Studies on the In Vitro Antiproliferative, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition Activities Associated with Chrysanthemum coronarium Essential Oil

Exploring the Biological and Phytochemical Potential of Jordan's Flora: A Review and Update of Eight Selected Genera from Mediterranean Region

Jordan's flora is known for its rich diversity, with a grand sum of 2978 plant species that span 142 families and 868 genera across four different zones. Eight genera belonging to four different plant families have been recognized for their potential natural medicinal properties within the Mediterranean region. These genera include Chrysanthemum L., Onopordum Vaill. Ex. L., Phagnalon Cass., and Senecio L. from the Asteraceae family, in addition to Clematis L. and Ranunculus L. from the Ranunculaceae family, Anchusa L. from the Boraginaceae family, and Eryngium L. from the Apiaceae family. The selected genera show a wide variety of secondary metabolites with encouraging pharmacological characteristics including antioxidant, antibacterial, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-ulcer, and neuroprotective actions. Further research on these genera and their extracts will potentially result in the formulation of novel and potent natural pharmaceuticals. Overall, Jordan's rich flora provides a valuable resource for exploring and discovering new plant-based medicines.

Repurposing drugs to treat trichinellosis: in vitro analysis of the anthelmintic activity of nifedipine and Chrysanthemum coronarium extract

Albendazole is the most common benzimidazole derivative used for trichinellosis treatment but has many drawbacks. The quest for alternative compounds is, therefore, a target for researchers. This work aims to assess the in vitro anthelmintic effect of nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker, and a methanol extract of the flowers of Chrysanthemum coronarium as therapeutic repurposed drugs for treating different developmental stages of Trichinella spiralis in comparison with the reference drug, albendazole. Adult worms and muscle larvae of Trichinella spiralis were incubated with different concentrations of the studied drugs. Drug effects were evaluated by parasitological and electron microscopic examination.As a result, the effects of these drugs on muscle larvae were time and dose-dependent. Moreover, the LC₅₀ after 48 h incubation was 81.25 µg/ml for albendazole, 1.24 µg/ml for nifedipine, and 229.48 µg/ml for C. coronarium. Also, the effects of the tested drugs were prominent on adult worms as the LC₅₀ was 89.77 µg/ml for albendazole, 1.87 µg/ml for nifedipine, and 124.66 µg/ml for C. coronarium. SEM examination of the tegument of T. spiralis adult worms and larvae showed destruction of the adult worms' tegument in all treated groups. The tegument morphological changes were in the form of marked swellings or whole body collapse with the disappearance of internal contents. Furthermore, in silico studies showed that nifedipine might act as a T. spiralis β-tubulin polymerization inhibitor.Our results suggest that nifedipine and C. coronarium extract may be useful therapeutic agents for treating trichinellosis and warrant further assessment in animal disease models.

In Vitro Cytotoxic Potential of Selected Jordanian Flora and Their Associated Phytochemical Analysis

Traditional medicines are a significant source of phytochemicals with potential anticancer effects. Ten Jordanian plants were chosen to be tested for cytotoxicity on human colorectal (HT-29) and breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines. The ethanol extracts were screened for their potential cytotoxic effects using a Sulforhodamine B (SRB) colorimetric assay, using doxorubicin as positive control. Plants extracts exhibiting marked cytotoxic activity were further investigated by qualitative and quantitative phytochemical methods. Total phenolics were quantified using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, while flavonoids were quantified using aluminum chloride. The total saponins of the n-butanol fraction were estimated using diosgenin as a standard. The total alkaloids and total terpenoids were also evaluated using the gravimetric method. As results, Senecio leucanthemifolius (IC₅₀: 13.84 μg/mL) and Clematis cirrhosa (IC₅₀: 13.28 μg/mL) exhibited marked cytotoxic effects on human colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29) cell lines. Total phenolics, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, and terpenoids found in Senecio leucanthemifolius were (91.82, 14.90, 14.27, 101, and 135.4 mg/g of dry extract), respectively. They were revealed to be (68.18, 7.16, 31.25, 73.6, and 180 mg/g of dry extract) in Clematis cirrhosa, respectively. Senecio leucanthemifolius and Clematis cirrhosa have been found to possess cytotoxicity against colorectal (HT-29). In conclusion, the findings of this study offer a new perspective on Jordanian plant extracts anticancer activity research.

