Phenolic Profiles, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Hydrodistillation Wastewaters from Five Lamiaceae Species

Distillation is the most widely used method to obtain an essential oil from plant material. The biomass used in the process is returned as a solid residue together with variable amounts of water rich in water-soluble compounds, which currently are not addressed to any further application. The scope of this work was to evaluate the phytochemical composition of wastewaters coming from hydrodistillation (DWWs) of five aromatic plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family, and to assess their in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The phenolic profiles of the DWWs were determined by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI/MS. Free radical scavenging ability, oxygen radical antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase mimetic activity of the samples under study were measured. Moreover, to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of the DWWs, an in vitro experimental model of intestinal inflammation was used. The DWW samples' phytochemical analysis allowed the identification of 37 phenolic compounds, all exhibiting good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Our study contributes to the knowledge on the polyphenolic composition of the DWWs of five aromatic plants of the Lamiaceae family. The results highlight the presence of compounds with proven biological activity, and therefore of great interest in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields

Selective COX-2 inhibitory properties of dihydrostilbenes from liquorice leaves--in vitro assays and structure/activity relationship study.

Three dihydrostilbenes belonging to the polyphenol pool characterized in the leaves of Sicilian liquorice ( Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) have been tested for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The three dihydrostilbenes (PA-82, GA-23, DO-07) were in vitro tested to evaluate their capability to scavenge the stable radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and to decrease thromboxane B2 (TxB2) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release in human whole blood samples. On the basis of the observed capability of these compounds to affect the cell COX-1/COX-2 pathway, a molecular docking study was carried out in order to understand in detail the ability of these compounds to bind to COX-1 and COX-2. The results show that the liquorice dihydrostilbenes are preferred ligands for COX-2 rather than for COX-1, providing a good rational for the observed selectivity in ex vivo experiments. Therefore, they appear to be good candidates for employment in human therapy against inflammation-related pathological conditions

Phenolic Compounds Characterization and Antioxidant Properties of Monocultivar Olive Oils from Northeast Algeria

In Algeria, the olive tree is one of the main fruit species and plays a very important socioeconomic role. The objective of this study was firstly, to identify and quantify the phenolics of some Algerian olive oils, and secondly, to assess the antioxidant activity of the samples. The olive oils used in this study were derived from Algerian cultivars, including Tefahi, Gelb Elfarroudj, Chemlal, and imported cultivar Manzanilla and Zebboudj. For this purpose, gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify olive oil fatty acids profile, while the individual phenolic compounds were assessed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HESI-MS). To verify the antioxidant capacity, five in vitro free radical assays were used. Questionable values of particular physico-chemical parameters, such as the high value of free acidity and the low concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids in oil from the Zebboudj cultivar, indicate that improvements in olive cultivation and oil production practices are needed. Gelb Elfarroudj, Tefahi, and Manzanilla oils contain quantities of monounsaturated fatty acids in accordance with EU regulations. The oil obtained from the Zebboudj cultivar is not usable for food purposes due to the high value in free acidity and the low concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids. Tefahi and Manzanilla cultivars have given oils with the best antioxidant activity as compared to other studied cultivars; this is attributable to their composition in bioactive phenolic compounds, such as secoiridoids, which play an important role in human health as scavengers of free radicals. The results are interesting for producers and consumers to promote the culture of olive oils derived in particular from the Tefahi cultivar. However, in order to improve the health qualities of this oil, the agronomic techniques essentially linked to the time of harvesting of the olives destined for oil production must be improved

Tribological Behavior of Nanocomposites Based on UHMWPE Aged in Simulated Synovial Fluid

