Increased anti-inflammatory activity and enhanced phytochemical concentrations in superfine powders obtained by controlled differential sieving process from four medicinal plants

Anti-inflammatory effect of Rosa canina, Salix alba, Scrophularia nodosa and Hedera helix were studied in LPS-stimulated primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from mice (n=18) by comparing homogeneous powders of small microparticles (50-100 μm, 100-180 μm and 180-315 μm) obtained from plants via a controlled differential sieving process (CDSp) versus total plant materials obtained via hydroethanolic (HE) extraction. Further, phytochemical composition of the fine powders and HE extracts was determined by LC-PDA-ESI/MS analyses. Results showed that a one-hour pretreatment of PBMCs with fine powders, particularly those with superfine particle sizes (i.e. 50-100 μm and 100-180 μm), significantly inhibited TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6 and NO production in LPS-stimulated PBMCs, by at least ca. 20% more than HE extracts (all, p<0.05). For each of the plants studied, their superfine powdered fractions were more concentrated in phenolic contents than their HE extracts. Overall, our results further confirm CDSp, as an environmentally friendly method, for improving the concentration of bioactive compounds as well as their biological activities.

Chronic depression-like phenotype in male offspring mice following perinatal exposure to naturally contaminated eels with a mixture of organic and inorganic pollutants

Previously, we demonstrated that maternal exposure to high, intermediate, or lowly contaminated European eels with a mixture of chemicals, during pregnancy and lactation, resulted in adult despair-like behavior, selectively in male offspring mice. Here, we investigate if depression-like behavior in offspring males was transient or permanent by monitoring immobility behavior, a measure of behavioral despair, at three distinct stages of life, including young adult (post-natal day (PND) 55), mature adult (PND 200) and middle (PNDs 335-336) age, in the forced swimming (FST) and the tail suspension (TST) tests. Oxidative stress markers including malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were evaluated in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum of middle-aged animals. Findings showed a significant enhancement of immobility behavior in the TST performed at young adult age (all p < 0.05) in the FST carried out at mature adult age (all p < 0.001) and in both behavioral tests realized at middle age (all p < 0.05, except one p = 0.06) in mice perinatally exposed to eels compared with non-exposed controls. Antioxidant-related enzyme activities, including SOD and CAT, were only elevated in the hippocampus of middle-aged males perinatally exposed to the two more polluted eels (all p < 0.05). Further, lipid peroxidation, assessed by MDA levels, was not found to be differentially regulated in the selected areas of middle-aged brains of exposed mice (all p > 0.05). Collectively, this suggested limited oxidative metabolism disturbances in middle-aged brains exposed to eels. In summary, our results highlighted that offspring males perinatally exposed to naturally contaminated reared and river eels with persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals displayed chronic depression-like phenotype. As extrapolation of data to humans should be done with precaution, retrospective and prospective epidemiological studies are needed to clarify this potential relationship, stressed in our animal model, between maternal polluted fish consumption and chronically low mood in offspring.

Chemopreventive effect of α-hederin/carboplatin combination against experimental colon hyperplasia and impact on JNK signaling

Colon cancer is the commonest cancer worldwide. α-Hederin is a monodesmosidic triterpenoid saponin possessing diverse pharmacological activities. The running experiment was designed to test the chemopreventive activity of α-hederin when used as an adjuvant to carboplatin in an experimental model of mouse colon hyperplasia induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH). Fifty male Swiss albino mice were classified into five groups: group (I): saline group, group (II): DMH-induced colon hyperplasia control group, group (III): DMH + carboplatin (5 mg/kg) group, group (IV): DMH + α-hederin (80 mg/kg) group, and group (V): DMH + carboplatin (5 mg/kg)+α-hederin (80 mg/kg) group. Analyzing of colonic tissue indicated that the disease control group showed higher colon levels of phospho-PI3K to total-PI3K, phospho-AKT to total-AKT and cyclin D1 concurrent with lower phospho-JNK/total JNK ratio and caspase 3. However, treatment with α-hederin, in combination with carboplatin, favorably ameliorated phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT/JNK proteins, increased colon caspase 3 and downregulated cyclin D1. Microscopically, α-hederin, in combination with carboplatin, produced the most reduction in the histologic hyperplasia score, enhanced the goblet cell survival in periodic acid Schiff staining and reduced proliferation (Ki-67 immunostaining) in the current colon hyperplasia model. Collectively, the current study highlighted for the first time that using α-hederin as an adjuvant to carboplatin enhanced its chemopreventive activity, improved JNK signaling and increased apoptosis. Hence, further studies are warranted to test α-hederin as a promising candidate with chemotherapeutic agents in treating colon cancer.

Micronutrients and in vivo antioxidant properties of powder fractions and ethanolic extract of Dichrostachys glomerata Forssk. fruits

Dichrostachys glomerata powders were processed by sieve fractionation and ethanolic extraction followed by freeze-drying. The micronutrient contents and the in vivo antioxidant properties of powder fractions in rats' high-fat diet-induced oxidation model were determined. Sieved fractionation was achieved by finely grinding the Dichrostachys fruits and fractionating on a sieve column to retain particle of sizes <180, 180-212, 212-315, and ≥315 µm. Unsieved powder and lyophilized ethanolic extract were used as control. All the powders were examined for the minerals, total carotenoids, and vitamins contents. For in vivo antioxidant properties assessment, the individual powder was dissolved in water and administered to rats at the dose of 250 mg/kg body weight. Oxidation was induced by treating the rat with high-fat diet, and the measured parameters were malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities. The results showed a significant influence (p < .05) of particle size on the micronutrient contents and in vivo antioxidant properties. The smaller the particle size of the powder fractions, the higher the minerals, vitamins, total carotenoids contents, and antioxidant properties. Comparatively, the ethanolic powder had the highest carotenoids content, while the powders of particle size <180 µm and 180-212 µm had the highest minerals and vitamin contents. The highest antioxidant properties were characterized by high superoxide dismutase, catalase activities, and low malondialdehyde production. The grinding of Dichrostachys fruit followed by controlled differential sieving process may compete with ethanol extraction for an efficient concentration of bioactive compounds and micronutrients except carotenoids.