Anti-inflammatory isoflavonoids from the rhizomes of Iris germanica

Insights into bioactive constituents of onion (Allium cepa L.) waste: a comparative metabolomics study enhanced by chemometric tools

BACKGROUND

Onion waste was reported to be a valuable source of bioactive constituents with potential health-promoting benefits. This sparked a surge of interest among scientists for its valorization. This study aims to investigate the chemical profiles of peel and root extracts of four onion cultivars (red, copper-yellow, golden yellow and white onions) and evaluate their erectogenic and anti-inflammatory potentials.

METHODS

UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS analysis and chemometric tools were utilized to determine the chemical profiles of onion peel and root extracts. The erectogenic potential of the extracts was evaluated using the PDE-5 inhibitory assay, while their anti-inflammatory activity was determined by identifying their downregulating effect on the gene expression of IL-6, IL-1β, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in LPS-stimulated WBCs.

RESULTS

A total of 103 metabolites of diverse chemical classes were identified, with the most abundant being flavonoids. The organ's influence on the chemical profiles of the samples outweighed the influence of the cultivar, as evidenced by the close clustering of samples from the same organ compared to the distinct separation of root and peel samples from the same cultivar. Furthermore, the tested extracts demonstrated promising PDE-5 and anti-inflammatory potentials and effectively suppressed the upregulation of pro-inflammatory markers in LPS-stimulated WBCs. The anti-inflammatory activities exerted by peel samples surpassed those of root samples, highlighting the importance of selecting the appropriate organ to maximize activity. The main metabolites correlated with PDE-5 inhibition were cyanidin 3-O-(malonyl-acetyl)-glucoside and quercetin dimer hexoside, while those correlated with IL-1β inhibition were γ-glutamyl-methionine sulfoxide, γ-glutamyl glutamine, sativanone, and stearic acid. Taxifolin, 3'-hydroxymelanettin, and oleic acid were highly correlated with IL-6 downregulation, while quercetin 4'-O-glucoside, isorhamnetin 4'-O-glucoside, and p-coumaroyl glycolic acid showed the highest correlation to IFN-γ and TNF-α inhibition.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a fresh perspective on onion waste as a valuable source of bioactive constituents that could serve as the cornerstone for developing new, effective anti-PDE-5 and anti-inflammatory drug candidates.

Bio-mordants: a review

Due to the increasing pressure on environmentally friendly approaches and sustainable production processes, the textile dyeing industry has focused on natural colorants. Thus, the use of bio-mordants, which are biological materials, has become widespread as an alternative to metal salts, most of which are non-ecological, used in the application processes of natural colorants. In natural dyeing, dyers want to use mordant substances in the dyeing processes in order to both expand the color spectrum and improve the fastness properties. Conventional metal salts used in natural dyeing are made up of metallic ions, which, when released into the environment as wastewater effluent at the end of the dyeing process, cause major damage to the ecosystem. Many researchers have thought about using mordants derived from natural sources to address the environmental problem. This article is a review of the investigation of natural mordants used instead of metallic mordants in the process of coloring various textile materials with natural dyestuff sources. It has been determined that many substances, most of them herbal materials, are used as mordants. In this review, mordants, except for conventional metal salts, are examined under three main groups for a better understanding. These groups are as follows: (i) natural or bio-mordants, (ii) oil mordants, and (iii) new-generation and non-vegetable-based mordants. Here, researchers will find an overview of the most recent developments in green mordants as well as application techniques for a variety of mordants.

Application of Quality by Design Approach to the Pharmaceutical Development of Anticancer Crude Extracts of Crocus sativus Perianth

The application of the Quality by Design (QbD) concept to extracts obtained from Crocus sativus perianth with potential anticancer activity will ensure the safety, efficiency, and quality control of the entire technological process, as well as determine the critical factors affecting the quality of extracts. Potentially critical points of the production of the plant extracts, including the cultivation and processing of the plant materials, the extraction process, and the choice of solvents, were identified using the Ishikawa diagram and FMEA risk assessment methods as well as the corrective actions proposed. The Herbal Chemical Marker Ranking System (HerbMars) approach was used to justify the Q-markers choice of Crocus, which takes into account bioavailability, pharmacological activity, and the presence of the selected standard. An experimental design (DoE) was used to assess the influence of potentially critical factors on the efficiency of the compound extraction from raw materials with water or ethanol. The presence of 16 compounds in Crocus perianth was determined by HPLC and their quantitative assessment was established. Selected compounds (ferulic acid, mangiferin, crocin, rutin, isoquercitrin) can be used for the quality control of Crocus perianth. In addition, the stigmas from the Volyn region met the requirements of ISO 3632 for saffron as a spice (category I). The cytotoxic activity against melanoma (IGR39) and triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell lines of the hydroethanolic extract of C. sativus perianth was significantly more pronounced than the water extract, probably due to the chemical composition of the constituent components. The results show that the QbD approach is a powerful tool for process development for the production of quality herbal drugs.

