Crude Water Extracts Research Articles

Effect of Glycyrrhiza uralensis crude water extract on the expression of Nitric Oxide Synthase 2 gene during myogenesis

Glycyrrhiza uralensis is a traditional herbal medicine with significant bioactivity. This study investigated the effect of G. uralensis crude water extract (GU-CWE) on nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) expression during myogenesis. GU-CWE treatment increased myoblast differentiation by downregulating NOS2 and upregulating myogenic regulatory factors (MYOD, MYOG, and MYH). Notably, this effect was supported by an observed decrease in NOS2 expression in the gastrocnemius tissues of mice treated with GU-CWE. In addition, GU-CWE treatment and NOS2 knockdown were associated with reductions in reactive oxygen species levels. We further elucidate the role of the NOS2 gene in myoblast differentiation, demonstrating that its role was expression dependent, being beneficial at low expression but detrimental at high expression. High NOS2 gene expression induced oxidative stress, whereas its low expression impaired myotube formation. These findings highlight that the modulation of NOS2 expression by G. uralensis can potentially be use for managing muscle wasting disorders.

The Safety Assessment of Mutagenicity, Acute and Chronic Toxicity of the Litsea martabanica (Kurz) Hook.f. Water Leaf Extract.

Litsea martabanica (Kurz) Hook.f. has traditionally been used as an anti-insecticidal agent and as a medication due to its hepatoprotective properties by highland communities in Thailand. This study examined the mutagenicity, as well as the acute and chronic toxicity, of the L. martabanica water leaf extract in Sprague-Dawley rats. The pharmacognostic evaluation of L. martabanica was performed in this study to ensure its authenticity and purity. Then, the sample was extracted using decoction with water to obtain the crude water extract. The assessment of acute toxicity involved a single oral administration of 5000 mg/kg, whereas the chronic toxicity assessment comprised daily oral doses of 250, 750, and 2250 mg/kg over 270 days. Various physiological and behavioral parameters, as well as body and organ weights, were systematically monitored. The endpoint assessments involved hematological and biochemical analyses plus gross and histopathological assessments of the internal organs. Our results exhibited no mutagenic activation by the L. martabanica water leaf extract in the Ames test, and no acute toxicity was observed. In the chronic toxicity tests, no abnormalities were found in rats receiving the L. martabanica water leaf extract across multiple measures, comprising behavioral, physiological, and hematological indices. Crucially, the histopathological assessment corroborated previous studies, reporting an absence of any tissue abnormalities. The results revealed that the L. martabanica water leaf extract had no adverse effects on rats over 270 days of oral administration. This demonstrates its safety and crucial scientific evidence for informing public policy and enabling its potential future commercial use in both highland and lowland communities.

Biological evaluation of leftover hydrodistilled peels of Citrus sinensis for in-vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic potential

IntroductionCitrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck, a member of the Rutaceae family, is medicinal plant high in polyphenols and well-documented in traditional Chinese system of medicine for various significant pharmacological activities. The present study evaluates the antioxidant and antidiabetic potential of leftover hydrodistilled peels of C. sinensis. MethodCrude extract and fractions of Leftover hydrodistilled peels were studied for polyphenolic content. Biological evaluation of crude water extract and fractions at different concentrations was done for in vitro antioxidant DPPH and ABTS assay and antidiabetic α amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition. ResultThe estimated phenolic content in crude water extract and chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and residual fractions were found in a range of 9.26±1.02 - 403±1.3 mg/g equivalent to gallic acid. The flavonoid content was estimated as 3.61±1.34 - 51.4±0.38 mg/g equivalent to quercetin with predominance in ethyl acetate fraction. Antioxidant potential using DPPH and ABTS revealed concentration-dependent activity in ethyl acetate fraction followed by chloroform, crude water extract, residual fraction and n-butanol fraction. Further inhibition of α-glucosidase, and α-amylase indicated the use of hydrodistilled leftover peels as an additional source of antidiabetic compound. ConclusionThe findings of this study indicate that a notable percentage of this waste provided evidence for its utilization scope in the medicinal and nutraceutical sectors and must be recycled to obtain value-added products that can be used to meet population demand.

