Antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of phenolic extracts of Conyza dioscoridis (L.) shoots

Objectives: Diabetes mellitus has become one of the most prevalent diseases in many countries. Medicinal plants are recurrently the most promising sources of safe drugs for several diseases. Our study aimed to finding of antidiabetic active extracts from the shoots of Conyza dioscoridis along with investigation of the bioactive constituents and antioxidant activity.Methods: The bioactive constituents were isolated and identified by chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH radical-scavenging method. Antidiabetic activity was evaluated using biochemical and histopathological parameters.  Results: Four flavonoids, kampferol, quercetin, quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3-O-α-L–rhamnopyrano­syl-(1→6)-β-D- glucopyranoside, and two phenolic acids, caffiec acid and chlorogenic acid, were isolated. Fifty compounds were identified by GC/MS in the essential oil obtained by hydro-distillation of the plant, in which sesquiterpenes represented the main constituents. Ethyl acetate, methanol extracts and the herb revealed significant antioxidant activity. The extracts did not produce any obvious toxic symptoms or mortality. Significant increase and reduction of glucose and insulin were recorded, respectively in the diabetic group, while treatment of extracts restored these parameters. The histopathological studies of the diabetic rats indicated increase in the volume density of islets, percent of β cells and size of islets in the groups that received EtOAc and methanol extracts, which suggested regeneration of β cells repairs, as compared with the diabetic group.Conclusion: The net results confirmed that this plant is a promising plant with bioactive constituents. This herbal therapy appears to bring about regeneration of the endocrine pancreas cells protection in the diabetic rat

In vitro anti-inflammatory and acetylcholinesterase inhibition efficiency of plant extracts from Sinai-Egypt

635-641Ten plant extracts were prepared and tested in in vitro assays against COX-2, COX-1 and acetylcholinesterase with evaluation of their antioxidant properties. The tested extracts exhibited varied anti COX-2 effect and they were superior to celecoxibe (inhibition percentage was 42.67% at 50 µg/mL), reference drug. Lavandula coronopifolia and Scrophularia Libanotica extracts were the efficient inhibitors (100% and 91% at 50 µg/mL respectively). Launaeaspinosa and Pulicaria undulata were the powerful AChE inhibitor (IC50 values were 16.69 and 29.06 µg/mL, respectively) followed with L. coronopifolia and S.libanotica extracts (IC50 values were 61.89 and 49.83 µg/mL, respectively) and they were efficient in scavenging superoxide radicals and metal ions, nitric oxide formation inhibition, as well as, lipid peroxide production suppression. L. coronopifolia and S. Libanotica extracts can be introduced as natural cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors without affecting cyclooxygenase-1 whereas L. spinosa and P. undulata extracts were potent suppressor for AChE with robust antioxidant properties which suggest the possibility of using the four extracts, L. coronopifolia, S. libanotica, L. spinosa and P. undulata as natural agent in treating neurodegenerative disorder

In vitro anti-inflammatory and acetylcholinesterase inhibition efficiency of plant extracts from Sinai-Egypt

Ten plant extracts were prepared and tested in in vitro assays against COX-2, COX-1 and acetylcholinesterase with evaluation of their antioxidant properties. The tested extracts exhibited varied anti COX-2 effect and they were superior to celecoxibe (inhibition percentage was 42.67% at 50 µg/mL), reference drug. Lavandula coronopifolia and Scrophularia Libanotica extracts were the efficient inhibitors (100% and 91% at 50 µg/mL respectively). Launaeaspinosa and Pulicaria undulata were the powerful AChE inhibitor (IC50 values were 16.69 and 29.06 µg/mL, respectively) followed with L. coronopifolia and S.libanotica extracts (IC50 values were 61.89 and 49.83 µg/mL, respectively) and they were efficient in scavenging superoxide radicals and metal ions, nitric oxide formation inhibition, as well as, lipid peroxide production suppression. L. coronopifolia and S. Libanotica extracts can be introduced as natural cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors without affecting cyclooxygenase-1 whereas L. spinosa and P. undulata extracts were potent suppressor for AChE with robust antioxidant properties which suggest the possibility of using the four extracts, L. coronopifolia, S. libanotica, L. spinosa and P. undulata as natural agent in treating neurodegenerative disorder