Natural essential oils as a new therapeutic tool in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most revalent type of cancer in the world and the second most common cause of cancer death (about 1 million per year). Historically, natural compounds and their structural analogues have contributed to the development of new drugs useful in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer. Essential oils are natural odorous products made up of a complex mixture of low molecular weight compounds with recognized biological and pharmacological properties investigated also for the prevention and treatment of cancer. The aim of this paper is to highlight the possible role of essential oils in CRC, their composition and the preclinical studies involving them. It has been reviewed the preclinical pharmacological studies to determine the experimental models used and the anticancer potential mechanisms of action of natural essential oils in CRC. Searches were performed in the following databases PubMed/Medline, Web of science, TRIP database, Scopus, Google Scholar using appropriate MeSH terms. The results of analyzed studies showed that EOs exhibited a wide range of bioactive effects like cytotoxicity, antiproliferative, and antimetastatic effects on cancer cells through various mechanisms of action. This updated review provides a better quality of scientific evidence for the efficacy of EOs as chemotherapeutic/chemopreventive agents in CRC. Future translational clinical studies are needed to establish the effective dose in humans as well as the most suitable route of administration for maximum bioavailability and efficacy. Given the positive anticancer results obtained from preclinical pharmacological studies, EOs can be considered efficient complementary therapies in chemotherapy in CRC.

Impact on cholinesterase-inhibition and in silico investigations of sesquiterpenoids from Amazonian Siparuna guianensis Aubl

The plant popularly known as "negramina" (Siparuna guianensis Aubl.), member of the family Siparunaceae produces an essential oil that presents several biological activities reported in literature. Here, the essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation from fresh leaves collected in the state of Roraima, far north of the Amazon. Chemical composition of the essential oil was characterized by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The sesquiterpenoid shyobunone and its derivatives were identified as major compounds in the oil (>40%). The effect of S. guianensis essential oil on the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity from Crassostrea rhizophorae, Litopenaeus vannamei and Electrophorus electricus was tested by spectrophotometric assays. The essential oil has been identified as an AChE inhibitor. The mechanism of inhibition was investigated as well as spectrofluorimetric interactions between the essential oil and the enzyme. ¹H NMR titration and molecular docking were also investigated. The spectrophotometric results revealed that shyobunone and its derivatives strongly interact with AChE with a kind of non-competitive inhibition. Interaction studies support the results of enzyme inhibition. Molecular coupling predicted that iso-shyobunone is the strongest ligand, corroborated by fluorescence suppression and ¹H NMR titration results. In conclusion, Siparuna guianensis essential oil can be a new source of shyobunone and derivatives capable to reversibly inhibit AChE showing potential neuroprotective properties to be applied in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Evaluation of the anticancer activity and fatty acids composition of "Handal" (Citrullus colocynthis L.) seed oil, a desert plant from south Jordan

BACKGROUND

The chemical composition of Handal (Citrullus colocynthis L.) seed oil cultivated in Jordan deserts was characterized, and its bioactivity was evaluated.

METHODS

The oil was extracted from the grinded seeds in 500 ml Soxhlet extractor for 24 hr using n-hexane, and the recovered fatty acids were methylated with methanolic-HCL. The fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) composition was analyzed using GC-MS and GC-FID. The anticancer activity associated with the oil was assessed against colon cancer cell lines (Caco-2 and HCT-116) and compared to its cytotoxicity on the human skin fibroblast. Multivariate analysis was used to determine relationship of the fatty acid composition with that of the anticancer activity.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that fatty acid composition of Citrullus colocynthis seed oil chiefly contains Linoleic acid, denoted as C18:2n6 (75%), followed by Palmitic acid C16:0 (8%), Stearic acid C18:0 (5%), and Oleic acid C18:1n9 (9%). It is demonstrated as an excellent source of essential fatty acids omega-6 (e.g., Linoleic acid), whereas omega-3 (e.g., α-Linolenic acid) and hydroxy polyunsaturated fatty acids are found at small level. Interestingly, the oil exhibited reasonable anticancer effects against colorectal cancer cell lines with IC50 values varying between 4 and 7 mg/ml. The correlation test revealed a relationship between the fatty acid composition and the effectiveness on treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Handal plant from Jordan appears to have very high level of Linoleic acid compared to other oils measured in different geographic locations and that there appears to be some anticancer activities associated with the fatty acid content of Handal seed oil.

