Standardization and Pharmacological Evaluation of Ziziphus mauritiana Extract for Sedative and Anticonvulsant Activity in Mice and Rat

INTRODUCTION

Ziziphus mauritiana, sometimes called Indian jujube or Ber, belongs to the Rhamnaceae group of plants. The aqueous and ethanolic Ziziphus mauritiana formulations were shown to have analgesic, antipyretic, potent analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-emetic properties.

AIM & OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to investigate the sedative and anticonvulsant activities of Ziziphus mauritiana extract by governing 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight orally.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The leaves are extracted with ethanol and lukewarm water with a soxhlet apparatus for 72 hours. After that acute extract toxicity study was performed and then locomotor activity, pentobarbital induced sleeping time and anticonvulsant activity were performed with the extract.

RESULTS

Oral administration of extract at dosages of 200 & 400 mg/kg was employed after an immediate toxicity test. At a dosage of 400 mg/kg, the number of locomotions was reduced significantly lengthened the period of time spent sleeping and there was showed a dosage-dependent reduction in all phases of an epileptic episode.

CONCLUSION

In this study, the extract reduced locomotor activity, however, it had a superior profile for an antiepileptic action than phenytoin since it decreased locomotor activity to a lesser level. The considerable increase in pentobarbitone sleep hours with the extracts at a higher dose supported the sedative action of Z. mauritiana.

Exploring the potentials of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. seed kernel oil as pharmaceutical oil base: Physicochemical characterization and ketoconazole soap formulation

Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. (Rhamnaceae) is a large spiny shrub or small tree, native to the Indian subcontinent that can reach a maximum height of 9-15 m. This plant stands as a renowned tropical fruit variety, commonly recognized as the Indian plum, Desert apple, or Indian Jujube. The objective of this study was to examine the standard physicochemical parameters of Z. mauritiana seed kernel oil and to formulate the ketoconazole soap (2 % w/w), using the obtained oil, as a base. The oil was obtained through hexane extraction from the seed kernels. To formulate pharmaceutical ketoconazole soap, Z. mauritiana seed kernel oil was subjected to a basic saponification reaction using potassium hydroxide. All the examined physicochemical parameters, namely acid value (4.71 mg KOH/g), saponification value (229.18 mg KOH/g), peroxide value (4.15 milliequivalents KOH/g), ester value (224.47 mg KOH/g), iodine value (11.19 mg KOH/g), refractive index (1.448), pH (5.93), viscosity (89 cP), and specific gravity (0.912 g/mL) were within the acceptable range for industrial purposes. The examination of quality control parameters, namely drug content (99.49 %), total fatty matter (71.13 %), foam retention time (17.21 min), foam height (18.56 cm), moisture content (9.14 %), and pH (7.16) indicated that the newly formulated ketoconazole soap complied with the acceptable limits. In summary, our research demonstrated the excellent physicochemical stability of Z. mauritiana seed kernel oil and its suitability as a soap base, supporting its promising prospects for cost-effective production of cosmetics, soaps, and shampoos in the pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries, reducing reliance on synthetic bases.

Ziziphus mauritiana-derived nitrogen-doped biogenic carbon dots: Eco-friendly catalysts for dye degradation and antibacterial applications

In this study, the naturally available Ziziphus Mauritiana was used as a bioresource for the preparation of bifunctional nitrogen doped carbon dots (N-CDs). The doping of nitrogen into the graphitic carbon skeleton and the in-situ formation of N-CDs were systematically identified by the various structural and morphological studies. The green fluorescent N-CDs were used as active catalysts for the removal of Safranin-O dye and achieved 79 % removal efficiency. Furthermore, the prepared N-CDs were used to evaluate antibacterial activity with four different bacterial species, such as Shigella flexneri, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Amongst these, the highest antimicrobial activity was achieved against Klebsiella pneumonia, with a maximum zone of inhibition of 14.6 ± 1.12 at a concentration of 100 g mL-1. Thus, the obtained results demonstrate the cost efficient bifunctional application prospects of N-CDs to achieve significant catalytic and antibacterial activities.

