Antioxidant Potential of Secondary Metabolite from Kelakai (Stenochlaena palustris) as a Natural Growth Promoter Through Inhibition of Inducible Nitrite Oxide Synthase (iNOS)

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary Moringa oleifera leaves meal (MOLM) supplementation as a natural growth promoter in broiler chickens. Total of 160 one day old Hubbard chicks were randomly divided into 4 equal groups. Group (1) served as a control group. Groups (2), (3) and (4) received MOLM in their feed at levels of 2.5%, 5% and 7 %, respectively, till the end of the experiment (42 days). The live body weights and the total amount of feed intake were recorded weekly. Hematological and biochemical tests were performed at 14th and 42th days of age. At the end of the experiment, birds were sacrificed and weights of breast meat, gizzard, heart and liver were recorded. It was observed that MOLM at 5 % and 7% levels significantly (P < 0.05) improved the weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and decreased the mortality rate. Moreover, the three levels of MOLM significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the total red blood cell count (RBC) at 14th and 42nd days of age respectively comparing with a control group. Last group (MOLM 7%), achieved a significant improvement of the hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), total antioxidant capacity(TAC), phagocytic activity, total leukocytes count (TLC), lymphocytes, total protein (TP) and globulin levels. In conclusion, MOLM 7% could be used as a natural growth promoter in broilers chicken.

The medicinal value of plants have assumed a more important dimension in the past few decades owing largely to the discovery that extracts from plants contain not only minerals and primary metabolites but also a diverse array of secondary metabolites with antioxidant potentials. However, there is dearth of knowledge on the medicinal uses and nutritional benefits of Curcuma longa and Viscum album. This study was designed to focus on the phytochemical and mineral composition in addition to the antioxidant activities of the methanol extracts of C. longa and V. album. Results indicated that the micro and macro mineral analysis exhibited significant presence of Fe, Zn, Mn, Ca and Mg while Cd, Pb, Ni and Cr were present in minute quantities. Phytochemical screening unravelled the presence of alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, steroids, phenols, tannins, saponins and flavonoids that were also proved by the quantitative analysis. There was a high correlation between the flavonoid content and antioxidant activities of the plant extracts. The antioxidant activities of the extracts were found to be concentration dependent. The results suggest that both plant extracts have good medicinal potentials and can serves as good sources of macro minerals.

Plants, especially on the leaves, have various bioactive compounds capable of becoming natural growth promoters. Plant leaf extracts have been widely studied for their ability as an antibiotic substitute for broiler chickens. This meta-analysis study was aimed to assess the effectiveness of supplementations with leaf extract on the growth performance of broiler chickens, using average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), final body weight (FBW), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) as responses observed criteria. The meta-analysis study was based on the articles published from 2006 to recent years as several countries started to ban in-feed antibiotics. Databases (PubMed, Scopus, Directory of Open Access Journals [DOAJ], and ScienceDirect) were searched for peer-reviewed randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in English. The meta-analysis included 19 research papers that met the criteria. Overall results showed a significant increase (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001) in ADFI by 0.56 g/day (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.02 to 1.11), in ADG by 1.57 g/day (95% CI = 0.77 to 2.36), and in FBW by 2.28 (95% CI = 1.40 to 3.16). At the same time, the FCR was reduced (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001) by -1.25 (95% CI = -1.76 to -0.73) relative to controls taking cognisance of publication bias and heterogeneity. Results in the current meta-analysis study indicated that herbal feed additives were proven to be effective as growth promoters in broiler chickens.

