Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of the Essential Oils of Chrysophyllum albidum G. Don (African Star Apple)

Effect of Diacetylcurcumin Manganese Complex on Rotenone-Induced Oxidative Stress, Mitochondria Dysfunction, and Inflammation in the SH-SY5Y Parkinson's Disease Cell Model

Diacetylcurcumin manganese complex (DiAc-Cp-Mn) is a diacetylcurcumin (DiAc-Cp) derivative synthesized with Mn (II) to mimic superoxide dismutase (SOD). It exhibited superior reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging efficacy, particularly for the superoxide radical. The present study investigated the ROS scavenging activity, neuroprotective effects, and underlying mechanism of action of DiAc-Cp-Mn in a cellular model of Parkinson's disease. This study utilized rotenone-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells to assess the activities of DiAc-Cp-Mn by measuring cell viability, intracellular ROS, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), SOD, and catalase (CAT) activities. The mRNA expression of the nuclear factor erythroid 2 p45-related factor (Nrf2), Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and Interleukin 1β (IL-1β), which are oxidative and inflammatory genes, were also evaluated to clarify the molecular mechanism. The results of the in vitro assays showed that DiAc-Cp-Mn exhibited greater scavenging activity against superoxide radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals compared to DiAc-Cp. In cell-based assays, DiAc-Cp-Mn demonstrated greater neuroprotective effects against rotenone-induced neurotoxicity when compared to its parent compound, DiAc-Cp. DiAc-Cp-Mn maintained MMP levels, reduced intracellular ROS levels, and increased the activities of SOD and CAT by activating the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway. In addition, DiAc-Cp-Mn exerted its anti-inflammatory impact by down-regulating the mRNA expression of iNOS and IL-1β that provoked neuro-inflammation. The current study indicates that DiAc-Cp-Mn protects against rotenone-induced neuronal damage by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.

Trace element levels and bio-active compounds in ethanolic leaf extract of Chrysophyllum albidum characterised using gas chromatography - mass spectrometry

AIM AND OBJECTIVES

Chrysophyllum albidum, also known as Africa star apple, has so many ethnobotanical uses in African healing system. Thus, a study that reveals possible trace elements and its phytochemical profile will give an essential insight to the bioactivity profile of the plant. The study was to identify the trace elements and the bioactive compounds present in Chrysophyllum albidum (C. albidum) leaf extract MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ethanol leaf extract of Chrysophyllum albidum was evaluated for trace elements using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (ASS) while the chemical composition was analysed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). The identification of phytoconstituents using GC/MS was based on the instrument library, peak area and retention time.

RESULT

The ethanol leaf extract of C. albidum showed a high content of potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium, while relative low content of manganese, iron, copper, zinc, lead and nickel. Total of 30 peaks representing 30 identified compounds were recorded in the GC/MS analysis. These include a variety of heterocyclic compounds such as fatty acids, organic compounds, esters, and disaccharides etc. The major constituents of the extract were: Sucrose (37.45%), followed by 1,2,3-Propanetriol,1-acetate (7.86%), di-Glyceraldehyde dimer (5.70%), 1-(3-Benzyl-2-thioureido)-1-deoxy-beta-d glucopyranose 2,3,4,6-tetraacetate (4.53%), 4 H-Pyran-4-one, 2,3-dihydro-3, 5-dihydroxy-6-methyl- (4.49%), 3-Deoxy-d-Mannoic lactone (3.14%), Glycerine (3.04%) and minor compounds that are less than 3%.

CONCLUSION

The elemental composition of the leaf extract of C. albidum may be influenced by the environmental factors such as soil composition surrounding the plant's roots, while a variety of bioactive compounds with diverse biological activities were present. Hence, the plant have a potential pharmacological activities.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activities of the Leaf and Fruit Essential Oils of the West African Plum, Vitex doniana

