Artemisia vulgaris anthelmintic activities to ova and adult stages of Fasciola gigantica in vitro

Background and Aim

Fasciolosis due to Fasciola gigantica is endemic to tropical countries and Fasciola hepatica in temperate climates, highly detrimental to livestock and known as foodborne zoonotic diseases. The strategic control of the disease is mainly the use of chemical anthelmintic. This study aimed to evaluate the anthelmintic properties of Artemisia vulgaris extract on the ova and adult stages of F. gigantica.

Materials and Methods

Samples were collected from the Ampel Abbatoir, Boyolali District, Central Java, Indonesia. The ova from 20-gallbladders of cattle which were naturally infected with F. gigantica and 270 living F. gigantica worms were used in this study. The ovicidal assay was performed by incubating the ova with A. vulgaris in different concentrations, that is, 5%, 2.5%, and 1.25% for 5, 9, 11, 14, and 16 days. The efficacies were evaluated by quantification of ova degeneration during developmental stages in different time points and egg-hatch assay. The flukicidal effects were observed by mortality assay in 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, and 640 min incubations followed by scanning electron microscopy for surface morphology and histology of the fluke's transversal sections.

Results

The concentration of 5% A. vulgaris showed the strongest ovicidal activities. The percentage of hatching ova on day 16 at concentrations of 5%, 2.5%, and 1.25% were 3.33%, 6.67%, and 16.67%. These ova hatch assay showed a significant reduction (p < 0.001) compared to untreated control. The flukicidal effect was significant (p < 0.001) at a concentration of 20%, with a mortality rate reaching 66.67% in the 40 min of incubation time. The surface properties of the adult worms, including the spine, tegument, acetabulum, intestine, and vitelline follicles, were disintegrated.

Conclusion

The results showed that A. vulgaris has the potential ovicidal and flukicidal properties to F. gigantica. The active compounds remained necessary to be elucidated further and its modes of action would be interesting to be predicted by molecular docking modeling.

Nematicidal Potential of Sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) against the Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita

The content of nematicidal metabolites such as saponins, flavonoids and tannins in sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) suggests its potential nematicidal activity. In this study, the biocidal activity of 62.5–1000 μg mL⁻¹ concentrations of flavonoid and tannin fractions from sulla was assessed in in vitro assays on the infective juveniles (J2) of the root-knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne incognita, while the suppressive effects of soil amendments with 10–40 g kg⁻¹ soil rates of sulla biomass were investigated on potted tomato infested by M. incognita. The content of total nitrogen, carbon, flavonoids, tannins and saponins of sulla experimental material was also determined. After a 96-h exposure, more than 80% of the M. incognita J2 were killed even by a 125 µg mL⁻¹ concentration of the flavonoid extract, while mortality peaked at 89% only at the 1000 µg mL⁻¹ concentration of the tannin solution. Soil incorporation with sulla biomass significantly reduced the M. incognita densities both on tomato roots and in the soil, compared to either the non-treated control and chemical treatment with Fluopyram. The data confirmed the nematicidal potential of sulla, mainly due to its content of flavonoids and tannins, suggesting its suitability as green manure or a soil amendment for sustainable RKN management.

Bridging the Gaps between Plant and Human Health: A Systematic Review of Soyasaponins

Saponins, prominent secondary plant metabolites, are recognized for their roles in plant defense and medicinal benefits. Soyasaponins, commonly derived from legumes, are a class of triterpenoid saponins that demonstrate significant potential for plant and human health applications. Previous research and reviews largely emphasize human health effects of soyasaponins. However, the biological effects of soyasaponins and their implications for plants in the context of human health have not been well-discussed. This review provides comprehensive discussions on the biological roles of soyasaponins in plant defense and rhizosphere microbial interactions; biosynthetic regulation and compound production; immunological effects and potential for therapeutics; and soyasaponin acquisition attributed to processing effects, bioavailability, and biotransformation processes based on recent soyasaponin research. Given the multifaceted biological effects elicited by soyasaponins, further research warrants an integrated approach to understand molecular mechanisms of regulations in their production as well as their applications in plant and human health.

