Consortia of bioactives in supercritical carbon dioxide extracts of mustard and small cardamom seeds lower serum cholesterol levels in rats: new leads for hypocholesterolaemic supplements from spices

A Novel spice-antioxidant-based nano-vehicle as a putative green alternative of synthetic AChE inhibitor drugs

The present treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves well known synthetic acetylcholine esterase (AChE) inhibitor drugs which besides having short duration of action also have deleterious impact on human health. Therefore, there is a need for natural plant-based biomolecule(s) with potential AChE inhibition activity (ies). The aim of the work is to design a spice-based nano-vehicle as a novel green alternative of synthetic AD drugs by nanoencapsulating a solvent-less supercritical CO2 extract of small cardamom seeds (SCE) having a synergistic consortium of five antioxidant molecules, using polyethylene glycol and emulsifiers, selected based on Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity (ADMET) analyses. Ellman's assay and enzyme inhibition kinetics of the antioxidant molecules as well as the extract and its nanoliposomal formulation (SCE-NL) were performed, followed by rigorous molecular docking and dynamics studies using MM-PBSA and umbrella sampling. The antioxidants exhibited significant AChE inhibition in vitro, individually with 1, 8-cineole having the least IC50 value of 65.53 ± 0.05 µg/mL. . Although SCE-NL had higher IC50 value (575.67 ± 0.5 µg/mL) vis-à-vis that of rivastigmine (67.52 ± 0.02 µg/mL), it is safer for usage being 'green'.The Lineweaver-Burk plots (Vmax ∼1.04 mM/min) revealed competitive mode(s) of inhibition of AChE with each of these antioxidants. Binding energy analyses suggested very good binding free energies and stable docking/binding complexes (between the antioxidants and AChE). This study has delivered a nanoliposomal vehicle of food antioxidants as a putative 'green' alternative of synthetic AChE inhibitor drugs.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Recent advances in the extraction, chemical composition, therapeutic potential, and delivery of cardamom phytochemicals

Dietary phytochemicals including plant-derived alkaloids, carotenoids, organosulfur compounds, phenolics, and phytosterols, are health-promoting bioactive compounds that help in the prevention and mitigation of chronic diseases and microbial infections beyond basic nutrition supply. This article covers recent advances in the extraction, chemical composition, therapeutic potential (nutraceutical and antimicrobial), and delivery of black and green cardamom-derived phytochemicals. In recent years, advance extraction techniques (e.g., enzyme- assisted-, instant controlled pressure drop-, microwave- assisted-, pressurized liquid-, sub- critical-, supercritical fluid-, and ultrasound-assisted extractions) have been applied to obtain phytochemicals from cardamom. The bioactive constituents identification techniques, specifically GC-MS analysis revealed that 1,8-cineole and α-terpinyl acetate were the principle bioactive components in black and green cardamom. Regarding therapeutic potential, research findings have indicated desirable health properties of cardamom phytochemicals, including antioxidant-, anti-hypercholesterolemic, anti-platelet aggregation, anti-hypertensive, and gastro-protective effects. Moreover, antimicrobial investigations revealed that cardamom phytochemicals effectively inhibited growth of pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria and fungi), biofilm formation inhibition (Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria) and bacterial quorum sensing inhibition. Encapsulation and delivery vehicles, including microcapsules, nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, and nanoliposomes were effective strategies to enhance their stability, bioavailability and bioefficacy. In conclusion, cardamom phytochemicals had promising therapeutic potentials (antioxidant and antimicrobial) due to polyphenols, thus could be used as functional additive to increase shelf life, inhibit oxidative rancidity and confer pleasant aroma to commercial edibles as well as mitigate oxidative stress and lifestyle related chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases). A future perspective concerning the fabrication of functional foods, nutraceuticals and antibiotics to promote cardamom phytochemicals applications as biotherapeutic agents at large-scale requires thorough investigations, e.g., optimum dose and physical form of supplementation to obtain maximum health benefits.

