Total phenolic contents, cytotoxic, free radicals, porcine pancreatic α-amylase, and lipase suppressant activities of Artemisia dracunculus plant from Palestine

Artemisia dracunculus: L. (A. dracunculus) is a popular vegetable and spice cultivated across many Middle Eastern countries. The herb’s aqueous extract has significant folkloric medicinal importance for treating various disorders. Hence, the present investigation aimed to investigate A. dracunculus hydrophilic extract phytochemical constituents and pleiotropic biological potentials, as no previous studies have investigated the antilipase and anti-α-amylase effects of the A. dracunculus plant. Total phenol content and phytochemical screening assays were performed utilizing standard analytical methods. While the α-amylase inhibition, free radical-scavenging, antilipase, and cytotoxic activities were determined using dinitrosalicylic acid (DNSA), DPPH, p-nitrophenyl butyrate (PNPB), and MTS assays, respectively. The standard phytochemical analysis of A. dracunculus aqueous extract shows that this extract contains only a phenolic group. The total phenol content was 0.146 ± 0.012 mg GAE/g of the plant dry extract. The A. dracunculus aqueous extract exhibited potent DPPH free radical inhibitory (IC50 dose of 10.71 ± 0.01 μg/mL) and anti-lipase activities (IC50 dose of 60.25 ± 0.33 μg/mL) compared with Trolox (IC50 = 5.7 ± 0.92 μg/mL) and Orlistat (IC50 = 12.3 ± 0.35 μg/mL), respectively. However, it showed a weak anti-α-amylase effect (IC50 value > 1,000 μg/mL) compared with Acarbose (IC50 = 28.18 ± 1.27 μg/mL). A. dracunculus has a cytotoxic effect against the HeLa cancer cell line compared with the chemotherapeutic agent Doxorubicin. The extract has the same percent of inhibition as Doxorubicin (99.9%) at 10 mg/mL. Overall, these results pointed out for the first time the importance of considering A. dracunculus effects as a favorite candidate for preventing and treating metabolic disorders. Also, our results confirm the findings of previous reports on the role of A. dracunculus in the management of cancer and disorders resulting from the accumulation of harmful free radicals. On the contrary, the current study concluded that the antidiabetic role of A. dracunculus could be minimal. Further in-depth investigations are urgently warranted to explore the importance of A. dracunculus in pharmaceutical production

Administration Dependent Antioxidant Effect of Carica papaya Seeds Water Extract

Carica papaya is widely used in folk medicine as herbal remedy to prevent, protect against, and cure several diseases. These curative properties are based on the presence in different parts of the plant of phytochemical nutrients with antioxidant effect. Seeds are the less exploited part; thus this study is aimed at assessing the antioxidant activities of the C. papaya seeds water extract against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) oxidative stress in human skin Detroit 550 fibroblasts. C. papaya seeds water extract is not toxic and acts as a potent free radical scavenger, providing protection to Detroit 550 fibroblasts that underwent H2O2 oxidative stress. Data show that (i) the maximum protective effect is achieved by the simultaneous administration of the extract with 1 mM H2O2; (ii) the extract in presence of an oxidative stress does not increase catalase activity and prevents the release of cytochrome C and the inner mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Δψm) loss; (iii) the extract is more efficient than vitamin C to hamper the oxidative damage; (iv) the purified subfractions of the seeds water extract exert the same antioxidant effect of whole extract. In conclusion, C. papaya seeds water extract is potentially useful for protection against oxidative stress

Morphofunctional study of 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-phorbol acetate (TPA)-induced differentiation of U937 cells under exposure to a 6mT static magnetic field

This study deals with the morphofunctional influence of 72 h exposure to a 6 mT static magnetic field (SMF) during differentiation induced by 50 ng/ml 12-0-tetradecanoyl-13-phorbol acetate (TPA) in human leukaemia U937 cells. The cell morphology of U937 cells was investigated by optic and electron microscopy. Specific antibodies and/or molecules were used to labell CD11c, CD14, phosphatidylserine, F-actin and to investigate the distribution and activity of lysosomes, mitochondria and SER. [Ca2+]i was investigated by spectrophotometry. The degree of differentiation in SMF-exposed cells was lower than that of non-exposed ones, the difference being exposure-time dependent. SMF-exposed cell showed cell shape and F-actin modification, inhibition of cell attachment, appearance of membrane roughness and large blebs and impaired expression of specific macrophagic markers on the cell surface. The intracellular localization of SER and lysosomes was only partially affected by exposure. A significant localization of mitochondria with an intact membrane potential at the cell periphery in non-exposed, TPA stimulated cells was observed; conversely, in presence of the SMF mitochondria were mainly localized near the nucleus. In no case did SMF exposure affect cell viability. The sharp intracellular increase of [Ca2+]i could be one of the causes of the above-described changes

