Hura crepitans L. Extract: Phytochemical Characterization, Antioxidant Activity, and Nanoformulation

Nature's Green Potential: Anticancer Properties of Plants of the Euphorbiaceae Family

The number of cancer cases will reach 24 million in 2040, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Current treatments for cancer are not effective and selective for most patients; for this reason, new anticancer drugs need to be developed and researched enough. There are potentially useful drugs for cancer isolated from plants that are being used in the clinic. Available information about phytochemistry, traditional uses, in vitro and in vivo experiments with plants, and pure compounds isolated from the Euphorbiaceae family indicates that this family of plants has the potential to develop anticancer drugs. This review examines selected species from the Euphorbiaceae family and their bioactive compounds that could have potential against different types of cancer cells. It reviews the activity of crude extracts, isolated compounds, and nanoparticles and the potential underlying mechanisms of action.

Immunometabolism Modulation by Extracts from Pistachio Stalks Formulated in Phospholipid Vesicles

Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of plant extracts against various diseases, especially skin disorders; namely, they exhibit overall protective effects. The Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) is known for having bioactive compounds that can effectively contribute to a person's healthy status. However, these benefits may be limited by the toxicity and low bioavailability often inherent in bioactive compounds. To overcome these problems, delivery systems, such as phospholipid vesicles, can be employed. In this study, an essential oil and a hydrolate were produced from P. vera stalks, which are usually discarded as waste. The extracts were characterized by liquid and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and formulated in phospholipid vesicles intended for skin application. Liposomes and transfersomes showed small size (<100 nm), negative charge (approximately -15 mV), and a longer storage stability for the latter. The entrapment efficiency was determined via the quantification of the major compounds identified in the extracts and was >80%. The immune-modulating activity of the extracts was assayed in macrophage cell cultures. Most interestingly, the formulation in transfersomes abolished the cytotoxicity of the essential oil while increasing its ability to inhibit inflammatory mediators via the immunometabolic citrate pathway.

PEGylated Liposomes Loaded with Carbamate Inhibitor ANP0903 Trigger Apoptosis by Enhancing ER Stress in HepG2 Cancer Cells

Liver cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer death worldwide. In recent years, substantial progress has been made in the development of systemic therapies, but there is still the need for new drugs and technologies that can increase the survival and quality of life of patients. The present investigation reports the development of a liposomal formulation of a carbamate molecule, reported as ANP0903, previously tested as an inhibitor of HIV-1 protease and now evaluated for its ability to induce cytotoxicity in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. PEGylated liposomes were prepared and characterized. Small, oligolamellar vesicles were produced, as demonstrated by light scattering results and TEM images. The physical stability of the vesicles in biological fluids was demonstrated in vitro, alongside the stability during storage. An enhanced cellular uptake was verified in HepG2 cells treated with liposomal ANP0903, resulting in a greater cytotoxicity. Several biological assays were performed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms explaining the proapoptotic effect of ANP0903. Our results allow us to hypothesize that the cytotoxic action in tumor cells is probably due to the inhibition of the proteasome, resulting in an increase in the amount of ubiquitinated proteins within the cells, which in turn triggers activation of autophagy and apoptosis processes, resulting in cell death. The proposed liposomal formulation represents a promising approach to deliver a novel antitumor agent to cancer cells and enhance its activity.

Nanotechnological exploitation of the antioxidant potential of Humulus lupulus L. extract

The present study investigated the potential antioxidant applications of Humulus lupulus L. as raw extract and nanoformulated in liposomes. H. lupulus is commonly used as a food ingredient, but it is also a promising source of specialized metabolites with health-promoting effects. In the extract obtained by hydroalcoholic maceration, 24 compounds were characterized using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses. The extract exhibited an interesting antioxidant activity in in vitro spectrophotometric and cell assays. The extract was nanoformulated into liposomes to exploit and improve its beneficial proprieties. The in vitro assays revealed that, after incorporation into liposomes, the extract's antioxidant activity was preserved and even improved. Moreover, a lower dose of the extract was required to prevent reactive oxygen species overproduction when included in the nanoformulation. These results confirm the advantages of nanoformulating herbal extract to maximize its health-promoting effects for a potential pharmaceutical application.

