Phytochemical exploration of Neolitsea pallens leaves using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS approach

Neolitsea pallens (D. Don) Momiyama & H. Hara (Family: Lauraceae), commonly known as Pale Litsea, is an evergreen small tree, distributed in India at altitudes of 1500-3000 m. Traditionally utilized for various purposes, its leaves and bark are used as spices, and the plant is valued in preparing a hair tonic from freshly pressed juice. Secondary metabolites of the leaves have not comprehensively been analysed so far. The objective of the study was to determine the chemical composition of the leaves by analysing their 25% aqueous methanol extract with the aid of ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry. Overall, 56 compounds were identified in the study. Phenolics represented by phenolic acids, phenolic glycosides, proanthocyanidins, and flavonoids were the main components of the extract.

Phytochemistry and Therapeutic Potential of Cupressus torulosa Needles Essential Oil from India

Cupressus torulosa is an evergreen tree with a wide distribution in north-western Himalayan region of India. Its needles have long been used in traditional medicine for anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and wound-healing properties. This study aimed to scientifically validate the traditional claim of the needles to treat inflammation by evaluating the chemical composition, antioxidant potential, and anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oil extracted from the needles (CTEO) using hydro-distillation. Qualitative and quantitative chemical composition of the CTEO was determined with the aid of GC-MS and GC-FID techniques. The major constituents of the CTEO were terpinen-4-ol (393.8±12.5 μg/mg), totarol (55.0±17.2 μg/mg), and sabinene (43.7±2.8 μg/mg). CTEO exhibited significant antioxidant activity when evaluated using DPPH free radical scavenging and reducing power assays. Furthermore, the CTEO demonstrated good anti-inflammatory behavior in in vitro egg albumin denaturation assay, with an IC50 of 27.32 μg/mL. In vivo tests using carrageenan-induced paw edema and xylene-induced ear edema in rats showed significant effects at doses of 30 mg/kg for up to 1 hour. The significant discoveries not only support the established assertions about the anti-inflammatory properties of C. torulosa needles but also highlight their potential as a useful resource in the growing herbal, complementary, and alternative medicine sectors.

Exploring the therapeutic potential of Prinsepia utilis Royle seed oil: A comprehensive study on chemical composition, physicochemical properties, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Prinsepiautilis (PU) Royle, native to the Himalayan region, is a deciduous thorny shrub with numerous traditional uses of its roots, leaves and seeds for treatment of conditions such as rheumatic pain, joint pain, arthritis, and inflammation.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Keeping in mind the growing demand of products of natural origin as alternate medicine, the present study was undertaken to scientifically validate for the first time the traditional claims of healing pain and inflammation by evaluating the fatty oil isolated from the seeds using established in vitro and in vivo models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PU Seeds were Soxhlet extracted using n-hexane and fatty oil was isolated. Chemical composition of the oil was established with the aid of Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The oil was then subjected to in vitro anti-inflammatory activity by following the established protocols of trypsin inhibitory and bovine serum albumin denaturation assays. The acute toxicity of the oil was also studied using OECD guidelines 423. The anti-inflammatory property of the oil was further evaluated using carrageenan-induced and formalin-induced edema in the rat paw. Moreover, hot plate latency and tail immersion assay were employed to evaluate analgesic activity of the oil. To establish the quality of the oil, various physicochemical properties were also studied.

RESULTS

GC-FID and GC-MS analysis of the oil revealed the presence of linoleic acid (59.06 ± 0.00%), oleic acid (28.11 ± 0.01%), palmitic acid (9.51 ± 0.01%) and stearic acid (3.32 ± 0.01%). In vitro trypsin inhibitory and bovine serum albumin denaturation assay revealed dose-dependent notable activity of the oil with IC50 value of 63.57 μg/mL and 518.14 μg/mL, respectively. The physico-chemical characterization demonstrated that the oil possesses a low acidity and a high oxidative stability index. The oil was found to be non-toxic and displayed effective anti-inflammatory activities with significant inhibition till 4 h in carrageenan-induced and formalin-induced rat paw edema at maximum tested dose of 200 mg/kg b.w. The oil also exhibited significant results in hot plate latency and tail immersion assay with positive effects showing up to 4 h after dose administration.

CONCLUSION

These findings, besides supporting the traditional claims, suggest that P. utilis seed oil has potential therapeutic applications as a natural anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent. Further studies are warranted to explore its mechanisms of action and potential use in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

In vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of Cupressus torulosa D.DON needles extract and its chemical characterization

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Cupressus torulosa (family Cupressaceae), widely distributed in the north western Himalayan region of India, is a coniferous aromatic tree with various traditional uses of its aerial parts. Its needles have been used for anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antimicrobial, and wound-healing properties.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The study aimed at investigating the previously unknown anti-inflammatory activity of the hydromethanolic extract of the needles employing in vitro and in vivo assays and scientifically validate traditional claim of their use in treatment of inflammation. Chemical characterization of the extract with the aid of UPLCQTOFMS was also of interest.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

C. torulosa needles were first defatted with hexane and sequentially extracted with chloroform and 25% aqueous methanol (AM). Since the presence of phenolics (TPCs, 208.21 ± 0.95 mg GAE/g needles) and flavonoids (TFCs, 84.61 ± 1.21 mg QE/g needles) was observed in the AM extract only, it was chosen for biological and chemical examinations. Acute toxicity of the AM extract on female mice was evaluated following the OECD guideline 423. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of the AM extract was examined using egg albumin denaturation assay while carrageenan-induced paw edema and formalin-induced paw edema models at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg po were used to determine the in vivo activity of the AM extract on Wistar rats of either sex. The components of the AM extract were analyzed by UPLC-QTOF-MS method using non-targeted metabolomics approach.

RESULTS

AM extract was found to be non-toxic at 2000 mg/kg b.w. with no signs of abnormal locomotion, seizures and writhing. The extract demonstrated promising in vitro anti-inflammatory activity (IC₅₀ 160.01 μg/mL) compared to standard diclofenac sodium (IC₅₀ 73.94 μg/mL) in egg albumin denaturation assay. In carrageenan-induced paw edema and formalin-induced paw edema tests the extract showed significant anti- inflammatory activity (57.28% and 51.04% inhibition of paw edema, respectively) at the dose of 400 mg/kg p.o. after 4 h in comparison to the standard diclofenac sodium which displayed 61.39% and 52.90% inhibition, respectively, at the dose of 10 mg/kg p.o. after 4 h in these models. A total of 63 chemical constituents, majority of them being phenolics, were found in the AM extract of the needles. Two compounds namely monotropein (iridoid glycoside), (±)12-HETE (eicosanoid) and fraxin (coumarin glycoside) were reported to have anti-inflammatory effect.

CONCLUSIONS

For the first time our study demonstrated that hydro-methanolic extract of C. torulosa needles exhibit anti-inflammatory activity thereby supporting their traditional use in the treatment of inflammatory disorders. UPLCQTOFMS assisted chemical profile of the extract was also unveiled.

Chemical Utilization of Albizia lebbeck Leaves for Developing Protein Concentrates as a Dietary Supplement

In search of nonconventional sources of protein to combat widespread malnutrition, the possibility of developing a protein concentrate as an alternative dietary supplement from abundantly available yet poorly valorized leaves of Albizia lebbeck (siris) was examined. A process for recovery of leaf protein concentrate (LPC) from these leaves was optimized and applied for isolation of LPCs from lower, middle, and upper canopies of the tree. The optimized conditions (leaves to water 1:9, coagulation at pH 4.0 using 1 N citric acid at 90°C for 11 minutes) afforded LPCs containing protein 37.15%, 37.57%, and 37.76% in 5.99%, 5.97%, and 6.07% yield, respectively. The proximate nutritional composition, pigments, minerals, in vitro digestibility, and antinutritional factors of these LPCs were determined. Analysis of variance of these data revealed no significant difference with respect to canopy. Use of Albizia lebbeck leaves for development of LPC as a food/feed supplement was revealed.

Synthesis and characterization of carboxymethyl cellulose from office waste paper: a greener approach towards waste management

In the present study, functionalization of mixed office waste (MOW) paper has been carried out to synthesize carboxymethyl cellulose, a most widely used product for various applications. MOW was pulped and deinked prior to carboxymethylation. The deinked pulp yield was 80.62 ± 2.0% with 72.30 ± 1.50% deinkability factor. The deinked pulp was converted to CMC by alkalization followed by etherification using NaOH and ClCH2COONa respectively, in an alcoholic medium. Maximum degree of substitution (DS) (1.07) of prepared CMC was achieved at 50 °C with 0.094 M and 0.108 M concentrations of NaOH and ClCH2COONa respectively for 3h reaction time. The rheological characteristics of 1-3% aqueous solution of optimized CMC product showed the non-Newtonian pseudoplastic behavior. Fourier transform infra red (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) study were used to characterize the CMC product.

GC-MS analysis of essential oil of Shorea robusta bast

GC-MS analysis of the essential oil of Shorea robusta bast (cambium + secondary phloem) has revealed the presence of twenty-eight compounds, of which nine compounds, constituting 48.79% of the oil, were identified as T-cadinol (16.75%), alpha-cadinol (16.45%), globulol (4.52%), alpha-copaene (3.79%), gamma-cadinene (2.34%), viridiflorene (1.62%), beta-elemene (1.54%), alpha-terpineol (1.33%) and gamma-muurolene (0.45%). This is the first report on the volatile constituents of the bast which may be significant in influencing host location for Hoplocerambyx spinicornis, the most injurious heartwood borer of Shorea robusta.

GC-MS analysis of essential oils of heartwood and resin of Shorea robusta

The essential oils of Shorea robusta heartwood and resin were isolated by hydrodistillation of their respective petroleum ether extracts. Nine and seventeen compounds representing 80.35 % and 78.43 % of the oil, respectively were identified by GC-MS. Germacrene-D was found to be the chief constituent of both the oils. This is the first report on heartwood and resin oils of Shorea robusta.

Antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of transition metal chelates with some heterocyclic imines

Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), and Zn(II) chelates with two heterocyclic imines derived from 2-furylglyoxal-2(1)-aminothiophenol (FGATP) and 2-thiophenylglyoxal-anthranilicacid (TGAA) were synthesized. Elemental analysis, molar conductance, magnetic measurements and IR and electronic spectral data were explored to elucidate their probable structures. Different crystal field parameters were also calculated to ascertain the geometry of the resulting chelates. All the ligands and their metal chelates were screened, in vitro, for their antimicrobial activity against two bacteria: S. aureus and E. coli and two fungi, viz: A. niger and C. albicans. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of all the compounds was also assessed.