DPPH-Scavenging and Antimicrobial Activities of Asteraceae Medicinal Plants on Uropathogenic Bacteria

Asteraceae species were widely applied in traditional medicines in Asian countries as sources of natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents. This study aimed to evaluate DPPH-scavenging capacities and antimicrobial activities of nine Asteraceae species collected from Southern Vietnam. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were determined by standard protocols. Essential oils from Ageratum conyzoides, Helianthus annuus, and Artemisia vulgaris indicated significant inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus and Candida spp. Crude extracts and fractions from Taraxacum officinale, Chrysanthemum morifolium, A. conyzoides, and Tagetes erecta showed inhibitory ability on at least one testing bacterial strains including S. aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In a study on clinical isolates, ethyl acetate fraction from A. conyzoides flower displayed the most potent effect on uropathogenic E. coli and K. pneumoniae with MIC at 1.25-10 mg/ml and 5-12.5 mg/ml, respectively. DPPH-scavenging assay indicated that T. erecta extract had the lowest IC50 (17.280 μg/ml) and is 2.4 times higher than vitamin C (7.321 μg/ml). This study revealed that A. conyzoides has good potential against uropathogenic E. coli and K. pneumoniae, and therefore could be applied for prophylactic treatment of urinary infection.

Correlation between Antibacterial Activity and Free-Radical Scavenging: In-Vitro Evaluation of Polar/Non-Polar Extracts from 25 Plants

Objectives: The current study aimed to measure the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of 25 wild Palestinian edible plants, which were subjected to extraction by polar and non-polar solvents. Correlations between free radical scavenging activity and antibacterial activity of the extracts were assessed for both polar and non-polar fractions. Materials: Twenty-five wild edible plant species that are frequently consumed by people in Palestine (mainly in a rural area) were examined. Among them, 10 plant species were among those with the highest mean cultural importance values, according to an ethnobotanical survey that was conducted in the West Bank, Palestine, a few years ago. Method: The protocol of the DPPH assay for testing free-radical scavenging was utilized for determining EC50 values, while microdilution tests were conducted to determine the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the extracts for the microorganism Staphylococcus mutans. Results and Discussion: Eight extracts (non-polar fractions) were found to possess an antibacterial IC50 of less than 20 ppm, such as Foeniculum vulgare, Salvia palaestinafruticose, Micromeria fruticose, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Cichorium pumilum jacq, Salvia hierosolymitana boiss, Ruta chalepensis, and Chrysanthemum coronarium. The polar fractions possess higher antioxidant activity, while non-polar fraction possess higher antibacterial activity. Looking at all the results together can deceive and lead to the conclusion that there is no correlation between antibacterial activity against S. mutans and free radical scavenging (R2 equals 0.0538). However, in-depth analysis revealed that non-polar plant extracts with an EC50 of free radical scavenging ≤100 ppm have a four-fold order of enrichment toward more activity against S. mutans. These findings are of high importance for screening projects. A four-fold order of enrichment could save plenty of time and many in screening projects. The antibacterial active extracts marked by low-medium free radical scavenging might act through a mechanism of action other than that of highly active, free radical scavenging extracts. Conclusion: The screening of antioxidant and antimicrobial activity performed on 25 selected wild plant extracts revealed a satisfactory free radical scavenging and antimicrobial potential that could be of value in the management of oxidative stress. Further studies are recommended to explore novel and highly active natural antibacterial products.

Biological Properties and Bioactive Components of Mentha spicata L. Essential Oil: Focus on Potential Benefits in the Treatment of Obesity, Alzheimer's Disease, Dermatophytosis, and Drug-Resistant Infections

In the present study, the medicinal aromatic plant Mentha spicata has been investigated as a source of essential oil (EO) and pharmaceuticals. The quantity and composition of EO from M. spicata cultivated in Palestine were analyzed seasonally over a three-year period. A significantly higher EO content was produced in summer and fall months (2.54–2.79%). Chemical analysis of EO revealed 31 compounds with oxygenated monoterpenes (90%) as the most abundant components followed by sesquiterpene and monoterpene hydrocarbons (6 and 3%, respectively). M spicata can be characterized as a carvone chemotype (65%). EO and carvone have shown strong inhibitory activities against the principal enzymes associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and overweight diseases (cholinesterase and porcine pancreatic lipase) and also shown strong antidermatophytic activity against Microsporum canis, Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, and Epidermophyton floccosum. The pancreatic lipase inhibition and the synergism showed the potential activity of M. spicata EO and carvone and that their combinations with standard drugs can be useful for the treatment of obesity and overweight. The results also demonstrated that, in addition to their significant inhibitory activity against biofilm formation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), M. spicata EO and carvone had a strong inhibitory effect on metabolic activity and biomass of the preformed biofilm. The current study supports the utilization of M. spicata EO as a traditional medicine and opens perceptions to find more potent substances in the EO for the management of obesity, AD, and dermatophytosis and for combating drug-resistant bacterial infections.

