex comprises approximately 150 species distributed globally.

Objective

The study aimed to investigate the biological activities of R. vesicarius using in vitro and in silico methods.

Methods

Rumex vesicarius was collected from the mountains in Hail and extracted with methanol. The phytochemical composition was qualitatively determined using colorimetric detection methods. Additional analyses included elemental analysis, in silico docking, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-biofilm properties.

Results

The extract contained various classes of phytochemicals, including flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, terpenes, and saponins. Sixteen constituents were identified through molecular docking, revealing inhibition against the filamentous temperature-sensitive protein Z (FtsZ), a crucial factor in bacterial cell division. Six compounds exhibited low binding scores ranging from -8.3 to -5.0 kcal/mol, indicating efficient interaction at the active site. Elemental analysis identified 15 elements, with potassium being the most abundant, followed by calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron, phosphorus, sulfur, magnesium, titanium, strontium, zinc, manganese, bromine, and chromium. Antioxidant analysis revealed significant properties at lower concentrations compared to ascorbic acid, butylated hydroxytoluene, and β-carotene. Antibacterial analysis demonstrated inhibitory effects on Bacillus subtilis MTCC121 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 741, with inhibition zones of 13.67 ± 1.0 mm and 11.50 ± 1.0 mm, respectively. The MIC and MBC values ranged from 250 to 500 μg/mL. R. vesicarius also exhibited anti-biofilm activity.

Conclusion

Wild-grown R. vesicarius from the mountains of Hail is rich in bioactive phytochemicals and essential minerals, exhibiting notable antioxidant and antibacterial properties.

Unravelling the Phytochemical Composition and Antioxidant Potential of Different Parts of Rumex vesicarius L.: A RP-HPLC-MS-MS/MS, Chemometrics, and Molecular Docking-Based Comparative Study

Rumex vesicarius L. Polygonaceae is a wildly grown plant in Egypt, North Africa, and Asia with wide traditional uses. Several studies reported its biological activities and richness in phytochemicals. This research addresses a comprehensive metabolic profiling of the flowers, leaves, stems, and roots via RP-HPLC-QTOF-MS and MS/MS with chemometrics. A total of 60 metabolites were observed and grouped into phenolic acids, flavonoids, phenols, terpenes, amino acids, fatty acids, organic acids, and sugars. Principal component analysis and hierarchal cluster analysis showed the segregation of different parts. Moreover, the antioxidant capacity was determined via several methods and agreed with the previous results. Additionally, an in silico approach of molecular docking of the predominant bioactive metabolites was employed against two antioxidant targets, NADPH oxidase and human peroxiredoxin 5 enzyme (PDB ID: 2CDU and 1HD2) receptors, alongside ADME predictions. The molecular modelling revealed that most of the approached molecules were specifically binding with the tested enzymes, achieving high binding affinities. The results confirmed that R. vesicarius stems and roots are rich sources of bioactive antioxidant components. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive metabolic profiling of R. vesicarius giving a prospect of its relevance in the development of new naturally based antioxidants.

Gut microbiota and hypertension: a bibliometric analysis of recent research (2014-2023)

Background

Cardiovascular diseases persist as the primary cause of mortality in the global population. Hypertension (HTN) is widely recognized as one of the most crucial risk factors contributing to severe cardiovascular conditions. In recent years, a growing body of research has highlighted the therapeutic potential of gut microbiota (GM) in addressing cardiovascular diseases, particularly HTN. Consequently, unraveling and synthesizing the connections between GM and HTN, key research domains, and the underlying interaction mechanisms have grown increasingly vital.

Methods

We retrieved articles related to GM and HTN from 2014 to 2023 using Web of Science. Bibliometric tools employed in this analysis include CiteSpace and VOSviewer.

Result

From 2014 to 2023, we identified 1,730 related articles. These articles involved 88 countries (regions) and 9,573 authors. The articles were published in 593 journals, with 1000 references exhibiting co-occurrence more than 10 times. The number of studies in this field has been increasing, indicating that it remains a research hotspot. We expect this field to continue gaining attention in the future. China leads in the number of published articles, while the United States boasts the most extensive international collaborations, signifying its continued prominence as a research hub in this domain. Tain You-Lin, Hsu Chien-Ning, Raizada Mohan K, and Yang Tao are among the authors with the highest publication volume. Publications in this field are frequently found in nutrition, cardiovascular, and molecular biology journals. The most frequently occurring keywords include metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, short-chain fatty acids, trimethylamine N-oxide, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, and high-salt diet.

Conclusion

The relationship between GM and HTN is presently one of the most active research areas. By employing bibliometric tools, we analyzed critical and innovative articles in this field to provide an objective summary of the primary research directions, such as the relationship between GM and HTN, GM metabolites, high-salt diet, the developmental origins of health and disease, obstructive sleep apnea-Induced hypertension and antihypertensive peptide. Our analysis aims to offer researchers insights into hotspots and emerging trends in the field of GM and HTN for future research reference.

