Phenolic profile of Centaurea aegyptiaca L. growing in Egypt and its cytotoxic and antiviral activities

Background: Centaurea aegyptiaca L (Asteraceae), is one of the most attractive plants growing wildly in Sinai, and is not well investigated for its phytochemical constituents. This study represents the first in-depth characterization of the phenolic profile of the aerial parts of C. aegyptiaca methanolic extract utilizing liquid chromatography (LC) combined with electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).Material and Methods: Phenolic profile was researched utilizing LC-HRESI-MS-MS. Assessment of cytotoxic activity against four human cancer cell lines (Hep-G2; hepatocellular carcinoma cells, MCF-7; breast adenocarcinoma cells, and HCT-116; colon carcinoma and HELA; cervical carcinoma cells) was performed using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Antiviral activity was surveyed utilizing cytopathic effect inhibition assay.Results: A total of sixty-one compounds were tentatively distinguished (twenty-one phenolic acids and their derivatives, thirty-one flavonols and nine flavones) in the negative and positive modes. Centaurea aegyptiaca demonstrated outstanding results against Hep-G2, MCF-7, HCT-116 and HELA cell lines with IC50 of 12.1, 30.9, 11.7 and 19.5 μg/mL respectively compared and doxorubicin as a reference drug. Weak antiviral activity was seen against hepatitis A virus (HAV) and no impact against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV 1).Conclusion: This study provides a better understanding of the chemistry of C. aegyptiaca that announces itself as a promising cytotoxic agent.Keywords: Centaurea aegyptiaca, Cytotoxicity, MTT assay, flavonoi

PHENOLIC PROFILE OF Centaurea aegyptiaca L. GROWING IN EGYPT AND ITS CYTOTOXIC AND ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITIES

Background: Centaurea aegyptiaca L (Asteraceae), is one of the most attractive plants growing wildly in Sinai, and is not well investigated for its phytochemical constituents. This study represents the first in-depth characterization of the phenolic profile of the aerial parts of C. aegyptiaca methanolic extract utilizing liquid chromatography (LC) combined with electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Material and Methods: Phenolic profile was researched utilizing LC-HRESI-MS-MS. Assessment of cytotoxic activity against four human cancer cell lines (Hep-G2; hepatocellular carcinoma cells, MCF-7; breast adenocarcinoma cells, and HCT-116; colon carcinoma and HELA; cervical carcinoma cells) was performed using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Antiviral activity was surveyed utilizing cytopathic effect inhibition assay. Results: A total of sixty-one compounds were tentatively distinguished (twenty-one phenolic acids and their derivatives, thirty-one flavonols and nine flavones) in the negative and positive modes. Centaurea aegyptiaca demonstrated outstanding results against Hep-G2, MCF-7, HCT-116 and HELA cell lines with IC50 of 12.1, 30.9, 11.7 and 19.5 μg/mL respectively compared and doxorubicin as a reference drug. Weak antiviral activity was seen against hepatitis A virus (HAV) and no impact against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV 1). Conclusion: This study provides a better understanding of the chemistry of C. aegyptiaca that announces itself as a promising cytotoxic agent

Profile of bioactive compounds of Capparis spinosa var. aegyptiaca growing in Egypt

The present study was designed to investigate polyphenolic and sulphur contents of the aerial parts of Capparis spinosa var. aegyptia (Lam.) Boiss., Capparaceae, wildly growing in Egypt. The chemical compositions of the water distilled essential oil were investigated by GC/MS analysis where the major constituent of the oil was methyl isothiocyanate (24.66%). Hydroethanolic extract was evaluated by LC-HRESI-MS⿿MS in both positive and negative modes. Forty-two compounds were identified including quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin derivatives in addition to myricetin, eriodictyol, cirsimaritin and gallocatechin derivatives. Quercetin tetrahexoside dirhamnoside as well as kaempferol dihexoside dirhamnoside have not been identified before in genus Capparis. Phenolic acids, such as quinic acid, p-coumaroyl quinic acid and chlorogenic acid were also identified. Evaluation of cytotoxic activity of hydroethanolic extract against three human cancer cell lines (MCF-7; breast adenocarcinoma cells, Hep-G2; hepatocellular carcinoma cells and HCT-116; colon carcinoma) using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed significant effect with IC50 values 24.5, 24.4 and 11 μg/ml, compared to Doxorubicin as a standard cytotoxic drug. C. spinosa revealed itself as a promising candidate for nutraceutical researches. Keywords: Capparis spinosa, LC-HRESI-MS⿿MS, Flavonoids, Isothiocyanate, Cytotoxicit

Radical Scavenging Activity and Cytotoxicity of Euphorbia hirta L.

Euphorbia hirta L. (asthma weed, pill bearing spurge), is one of the most important species of Euphorbiaceae indigenous to Egypt and widely used in folk medicine. It was the subject for many phytochemical and biological studies but correlation between phytoconstituents and biological activities were not well studied. The aim of the present study was to correlate the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities against two of the most important health problems in Egypt with the main constituents in E. hirta (phenolic and flavonoid). The different fractions obtained from successive extraction of E. hirta were screened for their radical scavenging ability using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazine (DPPH) test in addition to cytotoxicity using Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay against liver (Huh-7) and lung (A-549) cell carcinoma. Phenolic and flavonoid contents were estimated using colorimetric assays (Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride assays respectively). Ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction appeared as potent radical scavenger (IC50 5.4±0.65 µg/ml and IC90 11.9±0.84 µg/ml) and had the highest potency against Huh-7 (IC50 36.7±1.02 µg/ml) and A-549 (IC50 114.4 ±0.78 µg/ml) cancer cell lines. These results are attributed to the highest flavonoid concentration (23±1.06 mg/g quercetin equivalent) in EtOAc fraction in addition to high content of phenolics (88.9 ±0.57 mg/g gallic acid equivalent). Further studies are necessary to isolate and identify the ethyl acetate’s bioactive compounds and evaluation of their biological activities

Radical Scavenging Activity and Cytotoxicity of Euphorbia hirta L.

Euphorbia hirta L. (asthma weed, pill bearing spurge), is one of the most important species of Euphorbiaceae indigenous to Egypt and widely used in folk medicine. It was the subject for many phytochemical and biological studies but correlation between phytoconstituents and biological activities were not well studied. The aim of the present study was to correlate the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities against two of the most important health problems in Egypt with the main constituents in E. hirta (phenolic and flavonoid). The different fractions obtained from successive extraction of E. hirta were screened for their radical scavenging ability using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazine (DPPH) test in addition to cytotoxicity using Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay against liver (Huh-7) and lung (A-549) cell carcinoma. Phenolic and flavonoid contents were estimated using colorimetric assays (Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride assays respectively). Ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction appeared as potent radical scavenger (IC50 5.4±0.65 µg/ml and IC90 11.9±0.84 µg/ml) and had the highest potency against Huh-7 (IC50 36.7±1.02 µg/ml) and A-549 (IC50 114.4 ±0.78 µg/ml) cancer cell lines. These results are attributed to the highest flavonoid concentration (23±1.06 mg/g quercetin equivalent) in EtOAc fraction in addition to high content of phenolics (88.9 ±0.57 mg/g gallic acid equivalent). Further studies are necessary to isolate and identify the ethyl acetate’s bioactive compounds and evaluation of their biological activities