ETHNOBOTANICAL USES OF BRASSICACEAE IN SICILY

Chemical Profile, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activity of a Phenolic-Rich Fraction from the Leaves of Brassica fruticulosa subsp. fruticulosa (Brassicaceae) Growing Wild in Sicily (Italy)

Recently, our research team has started a study on Brassica fruticulosa subsp. fruticulosa, an edible plant traditionally used to treat various ailments, little investigated to date. Good in vitro antioxidant properties were highlighted for the leaf hydroalcoholic extract, with the secondary higher than the primary ones. In continuation of the ongoing research, this work was designed to elucidate the antioxidant properties of the phenolic compounds contained in the extract. For this purpose, a phenolic-rich ethyl acetate fraction (Bff-EAF) was obtained from the crude extract by liquid-liquid extraction. The phenolic composition was characterized by HPLC-PDA/ESI-MS analysis and the antioxidant potential was investigated by different in vitro methods. Furthermore, the cytotoxic properties were evaluated by MTT, LDH and ROS determinations on human colorectal epithelial adenocarcinoma cells (CaCo-2) and human normal fibroblasts (HFF-1). Twenty phenolic compounds (flavonoid and phenolic acid derivatives) were identified in Bff-EAF. The fraction exhibited good radical scavenging activity in the DPPH test (IC₅₀ = 0.81 ± 0.02 mg/mL), and moderate reducing power (ASE/mL = 13.10 ± 0.94) and chelating properties (IC₅₀ = 2.27 ± 0.18 mg/mL), contrary to what previously observed for the crude extract. Bff-EAF reduced in a dose-dependent manner CaCo-2 cell proliferation after 72 h of treatment. This effect was accompanied by the destabilization of the cellular redox state due to the antioxidant and pro-oxidant activities displayed by the fraction at lower and higher concentrations. No cytotoxic effect was observed on HFF-1 fibroblasts, used as control cell line.

Phenolic and Volatile Composition and Antioxidant Properties of the Leaf Extract of Brassica fruticulosa subsp. fruticulosa (Brassicaceae) Growing Wild in Sicily (Italy)

In continuation of research conducted on species of the spontaneous flora of Sicily (Italy) belonging to the Brassicaceae family, Brassica fruticulosa subsp. fruticulosa was selected. It is an edible species utilized in Sicilian traditional medicine. In this study, for the first time, the phenolic and the volatile compounds and the antioxidant properties of the hydroalcoholic extract obtained from the leaves of B. fruticulosa subsp. fruticulosa were characterized. Through HPLC-PDA/ESI-MS analysis, a total of 22 polyphenolic compounds (20 flavonoids and 2 phenolic acids) were identified, with 3-hydroxiferuloylsophoroside-7-O-glucoside (1.30 mg/g ± 0.01) and kaempferol-3-O-feruloylsophoroside-7-O-glucoside (1.28 mg/g ± 0.01) as the most abundant compounds. Through SPME-GC/MS several volatiles belonging to different chemical classes were characterized, with nitriles and aldehydes accounting for more than 54% of the whole volatile fraction. The extract of B. fruticulosa subsp. fruticulosa showed moderate activity in the DPPH assay (IC50 = 1.65 ± 0.08 mg/mL), weak reducing power (17.47 ± 0.65 ASE/mL), and good chelating properties (IC50 = 0.38 ± 0.02 mg/mL), reaching approximately 90% activity at the highest tested concentration. Lastly, the extract was non-toxic against Artemia salina, indicating its potential safety. According to the findings, it can be stated that B. fruticulosa subsp. fruticulosa represents a new valuable source of bioactive compounds.

Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of the Aerial Part Extracts from Matthiola incana subsp. rupestris and subsp. pulchella (Brassicaceae) Endemic to Sicily

As part of a project aimed at investigating the Matthiola taxa endemic to Sicily (Italy), this study focused on Matthiola incana, an edible species used in the traditional medicine of various countries. Herein, the characterization of phenolic and volatile compounds, the antioxidant capacity in vitro (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH), reducing power and Fe²⁺ chelating activity assays) and the toxicity test (Artemia salina lethality bioassay) of the hydroalcoholic extracts from the aerial parts of M. incana subsp. rupestris from Mt. Pellegrino (Palermo) and Mt. Erice (Trapani), and of M. incana subsp. pulchella are reported. The results are compared with those previously shown for M. incana subsp. incana, to achieve a comprehensive overview of the three subspecies. The HPLC-PDA/ESI-MS and SPME-GC/MS analyses led to the identification of 13 phenolics and 54 volatile compounds. Differences in the qualitative-quantitative profile of these phytochemicals have been highlighted between the M. incana subspecies. The antioxidant tests showed different activity for the extracts, which were found to possess better chelating properties. At last, none of the tested extracts displayed toxicity against brine shrimp larvae. These findings enrich the knowledge on the Matthiola taxa growing wild in Sicily, both from the strictly systematic point of view and for the possible applications as sources bioactive compounds that can be used in the nutraceutical field.