Ultra High molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) suffers wear degradation in total joint replacements and it needs to be improved. Thus, we enhanced wear resistance of UHMWPE with carbon nanofiller and paraffin oil and studied its tribological behavior in Simulated Synovial Fluid (SSF) for 60 days at 37 °C to reproduce the conditions of a real joint. Ageing in biological fluid accelerates the wear action but nanocomposite exhibited a higher wear resistance compared to UHMWPE because of its higher structural homogeneity. Carbon nanofiller closes the porosity of UHMWPE hindering SSF to penetrate inside. Wear resistance of the nanocomposite with 1.0 wt.% of CNF improved of 65% (before ageing) and of 70% (after 60 days in SSF) with respect to pure UHMWPE

Palmitate-induced endothelial dysfunction is attenuated by cyanidin-3-O-glucoside through modulation of Nrf2/Bach1 and NF-κB pathways

Free fatty acids (FFA), commonly elevated in diabetes and obesity, have been shown to impair endothelial functions and cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance. Anthocyanins represent one of the most important and interesting classes of flavonoids and seem to play a role in preventing cardiovascular diseases. Herein, we investigated the in vitro protective effects of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) on cell signaling pathways in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) exposed to palmitic acid (PA), the most prevalent saturated FFA in circulation. Our data reported a significant augmentation of free radicals and oxidative stress in HUVECs exposed to PA for 3h, while C3G pretreatment improved intracellular redox status altered by FFA. Moreover, C3G significantly inhibited NF-κB proinflammatory pathway and adhesion molecules induced by PA, and these effects were attributed to the activation of Nrf2/EpRE pathway. In fact, C3G induced Nrf2 nuclear localization and activation of cellular antioxidant and cytoprotective genes at baseline and after PA exposure in endothelial cells. Our data confirm the hypothesis that natural Nrf2 inducers, such as C3G, might be a potential therapeutic strategy to protect vascular system against various stressors preventing several pathological conditions

Recent Advances in Glycyrrhetinic Acid-Functionalized Biomaterials for Liver Cancer-Targeting Therapy

Liver cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer mortality worldwide. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the conventional therapies generally employed in patients with liver tumors. The major issue associated with the administration of chemotherapeutics is their high toxicity and lack of selectivity, leading to systemic toxicity that can be detrimental to the patient’s quality of life. An important approach to the development of original liver-targeted therapeutic products takes advantage of the employment of biologically active ligands able to bind specific receptors on the cytoplasmatic membranes of liver cells. In this perspective, glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid present in roots and rhizomes of licorice, has been used as a ligand for targeting the liver due to the expression of GA receptors on the sinusoidal surface of mammalian hepatocytes, so it may be employed to modify drug delivery systems (DDSs) and obtain better liver or hepatocyte drug uptake and efficacy. In the current review, we focus on the most recent and interesting research advances in the development of GA-based hybrid compounds and DDSs developed for potential employment as efficacious therapeutic options for the treatment of hepatic cancer

Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside modulates intracellular redox status and prevents HIF-1 stabilization in endothelial cells in vitro exposed to chronic hypoxia

The term hypoxia refers to conditions characterized by a relative restriction of oxygen supply. It is usually associated to a paradoxical overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and to the activation of several transcription factors, including HIF-1α, which in turn trigger angiogenic and apoptotic response. In this study we have investigated the mechanisms by which the anthocyanin Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) modulates hypoxia induced response in human endothelial cells (HUVECs). In fact, hypoxia induces an increase of ROS generation in HUVECs paralleled by a loss of antioxidant cellular capacity. According to the observed increase of HO-1 mRNA expression, pretreatment of C3G to HUVEC reduces the entity of oxidative stress thanks to the activation of cellular antioxidant response. C3G also attenuates HIF-1α protein accumulation conditions supporting the hypothesis of a major role of oxidative stress in the presence of low oxygen. Furthermore, the increased expression of angiogenesis and apoptosis markers (MMP-2 and caspase-3) due to HIF-1α activation by hypoxia, is reduced in C3G pretreated cells. Overall, our data suggest that the modulation of intracellular redox status induced by C3G may be an important protective mechanism against endothelial damage in hypoxic conditions