Crataegus pentagyna willd. Fruits, leaves and roots: phytochemicals, antioxidant and antimicrobial potentials

BACKGROUND

The hawthorn has recently been used as a popular herbal medicine in food applications and phytotherapy, especially for the cardiovascular system.

METHODS

In this study, phytochemicals were evaluated by LC-ESI-MS, GC-MS, and biological activity, including antioxidant (DPPH test) and antibacterial (broth dilution assay), in different extracts of Crataegus pentagyna fruit, leaf, and root.

RESULTS

Globally, 49 phenolics were tentatively identified using HPLC-ESI-MS/MS in the hydro-methanolic extract of the fruit (major apigenin, caffeoylquinic acid derivative, and 4-O-(3'-O-glucopyranosyl)-caffeoyl quinic acid), 42 in the leaf (major salicylic acid, naringenin-6-C-glucoside, and naringin), and 33 in the root (major naringenin-7-O-neohesperidoside, isovitexin-2″-O-rhamnoside, and 4-O-(3'-O-glucopyranosyl)-caffeoyl quinic acid). The major group compounds analyzed by GC-MS in petroleum ether extracts were hydrocarbons (63.80%) and fatty acids and their derivatives (11.77%) in fruit, hydrocarbons (49.20%) and fatty acids and their derivatives (13.85%) in leaf, and hydrocarbons (53.96%) and terpenes (13.06%) in root. All samples exhibited promising phytochemical profile (total phenol, flavonoid, phenolic acid, and anthocyanin), antioxidant and antibacterial capacities, especially in hydro-methanolic extract of fruit (210.22 ± 0.44 mg GAE/g DE; 79.93 ± 0.54 mg QE/g DE; 194.64 ± 0.32 mg CAE/g DE; 85.37 ± 0.13 mg cyanidin 3-glucoside/100 g FW; DPPH: 15.43 ± 0.65 µg/mL; MIC: 0.15-0.62 µg/mL; and MBC: 0.62-1.25 mg/mL), followed by the leaf and root extracts, respectively. The PCA and heatmap analysis results distinguished metabolite profile differences for samples.

CONCLUSION

The results of the present work provide scientific support for C. pentagyna as antimicrobial agents and natural antioxidants in human health and food preservation.

Integrative Analysis of Metabolome and Transcriptome Reveals Molecular Insight into Metabolomic Variations during Hawthorn Fruit Development

Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida var. major), a cultivated fruit tree, is native and unique to China. Its fruits have high nutritional, health, and medicinal values. However, the development and ripening process of hawthorns is accompanied by dramatic changes in flavor, aroma, and bioactive phytochemicals, which are the fundamental factors that contribute to the potential health benefits and establishment of fruit quality. Therefore, an exploration of the dynamic changes in metabolites and their regulatory networks during the development of hawthorn fruits can elucidate the formation mechanisms of active substances in hawthorn fruits. In this study, we used a broad targeted metabolomics approach to identify and analyze the dynamics of metabolites in hawthorn fruits at five developmental stages. The results revealed 998 primary and secondary metabolites that were classified into 15 categories. The accumulation levels of most sugars increased during fruit development and then accelerated at the fruit ripening stage. The accumulation levels of a few organic acids (e.g., citric acid, isocitric acid, and quinic acid) continuously increased. Many organic acids exhibited significant decreasing trends. Among the 561 secondary metabolites detected, 189 were phenolic acids and 199 were flavonoids. The levels of many flavonoids were significantly reduced at later stages of fruit development; in contrast, the levels of two anthocyanins significantly increased during fruit ripening. Correlation analysis revealed that there is a certain correlation within and between primary as well as secondary metabolites during fruit development. Furthermore, the integration of metabolomic and transcriptomic data in this study revealed that changes in the expression of some differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated with the accumulation of metabolites such as sugars, organic acids, and flavonoids, e.g., the upregulated expression levels of CS (citrate synthase) genes were consistent with the continued accumulation of citric acid. Overall, this study demonstrates the metabolic changes that occur during the development of hawthorn fruit, explores the molecular mechanisms that underlie metabolite changes during fruit development, and lays a strong theoretical foundation for the improvement of hawthorn fruit quality and the development of functional components.

Development of a quantified herbal extract of hawthorn Crataegus mexicana leaves with vasodilator effect

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) has been used for the treatment of several heart diseases and hypertension. The studies carried out on several hawthorn species have led to the development of standardized extracts useful in the cure of mild chronic cardiac diseases.

In Mexico, the most common Crataegus species are C. mexicana and C. gracilior. Decoctions prepared from the fruits and leaves of these species have been employed to the treat respiratory diseases, tachycardia and to improve coronary blood flow. Considering that to date there are no reports of the use of Mexican Crataegus species to treat cardiovascular diseases, we propose an analytical method to obtain a quantified extract of Crataegus mexicana leaves for the development of a standardized extract with therapeutic value in cardiovascular diseases as an alternative source to the extracts obtained from Crataegus species of European and Asian origin.

Therefore, the aim of this study was to obtain an extract prepared from C. mexicana leaves with the highest vasodilator activity to select the optimal chemical marker to stablish and validate a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RPHPLC-DAD) analytical method for obtaining a quantified extract with vasodilator effect.

The results obtained from the analytical method validation, which was carried out according to the guidelines stablished in the Eurachem Guide and the ICH guidelines proved that the RPHPLC-DAD method we developed was specific, precise, accurate, and showed good linearity over the concentration range of 3 – 21 µg/ml for (-)-epicatechin and rutin, which were selected as chemical markers.