Chinee Apple (Ziziphus mauritiana): A Comprehensive Review of Its Weediness, Ecological Impacts and Management Approaches

Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. (Rhamnaceae) (Chinee Apple, Indian Jujube, or Ber) is a significant woody weed in the drier tropics of northern Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. Throughout these regions, its densely formed thickets influence the structure, function, and composition of rangeland ecosystems by outcompeting native pasture species. Despite this, the recent literature is heavily focused on the horticultural value of domesticated Ziziphus species in South Asia (China, India, and Pakistan), particularly its potential for poverty alleviation in arid or semi-arid areas. In fact, there has been comparatively little research undertaken on its invasiveness or associated ecological factors in pastoral contexts. Currently, the management of Z. mauritiana is limited to the application of synthetic herbicides or mechanical clearing operations. There is also considerable interest in the exploitation of host-specific, natural enemies (biological control agents, herbivorous insects, fungi, bacteria, or viruses) for limiting the vigour, competitiveness, or reproductive capacity of Z. mauritiana in northern Australia. The development of a "bioherbicide" in lieu of synthetic counterparts may foster a more resilient coexistence between agricultural systems and the natural environment owing to its reduced environmental persistence and increased target specificity. This review summarises the current literature on the weediness, ecological impacts, and current management of this problematic weed, thereby identifying (i) opportunities for further research and (ii) recommendations for improved management within its invasive range.

First Report of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae Causing Postharvest Fruit Rot on Indian Jujube in China

Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamarck), is one of the most popular fruit crops in South China. In March 2023, a fruit rot of indian jujube with about 5% disease incidence was observed in two supermarkets of Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, China. Initially, the symptoms appeared as slightly brown spots on the fruit surface, with disease progression, the lesions gradually expanded and covered with a layer of hyphae. Small pieces (3 to 4 mm2) from the periphery of 15 diseased fruit were surface disinfected using 1% sodium hypochlorite for 30 s, rinsed three times in sterilized distilled water, air dried, and then aseptically placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) media and incubated at 25°C for three days. A total of ten single spore isolates with similar morphology were obtained. Colonies of these consisted of initially white, gradually turning gray and eventually becoming black, and aerial hyphae were dense and fluffy. Conidiogenous cells were smooth, hyaline, cylinder-shaped, and holoblastic. Conidia were ellipsoidal, top and base-rounded, and thick-walled, immature conidia were colorless, hyaline, and aseptate, compared with dark brown color of the mature conidia, which were one-septate with longitudinal striations, ranging in size from 22.8 to 31.8 (mean 27.6) µm in length and 12.2 to 20 (mean 14.6) µm in width. The morphological characteristics were consistent with the characteristics of the Lasiodiplodia species (Phillips et al. 2013). To accurately identify the strain, three representative isolates, namely JFRL 03-1147, JFRL 03-1148, and JFRL 03-1149, were selected for further identification. The internal transcribed spacers (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α), and beta-tubulin (TUB2) genes/regions were amplified and sequenced using primers ITS1/ITS4, EF1-688F/EF1-1251R, and Bt2a/Bt2b, respectively (Chen et al. 2021). These nucleotide sequences were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers OQ804425-OQ804427 (ITS), OQ818097-OQ818099 (TEF1-α), and OQ818100-OQ818102 (TUB2). A BLASTn homology search for these nucleotides showed 99-100% identity to ITS (EF622077, 487 nt/487 nt), TEF1-α (EF622057, 306 nt/307 nt) and TUB2 (EU673111, 434 nt/434 nt) sequences of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae CBS 116459 (ex-type). The maximum likelihood analyses were performed for the combined ITS, TEF1-α and TUB2 data set using IQtree web server (Trifinopoulos et al. 2016). The phylogenetic tree showed that the three isolates clustered with Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae in a clade with 99% bootstrap support. Therefore, the fungus was identified as L. pseudotheobromae based on morphological and molecular characteristics. To evaluate pathogenicity, 4 healthy fruits of indian jujube were surface sterilized with 75% ethanol and wounded by sterile needle, and a 5-mm-diameter agar with 5-days-old mycelium of the isolate JFRL 03-1148 cultured on PDA at 25°C was put on the wound. Another set of 4 fruits was inoculated with sterile agar plugs as controls. The fruits were cultured at 25℃ and 85% relative humidity, and the test was repeated twice. These fruits inoculated with L. pseudotheobromae showed similar rot symptoms after 3 days, while the control group remained asymptomatic. To fulfill Koch's postulates, the pathogen was re-isolated from the inoculated fruits and confirmed as L. pseudotheobromae by morphological and molecular analysis. L. pseudotheobromae has previously been reported causing fruit rot on citrus, mango and papaya (Alam et al. 2021; Chen et al. 2021; Netto et al. 2014). But to our knowledge, this is the first report of L. pseudotheobromae caused postharvest fruit rot on indian jujube in China. Therefore, managers should pay more attention to postharvest fruit rot disease caused by L. pseudotheobromae, and formulate appropriate disease control measures to reduce its losses.

