Toxicity profiling and antioxidant activity of ethyl acetate extract of leaves of Premna integrifolia L. for its application as protective agent against xenobiotics

Crude extract of Ruellia tuberosa L. flower induces intracellular ROS, promotes DNA damage and apoptosis in triple negative breast cancer cells

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ruellia tuberosa L. (Acanthaceae) is a weed plant traditionally used in folklore medicine as a diuretic, anti-hypertensive, anti-pyretic, anti-cancerous, anti-diabetic, analgesic, and gastroprotective agent. It has been previously reported that R. tuberosa L. is enriched with various flavonoids, exhibiting significant cytotoxic potential in various cancer models but a detailed study concerning its molecular mechanism is yet to be explored.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Exploring and validating R. tuberosa L. flower methanolic extract (RTME) as an anti-cancerous agent as per traditional usage with special emphasis on multi-drug resistant human triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and investigating the possible signaling networks and regulatory pathways involved in it.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, RTME was prepared using methanol, and phytochemical analysis was performed through GC-MS. Then, the extract was tested for its anti-cancer potential through in-vitro cytotoxicity assay, clonogenic assay, wound healing assay, ROS generation assay, cell cycle arrest, apoptotic nuclear morphology study, cellular apoptosis study, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) alteration study, protein, and gene expressions alteration study. In addition, toxicological status was evaluated in female Balb/C mice, and to check the receptor-ligand interactions, in-silico molecular docking was also conducted.

RESULTS

Several phytochemicals were found within RTME through GC-MS, which have been already reported to act as ROS inductive, DNA damaging, cell cycle arresting, and apoptotic agents against cancer cells. Moreover, RTME was found to exhibit significant in-vitro cytotoxicity along with a reduction in colony formation, and inhibition of cell migratory potential. It also induced intracellular ROS, promoted G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, caused mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) alteration, and promoted cell death. The Western blot and qRT-PCR data revealed that RTME promoted the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Furthermore, blood parameters and organ histology on female Balb/C mice disclosed the non-toxic nature of RTME. Finally, an in-silico molecular docking study displayed that the three identified lead phytochemicals in RTME show strong receptor-ligand interactions with the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and give a clue to the possible molecular mechanism of the RTME extract.

CONCLUSIONS

RTME is a potential source of several phytochemicals that have promising therapeutic potential against TNBC cells, and thus could further be utilized for anti-cancer drug development.

In silico, in vitro, and in vivo acute and sub-acute toxicity profiling of whole plant methanol extract of Equisetum diffusum D. Don from the sub-Himalayan West Bengal, India, having ethnobotanical uses

BACKGROUND

Equisetum diffusum D. Don commonly known as 'Himalayan horsetail', has been traditionally used in the treatment of back pain, bone fracture and dislocation, and arthritis by various tribal communities of India. Our previous study confirmed the anti-inflammatory efficacy of the plant through in silico, in vitro, and in vivo model studies. Therefore, the current research is focused on safety dose evaluation for the first-time of the whole-plant methanol extract (EDME) of E. diffusum through appropriate in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approaches.

METHOD

The whole plant, along with its rhizomes, was collected, and the methanol extract was prepared. The in silico ADMET study was performed to predict the pharmacokinetics profile and toxicity of all the identified phyto-compounds of EDME previously screened by GC-MS study. In vitro cytotoxicity study of EDME was performed using two cell lines: kidney (HEK293) and liver (Huh7) cell lines. The in vivo toxicity study of EDME was validated by the acute toxicity (OECD 423, 2002) and sub-acute toxicity assays (OECD 407, 2008) in the Wistar Albino rat model.

RESULTS

The in silico ADMET study of all 47 bioactives predicted good pharmacokinetic and low toxicity profiles. In vitro cytotoxicity showed higher IC50 values of EDME viz., 672 ± 15.7 μg/mL and 1698 ± 6.54 μg/mL for both kidney (HEK293) and liver (Huh7) cell lines, respectively, which were considered as low-toxic. Based on acute oral toxicity, the LD50 value of the extract was considered "non-toxic" up to a feeding range of 2000 mg/kg of body weight. The regular consumption of the extract for an extended period (28 days) was also qualified as safe based on the body and organ weight, hematological, biochemical, and histoarchitecture results in the sub-acute toxicity assay.

CONCLUSION

The detailed in silico, in vitro, in vivo (acute and sub-acute oral toxicity) studies gave us a new insight to the safety dose evaluation of Equisetum diffusum, which may serve as a reliable documentation for undertaking the experimental validation of the ethnobotanical uses of the plant which would help in the field of drug development for the treatment of inflammation related complications.

Phytochemical Profiling, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Potentials of Ethanol and Ethyl Acetate Extracts of Chamaenerion latifolium L

The study investigates the phytochemical profile, antioxidant capacity, and antimicrobial activities of ethanol (ChL-EtOH) and ethyl acetate (ChL-EtOAc) extracts from Chamaenerion latifolium L. (ChL) harvested in Kazakhstan. The ChL-EtOH extract exhibited higher total phenolic (267.48 ± 3.44 mg GAE/g DE) and flavonoid content (24.18 ± 1.06 mg QE/g DE) compared to ChL-EtOAc. HPLC-UV-ESI/MS identified key phenolic acids and flavonoids, including gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and quercetin 3-glucoside. FT-IR analysis confirmed the presence of characteristic functional groups. Antioxidant assays revealed strong DPPH scavenging and FRAP activities, with ChL-EtOH showing superior results (IC50 = 21.31 ± 0.65 μg/mL and 18.13 ± 0.15 μg/mL, respectively). Additionally, ChL-EtOH displayed notable antimicrobial efficacy against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as the fungal strain Candida albicans. These findings suggest that ethanol extraction is more efficient for isolating bioactive compounds from ChL, underscoring its potential for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.

Acute toxicity of aqueous extract of Ambrosia arborescens Mill. on biochemical and histopathological parameters in rats

Medicinal plants play an important role in the management of various diseases, so their use has become widespread. However, in some cases the population uses plant species regardless of the toxicity they may possess. The objective of this study was to evaluate the acute toxicity of aqueous extract from the leaves of Ambrosia arborescens Mill. on the biochemical and histopathological parameters of albino Holtzman rats. To do this, the leaves of A. arborescens were collected in the province of Julcan, La Libertad Region-Peru. OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) guideline 423 was conducted, forming experimental groups of 10 animals each one (5 males and 5 females): Group I (Control), which received 2 mL physiological saline solution (SSF 0.9%), Groups II and III (A. arborescens-300 and A. arborescens-2000), which were given the aqueous extract leaves of A. arborescens in a single dose of 300 and 2000 mg/kg/day, respectively. On the 14th day of exposure, biochemical (creatinine, ALT and AST) and histopathological parameters were measured. The results show that the aqueous extract of A. arborescens at the dose of 2000 mg/kg produces an increase in biochemical parameters which is related to histopathological analysis of liver and renal tissue with mild congestion. The study concludes that the aqueous extract leaves of A. arborescens has a LD50 greater than 2000 mg/kg and produces mild congestion in kidneys and liver, but showed no significant toxicological changes in the other albino Holtzman rats organs.