Lipid Metabolism, Carcass Characteristics and Longissimus dorsi Muscle Fatty Acid Composition of Tropical Crossbred Beef Cattle in Response to Desmanthus spp. Forage Backgrounding

Lipid metabolism, carcass characteristics and fatty acid (FA) composition of the Longissimus dorsi (loin eye) muscle were evaluated in tropical crossbred steers backgrounded on Desmanthus spp. (desmanthus) with or without feedlot finishing. It was hypothesized that steers backgrounded on isonitrogenous diets augmented with incremental proportions of desmanthus will produce carcasses with similar characteristics and FA composition. Forty-eight Brahman, Charbray and Droughtmaster crossbred beef steers were backgrounded for 140 days on Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay augmented with 0, 15, 30 or 45 percent desmanthus on dry matter basis. Lucerne (Medicago sativa) hay was added to the 0, 15 and 30 percent desmanthus diets to ensure that they were isonitrogenous with the 45 percent desmanthus diet. After backgrounding, the two heaviest steers in each pen were slaughtered and the rest were finished in the feedlot for 95 days before slaughter. Muscle biopsy samples were taken at the beginning and end of the backgrounding phase. Carcasses were sampled at slaughter for intramuscular fat (IMF) content, fat melting point (FMP) and FA composition analyses. Increasing the proportion of desmanthus in the diet led to a linear increase in docosanoic acid (p = 0.04) and omega-6/omega-3 polyunsaturated FA ratio (n-6/n-3 PUFA; p = 0.01), while docosahexaenoic acid decreased linearly (p = 0.01). Feedlot finishing increased hot carcass weight, subcutaneous fat depth at the P8 site and dressing percentage (p ≤ 0.04). The n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was within the recommended < 5 for human diets. IMF was within the consumer-preferred ≥3% level for palatability. The hypothesis that steers backgrounded on isonitrogenous diets augmented with incremental proportions of desmanthus will produce similar carcass characteristics and FA composition was accepted. These findings indicate that a combination of tropical beef cattle backgrounding on desmanthus augmented forage and short-term feedlot finishing produces healthy and highly palatable meat.

Chemical Identification of Specialized Metabolites from Sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) Collected in Southern Italy

Sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) is a biennal forage legume originated from the Mediterranean basin and used for animal feeding due to its high forage quality and palatability. Several species of Hedysarum have been considered for their nutritional, pharmaceutical, and biological properties, and different applications have been reported, both for human consumption and animal nutrition. Although a systematic investigation of the chemical constituents of Hedysarum spp. has been performed in order to provide chemotaxonomic evidences for the genus and to support the pharmacological application of several species within the genus, few data are available on the chemical constituents of H. coronarium, and only the content of condensed tannins and flavonoids in leaves has been previously reported. In the present paper, results from a detailed chemical analysis of the extracts from the leaves and flowers of H. coronarium grown wild in southern Italy are presented. Identification of the main specialized metabolites within the chemical classes of flavonoids, proanthocyanidins and saponins, is described, including considerations on their content in the two plant organs. Information acquired from this study expands the knowledge on H. coronarium as a source of valuable phytochemicals for different applications in human and animal health and nutrition.

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Targeted Mutagenesis of CYP93E2 Modulates the Triterpene Saponin Biosynthesis in Medicago truncatula