Dietary Fiber from Navel Orange Peel Prepared by Enzymatic and Ultrasound-Assisted Deep Eutectic Solvents: Physicochemical and Prebiotic Properties

Dietary fiber (DF) was extracted from navel orange peel residue by enzyme (E-DF) and ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvent (US-DES-DF), and its physicochemical and prebiotic properties were characterized. Based on Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, all DF samples exhibited typical polysaccharide absorption spectra, indicating that DES could separate lignin while leaving the chemical structure of DF unchanged, yielding significantly higher extraction yields (76.69 ± 1.68%) compared to enzymatic methods (67.27 ± 0.13%). Moreover, ultrasound-assisted DES extraction improved the properties of navel orange DFs by significantly increasing the contents of soluble dietary fiber and total dietary fiber (3.29 ± 1.33% and 10.13 ± 0.78%, respectively), as well as a notable improvement in the values of water-holding capacity, oil-holding capacity, and water swelling capacity. US-DES-DF outperformed commercial citrus fiber in stimulating the proliferation of probiotic Bifidobacteria strains in vitro. Overall, ultrasound-assisted DES extraction exhibited potential as an industrial extraction method, and US-DES-DF could serve as a valuable functional food ingredient. These results provide a new perspective on the prebiotic properties of dietary fibers and the preparation process of prebiotics.

Evaluation of antibiofilm and cytotoxicity effect of Rumex vesicarius methanol extract

Background

Bacterial resistant to antibiotics represents an obstacle in medication management in hospitals. Biofilm can be easily formed by bacteria in indwelling medical devices. By increasing numbers of patients using indwelling medical devices, we have to find an effective antibiofilm for the eradication of biofilm-associated infections.

Methods

The present study was designed to evaluate the antibiofilm and cytotoxicity effect of methanol extract of Rumex vesicarius L. leaves (Polygonaceae). Antibacterial and antibiofilm assays were investigated in this study against different standard and pathogenic bacteria isolates from endotracheal tubes in intensive care units (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Scanning electron microscopy was used to demonstrate the reduction of biofilm formation using methanol extract of R. vesicarius. Also, cytotoxicity of R. vesicarius L. was evaluated by using the lactate dehydrogenase assay.

Results

R. vesicarius displayed a broad spectrum and antibacterial activity against the tested organisms. The minimal inhibitory concentration of the methanol extract was 62.5–125 mg/mL for gram positive while in case of gram negative, it was 125–250 mg/mL. While the result in case of minimal bactericidal concentration was 250–500 mg/mL in case of gram positive and was 500–1,000 mg/mL in case of gram negative.

Conclusion

Our results recommend usage of R. vesicarius as a promising antibiofilm to combat infection in indwelling medical devices.

In Vitro Antidiabetic, Antioxidant, and Prebiotic Activities of the Chemical Compounds Isolated from Guizotia abyssinica

India and Ethiopia employ Guizotia abyssinica (niger plant) as a source of edible vegetable oil. Previous studies have documented the niger plant's antioxidant properties and dietary benefits. Here, G. abyssinica extract was obtained and ten known bioactive components (1-10) were isolated. The antioxidant, antidiabetic, and prebiotic properties of whole extract and isolated components of niger and the plant's ability to cooperate symbiotically with probiotic strains were examined. Compound 10, myricetin-3-O-L-rhamnoside, had the highest antioxidant capacity measured in the 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH, 4629.76 ± 6.02 µmol Trolox equivalent/g compound) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP, 2667.62 ± 7.5 mol Trolox equivalent/g compound) assays. The lowest α-amylase and glycogen phosphorylase activities and glucose diffusion were obtained with whole G. abyssinica extracts, whereas compounds 8-10 had moderate inhibitory effects. G. abyssinica extract also induced the highest glucose absorption by yeast cells in the presence of 5 mM of glucose. Moreover, Lactobacillus plantarum and L. rhamnosus incubated with β-sitosterol 3-O-D-glucoside (compound 7) showed the highest prebiotic activity score. The levels of L-(+)-lactic acid isomer in the probiotic strains were the highest in presence of the whole extract and decreased progressively in the presence of flavonoid glycosides (compounds 8-10) and β-sitosterol 3-O-D-glucoside. The enzymatic profile of the probiotic strains was unaffected by the niger extract and compounds 7-10. The findings revealed that the biological activities of G. abyssinica extract are mediated by the compounds 1-10, and it may be considered as a promising plant for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Supplementation of Labneh with Passion Fruit Peel Enhanced Survival of E. coli Nissle 1917 during Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion and Adhesion to Caco-2 Cells

Passion fruit peel powder (PFPP) was used to supplement the probiotic labneh to increase the activity of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) during production and storage. Labneh was manufactured with PFPP (0.5% and 1%) and analyzed at 0, 7, and 15 days of cold storage for postacidification and sensory properties and viability of EcN, survival of EcN to simulated gastrointestinal tract stress, and adhesion potential of EcN to Caco-2 cells. Acidification kinetics during fermentation showed that supplementation with PFPP reduced the time needed to decrease pH and reach the maximum acidification rate. PFPP addition contributed to postacidification of labneh during storage. PFPP had a beneficial effect (p < 0.05) on counts of EcN in labneh during different storage periods. Consumer preference expectations for labneh enriched with PFPP (0.5% and 1%) were higher than those for the control. PFPP provided a significant protective action for EcN during simulated gastrointestinal transit and had a positive effect on EcN adhesion to Caco-2 cells in vitro, although this decreased during storage with labneh. Labneh supplementation with PFPP can be recommended because of the positive effect on EcN viability and the high nutritional value, which may increase the appeal of the product to consumers.