Chemical Profiling of Significant Antioxidant and Phytotoxic Microwave-Extracted Essential Oil from Araucaria heterophylla Resin

Due to the various hazards of using synthetic chemical compounds in pharmaceutics, agriculture, and industry, scientists and researchers do their best to explore and assess new green natural compounds from natural resources with potent activity. The essential oil (EO) from the resin collected from Araucaria heterophylla Salisb. was extracted by the microwave technique and chemically characterized via GC-MS analysis. Furthermore, the extract EO was assessed for its antioxidant and phytotoxic activities. The EO has 33 compounds, mainly terpenes (98.23%), and the major compounds were α-pinene (62.57%), β-pinene (6.60%), germacrene D (5.88%), and β-caryophyllene (3.56%). The extracted EO showed substantial antioxidant activity, where it showed IC50 values of 142.42 and 118.03 mg L−1 for DPPH and ABTS, respectively. On the other hand, the EO revealed considerable phytotoxicity against the weed Chenopodium murale, where the EO showed IC50 values of 304.0, 230.1, and 147.1 mg L−1, for seed germination, seedling shoot growth, and seedling root growth, respectively. Moreover, the EO showed the same pattern of allelopathic inhibition against the weed Sonchus oleraceus, where it showed IC50 values of 295.7, 224.5, and 106.1 mg L−1, for seed germination, seedling shoot growth, and seedling root growth, respectively. The present study showed that the extraction technique affects the constituents of the EO, particularly the quantitative composition. The EO of A. heterophylla resin also revealed considerable antioxidant and phytotoxic activity against weeds. Therefore, it can be considered a promising natural resource that could be integrated into the weed management approach. However, further study is recommended for deep characterization of their authentic compounds and evaluation of their mode of action(s) on a wide spectrum of weeds

Chemical Profile of Cyperus laevigatus and Its Protective Effects against Thioacetamide-Induced Hepatorenal Toxicity in Rats

Cyperus species represent a group of cosmopolitan plants used in folk medicine to treat several diseases. In the current study, the phytochemical profile of Cyperus laevigatus ethanolic extract (CLEE) was assessed using UPLC-QTOF–MS/MS. The protective effect of CLEE at 50 and 100 mg /kg body weight (b.w.) was evaluated on hepatorenal injuries induced by thioacetamide (100 mg/kg) via investigation of the extract’s effects on oxidative stress, inflammatory markers and histopathological changes in the liver and kidney. UPLC-QTOF–MS/MS analysis of CLEE resulted in the identification of 94 compounds, including organic and phenolic acids, flavones, aurones, and fatty acids. CLEE improved the antioxidant status in the liver and kidney, as manifested by enhancement of reduced glutathione (GSH) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), in addition to the reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG). Moreover, CLEE positively affected oxidative stress parameters in plasma and thwarted the depletion of hepatorenal ATP content by thioacetamide (TAA). Furthermore, treatment of rats with CLEE alleviated the significant increase in plasma liver enzymes, kidney function parameters, and inflammatory markers. The protective effect of CLEE was confirmed by a histopathological study of the liver and kidney. Our results proposed that CLEE may reduce TAA-hepatorenal toxicity via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties suppressing oxidative stress

Persicaria lapathifolia Essential Oil: Chemical Constituents, Antioxidant Activity, and Allelopathic Effect on the Weed Echinochloa colona

The exploration of new green, ecofriendly bioactive compounds has attracted the attention of researchers and scientists worldwide to avoid the harmful effects of chemically synthesized compounds. Persicaria lapathifolia has been reported to have various bioactive compounds, while its essential oil (EO) has not been determined yet. The current work dealt with the first description of the chemical composition of the EO from the aerial parts of P. lapathifolia, along with studying its free radical scavenging activity and herbicidal effect on the weed Echinochloa colona. Twenty-one volatile compounds were identified via GC-MS analysis. Nonterpenoids were the main components, with a relative concentration of 58.69%, in addition to terpenoids (37.86%) and carotenoid-derived compounds (1.75%). n-dodecanal (22.61%), α-humulene (11.29%), 2,4-dimethylicosane (8.97%), 2E-hexenoic acid (8.04%), γ-nonalactone (3.51%), and limonene (3.09%) were characterized as main compounds. The extracted EO exhibited substantial allelopathic activity against the germination, seedling root, and shoot growth of the weed E. colona in a dose-dependent manner, showing IC50 values of 77.27, 60.84, and 33.80 mg L-1, respectively. In addition, the P. lapathifolia EO showed substantial antioxidant activity compared to ascorbic acid as a standard antioxidant. The EO attained IC50 values of 159.69 and 230.43 mg L-1, for DPPH and ABTS, respectively, while ascorbic acid exhibited IC50 values 47.49 and 56.68 mg L-1, respectively. The present results showed that the emergent leafy stems of aquatic plants such as P. lapathifolia have considerably low content of the EO, which exhibited substantial activities such as antioxidant and allelopathic activities. Further study is recommended to evaluate the effects of various environmental and climatic conditions on the production and composition of the EOs of P. lapathifolia

