Phytochemical analysis, antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities of Lycium europaeum fruits

Lycium europaeum is used as a medicinal herb in many countries. In this study, cyclohexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water were used as solvents in the extraction of L. europaeum fruits. The contents of total phenolics, total flavonoids, total tannins and condensed tannins as well as the biological activities of these extracts were investigated using various in vitro and ex vivo assays. Results showed that all solvent extracts of L. europaeum had no anticancer activity against cancerous (A-549 and DLD-1) and non-cancerous (WS-1) human cells. Methanol and ethyl acetate were the most effective solvent for extraction of phenolic compounds and also exhibited the highest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The methanol extract of L. europaeum fruits was the richest in phenolic compounds with the predominance of ferulic acid, catechin and narengin. These results supported the use of L. europaeum fruit as natural source of bioactive compound for pharmaceutical applications.

Antioxidant, antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activities of squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium L)

Plants constitute a source of natural phytochemical components which are widely known for their potential biological activities. This work concerned a study of the antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities of squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium L.) parts (flowers, fruits, leaves and stems) using different solvent extracts (cyclohexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water). The different squirting cucumber parts had an appreciable anti-tumour activity in the less polar extracts contrarily to the antioxidant activity. Squirting cucumber flowers had an appreciable anti-inflammatory activity in the polar extracts with the highest NO inhibition in the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts. However, the anti-inflammatory activity of squirting cucumber stems had an affinity for the apolar extracts with the highest nitric oxide inhibition in the cyclohexane and the dichloromethane extracts. Squirting cucumber leaves and fruits had an important anti-inflammatory activity in both polar (particularly ethyl acetate for leaves and water for fruits) and apolar (cyclohexane for these two organs) extracts. Squirting cucumber exhibited a potent antioxidant, antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activities owing to its bioactive chemical components and may be a good plant based product for pharmaceutical industry.

Combined anti-ages and antioxidant activities of different solvent extracts of Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav (Solanacea) fruits during ripening and related to their phytochemical compositions

Oxidative stress and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are known as key factors for the development of diabetic complications such as retinopathy, cataract as well as atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's diseases. In this context, natural products have been previously identified as promising sources for antioxidant and anti-glycation compounds. The current study focuses on the evaluation of antioxidant and glycation inhibitory activities of different solvent extracts of Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav (Solanaceae) fruits at different ripening stages. The results showed that antioxidant and anti-AGEs activities were significantly influenced by solvents polarities and ripening stages of S. elaeagnifolium Cav. With one exception, methanolic extract of overripe S. elaeagnifolium Cav fruit showed important protective effects against cellular oxidative stress. The aqueous extract showed the highest ABTS(+) scavenging ability. Principal component analysis showed that total phenolic and flavonoid contents correlated well with observed antioxidants and anti-glycation activities. These results bring attention to the possible use of S. elaeagnifolium Cav as a valuable source of bioactive compounds exhibiting antioxidant effects and potentially alleviating diabetic complications.

Synergistic Effect of Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and Lemon (Citrus limon) Blended Essential Oils Optimized by Mixture Design for Improving the Antioxidant Activity

Background: Combining various essential oils (EOs) for developing pharmaceutical formulations has been the focus of attention in recent years. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the antioxidant effect of the combination of three Eos obtained from clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.), lemon peel (Citrus limon L.), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) by using mixture design. Methods: The EOs of lemon peel (EOL), clove (EOC), and thyme (EOT) as well as their combination were analyzed using a gas chromatograph with flame ionization detector (GC/FID). The antioxidant activities of the EOs from EOL, EOC, and EOT as well as their combination were measured adopting DPPH assay. The construction and statistical analysis of the experiment were designed using the NemrodW (LPRAI, version 2000) software. Results: EOL, EOC, and EOT were found capable of neutralizing DPPH radical. EOC was distinguished by its strongest antiradical activity with IC50=15.02±0.02 µg/mL. EOT had an IC50=29.20±0.12 µg/mL while EOL had 188.69±0.95 µg/mL. The positive standard BHT was detected to be IC50=24±0.02 µg/ mL. The optimal, combinative mixture of essential oils may have been determined based on these isoresponse curves which allowed fixing the ideal combinations of ingredient in terms of quantity to obtain an EO mixture possessing appreciable and optimal antioxidant characteristics. The predicted antioxidant properties determined by the mixing plan model were retained and the experiments were carried out respecting the contents of proposed ingredients of 25.7% EOT, 32.3% EOL, and 41.9% EOC equivalent to 15.42 mg, 19.38 mg and 25.14 mg, respectively. This resulted in arriving at an essential oil mixture with an experimental IC50=11.023±0.145 µg/mL which was similar to those of the predicted antioxidant properties with an order of 10.907±0.212 µg/mL and a non-significant difference of P<0.05, based on which the validity of the proposed mixing plan model was determined. The combined EO was also found to be rich in eugenol (32.35±1.13%), thymol (25.49±0.03%), and limonene (21.30±0.02%). Conclusion: Statistical planning and the development of utility profiles for mixtures of essential oils may have been used to predict the optimal composition as well as to determine their antioxidant profile.

Domestic cooking effects on nutritional quality and phytochemical contents of zinc biofortified Lepidium sativum L. sprouts

The impact of the common cooking practices on the nutritional value and the antioxidant contents of Lepidium sativum zinc biofortified sprouts was assessed in the present investigation. Garden cress sprouts showed an increase of dry matter, ash, proteins, carbohydrates, sodium, iron and zinc contents according to the applied cooking process. Antinutrient and pigment contents (chlorophylls, carotenoids and anthocyans) were diminished by applying various cooking treatments. A significant drop of total phenolic (25.57 - 60.87%) and total flavonoid contents (58.04 - 71.86%), catechin hydrate (81.90 - 96.15%), sinapic acid (62.44 - 84.79%), myricitin (97.62 - 99.12%) and rutin (52.83 - 83.41%) was detected in cooked plant material. Nevertheless, cooking practices raised the caffeic acid contents by 21.97 to 29.74% and boil and steam cooking increased the chlorogenic acid amounts by 1.89% and 9.28%, respectively. Microwaving favored an improvement of the antioxidant performances. Overall, Microwaving permitted good nutrients retention along with the best antioxidant performances.

Potential bio-functional properties of Citrus aurantium L. leaf: chemical composition, antiviral activity on herpes simplex virus type-1, antiproliferative effects on human lung and colon cancer cells and oxidative protection

This study examined the antioxidant, anticancer and antiviral properties of the methanolic extracts from bigarade (Citrus aurantium L.) leaves at two development stages. Ferulic acid, naringin and naringenin were the principal phenolic components of young and old leaves. The highest total antioxidant capacity was obtained in young leaf extracts (YLE). These latter also exhibited the highest antiradical DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) activities, while the highest iron chelating and reducing power activities were observed in old leaf extracts (OLE). The potent anticancer activity was observed in YLE for human lung carcinoma (A-549) and in OLE for colon adenocarcinoma (DLD-1) cells. YLE showed the highest virucidal effects as compared to OLE and the positive control acyclovir against herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) propagation in Vero cells during the absorption and replication periods. The young and old leaves might be a source of natural antioxidants and protective agents against oxidative damage.