Chemistry and Biological Activities ofBerberis lyciumRoyle

Computational Exploration of Berberis lycium Royle: A Hidden Treasure Trove for Antiviral Development

Viral infections and associated illnesses account for approximately 3.5 million global fatalities and public health problems. Medicinal plants, with their wide therapeutic range and minimal side effects, have gained limelight particularly in response to growing concerns about drug resistance and sluggish development of antiviral drugs. This study computationally assessed 11 chemical compounds from Berberis lycium along with two antiviral drugs to inhibit SARS CoV 2 (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP), influenza virus RdRP, and two crucial dengue virus (DENV) enzymes (NS2B/NS3 protease and NS5 polymerase). Berberine and oxyberberine passed all pharmacokinetics analysis filters including Lipinski rule, blood-brain barrier permeant, and cytochrome suppression and demonstrated drug-likeness, bioavailability, and a non-toxic profile. Docking of phytochemicals from B lycium returned promising results with selected viral proteins, ie, DENV NS2BNS3 (punjabine -10.9 kcal/mol), DENV NS5 (punjabine -10.4 kcal/mol), COVID-19 RdRP (oxyacanthine -9.5 kcal/mol), and influenza RdRP (punjabine -10.4 kcal/mol). The optimal pharmacokinetics of berberine exhibited good binding energies with NS2BNS3 (-8.0 kcal/mol), NS5 (-8.3 kcal/mol), COVID RdRP (-7.7 kcal/mol), and influenza RdRP (-8.3 kcal/mol), while molecular dynamics simulation of a 50-ns time scale by GROMACS software package provided insights into the flexibility and stability of the complexes. A hidden treasure trove for antiviral research, berberine, berbamine, berbamunine, oxyberberine, oxyacanthine, baluchistanamine, and sindamine has showed encouraging findings as possible lead compounds. Pharmacological analyses provide credence for the proposed study; nevertheless, as the antiviral mechanisms of action of these phytochemicals are not well understood, additional research and clinical trials are required to demonstrate both their efficacy and toxicity through in vitro and in vivo studies.

Bioassays guided isolation of berberine from Berberis lycium and its neuroprotective role in aluminium chloride induced rat model of Alzheimer's disease combined with insilico molecular docking

OBJECTIVE

Berberis lycium is an indigenous plant of Pakistan that is known for its medicinal properties. In the current study, we investigated the anti-Alzheimer's effect of berberine isolated from Berberis lycium.

METHODS

Root extract of B. lycium was subjected to acetylcholinesterase inhibition assay and column chromatography for bioassays guided isolation of a compound. The neuroprotective and memory improving effects of isolated compound were evaluated by aluminium chloride induced Alzheimer's disease rat model, elevated plus maze (EPM) and Morris water maze (MWM) tests., Levels of dopamine and serotonin in rats brains were determined using HPLC. Moreover, western blot and docking were performed to determine interaction between berberine and β-secretase.

RESULTS

During fractionation, ethyl acetate and methanol (3:7) fraction was collected from solvent mixture of ethyl acetate and methanol. This fraction showed the highest anti-acetylcholinesterase activity and was alkaloid positive. The results of TLC and HPLC analysis indicated the presence of the isolated compound as berberine. Additionally, the confirmation of isolated compound as berberine was carried out using FTIR and NMR analysis. In vivo EPM and MWM tests showed improved memory patterns after berberine treatment in Alzheimer's disease model. The levels of dopamine, serotonin and activity of antioxidant enzymes were significantly (p<0.05) enhanced in brain tissue homogenates of berberine treated group. This was supported by decreased expression of β-secretase in berberine treated rat brain homogenates and good binding affinity of berberine with β-secretase in docking studies. Binding energies for interaction of β-secretase with berberine and drug Rivastigmine is -7.0 kcal/mol and -5.8 kcal/mol respectively representing the strong interactions. The results of docked complex of secretase with berberine and Rivastigmine was carried out using Gromacs which showed significant stability of complex in terms of RMSD and radius of gyration. Overall, the study presents berberine as a potential drug against Alzheimer's disease by providing evidence of its effects in improving memory, neurotransmitter levels and reducing β-secretase expression in the Alzheimer's disease model.