Influence of Season and Habitat on the Essential Oils Composition, Allelopathy, and Antioxidant Activities of <i>Artemisia monosperma</i> Delile

Plants belonging to the Artemisia genus (Asteraceae) are widely distributed worldwide and have many ethnopharmacological, traditional, therapeutic, and phytochemical aspects. Artemisia monosperma is an important aromatic plant due to its traditional and therapeutic uses and phytochemical diversity, including essential oils (EOs). The EO chemical profile of aromatic plants has been reported to be affected by exogenous and endogenous factors. Geographic and seasonal variations are crucial factors shaping the chemical composition of the EO. Herein, the variations of the yields, chemical profiles, and allelopathic and antioxidant activities of A. monosperma EOs collected from three regions in four seasons were assessed. A slight variation in the oil yields was observed among regions and seasons, while the chemical profile, characterized via GC-MS, exhibited significant quantitative and qualitative variation among either regions or seasons. Sesquiterpenes were the main components of all EOs, with significant variation in concentration. In most EO samples, the summer-plant samples had the highest concentration of sesquiterpenes, followed by spring, winter, and autumn. The 7-epi-trans-sesquisabinene hydrate, 6-epi-shyobunol, dehydro-cyclolongifolene oxide, isoshyobunone, diepicedrene-1-oxide, dehydro-aromadendrene, and junipene were the main compounds of all the EO samples. The extracted EOs of the A. monosperma samples showed considerable allelopathic activity against the weed Dactyloctenium aegyptium and the crop Lactuca sativa. A significant variation in allelopathic activity was observed among samples collected during different seasons, while the samples of the autumn and summer seasons had more potential. Also, L. sativa was more affected by the EO compared to D. aegyptium, reflecting that weeds are more resistant to allelochemicals. In this context, the EOs of A. monosperma samples exhibited substantial antioxidant activity with the same pattern of allelopathic activity, whereas the samples of the autumn and summer seasons showed higher antioxidant activity. These biological activities of the EOs could be ascribed to the higher content of oxygenated compounds. The present study revealed that seasons have a substantial effect on EO production as well as composition. In consequence, the biological activities varied with the variation of the chemical profile of the EO. These results show the importance of season/timing for sampling aromatic plants

Taxonomic Implication of Integrated Chemical, Morphological, and Anatomical Attributes of Leaves of Eight Apocynaceae Taxa

Up to now, the taxonomic conflict of the Apocynaceae family has attracted the attention of scientists and researchers worldwide. Recently, this family was divided into five subfamilies. The present study aims to investigate the implication of interlacing macro-, micro-morphological, anatomical, and chemical characteristics of the leaves of eight Apocynaceae plants (Adenium obesum, Dipladenia boliviensis, Carissacarandas, Nerium oleander, Asclepias curassavica, Calotropisprocera, Acokanthera oblongifolia, and Thevetia neriifolia), and to provide valuable taxonomic differentiation of these species. The macro-morphological investigation includes shape, apex, base, and venation of leaves, while the micro-morphological study includes leaf epidermal cells, stomata, and trichomes. The anatomical features of the leaf blade were studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Additionally, the chemical composition of the silylated methanolic extract was analyzed by Gas chromatography&ndash;mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Sixty-three compounds were characterized from the silylated extracts of the eight plants, where quinic acid, sucrose, D-pinitol, and D-(&minus;)-fructopyranose were determined as major compounds. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) based on the chemical composition revealed a significant chemical correlation among all species with the presence of sugars and amino acids, as well as phenolic acids and iridoid glycosides. The cluster analysis, based on all merged characters, showed that the eight species can be categorized into three clusters. The first cluster comprises A.obesum, A. curassavica, and T. neriifolia, while the second cluster contains D. boliviensis, N. oleander, A. oblongifolia, and C. carandas, and the third cluster consists of C. procera alone. This cluster revealed some similarities to the recent classification of Apocynaceae, while it showed inconsistency regarding A.obesum, C. procera, and N. oleander. Due to the obtained inconsistent data and observed variation among the studied species, further study is recommended for more characterization of these species, based on additional parameters, including molecular characteristics, particularly A.obesum, C. procera, and N. oleander