Antiprotozoal activity of natural products from Nigerien plants used in folk medicine

In the course of the screening of plants from Niger for antiprotozoal activity, the methanol extract of Cassia sieberiana, and the dichloromethane extracts of Ziziphus mauritiana and Sesamun alatum were found to be active against protozoan parasites, namely Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania donovani and/or Plasmodium falciparum. Myricitrin (1), quercitrin (2) and 1-palmitoyl-lysolecithin (3) were isolated from C. sieberiana. From Z. mauritiana, the three triterpene derivatives 13, 15, and 16 are described here for the first time. Their chemical structures were determined by 1D and 2D NMR experiments, UV, IR and HRESIMS data. The absolute configurations were assigned via comparison of the experimental and calculated ECD spectra. In addition, eight known cyclopeptide alkaloids (4, 5, 7-12), and five known triterpenoids (6, 14, 17-19) were isolated. The antiprotozoal activity of the isolated compounds, as well as of eleven quinone derivatives (20-30) previously isolated from S. alatum was determined in vitro. The cytotoxicity in L6 rat myoblast cells was also evaluated. Compound 18 showed the highest antiplasmodial activity (IC₅₀ = 0.2 µm) and compound 24 inhibited T. b. rhodesiense with an IC₅₀ value of 0.007 µM. However, it also displayed significant cytotoxicity in L6 cells (IC₅₀ = 0.4 µm).

Effect of storage condition on the nutritional and anti-nutritional composition of kurkura (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.) fruit from North-Eastern Ethiopia

Ziziphus mauritiana is used as food and medicine. It is very nutritive and contains high amounts of calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. To choose an appropriate technique for fruit preservation, this study evaluated the effect of temperature and time on the nutritional and anti-nutritional qualities of Ziziphus mauritiana fruit harvested from Kobo Woreda in North-Eastern Ethiopia. This study assessed the impact of preservation parameters on the nutritional and anti-nutritional properties of Ziziphus mauritiana fruit, such as storage temperature and preservation day (time). Ziziphus mauritiana fruit was also analyzed to evaluate storage temperature and preservation day on its nutritional and antinutritional composition and found moisture content (5.25-10.99%), ash content (4.74-10.70%), crude fiber (3.81-17.88), fat (0.49-2.16), nitrogen content (1.01-1.8%), protein content (6.33-11.27), phytate content (67.27-659.33 mg/100 g m), and tannin content (3842.46-16577.80 mg/100 g m). The findings revealed that both individual and interaction effects were highly significant differences (p-value, 0.0001) in each nutritional and antinutritional content of the fruit. The results of this study showed that it was possible to store Ziziphus mauritiana fruit using plastic bags (High-Density Polyethylene Bags), and further deep-freezing the fruit had the best effect on preserving it in its fresh state (without damage) for up to 45 days.

Assessment of genetic diversity and population structure in wild Ziziphus species from northwest India using SSR marker technique

BACKGROUND

Ziziphus species particularly Ziziphus mauritiana and Ziziphus nummularia constitute an important part of genetic resources in India. They contribute economically as a fruit crop with lots of morphological and pomological variability. In current study, 48 accessions belonging to two wild Ziziphus species, i.e., Z. mauritiana and Z. nummularia, were characterized using SSR markers. In addition, external features were also examined using stereomicroscope.

RESULTS

Present investigation was done to explore the genetic structure of North Indian jujube. In total, 23 SSR markers detected 57 SSR alleles with an average of 2.47 alleles. Highest number of alleles (4) were detected by three primers, namely BFU1178, BFU479, and ZCMS14, while lowest number of alleles (2) were detected by fifteen primers. Highest Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) was 0.500 and shown by two primers, namely BFU528 and BFU1248, while lowest PIC (0.041) was observed in primers BFU286 with mean value of 0.443. Similarly, highest value of marker index (MI) was detected by primer BFU1178 i.e. 1.969, and lowest value of marker index was observed in primer BFU286 i.e. 0.021. Dendrogram generated using SSR markers data and principal component analysis showed two major groups of the analyzed germplasm with intermixing. STRUCTURE analysis also clustered all the accessions into two groups. We did not found correlation between geographic and genetic distances.

CONCLUSIONS

The preliminary results suggest that there is high level of gene pool mixing in these species which can be attributed to their cross-pollination habit. However, more such studies with large numbers of samples are required in future to gain concrete insights of the genetic structure in these species.

