ABTS Radical Research Articles

Determination of Trace Elements, Heavy Metals Content, and Free Radical Scavenging Activity of the Pigments Extracted of Donax trunculus shells Gathered from Giresun Coast

The study aimed to determine free radical scavenging activity, trace elements, and the heavy metals contents of the pigments extracted from Donax trunculus shells obtained at the Giresun the Black Sea coast. Free radical scavenging activity was determined by spectrophotometric DPPH and ABTS methods. Heavy metal and trace elements of the pigments were measured by ICP-MS. Pigments scavenged DPPH and ABTS radicals. On the other hand, it determined that the pigments had rich trace element concentrations (Fe 90.78 0.01 mg/kg; Cr 71.630.01; mg/kg, Mn 40.460.01 mg/kg; Zn 5.130.01 mg/kg; Cu 3.690.01 mg/kg; Se 1.220.01 mg/kg). Heavy metal content was within acceptable limits (Ni 4.280.03 mg/kg; Co 0.670.02 mg/kg; Pb 0.690.01 mg/kg; Cd 0.3880.01 mg/kg; As 0.2840.02 mg/kg). These results suggested that D. trunculus shells, considered food waste, would be a new bio-resource for obtaining natural antioxidants and micronutrients.

In vitro anticancer, antimicrobial and antiradical properties and bioactive compounds of endemic Wiedemannia orientalis Fisch. & Mey. flowers

W. orientalis is a one-year herbaceous plant, located in the Lamiaceae family, and is called Ballıbaba in Turkish. In the presented study, the antimicrobial and anticancer properties of flowers extracts of endemic W. orientalis were investigated for the first time. Also, it was investigated the antiradical activity and phytochemical contents of this plant extracts. According to our study results, endemic W. orientalis flowers extract show very high anticancer activity against MCF-7, HCT-116 and LNCaP cancer cell lines, high antiradical activity against ABTS radicals, and effective antimicrobial activity against some microorganism caused infection in humans. In conclusion, endemic W. orientalis can be used as an anticancer and antimicrobial agent and this plant can be the subject of further studies in the field of herbal medicine.

Paederia foetida Linn Leaves-Derived Extract Showed Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Properties Against Breast Carcinoma Cell

Paederia foetida Linn. is a rich source of active compounds, yet its antioxidant and cytotoxic properties remain poorly studied. This current research aimed to investigate the chemical profiles of a crude extract derived from P. foetida leaves, its fractionated substances, and their antioxidant and cytotoxic properties on MCF-7 cells, a breast carcinoma cell. Six fractionated substances have been separated in thin layer chromatography (TLC) plate. Five fractions showed antioxidant properties, as indicated by the formation of the yellowish band on the TLC plate after spraying with the DPPH reagent. Furthermore, crude extract of P. foetida leaves and its fractions are also characterized by antioxidant properties against 2, 2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals. F1 fraction exhibited the most potent antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 10.94±2.67 and 50.04±0.48 µg/ml, respectively, toward DPPH and ABTS radicals. Crude extract and all six fractions also varied in their cytotoxic properties against MCF-7 cells, with IC50 values ranging from 410.24±0.30 to 831.57±6.91 µg/ml. F3 fractions showed the strongest cytotoxicity (IC50 value: 410.24±0.30 µg/ml). Methanolic extract and active plant leaf fractions contained flavonoid and phenolic compounds, as measured by aluminum chloride and Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, respectively. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis showed that phenol, flavonoid, alkaloid, limonoid, and steroid were the major compound found in the crude extract and fractions. In conclusion, the present study proved that crude extract of P. foetida leaves and its fractionated substances were potential as antioxidant and cytotoxic agents.

Ex Vivo and In Vitro Antiaging and Antioxidant Extract Activity of the Amelanchier ovalis from Siberia

Phenolic acids are biologically active substances that prevent aging and age-related diseases, e.g., cancer, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, etc. Cellular senescence is related to oxidative stress. The Siberian Federal District is rich in medicinal plants whose extracts contain phenolic acids. These plants can serve as raw materials for antiaging, antioxidant food supplements, and Amelanchier ovalis is one of them. In the present research, we tested the phytochemical profile of its extract for phenolic acids. Its geroprotective and antioxidant properties were studied both ex vivo and in vitro using Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y-564 as a model organism. The chromotographic analysis revealed gallic, p-hydroxybenzoic, and protocatechuic acids, as well as derivatives of chlorogenic and gallic acids. The research involved 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/mL extracts of Amelanchier ovalis, all of which increased the growth and lifespan of yeast cells. In addition, the extracts increased the survival rate of yeast under oxidative stress. An in vitro experiment also demonstrated the antioxidant potential of Amelanchier ovalis against ABTS radicals. Therefore, the Amelanchier ovalis berry extract proved to be an excellent source of phenolic acids and may be recommended as a raw material for use in antioxidant and geroprotective food supplements.

