Critical review on Rumex dentatus L. a strong pharmacophore and the future medicine: Pharmacology, phytochemical analysis and traditional uses

5-fluorouracil and Rumex obtusifolius extract combination trigger A549 cancer cell apoptosis: uncovering PI3K/Akt inhibition by in vitro and in silico approaches

The continuous increase in cancer rates, failure of conventional chemotherapies to control the disease, and excessive toxicity of chemotherapies clearly demand alternative approaches. Natural products contain many constituents that can act on various bodily targets to induce pharmacodynamic responses. This study aimed to explore the combined anticancer effects of Rumex obtusifolius (RO) extract and the chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on specific molecular targets involved in cancer progression. By focusing on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and its related components, such as cytokines, growth factors (TNFa, VEGFa), and enzymes (Arginase, NOS, COX-2, MMP-2), this research sought to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of RO extract, both independently and in combination with 5-FU, in non-small lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. The study also investigated the potential interactions of compounds identified by HPLC/MS/MS of RO on PI3K/Akt in the active site pocket through an in silico analysis. The ultimate goal was to identify potent therapeutic combinations that effectively inhibit, prevent or delay cancer development with minimal side effects. The results revealed that the combined treatment of 5-FU and RO demonstrated a significant reduction in TNFa levels, comparable to the effect observed with RO alone. RO modulated the PI3K/Akt pathway, influencing the phosphorylated and total amounts of these proteins during the combined treatment. Notably, COX-2, a key player in inflammatory processes, substantially decreased with the combination treatment. Caspase-3 activity, indicative of apoptosis, increased by 1.8 times in the combined treatment compared to separate treatments. In addition, the in silico analyses explored the binding affinities and interactions of RO's major phytochemicals with intracellular targets, revealing a high affinity for PI3K and Akt. These findings suggest that the combined treatment induces apoptosis in A549 cells by regulating the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Antibacterial and antibiofilm potentials of Rumex dentatus root extract characterized by HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS

The control of infections is one of the key strategies to treat cuts, wounds, lung, and skin infections. In this study the folkloric use of Rumex dentatus (R. dentatus) roots in the mentioned conditions was scientifically investigated. The methanolic (MeOH) crude extract of R. dentatus root was fractionated (n-hexane, ethyl acetate and water) via bioassay-guided method, and its antibacterial activity was evaluated using the agar well diffusion and Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays against clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). The antibiofilm activity was measured using the crystal violet staining method. The crude extract, fractions and sub-fractions tested showed the MICs values ranging from 200 to 1000 μg/mL respectively. Among the fractions, notably, the water fraction exhibited the highest activity against P. aeruginosa. The water fraction was then subjected to thin layer chromatography (TLC). Following spectrometric analysis using HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS, gallic acid and emodin were identified as the primary components within the same fraction, responsible for eliciting antibacterial and antibiofilm effects. The in-silico studies conducted with AutoDock Vina on the LasR protein, using both isolated gallic acid and emodin, confirm the binding affinity of these molecules to the active sites of the LasR protein that has regulatory role in building of biofilm formation and its pathogenicity. By scientifically validating the infection-controlling properties of R. dentatus, this research provides compelling evidence that supports its traditional use as reported in folklore. Moreover, this study contributes to our understanding of the plant's potential in managing infections, thereby substantiating its traditional therapeutic application in a scientific context.

Periodontal ligament stem cell-derived exosome-loaded Emodin mediated antimicrobial photodynamic therapy against cariogenic bacteria

BACKGROUND

This study was conducted to investigate the efficiency of periodontal ligament (PDL) stem cell-derived exosome-loaded Emodin (Emo@PDL-Exo) in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) on Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus as the cariogenic bacteria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

After isolating and characterizing PDL-Exo, the study proceeded to prepare and verify the presence of Emo@PDL-Exo. The antimicrobial effect, anti-biofilm activity, and anti-metabolic potency of Emo, PDL-Exo, and Emo@PDL-Exo were then evaluated with and without irradiation of blue laser at a wavelength of 405 ± 10 nm with an output intensity of 150 mW/cm2 for a duration of 60 s. In addition, the study assessed the binding affinity of Emodin with GtfB and SlpA proteins using in silico molecular docking. Eventually, the study examined the generation of endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) and changes in the gene expression levels of gelE and sprE.

RESULTS

The study found that using Emo@PDL-Exo-mediated aPDT resulted in a significant decrease in L. acidophilus and S. mutans by 4.90 ± 0.36 and 5.07 log10 CFU/mL, respectively (P < 0.05). The study found that using Emo@PDL-Exo for aPDT significantly reduced L. acidophilus and S. mutans biofilms by 44.7% and 50.4%, respectively, compared to untreated biofilms in the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, the metabolic activity of L. acidophilus and S. mutans decreased by 58.3% and 71.2%, respectively (P < 0.05). The molecular docking analysis showed strong binding affinities of Emodin with SlpA and GtfB proteins, with docking scores of -7.4 and -8.2 kcal/mol, respectively. The study also found that the aPDT using Emo@PDL-Exo group resulted in the most significant reduction in gene expression of slpA and gtfB, with a decrease of 4.2- and 5.6-folds, respectively, compared to the control group (P < 0.05), likely due to the increased generation of endogenous ROS.

DISCUSSION

The study showed that aPDT using Emo@PDL-Exo can effectively reduce the cell viability, biofilm activity, and metabolic potency of S. mutans and L. acidophilus. aPDT also significantly reduced the expression levels of gtfB and slpA mRNA due to the increased endogenous ROS generation. The findings suggest that Emo@PDL-Exo-mediated aPDT could be a promising antimicrobial approach against cariogenic microorganisms.

Phytochemical analysis, GC-MS profile and determination of antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activities of peel and seeds extracts (chloroform and ethyl acetate) of Tamarindus indica L

Tamarindus indica L., is widely used tree in ayurvedic medicine. Here, we aimed to understand the presence of important constituents in seeds and peel of Tamarind fruits and their biological activities. Hence, seeds and peel of Tamarind fruits are used for further extraction process by soxhlet method (chloroform and ethyl acetate solvents). Results suggest that the ethyl acetate extract (seeds) consists of terpenoids (72.29 ± 0.513 mg/g), phenolic content (68.67 ± 2.11 mg/g) and flavonoids (26.36 ± 2.03 mg/g) whereas chloroform extract (seeds) has terpenoids (42.29 ± 0.98 mg/g). Similarly, chloroform extract (peel) has terpenoids (25.96 ± 3.20 mg/g) and flavonoids (46.36 ± 2.03 mg/g) whereas ethyl acetate extract (peel) has terpenoids (62.93 ± 0.987 mg/g). Furthermore, anti-inflammation activity results revealed that the chloroform extract of peel was found to be more effective with IC50 of 226.14 µg/ml by protein denaturation analysis and with IC50 of 245.5 µg/ml on lipoxygenase inhibition activity. Chloroform extract (peel and seeds) shown better antioxidant activity using DPPH than ethyl acetate extract (peel and seeds). Ethyl acetate extract of seeds showed impressive potency by inhibiting the growth of fungus, Candida albicans. Additionally, ethyl acetate extract of seeds showed impressive potency inhibiting the growth of Escherichia coli than Bacillus cereus. GC-MS analysis shown the existence of diverse set of phytochemicals in each extract. Overall, comparative studies highlight the effectiveness of seeds extracts than peel extracts. Moreover, GC-MS results suggest that the seeds and peel extracts (chloroform and ethyl acetate) contains a wide range of compounds (including flavonoids, isovanillic acid, fatty acids and phenolic compounds) which can be utilized for therapeutic purpose.