Studies on physicochemical and nutritional properties of aerial parts of Cassia occidentalis L.

AbstractIn the present, work chemical composition and nutritional value of aerial parts of Cassia occidentalis L. was studied. The aerial parts of C. occidentalis possess favorable physicochemical properties with good nutritional value, such as high energy value, crude fibers, and vitamin levels. The X-ray fluorescence spectrophotometry data revealed that the sample is rich in minerals, especially in Fe, Ca, K, and Mn. Further, minerals such as Mg, Zn, Cu, Na, P, and S are present in good amount and depicted the nutritional value of the selected material. The plant sample is rich in phytochemicals such as flavonoids, alkaloids, lignin, tannins, and phenols. The presence of phytochemical constituents was confirmed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry profile and high-performance thin layer chromatography fingerprinting techniques. The findings stimulate the on-farm cultivation of C. occidentalis on a large scale to relieve the iron deficiency in local community, and it can be used as a dietary supplement to treat anemia

SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC, HPTLC AND GC-MS STUDIES ON SELECTED SPICE EXTRACTS

Objectives: The present work was carried out with a view to analyze the major phytochemical compounds of Indian spices, cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.). Methods: Hydro-alcoholic (30% ethanol in water, v/v) extracts were prepared from selected spices and analyzed for extract yield, loss on drying (LOD), pH and phytochemical compounds such as total alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids and tannins were quantified by spectrometric methods. High performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer (GC-MS) techniques were employed to reveal the phytochemicals of selected spice extracts.Results: Hydro-alcoholic extracts from selected spices revealed the pH to be 5.36-5.62, loss on drying (12.54–15.41%) and extract yield (8.62–29.19%). Among the investigated samples, higher levels of alkaloids (2.032%) and tannins (0.809%) were found in fenugreek while fennel exhibited highest content of total phenolics (3.39%) and flavanoids (2.621%). The hydro-alcoholic extracts were subjected to HPTLC analysis and the results suggested the presence of three different major phytochemical compounds in cumin and fenugreek, whereas fennel extract displayed only one major peak. Cumin, fenugreek and fennel extracts showed relatively similar spots with Rf values of 0.51, 0.62, 0.90 and 0.97, which indicates the presence of four similar type of flavonoids in each extract. Presence of some volatile compounds in extracts was identified by GC-MS analysis.Conclusion: Due to the presence of various phytochemical constituents and favorable extract yield, LOD and pH, the presently investigated spice extracts could be used in drug formulations.Â

Preparation, characterization and in vitro antioxidant and cytotoxicity studies of some 2,4-dichloro-N-[di(alkyl/aryl)carbamothioyl]benzamide derivatives

Abstract In the present study, three biologically active, substituted acyl thiourea compounds (1–3) have been synthesized from 2,4-dichlorobenzoyl chloride, potassium thiocyanate and the corresponding secondary amine in dry acetone. As analytical and spectral data of 1 and 3 have already been discussed in the literature, only the compound 2 was characterized by elemental analyses, UV–Visible, FT–IR, 1H & 13C NMR spectroscopic techniques. The molecular structures of 1–3 were determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography which shows twists of up to 70° about the (S=)C–NC(=O) bonds. All the synthesized compounds show good antioxidant property and cytotoxic potential against Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma (EAC) cancer cell line

Protective effect of eugenol from Mesua ferrea on the oxidative damages caused by 5-fluorouracil in PBMC cells

78-855-Fluorouracil (5-FU), a pyrimidine analogue with fluorine at C5 position, is one of the chemotherapy drugs used to treat various cancers. Though 5-FU is a very promising anticancer drug, it can cause side effects such as coronary thrombosis, intestinal mucositis, cognitive impairment, and anaemia through the generation of free radicals, damages the normal cells and also leads to apoptosis. To overcome such toxic effects of 5-FU, in the present work we have explored the cytoprotective potential of eugenol, the antioxidant active compound available in ethanolic extract of an Indian herbal drug Mesua ferrea. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the cytoprotective effect of eugenol against 5-FU toxicity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Based on MTT assay, it is noticed that eugenol significantly prevents the toxicity of 5-FU (73%) in PBMC cells. Eugenol has lowered the generation of intra-cellular ROS (20035.5 AU) when compared to 5-FU treated cells (58918.5 AU). Eugenol exhibited remarkable inhibition of lipid peroxidation (43%) and cell membrane damage (LDH release: 488.02 IU/L). Thus, eugenol prevents apoptosis-induced cell death when compared with 5-FU in PBMC cells and hence it can be used to overcome the cytotoxicity caused by 5-FU and it warrants further study

Implementation of Auto-Hydrolysis Process for the Recovery of Antioxidants and Cellulose from Wheat Straw

Wheat straw is an easily affordable, cost-effective and natural source of antioxidants and cellulose, but its full potential is not yet utilized. In the present investigation, an auto-hydrolytic process was applied to recover both antioxidant phenolic compounds and cellulose from wheat straw. Two three-step acid/alkaline fractionation processes were applied differing for the first step: a conventional mild acid hydrolysis or an auto-hydrolysis. The liquors from the first step were analyzed for the recovery of antioxidants, while the final residues from the whole process were analyzed for cellulose yield and purity. The auto-hydrolysis process led to a higher yield in antioxidants but also in sugars (glucose and xylose) and sugar degradation products (5-HMF, 5-MF, furfural) than the acid hydrolysis process. The overall cellulose recovery (about 45% g/100 gcellulose wheat straw dm) and purity was comparable in the two processes; therefore, the auto-hydrolysis-based process could be recommended as a potentially more environmentally friendly process to recover antioxidants and cellulose from wheat straw for different applications. Finally, a first study on the optimization of hydrolysis step was provided from the point of view of improving the cellulose yield, monitoring the sugars release during both the acid hydrolysis and the auto-hydrolysis process

In vitro Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Studies on Bark, Wood and Fruits of Terminalia catappa L.

The present study was carried out to study the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of bark, wood and fruits of Terminalia catappa. In vitro antioxidant studies were performed using DPPH assay and lipid peroxidation assay. In vitro anti-inflammatory studies were also performed in the aqueous extracts using protease inhibition, membrane stabilization and protein denaturation inhibition assays. Aqueous extract of bark has shown maximum antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities when compared to that of wood and fruits. The results of the present study clearly revealed the dose dependent activities of all the parts selected. The present study showed in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities which scientifically proved the ethnomedicinal claim of the selected plant drugs

Screening of four different agro-food by-products for the recovery of antioxidants and cellulose

Carried out under the European Project SusFoFlex, this study aimed the investigation and selection of different agro-food by-products for the recovery of antioxidants and cellulose to be further exploited for application in the development of innovative and sustainable food packaging materials. Based on literature data and partners' countries availability, four by-products were considered: brewers' spent grains, wheat straw, hazelnut shells and orange peels. A common process for the production of antioxidant extracts (a two-step hydro alcoholic solvent extraction) and another for the fractionation of cellulose (an acid hydrolysis step followed by an alkali hydrolysis and, then, an oxidative bleaching step) was applied to all the materials with the objective of selecting ideally a unique by-product for the production of both antioxidants and cellulose. The extracts were characterised in terms of total phenols content (based on Folin assay and expressed as gallic acid equivalents) and antioxidant activity (evaluated with both the radical ABTS test and the Ferric Reducing/Antioxidant Power assay).The highest total phenols recovery was obtained for orange peels (9.50\ub10.66 mg per g of dried by-product), while the yields for the other byproducts were not statistically different and 64 2 mg/g. Regarding the antioxidant activity, all the extracts showed very similar results with the ABTS assay, whereas orange peels extract exhibited the highest level of FRAP activity. The obtained cellulose residues were analysed for the total cellulose content and the level of lignin and hemicellulose impurities. In this case, the best by-product resulted wheat straw, with the recovery of 45 % of the original cellulose, a cellulose content (purity) of 84 % and residual impurities of hemicelluloses and lignin of 2 % and 12 %, respectively

Protective effect of eugenol from Mesua ferrea on the oxidative damages caused by 5-fluorouracil in PBMC cells

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), a pyrimidine analogue with fluorine at C5 position, is one of the chemotherapy drugs used to treat various cancers. Though 5-FU is a very promising anticancer drug, it can cause side effects such as coronary thrombosis, intestinal mucositis, cognitive impairment, and anaemia through the generation of free radicals, damages the normal cells and also leads to apoptosis. To overcome such toxic effects of 5-FU, in the present work we have explored the cytoprotective potential of eugenol, the antioxidant active compound available in ethanolic extract of an Indian herbal drug Mesua ferrea. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the cytoprotective effect of eugenol against 5-FU toxicity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Based on MTT assay, it is noticed that eugenol significantly prevents the toxicity of 5-FU (73%) in PBMC cells. Eugenol has lowered the generation of intra-cellular ROS (20035.5 AU) when compared to 5-FU treated cells (58918.5 AU). Eugenol exhibited remarkable inhibition of lipid peroxidation (43%) and cell membrane damage (LDH release: 488.02 IU/L). Thus, eugenol prevents apoptosis-induced cell death when compared with 5-FU in PBMC cells and hence it can be used to overcome the cytotoxicity caused by 5-FU and it warrants further study

Phenolics recovery from different agro-food by-products

This work comparatively evaluated four different by-products for the recovery of phenolic compounds according to two different methods: a conventional solvent extraction (CSE) and an acid hydrolysis (AH)