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Kamau SW, Ngugi MP, Mwitari PG, Njeru SN. Network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental approaches of the anti-proliferative effects of Rhamnus prinoides ethyl-acetate extract in cervical cancer cells. Heliyon 2024; 10:e37324. [PMID: 39290290 PMCID: PMC11407055 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2024] [Revised: 08/17/2024] [Accepted: 09/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Cervical cancer, one of the lethal cancers among women, is a challenging disease to treat. The current therapies often come with severe side effects and the risk of resistance development. Traditional herbal medicine, with its potential to offer effective and less toxic options, is a promising avenue. This study was undertaken to investigate the potential of Rhamnus prinoides (R. prinoides) root bark extracts in selectively inhibiting the proliferation of cervical cancer cells, using the HeLa cell line as an in vitro model. Methods R. prinoides plant extracts were first screened at a fixed concentration of 200 μg/ml to determine the active extract. The selective anti-proliferative activity of the active extract was evaluated in a concentration dilution assay using the (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol- 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) MTT assay on cancerous (HeLa) cells and non-cancerous (Vero) cells to determine the half-maximal inhibitory (IC50) and half-cytotoxic concentrations (CC50), respectively. Functional assays on cell morphology (by microscopy), cell migration (wound healing assay) and cell cycle (by flow cytometry) were also conducted. The active extract was analyzed using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) to determine any compounds it contained. Following identification of possible gene targets by network pharmacology, the genes were validated by molecular docking and Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). Results The ethyl acetate extract of R. prinoides (EARP), the most active extract, selectively inhibited the growth of cervical cancer cells, their migration and induced cell cycle arrest at the S phase. In silico analysis revealed that squalene, 3,3a,6,6-tetramethyl-4,5,5a,7,8,9-hexahydro-1H-cyclopenta[i]indene and Olean-12-en-3.beta.-ol, acetate showed acceptable drug-like characteristics and may be partly attributed to the bioactivity demonstrated and the deregulation of the mRNA expression of AKT1, NF-κB, p53, Bax, Bcl-2, and Er-b-B2. Conclusion This study, for the first time, demonstrates the anti-proliferation effects of EARP and forms a firm foundation for further drug development studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Wambui Kamau
- Center for Traditional Medicine and Drug Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kenya
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Kenyatta University, Kenya
| | - Mathew Piero Ngugi
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Kenyatta University, Kenya
| | - Peter Githaiga Mwitari
- Center for Traditional Medicine and Drug Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kenya
| | - Sospeter Ngoci Njeru
- Center for Traditional Medicine and Drug Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kenya
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Alsuhybani M, Aleid M, Alzidan R, Bin Bander K, Alrehaili A. High removal of methylene blue and methyl violet dyes from aqueous solutions using efficient biomaterial byproduct. Heliyon 2024; 10:e36731. [PMID: 39296183 PMCID: PMC11407934 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Dyes are among the toxic contaminants that significantly impact water ecosystems. A biomaterial prepared from Zizyphus Spina-Christi seed (ZSCS) to remove methylene blue (MB) and methyl violet (MV) from an aqueous solution was investigated. Several techniques have been used, including FTIR, SEM, EDX, XPS, and TGA, to characterize the physical and chemical properties of ZSCS. The effect of various parameters such as pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, temperature, and initial dye concentration on the adsorption process were studied. The ZSCS adsorbent showed efficient MB and MV dye adsorption with Langmuir adsorption capacity of 666.66 and 476.19 mg/g, respectively, at experimental condition [(pH = 6; time = 30 min; T = 45 °C, dye concentration: 500 mg/L, and adsorbent dose = 0.6 g/L for MB and 1 g/L for MV dye)]. Kinetic and isotherm models were applied to fit the experimental outcomes. The result showed that ZSCS showed an ultrafast absorption process with a high removal efficiency of MB and MV within 5 min indicating its effective adsorption properties. The Langmuir isotherm model was the most suitable model for describing the adsorption of MB and MV dyes on ZSCS. The pseudo-second-order model kinetic fits better to MB and MV adsorption onto ZSCS than other models, suggesting that the adsorption mechanism followed chemisorption. Our results could offer an efficient cost-effective approach for dye removal from wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Musaad Aleid
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Reema Alzidan
- Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khaled Bin Bander
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ayman Alrehaili