In the Medicago genus, triterpene saponins are a group of bioactive compounds extensively studied for their different biological and pharmaceutical properties. In this work, the CRISPR/Cas9-based approach with two single-site guide RNAs was used in Medicago truncatula (barrel medic) to knock-out the CYP93E2 and CYP72A61 genes, which are responsible for the biosynthesis of soyasapogenol B, the most abundant soyasapogenol in Medicago spp. No transgenic plants carrying mutations in the target CYP72A61 gene were recovered while fifty-two putative CYP93E2 mutant plant lines were obtained following Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Among these, the fifty-one sequenced plant lines give an editing efficiency of 84%. Sequencing revealed that these lines had various mutation patterns at the target sites. Four T0 mutant plant lines were further selected and examined for their sapogenin content and plant growth performance under greenhouse conditions. The results showed that all tested CYP93E2 knock-out mutants did not produce soyasapogenols in the leaves, stems and roots, and diverted the metabolic flux toward the production of valuable hemolytic sapogenins. No adverse influence was observed on the plant morphological features of CYP93E2 mutants under greenhouse conditions. In addition, differential expression of saponin pathway genes was observed in CYP93E2 mutants in comparison to the control. Our results provide new and interesting insights into the application of CRISPR/Cas9 for metabolic engineering of high-value compounds of plant origin and will be useful to investigate the physiological functions of saponins in planta.

Biological Activities and Chemistry of Triterpene Saponins from Medicago Species: An Update Review

Plants are known to be a great source of phytochemicals for centuries. Medicago, belonging to the Family Fabaceae, is a large and well spread genus comprising about 83 cosmopolitan species, of which one-third are annuals and span diverse ecological niches. Medicago species are rich in saponins mainly classified into three classes, namely, steroid alkaloid glycosides, triterpene glycosides, and steroid glycosides. These saponins are important compounds having diverse pharmacological and biological activities. As a whole, 95 of saponins are reported to date occurring in Medicago species using various latest extraction/isolation techniques. Considering the multiple biological and pharmacological potential of Medicago species due to saponins along with structural diversity, we compiled this review article to sum up the recent reports for the pharmacological potential of the Medicago's derived saponins in modern as well as traditional medication systems. The current manuscript produces data of chemical structures and molecular masses of all Medicago species saponins simultaneously. The toxicity of certain pure saponins (aglycones) has been reported in vitro; hederagenin appeared highly toxic in comparison to medicagenic acid and bayogenin against X. index, while soyasaponin I, containing soyasapogenol B as a glycone, appeared as the least toxic saponin. The diversity in the structural forms shows a close relationship for its biological and pharmacological actions. Moreover, saponins showed antioxidant properties and the mechanism behind antimicrobial potential also elaborated in this review article is mainly because of the side sugar groups on these compounds. The collected data presented herein include chemical structures and molecular masses of all saponins so far. Their biological activity and therapeutic potential are also discussed. This information can be the starting point for future research on this important genus.

Activity of Saponins from Medicago Species against Phytoparasitic Nematodes

Content of bioactive saponins of Medicago species suggests that they may also exert, as previously demonstrated on M. sativa, nematicidal properties exploitable for the formulation of new products for sustainable phytoparasitic nematode management. This study was addressed to highlight the bioactivity of saponins from five different Medicago species still poorly known for their biological efficacy, i.e., M. heyniana, M. hybrida, M. lupulina, M. murex and M. truncatula, against the plant parasitic nematodes Meloidogyne incognita, Xiphinema index and Globodera rostochiensis. The bioactivity of the extracts from the five Medicago species was assessed by in vitro assays on the juveniles (J2) and eggs of M. incognita and G. rostochiensis and the adult females of X. index. The suppressiveness to M. incognita of soil treatments with the Medicago plant biomasses was also investigated in a tomato experiment. The nematicidal activity of the five Medicago species was reported and discussed in relation to their phytochemical profile.

Aqueous extract from leaves of Ludwigia hyssopifolia (G. Don) Exell as potential bioherbicide

BACKGROUND

Ludwigia hyssopifolia (G. Don) Exell, one of the problem weeds in some rice-producing countries, was studied to determine its allelopathic potential based on the effects of aqueous extracts of its tissues (leaves, roots and stem) on seedling growth of selected weeds and rice. The major phenolic compound of its leaves was also isolated and characterized.