Antiparkinsonian activity of Cucurbita pepo seeds along with possible underlying mechanism

Cucurbita pepo is used as a vegetable in Pakistan and its seeds are also rich in tocopherol. Data showed the pivotal role of tocopherol in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). The current study was designed to probe into the antiparkinson activity of methanolic extract of C. pepo (MECP) seeds in the haloperidol-induced Parkinson rat model. Behavioral studies showed improvement in motor functions. The increase in catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione levels whereas the decreases in the malondialdehyde and nitrite levels were noted in a dose-dependent manner. Acetylcholine-esterase (AchE) activity was increased. Molecular docking results revealed significant binding interaction of selected phytoconstituents within an active site of target protein AchE (PDB ID: 4EY7). Furthermore, α-synuclein was up regulated with down regulation of TNF-α and IL-1β in the qRT-PCR study. Subsequently, ADMET results on the basis of structure to activity predictions in terms of pharmacokinetics and toxicity estimations show that selected phytochemicals exhibited moderately acceptable properties. These properties add knowledge towards the structural features which could improve the bioavailability of selected phytochemicals before moving towards the initial phase of the drug development. Our integrated drug discovery scheme concluded that C. pepo seeds could ameliorate symptoms of PD and may prove a lead remedy for the treatment of PD.

Phenolic Compounds in Mesoamerican Fruits-Characterization, Health Potential and Processing with Innovative Technologies

Diets rich in phenolic compounds have been associated to reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome and its derived disorders. Fruits are healthy components of the human diet because of their vitamin, mineral, fiber and phenolic profile. However, they have a short shelf-life which is limited by microbiological growth and enzymatic activity. Innovative preservation methods such as high hydrostatic pressure, pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, microwave, cold plasma and ultraviolet light have become popular for the processing of fruits because they can preserve nutritional quality. In this review, the phenolic profile and health potential of 38 Mesoamerican fruits were assessed. Phenolic compounds were classified based on their contribution to the diet as flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannin, lignins and stilbenoids. Due to this composition, fruits showed a wide range of bioactivities which included anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive and anti-obesity activities, among others. Phenolic content in fruits submitted to innovative food processing technologies depended on parameters such as enzymatic activity, antioxidant capacity, microstructure integrity and cell viability. Innovative technologies could increase phenolic content while assuring microbiological safety by (i) promoting the release of bound phenolic compounds during processing and (ii) inducing the synthesis of phenolic compounds by activation of phenylpropanoid pathway during storage.

QbD-steered development and validation of an RP-HPLC method for quantification of ferulic acid: Rational application of chemometric tools

The present work describes the systematic development of a simple, rapid, sensitive, robust, effective and cost-effective reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic method for quantitative analysis of ferulic acid using analytical quality by design paradigms. Initially, apt wavelength for the analysis of ferulic acid was selected employing principal component analysis as the chemometric tool. An Ishikawa fishbone diagram was constructed to delineate various plausible variables influencing analytical target profile, viz. peak area, theoretical plate count, retention time and peak tailing as the critical analytical attributes. Risk assessment using risk estimation matrix and factor screening studies employing Taguchi design aided in demarcating two critical method parameters, viz. mobile phase ratio and flow rate affecting critical analytical attributes. Subsequently, the optimum operational conditions of the liquid chromatographic method were delineated using face-centred composite design. Multicollinearity among the chosen factors for optimization was analyzed by the magnitude of variance inflation factor optimized analytical design space, providing optimum method performance, was earmarked using numerical and graphical optimization and corroborated using Monte Carlo simulations. Validation, as per the ICH Q2(R1) guidelines, ratified the efficiency and sensitivity of the developed novel analytical method of ferulic acid in the mobile phase and the human plasma matrix. The optimal method used a mobile phase, comprising of acetonitrile: water (47:53% v/v, pH adjusted to 3.0 with glacial acetic acid), at a flow rate of 0.8 mL·min^-1, at a λ_max of 322 nm using a C₁₈ column. Use of principal component analysis unearthed the suitable wavelength for analysis, while analytical quality by design approach, along with Monte Carlo simulations, facilitated the identification of influential variables in obtaining the "best plausible" validated chromatographic solution for efficient quantification of ferulic acid.

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.): An Updated Overview on Its Beneficial Properties

Medicinal plants, many of which are wild, have recently been under the spotlight worldwide due to growing requests for natural and sustainable eco-compatible remedies for pathological conditions with beneficial health effects that are able to support/supplement a daily diet or to support and/or replace conventional pharmacological therapy. The main requests for these products are: safety, minimum adverse unwanted effects, better efficacy, greater bioavailability, and lower cost when compared with synthetic medications available on the market. One of these popular herbs is hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), belonging to the Rosaceae family, with about 280 species present in Europe, North Africa, West Asia, and North America. Various parts of this herb, including the berries, flowers, and leaves, are rich in nutrients and beneficial bioactive compounds. Its chemical composition has been reported to have many health benefits, including medicinal and nutraceutical properties. Accordingly, the present review gives a snapshot of the in vitro and in vivo therapeutic potential of this herb on human health.

Roles and Mechanisms of Hawthorn and Its Extracts on Atherosclerosis: A Review

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially atherosclerosis, is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally; it causes a considerable burden on families and caregivers and results in significant financial costs being incurred. Hawthorn has an extensive history of medical use in many countries. In China, the use of hawthorn for the treatment of CVD dates to 659 AD. In addition, according to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, it acts on tonifying the spleen to promote digestion and activate blood circulation to dissipate blood stasis. This review revealed that the hawthorn extracts possess serum lipid-lowering, anti-oxidative, and cardiovascular protective properties, thus gaining popularity, especially for its anti-atherosclerotic effects. We summarize the four principal mechanisms, including blood lipid-lowering, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and vascular endothelial protection, thus providing a theoretical basis for further utilization of hawthorn.