Polyphenol Composition of Extracts of the Fruits of Laserpitium Krapffii Crantz and Their Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activity

A Plant Worthy of Further Study-Volatile and Non-Volatile Compounds of Portenschlagiella ramosissima (Port.) Tutin and Its Biological Activity

New and detailed data are presented on the phytochemical composition of the volatile and non-volatile organic compounds of the Mediterranean endemic species Portenschlagiella ramosissima (Port.) Tutin. Both the essential oil and hydrosol were obtained from the air-dried plant by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The volatile compounds from the fresh and air-dried plants and from the hydrosol were isolated for the first time by headspace solid-phase microextraction using two fibres of different polarity. The benzene derivative group was the predominant group in all samples, with myristicin being the most abundant component of all. The non-volatile compounds of the methanol extract were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry with electrospray ionisation, and three flavonoid glycosides, one anthocyanidin glycoside, and lipid derivatives were detected. Both the chemical composition and biological activities of this plant have been described in a very limited number of publications, making it an interesting source for further study. The antiphytoviral activity of the essential oil and hydrosol showed that both extracts significantly reduced the number of lesions on the leaves of local host plants infected with tobacco mosaic virus. Moderate antiproliferative activity of the methanol extract was detected in three cancer cell lines, cervical cancer cell line, human colon cancer cell line and human osteosarcoma cell line, using the MTS-based cell proliferation assay. Based on the results, we highlight this plant as a new source of bioactive compounds and natural phytotherapeutic agent that deserves further investigation.

Pequi Fruit Extract Increases Antioxidant Enzymes and Reduces Oxidants in Human Coronary Artery Endothelial Cells

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) imbalance results in endothelial cell function impairment. Natural phenolic antioxidant compounds have been investigated as therapeutic alternatives. The fruit bark of Brazilian-native pequi (Caryocar brasiliense, Camb.) is rich in polyphenols. The HPLC-MS (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry) analyses identified gallic acid and catechin in six out of seven ethanolic extract samples prepared in our lab. In this study, we examined the effects of ethanolic pequi extract on ROS levels in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) subjected to hypoxia or oxidative stress. We first confirmed the oxidant scavenging capacity of the extract. Then, HCAEC pre-incubated with 10 or 25 μg/mL of extract were subjected to hypoxia for 48 h or 100 μM H2O2 for six hours and compared to the normoxia group. Total and mitochondrial ROS levels and cell proliferation were measured. Pequi significantly reduced cytosolic HCAEC ROS levels in all conditions. Mitochondrial ROS were also reduced, except in hypoxia with 10 μg/mL of extract. HCAEC proliferation increased when treated with 25 μg/mL extract under hypoxia and after H2O2 addition. Additionally, pequi upregulated oxidative stress defense enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD-)1, SOD-2, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. Together, these findings demonstrate that pequi bark extract increases antioxidative enzyme levels, decreases ROS, and favors HACEC proliferation, pointing to a protective effect against oxidative stress.

LC-ESI-MS/MS Polyphenolic Profile and In Vitro Study of Cosmetic Potential of Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. Herb Extracts

The aim of the present study was to investigate the phenolic composition and the biological properties of different Aerva lanata (L). Juss. herb extracts obtained with the use of accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), i.e., a green, ecological method, for cosmetic purposes. All samples exhibited high DPPH^• (9.17–119.85 mg TE/g) and ABTS^•+ (9.90–107.58 mg TE/g) scavenging activity. The extracts exhibited considerable anti-lipoxygenase (EC₅₀ between 1.14 mg/mL and 3.73 mg/mL) and anti-xanthine oxidase (EC₅₀ between 1.28 mg/mL and 3.72 mg/mL) activities, moderate chelating activity (EC₅₀ between 1.58 mg/mL and 5.30 mg/mL), and high antioxidant potential in the ORAC assay (0.36–3.84 mM TE/g). Changes in the polyphenol profile of the analysed samples depending on the solvent and temperature used for the extraction were determined with the liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method. Twenty-one phenolic compounds, including flavonoids and phenolic acids, were detected and quantified. It was shown that tiliroside was one of the main phenolic metabolites in the A. lanata (L.) Juss. herb., which may suggest that this compound may be largely responsible for the observed anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts. In addition, the studied extracts exhibited promising skin-related (anti-tyrosinase, anti-elastase, anti-collagenase, and anti-hyaluronidase) activity. This study showed that Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. contains high amounts of phenolic compounds, including tiliroside, and has good skin-related activities. Therefore, the plant may be interesting as a novel source of bioactive agents for cosmetic industries.

Flavonoid and Phenolic Acids Content and In Vitro Study of the Potential Anti-Aging Properties of Eutrema japonicum (Miq.) Koidz Cultivated in Wasabi Farm Poland

Skin aging is a natural, unavoidable, and complex process caused by oxidative stress. As a consequence, it leads to an increase in the activation of extracellular matrix disruption enzymes and DNA damage. The search for natural sources that inhibit these mechanisms can be a good approach to prevent skin aging. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the composition of flavonoids and phenolic acids in the extracts obtained from the flowers, roots, and leaves of Eutrema japonicum cultivated in Poland. Then, the resultant extracts were subjected to an assessment of antioxidant, anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, anti-hyaluronidase, antibacterial, and cytotoxic properties. It was demonstrated that the extract from the flowers had the highest content of flavonoid glycosides (17.15 mg/g DE). This extract showed the greatest antioxidant, anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, and anti-hyaluronidase activities compared to the other samples. Importantly, the collagenase inhibitory activity of this extract (93.34% ± 0.77%) was better than that of positive control epigallocatechin gallate (88.49% ± 0.45%). An undeniable advantage of this extract was also to possess moderate antibacterial properties and no cytotoxicity towards normal human skin fibroblasts. Our results suggest that extracts from E. japonicum flowers may be considered as a promising antiaging compound for applications in cosmetic formulations.

