Chemical Profile of Lipophilic Fractions of Different Parts of Zizyphus lotus L. by GC-MS and Evaluation of Their Antiproliferative and Antibacterial Activities

Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical, Toxicological, and Pharmacological Properties of Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam.: A Comprehensive Review

Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. (Rhamnaceae) is a plant species found across the Mediterranean area. This comprehensive overview aims to summarize the botanical description and ethnobotanical uses of Z. lotus and its phytochemical compounds derived with recent updates on its pharmacological and toxicological properties. The data were collected from electronic databases including the Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, SpringerLink, and Google Scholars. It can be seen from the literature that Z. lotus is traditionally used to treat and prevent several diseases including diabetes, digestive problems, urinary tract problems, infectious diseases, cardiovascular disorders, neurological diseases, and dermal problems. The extracts of Z. lotus demonstrated several pharmacological properties in vitro and in vivo such as antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-oxidant, antimicrobials, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, analgesic, anti-proliferative, anti-spasmodic, hepatoprotective, and nephroprotective effects. The phytochemical characterization of Z. lotus extracts revealed the presence of over 181 bioactive compounds including terpenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and fatty acids. Toxicity studies on Z. lotus showed that extracts from this plant are safe and free from toxicity. Thus, further research is needed to establish a possible relationship between traditional uses, plant chemistry, and pharmacological properties. Furthermore, Z. lotus is quite promising as a medicinal agent, so further clinical trials should be conducted to prove its efficacy.

Isolation, Structure Elucidation and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Natural Pentacyclic Triterpenoids and Phytochemical Investigation of Different Fractions of Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Stem Bark Using LCHRMS Analysis

Ziziphus spina-christi L. (ZSC-L) is a tree with thorny branches, belongs to the family Rhamnaceae and grows in the sub-tropics. The purpose of this research is to isolate and partially purify bioactive components from the crude ethanol extract of the stem bark of ZSC-L. Besides, bioassay-guided fractionation of ZSC-L stem bark was conducted using different solvents. The solvents were reutilized to minimize the production cost and environmental harm. In addition, the antimicrobial activities of the fractions were analyzed, followed by metabolic profiling using LC-HRMS. The n-butanol fraction showed the highest antimicrobial efficacy, so it was subjected to further purification. For the first time, two major compounds were isolated from the stem bark of ZSC-L and identified as lupane-type pentacyclic triterpenoids betulinic acid and betulin. Both compounds were used as antibacterial and anticancer agents and considered as a green product as the extraction procedure reduced the use of hazardous chemicals. Metabolic characterization of ZSC-L and its bioactive fractions were performed using LC-HR-ESI-MS and the results revealed the dereplication of 36 compounds belonging to different chemical classes. Flavonoids and triterpenes were the most prominent metabolite classes in the different fractions. The molecular docking results were obtained by studying the interaction of betulin and betulinic acid with antimicrobial receptors (4UYM, 1IYL, 1AJ2, 6J7L, 1AD4, 2VEG) to support the in vitro results. Our study highlights that Ziziphus spina-christi and its phytoconstituents, especially triterpenoids, act as a promising antimicrobial candidate in pharmaceutical and clinical applications.