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Muema FW, Nanjala C, Oulo MA, Wangchuk P. Phytochemical Content and Antidiabetic Properties of Most Commonly Used Antidiabetic Medicinal Plants of Kenya. Molecules 2023; 28:7202. [PMID: 37894680 PMCID: PMC10609527 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28207202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional medicinal plants have been used for decades in folk medicines in the treatment and management of several ailments and diseases including diabetes, pain, ulcers, cancers, and wounds, among others. This study focused on the phytochemical and antidiabetic activity of the commonly used antidiabetic medicinal species in Kenya. Phytochemical profiling of these species revealed flavonoids and terpenoids as the major chemical classes reported which have been linked with strong biological activities against the aforementioned diseases, among others. However, out of the selected twenty-two species, many of the natural product isolation studies have focused on only a few species, as highlighted in the study. All of the examined crude extracts from thirteen antidiabetic species demonstrated strong antidiabetic activities by inhibiting α-glucosidase and α-amylase among other mechanisms, while nine are yet to be evaluated for their antidiabetic activities. Isolated compounds S-Methylcysteine sulfoxide, quercetin, alliuocide G, 2-(3,4-Dihydroxybenzoyl)-2,4,6-trihydroxy-3 (2H)-benzofuranone, Luteolin-7-O-D-glucopyranoside, quercetin, 1,3,11α-Trihydroxy-9-(3,5,7-trihydroxy-4H-1-benzopyran-7-on-2-yl)-5α-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl)-5,6,11-hexahydro-5,6,11-trioxanaphthacene-12-one and [1,3,11α-Trihydroxy-9-(3,5,7-trihydroxy-4H-1-benzopyran-7-on-2-yl)-5α-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl)-5,6,11-hexahydro-5,6,11-trioxanaphthacene-12-one]-4'-O-D-gluco-pyranoside from Allium cepa have been found to exhibit significant antidiabetic activities. With the huge number of adults living with diabetes in Kenya and the available treatment methods being expensive yet not so effective, this study highlights alternative remedies by documenting the commonly used antidiabetic medicinal plants. Further, the study supports the antidiabetic use of these plants with the existing pharmacological profiles and highlights research study gaps. Therefore, it is urgent to conduct natural products isolation work on the selected antidiabetic species commonly used in Kenya and evaluate their antidiabetic activities, both in vitro and in vivo, to validate their antidiabetic use and come up with new antidiabetic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Wambua Muema
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; (F.W.M.); (M.A.O.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Consolata Nanjala
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia;
- Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
| | - Millicent Akinyi Oulo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; (F.W.M.); (M.A.O.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Phurpa Wangchuk
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Building E4, McGregor Rd., Smithfield, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
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Shi W, Hu S, Song W, Huang Y, Shi C, Wang S. Uncovering the first complete chloroplast genomics, comparative analysis, and phylogenetic relationships of the medicinal plants Rhamnus cathartica and Frangula alnus ( Rhamnaceae). PHYSIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PLANTS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 29:855-869. [PMID: 37520808 PMCID: PMC10382440 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-023-01331-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Rhamnus cathartica and Frangula alnus are economically valuable medicinal plants from the Rhamnaceae family. However, their chloroplast genome structure, phylogenetic position, relationships, and evolution remain poorly understood. Herein, the complete chloroplast genome resources of R. cathartica and F. alnus have been added. The first comparative analysis of the Rhamnus and Frangula species based on complete chloroplast genomes was provided. The chloroplast genomes of R. cathartica and F. alnus exhibited a quadripartite structure, with total lengths of 161,149 bp and 161,255 bp, respectively. The lack of the infA and psbL genes does not negatively impact the normal functioning of Rhamnus and Frangula species. The rpl20 and rpl33 genes are undergoing rapid evolution. Rhamnus and Frangula species prefer amino acids with A/U-terminal codons. There were between 100 and 126 simple sequence repeats and between 38 and 100 long repeats. Several highly divergent intergenic regions (trnK-UUU-trnQ-UUG, atpH-atpI, trnY-GUA-trnE-UUC, trnG-GCC-trnfM-CAU, trnT-UGU-trnF-GAA, rpl20-rps12, and rpl22-rps19) and highly divergent genes (ycf3, ndhA, rpl32, and ycf1) were identified, which could serve as potential phylogenetic markers due to their variability. We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships among Rhamnus species and F. alnus using complete chloroplast genomes. There is no significant correlation between the medicinal value of the species analyzed and their phylogenetic relationships. These results provide valuable insights for understanding the phylogenetic relationship and evolution of Rhamnus and Frangula species. These findings could serve as a foundation for future studies on the Rhamnaceae. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-023-01331-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Shi
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042 China
| | - Siqi Hu
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042 China
| | - Weicai Song
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042 China
| | - Yahui Huang
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042 China
| | - Chao Shi
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042 China
- Plant Germplasm and Genomics Center, Germplasm Bank of Wild Species in Southwest China, Kunming Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204 China
| | - Shuo Wang
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042 China
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Siddique R, Mehmood MH, Hussain L, Malik A, Sethi A, Farrukh M, Kousar S. Role of medicinal herbs and phytochemicals in post burn management. Inflammopharmacology 2023:10.1007/s10787-023-01246-5. [PMID: 37204694 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-023-01246-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Burn management is a natural and distinctly programmed process involving overlapping phases of hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodeling. Burn wound healing involves initiation of inflammation, re-epithelialization, granulation, neovascularization and wound contraction. Despite the availability of multiple preparations for management of burn wound, there is dire need for efficacious alternative agents. Current approaches for burn wound management include pharmaceutical agents and antibiotics. However, high cost of synthetic drugs and accelerated resistance to antibiotics is challenging for both developed and developing nations. Among alternative options, medicinal plants have been a biocompatible, safe and affordable source of preventive/curative approaches. Due to cultural acceptance and patient compliance, there has been a focus on the use of botanical drugs and phytochemicals for burn wound healing. Keeping in consideration of medicinal herbs and phytochemicals as suitable therapeutic/adjuvant agents for burn wound management, this review highlights therapeutic potential of 35 medicinal herbs and 10 phytochemicals. Among these, Elaeis guineensis, Ephedra ciliate and Terminalia avicennioides showed better burn wound healing potential with varied mechanisms such as modulation of TNF-alpha, inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide, eicosanoids, ROS and leukocyte response. Phytochemicals (oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, kirenol) also showed promising role in burn wound management though various pathways involving such as down regulation of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and inflammatory mediators including plasma proteases and arachidonic acid metabolites. This review provides a pavement for therapeutic/adjuvant use of potential botanical drugs and novel druggable phyto-compounds to target skin burn injury with diverse mechanisms, affordability and safety profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rida Siddique
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Malik Hassan Mehmood
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
| | - Liaqat Hussain
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Malik
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Ayesha Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Maryam Farrukh
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Shaneel Kousar
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
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Acute and Subacute Toxicity of Rhamnus prinoides Leaves on Histopathology of Liver, Kidney, and Brain Tissues, and Biochemical Profile of Rats. J Toxicol 2023; 2023:3105615. [PMID: 36711227 PMCID: PMC9876683 DOI: 10.1155/2023/3105615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhamnus prinoides is used as a traditional medicinal plant to treat pneumonia, sprain, gonorrhea, rheumatism, and ringworm infections as well as for the preparation of local beverages in Ethiopia. It has a widespread antioxidant, antimalarial, antimicrobial, wound healing, and anti-inflammatory activities. These activities are due to the presence of alkaloids, steroids, triterpenes, tannins, flavonoids, flavones, phenols, and glycosides. This study aimed to investigate acute and subacute toxicity of R. prinoides leaves on histopathology of the liver, kidney, and brain tissues, and biochemical profiles of rats. For the acute toxicity study, female rats were treated with R. prinoides at a dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight and followed-up for 14 days. In the subacute toxicity study, four groups of rats were used. The first three groups, respectively, received 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg body weight of R. prinoides extract and the fourth group was a control group. Signs of toxicity, food intake, and weight was recorded. At necropsy, organ weight measurement and macroscopic and microscopic evaluations of the liver, kidney, and brain were carried out. Different clinical chemistry profiles of rats were also measured. Single-dose oral administration of R. prinoides extract at 5000 mg/kg produced no mortality indicating the LD50 is greater than 5000 mg/kg body weight. A four week administration of R. prinoides extract did not bring deleterious outcomes on the food consumption and weight gain of rats. Moreover, gross examination, histopathological evaluation, and weight measurement conducted on the liver, kidney, and brain did not reveal treatment related changes. The biochemical analysis showed no significant difference between the treatment and control groups. Consumption of R. prinoides leaf for 4 weeks might not have a toxic effect in rats. However, further investigations upon long-term administration should be conducted to have a wider safety margin.
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Mahmoodi S, Taleghani A, Akbari R, Mokaber-Esfahani M. Rhamnus pallasii subsp. sintenisii fruit, leaf, bark and root: Phytochemical profiles and biological activities. ARAB J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2022.103924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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