Phenolic Profiles, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Hydrodistillation Wastewaters from Five Lamiaceae Species

Distillation is the most widely used method to obtain an essential oil from plant material. The biomass used in the process is returned as a solid residue together with variable amounts of water rich in water-soluble compounds, which currently are not addressed to any further application. The scope of this work was to evaluate the phytochemical composition of wastewaters coming from hydrodistillation (DWWs) of five aromatic plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family, and to assess their in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The phenolic profiles of the DWWs were determined by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI/MS. Free radical scavenging ability, oxygen radical antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase mimetic activity of the samples under study were measured. Moreover, to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of the DWWs, an in vitro experimental model of intestinal inflammation was used. The DWW samples' phytochemical analysis allowed the identification of 37 phenolic compounds, all exhibiting good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Our study contributes to the knowledge on the polyphenolic composition of the DWWs of five aromatic plants of the Lamiaceae family. The results highlight the presence of compounds with proven biological activity, and therefore of great interest in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields

Selective COX-2 inhibitory properties of dihydrostilbenes from liquorice leaves--in vitro assays and structure/activity relationship study.

Three dihydrostilbenes belonging to the polyphenol pool characterized in the leaves of Sicilian liquorice ( Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) have been tested for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The three dihydrostilbenes (PA-82, GA-23, DO-07) were in vitro tested to evaluate their capability to scavenge the stable radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and to decrease thromboxane B2 (TxB2) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release in human whole blood samples. On the basis of the observed capability of these compounds to affect the cell COX-1/COX-2 pathway, a molecular docking study was carried out in order to understand in detail the ability of these compounds to bind to COX-1 and COX-2. The results show that the liquorice dihydrostilbenes are preferred ligands for COX-2 rather than for COX-1, providing a good rational for the observed selectivity in ex vivo experiments. Therefore, they appear to be good candidates for employment in human therapy against inflammation-related pathological conditions

Malondialdehyde in benign prostate hypertrophy: a useful marker?

Benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) is the most common benign tumor in men due to obstruction of the urethra and, finally, uremia. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is a product derived from peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and related esters. Evaluation of MDA in serum represents a non-invasive biomarker of oxidative stress. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a sensitive marker for prostatic hypertrophy and cancer. We analyzed MDA serum levels to evaluate the oxidative stress in BPH. To this end, 22 BPH patients and 22 healthy donors were enrolled. Data show an increase of MDA level in BPH patients and a positive correlation between PSA and MDA levels. In conclusion, we describe a previously unknown relationship between PSA and MDA as an index of inflammation and oxidative stress in BPH

Cyanidin-3-O-Glucoside Modulates the In Vitro Inflammatory Crosstalk between Intestinal Epithelial and Endothelial Cells

Intestinal epithelium represents a protective physical barrier and actively contributes to the mucosal immune system. Polarized basolateral intestinal secretion of inflammatory mediators, followed by activation of NF-κB signaling and inflammatory pathways in endothelial cells, efficiently triggers extravasation of neutrophils from the vasculature, therefore contributing to the development and maintenance of intestinal inflammation. Proper regulation of NF-κB activation at the epithelial interface is crucial for the maintenance of physiological tissue homeostasis. Many papers reported that anthocyanins, a group of compounds belonging to flavonoids, possess anti-inflammatory effects and modulate NF-κB activity. In this study, by using a coculture in vitro system, we aimed to evaluate the effects of TNF-α-stimulated intestinal cells on endothelial cells activation, as well as the protective effects of cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G). In this model, TNF-α induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB and TNF-α and IL-8 gene expression in Caco-2 cells, whereas C3G pretreatment dose-dependently reduced these effects. Furthermore, TNF-α-stimulated Caco-2 cells induced endothelial cells activation with increased E-selectin and VCAM-1 mRNA, leukocyte adhesion, and NF-κB levels in HUVECs, which were inhibited by C3G. We demonstrated that selective inhibition of the NF-κB pathway in epithelial cells represents the main mechanism by which C3G exerts these protective effects. Thus, anthocyanins could contribute to the management of chronic gut inflammatory diseases

Inhibition of intestinal motility and secretion by extracts of Epilobium spp. in mice

Ethanol extracts of the fresh aerial parts of various Epilobium species were tested to elucidate the mechanism of their gastrointestinal activity in animals. The methods of charcoal meal, castor oil-induced diarrhoea, and enteropooling assay were used to evaluate their effect on mouse gut at various dose levels. The extracts were found to have a significant activity in all models. Moreover, the extracts resulted to possess very little toxicity. Thus, it can be concluded that Epilobium possesses anti-diarrhoeal, anti-motility, and anti-secretory activities and can prove beneficial in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

D-Allulose Reduces Hypertrophy and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Induced by Palmitic Acid in Murine 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

Natural rare sugars are an alternative category of sweeteners with positive physiologic and metabolic effects both in in vitro and animal models. D-allulose is a D-fructose epimer that combines 70% sucrose sweetness with the advantage of an extremely low energy content. However, there are no data about the effect of D-allulose against adipose dysfunction; thus, it remains to be confirmed whether D-allulose is useful in the prevention and in treatment of adipose tissue alterations. With this aim, we evaluated D-allulose’s preventive effects on lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 murine adipocytes exposed to palmitic acid (PA), a trigger for hypertrophic adipocytes. D-allulose in place of glucose prevented adipocyte hypertrophy and the activation of adipogenic markers C/EBP-β and PPARγ induced by high PA concentrations. Additionally, D-allulose pretreatment inhibited the NF-κB pathway and endoplasmic reticulum stress caused by PA, through activation of the Nrf2 pathway. Interestingly, these effects were also observed as D-allulose post PA treatment. Although our data need to be confirmed through in vivo models, our findings suggest that incorporating D-allulose as a glucose substitute in the diet might have a protective role in adipocyte function and support a unique mechanism of action in this sugar as a preventive or therapeutic compound against PA lipotoxicity through the modulation of pathways connected to lipid transport and metabolism

Antiulcer potential of a standardized extract of red orange juice in the rat

A standardized red orange extract (Red Orange Complex, ROC) has been evaluated for its potential protective effect on ethanol- and indomethacin-induced gastric lesions in rats. Oral administration of the ROC significantly prevented the development of gastric lesions in these experimental models. In addition, the effect of the ROC oil the spontaneous healing of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) ulcers in rats was examined. The spontaneous healing of gastric ulcer was significantly accelerated by repeated administration of the ROC. The histological condition of the mucosa, examined by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), confirmed the in vivo data. The results, on the whole, indicate that the ROC possesses javourable antiulcer and cytoprotective properties in rat

Phenolic Constituents and Antioxidant Activity of an Extract of Anthurium versicolor Leaves

Abstract: Fractionation of a methanolic extract of the leaves of Anthurium versicolor has resulted in the isolation of two main fractions, I and II. Both the extract and the fractions were assayed for their radical-scavenging activity by means of an in vitro test (bleaching of the stable 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical) and showed a significant radical-scavenging effect. Subsequent chromatographic fractionation of the most active fraction, II, has led to the isolation and characterization, as major constituents, of four new flavone glycosides, acacetin 6-C-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-d-glucopyranoside] (1), acacetin 6-C-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranoside] (2), acacetin 6-C-[β-d-apiofuranosyl-(1→3)-β-d-glucopyranoside] (3), and acacetin 8-C-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-d-glucopyranoside] (4), as well as vitexin (apigenin-8-C-β-d-glucopyranoside) and rosmarinic acid. The structures of 1−4 were determined using spectroscopic methods