Plectranthus amboinicus leaves stimulate growth of probiotic L. plantarum: evidence for ethnobotanical use in diarrhea

Transcriptional Profiling of the Effect of Coleus amboinicus L. Essential Oil against Salmonella Typhimurium Biofilm Formation

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium cause infections primarily through foodborne transmission and remains a significant public health concern. The biofilm formation of this bacteria also contributes to their multidrug-resistant nature. Essential oils from medicinal plants are considered potential alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Therefore, this study assessed the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of Coleus amboinicus essential oil (EO-CA) against S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028. Seventeen chemical compounds of EO-CA were identified, and carvacrol (38.26%) was found to be the main constituent. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of EO-CA for S. Typhimurium planktonic growth was 1024 µg/mL while the minimum bactericidal concentration was 1024 µg/mL. EO-CA at sub-MIC (≥1/16× MIC) exhibited antibiofilm activity against the prebiofilm formation of S. Typhimurium at 24 h. Furthermore, EO-CA (≥1/4× MIC) inhibited postbiofilm formation at 24 and 48 h (p < 0.05). Transcriptional profiling revealed that the EO-CA-treated group at 1/2× MIC had 375 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 106 of which were upregulated and 269 were downregulated. Five significantly downregulated virulent DEGs responsible for motility (flhD, fljB, and fimD), curli fimbriae (csgD), and invasion (hilA) were screened via quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). This study suggests the potential of EO-CA as an effective antimicrobial agent for combating planktonic and biofilm formation of Salmonella.

Ozone assisted autohydrolysis of wheat bran enhances xylooligosaccharide production with low generation of inhibitor compounds: A comparative study

In the present study, ozone assisted autohydrolysis (OAAH) was evaluated for enhanced generation of xylooligosaccharide (XOS) from wheat bran. The total XOS yield with optimum ozone dose of 3% (OAAH-3) was found to be 8.9% (w/w biomass) at 110 °C in comparison to 7.96% at 170 °C by autohydrolysis (AH) alone. Although, there was no significant difference in oligomeric composition (DP 2-6), significant decrease in degradation products namely furfural (2.78-fold), HMF (3.15-fold), acrylamide (nil) and acetic acid (1.06-fold), was observed with OAAH-3 as a pretreatment option. There was 1-fold higher xylan to XOS conversion and OAAH-hydrolysate had higher DPPH radical scavenging activity than AH. PCA plots indicated clear enhancement in XOS production and lower generation of inhibitors with decrease in treatment temperature. Results of the study therefore suggest OAAH can be an effective pretreatment option that can further be integrated with downstream processing for concentration and purification of XOS.

Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activities of Coleus amboinicus Lour. Cultivated in Indonesia and Poland

Coleus amboinicus Lour., Lamiaceae, is a perennial herb that is native to Indonesia and also cultivated in Africa, Asia and Australia. The major phytochemicals responsible for its bioactivity are rosmarinic acid (RA) and its analogues, flavonoids and abietane diterpenoids. The possibility of cultivation in a colder climate would extend the use of this herb and provide new opportunities to herb growers and livestock farmers. Our study to compare feed value and phytochemical composition of C. amboinicus plants cultivated in its original region, Indonesia, and in Poland. The crude protein content was significantly higher in plants cultivated in Indonesia compared to those cultivated in Poland—21% and 13% of dry matter, respectively. The higher ADF contents were detected in C. amboinicus cultivated in Indonesia, 38–41%, in comparison to 34% in plants cultivated in Poland. The phytochemical composition was also significantly influenced by the cultivation location. Polish samples were higher in polyphenols (RA and its analogues), and also had 1.5–2-fold higher antioxidant potential, as measured by DPPH scavenging, phosphomolybdenum reduction and Fenton reaction driven lipid peroxidation. The Indonesian samples contained more diterpenoid compounds, such as dihydroxyroyleanone, and the sum of terpenoids was ca. 10 times higher than in samples from Poland (15.59–23.64 vs. 1.87 µg/g of extracts). In conclusion, C. amboinicus is suitable for cultivation in non-optimal climatic conditions but some nutritional properties and bioactivity are significantly affected.

Woodfordia fruticosa extract supplementation stimulates the growth of Lacticaseibacillus casei and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus with adapted intracellular and extracellular metabolite pool

AIM

To investigate the effect of Woodfordia fruticosa extract (WfE) on two probiotic bacteria: Lacticaseibacillus casei and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus.