The inhibition of inducible nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rat macrophages and in silico studies by flavonoids from Iris spuria L. rhizomes

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Iris is the largest genus in the family Iridaceae. Iris plants are distributed in tropical regions of the world. They are used as ornamentals and traditionally used to treat a variety of ailments.

AIM

This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of flavonoids isolated from Iris spuria L.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The isolated flavonoids (1-4) were identified on the basis of different spectroscopic methods (1D- and 2D-NMR) and co-TLC with authentic samples. The anti-inflammatory effect was tested on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production from rat-isolated peritoneal macrophages. Modeling and docking simulations of the compounds were performed using Molecular Operating Environment software and the crystal structure of the murine inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS).

RESULTS

Four flavonoids (1-4) had been isolated from the rhizomes of Iris spuria L. (Hocka Hoona) for the first time. They were characterized as 5,7,2'-trihydroxy-6-methoxyflavanone (1), tectorigenin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), tectorigenin 4'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), and tectorigenin 4'-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl(1 → 6)-β-D-glucopyranoside] (4). The selective inducible NO synthase inhibitor; aminoguanidine was used as a positive control. The production of nitric oxide (NO) was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner of the isolated compounds along with isoflavonoids (5-9) previously isolated from Iris spuria L. (Calizona). A concentration of 60 μg/ml of all tested compounds showed a significant inhibitory effect compared to media with LPS. Molecular modeling experiments supported the obtained biological data.

CONCLUSION

Our results reveal that flavonoids isolated from I. spuria L. (Hocka Hoona) and I. spuria L. (Calizona) appear to have a potential anti-inflammatory effect via inhibition of iNOS.

Cytotoxic Effect of Iris germanica L. Rhizomes Extract on Human Melanoma Cell Line

Background: Melanoma is the leading cause of 80% of skin cancer worldwide due to its high proliferation rate, metastatic nature, and limited effective therapies. Given the rapid increase in its incidence compared to other skin cancers, new therapeutic agents are needed to control the disease. Scientists are interested in medicinal plants due to their anticancer properties. The rhizomes of the Iris germanica L., known as “Irsa”, is one of the herbs used in traditional Persian medicine for the treatment of various skin cancers. Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the cytotoxic effects of Iris germanica on A375 melanoma and AGO-1522 normal human fibroblast cell lines for the first time. Methods: The ethanolic extract was prepared by the maceration method. Cell viability and cytotoxic activities were assessed through 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and flow cytometric assay, using annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining. Results: IC50 values were estimated for the A375 melanoma and the AGO-1522 normal cell lines. We revealed that the IC50 for the A375 melanoma was 0.0438 mg/mL and for the AGO-1522 normal cell line was 0.8494 mg/mL after 48 hours of treatment. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis illustrated that 0.125 mg/mL of the Iris germanica extract could lead to 55.24% apoptosis of the A375 melanoma cell line. The same concentration of the Iris germanica extracts only lead to 8.76% apoptosis in the AGO-1522 cell line. Conclusions: Iris germanica extract has considerable cytotoxic effects on the human melanoma cell line. Further studies are required to demonstrate the therapeutic effects of Iris germanica on melanoma cancer.

Phytochemistry and Biological Activities of Iris Species Growing in Iraqi Kurdistan and Phenolic Constituents of the Traditional Plant Iris postii

A dozen Iris species (Iridaceae) are considered traditional remedies in Kurdistan, especially for treating inflammations. Phytochemical studies are still scarce. The information reported in the literature about Iris species growing in Kurdistan has been summarized in the first part of this paper, although, except for Iris persica, investigations have been performed on vegetal samples collected in countries different from Kurdistan. In the second part of the work, we have investigated, for the first time, the contents of the methanolic extracts of Iris postii aerial parts and rhizomes that were collected in Kurdistan. Both extracts exhibited a significant dose-dependent free radical scavenging and total antioxidant activities, comparable to those of ascorbic acid. Medium-pressure liquid chromatographic separations of the two extracts afforded l-tryptophan, androsin, isovitexin, swertisin, and 2″-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl swertisin from the aerial parts, whereas ε-viniferin, trans-resveratrol 3,4′-O-di-β-d-glucopyranoside, and isotectorigenin were isolated from the rhizomes. This is the first finding of the last three metabolites from an Iris species. The various remarkable biological activities of isolated compounds scientifically sustain the traditional use of I. postii as a medicinal plant.

Protective effects of a standardized extract of Iris germanica on pancreas and liver in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Background and purpose:

Previous studies have shown the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and hypolipidemic activities of Iris germanica. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Iris germanica rhizomes on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Experimental approach:

Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four groups including a normal control group, diabetic control group, diabetic groups treated for 4 weeks with 100 and 200 mg/kg/day of the Iris germanica extract (IGE).