Licochalcone A and B enhance muscle proliferation and differentiation by regulating Myostatin

BackgroundMyostatin (MSTN) inhibition has demonstrated promise for the treatment of diseases associated with muscle loss. In a previous study, we discovered that Glycyrrhiza uralensis (G. uralensis) crude water extract (CWE) inhibits MSTN expression while promoting myogenesis. Furthermore, three specific compounds of G. uralensis, namely liquiritigenin, tetrahydroxymethoxychalcone, and Licochalcone B (Lic B), were found to promote myoblast proliferation and differentiation, as well as accelerate the regeneration of injured muscle tissue. PurposeThe purpose of this study was to build on our previous findings on G. uralensis and demonstrate the potential of its two components, Licochalcone A (Lic A) and Lic B, in muscle mass regulation (by inhibiting MSTN), aging and muscle formation. MethodsG. uralensis, Lic A, and Lic B were evaluated thoroughly using in silico, in vitro and in vivo approaches. In silico analyses included molecular docking, and dynamics simulations of these compounds with MSTN. Protein-protein docking was carried out for MSTN, as well as for the docked complex of MSTN-Lic with its receptor, activin type IIB receptor (ACVRIIB). Subsequent in vitro studies used C2C12 cell lines and primary mouse muscle stem cells to acess the cell proliferation and differentiation of normal and aged cells, levels of MSTN, Atrogin 1, and MuRF1, and plasma MSTN concentrations, employing techniques such as western blotting, immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry, cell proliferation and differentiation assays, and real-time RT-PCR. Furthermore, in vivo experiments using mouse models focused on measuring muscle fiber diameters. ResultsCWE of G. uralensis and two of its components, namely Lic A and B, promote myoblast proliferation and differentiation by inhibiting MSTN and reducing Atrogin1 and MuRF1 expressions and MSTN protein concentration in serum. In silico interaction analysis revealed that Lic A (binding energy -6.9 Kcal/mol) and B (binding energy -5.9 Kcal/mol) bind to MSTN and reduce binding between it and ACVRIIB, thereby inhibiting downstream signaling. The experimental analysis, which involved both in vitro and in vivo studies, demonstrated that the levels of MSTN, Atrogin 1, and MuRF1 were decreased when G. uralensis CWE, Lic A, or Lic B were administered into mice or treated in the mouse primary muscle satellite cells (MSCs) and C2C12 myoblasts. The diameters of muscle fibers increased in orally treated mice, and the differentiation and proliferation of C2C12 cells were enhanced. G. uralensis CWE, Lic A, and Lic B also promoted cell proliferation in aged cells, suggesting that they may have anti-muslce aging properties. They also reduced the expression and phosphorylation of SMAD2 and SMAD3 (MSTN downstream effectors), adding to the evidence that MSTN is inhibited. ConclusionThese findings suggest that CWE and its active constituents Lic A and Lic B have anti-mauscle aging potential. They also have the potential to be used as natural inhibitors of MSTN and as therapeutic options for disorders associated with muscle atrophy.

Phytochemical components analysis and hypolipidemic effect on hyperlipidemia mice of the aerial parts from Allium sativum.