Vitex doniana (West African plum or black plum) is a plant with varying phytoconstituents and biological activities across different countries. In this study, essential oils extracted from the leaves and fruits of Vitex doniana cultivated in Ghana were investigated for their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The antioxidant actions of the essential oils were determined using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), phosphomolybdenum, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assays. For both essential oils, the total antioxidant capacities ranged from 44 to 68 µg/g AAE, the IC50 values for H2O2 scavenging activity were between 87 and 242 µg/mL, whereas that for DPPH assay were between 322 and 599 µg/mL. The IC50 for the TBARS assay for both essential oils also ranged from 247 to 414 µg/mL. The antimicrobial activities of the essential oils were investigated using the broth dilution assay. The minimum inhibition concentration for the essential oils ranged from 12.5 to 50 mg/mL. Biofilm inhibitory activity was also evaluated for both essential oils, and the fruit essential oil showed a half-maximal inhibition of biofilm formation (BIC50) at 44.40 ± 0.6 mg/mL, whereas the BIC50 value of the leaf essential oil was 109.1 ± 0.9 mg/mL. The fruit essential oil was superior to the leaf essential oil in inhibiting the secretion of pyoverdine. Molecular docking analyses suggested that methyl cinnamate, ethyl cinnamate, p-menth-4-en-3-one, trans-α-ionone, benzyl benzoate, isobutyl cinnamate, and folic acid likely interacted with LasR and algC proteins, and hence, contributed to the inhibition of biofilm formation and pyoverdine secretion. Essential oils from Vitex doniana could, therefore, be exploited as a natural source of radical scavenging and antimicrobial agents and could be useful in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries.

Volatile Constituents in Essential Oil from Leaves of Withania adpressa Coss. Ex Exhibit Potent Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties against Clinically-Relevant Pathogens

Withania adpressa Coss. ex is a plant used in traditional medications. Antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal properties of the essential oil from leaves of Withania adpressa Coss ex. (EOW) were investigated. EOW was extracted using a Clevenger apparatus, and its volatile compounds were characterized by GC-MS. Antioxidant potency was determined using DPPH, FRAP, and TAC assays. Antibacterial effects were determined vs. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumonia; while its antifungal efficacy was determined vs. Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Fusarium oxysporum using the disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration bioassays. A chromatographic analysis showed that EOW contained eight phytochemical compounds constituting 99.14% of the total mass of oil. Caryophyllene (24.74%), Longifolene (21.37%), δ-Cadinene (19.08%), and Carene (14.86%) were predominant compounds in EOW. The concentrations required to inhibit 50% of free radical (IC50) values of antioxidant activities of EOW were 0.031 ± 0.006 mg/mL (DPPH), 0.011 ± 0.003 mg/mL (FRAP), and 846.25 ± 1.07 mg AAE/g (TAC). Inhibition zone diameters of EOW vs. bacteria were 18.11 ± 0.5 mm (E. coli), 17.10 ± 0.42 mm (S. aureus), 12.13 ± 0.31 mm (K. pneumoniae), and 11.09 ± 0.47 mm (S. pneumoniae), while MIC values were 51 ± 3, 47 ± 5, 46 ± 3 and 31 ± 1 µg/mL, respectively. Inhibition zone diameters of EOW vs. fungi were 31.32 ± 1.32, 29.00 ± 1.5, 27.63 ± 2.10, and 24.51 ± s1.07 mm for A. flavus, C. albicans, F. oxysporum, and A. niger, respectively. MIC values were 8.41 ± 0.40, 28.04 ± 0.26, 9.05 ± 0.76, and 22.26 ± 0.55 µg/mL, respectively. Importantly, the highest dose of EOW (1 mg/mL) showed negligible (~5%) cytotoxicity against MCF-12, a normal human epithelial cell line derived from the mammary gland, thus underscoring its wide safety and selectivity against tested microbes. To sum it up, EOW has exhibited promising antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which suggests potential to abrogate antibiotic resistance.

Protective effects of sugarcane phenolic extract against lipid oxidative damages in raw ground pork and beef during refrigerated storage conditions