Findings/Results:

Induction of diabetes significantly decreased the body weight gain and considerably increased the serum levels of glucose, triglyceride, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Diabetes also diminished the antioxidant capacity of the liver (decrease of thiol groups) and significantly degenerated pancreatic islands. The IGE at both doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg significantly reduced the levels of glucose, triglyceride, AST, ALT, and ALP. Moreover, IGE increased the total antioxidant capacity of the liver and ameliorated pancreatic island morphology. The extract had no significant effect on body weight and BUN level.

Conclusion and implication:

These findings suggest that Iris germanica rhizomes inhibits the progression of hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia and has protective effects against diabetes-induced injury of the liver and pancreas. Therefore, this plant has the potential to be used as a natural product for controlling diabetes.

Flavonoids and Xanthones From the Genus Iris: Phytochemistry, Relationships with Flower Colors and Taxonomy, and Activities and Function

The genus Iris consists of approximately 360 species and is distributed to Eurasia, North Africa, and North America. Belamcanda chinensis was incorporated into the genus Iris by APG III as Iris domestica. Iris species have also been cultivated as ornamentals since ancient times. Many flavonoids are isolated and identified from the flowers, leaves, and rhizomes. So far as we know, 6 anthocyanidins, 13 flavones, 20 flavonols, 20 C-glycosylflavones, 14 flavanones, 11 dihydroflavonols, 6 flavan and proanthocyanidins, and 85 isoflavonoids were reported as aglycones and glycosides. However, chalcones, dihydrochalcones, aurones, biflavonoids, and neoflavonoids are not found in the genus Iris. Fifteen xanthones that are related to flavonoids were also isolated from Iris species. In this review, we describe the flavonoids and xanthones that were isolated and characterized from Iris species. Moreover, their phytochemistry, contribution to the flower colors, relationships with taxonomy, and activities and functions are also discussed.

Antioxidant properties of the Lebanese plant Iris x germanica L. crude extracts and antagonism of chlorpromazine toxicity on Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Iris x germanica L., which belongs to the Iridaceae family, has been reported in the literature for its antioxidant properties in acellular chemical-antioxidant assays. Chlorpromazine (CPZ) is an antipsychotic drug known to cause adverse reactions in humans. Oxidative stress is among the main mechanisms by which CPZ exerts its toxicity in animal cell models as well as in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study we investigated the protective effects of I. germanica L. crude extracts against CPZ toxicity. We demonstrated that methanolic extracts from rhizome (R-M), leaf (L-M) and flower (Fl-M) had potent antioxidant activity by scavenging the free radical DPPH, with half-maximal effective concentrations (EC₅₀) 193, 107, and 174 µg/mL, respectively. R-M, L-M and Fl-M at doses up to 1000 µg/mL, didn't affect yeast cell growth. In addition, we demonstrated for the first time that L-M at 1000 µg/mL and R-M at all tested doses counteracted CPZ toxicity, probably by promoting yeast cell antioxidant agents. The R-M capacity to counteract CPZ toxicity was lost in the yeast strain mutant in catalase-encoding gene (Cta1), while strains mutant in Sod2, Skn7 and Rap1 showed mild or full R-M-induced protective effect against CPZ toxicity. Our results demonstrated that I. germanica L. R-M extract counteracted CPZ toxicity in the yeast cell model. Further studies are planned to isolate the involved bioactive compounds and identify the involved genes and the antioxidant agents.

Discovery of bioactive drug candidates from some Turkish medicinal plants-neuroprotective potential of Iris pseudacorus L

Medicinal plants have an enormous potential for producing bioactive compounds of great benefit to mankind. There is a great scope for new drug candidates based on traditional medicinal plants throughout the world. The number of drugs derived from medicinal plants that are recently introduced into clinical use is increasing. Besides, numerous of standardized herbal extracts were also approved as phytomedicines by the health authorities to be used in phytotherapy. The drug discovery program from nature in our laboratory involves several steps from plant collection, extraction, HTS of the extracts by using in vitro enzyme inhibitory tests, bioassay-guided fractionation through the isolation and structure elucidation of bioactive compounds. Continuing our researches in the field of anticholinesterase activity, neuroprotective potential of Iris pseudacorus L. have presented in this article.

Phytochemical Composition and In Vitro Biological Activity of Iris spp. (Iridaceae): A New Source of Bioactive Constituents for the Inhibition of Oral Bacterial Biofilms