Morphofunctional study of 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-phorbol acetate (TPA)-induced differentiation of U937 cells under exposure to a 6mT static magnetic field

This study deals with the morphofunctional influence of 72 h exposure to a 6 mT static magnetic field (SMF) during differentiation induced by 50 ng/ml 12-0-tetradecanoyl-13-phorbol acetate (TPA) in human leukaemia U937 cells. The cell morphology of U937 cells was investigated by optic and electron microscopy. Specific antibodies and/or molecules were used to labell CD11c, CD14, phosphatidylserine, F-actin and to investigate the distribution and activity of lysosomes, mitochondria and SER. [Ca2+]i was investigated by spectrophotometry. The degree of differentiation in SMF-exposed cells was lower than that of non-exposed ones, the difference being exposure-time dependent. SMF-exposed cell showed cell shape and F-actin modification, inhibition of cell attachment, appearance of membrane roughness and large blebs and impaired expression of specific macrophagic markers on the cell surface. The intracellular localization of SER and lysosomes was only partially affected by exposure. A significant localization of mitochondria with an intact membrane potential at the cell periphery in non-exposed, TPA stimulated cells was observed; conversely, in presence of the SMF mitochondria were mainly localized near the nucleus. In no case did SMF exposure affect cell viability. The sharp intracellular increase of [Ca2+]i could be one of the causes of the above-described changes

Natural dye-sensitized ZnO nano-particles as photo-catalysts in complete degradation of E. coli bacteria and their organic content

This communication describes for the first time how nano-size particles, sensitized with natural dye molecules of anthocyanin, can be used as catalysts in photo-degradation of gram negative Escherichia coli bacteria in water. The naked ZnO nano-particles degraded up to 83% of the bacteria under solar simulator light, while the dye-sensitized particles increased the bacterial loss by ∼10%. Solar simulator light includes about 5% of UV tail (shorter than 400 nm) which means that both UV and visible light (longer than 400 nm) radiations could be involved. When a cut-off filter was used, the naked ZnO caused only 40% bacterial loss, in accordance with earlier literature that described killing of bacteria with ZnO particles both in the dark and under light. With the cut-off filter, the sensitized ZnO particles caused higher than 90% bacterial loss, which confirms sensitization of the ZnO particles to visible light. Moreover, the results show that the catalyzed photo-degradation process causes mineralization of the bacteria and their organic internal components which leach out by killing. The catalyst can be recovered and reused losing ∼10% of its activity each time due to mineralization of the dye molecules. However, catalyst activity can be totally regained by re-sensitizing it with the anthocyanin dye. The effects of different experimental conditions, such as reaction temperature, pH, bacterial concentration and catalyst amount together with nutrient broth and saline media, will be discussed together with the role of the sensitizer

ZnO nanoparticles in complete photo-mineralization of aqueous gram negative bacteria and their organic content with direct solar light

For the first time, pristine ZnO nano-particles can be used as effective catalyst for water disinfection by killing and complete mineralization of two gram negative bacteria with direct solar light. Just like in earlier studies, pristine nano-size ZnO particles have shown anti-bacterial activity against two types of gram negative bacteria, E. coli and P. aeruginosa, where up to 20% of the former and 25% of the latter have been killed in the dark. Under direct solar radiation, the pristine ZnO particles readily catalyzed bacterial photo-degradation. While earlier studies were mostly limited to bacterial death and growth inhibition by pristine ZnO particles, the results describe for the first time how bacteria and their organic content can be completely photo-mineralized by direct solar radiations in 60 min. Only the bacterial cell wall fragments resisted the photo-degradation process. Under the reaction conditions, the degradation occurred by the UV tail of the direct solar light, where the ZnO nano-particles behaved as photo-catalysts. The results show the added value of using ZnO nano-particles as photo-catalysts in water disinfection strategies, leaving no resulting organic molecules in water