RESULTS

L. hyssopifolia aqueous leaf extract showed significant inhibition of shoot growth and biomass accumulation of weeds (Amaranthus spinosus L., Dactyloctenium aegyptium L., Cyperus iria L.) while maintaining less adverse effects on rice (crop) compared to other aqueous extracts of roots and stem. Phytochemical screening showed that phenols, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins and coumarins are found in its leaf aqueous extract. The Folin-Ciocalteu method revealed that its leaves contain 26.66 ± 0.30 mg GAE g^-1 leaf. The extract was then acid-hydrolyzed to liberate the phenolics (25 mg phenolics g^-1 leaf). The major compound was isolated via preparative thin-layer chromatography using formic acid-ethyl acetate-n-hexane (0.05:4:6) solvent system. It had maximum UV absorption at 272 nm while its Fourier transform infrared spectrum revealed phenol, carboxylic acid and ether functionalities. This also had similar chromatographic mobility when run together with syringic acid in two-dimensional paper chromatography and thin-layer chromatography.

CONCLUSIONS

L. hyssopifolia has potential allelopathic activity and its leaf aqueous extract showed the highest phytotoxic activity (P ≤ 0.05) indicating its potential as a bioherbicide. The most probable identity of the major phenolic compound is syringic acid. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

In Vitro Anthelmintic Activity of Saponins from Medicago spp. Against Sheep Gastrointestinal Nematodes

Gastrointestinal strongyle nematodes (GIS) are included among the most important parasites of small ruminants. The widespread drug resistance and drug residues in products of animal origin have increased the interest in the search for natural compounds with anthelmintic activity as a valid alternative to current synthetic drugs. The aim of the present investigation was to test the ‘in vitro’ anthelmintic activity of saponins and prosapogenins from different Medicago species, selected for their importance as a forage crop worldwide for animal feeding. From these plants, saponin mixtures were extracted, purified and used at scalar concentrations to evaluate their anthelmintic activities against sheep gastrointestinal strongyles (GISs), by the egg hatch test. Treated and untreated controls were used as the comparison. Data were statistically analyzed, and EC₅₀ and EC₉₀ were also calculated. All saponins and prosapogenins showed inhibiting effects on GIS eggs in a concentration-dependent manner. At higher concentrations, most of them showed an efficacy comparable to the reference drug (Thiabendazole 3 µg/mL) (P < 0.001). With 1.72 mg/mL EC₅₀ and 3.84 mg/mL EC₉₀, saponin from M. polymorpha cultivars Anglona was the most active. Obtained results encourage further studies aimed at evaluating the efficacy ‘in vivo’ of saponins which resulted as most effective ‘in vitro’ in this study.

Allelopathic and Autotoxic Effects of Medicago sativa-Derived Allelochemicals

In this study, the allelopathic properties of Medicago sativa on different weeds were investigated under in vitro conditions. The compounds involved in the autotoxicity of M. sativa were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The extracts of all concentrations inhibited the growth of the calluses of Digitaria ciliaris, Chenopodium album, Amaranthus lividus, Portulaca oleracea, and Commelina communis. Six allelopathic compounds in alfalfa were identified and quantified, and the most predominant phenolic compounds were salicylic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. Various concentrations (10-2, 10-3, and 10-5 M) of all the tested phenolic compounds exerted inhibitory effects on callus fresh weight. Rutin, salicylic acid, scopoletin, and quercetin significantly inhibited alfalfa seed germination. Of the seven identified saponins, medicagenic acid saponins exhibited the highest autotoxic effect and significantly lowered seed germination rate. Principal component analysis showed that the phenolic compounds and saponin composition significantly contributed to the different variables. The highly phytotoxic properties of the alfalfa-derived phenolic compounds and saponins indicate that these phytochemicals can be a potential source of bioherbicides.