Process optimization, structural characterization, and antioxidant activities of black pigment extracted from Enshi selenium-enriched Sesamum indicum L.

In recent decades, the development and utilization of selenium (Se) resources have attracted considerable attention based on evidence that Se deficiency is associated with some human diseases. In this study, Enshi Se-enriched Sesamum indicum L. [black sesame (BS)] pigment (BSP) was extracted by ultrasonic-assisted extraction with process optimization, the highest BSP yield of 1.36% was achieved when ultrasound temperature, extraction pH and ultrasound power was 73 °C, 2.9 and 273 W, respectively. After purification and lyophilization, the total Se content of Se-enriched BSP (2.427 ± 0.102 μg/g) was found to be 5.48-fold that of control BSP (0.443 ± 0.012 μg/g). Full-wavelength ultraviolet scanning and Fourier infrared (FI-IR) spectroscopy revealed that the combination of Se and BSP contributed to the typical absorption peak red-shift and new peak of Se-enriched BSP, respectively. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of Se-enriched BSP against hydroxyl radical, DPPH radical, and ABTS radical at 2.5 mg/mL were 78.6%, 82.1%, and 2.94 mmol/Trolox, respectively, indicating that Se-enriched BSP possesses greater antioxidant capacity than control BSP. Based on the significant Se content and good antioxidant characteristics, Se-enriched BSP can be considered as a functional pigment for potential application in the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Low-Dimensional Compounds Containing Bioactive Ligands. Part XIX: Crystal Structures and Biological Properties of Copper Complexes with Halogen and Nitro Derivatives of 8-Hydroxyquinoline

Six new copper(II) complexes were prepared: [Cu(ClBrQ)2] (1a, 1b), [Cu(ClBrQ)2]·1/2 diox (2) (diox = 1,4-dioxane), [Cu(BrQ)2] (3), [Cu(dNQ)2] (4), [Cu(dNQ)2(DMF)2] (5) and [Cu(ClNQ)2] (6), where HClBrQ is 5-chloro-7-bromo-8-hydroxyquinoline, HBrQ is 7-bromo-8-hydroxyquinoline, HClNQ is 5-chloro-7-nitro-8-hydroxyquinoline and HdNQ is 5,7-dinitro-8-hydroxyquinoline. Prepared compounds were characterised by infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis and by X-ray structural analysis. Structural analysis revealed that all complexes are molecular. Square planar coordination of copper atoms in [Cu(XQ)2] (XQ = ClBrQ (1a, 1b), BrQ (3) and ClNQ (6)) and tetragonal bipyramidal coordination in [Cu(dNQ)2(DMF)2] (5) complexes were observed. In these four complexes, bidentate chelate coordination of XQ ligands via oxygen and nitrogen atoms was found. Hydrogen bonds stabilizing the structure were observed in [Cu(dNQ)2(DMF)2] (5) and [Cu(ClNQ)2] (6), no other nonbonding interactions were noticed in all five structures. The stability of the complexes in DMSO and DMSO/water was evaluated by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Cytotoxic activity of the complexes and ligands was tested against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HCT116, CaCo2, HeLa, A549 and Jurkat cancer cell lines. The selectivity of the complexes was verified on a noncancerous Cos-7 cell line. Antiproliferative activity of the prepared complexes was very low in comparison with cisplatin, except complex 3; however, its activity was not selective and was similar to the activity of its ligand HBrQ. Antibacterial potential was observed only with ligand HClNQ. Radical scavenging experiments revealed relatively high antioxidant activity of complex 3 against ABTS radical.

UPLC-TOF/MS-based metabolomics reveals the chemical changes and in vitro biological effects in fermentation of white ginseng by four probiotics.