Valorization of Bioactive Compounds from Two Underutilized Wild Fruits by Microencapsulation in Order to Formulate Value-Added Food Products

Currently, microencapsulation has become a viable method of nutrient delivery for the food industry. This work microencapsulated the bioactive compounds extracted from two neglected species (Balanites aegyptiaca and Ziziphus mauritiana) by freeze-drying. A combination of wall materials (whey protein and pectin; soy protein and maltodextrin) was chosen to prepare the microcapsules. The phytochemical and physicochemical characterization of the microcapsules was then carried out. The encapsulation yield ranged from 82.77% to 96.05% for Balanites and Ziziphus, respectively, whereas the efficiency was 76.18 ± 1.39% and 80.93 ± 1.71%. The stimulated in vitro gastrointestinal test showed that encapsulation increased the bioavailability of the bioactive compounds. The total carotenoids were the most bioavailable compounds with 85.89 ± 0.06% for Ziziphus and 70.46 ± 1.10% for Balanites, followed by total flavonoids for Zizyphus with 63.27 ± 1.56%. Furthermore, regardless of species or wavelengths, the HPLC analysis resulted in the identification of 17 bioactive metabolites. The predominant one was epicatechin, whose level ranged from 231.52 ± 5.06 to 250.99 ± 3.72 mg/100 g DW in Ziziphus and 91.80 ± 3.85 to 116.40 ± 4.09 mg/100 g DW in Balanites. In estimating the enzyme inhibition and antioxidant power, both studied fruits showed antidiabetic, inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. These findings suggest that natural bioactive compounds are abundant in the fruits of Z. mauritiana and B. aegyptiaca and could be a valuable source for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Identification of Indian jujube varieties cultivated in Saudi Arabia using an artificial neural network

This study aimed to develop a method for identifying different cultivars of Indian jujube fruits (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) based on a single Indian jujube fruit color and morphological attributes using an artificial neural network (ANN) classifier. Eleven Indian jujube fruit cultivars were collected during winter of season 2020 from a local orchard located at Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia to measure their lengths, major diameters, and minor diameters. Different morphological descriptors were calculated, including the arithmetic mean diameter, the sphericity percent, and the surface area. Moreover, the color values of L*, a*, and b* of the skin of fruits were recorded. The ANN classifier was used to identify the appropriate class of Indian jujube fruit by using a combination of morphological and color descriptors. The proposed method achieved an overall identification rate of 98.39% and 97.56% in training and testing phases, respectively. In addition to color and morphological features, ANN classifier is a useful tool for identifying Indian jujube fruit cultivars and circumventing the difficulties met during fruit grading.

The genetic relationships of Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.) cultivars using SSR markers

The genetic relationships among 24 Indian jujube cultivars (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.) were evaluated by genotyping the microsatellite loci using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The SSR loci were scored by fluorescent labelling and automated detection systems for the high-throughput capillary electrophoresis and high-resolution gel electrophoresis. Out of the 29 newly characterized SSR loci, 26 were considered as polymorphic with a total of 181 alleles obtained. The number of alleles ranged from 2–12, while the polymorphism information content ranged from 0.08–0.83, and the expected and observed heterozygosity were 0.04–0.83 and 0.04–0.82, respectively. The allele pattern of Indian jujube for all SSR loci confirmed its karyotype as tetraploid. Similarity coefficients and UPGMA dendrogram revealed that the Taiwanese cultivars consisted of a large ‘A’ clade, which is further divided into ‘A1’ and ‘A2’ groups, and the ‘B’ clade where both are rooted by the wild accession, ‘Chad native’. These four genetic clusters were supported by the results of PCoA and the assignment test. The excess of heterozygotes based on F-statistics was attributed to its mating system as outcrossing and self-incompatible, and the introgression of the presumed mutation-derived cultivars with genetic admixture. Based on this study, SSR markers offer valuable information on the genetic relationship of this tropical fruit tree which is basically in agreement with the genealogy of its breeding history.

Ziziphus mauritiana supplementation of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) diet for improvement of immune response to Aeromonas hydrophila infection

This study evaluated the effectiveness of dietary Ziziphus mauritiana leaf powder (ZLP) to control Aeromonas hydrophila infection in Nile tilapia and reduce damage to vital immune organs. Four experimental groups were fed a diet supplemented with ZLP at concentrations of 0, 5, 10, and 20 g/kg (w/w) for 6 weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, all groups were intraperitoneally injected with pathogenic A. hydrophila. It was found that Z. mauritiana significantly (P < 0.05) upregulated (lysozyme, interleukin 1 beta) and superoxide dismutase gene expressions as well as improved the activity of serum lysozyme and liver antioxidant enzymes. The fish that were fed a ZLP-supplemented diet also exhibited significantly higher survival rates after A. hydrophila challenge than those that were fed a ZLP-free diet (P < 0.05). Supplementation of 10 g/kg ZLP most effectively reduced the histopathological alterations caused by A. hydrophila challenge in the liver, spleen, kidney, and muscle of the fish. In conclusion, ZLP can be effective in controlling A. hydrophila infection in Nile tilapia (particularly at a concentration of 10 g/kg) through enhancement of its immune and antioxidant status.

