Antioxidant potential of bitter cumin (Centratherum anthelminticum (L.) Kuntze) seeds in in vitro models

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bitter cumin (<it>Centratherum anthelminticum </it>(L.) Kuntze), is a medicinally important plant. Earlier, we have reported phenolic compounds, antioxidant, and anti-hyperglycemic, antimicrobial activity of bitter cumin. In this study we have further characterized the antioxidative activity of bitter cumin extracts in various in vitro models.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Bitter cumin seeds were extracted with a combination of acetone, methanol and water. The antioxidant activity of bitter cumin extracts were characterized in various <it>in vitro </it>model systems such as DPPH radical, ABTS radical scavenging, reducing power, oxidation of liposomes and oxidative damage to DNA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The phenolic extracts of bitter cumin at microgram concentration showed significant scavenging of DPPH and ABTS radicals, reduced phosphomolybdenum (Mo(VI) to Mo(V)), ferricyanide Fe(III) to Fe(II), inhibited liposomes oxidation and hydroxyl radical induced damage to prokaryotic genomic DNA. The results showed a direct correlation between phenolic acid content and antioxidant activity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Bitter cumin is a good source of natural antioxidants.</p

Antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer activity of the lichens Cladonia furcata, Lecanora atra and Lecanora muralis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of this study is to investigate in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer activity of the acetone extracts of the lichens <it>Cladonia furcata, Lecanora atra </it>and <it>Lecanora muralis</it>.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Antioxidant activity was evaluated by five separate methods: free radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, reducing power, determination of total phenolic compounds and determination of total flavonoid content. The antimicrobial activity was estimated by determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration by the broth microdilution method against six species of bacteria and ten species of fungi. Anticancer activity was tested against FemX (human melanoma) and LS174 (human colon carcinoma) cell lines using MTT method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the lichens tested, <it>Lecanora atra </it>had largest free radical scavenging activity (94.7% inhibition), which was greater than the standard antioxidants. Moreover, the tested extracts had effective reducing power and superoxide anion radical scavenging. The strong relationships between total phenolic and flavonoid contents and the antioxidant effect of tested extracts were observed. Extract of <it>Cladonia furcata </it>was the most active antimicrobial agent with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from 0.78 to 25 mg/mL. All extracts were found to be strong anticancer activity toward both cell lines with IC₅₀values ranging from 8.51 to 40.22 μg/mL.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study shows that tested lichen extracts demonstrated a strong antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer effects. That suggest that lichens may be used as as possible natural antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer agents to control various human, animal and plant diseases.</p

Synthesis and structure of cyclopropano-annelated homosesquinorbornene derivatives containing pyramidalized double bonds: Evidence for the sterical effect of a cyclopropyl. group on the degree of C=C double-bond pyramidalization

endo- and exo-2,3,4,7-tetrahydro-1H-1,4-methanobenzoeyeloheptene-7-carboxylic acid ethyl esters have been synthesized, and their Diels-Alder cycloaddition reactions with maleic anhydride, dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and singlet oxygen have been investigated. The X-ray analysis of four adducts indicated the pyramidalization of the central double bond. Density functional theory calculations on the isolated products and model compounds showed excellent agreement between the experimental and theoretical determined butterfly angles. Furthermore, it has been shown that a cyclopropyl group fused to [2.2.2] system decreases significantly the degree of the pyramidalization which is attributed to the steric interactions between the cyclopropyl group and ethano bridge of the norbornene systems. Due to the instability of the bicyclic endoperoxides, their X-ray analysis could not be carried out. DFT calculations on model compounds showed increased bending in the case of the product obtained by the addition of singlet oxygen to endo-2,3,4,7tetrahydro-1H-1,4-methanobenzocycloheptene-7-carboxylic acid ethyl ester

Kinetic and in silico

Durdagi, Serdar/0000-0002-0426-0905 WOS: 000314531000019 PubMed: 23173744 Carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) are inhibited by sulfonamides, inorganic anions, phenols, salicylic acid derivatives (acting as drug or prodrugs). A novel class of CA inhibitors (CAIs), interacting with the CA isozymes I and II (cytosolic) in a different manner, is reported here. Kinetic measurements allowed us to identify thiazolidin-based compounds as submicromolar-low micromolar inhibitors of these two CA isozymes. Molecular docking studies of a set of such inhibitors within CA I and II active site allowed us to understand the inhibition mechanism. This new class of inhibitors bind differently compared to other classes of inhibitors known to date: they were found between the phenol-binding site, filling thus the middle of the enzyme cavity

Antioxidants in aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans (Houtt.) suppress mitosis and cyclophosphamide-induced chromosomal aberrations in Allium cepa L. cells

In this study, freeze-dried water extract from the leaves of Myristica fragrans (Houtt.) was tested for mutagenic and antimutagenic potentials using the Allium cepa assay. Freeze-dried water extract alone and its combination with cyclophosphamide (CP) (50 mg/kg) were separately dissolved in tap water at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 mg/kg. Onions (A. cepa) were suspended in the solutions and controls for 48 h in the dark. Root tips were prepared for microscopic evaluation. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals’ scavenging power of the extract was tested using butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as standards. Water extract of Myristica fragrans scavenged free radicals better than BHA, but worse than BHT. The extract alone, as well as in combination with CP suppressed cell division, and induced chromosomal aberrations that were insignificantly different from the negative control (P≤0.05). However, cytotoxic and mutagenic actions of CP were considerably suppressed. The observed effects on cell division and chromosomes of A. cepa may be principally connected to the antioxidant properties of the extract. The obtained results suggest mitodepressive and antimutagenic potentials of water extract of the leaves of M. fragrans as desirable properties of a promising anticancer agent