Comprehensive phytochemical characterization of Persea americana Mill. fruit via UPLC/HR-ESI-MS/MS and anti-arthritic evaluation using adjuvant-induced arthritis model

Persea americana Mill. (avocado fruit) has many health benefits when added to our diet due to various pharmacological activities, such as preventing bone loss and inflammation, modulating immune response and acting as an antioxidant. In the current study, the total ethanol extract (TEE) of the fruit was investigated for in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity via DPPH and cyclooxygenase enzyme inhibition. Biological evaluation of the antiarthritic effect of the fruit extract was further investigated in vivo using Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) arthritis model, where the average percentages of body weight change, inhibition of paw edema, basal paw diameter/weight and spleen index were estimated for all animal groups. Inflammatory mediators such as serum IL-6 and TNF-α were also determined, in addition to histopathological examination of the dissected limbs isolated from all experimental animals. Eighty-one metabolites belonging to different chemical classes were detected in the TEE of P. americana fruit via UPLC/HR-ESI-MS/MS. Two classes of lyso-glycerophospholipids; lyso-glycerophosphoethanolamines and lysoglycerophosphocholines were detected for the first time in avocado fruit in the positive mode. The TEE of fruit exhibited significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. In vivo anti-arthritic activity of the fruit TEE improved paw parameters, inflammatory mediators and spleen index. Histopathological findings showed marked improvements in the arthritic condition of the excised limbs. Therefore, avocado fruit could be proposed to be a powerful antioxidant and antiarthritic natural product.

Network Pharmacology Integrated Molecular Docking and Dynamics to Elucidate Saffron Compounds Targeting Human COX-2 Protein

Background and Objectives: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is mostly linked to inflammation and has been validated as a molecular target for treating inflammatory diseases. The present study aimed to identify novel compounds that could inhibit COX-2, which is associated with various diseases including inflammation, and in such a scenario, plant-derived biomolecules have been considered as attractive candidates. Materials and Methods: In the present study, physiochemical properties and toxicity of natural compounds/drugs were determined by SWISSADME and ProTox-II. In the present study, the molecular docking binding features of saffron derivatives (crocetin, picrocrocin, quercetin, safranal, crocin, rutin, and dimethylcrocetin) against human COX-2 protein were assessed. Moreover, protein-protein interactions, topographic properties, gene enrichment analysis and molecular dynamics simulation were also determined. Results: The present study revealed that picrocrocin showed the highest binding affinity of -8.1 kcal/mol when docked against the COX-2 protein. PROCHECK analysis revealed that 90.3% of the protein residues were found in the most favored region. Compartmentalized Protein-Protein Interaction identified 90 interactions with an average interaction score of 0.62, and the highest localization score of 0.99 found in secretory pathways. The Computed Atlas of Surface Topography of Proteins was used to identify binding pockets and important residues that could serve as drug targets. Use of WEBnmα revealed protein dynamics by using normal mode analysis. Ligand and Receptor Dynamics used the Molecular Generalized Born Surface Area approach to determine the binding free energy of the protein. Gene enrichment analysis revealed that ovarian steroidogenesis, was the most significant enrichment pathway. Molecular dynamic simulations were executed for the best docked (COX-2-picrocrocin) complex, and the results displayed conformational alterations with more pronounced surface residue fluctuations in COX-2 with loss of the intra-protein hydrogen bonding network. The direct interaction of picrocrocin with various crucial amino-acid residues like GLN203, TYR385, HIS386 and 388, ASN382, and TRP387 causes modifications in these residues, which ultimately attenuates the activity of COX-2 protein. Conclusions: The present study revealed that picrocrocin was the most effective biomolecule and could be repurposed via computational approaches. However, various in vivo and in vitro observations are still needed.