Exploring the role of jasmonic acid in boosting the production of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants: Pathway for future research

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of calliterpenone, a natural plant growth promoter from a shrub Callicarpa macrophylla Vahl., in enhancing the growth and yield promoting effects of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs), in menthol mint (Mentha arvensis L).This study is based on our previous results indicating the microbial growth promotion by calliterpenone and assumption that application of calliterpenone along with PGPRs will improve the population of PGPRs resulting in higher impacts on plant growth and yield. Of the 15 PGPRs (identified as potent ones in our laboratory), 25 μl of 0.01 mM calliterpenone (8.0 μg/100 ml) was found to be useful in improving the population of nine PGPRs in culture media. The five selected strains of PGPRs exhibiting synergy with calliterpenone in enhancing growth of maize compared to PGPR or calliterpenone alone were selected and tested on two cultivars (cvs. Kosi and Kushal) of M. arvensis. Of the five strains, Bacillus subtilis P-20 (16S rDNA sequence homologous to Accession No NR027552) and B. subtilis Daz-26 (16SrDNA sequence homologuos to Accession No GU998816) were found to be highly effective in improving the herb and essential oil yield in the cultivars Kushal and Kosi respectively when co-treated with calliterpenone. The results open up the possibilities of using a natural growth promoter along with PGPRs as a bio-agri input for sustainable and organic agriculture.

This study aims to utilise thyme oil (TO) as a natural growth promoter in comparison to mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) for broilers raised under hot climates from 1 to 28 days of age. Thus, a total of 180, day-old broilers chicks were divided into five groups (36 broilers/group in 6 replicates of 6 broilers/replicate). The chickens were fed the same corn-soybean meal basal diet and were submitted to one of the following five dietary treatments: (a) positive control group, fed the basal diet supplemented with MOS at 1g/kg feed; (b) negative control group, fed the basal diet without supplementation; (c) thyme oil 1.0 (TO_1.0) group fed TO at 1.0 g/kg feed, (d) thyme oil 1.5 (TO_1.5) group fed TO at 1.5 g/kg feed and (e) thyme oil 2.0 (TO_2.0) group fed TO at 2.0 g/kg feed. The TO_1.0 displayed a better feed conversion ratio (FCR) than did the other treatments (p < .01). The MOS, TO_1.5 and TO_2.0 groups had higher (p < .01) plasma total protein than the control, and TO_1.5 also increased plasma globulin (p < .01) compared to the control, but decreased plasma albumin/globulin ratio. Moreover, the TO groups significantly decreased the plasma AST. Groups on the MOS and TO_1.0 diets showed higher (p < .01) white blood cells (WBCs) than the other groups. In addition, the MOS and TO_2.0 groups exhibited a greater (p < .01) antibody titre to infectious bursa disease (IBD) than the control group. In conclusion, TO at 1.0 g/kg diet may be used as a potential growth enhancer for broilers in hot region during 1–28 days.

Broiler chickens were supplemented with oregano essential oil showed better early growth performance compared to those fed a standard diet or the antibiotic salinomycin. During the first 10 days, the chickens receiving oregano essential oil had a highly significantly higher feed intake (P&lt;0.01) than the group which received 1,000 ppm. It showed the highest average daily feed intake of 26.62 g/bird, followed by the 2,000 ppm and 4,000 ppm groups, which had averaged intakes of 25.9 and 25.81 g/bird, respectively. However, the differences among the oregano-supplemented groups were not statistically significant (P &gt; 0.05). In contrast, the control and antibiotic groups had lower feed intakes of 23.26 g/bird and 23.23 g/bird, respectively, but there were not significantly differed among the oregano-supplemented groups (P&gt;0.05). Additionally, body weights and daily growth rates in all groups receiving oregano were similar to those in the antibiotics group and were significantly higher (P&lt;0.01) as compared to the control group. However, no significant differences were observed among the various levels of oregano (P&gt;0.05). Notably, during the same period, the group supplemented with 2,000 ppm of oregano essential oil exhibited a feed conversion ratio (FCR) that was statistically compared (P &gt; 0.05) to the group receiving salinomycin. After the initial 10 days, there were not significant differed in growth performance or carcass traits across all treatment groups (P&gt;0.05). The feed cost per kilogram of meat produced during the starter period for the 1,000 ppm oregano group was 25.76 Baht/kg, as compared to the control group at 25.96 Baht/kg and the antibiotic group at 23.85 Baht/kg. These findings suggested that oregano essential oil, particularly at 1,000 ppm, can serve as a cost-effective alternative to antibiotics for enhancing early-stage growth in broiler chickens without negatively impacting overall production costs or carcass quality.

