Phytochemical Compositions of Some Red Sea Halophyte Plants with Antioxidant and Anticancer Potentials

The aim of this study was to determine the compositions of carbohydrates, phenolic compounds, fatty acids (FAs), and amino acids (AAs) of four Rea Sea halophytes: Anabasis ehrenbergii, Suaeda aegyptiaca, Suaeda monoica, and Zygophyllum album. The results showed that S. aegyptiaca and S. monoica were rich in gallic acid with 41.72 and 47.48 mg/g, respectively, while A. ehrenbergii was rich in naringenin with 11.88 mg/g. The polysaccharides of the four species were mainly composed of galactose (54.74%) in A. ehrenbergii, mannose (44.15%) in S. aegyptiaca, glucose and ribose (33 and 26%, respectively) in S. monoica, and arabinose and glucose (36.67 and 31.52%, respectively) in Z. album. Glutamic acid and aspartic acid were the major AAs in all halophyte species with 50–63% and 10–22% of the total AAs, respectively. The proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) of the four species was 42.18–55.33%, comprised mainly of linolenic acid (15.54–28.63%) and oleic acid (5.68–22.05%), while palmitic acid (23.94–49.49%) was the most abundant saturated fatty acid (SFA). Phytol and 9,19-cyclolanost-24-en-3β–ol represented the major unsaponifiable matter (USM) constituents of S. monoica and A. ehrenbergii with proportions 42.44 and 44.11%, respectively. The phenolic fraction of S. aegyptiaca and S. monoica demonstrated noteworthy antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 9.0 and 8.0 μg/mL, respectively, while the FAs fraction of Z. album exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against Huh-7, A-549, and Caco-2 cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 7.4, 10.8, and 11.8 μg/mL, respectively. Our results indicate that these plants may be considered a source of naturally occurring compounds with antioxidant and anticancer effects that could be suitable for future applications

<i>In vitro</i> inhibition of Hepatitis C virus protease and antioxidant by flavonoid glycosides from the Saudi costal plant <i>Sarcocornia fruticosa</i>

<p>A new flavonol triglycoside, rhamnazin 3-O-2^G-rhamnorutinoside or rhamnazin 3-<i>O</i>-(2″,6″-<i>O</i>-α-di-rhamnosyl)-β-glucoside (<b>1</b>) was isolated along with known flavonols, rhamnazin 3-<i>O</i>-rutinoside (<b>2</b>), rhamnazin 3-<i>O</i>-(6″-<i>O</i>-α-rhamnosyl)-β-galactoside (<b>3</b>), isorhamnetin 3-<i>O</i>-(6″-<i>O</i>-α-rhamnosyl)-β-galactoside (<b>4</b>), isorhamnetin 3-<i>O</i>-(2″,6″-<i>O</i>-α-di-rhamnosyl)-β-galactoside (<b>5</b>), and isorhamnetin (<b>6</b>), and allantoin (<b>7</b>) from the aqueous methanol extract of <i>Sarcocornia fruticosa</i> leaves. Spectral analyses (UV, MS, and NMR) and acid hydrolysis were used to determine the structures. These compounds in this study except <b>6</b> were reported for the first time from the genus <i>Sarcocornia</i>. The extract and flavonol glycosides (<b>1–5</b>) were evaluated for antioxidant and inhibition of HCV protease enzyme. Rhamnazin triglycoside (<b>1</b>) was shown to have a potent HCV protease inhibitor with IC₅₀ value 8.9 μM, while isorhamnetin di- and triglycosides (<b>4</b> and <b>5</b>) were effectively scavenged DPPH radicals with IC₅₀ values 3.8 and 4.3 μM, respectively.</p

Seagrasses as sources of mosquito Nano-Larvicides? Toxicity and uptake of Halodule uninervis-biofabricated silver nanoparticles in Dengue and Zika Virus vector Aedes aegypti

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) act as vectors for devastating pathogens and parasites. Zika virus, an Aedes mosquito-borne flavivirus, is becoming a worldwide public health concern following its suspected association with over 4000 recent cases of microcephaly in the infants of some women who were pregnant when they contracted the disease. There are no specific treatments for Zika virus, thus the eco-friendly and effective control of mosquito vectors is crucial. This research proposed a novel method of seagrass-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) using Halodule uninervis as a reducing and capping agent. UV–Vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, EDX spectroscopy, XRD and Raman analysis confirmed the rapid and cheap synthesis of AgNP. LC50of H. uninervis extract against Aedes aegypti was 295.629 ppm and LC50of H. uninervis-synthesized AgNP was 12.554 ppm. Microscopy analysis pointed out the uptake of H. uninervis-fabricated AgNP in the midgut of mosquito larvae. In MIC assays, low doses of the AgNP inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella typhi. Overall, this research shed light on the mosquitocidal potential of H. uninervis, as a bio-resource for the cheap and effective nanosynthesis of mosquitocidal biopesticides