The bulbs of Allium sativum are widely used as food or seasoning (garlic), while they have also been utilized as a famous traditional medicine since ancient eras for the treatment of scabies, tuberculosis, pertussis, diarrhea and dysentery, etc. However, very few studies focus on their abundant aerial parts, which are normally discarded during the harvest season. The hyperlipidemic mice model has been used to study the lipid-lowering effect of the aerial parts in this article. 180 mice were randomly divided into 18 groups, including blank control (BC), model (Mod), positive control (PC), and low-, medium-, and high-dose groups of the crude extract, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and residual water extracts (corresponding to CE, PEE, EAE, NBE, WE), with 10 mice in each group. The preventive effects of the extracts on hyperlipidemic mice lasted for four weeks. Ultra performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS) and gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) were used to analyze the chemical components of NBE and PEE respectively. The results of the mice experiment showed that n-butanol extract (NBE) and petroleum ether extract (PEE) from the aerial parts could significantly reduce the contents of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) in serum of hyperlipidemic mice, and increase the contents of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). They could enhance the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in liver and reduce the level of malondialdehyde (MDA). At the same time, they could improve steatosis and inflammation of liver cells. The results of phytochemical components analysis showed that NBE was rich in organic acids, flavonoids and nitrogen-containing constituents, while PEE contained organic sulfur compounds, aliphatic acids and derivatives, alkaloids, phytosterols, etc. These results support that the aerial parts of A. sativum are an interesting source of bioactive ingredients that may be useful in the prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia.

Screening antioxidant activity of seaweed extracts collected in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta for dietary supplementation of whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

This study assessed the yield and antioxidant ability of seaweed extracts harvested from the Vietnamese Mekong Delta for the dietary supplementation of whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. In the first experiment, a two-factor test was randomly designed, including three seaweed types (Chaetomorpha linum, Enteromorpha intestinalis, and Gracilaria tenuistipitata) combined with three solvent types (100°C hot water, 90% methanol, and 90% ethanol). The results indicate that C. linum extracted in hot water had a relatively high yield, total phenolic content, and the best antioxidant capacity, as illustrated by DPPH free radical scavenging, ferric chelating, and ferrous reducing power assays. In the second experiment, a feeding trial used the crude hot water extract of C. linum for juvenile L. vannamei. This experiment consisted of five treatments in which commercial feed was supplemented with crude extract at levels of 0 (control), 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2%. Shrimp (mean weight: 0.65 ± 0.09 g) were raised in a total of 15 containers (volume: 500 L) with a density of 200 ind./m3. After 60 days of culture, shrimp survival showed no significant difference across treatments. Moreover, shrimp fed a 0.6% C. linum hot water extract diet had a significantly higher growth rate, production, feed efficiency, and digestive enzyme activity (trypsin, lipase, and amylase) than the control and other groups. Interestingly, polynomial regression revealed that a 0.52% extract diet gave the optimal feed conversion ratio, which was considered the appropriate supplementation level for L. vannamei.

Potential toxicity of Schisandra chinensis to water environment: acute toxicity tests with water crustaceans

Fruits of Schisandrachinensis, an East Asian liana plant, are currently more and more used to produce nutrient supplements that positively affect human health due to the content of various secondary metabolites. On the other hand, these substances because of their bioactivity can cause possible allelopathic or toxic effects concerning other organisms (algae, plants, animals). But the ecotoxicological properties of S. chinensis outside its area of origin have yet to be sufficiently verified. Two crustaceans, Daphnia magna and Thamnocephalus platyurus, were selected as model aquatic organisms to test the potential impact of S. chinensis active compounds on the aquatic environment. Crude water extract from S. chinensis fruits, simulating the natural leakage of active substances in water, was tested in treatments from 0.0045 to 45 mg/L (according to the content of schisandrin as the dominating lignan). Effective concentration (EC50) causing 50% lethal effect for D. magna was established to 0.0448 mg/L after 24 h and 0.0152 mg/L after 48 h. EC50 for T. platyurus reached 0.4572 mg/L after 24 h, i.e. more than ten times higher than for D. magna. This study showed that the potential environmentally relevant concentrations of S. chinensis bioactive compounds could represent a severe risk to aquatic ecosystems.