Effect of selective cyclooxygenase inhibitors on animal behaviour and monoaminergic systems of the rat brain

The long-term effects of cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 (COX-1/2) inhibitors are usually tested in terms of the periphery of the organism. Therefore, we studied the effects of SC560 (selective COX-1 inhibitor) and celecoxib (selective COX-2 inhibitor) on the activity of brain monoaminergic systems and animal behaviour. Additionally, we tested the effect of these inhibitors during inflammation. We have observed that long-term administration of celecoxib reduces the activity of the noradrenergic system, increases the activity of dopaminergic and serotonergic systems, increases locomotor activity, and enhances the exploratory behaviour of rats. Administration of SC560 also increases the activity of dopaminergic and serotonergic systems but reduces locomotor activity and impairs the exploratory behaviour of rats. The mechanism responsible for decreased activity of the noradrenergic system may be related to the weakening of activity of the positive feedback loop between the paraventricular nucleus and coeruleus locus. We suggest that the effect of used inhibitors on the dopaminergic system is associated with a possible increase in anandamide concentration and its effect on dopamine reuptake in synaptic clefts. It also appears that cyclooxygenase peroxidase activity may play a role in this process. In turn, changes in the activity of the serotonergic system may be related to the activity of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, which decreases because of the decreased concentration of pro-inflammatory compounds. We believe that behavioural changes induced by COX inhibitors are the result of the modified activity of monoaminergic CNS systems in the brainstem, hypothalamus, and medial prefrontal cortex.

The Preventive and Therapeutic Potential of the Flavonoids in Liver Cirrhosis: Current and Future Perspectives

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may vary from moderately mild non-alcohol fatty liver (NAFL) towards the malignant variant known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is marked by fatty liver inflammation and may progress to liver cirrhosis (LC), liver cancer, fibrosis, or liver failure. Flavonoids can protect the liver from toxins through their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and antifibrogenic pharmacological activities. Furthermore, flavonoids protect against LC by regulation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) trans-differentiation, inhibiting growth factors like TGF-β and platelets-derived growth factor (PDGF), vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF), viral infections like hepatitis-B, C and D viruses (HBV, HCV & HDV), autoimmune-induced, alcohol-induced, metabolic disorder-induced, causing by apoptosis, and regulating MAPK pathways. These flavonoids may be explored in the future as a therapeutic solution for hepatic diseases.

Liposome-Encapsulated Bioactive Guttiferone E Exhibits Anti-Inflammatory Effect in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated MH-S Macrophages and Cytotoxicity against Human Cancer Cells

Background

Guttiferone E is a naturally occurring polyisoprenylated benzophenone exhibiting a wide range of remarkable biological activities. But its therapeutic application is still limited due to its poor water solubility. This study is aimed at preparing guttiferone E-loaded liposomes and assessing their in vitro cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory effect.

Methods

Liposomes containing guttiferone E were prepared by the thin film hydration method, and the physicochemical characteristics were determined using dynamic light scattering, laser Doppler velocimetry, and atomic force microscopy. The cytotoxicity was assessed by the MTT assay. The fluorometric cyclooxygenase (COX) activity assay kit was used to assess the COX activity while the nitric oxide production was evaluated by the Griess reagent method.

Results

The liposomes with a mean size of 183.33 ± 17.28 nm were obtained with an entrapment efficiency of 63.86%. Guttiferone E-loaded liposomes successfully decreased the viability of cancer cells. The overall IC₅₀ values varied between 5.46 μg/mL and 22.25 μg/mL. Compared to the untreated control, guttiferone E-loaded liposomes significantly reduced the nitric oxide production and the activity of COX in a concentration-dependent manner.

