BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES IN MEDICINAL SPECIES OF EUPATORIUM

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. World Health Organization recorded an estimated 9.6 million deaths attributed to cancer in 2018. There is an urgent need for new anticancer drugs with novel modes of action. Natural products remain a valuable source for the identification and development of novel treatment options for cancer. Plectranthus species are well-known medicinal species used extensively for the treatment of different illnesses. These species are rich in diterpenoids which are reported to be responsible for various pharmacological activities including cytotoxic activities. Brine shrimp (Artemia salina) is broadly used in lethality studies and this model is a convenient starting point for cytotoxicity study when screening for general toxicity of natural products. This assay is based on their ability to kill a laboratory cultured nauplii. In this work, we report the general toxicity of some derivatives from 6,7-dehydroroyleanone (1) and 7α-acetoxy-6β-hydroxyroyleanone (2) compounds. The A. salina bioassay is a simple, rapid, and low-cost test, and is very useful for preliminary assessment of general toxicity in natural products thereby guiding the determination of possible biological activities.

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Antimicrobial Effect of Quercus robur L. Leaves Selective Extracts from the Mezi Mountain of Djeniene Bourezg (West of Algeria)

Current Bioactive Compounds ◽

10.2174/1573407216666191226141609 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. 1181-1190

Author(s):

Elhassan Benyagoub ◽

Nouria Nabbou ◽

Amal Dine

Keyword(s):

Clavulanic Acid ◽

Quercus Robur ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Antifungal Susceptibility ◽

Diffusion Method ◽

Dilution Method ◽

Medicinal Species ◽

Disk Diffusion Method ◽

Amoxicillin Clavulanic Acid ◽

Microbial Strains

Background: Algeria, by its vast terrestrial extent and its climatic variation, has an abundant, rich and varied flora in which it was counted many aromatic and medicinal species that provide bioactive compounds characterized by their broad biological activities. In this context, this work is based on the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of Quercus robur L. leaves extracts (Family of Fagaceae). Methods: Firstly, the collected plant material was defatted; then, the extraction of tannins and saponins was carried out according to a standard protocol where the extracts obtained were tested on some uropathogenic microbial strains by disk diffusion method with the determination of the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) by broth macro-dilution method. Results: The extraction yield of the selective extracts was 7.93 and 16.94% for tannins and saponins, respectively. The antibiotic resistance profile of the tested strains showed a resistance relatively important to several antibiotics, namely amoxicillin +clavulanic acid and ampicillin for Escherichia coli, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed resistance to amoxicillin+clavulanic acid, amikacin, cefotaxime and ceftazidime. However, Staphylococcus aureus was susceptible to penicillin, gentamicin, ofloxacin and chloramphenicol. Antifungal susceptibility testing has been shown that Candida albicans was susceptible to amphotericin B, econazole and it was clinically categorized as intermediate to miconazole drug. For antimicrobial tests, the tannins and saponins extracts exhibited a low to strong inhibitory effect at tested concentrations lower than 30 mg/mL (ranged from no inhibition to an inhibition zone diameter of 17.5 mm), depending on dose levels and tested microbial strains. Conclusion: This activity is proportional to the tested concentrations, knowing that tannins extract was more active compared to saponins extract. For this, Q. robur could constitute an important source for drug discovery.

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The chemical constituents and biological activities of Cnidoscolus chayamansa McVaugh, a Mexican medicinal species, and plant cell cultures for the production of bioactive secondary metabolites

Bioactive Natural Products - Studies in Natural Products Chemistry ◽

10.1016/b978-0-12-819485-0.00009-8 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 317-346

Author(s):

Mariana Z. Pérez-González ◽

Gabriel A. Gutiérrez-Rebolledo ◽

María A. Jiménez-Arellanes ◽

Francisco Cruz-Sosa

Keyword(s):

Secondary Metabolites ◽

Plant Cell ◽

Cell Cultures ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Chemical Constituents ◽

Plant Cell Cultures ◽

Medicinal Species ◽

Bioactive Secondary Metabolites ◽

Cnidoscolus Chayamansa

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Thuja occidentalis L. (Cupressaceae): Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry and Biological Activity

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules25225416 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (22) ◽

pp. 5416

Author(s):

Sonia Caruntu ◽

Alina Ciceu ◽

Neli Kinga Olah ◽

Ioan Don ◽

Anca Hermenean ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Diseases ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Chemical Constituents ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Eastern North America ◽

Regulatory Activity ◽

Medicinal Species ◽

Pharmacological Activities ◽

Thuja Occidentalis ◽

Ornamental Tree

Thuja occidentalis L. (Cupressaceae) has its origins in Eastern North America and is cultivated in Europe and Brazil as an ornamental tree, being known as the “tree of life” or “white cedar”. In traditional medicine, it is commonly used to treat liver diseases, bullous bronchitis, psoriasis, enuresis, amenorrhea, cystitis, uterine carcinomas, diarrhea, and rheumatism. The chemical constituents of T. occidentalis have been of research interest for decades, due to their contents of essential oil, coumarins, flavonoids, tannins, and proanthocyanidines. Pharmacology includes antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, antiviral, protective activity of the gastrointestinal tract, radioprotection, antipyretic, and lipid metabolism regulatory activity. Therefore, the present review represents the synthesis of all the relevant information for T. occidentalis, its ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and a thorough analysis of their pharmacological activities, in order to promote all the biological activities shown so far, rather than the antitumor activity that has promoted it as a medicinal species.