Antidiabetic activity of Cichorium intybus L water extract against streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Diabetic mellitus is a chronic, incurable metabolism disorder caused by the lack of secretion of insulin by the pancreas. Currently, several plants are used for the treatment of diabetic mellitus. Cichorium intybus (C. intybus) is one of the medicinal plants used traditionally by Asian people to treat diabetics. In this regard, the aim of the work is to prepare different selected plant crude extracts and determine them for in vivo diabetic activity against streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. At first, the plant leaves powder was defatted with petroleum spirit. Then the defatted powder was extracted by water with a ratio of 1:8 for 48 h using the maceration method. The water was evaporated by using a rotary evaporator. The aqueous extract of the selected plant was administered orally (100 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg, and 500 mg/kg) at intervals of 0, 2, 4 and 6 h compared to glibenclamide (3 mg/kg) and to measure blood glucose level by using a glucometer. The results showed that the blood glucose level decreased gradually with the increase of the time intervals. In addition, the blood glucose decreasing rate was increased with the applied dose increased. In conclusion, the selected plant water crude extract could be used to decrease the blood glucose level.

Plant Growth Inhibitory Activity of Hibiscus sabdariffa Calyx and the Phytotoxicity of Hydroxycitric Acid Lactone

Weeds pose major constraints in crop production. The use of allelochemicals and allelopathic species can provide an effective alternative for sustainable weed management. In a previous study that evaluated the allelopathic activity of wild and cultivated plants in Turkey, Hibiscus sabdariffa demonstrated the strongest inhibitory potential. This study aimed to estimate the phytotoxic influence of the H. sabdariffa water crude extracts on Lactuca sativa L. in a bioassay experiment. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was used to identify two major compounds, hydroxycitric acid lactone and hydroxy citric acid, and their plant growth inhibitory activities were evaluated by bioassays. Hydroxycitric acid lactone had a stronger growth inhibitory activity on L. sativa L. and was estimated as a major allelochemical in H. sabdariffa calyx. The high concentration (16.7% of the dry weight of the calyx) and strong inhibitory effect (EC50, 73.7 ppm) of the hydroxycitric acid lactone could demonstrate the growth inhibitory activity of the H. sabdariffa calyx extract. This study showed that hydroxycitric acid lactone, a major compound in the calyx of Hibiscus sabdariffa, is a plant growth inhibitor.

Pharmacognostic Study of Ehretia acuminata R.Br.

Ehretia acuminata, commonly known as “Puna” in Pakistan, is from the Boraginaceae family and is used in ecological, medicinal, and agricultural sectors. The current study was conducted to assess the pharmacognostic potency of bark extracts from E. acuminata. The crude distilled water, ethanol, and chloroform extracts signified a concentration-dependent increase in intestinal mobility of the experimented animal, and the plant delivered methodical proof for its pharmacological usage as an antispasmodic drug. The bark distilled water, bark ethanol, and bark chloroform extracts revealed (11±1, 9±1, and 11±1) antispasmodic potential at (300 mg/kg). The distilled water, ethanol, and chloroform extracts also showed analgesic potential in the present study and the results were concentration dependent. The bark distilled water, bark ethanol, and bark chloroform extracts revealed the (10±1,16±1, and 11±1) analgesic potential at (300 mg/kg). The distilled water, ethanol, and chloroform extracts also showed the muscle relaxant potential in this study and the results were concentration dependent. The Bark distilled water, Bark ethanol, and Bark chloroform extracts revealed the (6±1, 5±1, and 5±1) at (300 mg/kg). While the distilled water, ethanol and chloroform extracts did not show acute toxic effects against the tested animal mice. In this study, bark extracts of E. acuminata showed pharmacological potency in experimental animals. The plant delivered scientific proof for its pharmacological usage as an antispasmodic, acutely toxic, muscle relaxant, as well as an analgesic drug.

Coastal Halophytes: Potent Source of Bioactive Molecules from Saline Environment.