Ethnobotanical and Biochemical Study of Berberis lycium Royle Collected from Different Areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Berberis lycium Royle has a long history of medicinal uses to treat different diseases. It naturally grows on the mountains of Indian subcontinent. Its ethnobotanical and biochemical study from the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) was not previously explored. So, the objective of the current study was to explore the ethnobotanical and biochemical properties of the B. lycium Royle population of AJ&K. For this purpose, samples of B. lycium Royle were randomly collected from five districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including thirty-five locations. Demographic features of informants such as plant part used, methods of preparation, modes of administration, conservation status, and ethnomedicinal uses were documented. It was used for treating different diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, joint pain, and stomach ulcer. This plant is very famous for providing medicinal roots, leaves, and fruits which are extensively used in many parts of the world. The biochemical analysis was conducted for total phenolic contents (TPC), chlorophyll contents, and antioxidant activity. The highest level of TPC found was 88.66 ± 1.07 µg/g of gallic acid equivalent phenolic (GAE) from leaves collected from Patikka (Chanjhal), Muzaffarabad District, AJ&K. The highest total chlorophyll contents (3.75 ± 0.53 µg/ml) were found in samples collected from Sathrian, Neelum District. The highest antioxidant activity with lowest IC50 value (33.26 µg/ml) was obtained from the root of sample collected from Bakreyali, Muzaffarabad District, as compared with other districts. The concentration of berberine was found to be 4.76 percent in the root bark of B. lycium Royle, estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In syrup composition, 0.95 mg/5 ml of berberine was used. Hence, it is concluded that amongst the five districts, the plant parts (stem, fruits, and root) collected from Muzaffarabad District, AJ&K, showed the highest medicinal potential due to its unique climatic conditions.

Berberis lyceum and Fumaria indica: in vitro cytotoxicity, antioxidant activity, and in silico screening of their selected phytochemicals as novel hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 5A inhibitors

Berberis lyceum and Fumaria indica are two Pakistani indigenous herbal medicines used to treat liver infections, including hepatitis C virus (HCV). This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxicity, and antioxidant activity of these plant extracts and computationally screen their selected phytoconstituents as HCV NS5A inhibitors. The viability of HepG2 cells was assessed 24 h and 48 h post-treatment using colorimetric and dye exclusion methods. Antioxidant properties were examined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power, and total antioxidant capacity assays. Seventeen known phytochemicals identified from each plant were docked into the active binding site of HCV NS5A protein. The top hit ligands were analyzed for their druglikeness properties and the indices of absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and toxicity (ADMET). The results showed that both plant extracts were non-toxic (CC₅₀ > 200 µg/ml). The IC₅₀ values of DPPH-radical scavenging activity were 51.02 ± 0.94 and 62.91 ± 1.85 µg/ml for B. lyceum and F. indica, respectively. They also exhibited reducing power and total antioxidant capacity.The phytochemicals were identified as potent HCV NS5A inhibitors with good druglikeness and ADMET properties. Six of the docked phytochemicals exhibited higher binding scores (-17.9 to -19.2 kcal/mol) with HCV NS5A protein than the standard drug, daclatasvir (-17.2 kcal/mol). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation confirmed the stability of two compounds, berbamine and paprafumine at 100 ns with active site of HCV NS5A protein. The identified compounds through molecular docking and MD simulation could have potential as HCV NS5A inhibitor after further validation. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

In Vitro Anticancer Potential of Berberis lycium Royle Extracts against Human Hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) Cells

