Search

Plants belonging to the Launaea genus have been extensively utilized ethnopharmacologically to treat a variety of diseases, including kidney disorders. Chromium is a common industrial pollutant that has been linked to kidney disease. The present work was designed for the investigation of the UPLC-QTOF–MS/MS metabolite profile of the L. mucronate ethanolic extract (LME), along with assessing the mechanistic protective actions of LME and its nano-silver formulation (LMNS) against K2Cr2O7-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. LMNE was successfully biosynthesized and confirmed using UV–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The nephroprotective effects of LME and LMNE was assessed in rats exposed to potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7, 15 mg/kg BW) to cause nephrotoxicity. LME and LMNS, separately, were administered twice daily for 14 days at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg BW, respectively. The kidney function, catalase, UGT, Nrf2, PGE2, Cox-2, ERK, and MAPK levels in renal tissue were all assessed, along with histopathological examinations for exploring their ameliorative effects. Forty-five bioactive metabolites were annotated belonging to flavonoids, phenolic and organic acids, coumarins, and fatty acids. Metabolite profiling revealed that chlorogenic acid, apigenin, and luteolin glycosides were the main phenolics, with chlorogenic acid-O-hexoside reported for the first time in LME. The findings revealed that the serum kidney function indicators (urea and creatinine) were markedly elevated in K2Cr2O7-intoxicated rats. Furthermore, inflammatory indicators (COX-2 and PGE2), MAPK, and ERK were all markedly elevated in kidney tissue, whereas catalase, UGT, and Nrf2 levels were downregulated. Histological and immunohistochemical assays confirmed the toxic effects of K2Cr2O7 in the kidneys. In contrast, the administration of LME and LMNS prior to K2Cr2O7 considerably improved the architecture of the renal tissue, while also restoring levels of most biochemical markers. Functioning via the inhibition of the MAPK/ERK pathway, activating Nrf2, and modifying the antioxidant and metabolic enzymes, LME and LMNS exerted their nephroprotective effects against K2Cr2O7-induced toxicity.

Flower based nanoparticles has gained a special attention as a new sustainable eco-friendly avenue. Rosa floribunda charisma belongs to modern roses with bright yellow, red flowers with marvellous rose scent. Different methods were used for the extraction of its floral scent such as hexane, microwave, and solid-phase micro-extraction. The latter was the most efficient method for the extraction of phenyl ethyl alcohol, the unique scent of roses. In the current study, magnesium nanoparticles (RcNps) have been synthesized using Rosa floribunda charisma petals that have privileges beyond chemical and physical routs. RcNps formation was confirmed using UV–Visible (UV–Vis) Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), High Resolution-Transmission Electron Microscope (HR-TEM), Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). HR-TEM images detected the polyhedral shape of RcNps with a diverse size ranged within 35.25–55.14 nm. The resulting RcNps exhibited a high radical scavenging activity illustrated by inhibition of superoxide, nitric oxide, hydroxyl radical and xanthine oxidase by by IC50 values 26.2, 52.9, 31.9 and 15.9 µg/ml respectively as compared to ascorbic acid. Furthermore, RcNps at concentration of 100 µg/ml significantly reduced xanthine oxidase activity (15.9 ± 0.61 µg/ml) compared with ascorbic acid (12.80 ± 0.32 µg/ml) with p 50 values of 58.7 ± 1.66 µg/ml, 82.5 ± 2.93 µg/ml, 191.4 ± 5.68 µg/ml and 158.6 ± 5.20 µg/ml as compared to EGCG respectively. RcNps also, exhibited a promising antibacterial activity against three skin pathogens delineate a significant threat to a public health, as Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with MIC of 15.63, 7.81, 31.25 µg/ml as compared to ciprofloxacin (7.81, 3.9 and 15.63 µg/ml). Moreover, RcNps suppressed the formation of biofilms with minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations 1.95, 1.95, 7.81 µg/ml against the fore mentioned strains, respectively. Overall, our findings indicate that Rosa floribunda nanoparticles could be used as a leading natural source in skin care cosmetic industry.