This study represents a comparative analysis of secondary metabolites content, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity of 24 halophytes from coastal saline habitats of the Balkan Peninsula (Montenegro, Albania, and Greece). Total content of phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, anthocyanins, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity was determined for dry methanolic (DME) and crude water extracts (CWE) and compared with well-known medicinal plants. The total phenolic content ranged from 13.23 to 376.08 mg of GA/g of DME, and from 33.68 to 511.10 mg/mL of CWE. The content of flavonoids ranged from 12.63 to 77.36 mg of RU/g of DME, and from 12.13 to 26.35 mg/mL of CWE. Total tannins and anthocyanins varied from 0.05 to 2.44 mg/mL, and from 1.31 to 39.81 µg/L, respectively. The antioxidant activity ranged from 1147.68 to 15.02 µg/mL for DME and from 1613.05 to 21.96 µg/mL for CWE. The best antioxidant properties, and the highest content of phenolic compounds, were determined for Polygonum maritimum and Limonium vulgare with values similar to or higher compared to the medicinal plants. Halophytes with significant antimicrobial potential were Limonium vulgare, L. angustifolium, and Artemisia maritima. Some of the analyzed coastal halophytes can be considered rich natural sources of phenolic compounds, with favorable antioxidative and antimicrobial properties.

Effect of Emblica officinalis fruit extracts on the storage quality of pork meatballs under refrigerated storage

The present work aimed to evaluate the effects of the supplementation of E. officinalis fruit extracts on the biochemical properties, antioxidant capacities, antimicrobial activities, and sensory attributes of pork meatballs under refrigerated storage at 4°C for 18 days. The meatball samples were divided into eight formulations including control, 0.02% butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), 0.2% distilled water and ethanolic extracts, 0.4% distilled water and ethanolic extracts, and 0.8% distilled water and ethanolic extracts. Aqueous fruit extract exhibited higher antioxidant activity ranging from 34.30 to 75.59%, with IC50 9.74 μg/mL as compared to the other extracts. These findings were in accordance with the highest total phenolic (1,550.22 mg GAE/g extract) and flavonoid (19.35 mg CE/g extract) contents of distilled water crude extract, followed by methanolic extract, ethanolic extract, and acetonic extract, respectively. The meatballs supplemented with both ethanolic and aqueous extracts showed higher antioxidant activity than control and BHT samples, particularly at the highest concentration of 0.8%. Similarly, the lowest TBARS values were observed in the samples with 0.8% ethanolic extracts ranging from 0.08 - 0.45 mg MDA/kg of sample. In contrast, the meatballs supplemented with aqueous extracts yielded the lowest microbial counts of 1.94 - 4.90 log CFU/g in comparison with the samples supplemented with ethanolic extracts. This was in agreement with the lowest MIC and MBC values of aqueous crude extracts (3.98 mg/mL) against all the tested foodborne pathogens. Based on sensory analysis, supplementing the pork meatballs with either ethanolic or aqueous extracts resulted in decreased sensory attributes in a concentration-dependent manner. E. officinalis fruit extracts could have an impact on unpleasant sensory characteristics in the meatballs with increasing levels of supplementation.

Protective Effect of Hawthorn Fruit Extract against High Fructose-Induced Oxidative Stress and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Pancreatic β-Cells

Hyperglycemia has deleterious effects on pancreatic β-cells, causing dysfunction and insulin resistance that lead to diabetes mellitus (DM). The possible causes of injury can be caused by glucose- or fructose-induced oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) fruit has been widely used as a hypolipidemic agent in traditional herbal medicine. The study aimed to investigate whether high fructose-induced pancreatic β-cell dysfunction could be reversed through amelioration of ER stress by the treatment of polyphenol-enriched extract (PEHE) from hawthorn fruit. The extract was partitioned using ethyl acetate as a solvent from crude water extract (WE) of hawthorn fruits, followed by column fractionation. The results showed that the contents of total polyphenols, flavonoids and triterpenoids in PEHE could be enhanced by 2.2-, 7.7- and 1.1-fold, respectively, in comparison to the original obtained WE from hawthorn fruit. In ER stress studies, a sharp increase in the inhibitory activity on the gene expression levels of GRP79, ATF6, IRE1α and CHOP involved in ER stress was evident when dosages of PEHE at 50-100 μg/mL were used against high-fructose (150 mM)-treated cells. HPLC-MS/MS analysis showed that polyphenols and flavonoids collectively accounted for 87.03% of the total content of PEHE.