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Mineral Fertilization Influences the Growth, Cryptolepine Yield, and Bioefficacy of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta (Lindl.) Schlt.

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants11010122 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 122

Author(s):

Jacqueline Naalamle Amissah ◽

Forgive Enyonam Alorvor ◽

Benjamin Azu Okorley ◽

Chris Mpere Asare ◽

Dorcas Osei-Safo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Root Biomass ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Fertilizer Application ◽

Antiplasmodial Activity ◽

Mineral Fertilization ◽

Medicinal Species ◽

Cancer Management ◽

Cryptolepis Sanguinolenta ◽

Commercial Cultivation

Cryptolepis sanguinolenta (Lindl.) Schlt., the main source of cryptolepine alkaloid, is intensively exploited in the wild to treat malaria and Lyme disease. In this study, the influence of four inorganic fertilizers (supplying N, P, K, or NPK) and four growth periods (3, 6, 9, and 12 months after transplanting) on the herb’s root biomass, cryptolepine content and yield, and biological activities were investigated in a pot and field trial. The results showed the application of N (in the form of Urea or NPK) increased root biomass yield, cryptolepine content, and cryptolepine yield compared to unfertilized plants. The 9-month-old plants recorded the maximum cryptolepine content (2.26 mg/100 mg dry root) and cryptolepine yield (304.08 mg/plant), indicating the perfect time to harvest the herb. Plant age at harvest had a more significant influence (50.6–55.7%) on cryptolepine production than fertilizer application (29.2–33.3%). Cryptolepine extracts from 9- to 12-month-old plants had the highest antiplasmodial activity (IC50 = 2.56–4.65 µg/mL) and drug selectivity index (2.15–3.91) against Plasmodium falciparum Dd2. These extracts were also cytotoxic to Jurkat leukaemia cell lines (CC50 < 62.56 µg/mL), indicating the possible use of cryptolepine for cancer management. Growing the herb in the field increased cryptolepine yield 2.5 times compared to growth in a pot, but this did not influence the antiplasmodial activity of the extract. Commercial cultivation of C. sanguinolenta for 9 months combined with N application could be a promising solution to the sustainable use of this threatened medicinal species.

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Improvement of cytoprotective and antioxidant activity of Rosa canina L. and Salix alba L. by controlled differential sieving process against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in mouse primary splenocytes

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research ◽

10.1024/0300-9831/a000506 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 87 (3-4) ◽

pp. 191-200 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nidhal Soualeh ◽

Aliçia Stiévenard ◽

Elie Baudelaire ◽

Rachid Soulimani ◽

Jaouad Bouayed

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Antioxidant Activities ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Good Alternative ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Salix Alba ◽

Rosa Canina ◽

Free Process ◽

Plant Powders ◽

Sieving Process

Abstract. In this study, cytoprotective and antioxidant activities of Rosa canina (RC) and Salix alba (SA), medicinal plants, were studied on mouse primary splenocytes by comparing Controlled Differential Sieving process (CDSp), which is a novel green solvent-free process, versus a conventional technique, employing hydroethanolic extraction (HEE). Thus, preventive antioxidant activity of three plant powders of homogeneous particle sizes, 50–100 µm, 100–180 µm and 180–315 µm, dissolved directly in the cellular buffer, were compared to those of hydroethanolic (HE) extract, at 2 concentrations (250 and 500 µg/mL) in H2O2-treated spleen cells. Overall, compared to HE extract, the superfine powders, i. e., fractions < 180 µm, at the lowest concentration, resulted in greater reactive oxygen species (ROS) elimination, increased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) production. Better antioxidant and preventive effects in pre-treated cells were found with the superfine powders for SA (i. e., 50–100 µm and 100–180 µm, both p < 0.001), and with the intermediate powder for RC (i. e., 100–180 µm, p < 0.05) versus HE extract. The activity levels of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in pretreated splenocytes exposed to H2O2, albeit reduced, were near to those in unexposed cells, suggesting that pretreatment with the fine powders has relatively restored the normal levels of antioxidant-related enzymes. These findings supported that CDSp improved the biological activities of plants, avoiding the use of organic solvents and thus it could be a good alternative to conventional extraction techniques.

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