The study evaluated the bioactive components and antioxidant properties of sugarcane phenolic extracts (SCPE) against lipid oxidation in raw ground pork and beef during refrigerated storage conditions. Results showed that SCPE has a high total phenolic content of 35.9 g GAE/100 g sample majority of which are vanillic (799.77 mg/100 g), sinapic (434.38 mg/100 g), and coumaric (342.37 mg/100 g) acids. These phenolic compounds exhibited strong radical scavenging activities against DPPH (191.00 mg TE/g) and ABTS (359.80 mg TE/g) radical, ferric reducing capacity (97.80 mg TE/g), and lipid peroxidation inhibition (120.20 mg TE/g) activities which are comparable to BHT. Supplementation of SCPE at 400 mg/kg fresh weight of ground pork and ground beef improved the antioxidant activities of meat samples, leading to the delay in TBARS formation, lower reduction in heme iron content, and minimal increase in metmyoglobin content during 14-day refrigerated storage as compared to BHT-treated and control. Moreover, the redness of meat was preserved in SCPE- and BHT-treated samples as measured by a* color value. Correlation heat maps showed that TBARS, metmyoglobin, and ΔE are positively correlated with each other, and at the same time showed negatively correlated with heme iron and a*. This study revealed that antioxidant extracts from sugarcane presented a positive effect on the oxidative stability of raw ground pork and beef during refrigerated storage.

Ecological niche model transferability of the white star apple (Chrysophyllum albidum G. Don) in the context of climate and global changes

Chrysophyllum albidum is a forest food tree species of the Sapotaceae family bearing large berries of nutrition, sanitary, and commercial value in many African countries. Because of its socioeconomic importance, C. albidum is threatened at least by human pressure. However, we do not know to what extent climate change can impact its distribution or whether it is possible to introduce the species in other tropical regions. To resolve our concerns, we decided to model the spatial distribution of the species. We then used the SDM package for data modeling in R to compare the predictive performances of algorithms among the most commonly used: three machine learning algorithms (MaxEnt, boosted regression trees, and random forests) and three regression algorithms (generalized linear model, generalized additive models, and multivariate adaptive regression spline). We performed model transfers in tropical Asia and Latin America. At the scale of Africa, predictions with respect to Maxent under Africlim (scenarios RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, horizon 2055) and MIROCES2L (scenarios SSP245 and SSP585, horizon 2060) showed that the suitable areas of C. albidum, within threshold values of the most contributing variables to the models, will extend mostly in West, East, Central, and Southern Africa as well as in East Madagascar. As opposed to Maxent, in Africa, the predictions for the future of BRT and RF were unrealistic with respect to the known ecology of C. albidum. All the algorithms except Maxent (for tropical Asia only), were consistent in predicting a successful introduction of C. albidum in Latin America and tropical Asia, both at present and in the future. We therefore recommend the introduction and cultivation of Chrysophyllum albidum in the predicted suitable areas of Latin America and tropical Asia, along with vegetation inventories in order to discover likely, sister or vicarious species of Chrysophyllum albidum that can be new to Science. Africlim is more successful than MIROCES2L in predicting realistic suitable areas of Chrysophyllum albidum in Africa. We therefore recommend to the authors of Africlim an update of Africlim models to comply with the sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of IPCC.

Chemical Characterization, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Antibiofilm Activities of Essential Oils of Plumeria alba (Forget-Me-Not)

Essential oils are known to possess many biological properties such as antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Plumeria alba flowers are used in traditional remedies for diarrhea, cough, fever, and asthma treatment. This work evaluated the chemical composition and the biological activities of essential oils obtained from the flowers and leaves of Plumeria alba. The essential oils were extracted using the Clevenger-type apparatus and characterized using GC-MS. In the flower essential oil, a total of 17 compounds were identified, with linalool (23.91%), α-terpineol (10.97%), geraniol (10.47%), and phenyl ethyl alcohol (8.65%) being abundant. In the leaf essential oil, a total of 24 compounds were identified, with benzofuran, 2,3-di, hydro-(3.24%), and muurolol (1.40%) being present. Antioxidant activities were assessed using hydrogen peroxide scavenging, phosphomolybdenum, and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-scavenging assays. Antimicrobial activities were assessed through a microdilution assay. The essential oil showed antimicrobial activity against test microorganisms with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 25.0 to 50.0 mg/mL. Biofilm inhibition ranged from 27.14 ± 1.0 to 58.99 ± 0.6 mg/mL. The essential oil exhibited total antioxidant capacities which ranged from 17.5 μg/g AAE to 83 μg/g AAE in the phosphomolybdenum assay. The IC₅₀ values in the DPPH and hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging assays for both flowers and leaves ranged from 18.66 μg/mL to 38.28 μg/mL. Both essential oils also displayed good antibiofilm activities, with the concentration required for half-maximal inhibition of biofilm formation being ∼60 mg/mL for both oils. This study shows that essential oils of Plumeria alba possess good antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and could be used as a source of natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents.

