ANTIOXIDANT AND HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF JUSTICIA SPICIGERA ETHYL ACETATE FRACTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ITS ANTHOCYANIN CONTENT

Objective: The antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of ethyl acetate (EA) fraction of the dried aerial part of Justicia spicigera were evaluated and the characterization of its anthocyanin content was done. Methods: Hepatic fibrosis was induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in rats. The ethyl acetate fraction was obtained by successive liquid/liquid fractionation of the crude cold ethanolic extract and the pigments were characterized by HPLC technique. The in vitro studies were carried out through evaluation of the EA fraction on the attenuation of 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals. The in vivo biological evaluation was done in CCl4 injured rats through determination of liver function indices, oxidative stress markers and the histopathological picture of the treated liver.Results: The phenolic content in the EA fraction was 42.94 mg/g. Twelve anthocyanins were identified, the major of which are peonidin 3, 5-diglucoside (64.30%), malvidin 3, 5-diglucoside (10.59%) and petunidin 3,5-diglucoside (4.71%). Treatment of CCl4 intoxicated rats with EA fraction recorded improvement in the liver function indices and oxidative stress markers. The histopathological observations confirmed our results.Conclusion: The ethyl acetate fraction of the dried aerial part of Justicia spicigera recorded antioxidant and hepato protective activities.Â

Dual antineoplastic and photodynamic effects of methanolic extract of Tecoma stans yellow flowers for cancer treatment

Introduction: Tecoma stans is a fast-growing plant from the family Bignoniaceae. Various parts of T. stans have been used in different biological applications, especially in cancer treatment. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising modality for cancer treatment that depends on the interaction between a photosensitizer, light, and oxygen. Searching for photosensitizers from plant origin is crucial to provide nontoxic photosensitizers with high economic value. This study aims to evaluate the anticancer and photodynamic activities of T. stans methanolic flower extract (TSFE). Methods: The phytoconstituents of TSFE were analyzed by the UPLC/MS/MS technique. The cytotoxicity of TSFE was examined on the breast carcinoma (MCF-7) and lung carcinoma (A549) cell lines, in dark and after irradiation by blue light (400-450 nm). Results: TSFE contained various phytochemical components with antineoplastic activity. Moreover, TSFE contained coumarins and anthocyanins that may act as photosensitizers. TSFE showed negligible cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cell lines at all tested concentrations in dark. A non-significant cell viability change was observed upon radiation (P>0.05). TSFE showed significant dark cytotoxicity on A549 cells, which improved significantly after light radiation (P<0.05). Conclusion: TSFE is a promising anticancer and natural photosensitizer for PDT and this study may inspire further ethnobotanical investigations into promising new natural anti-cancers and photosensitizers

The pharmacological effect of apricot seeds extracts and amygdalin in experimentally induced liver damage and hepatocellular carcinoma

Introduction: Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) has been widely used for the treatment of several disorders such as liver diseases, but the hepatoprotective and anticancer activities of its seeds were not studied before. In this study, we evaluated the pharmacological effects of apricot seeds extracts and amygdalin on prevention of liver damage and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: Amygdalin contents of apricot seeds in ethanolic extracts were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) then, the ethanolic apricot seeds extract and amygdalin were evaluated for its hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity and anticancer activity against N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Results: The amount of amygdalin was 5.72 g and 10.22 g/100 g extract for 70% and 99.9% ethanolic apricot seeds extracts, respectively. Pretreatment of the rats with 70% and 99.9% ethanolic apricot seeds extracts (100 mg/kg), amygdalin and silymarin (50 mg/kg) prevented elevation in liver function parameters such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) caused by carbon tetrachloride injection with significant increase in albumin, total proteins, and no effect on total direct bilirubin when compared to those in hepatotoxic group. Both extracts also showed anticancer activity against hepatocellular carcinoma via diminishing the elevated serum levels of AST, ALT, ALP, total, direct bilirubin, albumin, total proteins, alpha-fetoprotein, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) and elevating the decreased hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) level when compared with NDEA- intoxicated group. Conclusion: Apricot seeds possess hepatoprotective and anticancer activities that justify its traditional use, and its potential for the treatment of liver diseases including hepatocellular carcinoma