Bioactive compounds from Carissa opaca roots and xanthine oxidase and alpha-amylase inhibitory activities of their methanolic extract and its fractions in different solvents

Evaluation of the Antiasthmatic Activity of Carissa opaca in Animal Models

Carissa opaca Stapf ex Haines (C. opaca) fruit is used traditionally in the treatment of respiratory illnesses including asthma. However, there is no scientific evidence supporting its antiasthmatic activity. The current study was conducted to evaluate its antiasthmatic effects using in vivo and in vitro approaches. The methanolic crude extract of C. opaca fruit (Co.Cr.) was used and in vivo antiasthmatic activity was carried out using ovalbumin- (OVA-) sensitized and OVA-challenged BALB/c mice. In in vitro bronchorelaxant activity of crude extract, aqueous and n-hexane fractions of C. opaca were carried out on isolated rat tracheal strips. Co.Cr. (200 and 400 mg/kg) attenuated ovalbumin-induced changes in lung histochemistry with % decrease in peribronchial inflammation of 14.1 ± 0.21 and 65.8 ± 0.22 and % decrease in total inflammatory cell count of 35.7 ± 2.80 and 53.3 ± 2.30 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Co.Cr., aqueous, and n-hexane fraction of C. opaca attenuated the precontractions induced by high K+ (80 mM) and carbachol (1 μM), respectively. In conclusion, the results showed that C. opaca possesses antiasthmatic activity via relaxant effect on bronchial smooth muscle which is mediated through calcium channel blockade and antimuscarinic activity. This study provides scientific evidence of the traditional use of C. opaca in the management of allergic asthma.

In Vitro Antidiabetic, Anti-Obesity and Antioxidant Analysis of Ocimum basilicum Aerial Biomass and in Silico Molecular Docking Simulations with Alpha-Amylase and Lipase Enzymes

The present study explored phytochemicals, porcine pancreatic α-amylase (PPA) and lipase (PPL) inhibitory activities and antioxidant potential of polar and nonpolar extracts of the leaves and flowers of Ocimum basilicum and the in-silico mode of interaction between these enzymes and the major chemical constituents of the herb. The hexane extract (HE) and hydro-ethanolic extract (EE) obtained sequentially were used to estimate PPA and PPL inhibitory and antioxidant activities, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). Chemical constituents of the essential oils and HE were determined by GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry). For PPA inhibition, IC₅₀ (µg/mL) of the extracts were 0.27-0.37, which were close to 0.24 of acarbose, while for PPL inhibition, IC₅₀ (µg/mL) of the extracts were 278.40-399.65, and that of Orlistat 145.72. The flowers EE was most potent antioxidant followed by leaves EE. The leaves EE had highest TPC and TFC followed of flowers EE. The essential oil of flowers had higher estragole (55%) than linalool (37%), while the essential oil of the leaves had higher linalool (42%) than estragole (38%). The HE of the flowers contained higher estragole (42%) than linalool (23%), while of the HE of the leaves too had higher estragole (65%) than linalool (18%). The in-silico molecular docking study showed linalool and estragole to have considerable PPA and PPL binding potential, which were further investigated through molecular dynamics simulations and binding free energy calculations. The PPA and PPL inhibitory activities of O. basilicum extracts and their notable antioxidant potential propose the herb as a multi-target complimentary medicine for diabetes, obesity and oxidative stress.

GC-MS explores health care components in the extract of Pterocarpus Macarocarpus Kurz

Pterocarpus is often used to make high-grade furniture, with beneficial health functions on the human body. Therefore, this article with large fruit red sandalwood as an example, to explore its extract on the human body beneficial health care ingredients. FT-IR analysis, in the 2855–3421 cm⁻¹ wave segment, ethyl acetate after extraction of large fruit red sandalwood powder infrared transmittance increased the maximum value; GC–MS analysis, large fruit red sandalwood in the human body with a cough and phlegm, detoxification and enhance human immunity and other effects. Among them, Homopterocarpin in the inhibition and killing of cancer cell activity outstanding performance. Cryptomeridiol is a natural product with anti-Alzheimer's disease and antispasmodic properties, with significant medicinal value.

