scholarly journals Medicinal Plants from Northeastern Brazil against Alzheimer’s Disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Batista Penido ◽  
Selene Maia De Morais ◽  
Alan Bezerra Ribeiro ◽  
Daniela Ribeiro Alves ◽  
Ana Livya Moreira Rodrigues ◽  
...  

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been linked with oxidative stress, acetylcholine deficiency in the brain, and inflammatory processes. In the northeast region of Brazil, various plants are used to treat several diseases associated with these processes; then an antioxidant test was performed with those plants in a previous work and twelve species with higher antioxidant activity were selected for AChE inhibition evaluation. The phenolic compounds content was determined by Folin–Ciocalteu test and flavonoid content with AlCl3reagent using UV-visible spectrophotometry. The antioxidant activity was assessed analyzing the inhibitory activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS) and by theβ-carotene/linoleic acid system and acetylcholinesterase inhibition using qualitative and quantitative tests. The combination of better acetylcholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant activities pointed out six species, in descending order, as the best potential sources of therapeutic agents against AD:Hancornia speciosa > Myracrodruon urundeuva > Copaifera langsdorffii > Stryphnodendron coriaceum > Psidium guajava > Mangifera indica. Besides, the phenolic compounds in the species probably contribute to these activities. However, further pharmacological studies to assess the specific applications of these plants against AD are required to confirm these results.


Author(s):  
Lucas Frota ◽  
Daniela Alves ◽  
Leonardo Freitas ◽  
Francisco Lopes ◽  
Marcia Marinho ◽  
...  

Ouratea fieldingiana is a native medicinal plant from Northeastern Brazil and many biological properties are due to the phenolic constituents. The objective of this work was performing the characterization of O. fieldingiana leaf constituents to correlate with antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities by in vitro and in silico studies and thus contribute to find new agents against Alzheimer’s disease. The high-performance liquid chromatography revealed the presence of the flavonoids rutin, isoquercitrin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, quercetin, apigenin and amentoflavone. The antioxidant activities by the (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) methodologies, showed good results with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values ranging from 5.63 to 11.47 μg mL-1 and 2.72 to 23.71 μg mL-1, respectively. Acetylcholinesterase inhibition assay pointed out the flavone apigenin with best activity. Computational studies evaluated the interaction of flavonoids with the enzyme acetylcholinesterase co-crystallized with the galantamine, used as standard. All flavonoids exhibited binding energy greater than that of galantamine, but only apigenin showed strong interaction with the active site of the enzyme and other bind probably to different allosteric centers. Then, O. fieldingiana extract and flavonoids with good anti-radical activity and presenting a broad-spectrum action against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme ought to be tested in clinical studies to discover new neuro-therapeutic candidates.



2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 1123-1130
Author(s):  
Qichen Pan ◽  
Yunchao Ban ◽  
Lijun Xu

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is strongly associated with oxidative stress which can damage neural cells. Silibinin has shown potential antioxidative effects. However, due to its low solubility in water, silibinin provides low biological activity and bioavailability. Therefore, to increase its pharmacological effects, silibilin was encapsulated into human serum albumin (HSA) nanoparticles and well-characterized by DLS and TEM techniques. The antioxidant activity of silibinin-HSA nanoparticles was evaluated on LPS-induced oxidative stress in neuron-like cells (SH-SY5Y) through MTT, antioxidant activity and apoptotic assay. It was shown that the mean diameter of HSA and silibinin-HSA nanoparticles were 88 and 105 nm, respectively with a drug loading of 24.08%, drug encapsulation rate of 94.72%, and the yield of silibinin-HSA nanoparticles of around 83.41% and the HSA nano-formulation released silibinin for 15 h. The results displayed that cell viability was reduced by LPS (10 μg/mL), who’s also determined to stimulate oxidative stress and apoptosis. However, co-incubation of cells with silibinin (50 μg/mL) or silibinin-HSA nanoparticles led to the recovery of cell viability, activation of SOD and CAT, increase of GSH content, and reduction of ROS level, Caspase-3 activity and fragmentation of DNA. It was also indicated that the neuroprotective and antioxidant activities of silibinin-HAS nanoparticles was greater than free silibinin, indicating that using albumin can be a potential formulation approach for improving the antioxidant efficacy of silibinin.



2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simin Shabnam Lopa ◽  
Md. Yusuf Al-Amin ◽  
Md. Kamrul Hasan ◽  
Md. Salim Ahammed ◽  
KM Monirul Islam ◽  
...  

