Xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of methanolic extract of Alternanthera sessilis

Gout is caused by abnormal high level of uric acid in the body resulting from the deposition of urate crystals. Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism in which xanthine oxidase (XO) catalyzes the oxidation of hypoxanthine and xanthine to uric acid. Allopurinol, an effective anti-hyperuricemic agent has limited clinical usage due to its adverse reactions. Therefore, it is very urgent to search for better phytochemicals, which possess ability as xanthine oxidase inhibitor. In the present study, hydromethanolic extract of red and green sessile joyweed, Alternanthera sessilis was evaluated for its in vitro XO inhibitory potential. Enzyme kinetic was determined using Lineweaver-Burk plot. Methanolic extract of green sessile joyweed showed higher XO inhibition compared to red sessile joyweed. The IC50 of XO inhibitory activity for green sessile joyweed was 557.77 ± 56.47 μg/mL. The mode of inhibition for red and green sessile joyweed was uncompetitive and non-competitive, respectively. The potential of green sessile joyweed as a source of natural XO inhibitor in the treatment of hyperuricemia or gout has been reported for the first time

Application of Fungi as Meat Alternatives in Industry: Mini Review

Human consumption has outpaced meat production and manufacturing due to the rising human population and limited land for livestock agriculture. Meat consumption can have negative effects on human health, but meat production can negatively affect the environment by causing global warming and water pollution. Hence, this study produces the idea of using fungus as an alternative to replacing meat. Fungus is an ideal choice as a meat replacement because it has high nutritional content and a fast growth rate. The main objective of this review was to assess the nutritional potential of nine fungal species namely Fusarium venenatum, Neurospora intermedia, Tuber sp., Xerocomus badius, Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotuseryngii, Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus sajor-caju and Lentinula edodes and to determine which species is the best candidate for meat replacement. The nutritional values, toxicity, and growth rate of each fungus were assessed. Comparative data analysis suggests that F. venenatum, N. intermedia, P. eryngii, A. bisporus, P. sajor-caju, and L. edodes are found suitable for producing fungi-based meat

In Vitro and In Silico study on the interaction between apigenin, kaempferoland 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in xanthine oxidase inhibition

Xanthine oxidase (XO) is a biological enzyme that takes part in purine catabolism. It catalyses the conversion of hypoxanthine to xanthine and eventually xanthine to uric acid. The catabolism reaction increases the level of uric acid and subsequently leads to hyperuricemia. Allopurinol is a XO inhibitor that is used clinically to prevent purine catabolism. Although it is an effective XO inhibitor, it causes some side effects. Therefore, a more effective inhibitor with fewer side effects is in an urgent need. Phenolic compounds have been identified as effective XO inhibitors in many studies. In vitro and in silico study were conducted to investigate the interaction between apigenin, kaempferol and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in XO inhibition. Apigenin was found to be the most effective XO inhibitor among the compounds tested with the best docking score of -8.2 kcal/mol as demonstrated in the molecular docking simulation which indicated its favourable interaction with XO enzyme. Additive interactions between compounds namely apigenin-kaempferol, apigenin-4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid-kaempferol were demonstrated in both in vitro and in silico studies. The results showed that 4-hydroxybenzoic acid- apigenin (-7.4 kcal/mol) was the most stable ligands combination docked to XO. The multiple ligands docking simulation showed independent ligands bound to the XO active site at non-interfering regional location. In conclusion, the combination of these three compounds can be explored further for their additive interaction in XO inhibition, which could be beneficial in terms of the enhanced effectiveness and lower side effects when each is used at lower dose to give the same effect

Characterization of Bactrocera dorsalis (fruit fly) emergence inhibitor from neem leaf-empty fruit bunch-based vermicompost using metabolomics approach

