Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) ingredients affect lymphocyte subtypes expansion and cytokine profile responses: An in vitro evaluation

Effect of clove buds powder supplementation on hematological profile, biochemical parameters, lymphoid organs, and cell-mediated immunity of broilers

Background

Phytogenic feed additives are products derived from plants used to improve the performance and health of animals. Nowadays, this type of phytogenic feed additive is widely used as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry feed, and clove bud is one of the most effective medicinal herbs that has caught the attention of researchers.

Aim

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding clove bud powder to the broiler chicken's feed on the hematological profile, biochemical parameters, lymphoid organs, and cell-mediated immunity.

Method

A total of 360 unsexed chicks (Ross 308) were allotted to three groups. All chicks were raised under the same normal management conditions from 1 day to 6 weeks of age. The first group was fed a basal diet and the other two groups were assigned to add 0.5% and 1.0% of clove bud powder to the basal diet. The studied traits were total leukocyte counts (TLC), differential leukocyte counts (DLC), blood cholesterol level, blood liver enzymes [aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzymes], the weight of lymphoid organs (bursa of Fabricius and spleen), and cell-mediated immunity.

Results

Despite the significant and varied changes (p ≤ 0.05) that resulted from adding clove buds powder to the broiler feed in the second and third weeks, the results at the end of the experiment indicated that there was no negative effect of adding clove powder on the TLC and DLC, as well as the heterophils/lymphocytes ratio. In addition, feeding on a diet containing clove buds powder had no significant effect on the level of cholesterol and liver enzymes in the blood, except for (ALP), which showed a significant increase (p ≤ 0.01) in comparison to the control group. Moreover, the results showed in the second and fifth weeks a significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in the relative weight of the spleen, but, in general, there were no significant effects at the end of the experiment on the relative weight of the lymphoid organs. Furthermore, the broiler chickens that consumed clove bud powder at a rate of 0.5% showed a highly significant (p ≤ 0.01) cellular immune response.

Conclusion

This study concluded that the addition of clove bud powder had no negative effect on leukocyte counts or differentiated leukocyte counts. The addition also raised the spleen weight and improved the level of blood alkane phosphatase activity and cellular immune response in broiler chickens during the growth stages.

HPLC/MS characterization of Syzygium aromaticum L. and evaluation of its effects on peritoneal adhesion: Investigating the role of inflammatory cytokines, oxidative factors, and fibrosis and angiogenesis biomarkers

The dried flower bud of Syzygium aromaticum L. (S. aromaticum) (Myrtaceae), cloves, have been used for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. Peritoneal adhesion (PA) is the most common complication of abdominal and pelvic surgeries, which causes significant adverse effects and severe economic burden. The present study aimed to evaluate the preventive effect of S. extract (SAE) on PA formation in a rat model. Male Wistar 8-week-old rats were randomly divided into sham, control (received vehicle), and treatment (0.25%, 0.5%, and 1% w/v of SAE) groups. The adhesion and related factors were examined using the Nair scoring system and immunological and biochemical kits for the levels of inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α], growth factors [transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)], oxidative [nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA)], and anti-oxidative [glutathione (GSH)] factors. Our results figured out that the adhesion score and IL-6, TNF-α, TGF-β1, VEGF, NO, and MDA levels were significantly increased, but the GSH level was decreased in the control group compared to the sham group (p < 0.001-0.05). On the other hand, the 0.25% SAE group had a lower adhesion score, and IL-6, TNF-α, TGF-β1, VEGF, NO, and MDA levels were significantly decreased compared with the vehicle group, and the level of GSH was increased (p < 0.001-0.05). SAE could efficiently reduce adhesion score and regulate inflammatory cytokines, oxidative and anti-oxidative factors, and biomarkers of fibrosis and angiogenesis. Therefore, clove extract can be considered a potential candidate for PA management.

Recent advances in nutritional composition, phytochemistry, bioactive, and potential applications of Syzygium aromaticum L. (Myrtaceae)

Syzygium aromaticum is an aromatic plant native to Indonesia, and introduced to tropical regions worldwide. As an ingredient in perfumes, lotions, and food preservation, it is widely used in the food and cosmetic industries. Also, it is used to treat toothache, ulcers, type 2 diabetes, etc. A variety of nutrients such as amino acids, proteins, fatty acids, and vitamins are found in S. aromaticum. In addition to eugenol, isoeugenol, eugenol acetate, β-caryophyllene and α-humulene are the main chemical constituents. The chemical constituents of S. aromaticum exhibit a wide range of bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antitumor, hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory, analgesic, neuroprotective, anti-obesity, antiulcer, etc. This review aims to comprehend the information on its taxonomy and botany, nutritional composition, chemical composition, bioactivities and their mechanisms, toxicity, and potential applications. This review will be a comprehensive scientific resource for those interested in pursuing further research to explore its value in food.