Chemical composition and bioactivity of essential oils and Ethanolic extracts of Ocimum basilicum L. and Thymus algeriensis Boiss. & Reut. from the Algerian Saharan Atlas

BACKGROUND

There is increasing interest in the pharmaceutical and food industries to substitute synthetic chemicals with naturally occurring compounds possessing bioactive properties. Plants are valuable sources of bioactive compounds. The present study investigates the chemical composition and antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities of ethanolic extracts (EEs) and essential oils (EOs) from two species in the Lamiaceae family, Ocimum basilicum L. and Thymus algeriensis Boiss. & Reut., cultivated in the Algerian Saharan Atlas.

METHODS

The total flavonoid contents of the plants' ethanolic extracts were determined by the aluminium chloride method, while the total phenols were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts of the plants and were analysed by GC-MS. The free radical-scavenging ability and antioxidant potential of the plants' EEs and EOs were probed using the 2, 2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging, ABTS radical-scavenging, ferric-reducing power and phosphomolybdenum assays. The antimicrobial activities were evaluated against several pathogens characteristic of gram-negative bacteria (three species), gram-positive bacteria (three species) and fungi (two species). The microdilution method was used to estimate the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). The oils' anticancer potential against several cancer types was also studied using the MTT assay and reported as the toxic doses that resulted in a 50% reduction in cancer cell growth (LD₅₀).

RESULTS

Phenolic compounds in the EEs from both plants were analysed by HPLC and demonstrated a rich flavonoid content. Chemical analysis of the essential oil from Ocimum basilicum revealed 26 unique compounds, with linalool (52.1%) and linalyl acetate (19.1%) as the major compounds. A total of 29 compounds were identified in the essential oil from Thymus algeriensis, with α-terpinyl acetate (47.4%), neryl acetate (9.6%), and α-pinene (6.8%) as the major compounds. The ethanolic extracts and essential oils from both plants exhibited moderate antioxidant activities and moderate to weak antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, anticancer activities against the examined human cancer cell lines were associated with only the EOs from both plants, with LD₅₀ values ranging between 300 and 1000 μg/mL.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that the bioactive compounds found in the ethanolic extracts and essential oils from Ocimum basilicum and Thymus algeriensis, with diverse antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer activities, may have beneficial applications in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical technologies.

Phenolic Compounds and Bioactivity of Cytisus villosus Pourr

The present study focuses on the chemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative activities of the ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts obtained from the aerial parts of Cytisus villosus Pourr. HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn was used to identify the phenolic compounds, being (epi)gallocatechin dimer the major compound (111 ± 5 µg/g·dw) in the aqueous extract, while myricetin-O-rhamnoside (226 ± 9 µg/g·dw) was the main molecule in the ethyl acetate extract. Both extracts exhibited good scavenging activities against DPPH radical (EC₅₀ µg/mL of 59 ± 2 and 31 ± 2 for aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts, respectively). However, the ethyl acetate extract demonstrated more potent quenching activities than the aqueous extract. The antimicrobial activities were assessed on selected Gram-positive (Staphylococcus epidermidis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria, as well as on pathogenic fungus Candida glabrata. The extracts possessed selective and potent antimicrobial activities against the Gram-positive bacterium (IC₅₀ of 186 ± 9 μg/mL and 92 ± 3 μg/mL for aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts, respectively). Finally, C. villosus extracts were evaluated for their antiproliferative potential on three human cancer cell lines representing breast and colon cancers. Although both extracts demonstrated sufficient growth inhibition of the three different cell lines, the ethyl acetate extract exhibited higher activity (LD₅₀ values of 1.57 ± 0.06 mg/mL, 2.2 ± 0.1 mg/mL, and 3.2 ± 0.2 mg/mL for T47D, MCF-7, and HCT-116 cell lines). Both the extracts obtained from the aerial parts of C. villosus revealed very promising results and could be applied as functional agents in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical industries.

Chemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial and Antiproliferative activities of essential oil of Mentha spicata L. (Lamiaceae) from Algerian Saharan atlas

BACKGROUND

Mentha spicata (M. spicata) is a member of Lamiaceae that spreads mainly in the temperate and sub-temperate zones of the world. It is considered as a rich source of essential oils, which is widely used in pharmaceutical industries and food production. The objectives of the current study were to evaluate chemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities associated with the essential oil of M. spicata cultivated in Algerian Saharan Atlas.