Conclusion

This study indicates that liposomes can be an alternative to overcome the water insolubility issue of the bioactive guttiferone E.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: recent advances in the use of synthetic COX-2 inhibitors

Cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes comprise COX-1 and COX-2 isoforms and are responsible for prostaglandin production. Prostaglandins have critical roles in the inflammation pathway and must be controlled by administration of selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Selective COX-2 inhibitors have been among the most used NSAIDs during the ongoing coronavirus 2019 pandemic because they reduce pain and protect against inflammation-related diseases. In this framework, the mechanism of action of both COX isoforms (particularly COX-2) as inflammation mediators must be reviewed. Moreover, proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and IL-8 must be highlighted due to their major participation in upregulation of the inflammatory reaction. Structural and functional analyses of selective COX-2 inhibitors within the active-site cavity of COXs could enable introduction of lead structures with higher selectivity and potency against inflammation with fewer adverse effects. This review focuses on the biological activity of recently discovered synthetic COX-2, dual COX-2/lipoxygenase, and COX-2/soluble epoxide hydrolase hybrid inhibitors based primarily on the active motifs of related US Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs. These new agents could provide several advantages with regard to anti-inflammatory activity, gastrointestinal protection, and a safer profile compared with those of the NSAIDs celecoxib, valdecoxib, and rofecoxib.

Is Phytomelatonin Complex Better Than Synthetic Melatonin? The Assessment of the Antiradical and Anti-Inflammatory Properties

This work aims to assess the recently established anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential of melatonin of plant origin extracted from the plant matrix as a phytomelatonin complex (PHT-MLT), and compare its activity with synthetic melatonin (SNT-MLT) when used on its own or with vitamin C. For this purpose, a COX-2 enzyme inhibitory activity test, an antiradical activity in vitro and on cell lines assays, was performed on both PHT-MLT and SNT-MLT products. COX-2 inhibitory activity of PHT-MLT was found to be ca. 6.5 times stronger than that of SNT-MLT (43.3% and 6.7% enzyme inhibition, equivalent to the activity of acetylsalicylic acid in conc. 30.3 ± 0.2 and 12.0 ± 0.3 mg/mL, respectively). Higher antiradical potential and COX-2 inhibitory properties of PHT-MLT could be explained by the presence of additional naturally occurring constituents in alfalfa, chlorella, and rice, which were clearly visible on the HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS fingerprint. The antiradical properties of PHT-MLT determined in the DPPH test (IC₅₀ of 21.6 ± 1 mg of powder/mL) were found to originate from the presence of other metabolites in the 50% EtOH extract while SNT-MLT was found to be inactive under the applied testing conditions. However, the antioxidant studies on HaCaT keratinocytes stimulated with H₂O₂ revealed a noticeable activity in all samples. The presence of PHT-MLT (12.5, 25 and 50 µg/mL) and vitamin C (12.5, 25 and 50 µg/mL) in the H₂O₂-pretreated HaCaT keratinocytes protected the cells from generating reactive oxygen species. This observation confirms that MLT-containing samples affect the intracellular production of enzymes and neutralize the free radicals. Presented results indicated that MLT-containing products in combination with Vitamin C dosage are worth to be considered as a preventive alternative in the therapy of various diseases in the etiopathogenesis, of which radical and inflammatory mechanisms play an important role.

New horizons in the roles and associations of COX-2 and novel natural inhibitors in cardiovascular diseases

Age-related cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in elderly populations. Coxibs, including celecoxib, valdecoxib, etoricoxib, parecoxib, lumiracoxib, and rofecoxib, are selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors used to treat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. However, many coxibs have been discontinued due to adverse cardiovascular events. COX-2 contains cyclooxygenase (COX) and peroxidase (POX) sites. COX-2 inhibitors block COX activity without affecting POX activity. Recently, quercetin-like flavonoid compounds with OH groups in their B-rings have been found to serve as activators of COX-2 by binding the POX site. Galangin-like flavonol compounds serve as inhibitors of COX-2. Interestingly, nabumetone, flurbiprofen axetil, piketoprofen-amide, and nepafenac are ester prodrugs that inhibit COX-2. The combination of galangin-like flavonol compounds with these prodrug metabolites may lead to the development of novel COX-2 inhibitors. This review focuses on the most compelling evidence regarding the role and mechanism of COX-2 in cardiovascular diseases and demonstrates that quercetin-like compounds exert potential cardioprotective effects by serving as cofactors of COX-2.