Antioxidant/pro-oxidant and antiproliferative activities of phenolic-rich foods and extracts: A cell-based point of view

Phenolic compounds have demonstrated several in vitro beneficial properties by acting as antioxidant and pro-oxidant agents. This chapter approaches the relationship among oxidative stress, cancer, phenolic compounds and antiproliferative activity. Moreover, it discusses in vitro techniques and their biological applications, regarding cell viability and intracellular measure of reactive oxygen assays. The in vitro methods are important tools for screening and understanding the pathways involved on antiproliferative and antioxidant/pro-oxidant effects of phenolic compounds. These findings open avenues for the development of innovative food, chemical structures, technological applications and future perspectives in this research field.

Influence of Accelerated Solvent Extraction Conditions on the LC-ESI-MS/MS Polyphenolic Profile, Triterpenoid Content, and Antioxidant and Anti-lipoxygenase Activity of Rhododendron luteum Sweet Leaves

Evaluation of native plant resources and their efficient use is one of the current trends in phytochemistry. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the biological activities of different Rhododendron luteum Sweet leaf extracts obtained with the use of accelerated solvent extraction using different solvents and extraction temperatures. All extracts were subjected to bioactivity assays, which revealed considerable anti-lipoxygenase (23.07-90.13% lipoxygenase inhibition) and antiradical potential. All samples exhibited high 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^•) (234.18-621.90 mg Trolox equivalents (TE)/g) and 2,2'-azino-bis-3(ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS^•+) (88.79-349.41 mg TE/g) scavenging activity, high antioxidant potential in the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assay (495.77-1011.59 mg TE/g), and moderate ion chelating (Fe2+) capacity. The chemical profile of each sample was determined using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) and spectrophotometric procedures. Twenty-three compounds representing seven polyphenol subclasses were detected and quantified, including some phenolic acids and flavonoids that had not been previously reported for this plant material. It was shown that 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, protocatechuic acid, catechin, quercetin and its glycosides (hyperoside, isoquercetin, quercitrin), and pentacyclic triterpenes were the dominant secondary metabolites in R. luteum leaves. The antioxidant activity was found to be strongly related to different polyphenol groups and total triterpene content, while the anti-lipoxygenase potential was highly dependent on catechin.

Phenolic Composition and Skin-Related Properties of the Aerial Parts Extract of Different Hemerocallis Cultivars

Hemerocallis plants are important vegetables with nutritional and health value, especially in eastern Asia, where they have been used as medicines to cure disease such as depression and inflammation for thousands of years. The present study concerns the determination of flavonoids and phenolic acids, as well as antioxidant, anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, anti-tyrosinase and antimicrobial properties of taxa cultivated in Poland. For chemical composition estimation, LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis and spectrophotometric assays were performed. The results show the presence of sixteen compounds in all analyzed species. Among the investigated cultivars, it was found that H. “Chicago Apache” and H. fulva var. kwanso have the highest total phenolic acid and flavonoid content. The most abundant compounds in all analyzed extracts were chlorogenic acid (209.8 to 1010.0 µg/g of DE) and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (114.7 to 1049.7 µg/g of DE). The studied extracts exhibited moderate to high skin-related activities. These properties were correlated with a high concentration of polyphenols. The present study demonstrated that Hemerocallis cultivars contain significant amounts of phenolic compounds with good skin-related activities and could be interesting as novel sources of bioactive agents for the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries.

Phenolic Composition of the Leaves of Pyrola rotundifolia L. and Their Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activity

The leaves of Pyrola rotundifolia L. were extracted in the mixed solvent of methanol/acetone/water (2:2:1, v/v/v) and investigated for their phytochemical analysis and biological activity. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined spectrophotometrically. A high content of phenols (208.35 mg GAE/g of dry extract), flavonoids (38.90 mg QE/g of dry extract) and gallotannins (722.91 GAE/g of dry extract) was obtained. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography diode array detector tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-MS) allowed for the detection of 23 major peaks at 254 nm. The extract was analyzed for its antioxidant capacity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH^•) and 2,2'-azinobis[3-ethylbenzthiazoline]-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS^•+) radical scavenging, metal chelating power and β-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching assays. The examined extract showed moderate radical scavenging and chelating activity, and good inhibiting ability of linoleic acid oxidation (EC₅₀ = 0.05 mg/mL) in comparison to standards. The cytotoxic effect in increasing concentration on five types of leukemic cell lines was also investigated using trypan blue vital staining. It was found that the analyzed extract induced the apoptosis of all the tested cell lines. Our findings suggest that the leaves of P. rotundifolia are a source of valuable compounds providing protection against oxidative damage, hence their use in traditional medicine is justified.