Antistaphylococcal effects of alcoholic extracts of Tetrapleura tetraptera (Schum and Thonn.) (Taub.) against multidrug methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen causing life-threatening hospital and community-acquired infections with high morbidity and mortality rates requiring constant vigilance.Aim: This study aimed at investigating the antistaphylococcal effects of Tetrapleura tetraptera against different strains of multidrug methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) to indicate the need for its use in ethnomedicine in addition to its fruits being used in traditional medicine.Methods: In this study, the susceptibilities of S. aureus were investigated using multi-disc antibiotics and extracts of T. tetraptera by agar diffusion and macrobroth dilution methods.Settings: While attention has been focused on the fruits of this plant, it is necessary to investigate the pharmacological importance of its stem bark.Results: The antibiogram showed that 70% of the isolates were multidrug resistant. Nitrofurantoin and gentamicin antibiotics were the most effective whilst amoxicillin and augumentin were the least effective. The susceptibility of the isolates was concentration dependent as inhibition zones decreased with decrease in the concentrations of each of the extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of acetone extract ranged between 0.019 mg/mL and 20 mg/mL whilst the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) ranged between 0.3125 mg/mL and 20 mg/mL. The MICs of the methanol extract ranged between 0.039 mg/mL and 5.0 mg/mL whilst the MBCs ranged between 0.3125 mg/mL and 10 mg/mL. Both extracts were more bactericidal than being bacteriostatic against all the isolates. The methanol extract was more active than the acetone extract as indicated by the varied inhibition zones and MICs obtained from the different extracts.Conclusion: This study revealed the great therapeutic potentials of T. tetraptera and validated its use in ethnomedicine and would be effective in the treatment of multidrug and MRSA infections.

In Vitro Potential of the Acetone Leaf Extract and Fractions of Psychotria capensis (Eckl.) Vatke (Rubiaceae) to Combat Co-Infection of Tuberculosis and Helminthiasis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease of global importance that affects millions of people. Approximately a quarter of the world’s population is currently infected with M. tuberculosis, and about 10% of those infected will develop into active disease, particularly immune compromised individuals. Helminthiasis is of global health importance, affecting over 2 billion people mostly in resource-poor countries. Co-infection with tuberculosis (TB) and helminths (worms) is an emerging global public health concern with both affecting about one-third of the global population. Chronic infection with helminths can result in impaired immune responses to TB as well as enhancing failure to TB therapy and BCG vaccination. Antimycobacterial and anthelmintic activities of the acetone extract and fractions of Psychotria capensis were evaluated, including their in vitro safety. In addition, the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effect of the fractions and crude extract of P. capensis were assessed. Antimycobacterial activity of the extract and fractions was tested against four non-tuberculous mycobacteria (Mycobacterium smegmatis, M. fortuitum, M. aurum, M. bovis BCG) and pathogenic M. tuberculosis H37Rv while the Egg Hatch Assay (EHA) was used for the anthelmintic test on eggs of Haemonchus contortus. Cytotoxicity was determined against Vero kidney cells while in vitro immune modulation via cytokine production was determined on activated macrophages. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the Psychotria capensis acetone extract and fractions ranged from 39 to 1,250 μg/ml with the crude extract and hexane fraction having the best MIC values (both 39 μg/ml). In the EHA, the inhibitory concentration (IC50) ranged from 160 to 630 μg/ml with the hexane fraction having the best activity. The hexane and chloroform fractions were relatively non-toxic with LC50 values of 290 and 248 μg/ml respectively, while the acetone crude extract (64 μg/ml) and n-butanol fraction (71 μg/ml) were moderately toxic. The SI values (LC50/MIC) ranged from 0.1 to 7.4 with the hexane fraction having the highest value against M. smegmatis (7.4). The hexane fraction had the best dual anthelmintic and antimycobacterial activity. This fraction had the best NO inhibitory activity and was the least cytotoxic, indicating that its activity was not due to general metabolic toxicity, with 96.54% cell viability. Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-12p70 were upregulated while IL-10 expression was inhibited by the extracts. Compounds were detected using GC-MS analysis, and in both the crude acetone extract and the hexane fraction was the diterpene neophytadiene, which has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity. Finding alternative or complementary approaches to dealing with TB infections by, amongst other things, reducing the incidence of helminth infestations may lessen the burden of TB, contributing to slowing the spread of multi-drug resistance.