Tyrosinase Inhibitory Activities of Carissa opaca Stapf ex Haines Roots Extracts and Their Phytochemical Analysis

Objective

Carissa opaca is a medicinal plant with rich folkloric applications. The present research was conducted to explore the tyrosinase inhibitory potential of aqueous decoction (AD) and methanolic extract (ME) of roots of C. opaca and its fractions in various solvents and their phytochemical analysis.

Materials and Methods

AD of the dried powdered roots of C. opaca was prepared by boiling in water. ME was prepared by cold maceration. Its fractions were obtained in solvents of increasing polarity, i.e., hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water. The biomass left after extraction with methanol was boiled in water to get its decoction Biomass aqueous decoction (BAD). Tyrosinase inhibitory activities of the samples were studied according to a reported method. Chemical compounds in the samples were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Results

The AD, BAD, and ME and its fractions displayed remarkable tyrosinase inhibitory activity. The IC₅₀ of AD was 23.33 μg/mL as compared to 15.80 μg/mL of the standard arbutin and that of BAD was 21.24 μg/mL. The IC₅₀ of ME was 34.76 μg/mL while that of hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanolic, and aqueous fractions was 21.0, 44.73, 43.40, 27.66, and 25.06 μg/mL, respectively. The hexane fraction was thus most potent followed by aqueous fraction. By phytochemical analysis, campesterol, stigmasterol, gamma-sitosterol, alpha-amyrin, 9,19-cyclolanostan-3-ol, 24-methylene-,(3 β)-, lupeol, lup-20(29)-en-3-one, lup-20(29)-en-3-ol, acetate,(3 β)-, 2(1H) naphthalenone, 3,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-4,8a-dimethyl-6-(1-methylethenyl)-, and 2,3,3-trimethyl-2-(3-methylbuta-1,3-dienyl)-6-methylenecyclohexanone were identified in the extracts by GC-MS. Other compounds included fatty acids and their esters. Some of these compounds are being first time reported here from this plant.

Conclusions

The roots extracts exhibited considerable tyrosinase inhibitory activities, alluding to a possible application of the plant in cosmetic as whitening agent subject to further pharmacological studies.

SUMMARY

The present study aimed to explore the tyrosinase inhibitory potential of aqueous decoction and methanolic extract of roots of Carissa opaca and its fractions in various solvents and their phytochemical constituents. GCMS analysis was conducted to identify the phytochemicals. The extracts and fractions of C. opaca roots showed remarkable anti-tyrosinase activities alluding to their possible application to treat disorders related to overproduction of melanin. Abbreviations used: AD: Aqueous decoction; ME: Methanolic extract; BAD: Biomass aqueous decoction; GC-MS: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The Genus Carissa: An Ethnopharmacological, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Review

Carissa L. is a genus of the family Apocynaceae, with about 36 species as evergreen shrubs or small trees native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia and Oceania. Most of Carissa plants have been employed and utilized in traditional medicine for various ailments, such as headache, chest complains, rheumatism, oedema, gonorrhoea, syphilis, rabies. So far, only nine Carissa species have been phytochemically studied, which led to the identification of 123 compounds including terpenes, flavonoids, lignans, sterols, simple phenolic compounds, fatty acids and esters, and so on. Pharmacological studies on Carissa species have also indicated various bioactive potentials. This review covers the peer-reviewed articles between 1954 and 2016, retrieved from Pubmed, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Wikipedia and Baidu, using "Carissa" as search term ("all fields") and with no specific time frame set for search. Fifteen important medicinal or ornamental Carissa species were selected and summarized on their botanical characteristics, geographical distribution, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities.