Evaluation of Synergistic Interactions on Antioxidant and Anticancer Efficacy of Methanol Extracts of some Egyptian Spices in Combination

Exploring the wound healing activity of phytosomal gel of Annona squamosa and Cinnamomum tamala leaves ethanolic extracts with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in S aureus infected excision wound model

Wound healing is a natural process but it is impaired in certain conditions like age, stress, health, immunity status and microbial infection. Particularly in cases of chronic wounds, infection is nearly often the main and unavoidable obstacle to wound healing. For this purpose, leaves of Annona squamosa and Cinnamomum tamala were selected based on their ethnopharmacological uses and reported pharmacological activities. The ethanolic extracts of both plant parts i.e. ethanolic extracts of Annona squamosa (ASEE) and Cinnamomum tamala (CTEE) were evaluated for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities individually as well as in 1:1 combination as Polyherbal Ethanolic extract (PHEE). In our previous work both these ethanolic extracts were combined and phytosomes were prepared by thin layer hydration method and optimized for vesicle size and entrapment efficiency. The phytosomes were then incorporated into Carbopol gel matrix. In this present study the selected phytosomal gel was tested in two different concentrations (2% and 5%) for in vivo wound healing activity using S. aureus infected excision wound model. The various parameters examined were percentage wound contraction, epithelization period, bacteriological quantification, biochemical parameters like Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase and hydroxyproline. The PHEE exhibited synergistic antioxidant activity. The PHEE also showed enhanced antimicrobial activity against bacteria namely gram-positive S. aureus, gram-negative E. Coli. The phytosomal gel showed increased wound contraction, reduced time of epithelization, increased hydroxyproline content, increased levels of SOD and Catalase enzymes and reduced bacterial load when compared with Povidone iodine ointment as standard in S. aureus infected excision wound model.

Optimization of Antioxidant Synergy in a Polyherbal Combination by Experimental Design

Culinary herbs and spices are known to be good sources of natural antioxidants. Although the antioxidant effects of individual culinary herbs and spices are widely reported, little is known about their effects when used in combination. The current study was therefore undertaken to compare the antioxidant effects of crude extracts and essential oils of some common culinary herbs and spices in various combinations. The antioxidant interactions of 1:1 combinations of the most active individual extracts and essential oils were investigated as well as the optimization of various ratios using the design of experiments (DoE) approach. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were used to determine the antioxidant activity, and MODDE 9.1^® software (Umetrics AB, Umea, Sweden) was used to determine the DoE. The results revealed synergism for the following combinations: Mentha piperita with Thymus vulgaris methanol extract (ΣFIC = 0.32 and ΣFIC = 0.15 using the DPPH and FRAP assays, respectively); Rosmarinus officinalis with Syzygium aromaticum methanol extract (ΣFIC = 0.47 using the FRAP assay); T. vulgaris with Zingiber officinalis methanol extracts (ΣFIC = 0.19 using the ABTS assay); and R. officinalis with Z. officinalis dichloromethane extract (ΣFIC = 0.22 using the ABTS assay). The DoE produced a statistically significant (R2 = 0.905 and Q2 = 0.710) model that was able to predict extract combinations with high antioxidant activities, as validated experimentally. The antioxidant activities of the crude extracts from a selection of culinary herbs and spices were improved when in combination, hence creating an innovative opportunity for the future development of supplements for optimum health.

Effect of nanoencapsulation on volatile constituents, and antioxidant and anticancer activities of Algerian Origanum glandulosum Desf. essential oil

Nanoencapsulation is an attractive novel technique used for incorporating essential oils in food preparations and pharmaceutical formulae. This study investigated the effect of nanoencapsulation on the composition of volatile compounds, as well as the antioxidant and anticancer activities of hydrodistilled (HD) Origanum glandulosum Desf. Oil, which was encapsulated into nanocapsules via High Speed Homogenization (HSH) and into nanoemulsions through High Pressure Homogenization (HPH). Thirty-two volatile components were identified using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis (GC-MS) in HD essential oil representing 99.04% of the total oil content. GC-MS analysis showed that the use of HPH to prepare nanoemulsions negatively affected the active compounds present in HD oil, particularly carvacrol and thymol, whereas the use of HSH led to significant quantitative differences in the composition of volatiles between HD oil and nanocapsules but generated the same profile. Consistent with the differences in total phenolics, total flavonoids, and volatiles identified in HD and nanoparticles, HD essential oil exhibited a higher antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ 4.22 mg/mL) than nanocapsules (IC₅₀ 57.51 mg/mL) and nanoemulsion (IC₅₀ 78.50 mg/mL), while nanocapsules showed the strongest cytotoxic effect on liver cancer cell line Hep-G2 (54.93 μg/mL) in comparison to HD oil (73.13 μg/mL) and nanoemulsions (131.6 μg/mL).