Chemical Compositions of Essential Oil from Aerial Parts of Cyclospermum leptophyllum and Its Application as Antibacterial Activity against Some Food Spoilage Bacteria

Cyclospermum leptophyllum is plant species known for its medicinal value and pleasant aroma. The aerial part and plant seeds are traditionally used as food additives as a spice. This study aims to isolate the chemical constituents of essential oil of the aerial part of the plant and study their potential antibacterial activities against some food contaminating bacteria. The essential oil of C. leptophyllum (CSEO) was isolated from aerial parts of the plant species and studied using GC-MS and FTIR techniques. The first four major chemical constituents determined from GC-MS analysis of CSEO (for peak area % ≥ 1.15%) were 2,5-dimethoxy-p-cymene (87.09%), 2-methoxy-1-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl) benzene (3.09%), 2-methoxy-4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl) benzene (1.71%), and humulene (1.15%). 60%, 30%, 15%, 7.5%, and 3.75% of CSEO solutions were prepared and evaluated for their potential antibacterial activities against six food spoilage pathogenic bacterial strains. Three Gram-positive strains: Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Staphylococcus epidermidis (ATCC 12228), Streptococcus agalactiae (ATCC 12386) and three Gram-negative strains: Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Proteus mirabilis (ATCC 35659), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) were used as test microorganisms. Compared to ciprofloxacin, a positive control, the promising antibacterial activity was observed for CSEO against S. aureus at minimum and maximum test solutions as the values of the zone of inhibition diameter (ZID, mm) were recorded as 14.33 ± 0.58 for 3.75% CSEO solution and 30.67 ± 0.58 for 60% CSEO solution. Tests of CSEO solutions generally showed stronger antibacterial activities against Gram-positive than Gram-negative strains. Therefore, CSEO contains potent chemical constituents that might be applicable in treating pathogenic bacterial species.

Essential Oils from the Fruits and Leaves of Spondias mombin Linn.: Chemical Composition, Biological Activity, and Molecular Docking Study

This work focused on characterizing the chemical constituents and evaluating the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oils obtained from the fruit and leaves of Spondias mombin—a flowering plant of the Anacardiaceae family. Essential oils were extracted through steam distillation and characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. For the fruit essential oil, 35 compounds were obtained, and 25 compounds were identified in the leaf essential oil. The dominant compounds present in the fruit essential oil were (E)-ethyl cinnamate (14.06%) and benzyl benzoate (12.27%). Methyl salicylate (13.05%) and heptacosane (12.69%) were the abundant compounds in the leaf essential oil. The antioxidant activity of the essential oils was evaluated via phosphomolybdenum, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assays. The total antioxidant capacity of fruit and leaf essential oils was 48.5 ± 0.7 μg/gAAE and 48.5 ± 0.7 μg/g AAE, respectively. The half maximal scavenging concentrations of the essential oils in the hydrogen peroxide; DPPH and TBARS assays ranged from 252.2 μg/mL to 2288 μg/mL. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oils was tested using broth dilution and disc diffusion assays against eight microorganisms. The essential oils exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against the microorganisms with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 9.75–50 mg/mL. Also, the zones of inhibition of the oils ranged from 12 mm to 25 mm. The biofilm inhibitory activities of the oils were dose-dependent with BIC₅₀ values of 42.49 ± 0.1 mg/mL and 97.34 ± 0.6 mg/mL for fruit and leaf essential oils, respectively. Molecular docking studies revealed that the antibiofilm action of the fruit and leaf essential oils could be due to inhibition of the quorum sensing protein, LasR. The results suggest a possible application of the oils as antioxidant and antimicrobial agents.

Encapsulation of Essential Oils in Nanocarriers for Active Food Packaging

Active packaging improves a packaging system's effectiveness by actively integrating additional components into the packaging material or the headspace around the packaging. Consumer demand and awareness have grown enough to replace chemical agents with natural active agents. Essential oils (EOs) are extensively distributed throughout nature but at low levels and sometimes with poor recovery yields, which poses an issue with their application in food. Due to the instability of EOs when added directly into a food product, they require encapsulation before being added to a packaging matrix such as liposomes, solid-lipid nanoparticles, nano-emulsions, cyclodextrins, and nanostructured lipid nano-carriers. This article is focused on the encapsulation of EOs in different types of nanocarriers. Nanocarriers can improve the efficiency of active substances by providing protection, stability, and controlled and targeted release. The advantages of the many types of nanocarriers that contain active substances that can be used to make antibacterial and antioxidant biopolymeric-based active packaging are discussed. A nanocarrier-encapsulated EO enables the controlled release of oil, stabilizing the packaging for a longer duration.