Brassica Genus Seeds: A Review on Phytochemical Screening and Pharmacological Properties

Traditionally, Brassica species are widely used in traditional medicine, human food, and animal feed. Recently, special attention has been dedicated to Brassica seeds as source of health-promoting phytochemicals. This review provides a summary of recent research on the Brassica seed phytochemistry, bioactivity, dietary importance, and toxicity by screening the major online scientific database sources and papers published in recent decades by Elsevier, Springer, and John Wiley. The search was conducted covering the period from January 1964 to July 2022. Phytochemically, polyphenols, glucosinolates, and their degradation products were the predominant secondary metabolites in seeds. Different extracts and their purified constituents from seeds of Brassica species have been found to possess a wide range of biological properties including antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective activities. These valuable functional properties of Brassica seeds are related to their richness in active compounds responsible for the prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and COVID-19. Currently, the potential properties of Brassica seeds and their components are the main focus of research, but their toxicity and health risks must also be accounted for.

Modified Release of the Pineal Hormone Melatonin from Matrix Tablets Containing Poly(L-lactic Acid) and Its PLA-co-PEAd and PLA-co-PBAd Copolymers

In terms of drug delivery, the attractive properties of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) and its aliphatic polyesters, poly(ethylene adipate) (PEAd) and poly(butylene adipate) (PBAd), render them ideal co-formulants for the preparation of modified-release pharmaceutical formulations. Furthermore, we have previously demonstrated that by adding a “softer” aliphatic polyester onto the macromolecular chain of PLA, i.e., PEAd or PBAd, resulting in the formation of the PLA’s copolymers (PLA-co-PEAd and PLA-co-PBAd, in 95/5, 90/10, 75/25 and 50/50 weight ratios), the hydrolysis rate is also severely affected, leading to improved dissolution rates of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). In the present report, we communicate our findings on the in vitro modified release of the chronobiotic hormone melatonin (MLT), in aqueous media (pH 1.2 and 6.8), from poly(L-lactic acid) and the aforementioned copolymer matrix tablets, enriched with commonly used biopolymers, such as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC K15), lactose monohydrate, and sodium alginate. It was found that, depending on the composition and the relevant content of these excipients in the matrix tablets, the release of MLT satisfied the sought targets for fast sleep onset and sleep maintenance. These findings constitute a useful background for pursuing relevant in vivo studies on melatonin in the future.

Polyphenol extract and essential oil of Amomum tsao-ko equally alleviate hypercholesterolemia and modulate gut microbiota

This study explored the effects of polyphenol extract (TKP) and essential oil (TKO) from Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemaire (tsao-ko) on plasma total cholesterol and gut microbiota. Four groups of hamsters (n = 8 each) were fed one of four diets, respectively, namely a high-cholesterol diet (HCD) containing 0.1% cholesterol, a HCD containing 0.5% cholestyramine (PCD), a HCD with daily oral administration of 1000 mg per kg body weight TKP, and a HCD with daily oral administration of 200 mg per kg body weight TKO for 6 weeks. TKP and TKO equally lowered plasma total cholesterol (TC) by 13-18% via increasing the fecal elimination of total acidic sterols by 50-191%. This might be due to up-regulation of liver cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) at both transcriptional and translational levels. At a family level, TKP and TKO diets favorably modified the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, and Desulfovibrionaceae associated with acidic sterols and CYP7A1. It was therefore concluded that TKP and TKO were equally effective in alleviating hypercholesterolemia in hamsters via the interaction between gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism.