Collagenase and Tyrosinase Inhibitory Activities and Stability of Facial Cream Formulation Containing Cashew Leaf Extract

The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale L.) is a tropical plant found widely in many Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, and contains bioactive phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity. The natural antioxidants such as collagenase and tyrosinase inhibitors found in medicinal plants are promising agents in cosmetic products. This study evaluated the inhibitory activities of the collagenase and tyrosinase from cashew leaf extracts by developing and evaluating the stability of facial cream formulations. The ethanol (DEN), ethyl acetate (DEA) and distilled water (DDW) crude extracts of cashew leaves were investigated for their bioactive compound efficacy. The DDW extract had the highest yield (24.97%). All the extracts were investigated for their antioxidant activities. The DEN extract showed the highest DPPH radical-scavenging ability, ferric-reducing power and flavonoid compounds, which were 152.04 ± 2.40 mg gallic acid/g extract, 37.90 ± 1.07 mg gallic acid/g dry weight and 7.63 ± 0.07 mg quercetin/g dry weight, respectively. The DDW extract exhibited the highest potent activity, which was 111.00 ± 0.78 mg gallic acid/g dry weight in terms of phenolic content, while the DEN extract showed the highest tyrosinase inhibition at 0.100 mg/mL (46.97 ± 3.34%) and collagenase activity at 40 µg/mL. The results suggested that the ethanolic extracts from cashew leaves showed promise for use in skincare product development. Cosmeceutical formulations for skincare were prepared. The formula mixed with DEN extract and added to whitening and anti-aging skincare cream demonstrated good stability and physical properties.

Effect of Leaf Crude Extracts of azadirachata indica a. Juss. On The Germination and Growth of amaranthus hybridus l. and amaranthus spinosus l.

The effect of leaf crude extract of Azadirachta indica on the germination and growth of Amaranthus spinosus and Amaranthus hybridus was studied. The aim was to use crude water extract from the leaves of Azadirachta indica to germinate, nurture and compare the growth of A. hybridus and A. spinosus. The plants' seeds selected were planted in polyethylene bags filled with loamy soil, and different extract concentrations of 0ml, 5ml 10ml, and 15ml dilutions were used to water the plants. The plants were well watered with extracts of three different concentrations and allowed to grow under natural environmental conditions. Parameters measured include germination percentage, the height of plants, the number of leaves, and the leaf area of the plant. It was observed that there was delayed germination of Amaranthus hybrids and Amaranthus spinosus seeds as the concentration of A. indica increased. The study showed that the extract of A. indica had a negative effect on the growth of A. spinosus and A. hybridus. The effect was significantly higher at higher concentrations of the extracts. Azadirachta indica extract significantly reduced the leaf area, number of leaves, and stem height in A. spinosus and A. hybridus compared to the control. The study further showed that the sensitivity of A. spinosus and A. hybridus to the plant extract differed. From the study, A. indica had a more negative effect on A. spinosus, revealing more inhibitory activity on the growth of A. spinosusthan on A. hybridus.

Isolation and evaluation of significant antibacterial fraction of methanol and its derived fractions from the leaves extract of Zygophyllum simplex