Medicinal plants resources of Western Himalayan Palas Valley, Indus Kohistan, Pakistan: Their uses and degrees of risk of extinction

Present study was intended with the aim to document the pre-existence traditional knowledge and ethnomedicinal uses of plant species in the Palas valley. Data were collected during 2015–2016 to explore plants resource, their utilization and documentation of the indigenous knowledge. The current study reported a total of 65 medicinal plant species of 57 genera belonging to 40 families. Among 65 species, the leading parts were leaves (15) followed by fruits (12), stem (6) and berries (1), medicinally significant while, 13 plant species are medicinally important for rhizome, 4 for root, 4 for seed, 4 for bark and 1 each for resin. Similarly, thirteen species were used as a whole while twelve species as partial for medicinal purpose. Further, it is concluded that every part of plants such as bulb, rhizome, roots, barks, leaves, flowers, fruit and seed were used for various ailments. Moreover, among 65 plants species, 09 species are threatened and placed into Endangered (EN) and Least Concern (LC) categories of IUCN. The recorded data are very useful and reflects the significance of the Palas valley as medicinal plants resource area.

Bunias erucago L.: Glucosinolate Profile and In Vitro Biological Potential

Bunias erucago belongs to the Brassicaceae family, which represents a forgotten crop of the Euro-Mediterranean area. The aim of the present study was to determine the glucosinolate profile in different plant parts and biological properties (antioxidant, anticholinesterase, and cytotoxic activities) of the isolates containing glucosinolate breakdown products. The chemical profiles were determined by using HPLC-PDA-MS/MS of desulfoglucosinolates and GC-MS of glucosinolate degradation products. The analysis of B. erucago showed the presence of seven glucosinolates: gluconapin (1), glucoraphasatin (2), glucoraphenin (3), glucoerucin (4), glucoraphanin (5), glucotropaeolin (6), and glucosinalbin (7). The total glucosinolate content ranged from 7.0 to 14.6 µmol/g of dry weight, with the major glucosinolate glucosinalbin in all parts. The antioxidant activity of all volatile isolates was not notable. At a tested concentration of 227 μg/mL, flower hydro-distillate (FH) showed good AChE inhibition, i.e., 40.9%, while root hydro-distillate (RH) had good activity against BChE, i.e., 54.3%. FH showed the best activity against both tested human bladder cancer cell lines, i.e., against T24 after 72 h, which have IC₅₀ of 16.0 μg/mL, and against TCCSUP after 48 h with IC₅₀ of 7.8 μg/mL, and can be considered as highly active. On the other hand, RH showed weak activity against tested cancer cells.

Popular uses of wild plant species for medicinal purposes in the Nebrodi Regional Park (North-Eastern Sicily, Italy)

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The area of the Nebrodi Regional Park (North-Eastern Sicily, Italy) has been quantitatively investigated in an ethnobotanical study for the first time. A total of 90 wild species are used for medicinal purposes and the uses of 5 species have not previously been reported in ethnobotanical studies in Italy (e.g., the use of Arisarum vulgare O. Targ. Tozz. for the treatment of rheumatic pains, the use of Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke for the treatment of liver diseases). The aim of this paper was to understand to what extent current knowledge on the medicinal use of plants is still an element of the culture within the rural populations of the Nebrodi Park. Materials and methods Semi-structured interviews were carried out in the local communities within the Nebrodi Regional Park with local people retained experts in rural traditions. A total of 226 people over the age of 60 were interviewed. Local plant uses were evaluated using ethnobotanical indices (e.g., cultural importance index, index of ethnobotanical diversity, informant consensus factor) and then compared with uses in other localities in Sicily, Italy and the Mediterranean area. Results Local communities use a total number of 90 wild species belonging to 44 plant families as medicinal remedies. The majority of the species are used as treatments against gastrointestinal system. The cultural importance index showed that Malva sylvestris (1.31) and Clinopodium nepeta (0.86) are the most important species to the Nebrodi area in terms of medicinal use. The use of Brassica rupestris Raf. for therapeutic purposes is limited to Sicily and it is an innovative finding of this study.

CONCLUSIONS

The research shows an ongoing process of cultural erosion in an advanced stage, but quantitative indices still highlight only for those species was a natural remedy deemed highly effective.