In Vitro Anthelmintic Activity of Saponins Derived from Medicago spp. Plants against Donkey Gastrointestinal Nematodes

With the aim to find new effective natural compounds for the control of nematodes, the in vitro anthelminthic properties of purified 1% saponins showing different chemical compositions and derived from Medicago sativa (MS), Medicago arborea (MA), Medicago polymorpha cultivar 'Santiago' (MPS), M. polymorpha cultivar 'Anglona' (MPA), and 1% prosapogenins from M. sativa (MSp), were evaluated and compared. As a source of nematode eggs, pooled fresh fecal samples taken from dairy donkeys naturally infected by gastrointestinal nematodes were used. From fecal samples, eggs were recovered, suspended in deionized water, and used immediately in the bioassay (egg hatch test). The activity of the tested compounds was compared to positive (0.1% thiabendazole) and negative (deionized water and 1% DMSO) controls. All experiments were repeated in triplicate and the obtained data were statistically analyzed. All the tested plant compounds caused a significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of nematode egg hatching (>80%). Moreover, all saponins and prosapogenins showed in vitro anthelmintic properties statistically comparable to that of the reference drug (p < 0.05), except for MPS extract. Obtained results showed that the different Medicago saponins evaluated in this study possess high anthelmintic properties against gastrointestinal nematodes of dairy donkeys, although to a different extent depending on their composition.

Sapogenin content variation in Medicago inter-specific hybrid derivatives highlights some aspects of saponin synthesis and control

In the Medicago genus, saponins are a complex mixture of triterpene glycosides showing a broad spectrum of biological properties. Here we analyzed the variation in the sapogenin content and composition of inter-specific hybrid Medicago sativa × Medicago arborea derivatives to highlight the pattern of this variation in plant organs (leaves/roots) and the possible mechanisms underlying it. In Sativa Arborea Cross (SAC) leaves and roots, saponins and sapogenins were evaluated using chromatographic methods. Phenotypic correlations between sapogenin content and bio-agronomic traits were examined. Expression studies on β-amyrin synthase and four cytochromes P450 (CYPs) involved in sapogenin biosynthesis and sequence analysis of the key gene of the hemolytic sapogenin pathway (CYP716A12) were performed. Chromatographic analyses revealed a different pattern of among-family variation for hemolytic and nonhemolytic sapogenins and saponins and for the two organs/tissues. Different correlation patterns of gene expression in roots and leaves were found. Diachronic analysis revealed a relationship between sapogenin content and gene transcriptional levels in the early stages of the productive cycle. The results suggest that there are different control mechanisms acting on sapogenin biosynthesis for leaves and roots, which are discussed. A key role for medicagenic acid in the control of sapogenin content in both the tissues is proposed and discussed.

Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity, and Quantitative Estimation of Flavonoids, Saponins and Phenols in Crude Extract and Dry Fractions of Medicago lupulina Aerial Parts

This study was designed to evaluate the flavonoid, saponin (TSC) and phenolic (TPC) contents and in vitro antioxidant activity of the crude (CME) and dry extracts and fractions of Medicago lupulina L. aerial parts. A validated RP-HPLC method led to quantitation of flavonols (kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin) and flavones (apigenin and luteolin) in the hydrolyzed extract. TSC and TPC were assayed spectrophotometrically at 560 and 760 nm, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the CME and the dry fractions were followed in vitro by DPPH free radical and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods. The flavonoid content of CME was 1.27 mg/g dw. The prevailing flavonoids were luteolin and myricetin, at concentrations of 0.37 and 0.36 mg/g dw, respectively. TSC and TPC were detected in CME at the level of 90.4 mg ESE/g dw, and 12.9 mg GAE/g dw, respectively. In the DPPH and FRAP tests, the CME exhibited antioxidant capacity with TEAA and FRAP values of 45.4 μmol Trolox®/g dw and 0.2 mmol Fe2+/g dw, respectively. The diethyl ether dry fraction was the most valuable one, showing the highest antioxidant activity (TEAA = 726.1 μmol Trolox®/g dw, FRAP = 2349.4 μmol Fe2+/g dw) that was in accordance with its high TPC (162.4 mg/g dw).