Neem (Azadirachta indica) and oil palm empty fruit bunch have been reported to contain varieties of secondary metabolites in which some possess bioactivities. Through vermicomposting of these plant materials, a useful final product which exerted inhibition activity on the emergence of Bactrocera dorsalis may be produced. This study presents the results of chemometric data analysis which describes the fruit fly emergence inhibition activity of neem leaf-empty fruit bunch-based vermicompost. The vermicompost, with neem leaf and empty fruit bunch served as controls, were analyzed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR)spectroscopy. The chemometric evaluation was performed by principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square (PLS). The NMR profiles of the chemical constituents of the vermicompost were correlated to the inhibition activity of the fruit flies wherein neem leaf was shown to be the major inhibitor. Based on NMR-metabolomics approach, the metabolites of the neem leaf responsible for the activity were identified as azadirachtin and salannin

Preparation of vermicompost from neem leaf and oil palm empty fruit bunch and evaluation of its bioactivity on fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis hendel

Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the major obstacles in the development of fruit industry in Malaysia. The pupation of B. dorsalis in the ground provides the possibility of controlling them using vermicompost, which is commonly applied as soil dressing around the base of plants. The palm oil industry generates empty fruit bunch (EFB) in large quantity as by-product, which need to be optimally exploited to obtain maximum benefits from their uses. Vermicomposting the mixture of EFB and neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves, with the latter known to have pesticidal value is of great interest. Therefore, vermicomposting of different ratio of EFB and neem leaves using the earthworm, Eudrilus eugeniae was conducted. The optimal mixture of neem leaf-empty fruit bunch for vermicomposting was determined. The earthworm performance, chemical and biological properties of different mixture composition were compared. This study found that vermicompost with the ratio of 10% neem leaves: 70% EFB: 20% cow dung (10%N:70%EFB:20%CD) showed the best earthworm performance and vermicompost quality. The study was then carried on by using 10%N:70%EFB:20%CD vermicompost and 10%N:90%EFB vermicompost, as cow dung control. The evaluation on the vermicompost in controlling B. dorsalis was conducted. The vermicomposts resulted in 10.67-12.80% reduction in adult emergence and 3.47-4.67% abnormal wing formation, significantly higher than the control. The dichloromethane fraction from vermicompost extract was shown to be the most bioactive fraction. Then, the characterization of B. dorsalis emergence inhibitor from vermicompost using metabolomics approach was conducted using the dichloromethane fraction. The classification of the 10%N:90%EFB vermicompost and its raw materials (neem leaf and EFB) were obtained by means of principal component analysis (PCA). The vermicompost, neem leaves and EFB were clustered into three different groups according to their proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) characteristics. The NMR profiles of the chemical constituents of the samples were correlated to the inhibition activity of the fruit flies using partial least square (PLS), wherein neem leaf was shown to be the major inhibitor. Based on NMR-metabolomics approach, the metabolites of the neem leaf responsible for the activity were identified as azadirachtin and salannin. In conclusion, neem leaf-empty fruit bunch-based vermicompost has the potential as biofertilizer-cum-biopesticide in controlling B. dorsalis population

A Study of the Interaction between Xanthine Oxidase and Its Inhibitors from <i>Chrysanthemum morifolium</i> Using Computational Simulation and Multispectroscopic Methods

The current therapeutic approach for gout is through the inhibition of the xanthine oxidase (XO) enzyme. Allopurinol, a clinically used XO inhibitor, causes many side effects. This study aimed to investigate the interaction between XO and inhibitors identified from Chrysanthemum morifolium by using computational simulation and multispectroscopic methods. The crude extract, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and residual fractions were subjected to an XO inhibitory assay and 1H NMR analysis. The EtOAc fraction was shown to be strongly correlated to the XO inhibitory activity by using PLS biplot regression analysis. Kaempferol, apigenin, homovanillic acid, and trans-cinnamic acid were suggested to contribute to the XO inhibitory activity. Molecular docking showed that kaempferol and apigenin bound to the active site of XO with their benzopyran moiety sandwiched between Phe914 and Phe1009, interacting with Thr1010 and Arg880 by hydrogen bonding. Kaempferol showed the lowest binding energy in molecular dynamic simulation. The residues that contributed to the binding energy were Glu802, Arg880, Phe 914, and Phe 1009. A fluorescence quenching study showed a combination of static and dynamic quenching for all four inhibitors binding to XO. Circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed that there was no major change in XO conformation after binding with each inhibitor

