Extracts of medicinal plants with natural deep eutectic solvents: enhanced antimicrobial activity and low genotoxicity

Designing Low Toxic Deep Eutectic Solvents for the Green Recycle of Lithium-Ion Batteries Cathodes

The Lithium-ion battery (LIB) is one of the main energy storage equipment. Its cathode material contains Li, Co, and other valuable metals. Therefore, recycling spent LIBs can reduce environmental pollution and resource waste, which is significant for sustainable development. However, traditional metallurgical methods are not environmentally friendly, with high cost and environmental toxicity. Recently, the concept of green chemistry gives rise to environmental and efficient recycling technology, which promotes the transition of recycling solvents from organic solvents to green solvents represented by deep eutectic solvents (DESs). DESs are considered as ideal alternative solvents in extraction processes, attracting great attention due to their low cost, low toxicity, good biodegradability, and high extraction capacity. It is very important to develop the DESs system for LIBs recycling for sustainable development of energy and green economic development of recycling technology. In this work, the applications and research progress of DESs in LIBs recovery are reviewed, and the physicochemical properties such as viscosity, toxicity and regulatory properties are summarized and discussed. In particular, the toxicity data of DESs are collected and analyzed. Finally, the guidance and prospects for future research are put forward, aiming to explore more suitable DESs for recycling valuable metals in batteries.

Exploring the Biosafety Potential of Haberlea rhodopensis Friv. In Vitro Culture Total Ethanol Extract: A Comprehensive Assessment of Genotoxicity, Mitotoxicity, and Cytotoxicity for Therapeutic Applications

The escalating elderly population worldwide has prompted a surge of interest in longevity medicine. Its goal is to interfere with the speed of ageing by slowing it down or even reversing its accompanying effects. As a field, it is rapidly growing and spreading into different branches. One of these is the use of nutraceuticals as anti-ageing drugs. This field is gaining massive popularity nowadays, as people are shifting towards a more natural approach to life and seeking to use natural products as a source of medicine. The present article focuses on the cellular effect of Haberlea rhodopensis Friv. in vitro culture total ethanol extract (HRT), produced by a sustainable biotechnological approach. The extract showed a similar phytochemical profile to plant leaf extract and was rich in primary bioactive ingredients-caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycosides, myconoside, and paucifloside. This study examined the biosafety potential, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and mitochondrial activity of the extract using in vitro cultures. The results showed high cell survival rates and minimal cytotoxic effects on Lep3 cells, with no induction of reactive oxygen species nor genotoxicity. Additionally, the extract positively influenced mitochondrial activity, indicating potential benefits for cellular health. The results are promising and show the beneficial effect of HRT without the observation of any adverse effects, which sets the foundation for its further testing and potential therapeutic applications.

Investigation of antifungal and antibacterial potential of green extracts of propolis

Propolis extracts have been used in traditional medicines since ages due to its advantageous complex chemical composition. However, the antibacterial and antifungal activity of poplar propolis extracts prepared in Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES) are seldom studied. This study investigates suitable alternate for ethanol as a solvent for extraction for Polish poplar propolis. It also attempts to identify suitable extraction condition for the efficient transfer of compounds from propolis to the solvents. The extraction efficiency of NADES extracts was assessed in terms of total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity. The chemical composition of the extracts was analysed using UHPLC-DAD-QqTOF-MS. Four extracts, prepared in Propylene Glycol, Choline Chloride:Propylene Glycol (1:3), Choline Chloride:Propylene Glycol (1:4) and Choline Chloride:Glycerol (1:2), demonstrated activity and properties similar to ethanolic extract and extraction at 50 °C was found the most suitable for propolis. HPLC analysis confirmed that the chemical cocktail extracted by these solvents from propolis were identical with minor variations in their concentration as compared to its ethanolic extract. Thus, extracts of propolis at 50 °C in Propylene Glycol, Choline Chloride:Propylene Glycol (1:3) and Choline Chloride:Propylene Glycol (1:4) can be alternates for ethanolic extracts.