This investigation aimed to assess the potential impact of frankincense oil (FKO) from Boswellia serrata on broiler chicken growth performance parameters, including body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the starter, grower, and finisher phases. We also evaluated the hepatic histology, serum hepatorenal function tests, antioxidant activity, and inflammatory responses. A total of 400 three-day-old male chicks (Ross 308 broiler) (100.40 ± 0.13 g) were randomly assigned to four treatment groups (10 replicates/group, ten chicks/replicate). The birds were fed basal diet (FKO0, control group) or basal diet supplemented with 200, 400, and 600 FKO/kg of diet (FKO200, FKO400, FKO600, respectively). The experiment lasted 35 days. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that FKO contained 36 constituents, with the dominant compounds being 1,6,10-DODECATRIEN-3-OL, 3,7,11-TRIMETHYL-, [S-(Z)]- (12.42%), ç-Elemene (12.42%), à-Farnesene (12.42%), PHENOL and 2,4-BIS(1,1-DIMETHYLETHYL)- (7.15%). Distinctive FKO levels (200-600 mg/kg) showed greater BW without influencing total feed intake compared to the FKO0 treatment. The FCR was improved by the addition of FKO to the diets. The blood concentrations of alanine aminotransferase and creatinine increased (p < 0.05) in the FKO600 treatment. Dietary FKO linearly lowered serum malondialdehyde levels and enhanced blood total antioxidant capacity, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukine-1 β and interferon γ) compared to the control group. Broilers fed FKO at levels 200–600 mg kg−1 diet also exhibited lower serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Furthermore, the FKO400 and FKO600 treatments showed an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.01). Histomorphological analysis of the liver indicated no significant differences between the FKO-supplemented groups and the control group. However, the immunoexpression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine (transforming growth factor β) was considerably increased in the liver and spleen tissues of birds fed FKO in a level-dependent manner. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of FKO at levels up to 600 mg/kg can serve as a natural growth promoter in broiler chickens, leading to enhanced growth, hypolipidemic properties, antioxidant status, and immune responses.

To evaluate antioxidant and radical scavenging activities of organic extracts from fruit, roots and aerial parts of Fagonia cretica. Shed dried and powdered plant parts were initially extracted in methanol and subsequently partitioned in n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and 1-butanol successively. Antioxidant and radical scavenging potential of the methanol extracts and the fractions of each part were evaluated using total phenolic contents (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation radicals scavenging, reducing power (potassium ferricyanide-trichloroacetic acid system), ferric ion reducing antioxidant potential, lipid peroxidation inhibition activity (linoleic acid system) and total antioxidant activity (phosphomolybdate) assays. TPC and TFC values for methanol extracts and various fractions ranged from 0.23-4.30 mg/L gallic acid equivalents and from 30-545 mg/L rutin equivalents, respectively. Overall, methanol extracts and all the fractions of root and aerial parts showed higher TPC and TFC values. Methanol extracts and aqueous fractions of root and aerial parts and the n-butanol fraction of root showed lower EC50 values for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging than the other plant extracts. The 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging, total antioxidant potential and ferric ion reducing antioxidant potential values confirmed the presence of potent antioxidant principles in the methanol extract of roots. In general, all the extracts/fractions and especially those of root showed high antioxidant and radical scavenging activities. The crude methanol extract of root can be explored further for in vivo studies. This study revealed the potent antioxidant potential of Fagonia cretica and its prospective efficacy against various reactive oxygen species-mediated diseases.