Investigation of cytotoxicity potential of different extracts of Ziziphus mauritiana (Lam) leaf Allium cepa model

Previous studies showed that Ziziphus mauritiana is ethnomedicinally beneficial against various diseases, however the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of this plant have not been well investigated. Therefore this study was undertaken to investigate cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of four different solvents extracts of Ziziphus mauritiana (Lam) leaf at different concentrations (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 mg/L) using Allium cepa model. The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity parameters evaluated were mitotic index, root tip growth length and chromosomal aberration respectively. The result revealed a decrease in mitotic index percentage (%MI) and a dose dependent decrease in root tip length with increase in extracts concentration for all the extracts studied - with the ethanol extract showing the most significant effect in mitotic index. Furthermore, the effective concentrations (EC₅₀) obtained were 81.30, 52.01, 90.68 and 112.30 mg/l for aqueous, ethanol, ethyl acetate and hexane extract respectively. Finally chromosomal aberrations such as vagrant chromosome, c-mitosis, bridged anaphase, sticky telophase were also observed in all four extracts and the percentage chromosomal aberration were observed to decrease with increased concentrations of extracts. Therefore based on the result obtained in this study it may be concluded that the plant (Ziziphus mauritiana (Lam)) extracts are cytotoxic and genotoxic in nature and the observed decrease in percentage chromosomal aberration may be as a result of antimutagenic bioactive principles present in the plant extracts. Hence care must be taken in its consumption and use in folk medicine.

HPLC-ESI-QqQ based standardization, mutagenic and genotoxic potential of methanol extract of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam leaves

BACKGROUND

The leaves of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam have been an integral part of the traditional system of medicine for the treatment of inflammation, wounds, fever, asthma and liver disorders. The leaves are utilised as an edible vegetable in rural parts of India and Indonesia. Despite its pharmacological significance, Ziziphus mauritiana Lam lacks scientific evidence on its mutagenic and genotoxic potential.

RATIONALE

The aim of the present work is to identify bioactive compounds present in the methanol extract of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam leaves (MEZ) using HPLC-ESI-QqQ and to evaluate its mutagenic and genotoxic potential.

METHODS

The phytochemical standardization of the MEZ was done using HPLC-ESI-QqQ. The mutagenic and genotoxic potential of MEZ was tested using bacterial reverse mutation (Ames test), chromosomal aberration, and micronucleus tests. The Ames test was performed in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100, TA102, TA1535 and TA1537, and the genotoxic potential was tested in in-vitro using chromosome aberration assay with Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and in-vivo micronucleus test using mouse bone marrow cells.

RESULTS

Fifteen phytochemical compounds were identified in HPLC-ESI- QqQ. It was observed from the Ames test that MEZ did not induce gene mutations in the S. typhimurium in the presence or absence of S9 activation. Similarly, no significant increase in the number of structural aberrations was observed in CHO cells with or without S9 activation. The oral administration of MEZ at a dose of up to 2000 mg/kg caused no significant increase in the number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes or in the mean ratio of polychromatic to total erythrocytes.

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study confirm that MEZ is not-mutagenic and non-genotoxic in the presence or absence of the exogenous metabolizing system.

Genetic diversity of Ziziphus mauritiana germplasm based on SSR markers and ploidy level estimation

A set of reliable SSR markers were developed for Ziziphus mauritiana. The genetic relationship of Z. mauritiana germplasms was generally consistent with their geographical origin, and low diversity in the maternal lineage was revealed. Ziziphus mauritiana, known as Indian jujube, is an important fruit crop that is native to southern Asia and eastern Africa. There is a variety of germplasm resources, and particularly many new cultivars were selected and introduced into wide tropical regions in recent years. However, there are few practical molecular markers for cultivar authentication and genetic analysis. In this study, we developed 55 polymorphic nuclear SSR markers based on restriction-site associated DNA sequences and transcriptome sequencing. We selected 14 robust nSSR markers for further analysis of 117 Z. mauritiana accessions from four countries (45 from China, 39 from Vietnam, 25 from Pakistan and 8 from Myanmar). In total, 137 alleles were detected and DNA fingerprints for each accession were constructed. Cluster analysis based on the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean displayed that most accessions clustered consistently with their geographic origin. In addition, there was common and high degree polyploidization based on nSSR and flow cytometry analyses. Only two of the 50 SSR loci in noncoding regions from the chloroplast genome had polymorphisms, and 5 haplotypes in total were identified among the 117 accessions. Haplotype C with 89 accessions was the most dominant haplotype and presented in four countries. This indicates low diversity in the maternal lineage of tested Z. mauritiana germplasm. Our research provides reliable marker resources for cultivar authentication and new insights into the genetic diversity, polyploidization and domestication of Z. mauritiana.

