The Modern Use of an Ancient Plant: Exploring the Antioxidant and Nutraceutical Potential of the Maltese Mushroom (Cynomorium Coccineum L.)

Cynomorium songaricum: UHPLC/ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS analysis and mechanistic study on insulin sensitivity of a flavonoid-enriched fraction

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by elevated blood glucose levels, posing a significant global health concern due to its increasing prevalence. Insulin resistance (IR) plays a major role in the development of T2DM and is often linked to factors such as obesity, physical inactivity, and a sedentary lifestyle. Recently, there has been growing interest in exploring the potential of natural products for improving insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. Among these, Cynomorium songaricum Rupr., an edible parasitic plant, has shown promising antidiabetic effects. However, research on its beneficial effects on IR is still nascent. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the application of a Cynomorium songaricum flavonoid-enriched fraction (CSF) in the treatment of IR in T2DM, along with elucidating the chemical and biochemical mechanisms involved.

METHOD

First, UHPLC/ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS was utilized to perform a chemical profiling of CSF. Subsequently, glycogen synthesis, gluconeogenesis and glucose consumption assays were conducted on HepG2 cells with a high glucose high insulin-induced IR model to illustrate the favorable impacts of CSF on IR. Then, an innovative network pharmacology analysis was executed to predict the potential chemical components and hub genes contributing to CSF's protective effect against IR. To further elucidate molecular interactions, molecular docking studies were performed, focusing on the binding interactions between active constituents of CSF and crucial targets. Additionally, an RNA-sequencing assay was employed to uncover the underlying biochemical signaling pathway responsible for CSF's beneficial effects. To validate these findings, western blot and qPCR assays were employed to verify the pathways related to IR and the potential signaling cascades leading to the amelioration of IR.

RESULTS

The UHPLC/ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS analysis successfully identified a total of thirty-six flavonoids derived from CSF. Moreover, CSF was shown to significantly improve glycogen synthesis and glucose consumption as well as inhibit gluconeogenesis in HepG2 cells of IR. An innovative network pharmacology analysis unveiled key hub genes-AKT1 and PI3K-integral to metabolic syndrome-related signaling pathways, which contributed to the favorable impact of CSF against IR. Noteworthy active ingredients including quercetin, ellagic acid and naringenin were identified as potential contributors to these effects. The results of western blot and qPCR assays provided compelling evidence that CSF improved insulin sensitivity by modulating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Subsequent RNA-sequencing analysis, in tandem with western blot assays, delved deeper into the potential mechanisms underlying CSF's advantageous effects against IR, potentially associated with the enhancement of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteostasis.

CONCLUSION

CSF exhibited a remarkable ability to enhance insulin sensitivity in the IR model of HepG2 cells. This was evident through enhancements in glycogen synthesis and glucose consumption, along with its inhibitory impact on gluconeogenesis. Furthermore, CSF demonstrated an improvement in the insulin-mediated PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. The potential active constituents were identified as quercetin, ellagic acid and naringenin. The underlying biochemical mechanisms responsible for CSF's beneficial effects against IR were closely linked to its capacity to mitigate ER stress, thereby offering a comprehensive understanding of its protective action.

The Doctrine of Signatures in Israel-Revision and Spatiotemporal Patterns

The present survey includes forty-three plant species with present-day medicinal applications that can be related to the Doctrine of Signatures (DoS). The main uses are for jaundice (33.3%), kidney stones (20%), and as an aphrodisiac (8%). Ten Doctrine of Signature uses (22.2%) are endemic (to Israel and Jordan); while none of these plant species are endemic to the region at all, their DoS uses are endemic. Summing up of all these data reveals that 73.2% of all uses found in present-day Israel could be considered as related to Muslim traditional medicine. About one quarter (24.4%) of the DoS uses are also common to Europe, and some (8.8%) to India. The two adventive species with DoS uses serve as evidence that the DoS practice is not necessarily based solely on its historical background but is still evolving locally in accordance with changes in the local flora. The current broad geographic distribution of many of the doctrine's uses may serve as indirect evidence of its current prevalence, and not just as a vestigial presentation of ancient beliefs.

Middle East Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of Diabetes: A Review

Diabetes is a global health problem, and the number of diabetic patients is in continuous rise. Conventional antidiabetic therapies are associated with high costs and limited efficiency. The use of traditional medicine and plant extracts to treat diabetes is gaining high popularity in many countries. Countries in the Middle East region have a long history of using herbal medicine to treat different diseases, including diabetes. In this review, we compiled and summarized all the in vivo and in vitro studies conducted for plants with potential antidiabetic activity in the Middle East region. Plants of the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families are the most investigated. It is hoped that this review will contribute scientifically to evidence the ethnobotanical use of medicinal plants as antidiabetic agents. Work has to be done to define tagetes, mechanism of action and the compound responsible for activity. In addition, safety and pharmacokinetic parameters should be investigated.

Absence of Polyphenol Oxidase in Cynomorium coccineum, a Widespread Holoparasitic Plant

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO, E.C. 1.14.18.1) is a nearly ubiquitous enzyme that is widely distributed among organisms. Despite its widespread distribution, the role of PPO in plants has not been thoroughly elucidated. In this study, we report for the absence of PPO in Cynomorium coccineum, a holoparasitic plant adapted to withstand unfavorable climatic conditions, growing in Mediterranean countries and amply used in traditional medicine. The lack of PPO has been demonstrated by the absence of enzymatic activity with various substrates, by the lack of immunohistochemical detection of the enzyme, and by the absence of the PPO gene and, consequently, its expression. The results obtained in our work allow us to exclude the presence of the PPO activity (both latent and mature forms of the enzyme), as well as of one or more genes coding for PPO in C. coccineum. Finally, we discuss the possible significance of PPO deficiency in parasitic plants adapted to abiotic stress.

Antiproliferative and antiviral activity of methanolic extracts from Sardinian Maltese Mushroom (Cynomorium coccineum L.)

Cynomorium coccineum is a non-photosynthetic plant that grows in Mediterranean countries and that is amply used in the traditional medicine. The aim of this study was to extend previous studies on the chemical and biological properties of C. coccineum, evaluating the potential antiviral and antiproliferative activity of the methanolic extract. The MTT assay was used for the in vitro cytotoxic studies against human cancer-derived cell lines, while both MTT and plaque reduction (PRT) methods were used to evaluate the potential inhibitory effect of the extract against a panel of mammal viruses. The results obtained showed no selective activity against any DNA and RNA virus but revealed an interesting antiproliferative activity against human leukaemia-derived cell lines.