Insight into the influence of natural deep eutectic solvents on the extraction of phenolic compounds from poplar type propolis: Composition and in vitro biological activity

Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) have been considered promising to replace traditional volatile and toxic organic solvents for the extraction of biologically active substances from natural sources. This work applied an efficient and ethanol-exclusion strategy for extraction of phenolic compounds from poplar type propolis using five known NADESs (lactic acid:1,2-propanediol 1:1, lactic acid:fructose 5:1, choline chloride:1,2-propanediol 1:3, choline chloride:1,2-propanediol:water 1:1:1 and betaine:malic acid:water 1:1:6). The selected NADESs' extractability was evaluated by measuring the concentrations of total phenolics and total flavones and flavonols in the propolis extracts obtained, which qualitative chemical composition was further determined in detail by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. It demonstrated that the chemical profiles of NADES and 70% ethanolic propolis extracts are similar. To expand the knowledge about the role of the applied solvents in the poplar propolis extraction process, the in vitro antimicrobial, cytotoxic and genotoxic activity of both NADESs and liquid NADES extracts were evaluated. The results revealed that the use of the selected NADESs as an extraction media for phenolic compounds from poplar propolis not only delivered a good extraction yield in some cases, but generally led to the preservation of propolis extracts' biological activity and even to the enhancement of their antimicrobial effect in comparison with the hydroethanolic one. Besides, the tested NADESs except for lactic acid:fructose and betaine:malic acid:water exerted low to negligible toxicity against normal cells treated and apart from lactic acid:fructose the remaining solvents demonstrated concentration-dependent moderate to subtle genotoxicity. There is a probability that not the supramolecular structure of the NADESs, but their components, played a key role for the observed biological effects. The present study has demonstrated an alternative approach for extracting the biologically active complex from poplar type propolis using NADESs, which could be useful for further pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical applications.

Valorization of artichoke outer petals by using ultrasound-assisted extraction and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) for the recovery of phenolic compounds

BACKGROUND

In the present study, natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) as a novel green tool were used for the recovery of bioactive compounds with respect to the valorization of artichoke outer petals. NADES coupled with ultrasound-assisted extraction was applied by varying the type of hydrogen bond acceptors (choline chloride or betain) and hydrogen bond donors (sucrose, lactic acid, citric acid, oxalic acid and glycerol) in the NADES mixtures. Thereafter, extraction efficacy was assessed in terms of total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity and individual phenolic composition and their levels by comparing the results obtained by NADES with those for a reference methanolic extract.

RESULTS

Based on the results of the present study, the use of choline chloride and lactic acid mixtures was superior for obtaining extracts with high levels of phenolic compounds (12.96 g GAE kg-1 DW) and high antioxidant potential (60.68 g TE kg-1 DW). In addition, gallic acid, syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, luteolin, apigenin, rutin and quercetin were detected in all extracts by chromatographic evaluation. As major phenolic compounds, chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid were found to be maximum in lactic acid-based NADES mixtures.

CONCLUSION

The present study reveals the potential treatment of various plants, wastes or by-products with NADES combined with an ultrasonication method for the extraction of bioactive compounds with enhanced recovery and selectivity, with the aim of incorporating them into various food and pharmaceutical formulations. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

From Nature to Innovation: The Uncharted Potential of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents

This review discusses the significance of natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs) as a promising green extraction technology. It employs the consolidated meta-analytic approach theory methodology, using the Web of Science and Scopus databases to analyze 2091 articles as the basis of the review. This review explores NaDESs by examining their properties, challenges, and limitations. It underscores the broad applications of NaDESs, some of which remain unexplored, with a focus on their roles as solvents and preservatives. NaDESs' connections with nanocarriers and their use in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical sectors are highlighted. This article suggests that biomimicry could inspire researchers to develop technologies that are less harmful to the human body by emulating natural processes. This approach challenges the notion that green science is inferior. This review presents numerous successful studies and applications of NaDESs, concluding that they represent a viable and promising avenue for research in the field of green chemistry.

A review on natural based deep eutectic solvents (NADESs): fundamentals and potential applications in removing heavy metals from soil

Natural based deep eutectic solvent (NADES) is a promising green solvent to replace the conventional soil washing solvent due to the environmental benign properties such as low toxicity, high biodegradability, high polarity or hydrophilicity, and low cost of fabrication process. The application of NADES is intensively studied in the extraction of organic compounds or natural products from vegetations or organic matters. Conversely, the use of the solvent in removing heavy metals from soil is severely lacking. This review focuses on the potential application of NADES as a soil washing agent to remove heavy metal contaminants. Hydrophilicity is an important feature of a NADES to be used as a soil washing solvent. In this context, choline chloride is often used as hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) whereby choline chloride based NADESs showed excellent performance in the extraction of various solutes in the past studies. The nature of NADES along with its chemistry, preparation and designing methods as well as potential applications were comprehensively reviewed. Subsequently, related studies on choline chloride-based NADES in heavy metal polluted soil remediation were also reviewed. Potential applications in removing other soil contaminants as well as the limitations of NADES were discussed based on the current advancements of soil washing and future research directions were also proposed.