The inhibition and eradication of oral biofilms is increasingly focused on the use of plant extracts as mouthwashes and toothpastes adjuvants. Here, we report on the chemical composition and the antibiofilm activity of 15 methanolic extracts of Iris species against both mono-(Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus) and multi-species oral biofilms (Streptococcus gordonii, Veillonella parvula, Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. nucleatum, and Actinomyces naeslundii). The phytochemical profiles of Iris pallida s.l., Iris versicolor L., Iris lactea Pall., Iris carthaliniae Fomin, and Iris germanica were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution tandem mass spectroscopy (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) analysis, and a total of 180 compounds were identified among Iris species with (iso)flavonoid dominancy. I. pallida, I. versicolor, and I. germanica inhibited both the quorum sensing and adhesion during biofilm formation in a concentration-dependent manner. However, the extracts were less active against maturated biofilms. Of the five tested species, Iris pallida s.l. was the most effective at both inhibiting biofilm formation and disrupting existing biofilms, and the leaf extract exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect compared to the root and rhizome extracts. The cytotoxicity of the extracts was excluded in human fibroblasts. The inhibition of bacterial adhesion significantly correlated with myristic acid content, and quorum sensing inhibition correlated with the 7-β-hydroxystigmast-4-en-3-one content. These findings could be useful for establishing an effective tool for the control of oral biofilms and thus dental diseases.

Dual inhibitors of urease and carbonic anhydrase-II from Iris species

Twenty seven (1–27) known natural organic compounds were isolated for first time from two species of Iris, i.e. loczyi and Iris unguicularis. The structures of these compounds were deduced from the spectral data of NMR, IR, and mass spectrogram. These were evaluated against urease and carbonic anhydrase inhibition studies. For carbonic anhydrase-II inhibition studies, these compounds were evaluated by biochemical mechanism based in vitro bio-assay. Some compounds showed significant inhibition against CA-II enzyme. Compartively, compound (12) showed IC50 value of 17.60 ± 0.08 μM against urease enzyme, while compound (3) was found to be most active against carbonic anhydrase-II, having an IC50 value of 66.27 ± 0.89 μM. Izalpinin (3), 5,7-dihydroxy-2′,6-dimethoxyisoflavone (9), 4′,5,7-trihydroxy-6-methoxyflavanone (16), 4′,5,7-trihydroxy-3′,8-dimethoxyflavanone (20), 8-methoxyeriodictyol (21), and mangiferin (26) were found to be dual inhibitors of both the enyzmes. The most active compounds were docked using Autodock Vina and i-GEMDOCK softwares. The docking and in-vitro results are in agreement which showed secondary interactions with the enzymes. The compounds can serve as therapeutic agents to treat urease and carbonic anhydrase associated disorders.

A novel strategy to evaluate the quality of herbal products based on the chemical profiling, efficacy evaluation and pharmacokinetics

The purpose of this study was to establish a chemical profiling method to compare the chemical composition of herbal products by using extracts of Belamcandae Rhizoma(EBR) extracted with different polarity solvent as an example, and evaluate the quality of EBR based on the analysis of chemical profiling, efficacy evaluation and pharmacokinetics. As seen from the results of chemical profiling, the PCA and PLS-DA score plot indicated that the dots of Belamcandae Rhizoma water extracts were separated from ethanol extracts obviously, which suggested significant differences of chemical profiling existing in the different solvent extracts. The PCA and PLS-DA loading plot illustrated that the main compounds contributing to chemical profiling differences were tectoridin(TD), iristectorin B(IT B), iridin(ID), tectorigenin(TG), irigenin(IG), iristectorigein A(IG A), dichotomitin(DT) and irisflorentin(IF). Furthermore, the results of HPLC analysis demonstrated that the contents of these main compounds in ethanol extracts were significantly higher than that in water extracts (P < 0.01). Both the pharmacological and hematoxylin-eosin staining studies indicated that the ethanol extracts of Belamcandae Rhizoma had a better therapeutic effect than water extracts in oral ulcer model rats (P<0.01). It is suggested that the ethanol extracts were beneficial to the absorption and bioavailability of TG which was one of the most important bioactive compounds of Belamcandae Rhizoma in pharmacokinetic study in rats. This work provided a novel method to optimize the extraction process of EBR and related herbal products. Compared with the conventional chemical fingerprint methodology, the approach proposed above is not only a powerful tool to identify efficacy-related components for the quality evaluation, but also can be used to predict the therapeutic efficacy of herbal products.

Probing the Antiallergic and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Biflavonoids and Dihydroflavonols from Dietes bicolor

Dietes bicolor (Iridaceae) is an ornamental plant used by African local healers to treat diarrhea and dysentery. A new dihydroflavonol, (2R,3R)-3,5,7-trihydroxy-8-methoxyflavanone (1); two known dihydroflavonols, trans-3-hydroxy-5-methoxy-6,7-methylenedioxyflavanone (2) and trans-3-hydroxy-5,7-dimethoxyflavanone (3); the known isoflavone orobol 7,3'-di-O-methyl ether (4); the known biflavones lanaroflavone (5), robustaflavone (6), and amentoflavone (7); and β-sitosterol (8) were isolated from the CH₂Cl₂ fraction of D. bicolor leaves. The extract showed potent activity in antiallergic and anti-inflammatory assays. The structures of the isolates were identified by spectroscopic and spectrometric methods. Compounds 6 and 7 (400 μM) exhibited antiallergic activity by inhibiting antigen-induced β-hexosaminidase release at 45.7% and 46.3%, respectively. Moreover, 6 and 7 exerted anti-inflammatory activity as demonstrated by the inhibition of superoxide anion generation with an IC₅₀ value of 1.0 μM as well as the inhibition of elastase release with IC₅₀ values of 0.45 and 0.75 μM, respectively. The anti-inflammatory activity was further explained by the virtual docking of the isolated compounds to the binding sites in the human neutrophil elastase (HNE) crystal structure using Discovery Studio 2.5. It was concluded that the biflavonoids bind directly to HNE and inhibit its enzymatic activity based on the CDOCKER algorithm. The data provided evidence for the potential use of D. bicolor against certain diseases related to allergy and inflammation.

An Evidence-Based Study on Medicinal Plants for Hemorrhoids in Medieval Persia

Hemorrhoids is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases. There are several therapeutic options associated with some complications. Therefore, researchers look for traditional medicines as a potential resource for introduction of new natural drugs. The current study reports an evidence-based review of herbal remedies for hemorrhoids in traditional Persian medicine. A comprehensive survey about hemorrhoids on the most important manuscripts of traditional Persian medicine was done. Then, scientific data banks were searched for possible related properties of each herb in the conventional medicine. We reported some historical aspects of traditional Persian medicine view on classification, examination, and predisposing factors of hemorrhoids. In addition, we have reported 105 medicinal plants belonging to 51 families. More than half of the reported herbs exhibited anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Although lack of human studies regarding the mentioned herbs is noted, positive results from experimental findings can be considered for new drug discovery supported by traditional and medieval experiences.

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF IRIS GERMANICA L. IN Β-AMYLOID-INDUCED ANIMAL MODEL OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia that is an irretrievable chronic neurodegenerative disease. In the current study, we have examined the therapeutic effects of Iris germanica extract on Amyloid β (Aβ) induced memory impairment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Wistar rats were divided into five groups of 8 per each. Groups were as followed: control group which were normal rats without induction of AD, Aβ group which received Aβ (50 ng/side), iris 100 group which received Aβ + Iris (100 mg/kg), iris 200 group which received Aβ + Iris (200 mg/kg), and iris 400 group which received Aβ + Iris (400 mg/kg). AD was established by intrahippocampal injection of 50 ng/μl/side Aβ1-42. The day after surgery, animals in treatment groups received different doses of the aqueous extract of Iris by gavage for 30 days. Morris water maze test (MWM) was performed to assess the effects of I. germanica on learning and memory of rats with Aβ induced AD.

RESULTS

Data from MWM tests, including escape latency and traveled distance, demonstrated that I. germanica extract could markedly improve spatial memory in comparison to control. Moreover, the plant had a significantly better effect on the performance of AD rats in the probe test.

CONCLUSION

I. germanica extract can successfully reverse spatial learning dysfunction in an experimental model of AD. Further neuro psyco-pharmacological studies are mandatory to reveal the mechanism of action of this natural remedy in the management of AD symptoms.

Isolation of isoflavones from Iris kashmiriana Baker as potential anti proliferative agents targeting NF-kappaB

Cancer is possibly one of the most devastating and complex disease and therefore involves chemotherapy as one of the frontline strategies in its therapy. However, expected toxicity and resistance with chemotherapeutic agents encourage us to use the plant derived natural chemotherapeutic sources at the clinical stage of cancer therapy. In view of this strategy, herein new glycosides and isoflavonoids were isolated from Iris kashmiriana Baker and subjected to structure elucidation followed by their biological evaluation. Isolated compounds and their derivatives were purified by the column chromatography and structural identification was made by a combination of various spectroscopic technique vis. UV, IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, DEPT, 2-D NMR and mass spectrometry coupled with chemical analysis. Furthermore, an in silico library of isolated isoflavones and its analogues were designed. NF-kappaB (transcription factor that facilitates angiogenesis, inflammation, invasion and metastasis) was selected as a target to evaluate the anticancer and antioxidant activity of isoflavones and its analogues. Designed library of isoflavones and analogues were docked into the active site of NF-kappa B and the most active 15 analogues were selected for synthesis. Finally, all compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against various cell lines and antioxidant activity with different methods that demonstrate their anti-cancer and anti-oxidant potential. The cell cycle specificity of the cytotoxicity was further analyzed by corresponding analysis, using flow cytometer. Most of the compounds exhibit moderate activity, whereas the 5,7,8-trihydroxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one, 5,7,8-trihydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one, 5,7,8-triacetoxyoxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one and 6,7-diacetoxyoxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one showed distinct broad-spectrum anticancer activity with IC₅₀ values ranges between 3.8 and 5.6 μg/mL. Cell cycle analysis indicates that these compounds induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase.