Food poisoning related to bacterial contamination is the most common disease and cause of death nowadays in developing countries. There are many plants that have made a revolution in the field of medicine. Zygophyllum simplex (Z. simplex) is a plant that is native to Oman and it has been used since ancient times as a cure for human infectious diseases. The purpose of this study is to prepare different polarities containing plant crude extracts and evaluate their antibacterial behavior using the agar gel diffusion technique. In order to arrange their extracts via the Soxhlet extraction technique and solvent-solvent fraction technique, multi-polar solvents were used. With minor modification, the antimicrobial behaviors of the multi-polar extracts taken out were calculated by the agar gel diffusion technique. The antimicrobial action as a zone of inhibition of six different extracts at four concentrations was completed against two Gram-negative: Escherichia coli (E. coli, Code No. 683) and Klebsiella Pneumonia (K. pneumonia, Code No. 684), and three Gram-positive bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, Code No. 659), Streptococcus pseudopneumonia (S. pseudopneumonia, Code No. 685), Bacillus pumilus (B. pumilus, Code No. 690). Different crude extracts showed antimicrobial activity against Gram (+ and -) bacteria at different concentrations. All extracts at different concentrations showed moderate to substantial activity against the bacterial strains of Grams (+and-) except methanol against B. pumilus. All various polarities crude extracts, ethyl acetate, DCM (dichloromethane), and water extracts at different concentrations showed the maximum activity against E coli within the range of 8–13.5 mm. The highest inhibition zone was found in DCM extract and the lowest antimicrobial activity was found in the hexane extract against different bacterial strains. So the order of DCM > butanol > water > methanol > hexane extracts preceded it. To isolate pure compounds by using column chromatography, the highest antibacterial activity DCM crude extract was chosen. The eluents were collected in a series of test tubes and a total of eight fractions were prepared based on the thin layer chromatography behavior. Similarly, the isolated eight fractions from the column were used to determine their antibacterial activity by the same agar diffusion method. The results showed that fractions number 2 and 4 gave the highest activity among the other fractions. In conclusion, the DCM extract as well as fraction numbers 2 and 4 exhibited promising activities against Gram-negative bacterial strains; therefore, the DCM extract, fraction 2, and fraction 4 could be used for the treatment of various human infectious diseases as natural antibiotics.

Bioactive compounds from Schisandra chinensis – Risk for aquatic plants?

Schisandra chinensis is a potential plant for production of nutrient supplements due to adaptogens content. The dominant bioactive substance, lignan schisandrin, has positive effects on human health, but it can cause possible allelopathic effects in relation to other plants. S. chinensis is not native to European ecosystems, and its ecotoxicological properties have not been verified yet. Lemna minor was selected as a model aquatic plant to test its potential impact on the aquatic environment. Crude water extract from S. chinensis fruits, simulating the natural soaking of active substances in a surface water body, was used in treatments from 0.045 to 45 mg/L (according to the content of schisandrin as the dominating lignan). During seven days of cultivation, the growth (number of plants, leaf area, fresh weight) and photosynthetic activity of L. minor fronds were assessed. In low treatments (0.045 and 0.09 mg/L), the extract of S. chinensis did not cause any changes in duckweed growth parameters or photosynthetic performance. Higher treatments (0.45 and 0.9 mg/L) caused significant limitations in plants’ number, total leaf area, and fresh weight. The photosynthetic parameters (basal chlorophyll fluorescence, quantum yields) were affected only by 0.9 mg/L. The highest treatment, 45 mg/L, exhibited extreme toxicity to duckweed plants causing their death during the first five days of cultivation. Schisandrin and other bioactive substances extractable from S. chinensis fruits can negatively impact water biota in the case of massive contamination of surface water.

