Assessment of Antimicrobial, Anticancer, and Antioxidant Activity of Verthimia iphionoides Plant Extract

Verthimia iphionoides extract from Palestine was tested in vitro for its antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer activities. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) measurements were made concurrently. By using FRAP and DPPH methods, the antioxidant activity were measured spectrophotometrically. By using HPLC-PDA, phenolic and flavonoid compounds of the extract were determined. Results showed strong antioxidant activity of the plant extract revealed by inhibition of stable free radicals (DPPH test) and strong reducing ability (FRAP test). According to spectrophotometric methods for total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids content, the extracts were also found to be rich in polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids. Verthimia iphionoides extract had high antibacterial activity against three bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus aureus), with inhibition zone values of 14 mm, 25 mm, and 27 mm, respectively. Bioactivities were primarily attributed to plants’ abundant phenol-based chemical composition. Additionally, the extract was found to be abundant in phenolic and flavonoids, which improved its reducing activity and capacity to scavenge free radicals. Plant extracts were subjected to HPLC analysis, which identified different flavonoids and phenolic compounds in the extracts.

Chiliadenus iphionoides Reduces Body Weight and Improves Parameters Related to Hepatic Lipid and Glucose Metabolism in a High-Fat-Diet-Induced Mice Model of NAFLD

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become an epidemic with increasing prevalence. Limited treatment options and poor adherence emphasize the urgent need for novel therapies for the treatment and/or prevention of NAFLD. Bioactive natural compounds found in medicinal plants are promising as novel therapeutic agents for NAFLD. Chiliadenus iphionoides, a medicinal plant with several health-promoting properties, is an encouraging candidate. The current study aimed to elucidate the metabolic effects of C. iphionoides consumption in a high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced model of NAFLD. Male C57BL/6J mice (n = 40, 7–8-week-old) were fed a HFD (60% fat) with/without 0.5 or 2.5 gr C. iphionoides for fifteen weeks. Diet supplementation with C. iphionoides significantly ameliorated HFD-induced weight gain. Likewise, liver and adipose tissue weights were profoundly lower in the C. iphionoides-fed groups. Reduced liver steatosis in those groups was corroborated by histology, plasma liver enzyme levels, and lipid profile, indicating improved liver function and lipid metabolism in addition to enhanced insulin sensitivity. The addition of C. iphionoides to an obesogeneic diet can beneficially alleviate metabolic alterations and may be a practicable strategy for the management of NAFLD.

An Evaluation of the DNA-Protective Effects of Extracts from Menyanthes trifoliata L. Plants Derived from In Vitro Culture Associated with Redox Balance and Other Biological Activities

Menyanthes trifoliata L. is a valuable medical plant found in Europe, North America, and Asia, which grows on peat bogs and swamps. It has long been used in folk medicine as a remedy for various ailments. This is the first report to demonstrate the protective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of aqueous methanolic extracts derived from the aerial parts (MtAPV) and roots (MtRV) of in vitro grown plants on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). It describes the influence of the tested extracts on the expression of antioxidant (HO-1, NQO1, NRF2, kEAP1, and GCLC) and inflammation-related genes (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) in cells stimulated with H₂O₂ or LPS, respectively. In addition, M. trifoliata extracts were found to moderately affect the growth of certain bacterial and fungal pathogens, with the strongest antibacterial effect found against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis. M. trifoliata extracts demonstrated protective effects against mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) damage caused by ROS, decreasing the numbers of mtDNA lesions in the ND1 and ND2 genes and nDNA damage in the TP53 and HPRT1 genes and reducing cleavage in PARP1- and γ-H2A.X-positive cells. The root extract of in vitro M. trifoliata (MtRV) appears to have better anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and protective properties than the extract from the aerial part (MtAPV). These differences in biological properties may result from the higher content of selected phenolic compounds and betulinic acid in the MtRV than in the MtAPV extract.