Evaluation of antioxidant films of chitosan with Aquilaria agallocha extract as packaging material

In this study, the bark of the Aquilaria agallocha was extracted, and the phenolic content of A. agallocha extract was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector. The A. agallocha extract-chitosan edible films were prepared by using a different amount of A. agallocha extract (0, 1, 4, and 8 mL) and chitosan solution. Some physical properties of A. agallocha extract-chitosan edible films, water vapor permeability, solubility, swelling ratio, humidity ratio, thickness, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis were investigated. The antibacterial activities, total phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity analysis of the A. agallocha extract-chitosan edible films were performed. The total phenolic content (0, 1, 4, and 8 mL of A. agallocha extract-chitosan edible films 0.92 ± 0.09, 1.34 ± 0.04, 2.94 ± 0.10, and 4.62 ± 0.10 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g film, respectively) and antioxidant capacity (0, 1, 4, and 8 mL of A. agallocha extract-chitosan edible films 52.61 ± 2.85, 104.28 ± 4.78, 304.30 ± 18.23, and 592.11 ± 0.67 mg Trolox equivalent (TE)/g film, respectively) of A. agallocha extract-chitosan edible films increased with the increase in the amount of extract. At the same time, the increase in the amount of antioxidant capacity improved the physical features of the films. The results of the antibacterial activity studies showed that all of the A. agallocha extract-chitosan edible films prevented bacterial growth from Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus considering controlling group. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: To investigate the activity of antioxidant extract-biodegradable film, the A. agallocha extract-chitosan edible film had prepared. The results showed that A. agallocha extract-chitosan edible film was antioxidant and antibacterial properties and was used as food packaging material successfully.

Genome-wide investigation of Cytochrome P450 superfamily of Aquilaria agallocha: Association with terpenoids and phenylpropanoids biosynthesis

Agarwood is a dark resinous wood, produced when Aquilaria tree responds to wounding and microbial infection resulting in the accumulation of fragrant metabolites. Sesquiterpenoids and 2-(2-phenylethyl) chromones are the major phytochemicals in agarwood and Cytochrome P450s (CYPs) are one of the important enzymes in the biosynthesis of these fragrant chemicals. Thus, understanding the repertoire of CYP superfamily in Aquilaria can not only give insights into the fundamentals of agarwood formation, but can also provide a tool for the overproduction of the aroma chemicals. Therefore, current study was designed to investigate CYPs of an agarwood producing plant, Aquilaria agallocha. We identified 136 CYP genes from A. agallocha genome (AaCYPs) and classified them into 8 clans and 38 families. The promoter regions had stress and hormone-related cis-regulatory elements which indicate their participation in the stress response. Duplication and synteny analysis revealed segmental and tandem duplicated and evolutionary related CYP members in other plants. Potential members involved in the biosynthesis of sesquiterpenoids and phenylpropanoids were identified and found to be upregulated in methyl jasmonate-induced callus and infected Aquilaria trees by real-time quantitative PCR analyses. This study highlights the possible involvement of AaCYPs in agarwood resin development and their complex regulation during stress exposure.

The protective effects of Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum extract on 5-Fuorouracil-induced intestinal mucositis in mice

BACKGROUND

Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum as a traditional Chinese medicine is used in prescription for treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Phytochemical investigations show that there are many anti-ulcer and anti-inflammatory ingredients in A. agallocha methanol extract (AEE). However, scarce data is available about the constituents absorbed into the blood, activity and mechanisms of AEE on intestinal mucositis.

HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE

To analyze the bioactive constituents of AEE absorbed in the blood, and further explore the potential mechanisms of the protection against chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis.

METHODS

The serum pharmacochemistry using UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS was performed to screen the bioactive compounds of AEE absorbed in serum. The intestinal mucositis was induced by 5-Fuorouracil (5-Fu) and treated with AEE. The severity of intestinal mucositis was evaluated based on body weight, food-intake and diarrhea. Furthermore, the mechanism of AEE was investigated involved in the pathogenesis of mucositis on repairing injury of intestinal mucosa, immune functions, and inflammatory response.