Preliminary Antibacterial Screening of the Whole Stem of Rothmannia whitfieldii

Aim: To assess the antibacterial activity of the crude ethanolic and water extracts of the stem of Rothmannia whitfieldii on clinically isolated and typed pathogenic bacterial strains.
 Study Design: This experiment was performed in duplicates under aseptic condition.
 Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria between April 2005 to August, 2005.
 Methodology: Whole dried stem specimen of Rothmannia whitfieldii was extracted by maceration and screened for antibacterial activity using agar well-diffusion technique. Five typed bacterial strains namely, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 12600), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 10145), Escherichia coli (ATCC 11775), Salmonella kintambo (SSRL 113) and Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6051), and six locally isolated clinical strains (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and two Proteus species designated as Proteus I and Proteus II), were tested for susceptibility to the plant extract.
 Results: Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponnins, tannins, carbohydrates and steroidal aglycone. Alkaloid was present in trace amount only in the ethanolic extract. The ethanolic extract exhibited a wider spectrum of activity, being effective against 81.8% of the test organisms compared with the cold-water extract (54.5%) or hot water extracts (27.3%). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) varied not only with the test organisms but also with the various extracts of the plant.
 Conclusion: All the extracts had bacteriostatic activity on the susceptible organisms and none was bactericidal. The screening test results authenticate the folkloric claims that Rothmannia whitfieldii is medicinal against gastrointestinal diseases and aid in wound healing.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitory potentials of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and its bioactive compounds licochalcone A and licochalcone B: An in silico and in vitro study.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing global public health issue, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) is a potential therapeutic target in T2DM. Several synthetic anti-DPP-4 medications can be used to treat T2DM. However, because of adverse effects, there is an unmet demand for the development of safe and effective medications. Natural medicines are receiving greater interest due to the inherent safety of natural compounds. Glycyrrhiza uralensis (licorice) is widely consumed and used as medicine. In this study, we investigated the abilities of a crude water extract (CWE) of G. uralensis and two of its constituents (licochalcone A (LicA) and licochalcone B (LicB)) to inhibit the enzymatic activity of DPP-4 in silico and in vitro. In silico studies showed that LicA and LicB bind tightly to the catalytic site of DPP-4 and have 11 amino acid residue interactions in common with the control inhibitor sitagliptin. Protein-protein interactions studies of LicA-DPP4 and LicB-DPP4 complexes with GLP1 and GIP reduced the DPP-4 to GLP1 and GIP interactions, indicated that these constituents might reduce the degradations of GLP1 and GIP. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations revealed that LicA and LicB stably bound to DPP-4 enzyme. Furthermore, DPP-4 enzyme assay showed the CWE of G. uralensis, LicA, and LicB concentration-dependently inhibited DPP-4; LicA and LicB had an estimated IC50 values of 347.93 and 797.84 μM, respectively. LicA and LicB inhibited DPP-4 at high concentrations, suggesting that these compounds could be used as functional food ingredients to manage T2DM.

Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of flowers of Terminalia brownii

Terminalia brownii is traditionally used in treatment and management of human illness such as arthritis, hepatitis, diabetes, stomach ulcers, abdominal pain and yellow fever. The objective of this study aimed at determining phytochemical, antibacterial and antifungal activity of Terminalia brownii flower extracts. Extraction was performed using n-hexane, dichloromethane, dichloromethane: methanol (1:1), methanol and water. The extracts were screened for the presences of phytochemicals namely alkaloids, flavonoids, tannin, terpenoids, saponins, steroids, phenols and glycosides. Antibacterial activity test of n-hexane, dichloromethane, dichloromethane: methanol (1:1), methanol and water. Crude extracts of Terminalia brownii flowers were tested against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Staphylococcus Aureus and antifungal activity against Candida albicans. Phytochemical screening of dichloromethane: methanol (1:1) and methanol flower extract of Terminalia brownii the study revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannin, saponins, phenols and absence of flavonoids and steroids in both dichloromethane: methanol (1:1) and methanol extracts. Glycoside and terpenoids were only found in methanol extract. Antibacterial activity test of n-hexane, dichloromethane, dichloromethane: methanol (1:1), methanol and water crude extract of Terminalia brownii flowers against E. coli, P. aeroginosa and S. Aureus showed that all extracts except n-hexane extract exhibited good antibacterial activity against E. coli, S. Aureus, and P. Aeroginosa with zone of inhibition ranging between 8.0 ±0.71 and 17.3 ±0.42 mm. Dichloromethane: methanol (1:1) flower extract exhibited the highest inhibitory activity against E. coli and P. Aeroginosa with zone of inhibition of 17.3±0.42 and 16.0±0.71 respectively. Only Methanol extract exhibited antifungal activity against Candida albicans with zone of inhibition of 7.6±0.84 mm. Dichloromethane: methanol flower extract was the most active with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for E. coli and P. aeruginosa decreasing with decreasing concentration of crude extract starting from 9.25±1.34 and 7.50±0.42 mm for E. coli and P. aeruginosa respectively. The MIC values were higher in E. coli (1.25±0.07 mm). The present study concluded that phytochemicals in dichloromethane: methanol (1:1) and methanol flower extract are almost similar with those identified in the previous studies of roots, stem bark and leaves of Terminalia brownii.