The increasing importance of novel deep eutectic solvents as potential effective antimicrobials and other medicinal properties

With the rise of antibiotic resistance globally, coupled with evolving and emerging infectious diseases, there is an urgent need for the development of novel antimicrobials. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are a new generation of eutectic mixtures that depict promising attributes with several biological implications. DES exhibit unique properties such as low toxicity, biodegradability, and high thermal stability. Herein, the antimicrobial properties of DES and their mechanisms of action against a range of microorganisms, including bacteria, amoebae, fungi, viruses, and anti-cancer properties are reviewed. Overall, DES represent a promising class of novel antimicrobial agents as well as possessing other important biological attributes, however, future studies on DES are needed to investigate their underlying antimicrobial mechanism, as well as their in vivo effects, for use in the clinic and public at large.

Phytochemical and Pharmacological Properties of a Traditional Herb, Strobilanthes Cusia (Nees) Kuntze

The present investigation aimed to determine the effectiveness of bioactive components extracted from Hom herbs (Strobilanthes cusia (Nees) Kuntze) using the solvent-free microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) method. The obtained bioactive components were analyzed for total phenolic content (TPC) and active ingredient content. The Hom extracts were examined for antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, and anticancer activities. The comparative analysis of extraction methods MAE was studied by using different solvents such as ethanol (EtOH), 50% ethanol (50EtOH) and distilled water (DW). The results obtained by the MAE method with DW as solvent show the TPC of 104.41±1.36 mg GAE/g crude and tryptanthrin 0.1138±0.0014 mg/g crude and indigo 0.0622±0.0015 mg/g crude. Comparatively, values ​​detected in the 50% EtOH extract were not significantly different at the 95% confidence level. At the same time, levels of indirubin were detected at levels equivalent to that of ethanol extracts. The DW extract from MAE had an IC50 value against the DPPH scavenging assay of 0.1927±0.0756 mg/ml, comparable to the test results of extracts of ethanol and 50% ethanol. The bioactive extracted using the MAE with water as solvent had minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and could suppress infection at 10 mg/disc. It was also observed that the extracts from the conventional extraction technique using ethanol as the solvent continued to be highly effective against Bacillus cereus even after employing the EtOH or 50% EtOH. Hom extract's MIC value representing inhibiting B. cereus was 0.625 mg/disc. Still, EtOH-extracted Hom demonstrated the highest cytotoxicity against 16HBEo- by reducing cell survival rate by less than 50% while the others did not. Interestingly, Hom that had been extracted using 50EtOH and DW with MAE had an anticancer impact on A549 by reducing the survival rate in a dose-dependent manner.

Deep Eutectic Solvent-Assisted Synthesis of a Strontium Tungstate Bifunctional Catalyst: Investigation on the Electrocatalytic Determination and Photocatalytic Degradation of Acetaminophen and Metformin Drugs

In this work, we propose a modified solid-state approach for the sustainable preparation of a SrWO₄ bifunctional catalyst using thymol-menthol-based natural deep eutectic green solvents (NADESs). Various spectroscopic and morphological techniques analyzed the as-synthesized SrWO₄ particles. Acetaminophen (ATP) and metformin (MTF) were selected as the model drug compounds. The electrochemical detection and photocatalytic degradation of ATP and MTF upon ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) light irradiation in the presence of as-prepared SrWO₄ particles as an active catalyst are examined. The present study displayed that the proposed catalyst SrWO₄ has enhanced catalytic activity in achieving the optimum experimental conditions, and linear ranges of ATP = 0.01-25.90 μM and MTF = 0.01-25.90 μM, a lower limit of detection (LOD) value (ATP = 0.0031 μM and MTF = 0.008 μM), and higher sensitivity toward ATP and MTF determination were obtained. Similarly, the rate constant was found to be k = ATP = 0.0082 min^-1 and MTF = 0.0296 min^-1 according to the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model, benefitting from the excellent synergistic impact of the SrWO₄ catalyst toward the photocatalytic degradation of the drug molecule. Hence, this work offers innovative insights into the applicability of the as-prepared SrWO₄ bifunctional catalyst as an excellent functional material for the remediation of emerging pollutants in water bodies with a recovery range of 98.2-99.75%.

