Safety evaluation of Aloe vera soft capsule in acute, subacute toxicity and genotoxicity study

Scientific Opinion on additional scientific data related to the safety of preparations of Rheum palmatum L., Rheum officinale Baill. and their hybrids, Rhamnus purshiana DC., Rhamnus frangula L. and Cassia senna L., submitted pursuant to Article 8(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006

The Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety of plant preparations from the root or rhizome of Rheum palmatum L., Rheum officinale Baill. and their hybrids, from the bark of Rhamnus frangula L. and Rhamnus purshiana DC. and from the leaf or fruit of Cassia senna L., which have been placed under Union scrutiny in Part C of Annex III in accordance with Article 8(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006. The NDA Panel reviewed the additional scientific data submitted during the period of scrutiny and the public consultation by interested parties. The pertinent scientific data were in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity studies on the plant preparations under consideration. All the results of the genotoxicity studies on plant preparations were negative. However, the plant preparations that were tested in the submitted studies were not sufficiently characterised with respect to the content of total and individual hydroxyanthracene derivatives (HADs) and components other than HADs. The studies confirmed the presence of ■■■■■, known to be genotoxic in vivo, and ■■■■■, shown to be genotoxic in vitro. In line with the EFSA Scientific Committee statement on genotoxicity assessment of chemical mixtures, considering the presence of an in vivo genotoxic compound, the plant preparations used in these studies have to be considered of concern for genotoxicity. Thus, the safety of preparations containing HADs from the root or rhizome of Rheum palmatum L., Rheum officinale Baill. and their hybrids, from the leaf or fruit of Cassia senna L. and from the bark of Rhamnus frangula L. and Rhamnus purshiana DC. cannot be established based on the submitted studies.

Therapeutic effects of medicinal plants and their constituents on lung cancer, in vitro, in vivo and clinical evidence

The most common type of cancer in the world is lung cancer. Traditional treatments have an important role in cancer therapy. In the present review, the most recent findings on the effects of medicinal plants and their constituents or natural products (NP) in treating lung cancer are discussed. Empirical studies until the end of March 2022 were searched using the appropriate keywords through the databases PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus. The extracts and essential oils tested were all shown to effect lung cancer by several mechanisms including decreased tumour weight and volume, cell viability and modulation of cytokine. Some plant constituents increased expression of apoptotic proteins, the proportion of cells in the G2/M phase and subG0/G1 phase, and Cyt c levels. Also, natural products (NP) activate apoptotic pathways in lung cancer cell including p-JNK, Akt/mTOR, PI3/ AKT\ and Bax, Bcl2, but suppressed AXL phosphorylation. Plant-derived substances altered the cell morphology, reduced cell migration and metastasis, oxidative marker production, p-eIF2α and GRP78, IgG, IgM levels and reduced leukocyte counts, LDH, GGT, 5'NT and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Therefore, medicinal plant extracts and their constituents could have promising therapeutic value for lung cancer, especially if used in combination with ordinary anti-cancer drugs.

Prospecting in silico antibacterial activity of a peptide from trypsin inhibitor isolated from tamarind seed

Bacterial infections have become a global concern, stimulating the growing demand for natural and biologically safe therapeutic agents with antibacterial action. This study was evaluated the genotoxicity of the trypsin inhibitor isolated from tamarind seeds (TTI) and the antibacterial effect of TTI theoric model, number 56, and conformation number 287 (TTIp 56/287) and derived peptides in silico. TTI (0.3 and 0.6 mg.mL⁻¹) did not cause genotoxicity in cells (p > 0.05). In silico, a greater interaction of TTIp 56/287 with the Gram-positive membrane (GP) was observed, with an interaction potential energy (IPE) of −1094.97 kcal.mol⁻¹. In the TTIp 56/287-GP interaction, the Arginine, Threonine (Thr), and Lysine residues presented lower IPE. In molecular dynamics (MD), Peptidotrychyme59 (TVSQTPIDIPIGLPVR) showed an IPE of −518.08 kcal.mol⁻¹ with the membrane of GP bacteria, and the Thr and Arginine residues showed the greater IPE. The results highlight new perspectives on TTI and its derived peptides antibacterial activity.

Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Healing-Promoting Effects of Aloe vera Extract in the Experimental Colitis in Rats

Background. Ulcerative colitis is a worldwide chronic gastrointestinal disease characterized by variable extensions of colon mucosal inflammation. The available drugs have an incomplete response with various side effects and socioeconomic impacts. Aloe barbadensis Miller (Aloe vera) is a well-known medicinal plant with diverse pharmacological and therapeutic activities. As a result, in the current study, Aloe vera was selected to evaluate its therapeutic effects on experimental colitis in rats. Methods. This study is intended to evaluate the possible beneficial effect of Aloe vera for the treatment of experimental colitis. Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) was used to induce experimental colitis in 60 of 70 Wistar rats. The rats were grouped in 7 clusters including healthy control, negative, positive control (received sulfasalazine), and test groups treated with Aloe vera extracts via oral or rectal routes. Macroscopic and histologic factors as well as the biochemical parameters were evaluated on day 7. Results. In the present study, it was found that serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (75 vs. 44 pg./ml), interleukin-6 (41 vs. 21 pg/ml), and nitric oxide (24 vs. 6 μm/ml) in TNBS-induced untreated colitis treatment were significantly increased as compared to healthy control. Similar patterns were also observed in malondialdehyde (76.41 vs. 236.35 μg/mg) and myeloperoxidase (4.24 vs. 29.38 U/mg) in colonic tissue. Among different treatments, rectal administration of Aloe vera extract (400 mg/kg) exhibited the best result in which serum concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α (55 pg/ml), interleukin-6 (24 pg/ml), and nitric oxide (10 μm/ml) and the levels of malondialdehyde (102.67 μg/mg), as well as myeloperoxidase (12.29 U/mg) in colon tissue, were reduced as compared to the untreated group. Also, the body weight and colon weight/length ratios were more improved in the treated group with 400 mg/kg Aloe vera extract, rectally. Conclusion. Aloe vera extract exhibited a therapeutic effect in TNBS-induced colitis, and local, rectal administration of Aloe vera extract was more effective than oral administration.

Evaluation of Fermented Extracts of Aloe vera Processing Byproducts as Potential Functional Ingredients

Aloe is widely used as a cosmetic and medicinal plant. Numerous studies have reported that aloe gel extract has antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, immunity, and skin antiaging properties. However, few studies have investigated the properties of fermentation products of aloe processing byproducts. Aloe stalks and leaves remain as byproducts after the aloe beverage manufacturing process. This study evaluated whether fermentation products of blender and press extracts of aloe processing byproducts (BF and PF, respectively) that remain after beverage manufacturing were useful as functional biomaterial by investigating their effects on adipocyte differentiation, hyaluronic acid (HA) production, tyrosinase activity, and antioxidant activity. Co-fermentation of G. xylinus and S. cerevisiae was conducted for fermentation of aloe processing byproducts. The BF and PF products did not induce observable cytotoxicity effects. However, BF and PF products did inhibit a 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation compared with control, with the BF product displaying greater inhibition of 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation than the PF product. HA production increased in HaCaT cell cultures as the concentration of the MF product increased, as compared with the untreated control. The levels of tyrosinase inhibition, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity also depended on the MF product concentration. This study indicates that the fermented products of aloe processing byproducts have biological potential for applications in the manufacturing of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and beverages. These laboratory bench results provide the foundation for future studies of scaling and practical applications at the industrial level.

Lack of in vivo genotoxic effect of dried whole Aloe ferox juice

•

Dried Aloe juice hazard identification.

•

Dried Aloe juice is not genotoxic in in vivo Comet rodent assay.

•

Dried Aloe juice is safe in food supplements and herbal medicinal products.

Aloe ferox Mill is widely used as a traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of a broad spectrum of illnesses given its laxative, anti-inflammatory, bitter tonic, anti-oxidant, antimicrobial and anti-cancer properties.

Using the in vivo alkaline comet assay in animals (OECD 489), this study investigated the potential in vivo genotoxicity of dried Aloe ferox juice at dose levels of 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg/day in mice. Aloe ferox showed no genotoxic activity in preparations of single cells from the colon of the treated Hsd:ICR (CD-1) male mice. No statistically significant increase in DNA migration over the negative control was observed by analysis of variance for both comet parameters, tail moment and tail intensity, apart from the positive control ethyl methanesulphonate that induced clear and statistically significant increases in DNA migration parameters over the concurrent controls. The new reported scientific evidence unequivocally demonstrates that dried Aloe ferox juice containing hydroxyanthracene derivatives does not induce DNA damage in preparations of single cells from colon in in vivo comet genotoxicity studies. This suggests that the hyperplastic changes and mucosal hyperplasia observed after long-term administration of Aloe vera non-decolourised whole leaf extract may be attributed to an epigenetic effect of the material under investigation.