Enhydra fluctuans, a popular vegetable in Bangladesh, is used in folk medicine to treat diseases of the nervous system. The objective of this study was to investigate the phytochemical profile and cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant potential of the extracts of E. fluctuans. Among the four tested extracts, the chloroform extract was found to exert the highest inhibition against both the acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase enzymes with the IC50 (concentration required for 50% inhibition) values of 83.90 μg/mL and 48.14 μg/mL, respectively. Likewise, the chloroform extract showed the highest radical scavenging activity and reducing power. In DPPH radical scavenging assay, the IC50 value was found to be 113.27 μg/mL, and in reducing power assay, the absorbance was found to be 1.916 at a concentration of 50 μg/mL. Phytochemical analyses revealed that the chloroform extract contained 19.16 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g extract of phenolics and 41.84 mg catechin equivalent (CE)/g extract of flavonoids, which appeared to be the highest among the extracts. A significant correlation was observed between phenolic content and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition and antioxidant activity, while a moderate correlation was seen between flavonoid content and cholinesterase inhibition and antioxidant activity. These findings suggest that E. fluctuans is a natural source of cholinesterase inhibitors and antioxidants, which could be utilized as functional foods for Alzheimer’s disease management.



2019 ◽  
Vol 484 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-108
Author(s):  
G. F. Makhaeva ◽  
E. F. Shevtsova ◽  
N. P. Boltneva ◽  
N. V. Kovaleva ◽  
E. V. Rudakova ◽  
...  

This study presents the synthesis of binary tetrohydro-γ-carbolines with ditriazol spacers of varying length, which exhibit anticholinesterase and antioxidant activity, as compared to the original Dimebon prototype. Anticholinesterase activity suggests the potential ability of the new compounds to block β-amyloid aggregation induced by anticholinesterase, making them promising candidates for further research preparations for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Particular attention should be paid to the conjugate with an intertriazol hexamethylene spacer, which can be regarded as the leading compound in this series.



2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 354-359
Author(s):  
Shirin Tarbiat ◽  
Azize Simay Türütoğlu ◽  
Merve Ekingen

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory loss and impairment of language. Alzheimer's disease is strongly associated with oxidative stress and impairment in the cholinergic pathway, which results in decreased levels of acetylcholine in certain areas of the brain. Hence, inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity has been recognized as an acceptable treatment against Alzheimer's disease. Nature provides an array of bioactive compounds, which may protect against free radical damage and inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity. This study compares the in vitro antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities of hydroalcoholic extracts of five cultivars of Rosa Damascena Mill. petals (R. damascena 'Bulgarica', R. damascena 'Faik', R. damascena 'Iranica', R. damascena 'Complex-635' and R. damascena 'Complex-637') from Isparta, Turkey. The antioxidant activities of the hydroalcoholic extracts were tested for ferric ion reduction and DPPH radical scavenging activities. The anti-acetylcholinesterase activity was also evaluated. All rose cultivars showed a high potency for scavenging free radical and inhibiting acetylcholinesterase activity. There was a significant correlation between antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. Among cultivars, Complex-635 showed the highest inhibitory effect with an IC50 value of 3.92 µg/mL. Our results suggest that all these extracts may have the potential to treat Alzheimer's disease with Complex-635 showing more promise.



BMC Chemistry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenjiang Wang ◽  
Cuiming Tang ◽  
Gengsheng Xiao ◽  
Fanwei Dai ◽  
Sen Lin ◽  
...  

AbstractMulberry leaves are used in traditional Chinese medicine and contain numerous active substances that are known to be beneficial for human health. The aim of this study was to investigate the phenolic compositions and antioxidant activities of the leaves from 23 mulberry cultivars. Qualitative LC-ESI-QTOF analysis revealed the presence of 11 phenolic compounds in the free phenolic extracts and 10 phenolic compounds in the bound fractions. Chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid were the major components in the free and bound fractions, respectively. The results revealed that the changguosang cultivar from Taiwan contained the greatest content of phenolic compounds as well as the highest antioxidant activity among the 23 cultivars examined, as determined using three separate antioxidant assays. The isoquercitrin, chlorogenic acid, and rutin contents of the free phenolic extracts displayed significant correlations with the antioxidant activities, while syringic acid and rutin were the main contributors to the antioxidant activities of the bound phenolic fractions. The obtained results demonstrate that mulberry leaves contain a variety of beneficial phenolic substances and may be suitable for further development as a herbal medicine.



