Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Erodium arborescens Aerial Part Extracts and Characterization by LC-HESI-MS2 of Its Acetone Extract

Casuarina glauca branchlets' extract as a potential treatment for ulcerative colitis: chemical composition, in silico and in vivo studies

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease that is often resistant to current treatment options, leading to a need for alternative therapies. Herbal products have shown promise in managing various conditions, including UC. However, the potential of Casuarina glauca branchlets ethanolic extract (CGBRE) in treating UC has not been explored. This study aimed to analyze the chemical composition of CGBRE and evaluate its efficacy in UC treatment through in silico and in vivo experiments. LC-ESI-MS/MS was used to identify 86 compounds in CGBRE, with 21 potential bioactive compounds determined through pharmacokinetic analysis. Network pharmacology analysis revealed 171 potential UC targets for the bioactive compounds, including EGFR, LRRK2, and HSP90 as top targets, which were found to bind to key CGBRE compounds through molecular docking. Molecular docking findings suggested that CGBRE may be effective in the prevention or treatment of ulcerative colitis mediated by these proteins, where key CGBRE compounds exhibited good binding affinities through formation of numerous interactions. In vivo studies in rats with acetic acid-induced UC demonstrated that oral administration of 300 mg/kg CGBRE for 6 days reduced UC symptoms and colonic expression of EGFR, LRRK2, and HSP90. These findings supported the therapeutic potential of CGBRE in UC and suggested the need for further preclinical and clinical investigation.

Effect of the Harvest Season of Anthyllis henoniana Stems on Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities: Phytochemical Profiling of Their Ethyl Acetate Extracts

Anthyllis henoniana stems were harvested in two seasons: winter and spring (February and May 2021). In this study, we investigated the antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and TAC) and antimicrobial activities, total phenolic contents and total flavonoid contents of the obtained extracts (hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol). The results showed that ethyl acetate extract from stems harvested in winter exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, while ethyl acetate extract from the stems harvested in spring showed the most potent antibacterial and antifungal activities. To explain these differences, we investigated the phytochemical composition of these two extracts using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Therefore, 45 compounds were detected, from which we identified 20 compounds (flavonoids, triterpenoids, chalcones and phenolic acids); some were specific to the harvest month while others were common for both periods. Some of the major compounds detected in ethyl acetate (spring) were dihydrochalcone (Kanzonol Y, 8.2%) and flavanone (sophoraflavanone G, 5.9%), previously recognized for their antimicrobial effects. We therefore concluded that the difference in activities observed for the two harvest periods depends on the chemical composition of the extracts and the relative abundance of each compound.

Biological Evaluation and Structural Analysis of Some Aminodiphenylamine Derivatives

4-Aminodiphenylamino derivatives were investigated for their antioxidant and hydrophobicity character, together with other biological measurements, such as antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity. Among these nine compounds used, we obtained novel derivatives via reaction of the starting material with NBD-chloride. Therefore, we performed a full structural analysis for these compounds, i.e., elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis, 1H- and 13C-NMR, ESI-MS, X-ray diffraction on single crystal, etc. The hydrophobicity of all the compounds was measured either experimentally using the RP-TLC technique, or via calculation using the fragments method. The other structural characteristics were analyzed, and a correlation between the experimental and computed properties was found. Moreover, the results of the biological evaluation showed that some of the synthesized compounds have antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity.

Comparison of the Antioxidant Activities and Polysaccharide Characterization of Fresh and Dry Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo

It is generally believed that fresh Dendrobium officinale (FDO) has more significant pharmacological activity than dried Dendrobium officinale (DDO); however, the difference has not been clearly shown. Our study compared their antioxidant properties both in vitro and in vivo, and the molecular weight arrangement and monosaccharide composition of the fresh Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides (FDOPs) and the dried Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides (DDOPs) were analyzed by HPLC-GPC and GC-MS. The results showed that the FDO and its polysaccharides had more significant effects on scavenging DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radicals than the DDO. In addition, both the FDO and DDO significantly reduced lipid peroxidation levels and increased the SOD, T-AOC, CAT, and GSH levels in mice with acute liver damage caused by CCl₄, while the FDO and its polysaccharides were more effective. Histopathological analysis further verified the protective effect of the Dendrobium polysaccharides on CCl₄-induced liver injury. The determination of the polysaccharides revealed that the polysaccharide and mannose contents of the FDO were significantly higher than their dried counterparts, and the homogeneous arrangement of the polysaccharides in the FDO was degraded into three polysaccharide fragments of different molecular weights in the DDO. Overall, our data identified differences in the antioxidant activities of the FDO and DDO, as well as the reasons for these differences.