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Aqueous and hydroethanoic extracts prepared from leaves of Aloysia triphylla (L'Her.) Britton (lemon verbena) and Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (fenugreek) seeds were evaluated for in vivo hypocholesterolemic and anti-inflammatory effects. The results of administration of A.triphylla leaf and T. foenum-graecum extracts on serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very-low density lipoprotein (VLDL) in hypocholesterolemic mice were evaluated. Mice groups treated with both aqueous and hydroethanoic extracts of A. triphylla showed reduced total cholesterol (161.60 and 162.60 mg/dl, for mice groups treated with respective extracts) and LDL (79.16 and 99.04 mg/dl, for mice groups treated with respective extracts) levels as compared to the hypercholesterolemic group (253.00 and 160.00 mg/dl for TC and LDL, respectively). A similar trend was observed with the aqueous and hydroethanoic extracts of T. foenum-groecum seeds. Mice treated with hydroethanoic extracts (200 mg/kg body weight) of A. triphylla leaves and T. foenum-groecum seeds showed significantly reduced triglyceride and VLDL levels compared to the group treated with atorvastatin (18.76 and 18.20 mg/dl, respectively). In terms of phytochemical composition, caffeic acid were detected in both A. triphylla leaves and T. foenum-graecum seeds extracts. However, rutin and luteolin have not been detected in any extracts of A. triphylla and T. foenum-graecum. Data collected from this study support the fact of future development of novel botanical remedies from A. triphylla leaves and T. foenum-graecum seeds for managing hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are notorious neurodegenerative diseases amongst the general population. Being age-associated diseases, the prevalence of AD and PD is forecasted to rapidly escalate with the progressive aging population of the world. These diseases are complex and multifactorial. Among different events, amyloid β peptide (Aβ) induced toxicity is a well‐established pathway of neuronal cell death, which plays a vital function in AD. Glutamate, the major excitatory transmitter, acts as a neurotoxin when present in excess at the synapses; this latter mechanism is termed excitotoxicity. It is hypothesised that glutamate-induced excitotoxicity contributes to the pathogenesis of AD and PD. No cure for AD and PD is currently available and the currently approved drugs available to treat these diseases have limited effectiveness and pose adverse effects. Indeed, plants have been a major source for the discovery of novel pharmacologically active compounds for distinct pathological conditions. Diverse plant species employed for brain-related disorders in traditional medicine are being explored to determine the scientific rationale behind their uses. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of plants and their constituents that have shown promise in reversing the (i) amyloid-β -related toxicity in AD models and (ii) glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in AD and PD models. This review summarizes information regarding the phytochemistry, biological and cellular activities, and clinical trials of several plant species in view to provide adequate scientific baseline information that could be used in the drug development process, thereby providing effective leads for AD and PD.

Seagrasses, one of the most threatened yet overlooked ecosystems on Earth, are the only flowering plants to recolonising the seabed. Apart from their critical ecological prominence on the life of many marine organisms, seagrasses are also used as an alternative or complementary medicine to manage an array of pathological disorders such as muscle aches, wounds, abdominal pain, indigestion, hangover, and mental disorders. However, a compilation of existing work on their ethnopharmacological uses, nutritional values, pharmacological propensities and bioactive compounds is lacking. Thus, this review aims at elaborating on the biochemical composition, phytochemical analysis, and biological properties including antioxidant, antimicrobial activities of various species of seagrasses. Seagrasses harbour several metabolites with multiple bioactivities. The phytochemical compounds isolated from Zostera marina L., Thalassia testudinum K. D. Koenig. and Thalassodendron ciliatum (Forssk.) exhibit a plethora of biological activities, including cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines, anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), antimicrobial, and skin regenerating properties. This review also identifies vital lacuna in seagrass research. For instance, the mechanism and site of action of compounds displaying potent biological activities has not been adequately addressed together with optimisation of extraction methods to isolate minor metabolites and applying technological advancements in biological assays. In conclusion, this review provides a synthesis of current knowledge and highlights future work that needs to be undertaken for the biomedical application of such natural resources.