Microbial fermentation is a useful method for improving the biological activity of Chinese herbal medicine. Herein, we revealed the effects of solid-state fermentation by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Bacillus licheniformis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Eurotium cristatum and multiple strains on total flavonoid content, total phenol content, as well as antioxidants, α-amylase inhibitory activities and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities in white ginseng (WG). Metabolite differences between non-fermented and fermented WG by different probiotics were comprehensively investigated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-TOF-MS). Results showed that the total flavonoid content, ferric reducing antioxidant power, scavenging activities of DPPH radical and ABTS radical, α-amylase inhibitory activities and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of WG were considerably enhanced after processing by solid-state fermentation in all strains. The total phenol content was increased by E. cristatum and B. licheniformis fermentation, but decreased by L. plantarum, S. cerevisiae and multi-strain fermentation. Additionally, E. cristatum exhibited stronger biotransformation activity on WG compared to other strains. Significant differential metabolites were mainly annotated as prenol lipids, carboxylic acids and derivatives, flavonoids, polyphenols, coumarins and derivatives. Correlation analysis further showed that changes of these metabolites were closely related to antioxidant and hypoglycemic effects. Our results confirmed that fermentation of WG by different probiotics has distinct effects on biological activities and metabolite composition, and indicating fermentation as an important novel strategy to promote components and bioactivities of WG.

The influence of cinnamon and litsea cubeba essential oils on methylcellulose films

AbstractThe aim of this study was to prepare active, biodegradable methylcellulose films and evaluate their properties after incorporating cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) and litsea cubeba (Litsea cubeba) essential oils. The properties of the methylcellulose films were modified with the addition of essential oils. The surfaces were smooth and homogeneous in all samples. The film with cinnamon oil showed higher antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and the film with litsea cubeba showed higher antioxidant activity against ABTS radical. The biodegradation time of the films in black sand and beach soil was 20 days. The films produced that presented the highest potential to become active packaging were the film with litsea cubabe oil as antioxidant packaging and the film with cinnamon oil as antibacterial packaging.

Evaluation of Anti-oxidant properties of some medicinal plant products by ABTS Radical Scavenging Assay

Antioxidant properties of plant products Cumin, Cinnamon, Pepper, Clove, and Star anise were measured against Quercetin as control by ABTS radical scavenging assay. The absorbance is recorded at 734nm, and percent inhibition is calculated at different concentrations of the sample. Graph pad prism method is used to calculate the IC50 values. A comparative account is tabulated in the study for the afore-mentioned plant products. Among the tested samples, Cinnamon has exhibited the highest IC50 value being 142 in chloroform extracts and the lowest being 18.09 is of star anise in methanol extracts.

Antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticholinesterase potential of Chenopodium murale L. extracts using in vitro and in vivo approaches

Abstract In this study, Chenopodium murale Linn. extracts have been evaluated for its in vitro antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, and in vivo neuropharmacological properties in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced memory impairment in rat model. First, the plant was subjected to extraction and fractionation, then quantitative phytochemical analysis was performed to estimate the major phytochemical groups in the extract where high amounts of phenolics and saponins were detected in crude and chloroform extract. The highest total phenolic contents, total flavonoid contents, and total tannin content were also recorded in crude extract and chloroform fraction. The in vitro antioxidant potential of chloroform fraction was high with IC50 value of 41.78 and 67.33 μg/mL against DPPH and ABTS radicals, respectively, followed by ethyl acetate fraction. The chloroform fraction (ChMu-Chf) also exhibited potent activity against glucosidase with IC50 of 89.72 ± 0.88 μg/mL followed by ethyl acetate extract (ChMu-Et; IC50 of 140.20 ± 0.98 μg/mL). ChMu-Chf again exhibited potent activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) with IC50 of 68.91 ± 0.87 μg/mL followed by ChMu-Et with IC50 of 78.57 ± 0.95 μg/mL. In vivo memory impairment was assessed using the novel object discrimination task, Y-maze, and passive avoidance task. Ex vivo antioxidant enzyme activities and oxidative stress markers like catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde, and glutathione were quantified, and the AChE activity was also determined in the rat brain. No significant differences were observed amongst all the groups treated with crude, chloroform, and ethyl acetate in comparison with positive control donepezil group in connection to initial latency; whereas, the STZ diabetic group displayed a significant fall in recall and retention capability. The blood glucose level was more potently lowered by chloroform extract. The crude extract also increased the SOD level significantly in the brain of the treated rat by 8.01 ± 0.51 and 8.19 ± 0.39 units/mg at 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight (P < 0.01, n = 6), whereas the chloroform extract increased the SOD level to 9.41 ± 0.40 and 9.72 ± 0.51 units/mg, respectively, at 75 and 150 mg/kg body weight as compared to STZ group. The acetylcholine level was also elevated to greater extent by chloroform fraction that might contain a potential inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase. Treatment with C. murale ameliorated cognitive dysfunction in behavioral study, and provided significant defense from neuronal oxidative stress in the brain of the STZ-induced diabetic rats. Thus C. murale Linn. could be an inspiring plant resource that needs to be further investigated for isolation of potential compounds in pure form and their evaluation as a potent neuropharmacological drug.