New Insight on the Bioactivity of Solanum aethiopicum Linn. Growing in Basilicata Region (Italy): Phytochemical Characterization, Liposomal Incorporation, and Antioxidant Effects

Food extract’s biological effect and its improvement using nanotechnologies is one of the challenges of the last and the future decades; for this reason, the antioxidant effect of scarlet eggplant extract liposomal incorporation was investigated. Scarlet eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.) is a member of the Solanaceae family, and it is one of the most consumed vegetables in tropical Africa and south of Italy. This study investigated the antioxidant activity and the phytochemical composition of S. aethiopicum grown in the Basilicata Region for the first time. The whole fruit, peel, and pulp were subjected to ethanolic exhaustive maceration extraction, and all extracts were investigated. The HPLC-DAD analysis revealed the presence of ten phenolic compounds, including hydroxycinnamic acids, flavanones, flavanols, and four carotenoids (one xanthophyll and three carotenes). The peel extract was the most promising, active, and the richest in specialized metabolites; hence, it was tested on HepG2 cell lines and incorporated into liposomes. The nanoincorporation enhanced the peel extract’s antioxidant activity, resulting in a reduction of the concentration used. Furthermore, the extract improved the expression of endogenous antioxidants, such as ABCG2, CAT, and NQO1, presumably through the Nrf2 pathway.

Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis Induction of 6,7-Dehydroroyleanone from Taiwania cryptomerioides Bark Essential Oil in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

The objective of the present study is to evaluate the cytotoxicity of Taiwania cryptomerioides essential oil and its phytochemical on the Hep G2 cell line (human hepatocellular carcinoma). Bark essential oil has significant cytotoxicity to Hep G2 cells, and S3 fraction is the most active fraction in cytotoxicity to Hep G2 cells among the six fractions. The diterpenoid quinone, 6,7-dehydroroyleanone, was isolated from the active S3 fraction by bioassay-guided isolation. 6,7-Dehydroroyleanone exhibited significant cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells, and the efficacy of 6,7-dehydroroyleanone was better than the positive control, etoposide. Apoptosis analysis of Hep G2 cells with different treatments was characterized via flow cytometry to confirm the cell death situation. Etoposide and 6,7-dehydroroyleanone could induce the apoptosis in Hep G2 cells using flow cytometric assay. Results revealed 6,7-dehydroroyleanone from T. cryptomerioides bark essential oil can be a potential phytochemical to develop the anticancer chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of the human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Ecotoxicity of plant extracts and essential oils: A review

Plant-based products such as essential oils and other extracts have been used for centuries due to their beneficial properties. Currently, their use is widely disseminated through a variety of industries and new applications are continuously emerging. For these reasons, they are produced industrially in large quantities and consequently they have the potential to reach the environment. However, the potential effects that these products have on the ecosystems' health are mostly unknown. In recent years, the scientific community started to focus on the possible toxic effects of essential oils and plant extracts towards non-target organisms. As a result, an increasing body of knowledge has emerged. This review describes the current state of the art on the toxic effects that essential oils and plant extracts have towards organisms from different trophic levels, including producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers. The majority of the studies (76.5%) focuses on the aquatic environment, particularly in aquatic invertebrates (45.1%) with only 23.5% of the studies focusing on the potential toxicity of plant-derived products on terrestrial ecosystems. While some essential oils and extracts have been described to have no toxic effects to the selected organisms or the toxic effects were only observable at high concentrations, others were reported to be toxic at concentrations below the limit set by international regulations, some of them at very low concentrations. In fact, L(E)C₅₀ values as low as 0.0336 mg.L^-1, 0.0005 mg.L^-1 and 0.0053 mg.L^-1 were described for microalgae, crustaceans and fish, respectively. Generally, essential oils exhibit higher toxicity than extracts. However, when the extracts are obtained from plants that are known to produce toxic metabolites, the extracts can be more toxic than essential oils. Overall, and despite being generally considered "eco-friendly" products and safer than they synthetic counterparts, some essential oils and plant extracts are toxic towards non-target organisms. Given the increasing interest from industry on these plant-based products further research using international standardized protocols is mandatory.

Recent Advances in Research on Polyphenols: Effects on Microbiota, Metabolism, and Health

Polyphenols have attracted huge interest among researchers of various disciplines because of their numerous biological activities, such as antioxidative, antiinflammatory, antiapoptotic, cancer chemopreventive, anticarcinogenic, and antimicrobial properties, and their promising applications in many fields, mainly in the medical, cosmetics, dietary supplement and food industries. In this review, the latest scientific findings in the research on polyphenols interaction with the microbiome and mitochondria, their metabolism and health beneficial effects, their involvement in cognitive diseases and obesity development, as well as some innovations in their analysis, extraction methods, development of cosmetic formulations and functional food are summarized based on the papers presented at the 13th World Congress on Polyphenol Applications. Future implications of polyphenols in disease prevention and their strategic use as prophylactic measures are specifically addressed. Polyphenols may play a key role in our tomorrow´s food and nutrition to prevent many diseases.