In the present study, the methanolic, hydro-methanolic, dichloromethane, hexane and aqueous extracts of Salvia ceratophylla L. (Family: Lamiaceae), a lemon-scented herb, were tested for total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activities were evaluated using a battery of assays (2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (phosphomolybdenum) and metal chelating). Enzyme inhibitory effects were investigated using acetyl- (AChE), butyryl-cholinesterase (BChE), tyrosinase, a-amylase and a-glucosidase as target enzymes. Regarding the cytotoxic abilities, HepG2, B164A5 and S17 cell lines were used. The phytochemical profile was conducted using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Our data showed that the methanolic aerial extracts possessed the highest phenolic (72.50 0.63 mg gallic acid equivalent per g) and flavonoid (43.77 1.09 mg rutin equivalent per g) contents. The hydromethanolic aerial extract showed significant DPPH radical scavenging activity (193.40 0.27 mg TE per g) and the highest reducing potential against CUPRAC (377.93 2.38 mg TE per g). The best tyrosinase activity was observed with dichloromethane root extract (125.45 1.41 mg kojic acid equivalent per g). Among the tested extracts, hexane root extract exerted the highest antimicrobial potential with a minimum inhibitory concentration value of 0.048 mg mL 1. Methanolic root extract showed the lowest cytotoxicity (28%) against HepG2 cells. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of important polyphenolic compounds including luteolin, gallic acid, rosmarinic acid, to name a few. This research can be used as one methodological starting point for further investigations on this lemon-scented herb. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Crinum asiaticum L. (Amaryllidaceae), also known as poison bulb or spider lily, is a perennial bulbous herb bearing feathery green leaves, employed to induce emesis during poisoning. In Ayurveda, it is called ‘naagadami’, in Malaysia, the natives refer to it as ‘bakong’, ‘morabau’ is its name in Papua New Guinea, and it is known as ‘lys’ or ‘lis sauvage’ in Mauritius. In ethnomedicine, it is employed to relieve anguish from a plethora of ailment conditions such as boils, contusions, earache, edema, fever, fractures, gastrointestinal complaints, hernia, mumps, rheumatism, tonsillitis, urinary difficulties and vomiting, amongst others. It is economically valuable due to its medicinal and ornamental attributes. Given the lack of an updated comprehensive one stop documentation on this species, this review aims to compile its morphological characteristics, geographical distribution, as well as its traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological properties and toxicity potential. While the extracts of C. asiaticum were found to be particularly rich in alkaloids, chemical analysis of essential oils obtained from C. asiaticum revealed the presence of miscellaneous components including alcohols, phenolics, fatty acids, esters, aldehydes, terpenoids and terpenes. Extracts and compounds from C. asiaticum have been evaluated for their antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-plasmodial, cytotoxicity, anti-cancer and antimicrobial properties. Only one clinical study has showed that repeated and single cutaneous applications of the extract under the occlusive patch did not provoke any cumulative irritation and sensitization reactions. In conclusion, this plant holds promising pharmacological properties that deserves renewed attention, especially with regard to its toxicity that could be significant in the development of phytopharmaceuticals.

