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Introduction: Helicobacter pylori infection is a major issue worldwide, with widespread prevalence, combined with its link to gastritis, peptic ulcers, gastric cancer, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Meanwhile, effectiveness of current treatment protocols is limited by increasing antibiotic resistance and patient compliance issues due to long regimens and side effects. Plukenetia volubilis , or sacha inchi, is a valuable source of bioactive molecules. However, studies on its antimicrobial activity, especially against H. pylori , are lacking. Methods: In this study, the anti- H. pylori activity of P. volubilis leaves water extract was explored using in vitro and in silico approaches. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Electrospray Ionisation and Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-ESI- QTOF-MS-MS) analysis of the water extract from the leaves was used to characterise the chemical composition of the plant and allowed identification of some flavonoids, such as astragalin, and some phenolic compounds. Then, high-speed counter current chromatography (HSCCC) was used to fractionate the ethyl acetate partition obtained from the water extract from the leaves. Results and Discussion: The presence of flavonoids derived from kaempferol was confirmed and astragalin was isolated for the first time in P. volubilis. The P. volubilis water infusion, ethyl acetate extract and the isolated astragalin exhibited anti-bacterial activity against H. pylori J99 and two clinical isolates (e.g., minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.53, 0.51 and 0.49 μg/mL, respectively, for clarithromycin-resistant clinical isolate SSR366). Then, using molecular docking for potential protein targets for H. pylori , it was verified that astragalin could interact with these proteins by in silico analysis. Conclusion: These findings highlight that P. volubilis and astragalin produce a bacteriostatic activity against H. pylori and may have potential to be used in treatment against H. pylori , after further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lepidium peruvianum—an edible herbaceous biennial plant distributed in the Andes—has been used for centuries as food and as a natural medicine in treating hormonal disorders, as an antidepressant, and as an anti-osteoporotic agent. The presented study aims to prove its beneficial cosmetic and chemopreventive properties by testing the antiradical, whitening, cytotoxic, and anticancer properties of differently colored phenotypes that were extracted using three solvents: methanol, water, and chloroform, with the help of the chemometric approach to provide evidence on the impact of single glucosinolanes (seven identified compounds in the HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis) on the biological activity of the total extracts. The tested extracts exhibited moderate antiradical activity, with the methanolic extract from yellow and grey maca phenotypes scavenging 49.9 ± 8.96% and 48.8% ± 0.44% of DPPH radical solution at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, respectively. Grey maca was the most active tyrosinase inhibitor, with 72.86 ± 3.42% of the enzyme activity calculated for the water extract and 75.66 ± 6.21% for the chloroform extract. The studies in cells showed no cytotoxicity towards the human keratinocyte line HaCaT in all studied extracts and a marked inhibition of cell viability towards the G361 melanoma cell line, which the presence of pent-4-enylglucosinolate, glucotropaeolin, and glucoalyssin in the samples could have caused. Given all biological activity tests combined, the three mentioned compounds were shown to be the most significant positive contributors to the results obtained, and the grey maca water extract was found to be the best source of the former compound among the tested samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Vaccinium is represented by shrubs growing in a temperate climate that have been used for ages as traditional remedies in the treatment of digestive problems, in diabetes, renal stones or as antiseptics due to the presence of polyphenols (anthocyanins, flavonoids and tannins) in their fruits and leaves. Recent studies confirm their marked potential in the treatment of skin disorders and as skin care cosmetics. The aim of this review is to present the role of Vaccinium spp. as cosmetic products, highlight their potential and prove the biological properties exerted by the extracts from different species that can be useful for the preparation of innovative cosmetics. In the manuscript both skin care and therapeutic applications of the representatives of this gender will be discussed that include the antioxidant, skin lightening, UV-protective, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and chemopreventive properties to shed new light on these underestimated plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many people around the world suffer from neurodegenerative diseases associated with cognitive impairment. As life expectancy increases, this number is steadily rising. Therefore, it is extremely important to search for new treatment strategies and to discover new substances with potential neuroprotective and/or cognition-enhancing effects. This study focuses on investigating the potential of astragaloside IV (AIV), a triterpenoid saponin with proven acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-inhibiting activity naturally occurring in the root of Astragalus mongholicus, to attenuate memory impairment. Scopolamine (SCOP), an antagonist of muscarinic cholinergic receptors, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a trigger of neuroinflammation, were used to impair memory processes in the passive avoidance (PA) test in mice. This memory impairment in SCOP-treated mice was attenuated by prior intraperitoneal (ip) administration of AIV at a dose of 25 mg/kg. The attenuation of memory impairment by LPS was not observed. It can therefore be assumed that AIV does not reverse memory impairment by anti-inflammatory mechanisms, although this needs to be further verified. All doses of AIV tested did not affect baseline locomotor activity in mice. In the post mortem analysis by mass spectrometry of the body tissue of the mice, the highest content of AIV was found in the kidneys, then in the spleen