BackgroundProstate cancer is a significant global health concern, particularly among ageing male populations, with a disproportionately higher burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Conventional treatments, though effective, are costly and cause devastating side effects which limit their clinical benefits. Hence, this study evaluated the in vitro antiprostate cancer properties and secondary metabolites of dichloromethane and ethyl acetate lead extracts of Vitex doniana to explore safer and efficacious natural alternatives based on ethnomedicinal claims.MethodsPhytochemical profiling was conducted using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis to identify secondary metabolites in the extracts. The cytotoxic effects of the extracts were determined through the MTT assay using Vero CCL-81 cells and DU-145 cells. The expression profile of the selected genes (ar, bcl2, caspase-3, cdk1, and p53) in DU-145 cells treated with the study extracts was investigated using RT-qPCR.ResultsGC-MS analysis revealed 10 secondary metabolites in the dichloromethane extract and 27 secondary metabolites in the ethyl acetate extract of V. doniana leaves, with the majority being sesquiterpenes, diterpenoids, and phytosterols. The dichloromethane and ethyl acetate leaf extracts of V. doniana exhibited low cytotoxicity against normal mammalian epithelial cells (Vero CCL-81), with CC50 values of 1,238.85 μg/mL and 964.81 μg/mL, respectively. Besides, the ethyl acetate leaf extract of the studied plant demonstrated potent anti-prostate cancer activity against DU-145 cells, with an IC50 of 35.68 μg/mL and a high selectivity index (SI) of 27.04. Likewise, the dichloromethane leaf extract of this plant displayed cytotoxic effects (IC50: 287.01 μg/mL) and a selectivity index of 4.32. The reference drug (Doxorubicin) showed a higher toxicity against Vero CCL-81(IC50: 0.41 μg/mL) and DU-145 (IC50: 0.28 μg/mL) cells and a lower selectivity index of 1.46. The DU-145 cells treated with the studied plant extracts exhibited notable upregulation of ar and bcl2, and normalization of caspase 3, cdk1 and p53 expression.ConclusionThe studied plant extracts possess in vitro anti-prostate cancer properties and could be promising candidates for further preclinical studies aimed at developing novel botanical-based therapies for the management of prostate cancer.

Computational development of novel triazole-based aromatase inhibitors (AIs) was carried out followed by investigation of the possible interaction modes of these compounds with the enzyme and prediction of the binding affinity by tools of molecular modeling. In doing so, in silico design of potential AIs candidates fully satisfying the Lipinski’s “rule of five” was performed using the concept of click chemistry. Complexes of these drug-like molecules with the enzyme were then simulated by molecular docking and optimized by semiempirical quantum chemical method PM7. To identify the most promising compounds, stability of the PM7-based ligand/aromatase structures was estimated in terms of the values of binding free energies and dissociation constants. At the final stage, structures of the top ranking compounds bound to aromatase were analyzed by molecular dynamic simulations and binding free energy calculations. As a result, eight hits that specifically interact with the aromatase catalytic site and exhibit the high-affinity ligand binding were selected for the final analysis. Six of eight compounds are shown to coordinate the aromatase heme group by the nitrogen–heme–iron interaction typical for triazole-based molecules. At the same time, two compounds form a coordination bond with the heme iron of the enzyme via the lone-pair electrons of their oxygen atoms, which is uncharacteristic for molecules with triazole moieties. All the identified compounds are also involved in multiple van der Waals contacts with the critically important residues of the enzyme hydrophobic pocket, such as Arg-115, Ile-133, Phe-134, Trp-224, Thr-310, Val-370, Met-374, Leu-477, and Ser-478. In addition, most of these compounds form hydrogen bond with Met-374 mimicking the interaction of aromatase with the natural substrate androstenedione, and individual ligands participate in specific π- or T-stacking interactions with the pyrrole rings of the enzyme heme group as well as in hydrogen bonding with Thr-310, Leu-372, Leu-477, and Ser-478. The selected AIs candidates show strong attachment to the enzyme active site, in line with the low values of dissociation constant and binding free energy. Taken together, the data obtained suggest that the identified compounds may present good scaffolds for the development of novel potent drugs against breast cancer.

