Phytochemical and In Vitro Genotoxicity Studies of Standardized Ficus deltoidea var. kunstleri Aqueous Extract

Bioactivity of the Ethanol Extract of Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) as Antitoxin

Toxic compounds can induce the formation of free radicals (reactive oxygen species (ROS)) which can trigger damage and decrease cell viability. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) contains phenolic compounds that are useful as antioxidants which can reduce ROS toxicity. However, little is known about the antitoxin activity of clove extract. Therefore, this study is aimed at determining the effect of ethanolic clove extract as an antitoxin agent against malachite green (MG) mutagen using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model. The methods used to analyze the ability of ethanolic clove extract as antitoxin were decolorization assay and cell viability test towards MG. The phenol contents of leaf and bud extract were 441.28 and 394.73 mg GAE g-1 extract, respectively. Clove leaf extract has strong antioxidant activity in vitro (IC50 9.29 ppm for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 29.57 for 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS)). Liquid chromatography quadrupole-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis showed the presence of 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid and several other bioactive compounds, in which these compounds had bioactivity against toxic compound. The addition of extract reduced the ability of S. cerevisiae to decolorize malachite green but increased cell viability. Based on the data, clove leaf extract shows the potential antitoxin activity. This research should facilitate a preliminary study to investigate the antitoxin agent derived from cloves leaf extract. Further research to analyze the antitoxin mechanism of this extract in yeast model is interesting to do to provide a comprehensive insight into the potential antitoxin agents of clove leaf extract.

Crude extract of Ficus deltoidea Jack (FD) as a natural biological therapy

Aim

This study shows how important it is to coordinate research on Ficus deltoidea Jack (FD) so that results from different sources can be compared directly and a scientific conclusion can be made.

Methods

The author looked for research papers on Ficus (F.) deltoidea on Google Scholar, Science Direct, Google.com, Wiley, PubMed, Hindawi, Springer, and other related databases. This analysis excludes data that cannot be trusted, thesis papers, and review articles about F. deltoidea.

Results

In traditional medicine, the plant's leaves and syconia are used to cure a wide variety of ailments, including itchiness, diarrhoea, cancer, sexual dysfunction, age-related issues, malaria, cancer, anxiety, pain, constipation, fever, diabetes, tooth pain, and tooth decay. In vitro and in vivo studies showed the effectiveness of the leaves against cancer cell lines.

Conclusions

Based on the existing research on the health benefits of FD, it is critical to focus on its more active constituents and their identification, determination, further development, and, most importantly, standardization of the leaves for the management and treatment of cancer and its related cases. More research is needed before it can be considered a promising herbal source of novel medication candidates for treating various disorders.

Hepatoprotective Effects of Sweet Cherry Extracts (cv. Saco)

Cancer is the second cause of death worldwide. Among cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most prevalent. Evidence indicates that the daily consumption of fruits and vegetables can prevent the onset of various cancers due to the presence of bioactive compounds. Sweet cherries are known for their richness in phenolics, including anthocyanins, which are the major constituents, and presumably, the key contributors to their biological activity. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of three different cherry fractions on human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells viability and effectiveness to improve the redox status of these cells under oxidative damage induced by nitric oxide radicals and hydrogen peroxide. Phenolic characterization of fractions was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The obtained results indicated that enriched phenolic fractions of sweet cherries (cv. Saco, can impair cell viability and suppress cells growth after 72 h of exposure, promoting necrosis at the highest tested concentrations (>50 µg/mL). Additionally, fractions also showed the capacity to protect these cells against oxidative injury by capturing radicals before they can attack cells’ membrane and by modulating reactive oxygen and nitrogen species generation, as demonstrated by bioinformatic tools.