Morphological Characterization of Nicotiana tabacum Inflorescences and Chemical-Functional Analysis of Extracts Obtained from Its Powder by Using Green Solvents (NaDESs)

The production of smokeable tobacco for use in cigarettes is characterized by the production of pre-harvest and post-harvest waste, with ensuing undesirable effects on the environment. The inflorescences of tobacco after blunting, deflowering, or topping are considered pre-harvest waste and left in the field. Using green and ecofriendly solvents such as Natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs), these wastes could be used to obtain antioxidant molecules of interest in cosmetics. Taking into account its potential as plant matrix to obtain metabolites of commercial interest, tobacco inflorescences and inflorescence powders of different particle sizes were characterized by optic and electronic microscopy. Thus, the powdered inflorescences were extracted with four conventional solvents, i.e., distilled water (DW), acetone: distilled water (AW), ethanol 70° (EW), methanol (Me), and five NaDESs, i.e., lactic acid: sucrose (LAS), lactic acid: sucrose: distilled water (SALA), fructose: glucose: sucrose: distilled water (FGS), choline chloride: urea: distilled water (CU), and citric acid: propylene glycol (CAP). Among the tested NADESs, SALA was the most promising solvent; higher extraction yields of total phenolic compound (3420.0 ± 9.4 µg GAE/mL) than conventional solvents were attained and it was the only selective solvent to phenolics. CU was the best solvent for flavonoids and alkaloids extraction (215.3 ± 3.2 µg QE/mL and 392.3 ± 8.0 µg ACE/mL, respectively). All extracts showed antioxidant activity. A heatmap with dendrogram and main component analysis showed that acid-based NaDESs are grouped together, this group being the one with the best performance in H₂O₂ scavenging. The extracts obtained with green solvents could be used directly in cosmetic formulations as antioxidant ingredients because both tobacco flower oil and flower extracts are listed in the cosmetic ingredients database as non-toxic products. Additionally, the demand for sustainable ecological cosmetics is growing. In this sense, NaDESs represent an opportunity to develop innovative extracts with unique phytochemical fingerprints and biological activities.

Phenolic compounds extraction by assistive technologies and natural deep eutectic solvents

Phenolic compounds are known to have a significant effect on human defense system due to their anti-inflammatory efficacy. This can slow down the aging process and strengthen the human immune system. With the growing interest in green chemistry concept, extraction of phenolic compounds from plants has been geared towards a sustainable path with the use of green and environmentally friendly solvents such as natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES). This review discusses both the conventional extraction and the advanced extraction methods of phenolic compounds using NADES with focus on microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) techniques ensued by a rationale comparison between them. Employing choline chloride-based natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) is highlighted as one of the promising strategies in green solvent extraction of phenolic compounds in terms of their biodegradability and extraction mechanism. The review also discusses assistive extraction technologies using NADES for a better understanding of their relationship with extraction efficiency. In addition, the review includes an overview of the challenges of recovering phenolic compounds from NADES after extraction, the potential harmful effects of NADES as well as their future perspective.

Antimicrobial Activity of Novel Deep Eutectic Solvents

Herein, we utilized several deep eutectic solvents (DES) that were based on hydrogen donors and hydrogen acceptors for their antibacterial application. These DES were tested for their bactericidal activities against Gram-positive (Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli K1, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens) bacteria. Using lactate dehydrogenase assays, DES were evaluated for their cytopathic effects towards human cells. Results from antibacterial tests revealed that DES prepared from the combination of methyl-trioctylammonium chloride and glycerol (DES-4) and DES prepared form methyl-trioctylammonium chloride and fructose (DES-11) at a 2 µL dose showed broad-spectrum antibacterial behavior and had the highest bactericidal activity. Moreover, DES-4 showed 40% and 68% antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa and E. coli K1, respectively. Similarly, DES-11 eliminated 65% and 61% E. coli K1 and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Among Gram-positive bacteria, DES-4 showed important antibacterial activity, inhibiting 75% of B. cereus and 51% of S. pneumoniae. Likewise, DES-11 depicted 70% B. cereus and 50% S. pneumoniae bactericidal effects. Finally, the DES showed limited cytotoxic properties against human cell lines with the exception of the DES prepared from Methyltrioctylammonium chloride and Citric acid (DES-10), which had 88% cytotoxic effects. These findings suggest that DES depict potent antibacterial efficacies and cause minimal damage to human cells. It can be concluded that the selected DES in this study could be utilized as valuable and novel antibacterial drugs against bacterial infections. In future work, the mechanisms for bactericides and the cytotoxicity effects of these DES will be investigated.