Anti-Phototoxicity Effect of Phenolic Compounds from Acetone Extract of Entada phaseoloides Leaves via Activation of COX-2 and iNOS in Human Epidermal Keratinocytes

The extract from Entada phaseoloides was employed as active ingredients of natural origin into cosmetic products, while the components analysis was barely reported. Using LC-DAD-MS/qTOF analysis, eleven compounds (1–11) were proposed or identified from acetone extract of E. phaseoloides leaves (AE). Among them, six phenolic compounds, protocatechuic acid (2), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (3), luteolin-7-O-β-d-glucoside (5), cirsimaritin (6), dihydrokaempferol (9), and apigenin (10), were isolated by various chromatographic techniques. Protocatechuic acid (2), epicatechin (4), and kaempferol (11) at a concentration 100 μM increased the HaCaT cells viability of the UVB-irradiated cell without any cytotoxicity effect and reduced the expression of COX-2 and iNOS inflammation gene. Moreover, compounds 2 and 4 could have potent effects on cell migration during wound closure. These results suggest that compounds 2, 4, and 11 from AE have anti-photoaging properties and could be employed in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical products.

Caralluma tuberculata N.E.Br Manifests Extraction Medium Reliant Disparity in Phytochemical and Pharmacological Analysis

Solubility of phytoconstituents depends on the polarity of the extraction medium used, which might result in the different pharmacological responses of extracts. In line with this, ethnomedicinally important food plant (i.e., Caralluma tuberculata extracts) have been made in fourteen distinct solvent systems that were then analyzed phytochemically via total phenolic amount estimation, total flavonoid amount estimation, and HPLC detection and quantification of the selected polyphenols. Test extracts were then subjected to a battery of in vitro assays i.e., antioxidants (DDPH scavenging, antioxidant capacity, and reducing power estimation), antimicrobial (antibacterial, antifungal, and antileishmanial), cytotoxic (brine shrimps, THP-1 human leukemia cell lines and normal lymphocytes), and protein kinase inhibition assays. Maximum phenolic and flavonoid contents were computed in distilled water–acetone and acetone extracts (i.e., 16 ± 1 μg/mg extract and 8 ± 0.4/mg extract, respectively). HPLC-DAD quantified rutin (0.58 µg/mg extract) and gallic acid (0.4 µg/mg extract) in methanol–ethyl acetate and methanol extracts, respectively. Water–acetone extract exhibited the highest DPPH scavenging of 36 ± 1%. Total reducing potential of 76.0 ± 1 μg/mg extract was shown by ethanol chloroform while maximum total antioxidant capacity was depicted by the acetone extract (92.21 ± 0.70 μg/mg extract). Maximal antifungal effect against Mucor spp., antileishmanial, brine shrimp cytotoxicity, THP-1 cell line cytotoxicity, and protein kinase inhibitory activities were shown by ethyl acetate-methanol (MIC: 50 µg/disc), n-hexane (IC50: 120.8 ± 3.7 µg/mL), ethyl acetate (LD50: 29.94 ± 1.6 µg/mL), distilled water–acetone (IC50: 118 ± 3.4 µg/mL) and methanol–chloroform (ZOI: 19 ± 1 mm) extracts, respectively. Our findings show the dependency of phytochemicals and bioactivities on the polarity of the extraction solvent and our preliminary screening suggests the C. tuberculata extract formulations to be tested and used in different ailments, however, detailed studies remain necessary for corroboration with our results.

Evaluation of Solvent Extraction Process for Asparagus racemosus Root Extract through the Determination of its Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity Assay

This study is aimed to evaluate extraction capacity of different solvents through determining total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, total saponin content, and an antioxidant assay of different solvent extracts (toluene, dichloromethane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethanol, methanol, water, 60% aqueous methanol, 60% aqueous ethanol and 60% aqueous acetone) of Asparagus racemosus (A. racemosus) root. The 60% aqueous methanol shows the highest extracting yield, in contrast, toluene shows the lowest yield. Highest total phenolic content (220.8±0.74mg GAE/g), total flavonoid content (219.3±0.64mg QCE/g), total tannin content (108.4±0.88mg GAE/g) were found from acetone extract. The methanol extract showed the highest saponin content (579.4±2.85mg ESE/g). Antioxidant potential determines by using various in vitro methodologies such as DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS assay. The lowest IC50 value was found in acetone extract and thus it exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. The highest correlation was found between phenolic content and the antioxidant assay. It seems that phenolic contents are responsible for free radicle scavenging activity. From the observation, it concluded that acetone extract rich with polyphenolic content and methanol extract shows the highest amount of saponin content.