Antioxidant activity of crude ethanolic extract and fractions of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. (Rhamnaceae) leaves from Burkina Faso

Background Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. is a plant used in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso in the treatment of several diseases, of which diabetes is characterized by oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant potential of the extracts of leaves of this plant. Methods The crude hydroethanolic extract (HEE) of the leaves of Z. mauritiana and their partitionates in n-hexane, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate, and in the residual aqueous solution (the F1, F2, F3, and F4 fractions, respectively) were first prepared. The content of polyphenols was determined and the antioxidant effects of the extracts were evaluated by their 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, inhibition of lipid peroxidation (TBARS), and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Results The HEE as well as the F3 and F4 fractions were rich in polyphenols with contents between 58 and 84 mg equivalent gallic acid per 100 mg. The flavonoid content was 4 mg quercetin equivalents in the HEE and the F4 fraction. Except for the F1 fraction, the HEE and the other fractions showed significant DPPH scavenging activity (IC50 between 8 and 12 μg/mL). The IC50 of TBARS by different extracts was in the range 1-5 μg/mL, and the FRAP activity was 7-85 mg ascorbic acid equivalent per 100 mg. Total polyphenol content was highly correlated with the antioxidant activities. Conclusions The HEE, F3, and F4 fractions were found to be the richest in polyphenols and had the best antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity of the extracts of the leaves of Z. mauritiana is due to these polyphenolic compounds.

Tracing Rhizophagus irregularis isolate IR27 in Ziziphus mauritiana roots under field conditions

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a major role as biofertilizer for sustainable agriculture. Nevertheless, it is still poorly documented whether inoculated AMF can successfully establish in field soils as exotic AMF and improve plant growth and productivity. Further, the fate of an exogenous inoculum is still poorly understood. Here, we pre-inoculated two cultivars (Tasset and Gola) of the fruit tree Ziziphus mauritiana (jujube) with the exotic AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis isolate IR27 before transplantation in the field. In two experiments, tracking and quantification of R. irregularis IR27 were assessed in a 13-month-old jujube and an 18-month-old jujube in two fields located in Senegal. Our results showed that the inoculant R. irregularis IR27 was quantitatively traced and discriminated from native R. irregularis isolates in roots by using a qPCR assay targeting a fragment of the RNA polymerase II gene (RPB1), and that the inoculum represented only fractions ranging from 11 to 15% of the Rhizophagus genus in the two plantations 13 and 18 months after transplantation, respectively. This study validates the use of the RPB1 gene as marker for a relative quantification of a mycorrhizal inoculant fungus isolate in the field.

Therapeutic potential of root and stem bark of wild medicinal plant Ziziphus mauritiana (Lamk.) against silica induced toxicity in Wistar albino rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ziziphus mauritiana (Lamk.) of the family Rhamnaceae is a traditional herbal medicinal plant commonly called as 'ber' (Indian jujube). It is traditionally used as food source and helps in treatment of various diseases like malaria, asthma, diarrhoea, typhoid, diabetes, skin diseases and acts as a pain killer.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to evaluate the ability of extracts of barks of root and stem of Ziziphus mauritiana (ZM) to cure silica induced toxicity in Wistar albino rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Experiments carried out on the acute toxicity studies of silica and therapeutic potential of ZM extracts were based on OECD guidelines and from these results lethal dose (LD₅₀) values were determined. Silica was administered by IP injection at 20 mg/kg b.w. for 10 days and roots and stem barks extracts of ZM were fed orally by gavage at 400 mg/kg b.w. for 21 days. Assessments of biochemical, haematological parameters as well as liver histological examination were performed in the study.

RESULTS

After 21 days of oral feeding of extracts of root and stem of ZM, it was found to alter the liver histology. Significant decrease in enzymes such as ALT, AST, ALP, LDH and urea, creatinine and uric acid levels in serum were recorded. Treatment with extracts could help enzymatic activity of liver antioxidant enzymes to settle towards normal level and significant decrease in the lipid peroxidation along with increase in the value of GSH in liver, was also observed. In addition, extracts of ZM also helped to reduce the serum NO, IL-6 and TNF-α level.

CONCLUSION

Results of this study has suggested that the extracts of root and stem bark of ZM can be used for therapeutic purpose to prevent silica induced toxicity. ZM extracts could be utilised as natural antioxidant and immunotherapeutic medicines to protect silica induced cell damage.

Antiplasmodial activity of two medicinal plants against clinical isolates of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium berghei infected mice

Malaria is an infectious and deadly parasitic disease, associated with fever, anaemia and other ailments. Unfortunately the upsurge of plasmodium multidrug resistant constrained researchers to look for new effective drugs. Medicinal plants seem to be an unquenchable source of bioactive principles in the treatment of various diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the antiplasmodial activity of two Ivorian medicinal plants. The in vitro activity was evaluated against clinical isolates and Plasmodium falciparum K1 multidrug resistant strain using the fluorescence based SYBR green I assay. The in vivo bioassay was carried out using the classical 4 day suppressive and curative tests on Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Results showed that the in vitro bioassay of both plant extracts were found to exhibit a promising and moderate antiparasitic effects on clinical isolates (5 µg/mL < IC50 < 15 µg/mL) and Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistant K1 strain (15 µg/mL < IC50 < 50 µg/mL). Furthermore, the in vivo antiplasmodial screening of both extracts showed a significant decrease in parasitemia, which was dose-dependent. Body temperature in mice treated with both extracts at experimental doses increased, compared to the negative control group and was dose-dependent. As for mice body weight a significant decrease (p < 0.001) was noticed in the negative control group compared to tested groups of animals. The hydroethanolic stem bark extract of Anthocleista djalonensis A Chev and leaves extract of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam exhibited anti-malarial activities. Therefore, the bioactive compounds of both plant extracts need to be investigated.

Comparison of the Bioactive Components in Two Seeds of Ziziphus Species by Different Analytical Approaches Combined with Chemometrics

The Ziziphus species are considered to be the medicine and food dual purposes plants. Among them, the seed of Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa (ZS) has traditionally been used as an ethnomedicine in Asian countries for thousands years. Owing to the significant benefits for human health, the demand for ZS increased year by year, and the wild resources have become increasingly scarce, which resulted in a shortage of market supply for ZS and product adulteration by substituting ZS with the seeds of Z. mauritiana Lam. (ZM). However, whether the bioactivity of ZM is similar to ZS has not been fully confirmed till now. Thus, to provide potential information for evaluating the similarity of the health promoting activities between these two Ziziphus seeds, their chemical profiles, including triterpenoids, flavonoids, nucleosides, free amino acids and fatty acids were compared using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD), ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-TQ MS), and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods. Furthermore, a more holistic investigation was performed with multivariate principle component analysis and orthogonal projections to latent structures-discriminant analysis analyses to explore the relative variability between the seeds of two species. The results showed that a significant difference exists between ZS and ZM, and ZS was more rich in saponins, polyunsaturated fatty acids and some amino acids, whereas ZM was particularly rich in saturated fatty acids and flavonoids. The above results suggested the bioactivities of ZM for human health may not be similar to ZS owing to their difference in chemical profiles. These results would also be helpful for distinguishing the ZM from ZS with the chemical markers obtained from the study, and set a scientific foundation for establishing the quality control method of ZS.

Immunomodulatory, Cytotoxicity, and Antioxidant Activities of Roots of Ziziphus mauritiana

Aims:

The study is conducted to evaluate the immunomodulatory, cytotoxicity, and antioxidant potential of Ziziphus mauritiana (Rhamnaceae). Phytochemical analysis of Z. mauritiana revealed the presence of alkaloids, anthraquinone glycoside, cardiac glycoside, saponin, tannin, and flavonoids.

Methodology:

The cytotoxicity of the plant Z. mauritiana was evaluated by brine shrimp lethality test. Antioxidant parameters such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were calculated in the plasma of rats after chronic administration of 400 mg/kg of Z. mauritiana for 6 weeks.

Results:

The dichloromethane extract of the plant exhibited significant immunomodulatory activity, with inhibitory concentration 50% of 55.43 ± 7.9. The dichloromethane extracts of the plant showed 70% mortality at concentration 1000 μg/ml. SOD and T-AOC levels were increased while MDA level in the plasma was reduced in the plasma of rats treated with dichloromethane Z. mauritiana.

Conclusion:

This can be deduced that the root of Z. mauritiana has immunomodulatory, cytotoxic, and antioxidant potential.

SUMMARY

Roots of Z. mauritiana was exhibited immunomodulator, cytotoxic and antioxidant activities

Z. mauritiana showed potential antioxidant activity in rats

Abbreviations used: SOD: Superoxide dismutase; T-AOC: Total antioxidant capacity; MDA: Malondialdehyde; ZMRD: Z. mauritiana root extract of dichloromethane fraction; LD50: Z. mauritiana root extract of methanol fraction ZMRM, lethal dose 50.