Preparation of Chlorophyll Nanoemulsion from Pomelo Leaves and Its Inhibition Effect on Melanoma Cells A375

Pomelo (Citrus grandis), an important fruit crop grown in tropical and subtropical areas, is cultivated mainly in Asian countries. The dominant pigment in pomelo leaves, chlorophyll, has been reported to possess many biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammation and anticancer. The objectives of this study were to determine chlorophylls in Pomelo leaves by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and to encapsulate the isolated chlorophylls from preparative column chromatography into a nanoemulsion system for elucidating the inhibition mechanism on the growth of melanoma cells A375. The results showed that chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b could be separated within 25 min by using a C18 column and a gradient ternary mobile phase of acetone, acetonitrile and methanol. Pomelo leaves mainly contained chlorophyll a (2278.3 μg/g) and chlorophyll b (785.8 μg/g). A highly stable chlorophyll nanoemulsion was prepared with the mean particle size being 13.2 nm as determined by a dynamic light scattering (DLS) method. The encapsulation efficiency of chlorophyll nanoemulsion was 99%, while the zeta potential was −64.4 mV. In addition, the chlorophyll nanoemulsion possessed high thermal stability up to 100 °C and remained stable over a 90-day storage period at 4 °C. Western blot analysis revealed that chlorophyll nanoemulsion and extract could upregulate p53, p21, cyclin B and cyclin A as well as downregulate CDK1 and CDK2 in a concentration-dependent manner for inhibition of melanoma cells A375. Furthermore, chlorophyll nanoemulsion and extract could upregulate Bax and cytochrome C and downregulate Bcl-2, leading to activation of caspase-9, caspase-8 and caspase-3 for the induction of cell apoptosis. Compared to chlorophyll extract, chlorophyll nanoemulsion was more effective in inhibiting the growth of melanoma cells A375.

Antimelanogenesis Effects of Leaf Extract and Phytochemicals from Ceylon Olive (Elaeocarpus serratus) in Zebrafish Model

The melanogenesis inhibition effect in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and antityrosinase activity of the ethanolic extract and its phytochemicals from Ceylon olive (Elaeocarpus serratus Linn.) leaves were investigated in this study. Among the leaf extract and four soluble fractions, the ethyl acetate soluble fraction exhibits the best antityrosinase and antimelanogenesis activities. One phenolic acid, gallic acid, and two flavonoids, myricetin and mearnsetin, are isolated from the active subfractions through the bioassay-guided isolation; their structures are elucidated based on the 1D and 2D NMR, FTIR, UV, and MS spectroscopic analyses. These compounds have significant antityrosinase activity whether using l-tyrosine or l-DOPA as the substrate; mearnsetin shows the optimal activity. In the enzyme kinetic investigation, both gallic acid and mearnsetin are the competitive-type inhibitors against mushroom tyrosinase, and myricetin acts as a mixed-type tyrosinase inhibitor. Leaf extract and an ethyl acetate soluble fraction show effective performance in the inhibition of melanin formation in zebrafish embryos. Mearnsetin also possesses a promising antimelanogenesis effect, which is superior to the positive control, arbutin. Results reveal that the Ceylon olive leaf extract and its phytochemicals, especially mearnsetin, have the potential to be used as antimelanogenesis and skin-whitening ingredients.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Berchemia floribunda in LPS-Stimulated RAW264.7 Cells through Regulation of NF-κB and MAPKs Signaling Pathway

Berchemia floribunda (Wall.) Brongn. (BF), which belongs to Rhamnaceae, is a special plant of Anmyeon Island in Korea. BF has been reported to have antioxidant and whitening effects. However, the anti-inflammatory activity of BR has not been elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of leaves (BR-L), branches (BR-B) and fruit (BR-F) extracted with 70% ethanol of BR and elucidated the potential signaling pathway in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. BR-L showed a strong anti-inflammatory activity through the inhibition of NO production. BR-L significantly suppressed the production of the pro-inflammatory mediators such as iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. BR-L suppressed the degradation and phosphorylation of IκB-α, which contributed to the inhibition of p65 nuclear accumulation and NF-κB activation. BR-L obstructed the phosphorylation of MAPKs (ERK1/2, p38 and JNK) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Consequently, these results suggest that BR-L may have great potential for the development of anti-inflammatory drugs to treat acute and chronic inflammatory disorders.