Human liver cancer has emerged as a serious health concern in the world, associated with poorly available therapies. The Berberis genus contains vital medicinal plants with miraculous healing properties and a wide range of bioactivities. In this study, different crude extracts of B. lycium Royle were prepared and screened against Human Hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cell lines. The water/ethanolic extract of B. lycium Royle (BLE) exhibited significant antiproliferative activity against the HepG2 cancer cell line with an IC₅₀ value of 47 μg/mL. The extract decreased the clonogenic potential of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. It induced apoptotic cell death in HepG2 cells that were confirmed by cytometric analysis and microscopic examination of cellular morphology through DAPI-stained cells. Biochemical evidence of apoptosis came from elevating the intracellular ROS level that was accompanied by the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. The mechanism of apoptosis was further confirmed by gene expression analysis using RT-qPCR that revealed the decline in Bcl-2 independent of p53 mRNA and a rise in CDK1 while downregulating CDK5, CDK9, and CDK10 mRNA levels at 48 h of BLE treatment. The most active fraction was subjected to HPLC which indicated the presence of berberine (48 μg/mL) and benzoic acid (15.8 μg/mL) as major compounds in BLE and a trace amount of luteolin, rutin, and gallic acid. Our study highlighted the importance of the most active BLE extract as an excellent source of nutraceuticals against Human Hepatocarcinoma that can serve as an herbal natural cure against liver cancer.

Rapid determination and optimisation of berberine from Himalayan Berberis lycium by soxhlet apparatus using CCD-RSM and its quality control as a potential candidate for COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 (or COVID-19) has become a global risk and scientists are attempting to investigate antiviral vaccine. Berberis are important plants due to the presence of bioactive phytochemicals, especially berberine from the protoberberine group of benzylisoquinoline and recent studies have shown its potential in treating COVID-19. B. lycium Royle growing in subtropical regions of Asia had wide applications in Indian system of medicine. Rapid determination and novel optimisation method for berberine extraction has been developed by Soxhlet extraction utilising central composite design-response surface methodology (CCD-RSM). Berberine was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the highest yield (13.39%) was obtained by maintaining optimal extraction conditions i.e., extraction time (7.28 hrs), ethyl alcohol (52.21%) and solvent to sample ratio (21.78 v/w). Investigation of two geographic regions (Ramnagar and Srinagar) showed high berberine content in lower altitude. This novel optimisation technique has placed berberine as a potential candidate for developing pharmaceutical products for human health care.

Isolation of Oxyberberine and β-Sitosterol from Berberis lycium Royle Root Bark Extract and In Vitro Cytotoxicity against Liver and Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Berberis lycium Royle has been traditionally used to cure rheumatism, eye and ear diseases, malarial fever, diabetes, stomach disorders, and skin diseases. There is a least amount of data available on cytotoxic capacity of Berberis lycium from Pakistani origin, so on this basis, the present study was aimed to screen Berberis lycium root bark extracts for cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines and isolation of chemical constituents from the most cytotoxic extract. Initial screening of extracts was performed on HepG2 cells at 100 μg/mL for 72 hours of treatment by using an MTT assay. Active fractions were subjected to a series of column chromatographies for the isolation of cytotoxic compounds. Molecular structures were elucidated by using combined data from ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and ESI-MS graphs. Assessment of reduction in cell proliferation by isolated compounds was performed on three human cancer cell lines (SK-Hep-1, HepG2, and NCI-H1299). Both n-hexane and chloroform fractions were found active with percent cell viabilities of 8.41 ± 2.23 and 22.31 ± 9.11 in HepG2 cells compared with lupeol 35.43 ± 3.35 percent viability. A protoberberine alkaloid identified as oxyberberine was isolated from chloroform fraction while β-sitosterol was isolated from n-hexane fraction. Oxyberberine inhibited SK-Hep-1 cell proliferation under a dose-dependent manner with an IC₅₀ value of 34.26 ± 3.34 μM while HepG2 cells showed 50% inhibition at 62.96 ± 4.12 μM. β-Sitosterol showed reduction in cell viability in SK-Hep-1 cells and HepG2 cells with IC₅₀ values of 123.12 ± 3.51 μM and 140 ± 4.21 μM. This is the first report on the isolation of oxyberberine and β-sitosterol from Berberis lycium root bark and their cytotoxic evaluation against SK-Hep-1 and NCI-H1299 cells. The cytotoxic potential of Berberis lycium Royle extracts and isolated compounds is suggesting that it is a promising candidate for anticancer drug discovery.