Volatile constituents of Dietes bicolor (Iridaceae) and their antimicrobial activity

Volatile oils from the leaves, flowers and rhizomes of Dietes bicolor (Steud.) Sweet ex Klatt (Iridaceae) were analyzed using GLC/FID and GLC/MS. A total of 84 compounds were identified accounting for 94.65, 95.63 and 87.09% in the hydrodistilled oils from flowers, leaves and rhizomes, respectively. Spathulenol (48.44%) represented the major component in the leaf oil, followed by dihydro-edulan I (6.25%), cubenol (6.00%) and τ-cadinol (5.90%). For the flower and rhizome oils, fatty acids, their esters, aliphatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives predominate. The antimicrobial activity of both leaf and flower oils was investigated against four bacteria in addition to four fungi using the micro-broth dilution method. The leaf oil showed a more potent antimicrobial activity as compared to the flower oil against most of the assessed bacteria and fungi, with higher activities against Gram- positive organisms showing MIC values of 115 and 460 μg/ml for Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus pneumonia, respectively. Gram-negative bacteria were generally less susceptible (MIC > 2 mg/ml for both oils against Escherichia coli) and being completely ineffective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A relevant antifungal potency of the leaf oil against Geotrichum candidum and Syncephalastrum racemosum was also observed with MIC values of 115 and 920 μg/ml, respectively.

Phenolic, flavonoid contents, anticholinesterase and antioxidant evaluation of Iris germanica var; florentina

This study was designed to investigate antioxidant and anticholinesterase potential of Iris germanica var; florentina. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory potential of plant samples were investigated by Ellman's assay. Antioxidant activity was performed using DPPH, H2O2 and ABTS free radical scavenging assays. Total phenolics and flavonoids contents were expressed in mg GAE/g dry weight and mg RTE/g, respectively. In AChE inhibition assay, Ig.Fl, Ig.Sp and Ig.Cf fractions exhibited highest activity with IC50 values of < 0.1, 5.64 and 19 μg/mL, respectively. In BChE inhibitory assay, Ig.Fl, Ig.Sp, Ig.Cf and Ig.Cr were most active with IC50 of < 0.1, < 0.1, 31 and 78 μg/mL, respectively. In DPPH assay, Ig.Fl and Ig.Cf exhibited highest inhibition of free radicals, 80.52% (IC50 = 9 μg/mL) and 78.30% (IC50 = 8 μg/mL), respectively. In ABTS assay Ig.Cr, Ig.Cf, Ig.Fl and Ig.Sp exhibited IC50 values of < 0.1, 2, 2 and 3 μg/mL, respectively.

New isoflavones with cytotoxic activity from the rhizomes of Iris germanica L

Two new compounds, 5-methoxy-3',4'-dihydroxy-6,7-methylenedioxy-4H-1-benzo-pyran-4-one(iriskashmirianin A) (1) and 5,3'-dihydroxy-3-(4'-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-6,7-methylenedioxy-4H-1-benzo-pyran-4-one (germanaism H) (2), along with eight known compounds (3-10), were isolated from the rhizomes of Iris germanica L. The cytotoxicities of these compounds were tested using Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma (EAC) cancer cell line by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazoli-umbromide (MTT) and ATP assays. The results showed that these compounds possessed antiproliferative effects on EAC cell line. Among them, compound 1 possessed the best cytotoxic activity with IC50 ± SD of 20.9 ± 2.7 and 4.3 ± 0.9 μM for MTT and ATP assay methods, respectively.

Characterisation and quantification of flavonoids in Iris germanica L. and Iris pallida Lam. resinoids from Morocco

INTRODUCTION

Iris resinoid obtained from Iris germanica or Iris pallida rhizomes is widely used in the perfume industry but its chemical composition has not yet been reported. Nevertheless, very active compounds have been identified in iris rhizomes including iridals and isoflavones.

OBJECTIVE

In this first study concerning iris resinoid composition, flavonoids were qualitatively and quantitatively investigated in I. germanica and I. pallida resinoids.

METHODOLOGY

Resinoids were first fractionated by reverse-phase flash chromatography in order to obtain fractions containing all isoflavones. These fractions were analysed by HPLC-DAD (diode array detector) and the fractions containing isoflavones were analysed by HPLC-QTOF (quadrupole time of flight)-MS. Then, the main isoflavones were isolated and identified by NMR and high-resolution mass spectroscopy (HRMS). Finally, total and individual isoflavones were quantified by HPLC-DAD at 265 nm using an external calibration method with irigenin as the external standard.

RESULTS

Eight isoflavones were identified in both resinoids (irigenin, iristectorigenin A, nigricin, nigricanin, irisflorentin, iriskumaonin methyl ether, irilone, iriflogenin), one isoflavone only was identified in I. germanica resinoid (irisolidone), whereas one isoflavone (8-hydroxyirigenin), one isoflavanone (2,3-dihydroirigenin) and one benzophenone (2,6,4'-trihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone) only were identified in I. pallida resinoid. Isoflavones were quantified in I. germanica and I. pallida resinoids at 180 ± 1.6 mg/g and 120 ± 3.3 mg/g respectively.