Biocolorants in food: Sources, extraction, applications and future prospects

Color of a food is one of the major factors influencing its acceptance by consumers. At presently synthetic dyes are the most commonly used food colorant in food industry by providing more esthetically appearance and as a means to quality control. However, the growing concern about health and environmental due to associated toxicity with synthetic food colorants has accelerated the global efforts to replace them with safer and healthy food colorants obtained from natural resources (plants, microorganisms, and animals). Further, many of these biocolorants not only provide myriad of colors to the food but also exert biological properties, thus they can be used as nutraceuticals in foods and beverages. In order to understand the importance of nature-derived pigments as food colorants, this review provides a thorough discussion on the natural origin of food colorants. Following this, different extraction methods for isolating biocolorants from plants and microbes were also discussed. Many of these biocolorants not only provide color, but also have many health promoting properties, for this reason their physicochemical and biological properties were also reviewed. Finally, current trends on the use of biocolorants in foods, and the challenges faced by the biocolorants in their effective utilization by food industry and possible solutions to these challenges were discussed.

Ready-to-Use Nutraceutical Formulations from Edible and Waste Organs of Algerian Artichokes

Edible, plant-derived foodstuffs are recognized as precious sources of polyphenol compounds, whose consumption has proven to have multiple beneficial effects on human health. However, the awareness that cooking processes are able to induce quali-quantitatively changes in their native occurrence and that their bioavailability after food ingestion is poor led the research to move toward the preparation of nutraceutical supplements aimed at maximizing their content by effective extractive techniques and protecting them from degradation. The present work fits into this context, proposing a green, ready-to-use formulation of capitula, stems, and leaves of Algerian artichokes, in which natural deep eutectic solvents were exploited as extracting solvents but not removed at the end of the process. MTT test on the Caco-2 cell line highlighted that mitochondrial redox activity inhibition was absent below the 50 µg/mL tested dose. Simulated in vitro digestion was used as a predictive model for formulation bioaccessibility, where the joint approach with UHPLC-HRMS techniques allowed to define the release of each polyphenol from the investigated matrices. The capitula-based sample was the richest one in flavonoids, especially luteolin and apigenin glycosides, which survived in the intestinal digesta. On the contrary, simple phenols characterized the stem sample, whose release was mainly in the gastric chyme.

The effect of cranberry supplementation on Helicobacter pylori eradication in H. pylori positive subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the most common chronic bacterial infections. Cranberry has been suggested for H. pylori eradication. We aimed to conduct the first meta-analysis to summarise current evidence on effects of cranberry supplementation on H. pylori eradication in H. pylori positive subjects. We searched the online databases up to December 2020. Four randomised clinical trials (RCT) were included with human subjects, investigating the effect of cranberry on H. pylori eradication. The pooled results were expressed as the OR with 95 % CI. Based on five effect sizes with a total sample size of 1935 individuals, we found that according to the OR, there was a positive effect of cranberry supplementation on H. pylori eradication, increasing the chance of H. pylori eradication by 1·27 times, but this relationship was not statistically significant (overall OR: 1·27; 95 % CI 0·63, 2·58). The results also indicated the moderate between-study heterogeneity (I² = 63·40 %; P = 0·03) of the studies. However, there were no significant differences in some subgroup analyses in the duration of treatment, the duration of follow-up and the Jadad score. Our findings revealed that although cranberry had a positive effect on H. pylori eradication in adults, this effect was not statistically significant. Due to the small number of included studies and moderate heterogeneities, the potential of cranberry supplementation on H. pylori eradication should be validated in large, multicentre and well-designed RCT in the future.

Selectivity Tuning by Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADESs) for Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Cytinus hypocistis—Studies of Antioxidative, Enzyme-Inhibitive Properties and LC-MS Profiles

In the present study, the extracts of Cytinus hypocistis (L.) L using both traditional solvents (hexane, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, ethanol, ethanol/water, and water) and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) were investigated in terms of their total polyphenolic contents and antioxidant and enzyme-inhibitive properties. The extracts were found to possess total phenolic and total flavonoid contents in the ranges of 26.47–186.13 mg GAE/g and 0.68–12.55 mg RE/g, respectively. Higher total phenolic contents were obtained for NADES extracts. Compositional differences were reported in relation to antioxidant potential studied by several assays (DPPH: 70.19–939.35 mg TE/g, ABTS: 172.56–4026.50 mg TE/g; CUPRAC: 97.41–1730.38 mg TE/g, FRAP: 84.11–1534.85 mg TE/g). Application of NADESs (choline chloride—urea 1:2, a so-called Reline) allowed one to obtain the highest number of extracts having antioxidant potential in the radical scavenging and reducing assays. NADES-B (protonated by HCl L-proline-xylitol 5:1) was the only extractant from the studied solvents that isolated a specific fraction without chelating activity. Reline extract exhibited the highest acetylcholinesterase inhibition compared to NADES-B and NADES-C (protonated by H2SO4 L-proline-xylitol 5:1) extracts, which showed no inhibition. The NADES extracts were observed to have higher tyrosinase inhibitory properties compared to extracts obtained by traditional organic solvents. Furthermore, the NADES extracts were relatively better inhibitors of the diabetic enzymes. These findings provided an interesting comparison in terms of total polyphenolic content yields, antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties (cholinesterase, amylase, glucosidase, and tyrosinase) between traditional solvent extracts and NADES extracts, used as an alternative. While the organic solvents showed better antioxidant activity, the NADES extracts were found to have some other improved properties, such as higher total phenolic content and enzyme-inhibiting properties, suggesting functional prospects for their use in phytonutrient extraction and fractionation. The obtained results could also be used to give a broad overview of the different biological potentials of C. hypocistis.

Natural Deep Eutectic Extracts of Propolis, Sideritis scardica, and Plantago major Reveal Potential Antiageing Activity during Yeast Chronological Lifespan

Nowadays, the environmentally friendly approach to everyday life routines including body supplementation with pharma-, nutraceuticals and dietary supplements gains popularity. This trend is implemented in pharmaceutical as well as cosmetic and antiageing industries by adopting a newly developed green chemistry approach. Following this trend, a new type of solvents has been created, called Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES), which are produced by plant primary metabolites. These solvents are becoming a much better alternative to the already established organic solvents like ethanol and ionic liquids by being nontoxic, biodegradable, and easy to make. An interesting fact about NADES is that they enhance the biological activities of the extracted biological compounds. Here, we present our results that investigate the potential antiageing effect of CiAPD14 as a NADES solvent and three plant extracts with it. The tested NADES extracts are from propolis and two well-known medicinal plants—Sideritis scardica and Plantago major. Together with the solvent, their antiageing properties have been tested during the chronological lifespan of four Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains—a wild type and three chromatin mutants. The chromatin mutants have been previously proven to exhibit characteristics of premature ageing. Our results demonstrate the potential antiageing activity of these NADES extracts, which was exhibited through their ability to confer the premature ageing phenotypes in the mutant cells by ameliorating their cellular growth and cell cycle, as well as by influencing the activity of some stress-responsive genes. Moreover, we have classified their antiageing activity concerning the strength of the observed bioactivities.

Studying the Formation of Choline Chloride- and Glucose-Based Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent at the Molecular Level

The liquid waste is the major source of waste, which usually generated from academic laboratories and industry during the extraction, separation, chemical synthesis, and pretreatment processes. These chemical and engineering processes require more solvents. In this regard, there is a need to develop more environmentally friendly, cheaper, non-toxic solvents that are harmless to humans and the environment. In this regard, deep eutectic solvents (DES) and their derivatives so-called natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) are a new field in the search for green alternative solvents. In our work, the formation of choline chloride-based NADESs using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and classical all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was studied in detail using Gaussian09 and Gromacs software's. Next, the ground state geometry optimizations were performed in the gas phase using DFT B3LYP 6-31 + G(d) level of theory. Moreover, classical all-atom MD simulations were implemented using Gromos force field. After the modeling and simulations, the DFT calculation results revealed the formation of NADESs via formation (creation) of binding between chlorine and choline, and chlorine and glucose. At the same time, the results of classical all-atom MD simulations, based on the time average of the equilibrated production run of MD simulations, stated that the nitrogen atom of choline ion and chloride ion has greater interactions, while chloride ion has also greater interaction with glucose during formation of NADES. The outcomes of both DFT and classical all-atom MD simulations are in good agreements.

Treating leishmaniasis in Amazonia, part 2: Multi-target evaluation of widely used plants to understand medicinal practices

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Leishmaniasis are widely distributed among tropical and subtropical countries, and remains a crucial health issue in Amazonia. Indigenous groups across Amazonia have developed abundant knowledge about medicinal plants related to this pathology.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We intent to explore the weight of different pharmacological activities driving taxa selection for medicinal use in Amazonian communities. Our hypothesis is that specific activity against Leishmania parasites is only one factor along other (anti-inflammatory, wound healing, immunomodulating, antimicrobial) activities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The twelve most widespread plant species used against leishmaniasis in Amazonia, according to their cultural and biogeographical importance determined through a wide bibliographical survey (475 use reports), were selected for this study. Plant extracts were prepared to mimic their traditional preparations. Antiparasitic activity was evaluated against promastigotes of reference and clinical New-World strains of Leishmania (L. guyanensis, L. braziliensis and L. amazonensis) and L. amazonensis intracellular amastigotes. We concurrently assessed the extracts immunomodulatory properties on PHA-stimulated human PBMCs and RAW264.7 cells, and on L. guyanensis antigens-stimulated PBMCs obtained from Leishmania-infected patients, as well as antifungal activity and wound healing properties (human keratinocyte migration assay) of the selected extracts. The cytotoxicity of the extracts against various cell lines (HFF1, THP-1, HepG2, PBMCs, RAW264.7 and HaCaT cells) was also considered. The biological activity pattern of the extracts was represented through PCA analysis, and a correlation matrix was calculated.

RESULTS

Spondias mombin L. bark and Anacardium occidentale L. stem and leaves extracts displayed high anti-promatigotes activity, with IC₅₀ ≤ 32 μg/mL against L. guyanensis promastigotes for S. mombin and IC₅₀ of 67 and 47 μg/mL against L. braziliensis and L. guyanensis promastigotes, respectively, for A. occidentale. In addition to the antiparasitic effect, antifungal activity measured against C. albicans and T. rubrum (MIC in the 16-64 μg/mL range) was observed. However, in the case of Leishmania amastigotes, the most active species were Bixa orellana L. (seeds), Chelonantus alatus (Aubl.) Pulle (leaves), Jacaranda copaia (Aubl.) D. Don. (leaves) and Plantago major L. (leaves) with IC₅₀ < 20 μg/mL and infection rates of 14-25% compared to the control. Concerning immunomodulatory activity, P. major and B. orellana were highlighted as the most potent species for the wider range of cytokines in all tested conditions despite overall contrasting results depending on the model. Most of the species led to moderate to low cytotoxic extracts except for C. alatus, which exhibited strong cytotoxic activity in almost all models. None of the tested extracts displayed wound healing properties.

CONCLUSIONS

We highlighted pharmacologically active extracts either on the parasite or on associated pathophysiological aspects, thus supporting the hypothesis that antiparasitic activities are not the only biological factor useful for antileishmanial evaluation. This result should however be supplemented by in vivo studies, and attracts once again the attention on the importance of the choice of biological models for an ethnophamacologically consistent study. Moreover, plant cultural importance, ecological status and availability were discussed in relation with biological results, thus contributing to link ethnobotany, medical anthropology and biology.

In Vitro Study of the Biological Potential of Wastewater Obtained after the Distillation of Four Bulgarian Oil-Bearing Roses