The aim of this study is to estimate the nutritive values, metabolites of Hass and Reed Avocado cultivars and evaluate their antimicrobial and anticancer activities. Hass was rich in water soluble ...

Hylocereus spp. known as dragon fruit is an exotic fruit that belongs to the Cactaceae family. LC-QTOF-MS and multivariate statistical tools were established to analyze differences in the composition of dragon fruit peel and pulp from Egypt, Germany, Philippines, and China. The α-glucosidase inhibitory effects of different extracts were carried out along with the anti-glycation end products (AGE) using BSA-fructose, BSA-methylglyoxal, and arginine-methylglyoxal assays. In addition, the total antioxidant capacity was investigated as a complementary mechanism to AGE formation. Principal component analysis revealed that dragon fruits from China and Egypt were the most distinct among all samples due to betalains content. Orthogonal projection to latent structures-discriminant analysis identified 16 compounds highly correlated to the antiglycation activity such as betanin, γ-aminobutyric acid, neobetanin, and portulacaxanthin II. Pulp extracts were more active than peels as inhibitors of α-glucosidase. While peels were more active as AGE formation inhibitors and as antioxidants.

Plants belonging to Euphorbia L. genus are considered very interesting from a medicinal point of view due to their diverse metabolites and bioactivities. The essential oil (EO) of Euphorbia mauritanica L. is not studied up to date. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the chemical profile of this EO and evaluate its antioxidant, cytotoxic, and allelopathic potentialities. The EO was extracted from the whole plant via hydrodistillation and then, analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The correlation of E. mauritanica with the other Euphorbia plants was established using chemometric analysis. The antioxidant activity was determined based on scavenging of the free radical, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). The anti-proliferation of the EO on the Hep G2 and MCF-7 cells was evaluated. Finally the allelopathic activity of the EO was assessed against the two noxious weeds, Dactyloctenium aegyptium and Urospermum picroides. Forty-one compounds were identified using GC/MS analysis, with an abundance of terpenoids (91.54 %) that were categorized into mono- (30.75 %), sesqui- (15.23 %), and diterpenes (45.56 %). Interestingly, the results revealed the preponderance of diterpenoid constituents although they are rarely found in the EOs of the plant kingdom. The major compounds were (3E)-cembrene A (18.66 %), verticiol (17.05 %), limonene (7.91 %), eucalyptol (7.26 %), α-pinene (5.61 %), neo-cembrene A (3.52 %), kaur-16-ene (3.24 %), and cembrene (3.09 %). The EO showed moderate antioxidant activity where it attained IC50 values of 83.34 and 64.21 μg mL-1 for DPPH and ABTS compared to 23.01 and 19.23 μg mL-1 for ascorbic acid as standard, respectively. The EO exhibited very weak cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 and Hep G2 cells. The EO showed significant allelopathic activities against the weeds D. aegyptium and U. picroides in a concentration-dependent manner. EO was found more effective against U. picroides than D. aegyptium with IC50 values of 0.79, 0.45, and 0.67 mg mL-1 and 1.17, 0.55, and 1.08 mg mL-1 for germination, root, and shoot growth, respectively. Due to the high content of diterpenes in E. mauritanica, further study is recommended for more characterization of pure forms of the identified diterpenes as well as evaluating their bioactivity either solely or synergistically.