2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Violeta NOUR ◽  
Ion TRANDAFIR ◽  
Mira E. IONICA

Ten indeterminate tomato cultivars differing in fruit shape and typology, grown simultaneously in a greenhouse from Oltenia (Southwestern Romania) and harvested at red ripe stage, were investigated for the contents in ascorbic acid, lycopene, β-carotene, total phenolics, minerals (K, Na, Ca and Mg) and trace elements (Fe, Cu, Mn, Cr, Zn and B). In addition, their antioxidant activities were determined. Significant differences were found among tomato cultivars in all studied antioxidant compounds, as well as in the antioxidant activity. Ascorbic acid ranged from 91.9 to 329.7 mg kg-1 fw, lycopene ranged from 19.7 to 49.0 mg kg-1 fw, while total phenolic compounds varied between 300.2 and 557.8 mg kg-1 fw. Antioxidant activity ranged from 0.81 mmol Trolox kg-1 fw to 1.74 mmol Trolox kg-1 fw and it was significantly correlated to total phenolics content (r = 0.91; p< 0.05). The cocktail type cultivar ‘Tiger’ and the cherry type cultivar ‘Belle’ proved to be the most powerful in antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds while the rectangular plum shaped cultivar ‘Porto’ recorded the highest average lycopene content. A valuable cultivar proved to be the brownish red ‘Sacher’ which registered among the highest contents of phenolics, lycopene and ascorbic acid. Mineral and trace elements contents were also significantly affected by cultivars. Values recorded for K, Ca and Mg ranged from 2139.6 to 3056.9 mg kg-1, 137.7 to 325.8 mg kg-1 and 27.3 to 168.7 mg kg-1 respectively.





2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 246-252
Author(s):  
PAULO RICARDO DA SILVA ◽  
TELMA MARIA GUEDES DA SILVA ◽  
CELSO AMORIM CAMARA ◽  
EVA MÔNICA SARMENTO DA SILVA ◽  
FRANCISCO DE ASSIS RIBEIRO DOS SANTOS ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The stingless bee Melipona mandacaia (Smith 1863) (mandaçaia) is found only in the region of Caatinga, Northeastern Brazil, in the states of Bahia and Pernambuco, near to São Francisco river. The aim of the present work was to determine the botanical origin and to evaluate the phenolic content and antioxidant properties (β-carotene/linoleic acid system, DPPH and ABTS scavenging) of mandaçaia geopropolis. 25 pollen types from 15 families were identified from the 9 geopropolis samples analyzed. Phenolic compounds content varied between all the geopropolis EtOH extracts, hexane, EtOAc and MeOH:H2O fractions. The main pollens found in the geopropolis samples were from the Leguminoseae family. This identification of meliponicultural plants is extremely important because it indicates the food sources used for the collection of nectar and pollen. Our results revealed that there is a strong relation between the phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity. These results showed that total phenols of mandaçaia geopropolis may be responsible for the antioxidant activity with evidence that it's a rich source of phenols bioactive compounds with potential health benefits.



2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-34
Author(s):  
Hasna Bouhenni ◽  
Koula Doukani ◽  
Daniela Hanganu ◽  
Neli-Kinga Olah ◽  
Nazim Şekeroğlu ◽  
...  

Summary Introduction: Natural products represent a gold mine for scientists looking for compounds for the treatment of health problems and diseases with their different biological and pharmacological activities. However, recent research is focused on finding natural sources of antioxidants. Objective: The objective of current research was to determine the phytochemical profile of Algerian fenu-greek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.), and Syrian cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) seeds in order to characterize their phenolic compounds and to determine their antioxidant activities. Methods: Total phenolic, flavonoids, condensed and hydrolysable tannins contents were quantified using Folin-Ciocalteu, aluminium chloride, vanillin and ferric chloride methods, respectively. Phenolic compounds were identified by HPLC method and antioxidant activity was measured using DPPH assay. Results: The higher amounts of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, condensed and hydrolysable tannins were given by fenugreek. Results of HPLC analysis of our plants showed that eight phytochemical compounds were found in cumin extract, and seven molecules in fenugreek extract. Moreover, fenugreek possessed higher antioxidant activity. Conclusion: This study confirmed that our plants are a good source of phenolic contents and possess a high antioxidant activity.



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