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction, structural, functional, and antioxidant properties of Glycyrrhiza uralensis seed protein

The ultrasound-assisted extraction of Glycyrrhiza uralensis seed protein (GSP-U) was optimized through response surface methodology, and the enzymatic hydrolysates (GSP-H) was prepared. Then, the structural, functional properties, and antioxidant activity in vivo and in vitro were evaluated. The results showed that the optimum extraction conditions of GSP-U were as follows: ultrasonic power 400 W, time 40 min, material-liquid ratio 1:29 g/mL. Under these conditions, the yield and content of GSP-U were 15.14% and 39.72%, respectively. Alkaline protease was determined to be has a better effect on enzymatic hydrolysis of GSP-U, both GSP-U and GSP-H has great water and oil holding capacity. Additionally, GSP-H showed stronger scavenging activity on DPPH, OH and ABTS radicals, with IC50 of 0.129, 0.597 and 0.046 mg/mL, respectively. GSP-H protected mice from D-galactose-induced oxidative damage by reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) content, increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) levels. This study could provide a basis for the discovery of potential development and application value of Glycyrrhiza uralensis seed protein in the functional food, pharmaceutical, and other fields.

Probiotic coffee ice cream as an innovative functional dairy food

AbstractThe use of concentrated coffee extract (CCE) with probiotic bacteria in the production of ice cream was evaluated as an innovative functional dairy food. The most prevalent phenolic compounds and B‐complex vitamins in CCE were chlorogenic acid and folic acid, with 7.39 and 4.67 mg/ml, respectively. CCF showed strong antibacterial activity against both gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacteria as well as fungi. Ice cream formulated with 3% CCE showed higher overrun (41.76%), fat destabilization (15.14%), and melting rate (1.19 g/min). The addition of probiotic bacteria Bifidobacterium breve Bb‐12 and Lactobacillus plantarum increased the mixture's viscosity, overrun and melting rate. CCE‐containing ice creams exhibited significant antioxidant activity against the DPPH and ABTS radicals, with the increase being proportional to the CCE content. In comparison to ice cream containing 5% CCE, ice cream containing 3% CCE, with and without probiotic bacteria, had a favorable brown color, a smoother texture, less bitterness, and the desired coffee flavor. It can be concluded that 3% CCE with probiotic bacteria can be used to produce a functional ice cream with the desired coffee flavor and rich in natural bioactive compounds such as phenols and vitamins.Novelty impact statement Probiotic coffee ice cream is a functional dairy food that contains necessary nutrients and is rich in phenolic compounds that display strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activity in addition to being supported by probiotic bacteria. Probiotic coffee ice cream is a distinct type of ice cream with the desired coffee flavor for most consumers and it improves the mental state and helps burn calories. In addition to its health benefits, the use of probiotic bacteria can improve the mixture's viscosity and increase the overrun of the resulting ice cream.

Effects of the Addition of Dendrobium officinale on Beer Yeast Fermentation

Dendrobium officinale is a precious Chinese medicinal plant that is rich in polysaccharides, flavonoids, polyphenols, and other bioactive ingredients, and has a variety of biological activities. To explore the effects of D. officinale on the growth and metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, different concentrations (0, 10, 30, 50, and 100 g/L) of fresh D. officinale were added to the wort during the fermentation. The amount of yeast, alcohol content, reducing sugars, total acidity, pH, CO2 loss, and foam height were analyzed. Meanwhile, the glucose uptake, cell viability, key enzyme activity of yeast, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, volatile compounds, and consumer acceptance of brewed samples were also analyzed. The results showed that the growth and metabolism of yeast could be promoted by a suitable dosage of D. officinale but were inhibited at high dosage (100 g/L). The addition of D. officinale increased the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase, while the highest concentration of D. officinale (100 g/L) decreased the glucose uptake and cell activity of the yeast. The contents of total phenolics and esters, along with the scavenging activity against ABTS radicals, were increased, indicating that the antioxidant activity and aromatic characteristics of beer would be improved by the addition of D. officinale.