Role of inflammation and oxidative stress in tissue damage associated with cystic fibrosis: CAPE as a future therapeutic strategy

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, responsible for the synthesis of the CFTR protein, a chloride channel. The gene has approximately 2000 known mutations and all of them affect in some degree the protein function, which makes the pathophysiological manifestations to be multisystemic, mainly affecting the respiratory, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and reproductive tracts. Currently, the treatment of the disease is restricted to controlling symptoms and, more recently, a group of drugs that act directly on the defective protein, known as CFTR modulators, was developed. However, their high cost and difficult access mean that their use is still very restricted. It is important to search for safe and low-cost alternative therapies for CF and, in this context, natural compounds and, mainly, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) appear as promising strategies to assist in the treatment of the disease. CAPE is a compound derived from propolis extracts that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, covering important aspects of the pathophysiology of CF, which points to the possible benefit of its use in the disease treatment. To date, no studies have effectively tested CAPE for CF and, therefore, we intend with this review to elucidate the role of inflammation and oxidative stress for tissue damage seen in CF, associating them with CAPE actions and its pharmacologically active derivatives. In this way, we offer a theoretical basis for conducting preclinical and clinical studies relating the use of this molecule to CF.

Natural Product Inhibitors of Cyclooxygenase (COX) Enzyme: A Review on Current Status and Future Perspectives

BACKGROUND

Several clinically used COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitor drugs were reported to possess severe side effects like GI ulcers and cardiovascular disturbances, respectively. Natural products being structurally diverse always attracted the attention of chemists/ medicinal chemists as a potential source of lead molecules in the drug discovery process. COX-2 inhibitory natural products also possess potential cancer chemopreventive property against various cancers including that of colon, breast and prostate.

METHODS

Various in vitro, in vivo and in silico standardized methods were used to evaluate COX inhibition property of different secondary metabolites isolated from plant, microbial and marine origin.

RESULTS

We had earlier reported a detailed account of natural product inhibitors of COX reported during 1995-2005, in 2006. In the proposed review, we report 158 natural product inhibitors of COX during 2006 to 2019 belonging to various secondary metabolite classes such as alkaloids, terpenoids, polyphenols as flavonoids, chromones, coumarins, lignans, anthraquinones, naphthalenes, curcuminoids, diarylheptanoids and miscellaneous compounds of plant and marine origin. Further Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) studies of possible leads are also included in the article.

CONCLUSION

COX inhibitors served as a potential source of lead molecules for the discovery and development of anti-inflammatory drugs. Compilation of natural product and semisynthetic inhibitors of COX may serve as valuable information to the researchers who are looking for possible lead molecules from a natural source to conduct further preclinical and clinical studies.

Bioguided identification of pentacyclic triterpenoids as anti-inflammatory bioactive constituents of Ocimum gratissimum extract

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ocimum gratissimum is a plant spice widely used in African traditional medicine to treat pain-related conditions. However, the anti-inflammatory mechanisms underlying this activity and the main active ingredients in O. gratissimum have not yet been fully characterized.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To isolate and identify the main anti-inflammatory active constituents of Ocimum gratissimum extract and their underlying mechanisms in murine macrophages.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Chromatographic techniques and spectroscopic data were used for compounds isolation and identification. Inflammatory conditions were produced in cultured RAW 264.7 macrophage cells by the application of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The WST-1 assay was used to evaluate the cell viability, and the nitric oxide production was quantified by the Griess reagent method. The fluorometric cyclooxygenase (COX) activity assay kit was used to assess the activity of COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. The levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 cytokines and the apoptosis-inducing effect were measured by flow cytometer using the cytometric Bead Array (CBA) Human Th1/Th2 Cytokine Kit II and FITC Annexin V Apoptosis Detection kit, respectively.