Biocontrol potential of neem leaf-based vermicompost as indicated by chitinase, protease and β-1,3-glucanase activity

The rising concern regarding the negative impact of synthetic pesticides has led to the search for alternative means of pest control. Vermicomposting the mixture of oil palm empty fruit bunch and neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves, with the latter known to have pesticidal value, is therefore of great interest and significance to be studied. The present study was conducted to evaluate the chitinase, protease and β-1,3-glucanase activity of neem leaf-based vermicompost as an indication of its biocontrol properties. The total microbial population of different composition of the vermicompost was also investigated. The results showed that at 10% neem composition, an increment in microbial population, chitinase and protease activities was observed in the end product. A higher concentration of neem exerted a suppressive effect on the microbial population as well as enzymatic activity. This study suggested that the addition of an appropriate composition of neem leaves as one of the raw materials for vermicomposting would potentially enhance the performance of vermicompost as biofertilizer as well as biopesticide

Optimal stocking density for culturing tropical soil-dwelling earthworm, Pontoscolex corethrurus

The present study was carried out to determine the optimal stocking density for culturing tropical soil dwelling earthworm, Pontoscolex corethrurus. F1 generation earthworms were cultured in four different stocking densities of 1, 4, 7 and 10 worms per vessel, corresponding to field densities of 50, 200, 350 and 500 individuals per m2. Earthworms were kept under laboratory conditions (25±2°C and 25% moisture) for the 14 weeks study period. The results showed that at higher earthworm densities (>350 individuals per m2), the earthworm growth was slower and sexual maturation was delayed as compared with their counterparts in lower stocking density. With the high survival rate and parthenogenetic reproduction mode, P. corethrurus could potentially be used as tropical soil rehabilitation agent

The effect of soil burrowing earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus on chili (Capsicum annum cv. Kulai) production

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of soil burrowing earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus on chili (Capsicum annum cv. Kulai) production. Chilies were grown in a standard growth medium and two treatments were defined: earthworm free medium (control) and earthworm inoculated medium. Although there was no significant different on the number of chilies produced by plant in earthworm inoculated medium and their counterpart with no earthworm inoculation, the fresh weight of chili produced by the former was significantly different. The yield of chilies in medium with earthworm inoculated (112.59 ± 2.34g) was significantly higher than the earthworm free medium (100.95 ± 2.00g). This study suggested that inoculation of Pontoscolex corethrurus has beneficial impact on yield of chili in the field

Anti-Hyperuricemic Effect of Ethyl Acetate Sub-Fractions from Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. Dried Flowers on Potassium Oxonate-Induced Hyperuricemic Rats

Xanthine oxidase (XO) plays an important role in purine degradation in humans. The study aimed to determine the XO inhibitory potential of Chrysanthemum morifolium dried flower ethyl acetate sub-fractions and its anti-hyperuricemic effect in rat models. Bioassay-guided fractionation based on XO inhibitory assay was employed to obtain bioactive fractions and sub-fractions. In vitro cytotoxicity and cellular antioxidant capacity of the sub-fraction and its mode of XO inhibition were also investigated. The anti-hyperuricemic effect of the bioactive sub-fraction was investigated using rat models via oral consumption, and followed by an XO mRNA gene expression study. The compounds in the bioactive sub-fractions were identified putatively using HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction exhibited the highest XO inhibition among the fractions. It was further fractionated into 15 sub-fractions. F10 exhibited high XO inhibitory activity, cellular pro-proliferative effect, and intracellular antioxidant activity among the sub-fractions tested. This sub-fraction was non-cytotoxic at 0.1&ndash;10 &micro;g/mL, and very effective in lowering serum and urine uric acid level in rat models upon oral consumption. A total of 26 known compounds were identified and seven unknown compounds were detected via HPLC-Q-TOF&ndash;MS/MS analysis. The possible mechanisms contributing to the anti-hyperuricemic effect were suggested to be the non-competitive inhibition of XO enzyme, XO gene expression down-regulation, and the enhancement of uric acid excretion