This study focused on the biological evaluation and chemical characterisation of

The recent emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil and the increasing resistance developed by pathogenic bacteria to nearly all existing antibiotics should be taken as a wakeup call for the international authority as this represents a risk for global public health. The lack of antiviral drugs and effective antibiotics on the market triggers the need to search for safe therapeutics from medicinal plants to fight viral and microbial infections. In the present study, we investigated whether a mangrove plant, Bruguiera gymnorhiza (L.) Lam. (B. gymnorhiza) collected in Mauritius, possesses antimicrobial and antibiotic potentiating abilities and exerts anti-ZIKV activity at non-cytotoxic doses. Microorganisms Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 70603, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300 (MRSA), Salmonella enteritidis ATCC 13076, Sarcina lutea ATCC 9341, Proteus mirabilis ATCC 25933, Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778 and Candida albicans ATCC 26555 were used to evaluate the antimicrobial properties. Ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol and streptomycin antibiotics were used for assessing antibiotic potentiating activity. ZIKVMC-MR766NIID (ZIKVGFP) was used for assessing anti-ZIKV activity. In silico docking (Autodock 4) and ADME (SwissADME) analyses were performed on collected data. Antimicrobial results revealed that Bruguiera twig ethyl acetate (BTE) was the most potent extract inhibiting the growth of all nine microbes tested, with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.19–0.39 mg/mL. BTE showed partial synergy effects against MRSA and Pseudomonas aeruginosa when applied in combination with streptomycin and ciprofloxacin, respectively. By using a recombinant ZIKV-expressing reporter GFP protein, we identified both Bruguiera root aqueous and Bruguiera fruit aqueous extracts as potent inhibitors of ZIKV infection in human epithelial A549 cells. The mechanisms by which such extracts prevented ZIKV infection are linked to the inability of the virus to bind to the host cell surface. In silico docking showed that ZIKV E protein, which is involved in cell receptor binding, could be a target for cryptochlorogenic acid, a chemical compound identified in B. gymnorhiza. From ADME results, cryptochlorogenic acid is predicted to be not orally bioavailable because it is too polar. Scientific data collected in this present work can open a new avenue for the development of potential inhibitors from B. gymnorhiza to fight ZIKV and microbial infections in the future.

Syringodium isoetifolium (Asch.) Dandy (Family: Cymodoceaceae) is a seagrass growing in the oceans across the globe except in cold waters. This study investigated into the polyphenolic content, antioxidant [2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), metal chelating, phosphomolybdenum)]and enzymatic properties [α-amylase, α-glucosidase, tyrosinase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butylcholinesterase (BChE)] of S. isoetifolium. Detailed phytochemical profiling was also conducted using Ultra Performance High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) technique. The methanolic extract was found to possess greater amount of phenolic than flavonoid compounds. Antioxidant results showed that the extract was a better ABTS radical scavenger (9.56 ± 0.40 mg TE/g) compared to DPPH (5.39 ± 0.09 mg TE/g and exhibited good reducing potential with CUPRAC assay (18.66 ± 0.46 mg TE/g). In terms of enzymatic inhibition, strong activities were noted against tyrosinase (25.92 ± 0.11 mg KAE/g) in contrast to α-amylase, α-glucosidase and cholinesterase. Phytochemical data revealed the presence of 14 compounds with chicoric acid and caftaric acid among them. Docking the identified compounds, namely, caftaric acid, loliolide and Iso-loliolide at the active site of the tyrosinase enzyme has elucidated the binding affinity of these inhibitors and their interactions with the active site. Based on our findings, S. isoetifolium may be considered as a good natural antioxidant and clinical enzyme inhibitors that can be exploited in pharmaceutical/or cosmeceutical industries.

This study focused on the biological evaluation and chemical characterization of Geranium pyrenaicum Burm. f. Different solvent extracts (hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water extracts) were prepared. The phytochemical profile, antioxidant, and enzyme inhibitory activity were investigated. Cytotoxicity was assessed using VERO, FaDu, HeLa and RKO cells. The antiviral activity was carried out against HSV-1 (Herpes simplex virus 1) propagated in VERO cell line. The aqueous extract, possessing high phenolic content (170.50 mg gallic acid equivalent/g extract), showed the highest reducing capacity (613.27 and 364.10 mg Trolox equivalent/g extract, for cupric reducing antioxidant capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant power, respectively), radical scavenging potential (469.82 mg Trolox equivalent/g extract, against 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)), metal chelating ability (52.39 mg ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid equivalent/g extract) and total antioxidant capacity (3.15 mmol Trolox equivalent/g extract). Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS) alloved to tentatively identify a total of 56 compounds in the extracts, including ellagitannins, gallic acid and galloyl derivatives amongst others. The ethyl acetate extracts substantially depressed cholinesterase enzymes (4.49 and 12.26 mg galantamine equivalent/g extract against AChE and BChE, respectively) and α-amylase enzyme (1.04 mmol acarbose equivalent/g extract). On the other hand, the methanolic extract inhibited tyrosinase (121.42 mg kojic acid equivalent/g extract) and α-glucosidase (2.39 mmol acarbose equivalent/g extract) activities. The highest selectivity towards all cancer cell lines (SI 4.5–10.8) was observed with aqueous extract with the FaDu cells being the most sensitive (CC50 40.22 µg/mL). It can be concluded that the presence of certain bioactive antiviral molecules may be related to the high anti HSV-1 activity of the methanolic extract. This work has generated vital scientific data on this medicinal plant, which is a prospective candidate for the creation of innovative phyto-pharmaceuticals.