RESULTS

The results showed that the extract and fractions of Ocimum gratissimum inhibit nitric oxide production and the proliferation of Raw 264.7 macrophage cells. The bioguided fractionation led to the identification of pentacyclic triterpenes as anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds. Pomolic and tormentic acids being the most active, inhibiting the secretion of IFN-γ cytokine, COX enzyme, and inducing apoptosis in activated Raw 264.7 macrophage cells.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that pomolic and tormentic acids are the main active principles responsible at least in part for the anti-inflammatory effect of the extract of Ocimum gratissimum. Besides of providing more evidence for the traditional use of Ocimum gratissimum against inflammatory disorders, this study reveals the multitarget potential of pomolic and tormentic acids as promising future drugs against inflammatory diseases.

A proprietary herbal extract titred in verbascoside and aucubin suppresses lipopolysaccharide-stimulated expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 in human neutrophils

Introduction

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) initiates several major cellular responses that play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of inflammation, including activation of neutrophils and production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) by cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2).

Material and methods

Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in natural compounds as promising alternatives to synthetic COX-2 inhibitors. In this study, we sought to investigate the effect of a proprietary herbal extract from Lippia citriodora and Plantago lanceolata, titred in verbascoside (≥ 5%) and aucubin (≥ 2%), against LPS-stimulated expressions of COX-2 in human neutrophils using both reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and a PGE2 immunoassay.

Results

Our main results indicated that: 1. The proprietary herbal extract titred in verbascoside and aucubin is not significantly cytotoxic as shown by the MTT assay; 2. The extract does not significantly inhibit COX-1, whereas it is able to suppress LPS-elicited COX-2 hyperexpression at the mRNA level in human neutrophils; and 3. The effect of the extract at 5% concentration was comparable to that elicited celecoxib 1%, although, in terms of absolute and relative reduction of COX-2 mRNA expression and production of PGE2 in human neutrophils, the drug significantly outperformed the extract.

Conclusions

In general, these results suggest that the proprietary herbal extract titred in verbascoside and aucubin is safe and may possess significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects by acting as a specific COX-2 inhibitor. Further studies are required to confirm the clinical efficacy of the extract.

The Garlic Compound Z-Ajoene, S-Thiolates COX2 and STAT3 and Dampens the Inflammatory Response in RAW264.7 Macrophages

SCOPE

Garlic (Allium sativum) has been used for centuries as a prophylactic and therapeutic medicinal agent to control inflammation-associated pathologies. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, an in vitro inflammatory model is established using RAW264.7 murine macrophages exposed to low-doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence of garlic compounds allicin and Z-ajoene (ZA), mimicking regular garlic consumption.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Both allicin and Z-ajoene dampen both transcript and protein expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL1β, IL6, and IL12β, and upregulate the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10. Protein arrays of selected secreted inflammatory mediators confirm that Z-ajoene has a pronounced down-regulatory effect on LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Many of these proteins are known targets of the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3); and indeed, Z-ajoene or its analogue dansyl-ajoene is found to decrease phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT3, and to covalently modify the protein by S-thiolation at Cys108, Cys367, and Cys687. Z-Ajoene dose-dependently and non-competitively inhibit the activity of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2), possibly attributed to S-thiolation at Cys9 and Cys299.

CONCLUSION

The characterization of Z-ajoene's activity of targeting and covalently modifying STAT3 and COX2, both important regulators of inflammation, may contribute to the health benefits of regular dietary garlic consumption.