RESULTS

Altogether, 11 components were identified or tentatively characterized in dosed plasma. In pharmacodynamics study, intestinal mucositis caused by 5-Fu was effectively attenuated after AEE treatment. AEE treatment improved food-intake and injury of the intestinal mucosa, relieved body weight loss and severe diarrhea through up-regulating expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and inhibiting the levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in ileum segments.

CONCLUSIONS

AEE protected against 5-Fu-induced intestinal mucositis (IM) in mice through mechanisms that involved in promoting the enterocyte proliferative activity, maintaining the integrity of tight junction proteins, inhibiting oxidative stress and ameliorating the inflammatory disturbances. Accordingly, A. agallocha may be a promising therapeutic candidate used for the prevention of IM during cancer chemotherapy.

IN VITRO ANTIMICROBIAL SCREENING OF AQUILARIA AGALLOCHA ROOTS

Background:

It was previously shown that some parts of Aquilaria agallocha, which is commonly known as oud or oodh, such as roots have been used as a traditional medical herbal in different countries. In Turkey A. agallocha is one of the ingredients while preparing famous Mesir paste, which was invented as a medicinal paste and used from the Ottoman period to now at least for 500 years. The identification the in vitro antimicrobial activity of ethanol extract of A. agallocha roots is main purpose of this analysis.

Materials and Methods:

By using 17 bacteria and 1 fungi, which include Bacillus, Candida, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Listeria, Pseudomonas, Salmonella and Staphylococcus genera, the activity of A. agallocha root extracts were analysed by the help of the disk diffusion method, that is one of the methods commonly used to determine antimicrobial activities.

Results:

As a result of the study it was observed that ethanol extracts of A. agallocha roots have a clear antimicrobial activity against nearly all microorganism used in the study, but only two bacteria namely E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. typhimurium SL 1344.

Conclusion:

According to the disk diffusion test results it may be possible to propose that A. agallocha roots should have a medicinal uses especially against E. faecium, L. monocytogenes ATCC 7644, B. subtilis DSMZ 1971, C. albicans DSMZ 1386, S. epidermidis DSMZ 20044 and S. aureus ATCC 25923.

Hepatoprotective potential of ethanolic extract of Aquilaria agallocha leaves against paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in SD rats

Many traditional systems of medicines employ herbal drugs for the hepatoprotection. Aim of the study was designed to evaluate the hepatoprotective potential of 'ethanolic extract of Aquilaria agallocha ( Chen Xiang) leaves' (AAE) against paracetamol (PCM) induced hepatotoxicity in SD rats. Group I animals were treated with 1% CMC for 8 days. Group II, III, IV and V animals were first treated with '1% CMC' 1 ml/kg/day, AAE 200 mg/kg/day, AAE 400 mg/kg/day and silymarin 100 mg/kg/day respectively for 7 days and then, orally administered with PCM 3 g/kg b. wt. on 8th day in a single dose. 24 h after the last dosing by PCM, the blood was obtained through the retro-orbital plexus under light anesthesia and the animals were sacrificed. Hepatoprotective potential was assessed by various biochemical parameters such as ALT, AST, ALP, LDH, bilirubin, cholesterol, TP and ALB. Group IV rats showed significant (p < 0.01) decrease in ALT, AST, ALP, LDH, cholesterol, bilirubin, liver wt. and relative liver wt. levels while significant (p < 0.01) increase in final b. wt., TP and ALB levels as compared to group II rats. Hepatoprotective potential of AAE 400 mg/kg/day was comparable to that of standard drug silymarin 100 mg/kg/day. Results of the study were well supported by the histopathological observations. This study confirms that AAE possesses hepatoprotective potential comparable to that of standard drug silymarin as it exhibited comparable protective potential against PCM induced hepatotoxicity in SD rats.