Ruta montana (L.) L.: An insight into its medicinal value, phytochemistry, biological properties, and toxicity

Ruta montana (RM) is a medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) used in folk medicine, especially in North Africa, to treat digestive, infectious, respiratory, neurological, gynecological, and diabetic diseases. The current work aims to review the scientifically validated ethno-medicinal usage, bioactivities and phytochemistry of RM, in order to provide data support for further investigations. Data were procured from PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and PubChem. The present study revealed that RM could be used to manage many diseases involved in public health problems, such as diabetes, hypertension, neurological disorders, infections, reproductive system disorders, and cancer. It might also replace chemical insecticides and fungicides since it exhibits antifungal, insecticidal, and larvicidal properties. RM extracts also contain mainly coumarins and alkaloids. The volatile oil of RM is characterized by an abundance of ketone compounds and 2-undecanone as major constituents. In the case of a high-dose administration, RM infusion can cause poisoning through the oral path. Thus, in-depth in vivo pharmacological studies and clinical trials are needed to transmute the traditional applications of RM into scientific-based information.

Encapsulation of Natural Bioactive Compounds by Electrospinning-Applications in Food Storage and Safety

Packaging is used to protect foods from environmental influences and microbial contamination to maintain the quality and safety of commercial food products, to avoid their spoilage and to extend their shelf life. In this respect, bioactive packaging is developing to additionally provides antibacterial and antioxidant activity with the same goals i.e., extending the shelf life while ensuring safety of the food products. New solutions are designed using natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agents such as essential oils, some polysaccharides, natural inorganic nanoparticles (nanoclays, oxides, metals as silver) incorporated/encapsulated into appropriate carriers in order to be used in food packaging. Electrospinning/electrospraying are receiving attention as encapsulation methods due to their cost-effectiveness, versatility and scalability. The electrospun nanofibers and electro-sprayed nanoparticles can preserve the functionality and protect the encapsulated bioactive compounds (BC). In this review are summarized recent results regarding applications of nanostructured suitable materials containing essential oils for food safety.

In Vivo Antiplasmodial Activity and Toxicological Analyses of the Ethanolic Leaf and Twig Extract of Faurea speciosa Welw. (Proteaceae)

In Africa, medicinal plants are commonly used to treat malaria and other diseased conditions. The ethanolic leaf and twig extract of Faurea speciosa has been shown to possess promising antiplasmodial properties. This present study was aimed at investigating its antiplasmodial effect in vivo. Qualitative phytochemical screening was carried out on the plant samples using standard methods. The antiplasmodial effect against early infection, curative effect against established infection, and prophylactic effect against residual infection were studied in vivo in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice while the carrageenan-induced edema model in chicks was used for anti-inflammatory tests. The phosphomolybdenum and DPPH radical scavenging assays were used in the evaluation of antioxidant potential. Acute toxicity of the extract was evaluated using the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines. Phytochemical screening of plant samples revealed the presence of flavonoids, coumarins, tannins, saponins, and glycosides. Faurea speciosa leaf and twig extract exhibited significant antiplasmodial activities in the mouse model with parasite suppression rates of 66.63%, 71.70%, and 56.93% in the suppressive, curative, and prophylactic tests, respectively. A 55.50% reduction of edema in the anti-inflammatory test indicated moderate success in reducing inflammation. The total antioxidant capacity of the extract was determined to be 65.4 mg AAE/g of extract, while in the DPPH radical scavenging assay, the IC₅₀ value was found to be 499.4 μg/mL. With the exception of an inconsistent rise in urea level, there was no significant difference in the other biochemistry parameters in the acute toxicity studied. The median lethal dose (LD₅₀) of the extract was over 2000 mg/kg. The results of this study show that Faurea speciosa leaf and twig extract has promising antimalarial capabilities and is fairly safe at low concentrations.