LC–ESI-TOF–MS identification of bioactive secondary metabolites involved in the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of the edible halophyte Zygophyllum album Desf.

In this work, liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-TOF–MS) has been applied to screen bioactive metabolites in shoot extract of the medicinal halophyte Zygophyllum album. Among 10 compounds identified (saponins, flavonoids and sterols) five were reported for the first time in Z. album. Furthermore, novel biological activities of hexane, dichloromethane and methanolic extracts were assessed. Results showed that methanolic extract exhibit the highest antioxidant activity using in vitro ORAC test and anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting by 84.8% NO release in RAW264.7 macrophages. However, dichloromethane extract proved the utmost antioxidant activity in cell (WS1) based-assay (IC50 = 57 μg/ml) and interesting anticancer capacity against human lung carcinoma (A-549) and colon adenocarcinoma (DLD-1) cells (IC50 = 37 and 48 μg/ml, respectively). These findings can be attributed to the presence of triterpenes, flavonoids and sterols in Z. album, which are widely known as powerful antioxidants and used in various industrial fields

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med

This work aimed to investigate the richness of a Tunisian xerohalophyte aerial and root parts on phenolics and to evaluate the antioxidant and neuroprotective properties of this medicinal species. After fractionation using increasing and different solvent polarities, results displayed five fractions, where ethyl acetate (EtOAc) shoot and root fractions possess considerable total phenolic contents (221 and 308 mg of GAE/g of E, resp.) related to their important antioxidant activities such as ORAC (918 and 713 mg of TE/g of E), DPPH (282 and 821 mg of TE/g), and ABTS (778 and 1320 mg of TE/g) tests. Then, the identification of the main compounds by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS and neuroprotective property of the most active fraction EtOAc were assessed. A total of 14 molecules were identified, which have been described for the first time in . The major compounds identified were pinoresinol and kaempferol glycoside in aerial parts and gallic acid and ellagitannin in roots. Neuroprotective capacity against -amyloid (A) peptide induced toxicity in PC12 cells of EtOAc fraction showed a significant protective activity at lower concentration (25 and 50 M). The relevant antioxidant and neuroprotective activities of EtOAc fraction corroborated their chemical compositions

Gastroprotective Effect of Microencapsulated <i>Myrtus communis</i> Essential Oil against Ethanol/HCl-Induced Acute Gastric Lesions

Myrtus communis L. essential oil (EO), mainly composed of myrtenyl acetate (30.6%), linalool (14.9%), α-pinene (11.10%) and 1,8-cineole or eucalyptol (9.9%), was microencapsulated with maltodextrin by emulsification and spray-drying, reaching a yield and efficiency of 43.7 and 48.7%, respectively. The microencapsulated myrtle EO (MMEO) was then evaluated regarding its gastroprotective activity in a model of ethanol/HCl-induced acute gastric ulcer in Wistar rats. Pretreatment with MMEO induced a remarkable inhibition of gastric lesions and acidity, correlated to high healing and protection percentages. Moreover, it exerted a potent anti-inflammatory effect on the gastric mucosa, counteracting EtOH-induced gastric lipoperoxidation and preventing the depletion of the antioxidant enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Taken together, the gastroprotective action of encapsulated MMEO may be multi-factorial, and ascribable, at least in parts, to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties

Insights on <i>Juniperus phoenicea</i> Essential Oil as Potential Anti-Proliferative, Anti-Tyrosinase, and Antioxidant Candidate

In this study, the anti-cancer, anti-tyrosinase, and antioxidant activities of essential oils (EOs) of berries and leaves of Juniperus phoenicea grown wild in North of Tunisia were investigated. The EO yields from leaves and berries were 1.69% and 0.45%, respectively. GC-MS analysis revealed that α-pinene is the predominant component in both EOs (44.17 and 83.56%, respectively). Leaves essential oil presented high levels of β-phellandrene (18%) and camphene (15%). The EOs displayed cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 breast cancer cell, HT-29 colon cancer, and the normal cells H9C2 cardiomyoblasts. Leaves oil strongly inhibited colon cell line proliferation (IC50 of 38 µg/mL), while berries essential oil was more potent against breast cancerous cells MCF-7 (IC50 of 60 µg/mL). Interestingly, berries essential oil exhibited high ability to inhibit melanin synthesis by inhibiting enzyme mono and diphenolase activities. Overall, the results suggested that the two oils are significant sources of healthy natural chemicals