METHODS

The aerial parts of M. spicata were subjected to hydrodistillation to produce the oil. Chemical identification of the oil composition was conducted by GC and GC-MS analyses. The antioxidant activity of the hydrodistilled oil was studied using DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging and ferric-reducing power assay. Antimicrobial potential was characterized against two microorganisms, signifying Gram positive, and Gram negative bacteria, and one Candida species. The microdilution method was employed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The oil's antiproliferative effects against three human tumor cell lines were also investigated using the MTT assay, and the toxic doses that yielded 50% reduction of cell viability (LD50) were reported.

RESULTS

Chemical analysis of the essential oil composition revealed 44 unique compounds with oxygenated monoterpenes (67.2%), followed by monoterpene hydrocarbons (20.8%), as the most abundant chemical components. Essential oil of M. spicata demonstrated moderate antioxidant activities as well as moderate to weak antimicrobial activities with best susceptibility observed for Gram positive bacteria towards the oil. In addition, anticancer activities that are associated with the oil against three human cancer cell lines were observed with LD50 values of 324 μg/mL, 279 μg/mL, 975 μg/mL against T47D, HCT-116 and MCF-7 cell lines, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that M. spicata essential oil may have potential value as a bioactive oil, for nutraceutical and medical applications, with its antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities.

Role of traditional Islamic and Arabic plants in cancer therapy

ETHNO PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

This review article underlines individual Traditional Islamic and Arabic plant (TAI) and their role in treating cancer. The aim of the study is to specifically evaluate the progress of herbs, Arabic and Islamic traditional herbs in particular, applied in cancer treatment, so far.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Islamic and Arabic plants were selected and identified through different literature survey using "Google scholar", "Web of science", "Scopus" and "PubMed". Each plant, from identified Arabic and Islamic plants list, was search individually for the most cited articles in the aforementioned databases using the keywords, "Anticancer", "Uses in cancer treatment", "Ethno pharmacological importance in cancer" etc.

RESULTS

The current review about Islamic and Arabic plants illuminates the importance of Islamic and Arabic plants and their impact in treating cancer. There is a long list of Islamic and Arabic plants used in cancer as mentioned in review with enormous amount of literature. Each plant has been investigated for its anticancer potential. The literature survey as mentioned in table shows; these plants are widely utilized in cancer as a whole, a part thereof or in the form of isolated chemical constituent.

CONCLUSIONS

This review strongly supports the fact; Arabic and Islamic traditional plants have emerged as a good source of complementary and alternative medicine in treating cancer. Traditional Arab-Islamic herbal-based medicines might be promising for new cancer therapeutics with low toxicity and minimal side effects. The plants used are mostly in crude form and still needs advance research for the isolation of phytochemicals and establishing its cellular and molecular role in treating cancer.

Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Properties as Well as the Phenolic Content of the Extract from Hancornia speciosa Gomes

Hancornia speciosa Gomes (Apocynaceae) is a fruit tree, popularly known as mangabeira, and it is widely distributed throughout Brazil. Several parts of the plant are used in folk medicine, and the leaf and bark extracts have anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial properties. In this study, we investigated the chemical composition of the ethanolic extract of Hancornia speciosa leaves (EEHS) and its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities as well as the mechanisms involved in cell death. The chemical compounds were identified by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The antioxidant activity of the EEHS was investigated using the method that involves the scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radicals as well as the inhibition of oxidative hemolysis and lipid peroxidation induced by 2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane) in human erythrocytes. The antimicrobial activity was determined by calculating the minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration, minimum fungicidal concentration, and zone of inhibition. Kasumi-1 leukemic cells were used to assess the cytotoxic activity and mechanisms involved in cell death promoted by the EEHS. The chemical compounds identified were quinic acid, chlorogenic acid, catechin, rutin, isoquercitrin, kaempferol-rutinoside, and catechin-pentoside. The EEHS demonstrated antioxidant activity via the sequestration of free radicals, inhibition of hemolysis, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation in human erythrocytes incubated with an oxidizing agent. The antimicrobial activity was observed against American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and hospital strains of bacteria and fungi, filamentous fungi and dermatophytes. The cytotoxic activity of the EEHS was induced by apoptosis, reduction of the mitochondrial membrane potential, and activation of cathepsins. Together, these results indicate the presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in the EEHS and that their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities in acute myeloid leukemia cells are mediated by apoptosis.