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We aimed to evaluate the potential of traditionally used Pakistani plants for inflammatory bowel diseases and to identify their active constituents. Starting from 5 Pakistani plants, we obtained 25 non-cytotoxic extracts of which 5 showed an interesting activity in decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines expression in LPS-activated J774 macrophages. Among these, the methanol extract of Salvadora oleoides underwent a bio-guided fractionation and one of the most active fractions, dereplicated by HPLC-HRMS/MS analysis, was putatively found rich in galactolipids that could be responsible for at least a part of the observed activity. The extract was also found to be not toxic by in vivo acute and sub-acute toxicity tests and was tested, per os, in a DSS-induced colitis mice model, but did not reduce the extent of colon inflammation. We also investigated the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of Convolvulus arvensis and putatively identified 45 compounds by dereplication (HPLC-HRMS/MS analysis and molecular networking). The 6 major compounds were quantified by HPLC-PDA in both extracts and 4 of them were found to significantly decrease LPS-induced J774 macrophage activation, supporting the traditional use of the plant., (BIFA - Sciences biomédicales et pharmaceutiques) -- UCL, 2022

SCOPUS: ed.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cancers are the two main causes of death worldwide. The initiation and progression of atherosclerosis is, in large part, caused by oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL); interestingly, oxLDL may also play a role in cancer cell metabolism and migration. As oxLDL are generally obtained by tedious ultracentrifugation procedures, “home-made” oxLDL were obtained by (i) applying a purification kit to isolate LDL and VLDL from human plasma; (ii) isolating LDL from VLDL by gel permeation chromatography (GPC); and (iii) oxidating LDL through CuSO4 incubation. On three HPV-positive head and neck cancer cells (HNCC) (93VU-147T, UM-SCC47, and UPCI-SCC154), cell migration was assessed using Boyden chambers, the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway was analyzed by Western Blotting, and the expression of two oxLDL receptors, LOX-1 and CD36, in response to oxLDL exposure, was analysed by immunofluorescence. Our data indicate: (a) a non-significant difference between reference and “home-made” oxLDL; (b) a decreased migration, parallel to an inhibition of the ß-catenin pathway; and (c) an increase of CD36 and LOX-1 expression in all HNCC. In conclusion, we successfully produced oxLDL. Our results demonstrate a decrease in HNCC migration after oxLDL exposure, and an increased expression of LOX-1 and CD36 associated with lipid uptake., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The selection of appropriate food resources by bees is a critical aspect for the maintenance of their populations, especially in the current context of global change and pollinator decline. Wild bees have a sophisticated ability to forage selectively on specific resources, and can assess the quality of pollen using contact chemosensory perception (taste). While numerous studies have investigated the detection of pollen macronutrients in bees and their impact on bee health and reproductive success, only a few studies have described the gustatory responses of bees toward specialized metabolites. In addition, these studies mostly focused on the response to nectar and neglected pollen, which is the main food resource for both bee imagines and larvae. Whether bees have the ability to detect specialized toxic metabolites in pollen and then rapidly adapt their foraging behavior to avoid them is very little studied. In this study, we tested whether pollen specialized metabolites affect bumblebees at both the micro-colony and individual levels (i.e., bioassays using supplemented pollen), and whether foragers detect these specialized metabolites and potentially display an avoidance behavior (i.e., preference tests using supplemented syrup). Bumblebees were fed with either amygdalin-, scopolamine- or sinigrin-supplemented pollen diets in ratios that mimic 50%, 100%, and 200% of naturally occurring concentrations. We found no effect of these specialized metabolites on resource collection, reproductive success and stress response at the micro-colony level. At the individual level, bumblebees fed on 50%-amygdalin or 50%-scopolamine diets displayed the highest scores for damage to their digestive systems. Interestingly, during the preference tests, the solution with 50%-scopolamine displayed a phagostimulatory activity, whereas solution with 50%-amygdalin had a deterrent effect and could trigger an active avoidance behavior in bumblebees, with a faster proboscis retraction. Our re