Background: Saussurea costus Falc with synonymous Aucklandia costus, S. lappa, and A. lappa, is an ancient perennial plant native to Himalayan region. Purpose: S. costus possesses an ethnopharmacological background for treating diarrhea, tenesmus, dyspepsia, vomiting, inflammation, and age-related diseases because it contains many chemical compounds with different biological potentials. Study design: In the current study, we investigated the phytochemical constituents of S. costus and its anticancer potential against human colon (HCT116) and hepatic (HepG2) cancer cell lines. Methods: In the current study, we identified 122 different chemical compounds using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method and investigated its extract's in vitro anticancer activity. Results: Dehydrocostus lactone, β-caryophyllene oxide, anethole, costunolide, β-sitosterol, and γ-bisabolene were recognized by GC–MS to have an anticancer potential as stated in published studies. Vanillosmin, santolinatriene and β-Sitosterol were identified for the first time in costus oil. Therefore, in the current study, S. costus extract induced apoptotic and anti-angiogenic effects against HCT116 and HepG2 cancer cell lines using in vitro and chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) models. Furthermore, S. costus extract has successfully potentiated the anticancer effect of doxorubicin (Dox), the common chemotherapeutic agent for different cancer type treatment. Conclusion: We can consider S. costus extract as a promising agent for human colon and hepatic cancers either alone or combined with Dox.

Thirteen Ficus species, family Moraceae, were profiled via HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. About 35 metabolites were tentatively identified, for the first time, belonging to various classes including flavonoids (flavonols, flavanols, flavanonols, flavones, flavanones), flavonolignans, anthocyanins and hydroxycinnamic acids derivatives). We herein also report three species, viz. Ficus auriculata, Ficus lutea Vahl. and Ficus trigonata L., with promising antimicrobial activity for the management of the infectious diseases associated with the tested food-borne and spoilage microorganisms using agar well diffusion assay. The compositional variabilities existing among the studied species in correlation to their antimicrobial activities were explored using different chemometric tools. From the Orthogonal Projection to Latent Structures (OPLS) regression model, a correlation between the observed antimicrobial activity and the abundant Ficus phytoconstituents viz. quercetin-3-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, rutin and chlorogenic acid, was evidenced. By showing promising in silico anti-quorum sensing efficacy, these phytoconstituents could represent a promising set of natural hence safe antimicrobial agents.

Cactaceae plant family comprises over 130 genera and 2000 species of succulent flowering plants. The genera Mammillaria and Notocactus (Parodia), which have medicinal and nutritional applications as well as aesthetic appeal, are considered to be among the major genera of the family. Several species of both genera show morphological and chemical similarities and diversities according to environmental conditions and genotypes. Here, we assessed the genetic relationships of nine species belonging to two major genera Mammillaria and Notocactus under the family Cactaceae, using two modern gene-targeting marker techniques, the Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) Polymorphism and the Conserved DNA-Derived Polymorphism (CDDP). Besides, we screened the various phytochemicals and evaluated the antioxidant activities of the nine species of cacti. Five out of the 10 SCoT and eight CDDP primers used to screen genetic variations within the nine species yielded species-specific reproducible bands. The entire 156 loci were detected, of which 107 were polymorphic, 26 were monomorphic, and 23 were unique loci. The nine species were categorized into two groups based on the dendrogram and similarity matrix. Phytochemical profiling revealed that sterols, triterpenes, flavonoids, and tannins were found in all the tested species. Additionally, two Notocactus species (N. shlosserii and N. roseoluteus) and one Mammillaria species (M. spinosissima) revealed a considerable antioxidant activity. Our results demonstrated that gene-targeting marker techniques were highly powerful tools for the classification and characterization of the nine investigated species, despite displaying high similarities at both morphological and phytochemical levels.

Rosa damascena Mill. is well recognized for its value as an ornamental aromatic plant with several folk medicinal uses. As a valuable oil-bearing plant, its aroma profile was extensively studied, albeit differences between unexpanded rose flowers (URF) and expanded rose flowers (EFR) at different levels of blooming is not reported. Rose scent from both stages was determined using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) for the first time for Egyptian rose. A total of 75 volatiles were detected, with alcohols, esters, and oxides as valuable volatile classes at ca. 64 %, 10 % and 2 % respectively in ERF compared to 46 %, 2 %, and 0.4 % in URF. Egyptian rose aroma is considered of high quality being enriched in citronellol, geraniol, and phenylethyl alcohol (rose oil). Total flavonoids, phenolics, and anthocyanins were found more enriched in ERF than URF. Further, comprehensive ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array detector/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry UHPLC/PDA/ESI-MS revealed 66 secondary metabolites, of which sphingolipid conjugates and tannins are first time to be reported in rose including several novel phenolics viz., gallic acid-di-O-hexoside, galloyl hexose malic acid I, digalloyl-hexosyl-ellagic acid and levoglucosangallate I. Further, in-vitro anti collagenase assay revealed a strong effect for ERF compared to URF and in correlation to its metabolite fingerprint. The strong fragrant scent of Egyptian rose along with its anti-collagenase effect poses it for incorporation in cosmetics and skincare products.

