A comparative study of <i>Zingiber officinale</i> Roscoe pulp and peel: phytochemical composition and evaluation of antitumour activity

<p>Colon cancer is one of the major causes of cancer mortality worldwide. Hydroalcoholic extract of ginger peel extract was more potent against colon cancer cells than ginger pulp hydroalcoholic extract using MTT assay, while ginger pulp hydroalcoholic extract showed higher anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The two samples of ginger showed a different polyphenolic content and lipophilic composition. Peel extract possessed twice the polyphenolic content than pulp and the highest number of non-polar compounds. Among them, α-zingibirene was found to be the major constituent. The findings add to epidemiologic evidence for therapeutic effects of ginger peel in colorectal carcinoma.</p

<i>Echinophora tenuifolia</i> L. branches phytochemical profile and antiproliferative activity on human cancer cell lines

The methanolic extract of Echinophora tenuifolia L. branches and its fractions were evaluated for their in vitro cell growth inhibitory activity on different human cancer cell lines (C32, LoVo and SKBr3) and the normal BJ fibroblasts. All tested samples were effective against the melanoma cell line C32, with IC50 values ranging from 22.8 ± 0.8 to 78.7 ± 1.2 μg/mL, the antiproliferative activity of the dichloromethane fraction being significantly higher. This fraction was also effective against the LoVo adenocarcinoma cell line, with an IC50 value of 53.0 ± 2.1 μg/mL. The ethyl acetate and dichloromethane fractions showed the highest lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity, verified by means of the β-carotene bleaching test. The phytochemical profiles of E. tenuifolia branches extract were established by means of GC-MS and HPTLC. Overall, branches of E. tenuifolia L. could represent a rich source of bioactive compounds, potentially useful in the pharmaceutical field.</p

<i>In vitro</i> antioxidant and anti-denaturation effects of <i>Buglossoides purpurocaerulea</i> (L.) I. M. Johnst. fruit extract

Fruits from Buglossoides purpurocaerulea (L.) I. M. Johnst. were extracted with methanol through maceration. The phytochemical composition of obtained raw extract was investigated with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) analyses. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also quantified and in vitro antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH assay and the β-carotene bleaching test. In order to verify the anti-arthritic potential, the raw extract was evaluated for its anti-denaturation effect on heat-treated bovine serum albumin (BSA), chosen as a protein model. Linoleic and α-linolenic acids were the most abundant identified apolar constituents. HPTLC analyses allowed the identification of rosmarinic acid. The sample showed a concentration-dependent antioxidant activity and it was also proven to be effective in preventing the heat-induced denaturation of BSA, with an IC50 value equal to 15.7 ± 0.5 µg/mL.</p

Cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA from <i>Salvia milthorrhiza</i> Bunge (Danshen) as a new class of potential pancreatic lipase inhibitors

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge extract was investigated for the first time for its inhibitory activity against pancreatic lipase (PL), an important enzyme involved in the digestion of dietary fats. It showed a concentration-dependent activity with an IC50 value of 3.54 ± 0.22 mg/mL. Two compounds, cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA (the major lipophilic constituents of S. miltiorrhiza), have been selected as potential ligands of PL. Cryptotanshinone showed a higher lipase inhibitory activity (IC50 = 6.86 ± 0.43 µM) compared to the parent tanshinone IIA. Molecular docking studies were undertaken to establish whether a direct interaction of the principal constituents of the S. miltiorrhiza extract with the human pancreatic lipase could be evoked. All these findings provided new insights into the understanding of the interactions between natural constituents of S. miltiorrhiza extract and PL, also suggesting that cryptotanshinone could be used as lead compound for the development of efficacious PL inhibitors.</p

Phytochemical profile of three <i>Ballota</i> species essential oils and evaluation of the effects on human cancer cells

<p>Three <i>Ballota</i> species, <i>Ballota undulata</i>, <i>Ballota saxatilis</i> and <i>Ballota nigra</i> ssp. <i>foetida</i>, were investigated for their cytotoxicity against two human cancer cells, hepatoma HepG2 cell line and breast cancer MCF-7 cell line, and for their antioxidant activity. The chemical composition of essential oils was studied by GC and GC–MS. Sesquiterpenes were the main constituents. The most antiproliferative essential oil against HepG2 cells was <i>B. undulata</i> with a percentage of inhibition of 81.36 ± 3.54 at a concentration of 100 μg/mL, while against MCF-7 cells essential oil from <i>B. saxatilis</i> was the most active with a percentage of inhibition of 24.18 ± 1.13 at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. The antioxidant activity was investigated by DPPH test for all the oils. <i>B. undulata</i> showed the highest antiradical effect, with IC₅₀ value of 529.7 ± 37.4 μg/mL.</p

Composition, antibacterial, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of essential oils from three <i>Origanum</i> species growing wild in Lebanon and Greece

<div><p>The essential oils from <i>Origanum dictamnus</i>, <i>Origanum libanoticum</i> and <i>Origanum microphyllum</i> were analysed by GC-MS, finding carvacrol, p-cymene, linalool, γ-terpinene and terpinen-4-ol as major components. The antioxidant activity by the DPPH and FRAP tests and the antiproliferative activity against two human cancer cell lines, LoVo and HepG2, were investigated, showing that the essential oil of <i>O. dictamnus</i> was statistically the most inhibitory on both the cell lines, while all the oils exerted a weak antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the samples were tested against 10 Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria; all the oils were active on Gram-positive bacteria but <i>O. dictamnus</i> essential oil was the most effective (MIC = 25–50 μg/mL), showing also a good activity against the Gram-negative <i>Escherichia coli</i> (MIC = 50 μg/mL). Data suggest that these essential oils and particularly <i>O. dictamnus</i> oil could be used as valuable new flavours with functional properties for food or nutraceutical products.</p></div