Cajanus cajan. (L.) Millsp. (C. cajan) (Family: Fabaceae) also known as pigeon pea, is a famous food and cover/forage crop bearing a high amount of key amino acids (methionine, lysine and tryptophan). This study investigated into the total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant ]2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2 -azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (phosphomolybdenum) and metal chelating] activities and enzyme [alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, tyrosinase, acetyl-(AChE), butyry1-(BChE) cholinesterase] inhibitory effects of four extracts (methanol, hexane, ethyl acetate, aqueous) prepared from C. cajan stem bark. Direct identification of antioxidants was also conducted using the high performance liquid chromatography-ferric reducing antioxidant power (HPLC-FRAP) system. The highest TPC and TFC were recorded with the methanolic (23.22 +/- 0.17 mg GAE/g) and ethyl acetate extracts (19.43 +/- 0.24 mg RE/g), respectively. The methanolic extract exhibited important antioxidant activity with DPPH (38.41 +/- 0.05 mg Trolox equivalent (TE)/g), ABTS (70.49 +/- 3.62 mg TE/g), CUPRAC (81.86 +/- 2.40 mg TE/g), FRAP (42.96 +/- 0.59 mg TE/g) and metal chelating (17.00 +/- 1.26 mg ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid equivalent/g). p-coumaric and caffeic acid were the predominant antioxidants in the samples. Results from enzymatic assays showed the potential abilities of hexane extract in inhibiting the AChE, BChE, alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase enzymes. From the results obtained in this study, it can be concluded that C. cajan can be considered as a promising source of antioxidants and key enzyme inhibitors that can be exploited for future bioproduct development.

In the present study, the methanolic, hydro-methanolic, dichloromethane, hexane and aqueous extracts of

Breynia retusa (Dennst.) Alston (also known as Cup Saucer plant) is a food plant with wide applications in traditional medicine, particularly in Ayurveda. Extracts obtained with four solvents (dichloromethane, methanol, ethyl acetate and water), from three plant parts, (fruit, leaf and bark) were obtained. Extracts were tested for total phenolic, flavonoid content and antioxidant activities using a battery of assays including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (phosphomolybdenum) and metal chelating. Enzyme inhibitory effects were investigated using acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase as target enzymes. Results showed that the methanolic bark extract exhibited significant radical scavenging activity (DPPH: 202.09 ± 0.15; ABTS: 490.12 ± 0.18 mg Trolox equivalent (TE)/g), reducing potential (FRAP: 325.86 ± 4.36: CUPRAC: 661.82 ± 0.40 mg TE/g) and possessed the highest TAC (3.33 ± 0.13 mmol TE/g). The methanolic extracts were subjected to LC-DAD-MSn and NMR analysis. A two-column LC method was developed to separate constituents, allowing to identify and quantify forty-four and fifteen constituents in bark and fruits, respectively. Main compound in bark was epicatechin-3-O-sulphate and isolation of compound was performed to confirm its identity. Bark extract contained catechins, procyanidins, gallic acid derivatives and the sulfur containing spiroketal named breynins. Aerial parts mostly contained flavonoid glycosides. Considering the bioassays, the methanolic bark extract resulted a potent tyrosinase (152.79 ± 0.27 mg kojic acid equivalent/g), α-amylase (0.99 ± 0.01 mmol acarbose equivalent ACAE/g) and α-glucosidase (2.16 ± 0.01 mmol ACAE/g) inhibitor. In conclusion, methanol is able to extract the efficiently the phytoconstituents of B. retusa and the bark is the most valuable source of compounds.