Molecular docking study and molecular dynamic simulation of human cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) with selected eutypoids

Inflammation is a key factor linked to almost all chronic and degenerative diseases implicit with certain levels of pain. In studies, over the past few years, it has been discovered that prostaglandins are the main cause of this inflammation and therefore could be blocked. Although no steroidal medications can be effective, natural compounds may offer a safer and often an effective alternative treatment for pain relief, especially for long-term use. Hence to find out natural anti-inflammatory compounds, we have highlighted five important butenolides that are eutypoid A, B, C, D and E with structure similar to that of rofecoxib, by ADMET and druglikeness analysis, followed by molecular docking with human COX-2 enzyme. Molecular docking studies revealed the importance of hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acid residues for the stability of the ligands and that eutypoids C and E are the best candidates for the synthetic drugs with binding energy of -10.39 kcal/mol and -9.87 kcal/mol, respectively. The resulting complexes were then subject to 50 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies with the GROMACS package to analyze the stability of docked protein-ligand complexes and to assess the fluctuation and conformational changes during protein-ligand interaction. From the RMSD, RMSF, number of hydrogen bonds, SASA, PCA and MM/PBSA binding free energy analysis, we have found that out of five selected compounds eutypoid E showed good binding free energy of -174.45 kJ/mol, which is also good in other structural analyses. This compound displayed excellent pharmacological and structural properties to be drug candidates.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Dietary phytochemicals as the potential protectors against carcinogenesis and their role in cancer chemoprevention

Health-threatening consequences of carcinogen exposure are mediated via occurrence of electrophiles or reactive oxygen species. As a result, the accumulation of biomolecular damage leads to the cancer initiation, promotion or progression. Accordingly, there is an association between lifestyle factors including inappropriate diet or carcinogen formation during food processing, mainstream, second or third-hand tobacco smoke and other environmental or occupational carcinogens and malignant transformation. Nevertheless, increasing evidence supports the protective effects of naturally occurring phytochemicals against carcinogen exposure as well as carcinogenesis in general. Isolated phytochemicals or their mixtures present in the whole plant food demonstrate efficacy against malignancy induced by carcinogens widely spread in our environment. Phytochemicals also minimize the generation of carcinogenic substances during the processing of meat and meat products. Based on numerous data, selected phytochemicals or plant foods should be highly recommended to become a stable and regular part of the diet as the protectors against carcinogenesis.

Research Progress of Axl Inhibitors

Axl, a Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) belonging to the TAM (Axl, Mer, Tyro3) family, participates in many signal transduction cascades after mostly being stimulated by Growth arrestspecific 6(Gas6). Axl is widely expressed in many organs, such as macrophages, endothelial cells, heart, liver and skeletal muscle. Over-expression and activation of Axl are associated with promoting chemotherapy resistance, cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis in many human cancers, such as breast, lung, and pancreatic cancers. Therefore, the research and development of Axl inhibitors is of great significance to strengthen the means of cancer treatment, especially to solve the problem of drug resistance. Axl inhibitors have attracted more and more researchers' attention in recent years. This review discusses the research progress of Axl inhibitors in recent years.

Chemical profiling and pharmaco-toxicological activity of Origanum sipyleum extracts: Exploring for novel sources for potential therapeutic agents

The phytochemical, antiradical, and enzyme inhibition profile of three solvent extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, water) of Origanum sipyleum were assessed. We also performed a pharmacological study in order to explore protective effects induced by extracts in inflamed colon. LC-MS analysis revealed that the extracts contained different classes of phenolics. The aqueous extract showed the highest antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory effects. Total phenol and flavonoid contents were highest in aqueous and ethyl acetate extract, respectively. All extracts were effective in reducing colon pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory biomarkers. The extracts revealed also able to inhibit fungal and bacterial species involved in ulcerative colitis, including Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus thyphimurium. Finally, we also showed the antiproliferative effects exerted by the EA extracts on human colon cancer HCT116 cell line. Concluding, our results indicated that O. sipyleum extracts displayed promising therapeutic properties which warrants further validation. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The present phytochemical and biological studies, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobic assessments, showed significant protective effects exerted by O. sipyleum extracts in an experimental model of ulcerative colitis. The results are intriguing and suggest potential applications O. sipyleum extracts as sources of natural agents for the management of clinical symptoms related to ulcerative colitis, characterized by increased burden of oxidative stress and microbiome dysbiosis.