METHODS AND RESULTS

WfE supplementation at 0·5 and 1 mg ml^-1 stimulated probiotic growth (P < 0·05), enhanced adhesion to CaCO₂ cells (P < 0·05) while inhibiting foodborne pathogens Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (P < 0·05). ¹ H-NMR based metabolomic studies indicated higher glucose : lactate and glucose : acetate in the extracellular matrix with significant variation (P < 0·05) in intracellular concentrations of lactate, acetate, glutamate, dimethylamine, phenylalanine, branched-chain amino acids and total cellular lipid composition. Fatty acid methyl ester analysis showed a chemical shift from saturated to unsaturated lipids with WfE supplementation. PCA plots indicated clear discrimination between test groups, highlighting variation in metabolite pool in response to WfE supplementation.

CONCLUSION

Phytonutrient-rich WfE exhibited prebiotic-like attributes, and probiotic bacteria showed altered metabolite pools as an adaptive mechanism.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This is the first report providing insights into the prebiotic-like activity of WfE on gut representative probiotics. The extended metabolomic studies shed light on the positive interaction between phytonutrients and beneficial bacteria that possibly help them to adapt to a phytonutrient-rich WfE environment. WfE with potential prebiotic attributes can be used in the development of novel synbiotic functional products targeting gut microbial modulation to improve health.

Seasonal Variations of Polyphenols Content, Sun Protection Factor and Antioxidant Activity of Two Lamiaceae Species

Secondary metabolite production by plants is influenced by external environmental factors that can change depending on the seasons, which makes it important to know how the plant, through its metabolism, is able to adapt to these variations. Mentha x villosa and Plectranthus amboinicus present in their chemical composition polyphenols, and through previous studies, it has been seen that these two species present promising in vitro photoprotective activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate seasonal alterations in photoprotective and antioxidant activities and the influence of factors such as precipitation levels and sun radiation incidence. Thus, polyphenol quantification, cromatographics (HPLC-DAD) and multivariate (PCA) analyses of extracts of the two species through twelve months were done. It was observed that the best months for photoprotective and antioxidant activities were September for M. villosa and July for P. amboinicus (SPF = 14.79). It was possible to conclude that solar radiation more clearly influences the production of phenolics and the increase of SPF in M. villosa, in addition to favoring the antioxidant activity of the two species, while precipitation seems to have no influence.

Protective Effects of Borago officinalis (Borago) on Cold Restraint Stress-Induced Gastric Ulcers in Rats: A Pilot Study

Stress is a typical body's natural defense to a generic physical or psychic change. A specific linking mechanism between ulcer onset and psycho-physical stress prolonged exposure has been reported. We decided to investigate the possible effects of Borago officinalis L. (Borago) in preventing physical (stress)-induced gastric ulcers in a rat model. Eighty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 16 groups, pretreated with a control solution, omeprazole (20 mg/kg), Borago methanolic extract (25, 50, 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg), Borago organic extract (50, 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg), Borago aqueous extract (5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg/kg), and D(-)-2-Amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (AP5) (25 mg/kg) and kept in stressful conditions such as water immersion and restraint-induced stress ulcers. The animals were sacrificed and their stomach scored for the severity and the number of gastric ulcers. Methanolic extract (500 mg/kg) significantly reduced both ulcer parameters (^***p < 0.001 and ^**p < 0.01, respectively). Aqueous and organic extract significantly decreased severity score at 5 and 10 mg/kg (^**p < 0.01 and ^***p < 0.001, respectively), and at 250 and 500 mg/kg (^***p < 0.001), respectively, while gastric ulcers' resulted number significantly reduced only at 10 mg/kg (^*p < 0.05) and at 500 mg/kg (^**p < 0.01), respectively. On the other hand, aqueous extract significantly increased the mucosal gastric content of cAMP (^*p < 0.05) and NR2A and NR2B subunits (^*p < 0.05 and ^**p < 0.01, respectively) at 5 mg/kg. Organic extract showed also a significant cytotoxic effect at 500 and 1,000 mg/kg with a 3T3 cell viability reduction of 43.6% (^**p < 0.01) and 92.1% (^***p < 0.001), respectively. Borago aqueous extract at 10 mg/kg could be considered as a potential protective agent against stress-induced ulcers, and it is reasonable to possibly ascribe such protective activity to a modulation of the NR2A and NR2B subunit expression.