Bruguiera gymnorhiza (L.) Lam. is claimed to effectively manage a number of ailments including diabetes and associated complications. Nonetheless, no attempt has been made to delineate its pharmacological propensities and phytochemical profile. This study was designed to appraise the antioxidant and enzymatic inhibitory properties relevant to the management of diabetes mellitus, obesity, and neurodegenerative and skin disorders. A combination of colorimetric assays and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) were applied for the phytochemical screening of leaf, root, twig, and fruit extracts (methanol and ethyl acetate). In vitro antioxidant evaluations were via radical scavenging abilities (DPPH, ABTS), reducing potential (FRAP, CUPRAC), chelating power, and total antioxidant capacity (phosphomolybdenum). Seven key metabolic enzymes (&alpha, amylase, &alpha, glucosidase, tyrosinase, elastase, lipase, AChE, and BChE) were targeted to determine the inhibitory effects. Multivariate and in silico docking analysis were performed on collected data. Methanolic fruit extract yielded the highest total phenolic, tannin, and triterpenoid contents (174.18 &plusmn, 4.27 mg GAE/g, 176.24 &plusmn, 3.10 mg CE/g, 63.11 &plusmn, 3.27 mg OAE/g, respectively), significantly depressed tyrosinase, elastase, and &alpha, amylase activities (155.35 &plusmn, 0.29 mg KAE/g, 4.56 &plusmn, 0.10 mg CAE/g, 1.00 &plusmn, 0.05 mmol ACAE/g, accordingly), and harboured the most potent antioxidant capacities with DPPH, CUPRAC, FRAP (492.62 &plusmn, 5.31, 961.46 &plusmn, 11.18, 552.49 &plusmn, 8.71 mg TE/g, respectively), and phosphomolybdenum (4.17 &plusmn, 0.31 mmol TE/g) assays. Multivariate analysis suggested that the type of solvents used influenced the biological activities more compared to plant parts. Docking analysis showed that azelaic acid binds with tyrosinase by Van der Waals and conventional hydrogen bonds. We anticipate that the present study may establish baseline data on this halophyte that could open new avenues for the development of biomedicine.

Mangrove forests exemplify a multifaceted ecosystem since they do not only play a crucial ecological role but also possess medicinal properties. Methanolic, ethyl acetate and aqueous leaf and bark extracts were prepared using homogenizer-assisted extraction (HAE), infusion and maceration (with and without stirring). The different extracts were screened for phytochemical profiling and antioxidant capacities in terms of radical scavenging (DPPH, ABTS), reducing potential (CUPRAC, FRAP), total antioxidant capacity and chelating power. Additionally, R. racemosa was evaluated for its anti-diabetic (&alpha, amylase, &alpha, glucosidase), anti-tyrosinase and anti-cholinesterase (AChE, BChE) activities. Additionally, antimycotic and antibacterial effects were investigated against Eescherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma viride, Penicillium funiculosum, Penicillium ludwigii and Penicillium verrucosum. Finally, based on phytochemical fingerprint, in silico studies, including bioinformatics, network pharmacology and docking approaches were conducted to predict the putative targets, namely tyrosinase, lanosterol-14-&alpha, demethylase and E. coli DNA gyrase, underlying the observed bio-pharmacological and microbiological effects. The methanolic leave and bark extracts (prepared by both HAE and maceration) abounded with phenolics, flavonoids, phenolic acids and flavonols. Results displayed that both methanolic leaf and bark extracts (prepared by HAE) exhibited the highest radical scavenging, reducing potential and total antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, our findings showed that the highest enzymatic inhibitory activity recorded was with the tyrosinase enzyme. In this context, bioinformatics analysis predicted putative interactions between tyrosinase and multiple secondary metabolites including apigenin, luteolin, vitexin, isovitexin, procyanidin B, quercetin and methoxy-trihydroxyflavone. The same compounds were also docked against lanosterol-14&alpha, demethylase and E. Coli DNA gyrase, yielding affinities in the submicromolar&ndash, micromolar range that further support the observed anti-microbial effects exerted by the extracts. In conclusion, extracts of R. racemosa may be considered as novel sources of phytoanti-oxidants and enzyme inhibitors that can be exploited as future first-line pharmacophores.