The wastewater after rose oil distillation is usually discharged into the drainage systems and it represents a serious environmental problem. While being rich in polyphenols, which have beneficial biological activity and application in the pharmaceutical industry, limited research has been carried out about the biological activity of the specific wastewaters per se. Wastewaters after distillation of the four Bulgarian oil-bearing roses Rosa damascena Mill., R. alba L., R. centifolia L., and R. gallica L. exerted significant antioxidant activity and good antiherpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) activity while maintaining a good toxicological safety profile (low cytotoxic effect) towards normal cell lines. More precisely, the non-tumorigenic cells were a human (HEK-293 embryonic kidney cells) and a mouse cell line (CCL-1 fibroblasts, which are recommended as a standard for cytotoxicity evaluation in Annex C of ISO 10993-5). The concentrations that achieved antioxidant and radical scavenging effects (0.04–0.92% v/v) were much lower than most of the maximum tolerated concentrations for the tissue culture cells (0.2–3.4% v/v). The wastewaters had a weak antiproliferative effect against Staphylococcus aureus. None of the wastewaters had activity against Gram-negative bacteria or a bactericidal or antifungal effect. We can conclude that these four species, which are the most preferred species worldwide for producing high-quality rose oil, have the potential to be developed as promising antioxidant and antiherpesvirus nutraceuticals.

Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES): Phytochemical Extraction Performance Enhancer for Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Product Development

Natural products from plants were extracted and widely studied for their activities against many disease conditions. The selection of the extracting solvent is crucial to develop selective and effective methods for the extraction and isolation of target compounds in the plant matrices. Pharmacological properties of plant extracts and their bioactive principles are related to their excellent solubility, stability, and bioavailability when administered by different routes. This review aims to critically analyze natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) as green solvents in their application to improve the extraction performance of plant metabolites in terms of their extractability besides the stability, bioactivity, solubility, and bioavailability. Herein, the opportunities for NADES to be used in pharmaceutical formulations development including plant metabolites-based nutraceuticals are discussed.

Can Propolis Be a Useful Adjuvant in Brain and Neurological Disorders and Injuries? A Systematic Scoping Review of the Latest Experimental Evidence

Propolis has been used therapeutically for centuries. In recent years, research has demonstrated its efficacy as a potential raw material for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. The aim of the present scoping review is to examine the latest experimental evidence regarding the potential use of propolis in protecting the brain and treating neurological disorders and injuries. A systematic scoping review methodology was implemented. Identification of the research themes and knowledge gap was performed. After applying the exclusion criteria, a total of 66 research publications were identified and retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, Pubmed, and Google Scholar. Several key themes where propolis is potentially useful were subsequently identified, namely detoxification, neuroinflammation, ischemia/ischemia-reperfusion injury/traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy models, depression, cytotoxicity, cognitive improvement, regenerative medicine, brain infection, and adverse effects. In conclusion, propolis is shown to have protective and therapeutic benefits in alleviating symptoms of brain and neurological disorders and injuries, demonstrated by various in vitro studies, animal models, and human clinical trials. Further clinical research into this area is needed.

Polyphenolic Compounds Extracted and Purified from Buddleja Globosa Hope (Buddlejaceae) Leaves Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents and Centrifugal Partition Chromatography

Chemical profiling of Buddleja globosa was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization (HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT/MS) and quadrupole time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-QTOF/MS). The identification of 17 main phenolic compounds in B. globosa leaf extracts was achieved. Along with caffeoyl glucoside isomers, caffeoylshikimic acid and several verbascoside derivatives (β-hydroxyverbascoside and β-hydroxyisoverbascoside) were identified. Among flavonoid compounds, the presence of 6-hydroxyluteolin-7-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, apigenin 7-O-glucoside was confirmed. Campneoside I, forsythoside B, lipedoside A and forsythoside A were identified along with verbascoside, isoverbascoside, eukovoside and martynoside. The isolation of two bioactive phenolic compounds verbascoside and forsythoside B from Buddleja globosa (Buddlejaceae) was successfully achieved by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC). Both compounds were obtained in one-step using optimized CPC methodology with the two-phase solvent system comprising ethyl acetate-n-butanol-ethanol-water (0.25:0.75:0.1:1, v/v). Additionally, eight Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADESs) were tested for the extraction of polyphenols and compared with 80% methanol. The contents of verbascoside and luteolin 7-O-glucoside after extraction with 80% methanol were 26.165 and 3.206 mg/g, respectively. Among the NADESs tested in this study, proline- citric acid (1:1) and choline chloride-1, 2- propanediol (1:2) were the most promising solvents. With these NADES, extraction yields for verbascoside and luteolin 7-O-glucoside were 51.045 and 4.387 mg/g, respectively. Taken together, the results of this study confirm that CPC enabled the fast isolation of bioactive polyphenols from B. globosa. NADESs displayed higher extraction efficiency of phenolic and therefore could be used as an ecofriendly alternative to classic organic solvents.