Jasmine is one of the most valuable commercial oil bearing plants from family Oleaceae used for the production of jasmine scent mostly in the form of concrete and absolute. Being an export commodity, development of reliable analytical methods for its jasmine species and derived products authentication and or adulterants detection should now follow. A comparative volatiles profiling of Jasminum grandiflorum L., J. multiflorum (Burm. f.) Andrews and J. sambac (L.) Aiton flowers in addition to J. grandiflorum products viz., concrete and absolute at different time periods was performed using solid phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to GC/MS. A total of 77 volatiles were identified belonging to esters, alcohols, sesquiterpenes, ketones, aldehydes, phenols, hydrocarbons and nitrogenous compounds. The phenylpropanoid/benzenoid and terpenoid classes were the major volatile classes in jasmine. Benzyl acetate was the chief scent volatile whereas major terpenoids included linalool, nerolidol, α-farnesene and cis-jasmone. Results revealed aroma variation among different flowers and products obtained from J. grandiflorum at different months. This study provides the first comprehensive and comparative aroma profile for Egyptian Jasminum species along with its products that could be used for its future quality control in industry.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Ficus is an important commercial crop not only for its nutritive value but also, for its medicinal value. Several Ficus species have been traditionally used in the Egypt, Indian and Chinese as carminative, astringent, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, and hypolipidemic agents. Aim of the study To standardize and compare the possible hepatoprotective potential of the ethanolic extract of leaves of five tested Ficus species namely: Ficus mysorensis Roth ex Roem. & Schult, Ficus pyriformis Hook. & Arn., Ficus auriculata Lour., Ficus trigonata L., and Ficus spragueana Mildbr. & Burret in the intrahepatic cholestasis rat model induced by 17α-Ethinylestradiol (EE) and to explore the mechanism of action with respect to their phytochemical constituents. Materials and methods Determination of the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, chromatographic examination and acute oral toxicity test were performed on the tested Ficus extracts. Animals were divided into 8 groups. Group 1, served as control for 2 weeks. Group 2, untreated cholestatic rats. Groups 3–8, pretreated with Ficus extracts (100 mg/Kg/day, p.o) or ursodeoxycholic acid (as reference drug) for 2 weeks and injected by EE in the last 5 days. Serum liver function test, 5′-nucleotidase (5′-N), total bile acids (TBA), total cholesterol (T.C) and phospholipids were assayed. Also, hepatic Na+/K+-ATPase, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1), and markers of oxidative stress were investigated. Furthermore, molecular docking study was performed to explore the ability of the major constituents of Ficus to interact with Farnesoid X receptor (FXR). Results Four phenolic compounds (gallic, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acids and rutin) were identified. Chlorogenic acid and rutin represented the major constituents of Ficus extracts. Simultaneous administration of Ficus extracts with EE effectively: i- preserved liver function, TBA, T.C and phospholipids, ii- suppressed the pro-inflammatory cytokines (NF-κB and TNF-α), iii- enhanced hepatic regeneration (HGF) and antioxidant defense system. Furthermore, molecular docking reveals that rutin and chlorogenic acid effectively act as FXR agonists. Conclusion Among the tested extracts, Ficus spragueana Mildbr. & Burret enriched with phenolics exhibited a pronounced hepatoprotective activity and may provide a new therapeutic approach for estrogen-induced cholestasis.