The genus Scorzonera contains important plants as traditional drugs and foods. In this sense, the aim of the present study was to determine the chemical composition, antioxidant activity and enzyme inhibitory effects of the root and aerial part of Scorzonera hispanica L. (S. hispanica) extracts. The antioxidant activities were evaluated using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), metal chelating and phosphomolybdenum assays and the enzyme inhibitory properties were assessed against acetyl- (AChE) and butyryl-cholinesterase (BChE), tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The results showed that the methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts possessed the highest phenol and flavonoid contents. The methanolic aerial part extract represented the highest antioxidant properties (FRAP: 58.41±1.55; CUPRAC: 126.18±0.94; DPPH: 47.92±0.07; ABTS: 71.69±0.03 mg Trolox equivalent (TE)/g) compared to the root extracts. The root extract significantly depressed AChE (2.64±0.02 mg galantamine equivalent (GALAE)/g), BChE (5.36±0.45 mg galantamine equivalent (GALAE)/g), tyrosinase (60.36±0.23 mg kojic acid equivalent (KAE)/g), α-amylase (0.61±0.01 mmol acarbose equivalent (ACAE)/g) and α-glucosidase (0.82±0.01 mmol acarbose equivalent (ACAE)/g) enzymes. Liquid chromatography hyphenated with photodiode-array detection and tandem electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-MSn) analysis revealed phytochemical fingerprint of the two part of the plant and the most abundant constituents were rutin and orientin for aerial parts, 3,5 and 4,5-dicaffeoyl quinic acids for roots respectively. This is the first report gathering scientific data on antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory activities and phytochemical composition of S. hispanica. Thus, this research can be used as one methodological starting point for further investigation on this plant.

Breynia retusa (Dennst.) Alston (also known as Cup Saucer plant) is a food plant with wide applications in traditional medicine, particularly in Ayurveda. Extracts obtained with four solvents (dichloromethane, methanol, ethyl acetate and water), from three plant parts, (fruit, leaf and bark) were obtained. Extracts were tested for total phenolic, flavonoid content and antioxidant activities using a battery of assays including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (phosphomolybdenum) and metal chelating. Enzyme inhibitory effects were investigated using acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), tyrosinase, &alpha, amylase and &alpha, glucosidase as target enzymes. Results showed that the methanolic bark extract exhibited significant radical scavenging activity (DPPH: 202.09 &plusmn, 0.15, ABTS: 490.12 &plusmn, 0.18 mg Trolox equivalent (TE)/g), reducing potential (FRAP: 325.86 &plusmn, 4.36: CUPRAC: 661.82 &plusmn, 0.40 mg TE/g) and possessed the highest TAC (3.33 &plusmn, 0.13 mmol TE/g). The methanolic extracts were subjected to LC-DAD-MSn and NMR analysis. A two-column LC method was developed to separate constituents, allowing to identify and quantify forty-four and fifteen constituents in bark and fruits, respectively. Main compound in bark was epicatechin-3-O-sulphate and isolation of compound was performed to confirm its identity. Bark extract contained catechins, procyanidins, gallic acid derivatives and the sulfur containing spiroketal named breynins. Aerial parts mostly contained flavonoid glycosides. Considering the bioassays, the methanolic bark extract resulted a potent tyrosinase (152.79 &plusmn, 0.27 mg kojic acid equivalent/g), &alpha, amylase (0.99 &plusmn, 0.01 mmol acarbose equivalent ACAE/g) and &alpha, glucosidase (2.16 &plusmn, 0.01 mmol ACAE/g) inhibitor. In conclusion, methanol is able to extract the efficiently the phytoconstituents of B. retusa and the bark is the most valuable source of compounds.