Methanol Extract of Coleus amboinicus (Lour) Exhibited Antiproliferative Activity and Induced Programmed Cell Death in Colon Cancer Cell WiDr

Coleus amboinicus(Lour) (CA) has been reported to possess many pharmacological activities. In this study, evaluation of cytotoxicity using brine shrimp lethality bioassay and MTT assay using WiDr cell lines was carried out. The expression of several genes responsible for programmed cell death of the methanol extract of CA was also investigated. The morphology of the cells undergoing apoptosis was detected using Hoechst staining assay. The gene expression of BAX, BCL2, P53, Caspase 1, 7, 8, and 9 of treated samples with different concentrations (10, 15, 25 & 50 µg/ml) were measured with RT PCR. The phytochemical profiles were investigated using LC MS. The results showed that the lethality concentration (LC50) of methanol extract using brine shrimp was 34.545 µg/ml and the extract exhibited good antiproliferative activity against cancer cells WiDr with IC50 value (8.598 ± 2.68 µg/ml) as compared to standard drug 5-fluorouracil (IC50 value 1.839 ± 0.03 µg/ml). There was apoptotic evidences from the morphology of treated cells. The expressions of BAX,P53, and Caspase 9 were upregulated in lower concentration of the extract (10 and 15 µg/ml) but downregulated in higher concentration (25 and 50 µg/ml). BCL2 as anti-apoptotic gene was downregulated in all concentrations. Caspase 1 and Caspase 7 were upregulated in high concentration (25 and 50 µg/ml), but downregulated in lower concentrations. These data provide a mode of cell death for the methanol extract of CA in low concentrations corresponding to apoptosis with intrinsic pathway. Many valuable compounds identified including caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, malic acid, eicosapentanoic acid, benserazide, alpha-linolenic acid, betaine, Salvanolic B, 4-hydroxibenzoic acid and firulic acid have been previously reported as being active agents against many cancer cells. This study suggested that CA might become an effective ingredient for health-beneficial foods to prevent colon cancer.

Coleus amboinicus (Lour.) leaves as a modulator of ruminal methanogenesis and biohydrogenation in vitro

Active plant metabolites (APM) are recognized as modifiers of ruminal microbial fermentation including methanogenesis and biohydrogenation of fatty acids (FA). Coleus amboinicus Lour. leaves (CAL) are rich in several APM, which could serve as ruminal fermentation modulators. A phytochemical analysis showed that CAL contain phenolic acids (10.4 mg·g-1 dry matter [DM]; high in rosmarinic acid), flavonoids (2.6 mg·g-1 DM), diterpenes (2 mg·g-1 DM), and linolenic acid (35.4 g (100 g)-1 FA). This study aimed to investigate the effect of CAL on ruminal methanogenesis and biohydrogenation as well as basic fermentation characteristics and microbial populations. The in vitro experiment was carried out using Hohenheim gas test system with 40 mL of buffered ruminal fluid incubated for 24 h at 39 °C in anaerobic conditions. Approximately 400 mg (DM basis) of total mixed ration (TMR) was used as a control substrate and the CAL substrate was used at doses of 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg DM replacing equal amounts of TMR. Addition of CAL decreased methane production up to 30% linearly as the amount of CAL increased (P < 0.05). In vitro dry matter digestibility and ammonia tended to increase with increasing doses of CAL. Concentration of total volatile fatty acids was not affected by the CAL although there appeared to be a minor positive linear trend; however, acetate, butyrate, and isobutyrate proportion increased quadratically (P < 0.001). CAL tended to linearly increase α-linolenic acid and conjugated linoleic acid as well as increased stearic acid concentration in buffered ruminal fluid. CAL particularly increased total protozoa and bacterial populations during fermentation, but inhibited methanogens. It is concluded that the CAL may be promising to be used as a feed additive to decrease methanogenesis as well as biohydrogenation of FA in the rumen.

Technological Evaluation of Emulsions Containing The Volatile Oil from Leaves of Plectranthus Amboinicus Lour

BACKGROUND

Plectranthus amboinicus Lour is a species which is widespread throughout tropical countries where it is widely used against respiratory tract disorders such as bronchodilator, antitussive, and expectorant conditions.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to characterize the essential oil of P. amboinicus (PaEO) and produce and evaluate emulsions containing PaEO.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The essential oil was characterized by physical-chemical analyses for density, refractive index, 90% ethanol solubility, color, appearance, and identification by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry detection. The emulsions were prepared following a hydrophile-lipophile balance [HLB] spreadsheet design from two nonionic surfactants (Span 80^® and Tween 20^®) producing HLB values ranging from 4.3 to 16.7. The products were stored at room temperature at 5°C. The emulsion stabilities were tested both in the long and short-term.

RESULTS

The PaEO was obtained by steam distillation and the total extraction was reached after 3 hours yielding of 0.2% (w/w). This essential oil was characterized by physicochemical analyses for density [1.5 g.ml^-1], refraction index [0.9167], ethanol 90% solubility [1:2], color, and appearance (yellow/clear). Nineteen components were identified in the oil, among them the sesquiterpenes: carvacrol [33.50%], p-cymene [28.20%] and γ-terpinene [14.77%]. The emulsions obtained successfully showed, for the first time, HLB values for essential oils from Plectranthus amboinicus [15.7].

CONCLUSION

The experimental data shows a relationship between HLB values of the surfactant mixtures contributing to the emulsified systems production containing phytopharmaceuticals. Such an approach is of great importance to the development of lipid carriers for therapeutic drugs.

SUMMARY

The essential oil from leaves of Plectranthus amboinicus was extracted by steam distillation and characterized.The emulsions containing essential oil were produced and the stability was performed in the short and long term.The critical hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of the essential oil was 15.7 and was achieved by the combination of surfactants (Tween 80^® and Span 20^®). Abbreviations used: PaEO: essential oil of P. amboinicus, HLB: hydrophilic-lipophilic balance, CI: Creaming Index, MET: micro-emultocrit technique.

Study on the Influence of Tea Extract on Probiotics in Skim Milk: From Probiotics Propagation to Metabolite

In this study, the influence of tea extract (TE) on the growth of probiotics in skim milk was examined. Lactobacillus plantarum ST-III, Bifidobacterium bifidum Bb02, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG were used in this study. The introduction of TE in milk significantly stimulated the propagation and acidification of L. rhamnosus GG and L. acidophilus NCFM. The antioxidant capacities and the total free amino acid contents of all fermented milk products were enhanced by the addition of TE; however, there were different antioxidant properties and free amino acid contents of fermented milk samples fermented by different bacteria. With a 9% (w/w) level, the fermentation with L. rhamnosus GG and L. acidophilus NCFM showed larger numbers of viable cells and faster acidifying rates, as well as excellent antioxidant capacity and abundant free amino acids.  The stimulative effects of TE on probiotics can be considered for industrial purposes and has practical implications for commercial applications.

Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng: Botanical, Phytochemical, Pharmacological and Nutritional Significance

Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng. is a perennial herb belonging to the family Lamiaceae which occurs naturally throughout the tropics and warm regions of Africa, Asia and Australia. This herb has therapeutic and nutritional properties attributed to its natural phytochemical compounds which are highly valued in the pharmaceutical industry. Besides, it has horticultural properties due to its aromatic nature and essential oil producing capability. It is widely used in folk medicine to treat conditions like cold, asthma, constipation, headache, cough, fever and skin diseases. The leaves of the plant are often eaten raw or used as flavoring agents, or incorporated as ingredients in the preparation of traditional food. The literature survey revealed the occurrence 76 volatiles and 30 non-volatile compounds belonging to different classes of phytochemicals such as monoterpenoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, phenolics, flavonoids, esters, alcohols and aldehydes. Studies have cited numerous pharmacological properties including antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antitumor, wound healing, anti-epileptic, larvicidal, antioxidant and analgesic activities. Also, it has been found to be effective against respiratory, cardiovascular, oral, skin, digestive and urinary diseases. Yet, scientific validation of many other traditional uses would be appreciated, mainly to discover and authenticate novel bioactive compounds from this herb. This review article provides comprehensive information on the botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and nutritional importance of P. amboinicus essential oil and its various solvent extracts. This article allows researchers to further explore the further potential of this multi-utility herb for various biomedical applications.