info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Monolignols are the building blocks for lignin polymerization in the apoplastic domain. Monolignol biosynthesis, transport, storage, glycosylation, and deglycosylation are the main biological processes partaking in their homeostasis. In Arabidopsis thaliana, members of the uridine diphosphate-dependent glucosyltransferases UGT72E and UGT72B subfamilies have been demonstrated to glycosylate monolignols. Here, the poplar UGT72 family, which is clustered into four groups, was characterized: Group 1 UGT72AZ1 and UGT72AZ2, homologs of Arabidopsis UGT72E1-3, as well as group 4 UGT72B37 and UGT72B39, homologs of Arabidopsis UGT72B1-3, glycosylate monolignols. In addition, promoter-GUS analyses indicated that poplar UGT72 members are expressed within vascular tissues. At the subcellular level, poplar UGT72s belonging to group 1 and group 4 were found to be associated with the nucleus and the endoplasmic reticulum. However, UGT72A2, belonging to group 2, was localized in bodies associated with chloroplasts, as well as possibly in chloroplasts. These results show a partial conservation of substrate recognition between Arabidopsis and poplar homologs, as well as divergent functions between different groups of the UGT72 family, for which the substrates remain unknown., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The main objective of the present study was to collect and gather information on herbal remedies traditionally used for the treatment of malaria in Bukavu and Uvira, two towns of the South Kivu province in DRC. Material and methods: Direct interview with field enquiries allowed collecting ethnobotanical data; for each plant, a specimen was harvested in the presence of the interviewed traditional healers (THs). The recorded information included vernacular names, morphological parts of plants, methods of preparation and administration of remedies, dosage and treatment duration. Plants were identified with the help of botanists in the herbaria of INERA/KIPOPO (DRC) and the Botanic Garden of Meise (Belgium), where voucher specimens have been deposited. The results were analysed and discussed in the context of previous published data. Results: Interviewees cited 45 plant species belonging to 41 genera and 21 families used for the treatment of malaria. These plants are used in the preparation of 52 recipes, including 25 multi-herbal recipes and 27 mono-herbal recipes. Apart of Artemisia annua L. (Asteraceae; % Citation frequency = 34%) and Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae; % Citation frequency = 34%), the study has highlighted that the most represented families are Asteraceae with 12 species (26%), followed by Fabaceae with 7 species (16%) and Rubiaceae with 4 species (9%). For a majority of plants, herbal medicines are prepared from the leaves in the form of decoction and administered by oral route. Conclusion: Literature data indicate that part of cited species are already known (38%) and/or studied (30%) for antimalarial properties, which gives credit to the experience of Bukavu and Uvira interviewees and some level of confidence on collected information. The highly cited plants should be investigated in details for the isolation and identification of active ingredients, a contribution to the discovery of new possibly effective antimalarials, SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Le paludisme, par sa forte prévalence et morbidité, constitue l'une de principales maladies parasitaires tropicales, particulièrement en RD Congo. Sa thérapie recourt non seulement aux antipaludéens modernes qui, pour la plupart sont sujets des résistances, mais aussi aux plantes médicinales, sources de nombreux antipaludéens efficaces. Ainsi, cette étude a recensé les plantes et les recettes réputées antipaludéennes dans la région de Bukavu et d’Uvira, sélectionné l’une d’elles pour une étude phytochimique et pharmacologique approfondie en vue de mettre en évidence ses potentialités thérapeutiques pouvant permettre le développement potentiel d’un médicament antipaludéen. L’enquête ethnobotanique, menée sous forme d’interview directe auprès de 32 tradipraticiens d’âge moyen 55 ± 13 ans, de sexe ratio homme-femme de 1,7, d’expérience moyenne de métier de 18 ± 8 ans, sélectionnés après un sondage auprès de 192 habitants (62 % de femmes) pris au hasard sur le marché dans chaque localité, a permis de recenser 45 espèces de plantes, appartenant à 41 genres et 21 familles, utilisées pour le traitement du paludisme. Les familles les plus représentées sont les Asteraceae avec 12 espèces (26 %), les Fabaceae avec 7 espèces (16 %) et les Rubiaceae avec 4 espèces (9 %). Ces plantes permettent la préparation de 52 recettes dont 25 recettes multi-herbes et 27 recettes mono-herbes. La majorité de ces recettes sont préparées à partir de feuilles sous forme de décoction et sont administrées par voie orale.Parmi les 23 espèces végétales les plus citées (3 citations au minimum) par les personnes ressources interrogées, 7 plantes ont été encore peu étudiées dans le domaine du paludisme selon la littérature à notre disposition. Les tests antiplasmodiaux in vitro, selon la méthode microscopique de Rickman, réalisés sur les extraits méthanoliques de 7 plantes a permis de sélectionner 4 plantes actives dont Fadogiella stigmatoloba (K.Schum.) Robyns (Rubiaceae ;feuilles :CI50 = 13,6 ± 1,2, Doctorat en Sciences biomédicales et pharmaceutiques (Pharmacie), info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished