Phytochemical Characterization, Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Enzymatic and Cytotoxic Effects of Artemisia verlotiorum Lamotte Extracts: A New Source of Bioactive Agents

Artemisia verlotiorum Lamotte is recognized medicinally given its long-standing ethnopharmacological uses in different parts of the world. Nonetheless, the pharmacological properties of the leaves of the plant have been poorly studied by the scientific community. Hence, this study aimed to decipher the phytochemicals; quantify through HPLC-ESI-MS analysis the plant’s biosynthesis; and evaluate the antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, amylase, glucosidase, cholinesterase, and cytotoxicity potential on normal (NIH 3T3) and human liver and human colon cancer (HepG2 and HT 29) cell lines of this plant species. The aqueous extract contained the highest content of phenolics and phenolic acid, methanol extracted the most flavonoid, and the most flavonol was extracted by ethyl acetate. The one-way ANOVA results demonstrated that all results obtained were statistically significant at p < 0.05. A total of 25 phytoconstituents were identified from the different extracts, with phenolic acids and flavonoids being the main metabolites. The highest antioxidant potential was recorded for the aqueous extract. The best anti-tyrosinase extract was the methanolic extract. The ethyl acetate extract of A. verlotiorum had the highest flavonol content and hence was most active against the cholinesterase enzymes. The ethyl acetate extract was the best α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitor. The samples of Artemisia verlotiorum Lamotte in both aqueous and methanolic extracts were found to be non-toxic after 48 h against NIH 3T3 cells. In HepG2 cells, the methanolic extract was nontoxic up to 125 µg/mL, and an IC50 value of 722.39 µg/mL was recorded. The IC50 value exhibited in methanolic extraction of A. verlotiorum was 792.91 µg/mL in HT29 cells. Methanolic extraction is capable of inducing cell cytotoxicity in human hepatocellular carcinoma without damaging normal cells. Hence, A. verlotiorum can be recommended for further evaluation of its phytochemical and medicinal properties

Phytochemical Characterization, Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Enzymatic and Cytotoxic Effects of <i>Artemisia verlotiorum</i> Lamotte Extracts: A New Source of Bioactive Agents

Artemisia verlotiorum Lamotte is recognized medicinally given its long-standing ethnopharmacological uses in different parts of the world. Nonetheless, the pharmacological properties of the leaves of the plant have been poorly studied by the scientific community. Hence, this study aimed to decipher the phytochemicals; quantify through HPLC-ESI-MS analysis the plant’s biosynthesis; and evaluate the antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, amylase, glucosidase, cholinesterase, and cytotoxicity potential on normal (NIH 3T3) and human liver and human colon cancer (HepG2 and HT 29) cell lines of this plant species. The aqueous extract contained the highest content of phenolics and phenolic acid, methanol extracted the most flavonoid, and the most flavonol was extracted by ethyl acetate. The one-way ANOVA results demonstrated that all results obtained were statistically significant at p A. verlotiorum had the highest flavonol content and hence was most active against the cholinesterase enzymes. The ethyl acetate extract was the best α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitor. The samples of Artemisia verlotiorum Lamotte in both aqueous and methanolic extracts were found to be non-toxic after 48 h against NIH 3T3 cells. In HepG2 cells, the methanolic extract was nontoxic up to 125 µg/mL, and an IC50 value of 722.39 µg/mL was recorded. The IC50 value exhibited in methanolic extraction of A. verlotiorum was 792.91 µg/mL in HT29 cells. Methanolic extraction is capable of inducing cell cytotoxicity in human hepatocellular carcinoma without damaging normal cells. Hence, A. verlotiorum can be recommended for further evaluation of its phytochemical and medicinal properties

Unveiling the Antioxidant, Clinical Enzyme Inhibitory Properties and Cytotoxic Potential of <i>Tambourissa peltata</i> Baker—An Understudied Endemic Plant

This study documents for the first time the phytochemical composition and biological activities of Tambourissa peltata Baker, an endemic plant from Mauritius. Phytochemical extraction was performed using ethyl acetate, methanol and distilled water as solvents. The phytochemical composition was determined through HPLC-MS and other standard assays. The DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, CUPRAC and phosphomolybdenum assays were employed for the determination of the antioxidant potential, whereas cell viability assays were used to determine the cytotoxicity. The highest phenolic and phenolic acid contents were obtained in the aqueous extract (179.91 ± 0.67 gallic acid equivalents/g and 55.74 ± 1.43 caffeic acid equivalents/g). The highest quantity of flavonoids was obtained in the ethyl acetate extract (28.97 ± 0.46 rutin equivalents/g). The methanolic extract was the highest source of flavonols (33.71 ± 0.13 mg catechin equivalents/g). A total of 34 phytochemicals were identified, mainly proanthocyanidins and flavonoid glycosides. The highest antioxidant activity in DPPH (973.40 ± 5.65 mg TE (Trolox equivalents)/g), ABTS (2030.37 ± 40.83 mg TE/g), FRAP (1461.39 ± 5.95 mg TE/g), CUPRAC (1940.99 ± 20.95 mg TE/g) and phosphomolybdenum (8.37 ± 0.23 mmol TE/g) assays was recorded for the aqueous extract. The ethyl acetate extract was the most active metal chelator. The highest acetylcholinesterase inhibitor was the methanolic extract, whereas the ethyl acetate extract was the most active against BChE. The tyrosinase enzyme was most inhibited by the methanolic extract. Alpha-amylase and glucosidase were most inhibited by the aqueous extract. The methanolic extract was capable of inducing cell cytotoxicity to the human colorectal carcinoma without damaging normal cells. T. peltata warrants further attention from the scientific community given its multifaceted biological properties

Above the Invasive and Ornamental Attributes of the Traveler’s Palm: An In Vitro and In Silico Insight into the Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Enzymatic, Cytotoxic and Phytochemical Characterization of Ravenala madagascariensis

Ravenala madagascariensis is a widely known ornamental and medicinal plant, but with a dearth of scientific investigations regarding its phytochemical and pharmacological properties. Hence, these properties were appraised in this study. The DPPH (154.08 ± 2.43 mgTE/g), FRAP (249.40 ± 3.01 mgTE/g), CUPRAC (384.57 ± 1.99 mgTE/g), metal chelating (29.68 ± 0.74 mgEDTAE/g) and phosphomolybdenum assay (2.38 ± 0.07 mmolTE/g) results demonstrated that the aqueous extract had the most prominent antioxidant activity, while the methanolic extract displayed the best antioxidant potential in the ABTS assay (438.46 ± 1.69 mgTE/g). The HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS-MS analysis allowed the characterization of 41 metabolites. The methanolic extract was the most active against acetylcholinesterase. All extracts were active against the alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase enzymes, with the ethyl acetate extract being the most active against the alpha-amylase enzyme, while the methanolic extract showed the best alpha-glucosidase inhibition. A plethora of metabolites bonded more energetically with the assayed enzymes active sites based on the results of the in silico studies. R. madagascariensis extracts used in this study exhibited cytotoxicity against HT29 cells. The IC50 of the methanolic extract was lower (506.99 ug/mL). Based on the heat map, whereby flavonoids were found to be in greater proportion in the extracts, it can be concluded that the flavonoid portion of the extracts contributed to the most activity

Bioactive peptides and proteins as alternative antiplatelet drugs

Antiplatelet drugs reduce the risks associated with atherothrombotic events and show various applications in diverse cardiovascular diseases including myocardial infarctions. Efficacy of the current antiplatelet medicines including aspirin, clopidogrel, prasugrel and ticagrelor, and the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists, are limited due to their increased risks of bleeding, and antiplatelet drug resistance. Hence, it is important to develop new effective antiplatelet drugs, with fewer side-effects. The vast repertoire of natural peptides can be explored towards this goal. Proteins and peptides derived from snake venoms and plants represent exciting candidates for the development of novel and potent antiplatelet agents. Consequently, this review discusses multiple peptides that have displayed antiplatelet aggregation activity in preclinical drug development stages. This review also describes the antiplatelet mechanisms of the peptides, emphasizing the signaling pathways intervened by them. Also, the hurdles encountered during the development of peptides into antiplatelet drugs have been listed. Finally, hitherto unexplored peptides with the potential to prevent platelet aggregation are explored

Above the Invasive and Ornamental Attributes of the Traveler’s Palm: An In Vitro and In Silico Insight into the Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Enzymatic, Cytotoxic and Phytochemical Characterization of <i>Ravenala madagascariensis</i>

Ravenala madagascariensis is a widely known ornamental and medicinal plant, but with a dearth of scientific investigations regarding its phytochemical and pharmacological properties. Hence, these properties were appraised in this study. The DPPH (154.08 ± 2.43 mgTE/g), FRAP (249.40 ± 3.01 mgTE/g), CUPRAC (384.57 ± 1.99 mgTE/g), metal chelating (29.68 ± 0.74 mgEDTAE/g) and phosphomolybdenum assay (2.38 ± 0.07 mmolTE/g) results demonstrated that the aqueous extract had the most prominent antioxidant activity, while the methanolic extract displayed the best antioxidant potential in the ABTS assay (438.46 ± 1.69 mgTE/g). The HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS-MS analysis allowed the characterization of 41 metabolites. The methanolic extract was the most active against acetylcholinesterase. All extracts were active against the alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase enzymes, with the ethyl acetate extract being the most active against the alpha-amylase enzyme, while the methanolic extract showed the best alpha-glucosidase inhibition. A plethora of metabolites bonded more energetically with the assayed enzymes active sites based on the results of the in silico studies. R. madagascariensis extracts used in this study exhibited cytotoxicity against HT29 cells. The IC50 of the methanolic extract was lower (506.99 ug/mL). Based on the heat map, whereby flavonoids were found to be in greater proportion in the extracts, it can be concluded that the flavonoid portion of the extracts contributed to the most activity