Process Optimization, Amino Acid Composition, and Antioxidant Activities of Protein and Polypeptide Extracted from Waste Beer Yeast

Repurposing of waste beer yeast (WBY) that a main by-product of brewing industry has attracted considerable attention in recent years. In this study, the protein and polypeptide were extracted by ultrasonic-assisted extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis with process optimization, which resulted in a maximum yield of 73.94% and 61.24%, respectively. Both protein and polypeptide of WBY were composed of 17 Amino acids (AA) that included seven essential amino acids (EAA), and typically rich in glutamic acid (Glu) (6.46% and 6.13%) and glycine (Gly) (5.26% and 6.02%). AA score (AAS) revealed that the threonine (Thr) and SAA (methionine + cysteine) were the limiting AA of WBY protein and polypeptide. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of WBY polypeptide that lower than 10 kDa against hydroxyl radical, DPPH radical, and ABTS radical were 95.10%, 98.37%, and 69.41%, respectively, which was significantly higher than that of WBY protein (25–50 kDa). Therefore, the protein and polypeptide extracted from WBY can be a source of high-quality AA applying in food and feed industry. Due to small molecular weight, abundant AA, and great antioxidant activity, WBY polypeptide can be promisingly used as functional additives in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry.

Antiradical properties of peptides from hydrobionts

Antiradical activity of water-soluble components of tissues is investigated for 26 species of marine organisms belonged to 7 classes: Bivalvia, Cephalopoda, Malacostraca, Holothuroidea, Asteroidea, Echinoidea, and Actinopterygii. Molecular weight of the proteins and peptides was measured in the water extracts using the modular liquid chromatograph (Agilent Technologies 1260 Infinity, USA) with UV detection at 280 nm in TSK gel column G 3000PWXL 7.8 mm I.D. × 30 cm (TOSOH Corporation, Japan) under flow rate of 0.3 mL/min and temperature of 25о C. All samples were twice prepared and double measured. The mobile phase consisted of 0.1 N NaCI 20 mM Tris-HCI buffer with pH 7.8. The following standard protein samples were used as a reference for the molecular weight measurement: bovine serum albumin (MW 66.3 kDa), egg albumin (44.3 kDa), myoglobin (18.0 kDa), cytochrome C (12.4 kDa), aprotinin (6.5 kDa), and bacitracin (1.4 kDa) (Sigma-Aldrich Co., USA). All samples were filtered before injection through 0.2 µm syringe filter (Whatman, PVDF). Molecular weight of peptides was calculated by the elution time. Scavenging effect on DPPH free radical was measured by Molyneux method and on ABTS radical – by the method proposed by Re et al. The maximum antiradical activity (measured by mg of ascorbic acid per 1 g) was found for the tissue of Patiria pectinifera (5.21), its various values were determined for the tissue of bivalve mollusks (Corbicula japonica, Mercenaria stimpsoni, Spisula sachalinensis, and Glycymeris yessoensis — 5.10; 1.15; 1.36 and 1.08, respectively) and medium values — for gonads of Strongylocentrotus intermedius and S. nudus (2.18 and 2.21, respectively). The amount of proteins and peptides with low molecular weight (1–5 kDa) correlated well with the radical scavenging activity (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.801, r2 = 0.642).

Antioxidant and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitory Activity of Cereal Grain

Antioxidant and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitory Activity of Cereal Grain

Efficacy of Rytigynia senegalensis Blume on Free Radical Scavenging, Inhibition of α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase Activity, and Blood Glucose Level

Rytigynia senegalensis (Rubiaceae) is a plant used in African medicine for the treatment of diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and hypoglycemic effects of Rytigynia senegalensis extract (RSE). The contents of phenols, tannins, and flavonoids were determined by phytochemical screening. 2,2-Azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were determined to evaluate the free radical scavenging capacity of the RSE. The inhibitory activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase was evaluated in vitro using the α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition methods and in vivo using the sucrose and starch tolerance tests. The glucose tolerance test was performed on normal rats using doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg of RSE. RSE contains total phenols (36.35 mg GAE/g of extract), flavonoids (11.91 mg QE/g of extract), and tannins (13.01 mg CE/g of extract). RSE exhibits significant radical scavenging activity on DPPH and ABTS radicals with an IC50 of 17.51 and 21.89 μg/mL, respectively. RSE showed an inhibitory effect on the activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase with an IC50 of 308.93 and 354.13 μg/mL, respectively. RSE (100 and 200 mg/kg) caused a significant decrease in area under the curve and postprandial glycemia at 60, 90, and 120 min following the administration of starch or sucrose. Regarding the glucose tolerance test, RSE (100 and 200 mg/kg) significantly reduced postprandial hyperglycemia from the 90th min posttreatment. RSE lowered postprandial hyperglycemia and has antioxidant properties. These effects would be due to the presence of bioactive compounds in the RSE.