Chemical Investigation of Saponins from Twelve Annual Medicago Species and their Bioassay with the Brine Shrimp Artemia salina

The saponin and sapogenin composition of the aerial growth of 12 annual Medicago species sampled at full senescence were investigated. Saponins were extracted from the plant material and obtained in a highly pure grade by reverse-phase chromatography, with a yield ranging from 0.38 ± 0.04% to 1.35 ± 0.08% dry matter, depending on the species. Sapogenins were then obtained after acid hydrolysis of saponins, and evaluated by GC/FID and GC/MS methods. Different compositions of the aglycone moieties were observed in the 12 Medicago species. Medicagenic acid was the dominant aglycone in M. × blancheana, M. doliata, M. littoralis, M. rotata, M. rugosa, M. scutellata, M. tornata and M. truncatula, bayogenin and hederagenin in M. arabica and M. rigidula, echinocystic acid in M. polymorpha, and soyasapogenol B in M. aculeata. The purified saponin mixtures, characterized by different chemical compositions, were then used in a toxicity test using the brine shrimp Artemia salina. The most active compounds were the saponins from M. arabica and M. rigidula with LD50 values of 10.1 and 4.6 μg/mL, respectively. A structure-activity relationship for the tested saponin mixtures was observed.

Quinic Acids from Aster caucasicus and from Transgenic Callus Expressing a β-Amyrin Synthase§

Several different classes of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, triterpenoid saponins and quinic acid derivatives, are found in Aster spp. (Fam. Asteraceae). Several Aster compounds revealed biological as well as pharmacological activities. In this work, a phytochemical investigation of A. caucasicus evidenced the presence of quinic acid derivatives, as well as the absence of triterpene saponins. To combine in one species the production of different phytochemicals, including triterpenes, an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of A. caucasicus was set up to introduce A. sedifolius β-amyrin synthase (AsOXA1)-encoding gene under the control of the constitutive promoter CaMV35S. The quali-quantitative analysis of transgenic calli with ectopic expression of AsOXA1 showed, in one sample, a negligible amount of triterpene saponins combined with higher amount of quinic acid derivatives as compared with the wild type callus.

Analysis of Saponin Mixtures from Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa L.) Roots using Mass Spectrometry with MALDI Techniques

This model study demonstrates the value of Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) MS in global analysis of mixtures of saponin isolates. Unfractionated saponin extract derived from alfalfa [Medicago sativa L.] roots was analyzed. In addition, a few saponin fractions that were purified from the same extract by a series of chromatographic steps were also studied. MALDI mass spectrometry utilized TOF, TOF/TOF and QqTOF analyzers. Low-resolution fingerprints of the mixture characterized the sample in terms of a minimal number of distinct saponin components. The main species observed under MALDI-TOF and oMaldi-QqTOF MS positive ion mode conditions were sodiated pseudomolecular ions [M+Na]+. No protonated molecular ions [M+H]+ were detected. The MS/MS spectra acquired on [M+Na]+ precursor ions under conditions of collision induced dissociation (CID) were dominated by cleavages at glycosidic bonds. Product ions representing free aglycones were either absent or present at low intensities and were never observed for structures carrying an oligosaccharide bound to a sapogenin at the C3- O-position. In general, product ion series generated from CID fragmentation of glycans bound via an ether bond ( e.g., C3- O-position in medicagenic acid) were consistent with the gas phase cleavages of each of the glycosidic bonds within the oligosaccharide, thus revealing the primary structure. In contrast, glycans bound via an ester bond ( e.g., C28- O-position in MA) were released as intact sodiated species. A total of 78 pseudomolecular ions demonstrating signal-to-noise ratios above 5 were observed in the MALDI-TOF mass spectrum of unfractionated root extract from M. sativa. Molecular masses of 52 out of 78 were consistent with at least one known or novel saponin structure, with 10 of those 52 likely representing doubly sodiated saponin species. Calculated masses of the majority of the known M. sativa saponin structures were matched to experimental pseudomolecular ion masses. MS/MS analysis of unfractionated extract allowed us to propose putative structures for 51 saponins: 15 of these corresponded to the known M. sativa species, 8 to other Medicago genus species and 26 were not reported before for Medicago genus. We submit that the approach described here might serve as a high throughput strategy for evaluating effects of stressors or genetic manipulation on the overall composition of the saponin content of an organism.