Current Issue : October-December Volume : 2021 Issue Number : 4 Articles : 5 Articles
Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn, viz. milk thistle, has been the focus of research efforts in the past few years, albeit almost exclusively restricted to the medicinal properties of its fruits (achenes). Given that other milk thistle plant organs and tissues have been scarcely investigated for the presence of bioactive compounds, in this study, we present a phytochemical analysis of the extracts of S. marianum capitula during the flowering phenological stage (stage 67). Gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy results evidenced the presence of high contents of coniferyl alcohol (47.4%), and secondarily of ferulic acid ester, opening a new valorization strategy of this plant based on the former high-added-value component. Moreover, the application of the hydro-methanolic extracts as an antifungal agent has been also explored. Specifically, their activity against three fungal species responsible for the so-called Botryosphaeria dieback of grapevine (Neofusicoccum parvum, Dothiorella viticola and Diplodia seriata) has been assayed both in vitro and in vivo. From the mycelial growth inhibition assays, the best results (EC90 values of 303, 366, and 355 gmL1 for N. parvum, D. viticola, and D. seriata, respectively) were not obtained for the hydroalcoholic extract alone, but after its conjugation with stevioside, which resulted in a strong synergistic behavior. Greenhouse experiments confirmed the efficacy of the conjugated complexes, pointing to the potential of the combination of milk thistle extracts with stevioside as a promising plant protection product in organic Viticulture....
Mosquito vectors can transmit diverse infectious pathogens and parasites that cause diseases such as dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, West Nile fever, and malaria. Botanical-derived repellents have been applied for personal protection against various species of mosquito vectors. In Thailand, numerous plant extracts have so far been investigated for mosquito repellent activity. Recently, Ligusticum sinense hexane extract (LHE) was reported as a potential candidate for the development of a new natural alternative to standard synthetic repellent. This study formulated LHE into nanoemulsion gel (LHE-NEG) and investigated its repellent activity against three mosquito vectors, including Aedes aegypti, Anopheles minimus, and Culex quinquefasciatus. The results revealed that LHE-NEG provided comparable protection times to N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide nanoemulsion gel (DEET-NEG) against all mosquito species. Furthermore, LHE-NEG is safe for human health, based on the results of the skin irritation test. The repellent activity obtained from stored samples of LHE-NEG yielded satisfactory protection times of more than 2 h. Therefore, this gel formulation could be developed commercially, as an effective personal protection product against mosquito bites....
Onosma species have been used as a dye for hundreds of years due to their dark red pigments. These species have also been used by mankind in the treatment of various diseases since ancient times. This work analyzed the phytochemical composition in methanol extract of two endemic Onosma species (O. lycaonica and O. papillosa). Methanolic extract of these species varied in the content of flavonoids and phenolics. The flavonoids were found higher in O. papillosa [32.9 0.3 mg QEs (quercetin equivalent)/g extracts] while the phenolics were higher in O. lycaonica [43.5 1.5 mg GAEs (gallic acid equivalent)/g extracts]. ESI-MS/MS (electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry) revealed the presence of 25 compounds in O. lycaonica and 24 compounds in O. papillosa. The former was richer than the latter for apigenin, luteolin, eriodictyol, pinoresinol, apigenin 7-glucoside, rosmarinic acid, luteolin 7-glucoside, ferulic acid, vanillin, caffeic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, (+)- catechin3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. The O. papillosa exhibited low EC50 (1.90 0.07 mg/mL) which indicated its strong phosphomolybdenum scavenging activity as compared to O. lycaonica. However, the O. lycaonica showed low IC50 or EC50 for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,20-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS+), cupric reducing antioxidant power (CUPRAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and ferrous ion chelating activity, as compared to O. papillosa. The results proved the presence of potent antioxidant compounds in O. lycaonica. Further, the plant extracts significantly varied for enzyme inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), but the plant extracts did not significantly differ for inhibition of - glucosidase, -amylase, and tyrosinase. Onosma species deserve further research towards developing novel drugs to treat oxidative diseases....
The appearance of novel microbial resistance, diverse cancer ailment and several other morbidities such as appetite loss, hair loss, anemia, cell damage, etc., are among most critical situation that keeps the phytochemical quest on. Thus, this study characterized the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer potentials of a rarely accessed Acer cappadocicum gled (AC) population thriving in a remote Palas Valley in northern Pakistan. Leaf extracts of the plant were prepared in organic solvents with different polarities through maceration. Extracts were subjected to antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities using agar well, DPPH and cell viability assays. A. cappadocicum methanolic extract (ACM) significantly inhibited bacterial growth, followed by n-butanolic extract (ACB) with the second-highest bacterial inhibition. Similar activity was observed against mycelial growth inhibition in plant-fungal pathogen by ACM and ACB. However, human pathogenic fungi did not affect much by extracts. In antioxidant assessment, the chloroform extract (ACC) showed strong scavenging activity and in cytotoxic evaluation, extracts restricted growth proliferation in cancer cells. The inhibitory evidence of extracts, potent scavenging ability, and low cell viability of human-derived cell lines supports the antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancerous potential of A. cappadocicum. It advances our quest for natural product research....
The medicinal plant Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Soó (family Orchidaceae) is used to treat gastritis, colic, gastrointestinal tract, and bladder diseases. This study aimed to investigate the properties and characteristics of the in vitro Dactylorhiza maculata extract. The recommended parameters for producing Dactylorhiza maculata extract were determined: temperature 60 C, process duration 60 min, hydro module 1:10. It is recommended to carry out the extraction using an aqueous ethyl alcohol solution with a mass fraction of the parent substance of 70%. It was found that such biologically active substances as rutin, quercetin, 3,30,40,5,50,7-hexahydroxyflavonone, 3,30,40,5,50,7- hexahydroxyflavonone-3-O-glycoside, gallic acid, and ferulic acid were dominant in Dactylorhiza maculata. A high phosphorus content was noted (2410.8 mg/kg dry matter). The studied Dactylorhiza maculata samples contained a large number of organic acids and water-soluble vitamins. The tested extracts were safe in terms of the content of heavy metals, pesticides, aflatoxin B1, and radionuclides, as well as pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms; the content was significantly lower than the threshold limit values. The studied complex of biologically active substances from Dactylorhiza maculata extract samples had antimicrobial properties. It was found that the antioxidant activity of the samples was 217.89 10.89 mg AA/g (AA—ascorbic acid). The high content of bioactive substances and the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of Dactylorhiza maculata extract samples determine the application potential of this plant as a substitute for growth stimulants and feed antibiotics in the production of feed additives, aiming to increase the physiological and immune status of livestock and poultry....
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