Pharm Biol

Frankenia pulverulenta L. (Frankeniaceae) is a medicinal species with carminative, analgesic and antiviral properties. However, phytochemical investigations, antioxidant and neuroprotective capacities of this plant remain unclear. This work assesses the phenolic composition of F. pulverulenta shoot and root and evaluates their antioxidant and neuroprotective capacities. Successive fractionation of F. pulverulenta shoot and root using 6 solvents were used. Antioxidant capacity of these fractions was assessed through four in vitro tests (DPPH, ABTS, Fe-chelating activity and ORAC). Phenolic identification, purification as well as neuroprotective activity of ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction and purified molecules were assessed. Among the tested fractions, EtOAc shoot and root fractions possessed considerable phenolic contents (383 and 374 mg GAE/g E, respectively) because of their important ORAC (821 and 1054 mg of TE/g E), DPPH (586 and 750 mg of TE/g) and ABTS (1453 and 1319 mg of TE/g) results. Moreover, gallic acid, quercetin, quercetin galloyl glucoside, trigalloyl hexoside, procyanidin dimers and sulfated flavonoids were identified by LC-DAD-ESI-MS for the first time in this species. The relevant cytoprotective capacity (at 300 μg/mL) against β-amyloid peptide induced toxicity in PC12 cells of EtOAc fractions were corroborated with the chemical composition. In addition, purified molecules were tested for their ORAC and neuroprotective activity. Quercetin showed the best ORAC value (33.55 mmol TE/g polyphenols); nevertheless, procyanidin dimer exhibited an exceptionally efficient neuroprotective activity (100% of viability at 50 μg/mL). These findings suggest that this halophyte is a promising source of antioxidant and neuroprotective molecules for pharmaceutical purposes

Antiviral-guided fractionation and isolation of phenolic compounds from Limonium densiflorum hydroalcoholic extract

A preliminary antiviral plate assay of the green solvent (hydro-ethanolic) shoot extract of Limonium densiflorum showed a potent activity against the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). In order to isolate the active compounds, an in vitro bio-guided fractionation was undertaken by preparative chromatographic techniques. On the basis of nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, the structure of the isolated compounds was determined as gallic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, quercitrin, dihydrokaempferol, pinoresinol, N-trans-ferulolyl tyramine and (myricetin 3-O-α-rhamnopyranoside and myricetin 3-O-L-arabinofuranoside). Moreover, all isolated molecules were evaluated for their virucidality against HSV-1. Results showed that gallic acid and epigallocatechin gallate have strong activity, while pinoresinol and N-trans-ferulolyl tyramine have moderate activity. Whereas, the other molecules were inactive

Chemical characterization of polysaccharides from Gracilaria gracilis from Bizerte (Tunisia)

International audiencePolysaccharides were extracted from Gracilaria gracilis collected from Manzel Jemil Lake in Bizerte Tunisia, with two different solvents (water and NaOH 0.3 M). Different assays were performed on samples (total sugars, neutral sugars, uronic acids, anhydrogalactose, proteins, sulphates, pyruvates), followed by high performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) to observe the monosaccharide composition, high pressure size exclusion chromatography with multi-angle laser light scattering (HPSEC-MALS) to obtain the molecular mass, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to access to structural data. Results have shown that the polysaccharide extracted from Gracilaria gracilis collected from Manzel Jemil Lake in Bizerte Tunisia, is of agar type but with high molecular mass and some original structural features. Hence, the sample was found to contain 9 % of pyruvate groups and is partly sulphated at the C4 of β-d-galactose and methylated on C2 of anhydro-α-l-galactose. The polymer from G. gracilis from Bizerte thus presents a never described structure that could be interesting for further rheological or biological activities applications