In silico interactions of statins with cell death-inducing DNA fragmentation factor-like effector A (CIDEA)

Statins are the low-density lipoproteins (LDL)-cholesterol-lowering drugs of first choice and are used to prevent the increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Although some of their effects are well known, little is known about their ability to regulate other lipid-related proteins which control apoptotic mechanisms. The aim of this study was to explore whether statins can bind to cell death-inducing DNA fragmentation factor-like effector A (CIDEA), which might be a possible pleiotropic mechanism of action of these drugs on the modulation of apoptosis and lipid metabolism. The structures of statins were subjected to molecular docking and dynamics with the human CIDEA protein to investigate the interaction pattern and identify which residues are important. The docking results indicated that atorvastatin and rosuvastatin showed the best interaction energy (-8.51 and -8.04 kcal/mol, respectively) followed by fluvastatin (-7.39), pitavastatin (-6.5), lovastatin (-6.23), pravastatin (-6.04) and simvastatin (-5.29). Atorvastatin and rosuvastatin were further subjected to molecular dynamics at 50 ns with CIDEA and the results suggested that rosuvastatin-CIDEA complex had lower root-mean square deviation and root-mean square fluctuation when compared with atorvastatin-CIDEA. Since two arginine residues -ARG19 and ARG22-were identified to be common for the interaction with CIDEA, a single-point mutation was induced in these residues to determine whether they are important for binding interaction. Mutation of these two residues seemed to affect mostly the interaction of atorvastatin with CIDEA, suggesting that they are important for the binding and therefore indicate another possible metabolic mechanism of the pleiotropic effects of this statin.

Anti-biofilm Potential of Elletaria cardamomum Essential Oil Against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium JSG 1748

Foodborne pathogens, microbial recurrent infections, and antibiotic resistance have driven researchers to explore natural compounds as safe alternative antimicrobials. In this study, the chemical profile, antimicrobial, and mutagenic activities of the Elletaria cardamomum essential oil were investigated. GC-MS analysis identified the major bioactive components as α-terpinyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, linalool acetate, and sabinene, at concentrations of 34.95, 25.30, 8.13, and 5.48% respectively, of the essential oil's content. Regarding antimicrobial activity, the minimum inhibitory concentration of green cardamom essential oil was 1% against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 14213. Green cardamom essential oil, when used at concentrations of 0.015, 0.031, 0.062, and 0.125% (v/v) prevented biofilm formation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 by 64.29, 65.98, 70.41, and 85.59%, respectively. Furthermore, these concentrations inhibited 6.13, 45.50, 49.45, and 100%, respectively, of the Salmonella Typhimurium JSG 1748 biofilm. A mutagenicity assay confirmed that green cardamom essential oil has no demonstrable mutagenic activity against the tested strains. The study's findings suggest that green cardamom derived bioactive compounds are safe organic antimicrobials, effective in controlling biofilm formation by Gram-negative pathogens. Moreover, such compounds could possibly be used in the food industry (e.g., bakery, dairy, meat, and other food products) as a safe alternative to chemical preservatives (antimicrobials) to enhance shelf life by improving the antimicrobial status while at the same time imparting a pleasant and appealing aroma for consumers.

Supercritical carbon dioxide extracts of small cardamom and yellow mustard seeds have fasting hypoglycaemic effects: diabetic rat, predictive iHOMA2 models and molecular docking study

In the present investigation, the supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extracts of small cardamom (SC) and yellow mustard (YM) seeds have been investigated for their efficacies in combating type 2 diabetes in streptozotocin-induced Wistar albino rats. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels in the rats were monitored on days 8, 15 and 21. On day 15, FBG level reduced appreciably by 31·49 % in rats treated with SC seed extract and by 32·28 % in rats treated with YM seed extract, comparable to metformin (30·70 %) and BGR-34 (a commercial polyherbal drug) (31·81 %) administered rats. Either extract exhibited desirable effects on hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and catalase activities in controlling diabetes. A molecular docking exercise was conducted to identify specific compounds in the extracts which possessed augmenting effect on G6PD. The results revealed that all the bioactive compounds in the extracts have binding affinities with the enzyme and contributed to the antidiabetic efficacies of the extracts as G6PD augmenters. The effects of the extracts on insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake were investigated using non-invasive modelling by iHOMA2 software. This in vitro approach indicated that extract administration resulted in increased both insulin sensitivity of the liver and glucose uptake in the gut. The findings of the present study attest these SC-CO2 extracts of the spices as safe alternatives of metformin and BGR-34 in combating type 2 diabetes and could be safely subjected to clinical studies. These extracts could also be employed in designing proactive food supplements in mitigating the metabolic disorder.