CONCLUSION

The study shows that I. germanica and I. pallida resinoids are rich in flavonoids and that these two Iris species can be distinguished by simply analysing the polyphenol fraction.

New constituents from the rhizomes of Egyptian Iris germanica L

Chemical investigation of the methanolic extract of the rhizomes of Iris germanica L. (Iridaceae) afforded two new compounds; irigenin S (7) and iriside A (12), together with ten known compounds: stigmasterol (1), a-irone (2), γ-irone (3), 3-hydroxy-5-methoxyacetophenone (4), irilone (5), irisolidone (6), irigenin (8), stigmasterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (9), irilone 4'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (10) and iridin (11). Their structures were established by UV, IR, 1D (¹H and ¹³C) and 2D (¹H-¹H COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) NMR spectroscopy, in addition to mass spectroscopic data and comparison with literature data. The methanolic extract was evaluated for its antimicrobial activity. Both the methanolic extract and the isolated flavonoids were tested for their anti-inflammatory activity.

Micropropagation of Iris sp

Irises are perennial plants widely used as ornamental garden plants or cut flowers. Some species accumulate secondary metabolites, making them highly valuable to the pharmaceutical and perfume industries. Micropropagation of irises has successfully been accomplished by culturing zygotic embryos, different flower parts, and leaf base tissues as starting explants. Plantlets are regenerated via somatic embryogenesis, organogenesis, or both processes at the same time depending on media composition and plant species. A large number of uniform plants are produced by somatic embryogenesis, however, some species have decreased morphogenetic potential overtime. Shoot cultures obtained by organogenesis can be multiplied for many years. Somatic embryogenic tissue can be reestablished from leaf bases of in vitro-grown shoots. The highest number of plants can be obtained by cell suspension cultures. This chapter describes effective in vitro plant regeneration protocols for Iris species from different types of explants by somatic embryogenesis and/or organogenesis suitable for the mass propagation of ornamental and pharmaceutical irises.

Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase and phenolic contents of four Podocarpus species used in traditional medicine in South Africa

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Species of Podocarpus are used traditionally in their native areas for the treatment of fevers, asthma, coughs, cholera, chest complaints, arthritis, rheumatism, venereal diseases and distemper in dogs.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

To investigate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tyrosinase activities of four Podocarpus species, Podocarpus elongatus, Podocarpus falcatus, Podocarpus henkelii and Podocarpus latifolius, used in traditional medicine in South Africa. Phytochemical analysis to determine the phenolic contents was also carried out.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

DPPH, FRAP and β-carotene-linoleic acid assays were used to determine the antioxidant/radical scavenging activities of these species. Anti-inflammatory activity of these species was assayed against two cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2). Tyrosinase inhibition activity was analysed using the modified dopachrome method with l-DOPA as the substrate. Phenolics were quantitatively determined using spectrophotometric methods.

RESULTS

Stems of Podocarpus latifolius exhibited the lowest EC(50) (0.84 μg/ml) inhibition against DPPH. The percentage antioxidant activity based on the bleaching rate of β-carotene ranged from 96% to 99%. High ferric reducing power was observed in all the extracts. For COX-1, the lowest EC(50) value was exhibited by stem extracts of Podocarpus elongatus (5.02 μg/ml) and leaf extract of Podocarpus latifolius showed the lowest EC(50) against COX-2 (5.13 μg/ml). All extracts inhibited tyrosinase activity in a dose-dependent manner with stem extract of Podocarpus elongatus being the most potent with an EC(50) value of 0.14 mg/ml. The total phenolic content ranged from 2.38 to 6.94 mg of GAE/g dry sample.

CONCLUSION

The significant pharmacological activities observed support the use of these species in traditional medicine and may also be candidates in the search for modern pharmaceuticals in medicine, food and cosmetic industries.

Profiling of isoflavonoids in Iris germanica rhizome extracts by microprobe NMR and HPLC-PDA-MS analysis

Lipophilic and polar extracts of iris rhizomes (Iris germanica) were submitted to a phytochemical profiling by a combination of HPLC-PDA-MS and semi-preparative HPLC/off-line microprobe NMR measurements. A total of 20 compounds were purified in sub-milligram to milligram amounts via two successive chromatographic steps. They were identified as isoflavones, isoflavone glycosides and acetovanillone by analysis of on-line MS and PDA, and off-line NMR data. A new isoflavone glycoside, iriflogenin-4'-O-gentiobioside, was subsequently isolated at preparative scale for full chemical characterization. This study demonstrates the applicability of the HPLC/off-line microprobe NMR approach as a robust means for rapid phytochemical profiling of plant extracts.

Medicinal herbs for the treatment of rheumatic disorders--a survey of European herbals from the 16th and 17th century

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

From the 16th up into the 18th century botanical and medicinal knowledge in Europe was documented and spread in magnificently illustrated herbals. For the most part modern science has neglected this source of knowledge and old remedies have not been systematically evaluated pharmacologically.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Rheumatic disorders and chronic inflammatory and degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system were chosen in an attempt to discuss remedies described in the old herbals in the viewpoint of modern science.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Five of the most important European herbals of the 16th and 17th century were searched for terms related to rheumatic diseases, and plants and recipes described for their treatment. An extensive search of the scientific data banks Medline and SciFinder scholar was done to find recent results concerning the phytochemistry and possible antiphlogistic activities of the plants.

RESULTS

Sixty-three plants were identified in the herbals for this indication. More than half of them have shown in vitro or in vivo antiphlogistic activities.

CONCLUSIONS

European herbals may be a valuable source of information for the selection of plants for focussed screening programmes. Information contained in these herbals should be explored in a systematic manner.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties from the bulbs of Cipura paludosa Aubl

This study examined the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory actions of Cipura paludosa Aubl. in several models of inflammatory pain in mice and rats. The ethanolic extract (EE) from Cipura paludosa (1-300mg/kg) given by i.p. and p.o. routes, 30 or 60min earlier, produced a dose-dependent inhibition of the acetic acid-induced pain and Evans blue leakage in mice with ID(50) values of 2.8 and 17.6mg/kg and 17.2 and 176.1mg/kg, respectively. The EE (10mg/kg, i.p.) also inhibited the allodynia (39+/-6%)- and oedema (97+/-6%)-induced by the intraplantar injection of CFA. In addition, the EE (1-30mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited both mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia induced by prostaglandin E(2), PMA and bradykinin in the rat paw, with ID(50) values of 7.3, 12.1 and 4.7 and 13.9, 18.9 and 1.5mg/kg, respectively. These data demonstrate that EE of Cipura paludosa elicited pronounced antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory actions against some models of inflammatory pain in mice and rats. The mechanism by which the extract produced antinociception still remains unclear, but a great part of this effect seems to be related to modulation of the release or action of pro-inflammatory mediators. Moreover, the antinociceptive action demonstrated in the present study supports, at least partly, the ethnomedical uses of this plant.

Inhibitory effects of Irigenin from the rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis on nitric oxide and prostaglandin E(2) production in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells

In the present study, we investigated antiinflammatory effects of six flavonoids isolated from the rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis (Iridaceae) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. The results indicated that irigenin concentration dependently inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin (PG) E(2) production. Furthermore, this compound inhibited the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 proteins and mRNAs without an appreciable cytotoxic effect. Treatment of the transfectant RAW 264.7 cells with irigenin reduced the level of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity, also effectively lowered NF-kappaB binding measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), which was associated with decreased p65 protein levels in the nucleus. On the basis of the above data, we suggest that the effect of irigenin in decreasing LPS-induced NO and PGE(2) synthesis is due to diminish the mRNA and protein expression of iNOS and COX-2, respectively, also may be due to under the suppression of NF-kappaB activation. Therefore, irigenin isolated from the rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis could be offered as a leading compound for anti-inflammation.

Effects of ethanolic extract of Iris germanica on lipid profile of rats fed on a high-fat diet

Ethanolic extract of Iris germanica rhizomes was investigated for hypolipidemic activity. I. germanica belong to the family Irdaceae and has been used to treat liver and spleen ailments in traditional system of medicine. Two groups of Wistar rats were fed with high-fat diet and ethanolic extract of I. germanica were administered orally in one group of rats, while other received saline for 10 weeks. Complete lipid profiles of experimental animals were determined by assessing serum levels of total lipids, triglycerides, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Results indicate that ethanolic extract of I. germanica significantly lowered the lipid components especially, the cholesterol and triglycerides.

A comparative study on aqueous root extracts of Pueraria thomsonii and Pueraria lobata by antioxidant assay and HPLC fingerprint analysis

The roots of Pueraria thomsonii and Pueraria lobata are officially recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia under the same name Radix Puerariae. However, the aqueous root extract of Pueraria lobata showed more potent antioxidant activity than that of Pueraria thomsonii. A qualitative HPLC method was developed to compare the chemical profiles of Pueraria thomsonii and Pueraria lobata, which revealed four major common peaks (daidzein 1, daidzin 2, puerarin 3 and 5-hydroxypuerarin 4) and two major different peaks (3-hydroxypuerarin 5 and 3'-methoxypuerarin 6) in their chromatograms. Semi-quantitative analysis showed that the contents of 1-3 in Pueraria lobata are about three, three, and five times higher than those of Pueraria thomsonii, respectively. The higher contents of isoflavonoids in Pueraria lobata were inferred to be responsible for its more potent antioxidant activity as compared with that of Pueraria thomsonii. The HPLC method developed in this study and chemical markers 1-6 can be used for the rapid identification and evaluation of Radix Puerariae herbs and their aqueous supplements, and the results of this investigation support the use of Pueraria lobata and Pueraria thomsonii in the clinic application and as dietary supplement, respectively.