Hepatotoxicity and Langerhans islets regenerative effects of polar and neutral lipids of Nigella sativa L. in nicotinamide/streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

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Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Cytotoxic Activities of Cedrus atlantica Organic Extracts and Essential Oil

Introduction: Cedrus atlantica is an endemic pine tree species well known for its wood oil. Its traditional medicinal usages are mainly anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. The current study aimed to explore both the essential oil of the tree\u27s cones and the organic extracts of the branches, chemically and biologically. Methods: The essential oil was analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Phenolic contents of the extracts and fractions were determined following diverse methods described in the literature. The bioactivity was assessed for their antioxidant (FRAP, DPPH• and ABTS•+ radical scavenging activities), antibacterial (Broth microdilution method), and cytotoxic effects (MTT assay). Results: α-pinene (81.49%) was found to be the major constituent of the essential oil. The extracts and fractions were found to be rich in polyphenols. The antioxidant activity was better in the ethyl acetate fraction. Staphylococcus aureus appeared to be the most susceptible strain to C. atlantica\u27s extracts and oil, with a minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration values of 62.5 and 125 µg/mL for the ethyl acetate fraction, respectively, and values of 0.25 and 0.5% for the essential oil, respectively. C. atlantica\u27s essential oil exhibited a potent cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line with an IC50 value of 143.13±14.6 µg/mL. Conclusion: C. atlantica\u27s essential oil and organic extracts showed antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer activities. Thereby, the ethnobotanical use of C. atlantica in traditional preparations is worth investigating as the plant appears to be a potential source of interesting metabolites

Antihyperlipidemic effect of a Rhamnus alaternus leaf extract in Triton-induced hyperlipidemic rats and human HepG2 cells

The Mediterranean buckthorn, Rhamnus alaternus L., is a plant used in traditional medicine in Mediterranean countries. We aimed at characterizing its phenolic compounds and explore potential antihyperlipidemic activity of this plant. The profile of phenolic compounds in R. alaternus leaf crude methanolic extract (CME) and its liquid-liquid extraction-derived fractions were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS2). Effects of CME on: circulating lipids in rats with Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemia, intracellular lipid accumulation and expression of genes of fatty acid metabolism in human hepatoma HepG2 cells, and adipogenesis in the 3T3-L1 murine adipocyte cell model were assessed. The HPLC/ESI-MS2analytical profile revealed a total of fifteen compounds, of which eleven were identified. Oral CME administration decreased blood levels of cholesterol and triacylglycerols in hyperlipidemic rats (by 60% and 70%, respectively, at 200 mg CME/kg). In HepG2 cells, CME exposure dose-dependently decreased intracellular lipids and up-regulated gene expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 involved in fatty acid oxidation. In the 3T3-L1 model, CME favored preadipocyte proliferation and adipogenesis, pointing to positive effects on adipose tissue expandability. These results suggest novel uses of R. alaternus by showing that its leaves are rich in flavonoids and flavonoid derivatives with an antihyperlipidemic effect in vivo and in hepatic cells