and liver, and the lowest in the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, an increasing interest in phytotherapy has been observed. Parallel to the research on the total extracts of plant material, numerous studies on the activity of single molecules derived from plants are being conducted to address their mechanisms of action and determine active doses and eventual interactions. Despite this phenomenon, the isolation of individual compounds is a bottleneck due to its difficulty and cost. This work presents the results of a careful optimization of magnoflorine and berberine (isoquinoline alkaloids) recovery from a commonly distributed shrub, Berberis vulgaris, growing in Poland and Georgia, using CPC. Both compounds are known for their numerous medicinal properties, which makes the isolation methodology an important area of research. Additionally, CPC has the ability to isolate high-quality compounds in large quantities, which makes it an effective and easy-to-commercialize method. For a successful separation, the biphasic solvent system composed of hexane, butanol, ethanol, and water in a ratio (3:12:4:16 v/v/v/v) was used in the ascending mode, together with the flow rate of 8 mL/min and rotation speed of 1600 rpm. The method was selective for both compounds, and it delivered good results for both root and stem extracts from the plant. The qualitative composition of alkaloids in the studied extracts determined by HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS confirmed the presence of berberine, magnoflorine, jatrorhizine, and palmatine alkaloids from the group of isoquinolines. The isolates, magnoflorine and berberine, were subjected to the Helicobacter pylori growth inhibition assay and urease inhibition test to assess whether, next to the previously proved anticancer properties, these compounds are characterized by H. pylori inhibition. MGN was found to exhibit inhibitory potential against urease (IC50 = 25 mg/L). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia cina Berg ex Poljakov, a shrubby plant endemic to the semi-arid areas of Kazakhstan, has as a long history of being used in traditional medicine as an antitumour, antifungal, and anthelmintic agent. In a preliminary study carried out on different methodologies to produce aqueous extracts of A. cina, it was seen that a simple aqueous extract of A. cina (as in an infusion of the plant) had strong antiSARS-CoV-2 activity. In the current study, profiling of this aqueous extract was performed using Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (LC-ESI-QTOF-MS) while High-Speed Countercurrent Chromatography (HSCCC) and a Sephadex LH-20 column were utilised to isolate and purify the extract in ethyl acetate obtained from the original infusion. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) was used for structural elucidation. The flavonoid spinacetin 7-O-glucoside was found to be one of the main compounds present in the A. cina infusion. Flavonoids and artemisinin identified by LC-MS in this infusion are hypothesised to be the key compounds behind its anti-SARSCoV-2 activity, however this needs to be further tested and explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gentiopicroside (GPS) is a leading component of several plant species from the Gentianaceae botanical family. As a compound with plenty of biological activities and a component of herbal drugs, GPS has an important role in the regulation of physiological processes in humans. The results of recently published scientific studies underline a meaningful role of this molecule as an active factor in metabolic pathways and mechanisms, which may have an influence in the treatment of different diseases, including digestive tract disorders, malignant changes, neurological disorders, microbial infections, bone formation disorders, inflammatory conditions, and others. This review aims to collect previously published reports on the biological properties of GPS as a single compound that were confirmed by in vitro and in vivo studies, and to draw attention to the newly discovered role of this bitter-tasting secoiridoid. Thanks to these properties, the research on this substance could be revisited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total phenolic content (TPC), total tannin content (TTC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) as well as the antioxidant activity and the cytotoxic effect of the extract from leaves of Erythrochiton brasiliensis Nees & Mart. (Rutaceae) were evaluated. Raw material was collected in different European botanical gardens. Statistical analysis revealed a clear grouping of populations according to their climatic zone. The average TPC, TTC and TFC in tested samples were 35.92 (± 7.11) mg GAE·g–1 DW, 14.98 (± 4.08) mg PyE·g–1 DW and 2.92 (± 0.76) mg QuE·g–1 DW, respectively. The scavenged DPPH and Trolox equivalents determined by EPR spectroscopy were 1.23–4.14 and 0.50–1.44 mmol·g–1 of dry extract, respectively. Thirteen compounds (derivatives of bezoic acid acid and trans-cinnammic acid) were identified in the samples. The flavonoid vitexin was also present as the major component in three investigated samples. The in vitro cytotoxicity test of the extract on Vero cells provided IC50 and IC10 values of 175.6 and 72.5 μg·mL–1, respectively. Incubation of samples with HHV-1 infected Vero cells had no effect on the occurrence of cytopathic effect.

The rare coumarins stenocarpin, stenocarpin isobutyrate, oficinalin, oficinalin isobutyrate, 8-methoxypeucedanin and the known xanthotoxin, isoimperatorin, bergapten, peucedanin and 8–methoxyisoimperatorin were isolated from Peucedanum luxurians Tamamsch. (Apiaceae) and identified by means of spectral data (1D and 2D NMR). Their immunomodulating activity was evaluated by flow cytometry and their influence on HL60 cells as well as on PHA-stimulated PBLs was tested. All tested coumarins induce apoptosis (maximal in the 48 h culture) and decrease cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner, especially in HL60 cells. They also induce partial G1 block, but only in HL60 cells (at 100 µM concentrations). Dose-dependent reduction of RNA content was also found in G1 cells treated by the coumarins. All of the tested coumarins also possessed immunomodulatory activities. Bergapten and xanthotoxin were found to be the best candidates for further evaluation as anti-cancer drugs.