Black cardamom essential oil prevents Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium JSG 1748 biofilm formation through inhibition of quorum sensing

This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition, using GC-MS, and anti-biofilm potential of black cardamom essential oil (BCEO) against biofilms of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium JSG 1748 through inhibition of bacterial quorum sensing. GC-MS quantification demonstrated that BCEO contains 1,8-cineole (44.24%), α-terpinyl acetate (12.25%), nerolidol (6.03%), and sabinene (5.96%) as the major bioactive compounds. Antioxidant assays for BCEO revealed the total phenolic and flavonoid mean values were 1325.03 ± 7.69 mg GAE 100/g and 168.25 ± 5.26 mg CE/g, respectively. In regards to antimicrobial potential, Candida albicans was the most sensitive species compared to Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, and Salmonella Typhimurium with the following zones of inhibition; 14.4 ± 0.52, 13.2 ± 0.42, 11.2 ± 0.28, 11.0 ± 0.52, 8.2 ± 0.24 and 6.6 ± 0.18 mm in diameter, respectively. Biofilm inhibition by BCEO was concentration-dependent, when various concentrations of 0.03, 0.06, 0.12, 0.25 and 0.5% were applied, 33.67, 34.14, 38.66, 46.65 and 50.17% of Salmonella Typhimurium biofilm was inhibited, while 47.31, 54.15, 76.57, 83.36 and 84.63% of Escherichia coli biofilm formation was prevented. Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12,472 and its product violacein, was used as a microbial indicator for enhancement or inhibition of quorum sensing. Our data showed that 0.5% of BCEO inhibited violacein production without influencing the growth of Chromobacterium violaceum, while 1% of BCEO, caused 100% inhibtion of violacein production together with 30% inhibition of growth. This study shows that BCEO possesses promising antioxidant and antimicrobial potential, and found anti-biofilm activities linked to the quenching of the quorum sensing system of E. coli and S. Typhimurium.

Recent advances of green pretreatment techniques for quality control of natural products

A few advancing technologies for natural product analysis have been widely proposed, which focus on decreasing energy consumption and developing an environmentally sustainable manner. These green sample pretreatment and analysis methods following the green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) criteria have the advantage of improving the strategy of chemical analyses, promoting sustainable development to analytical laboratories, and reducing the negative effects of analysis experiments on the environment. A few minimized extraction methodologies have been proposed for replacing the traditional methods in the quality evaluation of natural products, mainly including solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and liquid phase microextraction (LPME). These procedures not only have no need for large numbers of samples and toxic reagent, but also spend a small amount of extraction and analytical time. This overview aims to list out the main green strategies on the application of quality evaluation and control for natural products in the past 3 years.

Ultrasonication-assisted extraction of a phytomelatonin-rich, erucic acid-lean nutraceutical supplement from mustard seeds: an antioxidant synergy in the extract by reductionism

Phytomelatonin-rich (194.02 ± 2.45-205.80 ± 1.67 ng/g of dry mustard seeds) and erucic acid-lean (below 2%) extracts from an oilseed crop, (yellow and black mustard seeds) have been successfully obtained by ultrasonication-assisted-extraction in ethanol-water. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrum analyses have confirmed the presence of phytomelatonin along with tocopherol, ascorbic acid, limonene and linalool in the extract. Field emission scanning electron micrographs confirmed the cavitational effects of sonication on mustard seed matrices. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy established the strong antioxidant activities (72.25-75.49%) of the extracts foregoing erroneous spectrophotometric result of pan assay interference compounds. A synergistic effect value of 1.13 (greater than unity) confirmed synergistic co-existence of the antioxidants in the extract. This study interestingly revealed that an antioxidant synergy could be obtained by classical reductionism. Acute oral toxicity of the extracts were found to be greater than 5000 mg/kg body weight of rats. The extracts are perfectly safe to be utilized as antioxidative food supplements.