DELONIX REGIA BOJ. EX. HOOK RAFFIN; FAMILY: FABACEAE, BARK METHANOL EXTRACT PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILE AND POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC EVALUATION

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer potencies of the Delonix regia bark, a first of its kind. Methods: The bark was extracted sequentially in Soxhlet apparatus with hexane, chloroform, and methanol in the increasing order of polarity. These extracts were subjected to find its antioxidant activity and total phenol content. Antibacterial activity against human pathogenic bacteria was tested. The anti-inflammatory properties were elucidated by its capacity to inhibit 15-lipoxygenase (LOX) and human cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. Cell cytotoxic capacity was evaluated against MCF-7 cells breast cancer cell lines. Results: Liquid chromatography (LC)-Mass Spectroscopy (MS) fingerprint of the methanol extract identified a total of 14 polyphenols, of which five were structurally characterized based on their mass-charge ratio [M-H]− peak, UV-vis absorption in comparison to published data. Antibacterial activity by disk diffusion inhibited human pathogenic bacteria. Bacterial biofilm inhibition capacity of extract (750 mg) imaged by confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed loss of microcolonies. Extract when tested for 15-LOX inhibition exhibited IC50 values of 94.5 ± 1.23 mg.mL−1 by enzyme kinetics studies using spectrophotometric techniques. Similarly, it could inhibit COX-2 enzyme at relatively lower concentrations (32.18 ± 1.91 mg.mL−1). Further, it quenched free radicals produced by Fentons’ reagent studied by DNS-nicking assay indicating its strong antioxidant property with the capacity to protect DNA. In vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphynyl tetrazolium bromide assay and apoptosis induced in MCF-7 cells was assessed morphologically. Conclusion: Our data suggest that D. regia bark methanol extract exerts its therapeutic activity for further pharmaceutical evaluations. Further studies are necessary to determine the mechanisms of these pharmacological properties

Nanoconjugate Synthesis of Elaeocarpus ganitrus and the Assessment of Its Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Properties

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, accountable for a total of 10 million deaths in the year 2020, according to GLOBOCAN 2020. The advancements in the field of cancer research indicate the need for direction towards the development of new drug candidates that are instrumental in a tumour-specific action. The pool of natural compounds proves to be a promising avenue for the discovery of groundbreaking cancer therapeutics. Elaeocarpus ganitrus (Rudraksha) is known to possess antioxidant properties and after a thorough review of literature, it was speculated to possess significant biomedical potential. Green synthesis of nanoparticles is an environmentally friendly approach intended to eliminate toxic waste and reduce energy consumption. This approach was reported for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles from two different solvent extracts: aqueous and methanolic. These were characterized by biophysical and spectroscopic techniques, namely, UV-Visible Spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, EDX, DLS, SEM, and GC-MS. The results showed that the nanoconjugates were spherical in geometry. Further, the assessment of antibacterial, antifungal, and antiproliferative activities was conducted which yielded results that were qualitatively positive at the nanoscale. The nanoconjugates were also evaluated for their anticancer properties using a standard MTT Assay. The interactions between the phytochemicals (ligands) and selected cancer receptors were also visualized in silico using the PyRx tool for molecular docking