Currently, there is a renewed interest towards the development of plant-based pharmacophores. In this work, 16 extracts prepared from the leaves, twigs, roots and fruits of a hydro-halophyte, Rhizophora mucronata Lam. (Family: Rhizophoraceae), were studied for possible antioxidant activity and the phenolic profiles established. Thereafter, enzymatic inhibitory activities (&alpha, amylase, &alpha, glucosidase, tyrosinase, acetyl- (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), lipase, and elastase) were assessed. The total phenolic, flavonoid, phenolic acid, tannin, flavanol and triterpenoid content were estimated using standard assays. An untargeted metabolomics-based approach, based on ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) followed by multivariate statistics, was then used to comprehensively profile and describe the phenolics present. UHPLC-QTOF-MS allowed for putatively annotating 104 phenolic acids, 103 flavonols, 94 flavones, 71 anthocyanins, 66 tyrosols, 29 lignans, 15 alkylphenols and 10 stilbenes in the extracts. Nine strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Salmonella enteritidis, Sarcina lutea, Proteus mirabilis, Bacillus cereus and Candida albicans) were then used to investigate the antimicrobial properties. The methanolic twig extract exhibited significant reducing potential towards Cu (II)/Cu (I) and Fe (III)/Fe (II) (1336.88 &plusmn, 15.70 and 710.18 &plusmn, 21.04 mg TE/g, respectively) and was the most potent DPPH radical scavenger (807.07 &plusmn, 6.83 mg TE/g). Additionally, the methanolic twig extract showed significant inhibition against most targeted enzymes. Anti-microbial results showed that all extracts were active against MRSA. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the phenolic profile of ethyl acetate extracts and leaves were the two most discriminative parameters in terms of solvents and organs, respectively. The present findings indicated that R. mucronata may be further explored for the management/prevention of oxidative stress, neurodegenerative complications and hyperpigmentation.

WOS: 000499762200015, The genus Rhanmus has a great attention as source of bioactive compounds. So, this work aimed to investigate phytochemical profile and biological activity of water and methanolic extracts of different parts of Rhamnus petiolaris Boiss. & Balansa, namely twigs, leaves, mature and unmature fruits. The in vitro antioxidant activity, enzyme inhibitory properties, along with their polyphenol and anthraquinone profiles were determined by untargeted metabolomics. Results showed that methanolic and aqueous unmature fruit extracts were the most effective 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) scavenger (470.96 mg trolox equivalent (TE)/g and 394.96 mg TE/g, respectively). The aqueous unmature fruit extract displayed the most potent cupric and ferric reducing power and showed the highest total phenolic contents (TPC) (137.17 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g). The methanolic twig extract showed the highest enzymatic inhibitory property against of alpha-glucosidase, tyrosinase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). On the basis of the correlation coefficients calculated separately for all experimental parameter pairs, flavonols and anthocyanins highly correlated with DPPH, whereas tyrosols correlated with BChE activity. Multivariate statistics following untargeted metabolomics allowed to describe the differences in polyphenols and anthraquinones, as affected by the extraction solvent used. Mature and unmature fruits were substantially comparable and were affected in a similar way by the extraction conditions, while different profiles were recorded for Rhamnus leaves and twigs. These findings indicate that the recovery efficiencies of specific subclasses of compounds (above all when considering flavonoids, phenolic acids and anthraquinones) as a function of the matrix and extraction chosen, significantly affect the phytochemical profile and biological activity of Rhamnus.