Copper Oxide Nanomaterials Derived from Zanthoxylum armatum DC. and Berberis lycium Royle Plant Species: Characterization, Assessment of Free Radical Scavenging and Antibacterial Activity

Copper oxide nanomaterials were synthesized by a facile sustainable biological method using two plant species (Zanthoxylum armatum DC. and Berberis lycium Royle). The formation of materials was confirmed by FT-IR, ATR, UV-visible, XRD, TEM, SEM, EDX, TGA and PL. The antibacterial activity was evaluated by agar well diffusion method to ascertain the efficacy of plant species extract and extract derived copper oxide nanomaterials against six Gram-positive bacteria namely Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus pyogenes, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Corynebacterium xerosis, Bacillus cereus and four Gram-negative bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris against the standard drug, Ciprofloxacin for Gram-positive and Gentamicin for Gram-negative bacteria, respectively. In both cases, copper oxide nanomaterials were found to be sensitive in all the bacterial species. Sensitivity of copper oxide nanomaterials shows an be higher as compared to plant species extract against different bacteria. Scavenging activity of plant extracts along with nanomaterials have been accessed using previously reported protocols employing ascorbic acid as standard. Scavenging activity of copper oxide nanomaterials shows an increase with increase in concentration. The biological activity (bactericidal and scavenging efficiency) of plant derived copper oxide nanomaterials revealed that these materials can be used as potent antimicrobial agent and DPPH scavengers in industrial as well as pharmacological fields.

Antibacterial Properties of Medicinal Plants From Pakistan Against Multidrug-Resistant ESKAPE Pathogens

Local people in the Sudhnoti district of Pakistan share a rich practice of traditional medicine for the treatment of a variety of ailments. We selected nine plants from the Sudhnoti ethnopharmacological tradition used for the treatment of infectious and inflammatory disease. Our aim was to evaluate the in vitro anti-infective potential of extracts from these species against multidrug-resistant (MDR) ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) pathogens. Plant specimens were collected in the Sudhnoti district of Pakistan and vouchers deposited in Pakistan and the USA. Dried bulk specimens were ground into a fine powder and extracted by aqueous decoction and maceration in ethanol. Extracts were assessed for growth inhibitory activity against ESKAPE pathogens and biofilm and quorum sensing activity was assessed in Staphylococcus aureus. Cytotoxicity to human cells was assessed via a lactate dehydrogenase assay of treated human keratinocytes (HaCaTs). Four ethanolic extracts (Zanthoxylum armatum, Adiantum capillus-venaris, Artemisia absinthium, and Martynia annua) inhibited the growth of MDR strains of ESKAPE pathogens (IC₅₀: 256 μg mL^-1). All extracts, with the exception of Pyrus pashia and M. annua, exhibited significant quorum quenching in a reporter strain for S. aureus agr I. The ethanolic extract of Z. armatum fruits (Extract 1290) inhibited quorum sensing (IC₅₀ 32-256 μg mL^-1) in S. aureus reporter strains for agr I-III. The quorum quenching activity of extract 1290 was validated by detection of δ-toxin in the bacterial supernatant, with concentrations of 64-256 μg mL^-1 sufficient to yield a significant drop in δ-toxin production. None of the extracts inhibited S. aureus biofilm formation at sub-inhibitory concentrations for growth. All extracts were well tolerated by human keratinocytes (LD₅₀ ≥ 256 μg mL^-1). Chemical analysis of extract 1290 by liquid chromatography-Fourier transform mass spectrometry (LC-FTMS) revealed the presence of 29 compounds, including eight with putative structural matches. In conclusion, five out of the nine selected anti-infective medicinal plants exhibited growth inhibitory activity against at least one MDR ESKAPE pathogen at concentrations not harmful to human keratinocytes. Furthermore, Z. armatum was identified as a source of quorum quenching natural products and further bioassay-guided fractionation of this species is merited.