In vitro investigation of antimicrobial, enzyme inhibitory and free radical scavenging activities of Inula salicina L.

In this study, in vitro biological activities and total phenol/flavonoid contents of methanol extract (ISM) and its hexane (ISH), chloroform (ISC), ethyl acetate (ISEA) and aqueous methanol (ISAM) fractions obtained from aerial parts of Inula salicina were investigated. ISEA showed the highest antioxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals with an IC50 value of 0.014 mg ml-1for both assays. ISEA exhibited a good anti-inflammatory activity with an IC50 value of 0.060 mg ml-1. ISEA was found to exhibit a moderate level of antidiabetic activity against α amylase enzyme with an IC50 value of 0.290 mg ml-1. ISEA and ISM presented low and moderate inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase enzymes with IC50 values of 0.577 and 0.279 mg ml-1, respectively. ISC with MIC values of 78 and 156 µg ml-1 displayed a significant antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis, respectively. Almost all extracts had moderate effect against Candida species. The highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined in ISEA with 574.8 mg GAE (gallic acid equivalent) g-1 extract and 30.48 mg QE (quercetin equivalent) g-1 extract, respectively. These results showed that ISEA had a good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity with moderate α-amylase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. Also, ISC exhibited a significant antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus species.

Extraction, characterization, antioxidant and anti-tumor activities of polysaccharides from Camellia fascicularis leaves

The ultrasonic-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from Camellia fascicularis (PCF) was optimized using response surface methodology. After separation and purification with DEAE-52 cellulose and Sephadex G-200 glucan gel columns, the purified polysaccharide components of PCFa-1 and PCFc-1 were analyzed for their structural characterization, antioxidant and anti-tumor activities in vitro. The results indicated that liquid to material ratio of 42 mL/g, ultrasonic time of 53 min, ultrasonic temperature of 73 °C, and ultrasonic power of 215 W were the optimum extraction conditions for PCF with maximum yields (4.05 %). PCFa-1 and PCFc-1 contained 5.88 % and 9.58 % uronic acid content, with 7.53 and 108.91 kDa of average molecular weights, respectively. The PCFa-1 was mainly constituted of galactose, arabinose, and glucose, while PCFc-1 was primarily composed of arabinose, glucose, galacturonic acid, and rhamnose. Fourier transform infrared spectra revealed that PCFa-1 and PCFc-1 contained typical polysaccharide bands. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the surface of PCFa-1 and PCFc-1 were irregular and clumpy structures. Nuclear magnetic resonance showed that PCFa-1 and PCFc-1 were mainly α-glycosidic bond conformation. Furthermore, the PCFc-1 showed better antioxidant capacities than PCFa-1 against hydroxyl, DPPH, and ABTS radicals and exhibited more potent toxicity on A549 and HepG2 cells. These research results suggested that PCF, especially PCFc-1, possesses great potential as natural antioxidants and anti-tumor drugs.

Anti-inflammatory effects of different parts of Algerian caper (Capparis spinosa) on animal models

Capparis spinosa L. is a Mediterranean shrub widely used in traditional herbal medicine. This medicinal plant possesses several biological activities such as antioxidant, hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory effects. The present study aims to assess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Algerian C. spinosa methanolic extracts from leaves (LME), stems (SME) and fruits (FME). Determination of total polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins was carried out using colorimetric methods. Antioxidant properties were evaluated using free radical scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS, reducing power and β-carotene/linoleic acid tests. The Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using carrageenan induced paw edema (CIPE), xylene (XIEE) and croton oil-induced ear edema (CIEE) models. The results showed that LME contains the highest concentrations of polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins. This extract also showed the highest reducing power (EC50= 32.83 ± 0.57 μg/ml), and scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals (IC50 = 30.51 ± 1.86 μg/ml and 11.93± 0.08 μg/ml, respectively), whilst the preventing of β-carotene bleaching was strong and similar for the three studied extracts. Unlike stem, both leaf and fruit exerted anti-edematous effect on all studied models. In conclusion, these results confirmed that C. spinosa parts possess different antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects related to their content in polyphenol and/or flavonoid contents, and justify the wide traditional use of this plant. Extracts of C. spinosa can serve as a good source of phytoconstituents used as drugs to treat inflammatory illness.