Much More Than a Pleasant Scent: A Review on Essential Oils Supporting the Immune System

The augmenting acceptance and application of herbal medicine in prevention and treatment of diseases also involve the use of plant essential oils (EOs) through different routes of administration (aromatherapy). Scientific data supporting the efficacy of certain herbal products are continuously growing; however, the cumulative evidence is not always sufficient. The anti-inflammatory properties of EOs have been investigated more extensively and also reviewed in different settings, but so far, our review is the first to summarize the immune-supporting properties of EOs. Our aim here is to synthesize the currently available data on the immune function enhancing effects of EOs. An online search was conducted in the PubMed database, which was terminated at the end of July 2019. Other articles were found in the reference lists of the preselected papers. Studies that applied whole EOs with known components, or single EO constituents under in vitro or in vivo laboratory conditions, or in human studies, and de facto measured parameters related to immune function as outcome measures were included. Two specific fields, EO dietary supplementation for livestock and fish, and forest bathing are also explored. Some EOs, particularly eucalyptus and ginger, seem to have immune function enhancing properties in multiple studies.

A time course study of glucose levels and innate immune response in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) after exposure to clove oil-eugenol derived anaesthetic

Clove oil is used as an anaesthetic for many species of fish worldwide; however, relatively few studies have assessed its effects on the innate immune response on these species. The present work aimed to investigate the effects of clove oil-eugenol derived anaesthetic on some humoral and cellular immune response in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.). To compare with an unexposed control group, fish were exposed to 55 ppm clove oil for 5 min, before being sampled at 1, 24 and 48 h post-exposure. Serum glucose level was also measured to obtain information on the fish physiological response after clove oil anaesthesia. One hour after exposure the haemolytic complement activity of fish was lower than in the unexposed group. By contrast, the leucocyte peroxidase activity in head-kidney was significantly stimulated 24 h after exposure to clove oil-eugenol. The rest of innate immune parameters evaluated and the glucose levels not were affected by clove oil exposure at any sampling point. Overall, the use of clove oil at 55 ppm as anaesthetic did not seem to alter the innate immune response and neither did it trigger a stress response. The use of clove oil-eugenol derived had become common practice in aquaculture, and its use with gilthead seabream can be considered safe as it does not cause immunodepression in anesthetized fish.

Selected essential oils inhibit key physiological enzymes and possess intracellular and extracellular antimelanogenic properties in vitro

Essential oils (EOs) extracted from six medicinal herbs and food plants [Cinnamomum zeylanicum (CZ), Psiadia arguta (PA), Psiadia terebinthina (PT), Citrus grandis (CGp), Citrus hystrix (CH), and Citrus reticulata (CR)] were studied for any inhibitory potential against key physiological enzymes involved in diabetes (α-glucosidase), skin aging (collagenase and elastase), and neurodegenerative disorders (acetylcholinesterase). Kinetic studies of the active EOs on the aforementioned enzymes were determined using Lineweaver–Burk plots. The intracellular and extracellular antimelanogenic potential of the EOs were evaluated on B16F10 mouse melanocytes. CH and CR were found to significantly inhibit (2.476 ± 0.13 μg/mL and 3.636 ± 0.10 μg/mL, respectively) acetylcholinesterase, compared with galantamine (3.989 ± 0.16 μg/mL). CH inhibited collagenase (50% inhibitory concentration 28.71 ± 0.16 μg/mL) compared with the control (24.45 ± 0.19 μg/mL). The percentage inhibition in the elastase assay of CH was 63.21% compared to the positive control (75.09%). In addition, CH, CR, CGp, CZ, and PT were found to significantly inhibit α-glucosidase (276.70 ± 0.73 μg/mL, 169.90 ± 0.58 μg/mL, 240.60 ± 6.50 μg/mL, 64.52 ± 0.69 μg/mL, and 313.0 ± 5.0 μg/mL, respectively), compared to acarbose (448.80 ± 0.81 μg/mL). Active EOs showed both uncompetitive and competitive types of inhibition. The EOs also inhibited intracellular (50% inhibitory concentration 15.92 ± 1.06 μg/mL, 23.75 ± 4.47 μg/mL, and 28.99 ± 5.70 μg/mL for CH, CR, and CGp, respectively) and extracellular (< 15.625 μg/mL for CH, CR, CGp, and PT) melanin production when tested against B16F10 mouse melanocytes. Results from the present study tend to show that EOs extracted from these medicinal plants can inhibit key enzymes and may be potential candidates for cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.