The present study aimed to assess antioxidant activities of three organs (flower, fruit, and stem) extracts of Tunisian Ferula (F.) communis. Various experimental models were used to characterize the antioxidant activities in vitro as well as on ROS-induced fluorescence using dichlorofluorescein technique from phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated human myeloid cell line HL-60. Results showed that the antioxidant activities varied considerably with organs. Thus, flower exhibited higher DPPH-scavenging ability, reducing and chelating power than stem and fruit. Also, antioxidant capacities using ORAC method and a cell-based assay showed that fruit and stem exhibited statistically similar antioxidant activities. Moreover, F. communis contains high amounts of flavonoids with various health benefits attributed to their antioxidant potential. Likewise, to obtain biologically relevant information, the antioxidant activities of the extracts were evaluated on cellular models implicating the antioxidant activities; this test generally showed that F. communis flower extracts have the highest antioxidant capacities correlated to the highest total phenolic content. The identification of phenolic compounds in F. communis extracts using RP-HPLC revealed that resorcinol, ferulic, and syringic acids together with coumarin were the major molecules.

This study assessed the impacts of essential oils (EOs) consisting of 4.5 g cinnamaldehyde and 13.5 g thymol per 100 g of EOs as phytogenic growth promoters in broiler diet. A total of 216, one-day-old male Arbor Acres broiler chickens were randomly allotted into six groups, each with six replicates. The 1st group was fed a basal diet (Control) without supplementation; the 2nd group was fed the basal diet including zinc bacitracin (ZnB); the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th groups were fed the basal diet including EOs at 25 (EOs_25), 50 (EOs_50), 100 (EOs_100) and 150 (EOs_150) mg/kg diet, respectively. The group EOs_150 showed significantly increased (p < .05) body weight gain (BWG), enhanced feed conversion rate (FCR) and production efficiency index (PEI) compared to the other groups, except for EOs_100. Increasing concentrations of EOs above 25 mg/kg significantly (p < .05) increased protein, lipid and fibre digestibility; the addition of EOs also increased the amount of edible parts and dressing percentage of carcases. Diets EOs_100 and EOs_150 resulted in significantly increased plasma total protein and globulin levels, while EOs_150 led to higher plasma glucose concentrations. From the findings, supplementation with 100 mg/kg EOs in encapsulated, heat-stable forms could be used as an alternative growth promoter to ZnB in broiler chickens.Highlight• Essential oils can replace antibiotic in broiler nutrition with no adverse effects on growth performance.• Essential oils improved total edible parts and dressing percentage.• Essential oils enhanced digestibility of protein, lipid and fibre. Thus essential oils contained of 4.5 g cinnamaldehyde and 13.5 g thymol per 100 g can be used at 100 mg/kg feed as alternative growth promoter for broilers chickens.

Evaluation of antioxidant and antibacterial activity of methanolic extracts of Gentiana kurroo royle

The present study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of water extracts of sumac (Rhus coriaria), barberry (Berberis vulgaris), black pepper (Piper nigrum), red pepper (Capsicum annuum), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), laurel (Laurus nobilis), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), turmeric (Curcuma longa), white mustard (Sinapis alba) and nutmeg (Myristica fragrans). The antioxidant activity of extracts was tested using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and reducing power tests. The antibacterial activity of extracts was determined by agar well diffusion and resazurin microtiter-plate assays. Sumac, laurel and barberry extracts showed the highest antioxidant activity, respectively. Meanwhile, the highest concentration of total phenolic was obtained in the extracts of laurel and sumac. The results of antibacterial tests revealed that the extracts of sumac and barberry had the strongest antibacterial activity against tested bacteria. Practical Applications There is an increasing interest in using plant extracts by the food industry as natural preservatives. Lipid oxidation and microbial growth in food can be controlled by the use of plant extracts. This study showed that the water extracts of sumac, laurel and barberry had the strongest antioxidant activity while the sumac and barberry extracts exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against four foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, the water extracts of sumac, laurel and barberry can be used as effective preservatives in food systems.