Greener Is Better: First Approach for the Use of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) to Extract Antioxidants from the Medicinal Halophyte Polygonum maritimum L.

In this study, natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) formed by choline chloride (ChCl), sucrose, fructose, glucose, and xylose, were used to extract antioxidants from the halophyte Polygonum maritimum L. (sea knotgrass) and compared with conventional solvents (ethanol and acetone). NADES and conventional extracts were made by an ultrasound-assisted procedure and evaluated for in vitro antioxidant properties by the radical scavenging activity (RSA) on the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and copper chelating activity (CCA). Samples were profiled by liquid chromatography (LC)-electrospray ionization (ESI)-QTOF-MS analysis. ChCl:fructose was more efficient in the DPPH assay, than the acetone extract. ChCl:sucrose and ChCl:fructose extracts had the highest ORAC when compared with the acetone extract. NADES extracts had higher CCA, than the acetone extract. The phenolic composition of the NADES extracts was less complex than the conventional extracts, but the proportions of major antioxidants, such as flavonols and flavan-3-ols, were similar in all the solvents. Myricitrin was the major flavonoid in all of the samples, while gallic acid was the main phenolic acid in the conventional extracts and present in a greater amount in ChCl:fructose. Results suggest that NADES containing ChCl and sucrose/fructose can replace conventional solvents, especially acetone, in the extraction of antioxidants from sea knotgrass.

Effect of Hibiscus Sabdariffa Extract on Growth of Fusarium graminearum and the Expression of TRI4 and FG08079 Genes of the Fungus

Introduction: Fusarium graminearum produces trichothecenes, such as deoxynivalenol and secondary metabolite butenolide, which cause profound health problems in humans. In this research, the effect of acetone extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa is evaluated on growth of F. graminearum and expression of TRI4 and FG08079 genes, which are involved in deoxynivalenol and butenolide biosynthetic pathways, respectively. Methods: Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) were determined. The expression of TRI4 and FG08079 genes were evaluated by teal-time PCR technique.Results: The MIC and MFC for acetone extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa against F. graminearum were 200 mg/mL and 400 mg/mL, respectively. Expression of TRI4 and FG08079 genes were significantly decreased by the acetone extract of red tea. Conclusion: The results showed that acetone extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa has inhibitory and fungicidal effects on F. graminearum and is effective in reducing the expression of TRI4 and FG08079 genes, which play important roles in deoxynivalenol and butenolide production.

Pre- and Early Post-treatment With Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) Extract Impedes Lipopolysaccharide-triggered Neuroinflammation in Microglia

Background: Uncontrolled neuroinflammation and microglia activation lead to cellular and tissue damage contributing to neurodegenerative and neurological disorders. Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis (Nordstedt) Gomont, or Spirulina platensis), a blue-green microalga, which belongs to the class of cyanobacteria, has been studied for its numerous health benefits, which include anti-inflammatory properties, among others. Furthermore, in vivo studies have highlighted neuroprotective effects of Spirulina from neuroinflammatory insults in different brain areas. However, the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effect of the microalga are not completely understood. In this study we examined the effect of pre- and post-treatment with an acetone extract of Spirulina (E1) in an in vitro model of LPS-induced microglia activation.Methods: The effect of E1 on the release of IL-1β and TNF-α, expression of iNOS, nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and the activation of NF-κB was investigated in primary microglia by ELISA, real-time PCR, and immunofluorescence.Results: Pre- and early post-treatment with non-cytotoxic concentrations of E1 down-regulated the release of IL-1β and TNF-α, and the over-expression of iNOS induced by LPS. E1 also significantly blocked the LPS-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 subunit, and upregulated gene and protein levels of Nrf2, as well as gene expression of HO-1.Conclusions: These results indicate that the extract of Spirulina can be useful in the control of microglia activation and neuroinflammatory processes. This evidence can support future in vivo studies to test pre- and post-treatment effects of the acetone extract from Spirulina.