Frying stability of sunflower oil blended with jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.) leaf extract

The aim of present study was to compare the effects of ultrasound‐assisted and microwave‐assisted extraction with solvent extraction method on antioxidant activities of jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.) leaf extracts in stability of sunflower oil during deep frying. The antioxidant activities of the extracts were evaluated by using 2, 2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH˙) radical scavenging and β‐carotene bleaching assays. Ultrasound‐assisted extraction was the most effective method on antioxidant activities of extracts and extraction yield of phenolic compounds compared to other extraction techniques. Protective effect of methanol–water extract of jujube leaf obtained with ultrasound‐assisted extraction (ULMW) at 500 and 700 ppm in stability of sunflower oil was compared to synthetic antioxidants by measuring total polar compounds (TPC), carbonyl value (CV), peroxide value (PV), free fatty acids (FFA), oxidative stability index (OSI), conjugated dienes (CD), and trienes values (CT). Results showed ULMW at 700 ppm had higher stabilization efficiency than synthetic antioxidants.

Composite coating of alginate-olive oil enriched with antioxidants enhances postharvest quality and shelf life of Ber fruit (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk. Var. Gola)

The present study has been carried out to evaluate the effect of a composite edible coating of 2 % Sodium alginate and 0.2 % Olive oil with combination of 1 % ascorbic acid and 1 % citric acid on the post harvest nutritional quality and shelf life of Ber fruit stored at 25 ± 2 °C and 65 % R.H. The coatings reduced the decay occurrence, weight loss, accumulation of total soluble solids (TSS) and total sugars in Ber fruit and enhanced the level of antioxidants. The delayed activity of polygalacturonase (PG), Pectate lyase (PL) and Pectin methyl esterase (PME) was noticed in coated fruits than that of the control fruit indicating the reduced softening and ripening process. These findings suggest that the composite edible coating tested under the current study has the potential to control decaying incidence of Ber fruit, extends its storage life and also improves its valuable nutritional characteristics.

"Phloem sap analysis of Schleichera oleosa (Lour) Oken, Butea monosperma (Lam) Taub. and Ziziphus mauritiana (Lam) and hemolymph of Kerria lacca (Kerr) using HPLC and tandem mass spectrometry"

Females of lac insects especially of Kerria lacca (Kerr) secret a resin known as lac for their own protection, which has tremendous applications. Lac insect completes its lifecycle on several host taxa where it exclusively feeds on phloem sap but Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Oken, Butea monosperma (Lam.) and Ziziphus mauritiana (Lam.) are its major hosts. Analysis of phloem sap constituents as well as hemolymph of lac insect is important because it ultimately gets converted into lac by insect intervention. Main phloem sap constituent's viz. sugars and free amino acids and hemolymph of lac insect were analyzed using HPLC and tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. The results were transformed to relative percentage of the total sugars and free amino acids analyzed in each sample for comparison among lac insect hemolymph and the phloem sap of the three different host taxa. Sucrose (58.9 ± 3.6-85.6 ± 0.9) and trehalose (62.3 ± 0.4) were the predominant sugars in phloem sap of three taxa and hemolymph of lac insect, respectively. Glutamic acid (33.1 ± 1.4-39.8 ± 1.4) was found to be main amino acid among the phloem sap of three taxa while tyrosine (61 ± 2.6) was the major amino acid in hemolymph of lac insect. The relative percentage of non-essential amino acids (60.8 %-69.9 %) was found to be more in all the three host taxa while essential amino acids (30.1 %-35.4 %) were present at a lower relative percentage. In contrast to this, the relative percentage of essential amino acids (81.9 %) was observed to be higher as compared to non-essential amino acids (17.7 %) in lac insect hemolymph. These results led to the detection of lac insect's endosymbionts. Moreover, this study revealed a clue regarding the importance of development of a synthetic diet for this insect so that a precise pathway of lac biosynthesis could be investigated for thorough understanding.

Evaluation of the antioxidant effects of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. Leaf extracts against chronic ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity in rat liver

Chronic alcohol ingestion is known to increase the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby leading to liver damage. Antioxidant enzymes act individually or in combination to reduce or counter the effect of these ROS. Chronic administration of alcohol at (40% v/v, 1 ml/100 g), for 6 weeks showed a significant (p<0.05) elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin (TB). There was also a significant (p<0.05) decreased levels of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase compared to control rats. Pre-treatment of rats with 200, 400 mg/kg body weight of aqueous leaf extract of Ziziphus mauritiana or 100 mg/kg silymarin resulted in a significant (p<0.05) decreased levels of ALT, AST, ALP, and TB with levels of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase showing a significant (p<0.05) increase compared to group administered alcohol only. Histopathology of rat liver administered with alcohol only resulted in severe necrosis, mononuclear cell aggregation and fatty degeneration in the central and mid zonal areas which was a characteristic of a damaged liver. Pre-treatment with the aqueous extract of Ziziphus mauritiana or silymarin reduced the morphological changes that are associated with chronic alcohol administration. The presence of tannins, saponins and phenolic compounds observed in the plant extract could be responsible for the observed effects of decreasing the levels of injured tissue marker and lipid peroxidation.