Volatile Oils Discrepancy between Male and Female <i>Ochradenus arabicus</i> and Their Allelopathic Activity on <i>Dactyloctenium aegyptium</i>

Volatile oils (VOs) composition of plants is affected by several exogenous and endogenous factors. Male and female plants of the dioecious species exhibit variation in the bioactive constituents’ allocation. The chemical variation in the VOs between male and female plants is not well studied. In the present study, the chemical characterization of the VOs extracted from aerial parts of male and female ecospecies of Ochradenus arabicus was documented. Additionally, the extracted VOs were tested for their allelopathic activity against the weed Dactyloctenium aegyptium. Via GC-MS analysis, a total of 53 compounds were identified in both male and female plants. Among them, 49 compounds were identified from male plants, and 47 compounds were characterized in female plants. Isothiocyanates (47.50% in male and 84.32% in female) and terpenes (48.05% in male and 13.22% in female) were the main components of VOs, in addition to traces of carotenoid-derived compounds and hydrocarbons. The major identified compounds of male and female plants are m-tolyl isothiocyanate, benzyl isothiocyanate, butyl isothiocyanate, isobutyl isothiocyanate, carvone, and α-bisabolol, where they showed variation in the concentration between male and female plants. The O. arabicus VOs of the male plants attained IC50 values of 51.1, 58.1, and 41.9 μL L−1 for the seed germination, seedling shoot growth, and seedling root growth of the weed (D. aegyptium), respectively, while the females showed IC50 values of 56.7, 63.9, and 40.7 μL L−1, respectively. The present data revealed that VOs composition and bioactivity varied significantly with respect to the plant gender, either qualitatively or quantitatively

Phytotoxicity of Rich Oxygenated Terpenes Essential Oil of <i>Prosopis farcta</i> against the Weed <i>Dactyloctenium aegyptium</i>

Weeds are considered the main reason for crop yield loss in the world. Weed control and management include various treatments such as cultural, physical, chemical, and biological methods. Chemical control of weeds is the most common method; however, the application of commercial synthetic herbicides caused several dangerous hazards in the environment including the appearance of resistant weed biotypes. Prosopis farcta (Banks & Sol.) J.F.Macbr. (Family: Fabaceae), is a common weed plant in the Middle East, where it is hard to eliminate due to its deep and overlapped roots. On the other side, it has many traditional uses around the world. Herein, the essential oil (EO) of P. farcta above-ground parts was extracted via hydrodistillation techniques and then analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). From the GC-MS analysis, 47 compounds were identified with a relative concentration of 98.02%, including terpenes as the main components (95.08%). From overall identified compounds, cubenol (19.07%), trans-chrysanthenyl acetate (17.69%), torreyol (8.28%), davana ether (3.50%), camphor (3.35%), and farnesyl acetone (3.13%) represented the abundant constituents. Furthermore, the phytotoxic activity of the P. farcta EO was assessed against the weed Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd. The EO of P. farcta, at a concentration of 100 µL L−1, significantly inhibited the germination, seedling shoot growth, and seedling root growth by 64.1, 64.0, and 73.4%, respectively. The results exhibited that the seedling root growth is the most affected followed by the seed germination and seedling shoot growth with respective IC50 at 64.5, 80.5, and 92.9 µL L−1. It can be concluded that weeds are not absolutely harmful, but they may have beneficial uses, such as, for example as a source of phytochemicals with application in weed control practices (bioherbicides). It is advised to conduct additional research to characterize the allelopathic action of the major chemicals in their pure form, either alone or in combination, against a variety of weeds