Disease Prevention Properties Research Articles

Clitoria Ternatea: A Comprehensive Study on Extraction, Phytochemical Characterization, Antioxidant & Antimicrobial Properties, and Inorganic Elemental Analysis

North-eastern India is having rich biodiversity. Phytochemical are non-nutritive, chemical compounds occurs naturally on plants during metabolic processes and they have diverse proactive properties or disease preventive properties. Plants are known to produce these chemicals to protect them. While recent research demonstrates that they can also play an important role in protecting humans against diseases. Even some of these plants are in use as traditional medicine for centuries. Methanol extract showed the presence of most phytochemicals. Distilled water and acidified water extracts showed moderate phytochemical diversity. Ether extract showed presence of lipophilic phytochemicals like lipids, steroids, terpenoids, and triterpenoids. The TPC values for Clitoria ternatea range from 50-350 mg GAE/g. The methanolic extract of Clitoria ternatea showed higher total phenolic content of 209.2 mg GAE/g compared to the aqueous extract, which shows 122.1 mg GAE/g. The results indicate that methanol is a more efficient solvent for extracting phenolic compounds from Clitoria ternatea. The inorganic composition of plants, in a solid state, was determined using ED-XRF. The amount of silver, barium, cadmium, chromium, iron, nickel, lead, zinc, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium in plants were determined using ICP-OES. The most significant findings in this section include high concentrations of Potassium (K) in Asian pigeonwings followed by Calcium (Ca). According to the toxicity level, Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) levels are within safe limits. Hence, further research should be carried out to identify the active biomolecules or Phyto-molecules from the plants and determine the effects of them in vitro as well as in vivo.

An Overview of Pharmacological Profile of Flavonoids as Potential Molecules of Therapeutic Importance

Abstract: A growing number of research investigations have shown the multiple health benefits of flavonoids derived from plants, leading to interest in the field. Many recent studies have concentrated on flavonoids effects on human health. Flavonoids are effective against a wide spectrum of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Numerous flavonoids have been demonstrated to possess antioxidative, free radical scavenging, hepatoprotective, antiinflammatory, anticancer, and coronary heart disease preventive properties. Some of novel flavonoids having therapeutic potential as new medication have been identified which include hesperetin-5′-O-β-rhamnoglucoside, Resveratrol, Astragalin (AST) Desmodinosides A-E: New Flavonoid C-glycosides, Apigenin, Luteolin, and Baicalein, rutin, hyperoside etc. Some recent developments including clinical trials of a few of the flavonoids discussed in the review provide a novel library of pharmacologically potential molecules which provides a paradigm for the treatment of several ailments such as SARS-CoV-2, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, angina pectoris, Hepatitis C virus and Sickle cell disease (SCD) etc. The present review aims at updating recent flavonoid advancements for various pharmacological actions, from conventional therapeutic implications to upcoming clinical trials. We encourage researchers to focus on flavonoids for a variety of medicinal applications since the industrial acceptance of these compounds will determine the future growth of this field.

Metabolic profiling and spatial metabolite distribution in wild soybean (G. soja) and cultivated soybean (G. max) seeds

Wild soybeans retain many substances significantly reduced or lost in cultivars during domestication. This study utilized LC-MS to analyze metabolites in the seed coats and embryos of wild and cultivated soybeans. 866 and 815 metabolites were identified in the seed extracts of both soybean types, with 35 and 10 significantly differing metabolites in the seed coat and embryos, respectively. The upregulated metabolites in wild soybeans are linked to plant defense, stress responses, and nitrogen cycling. MALDI-MSI results further elucidated the distribution of these differential metabolites in the cotyledons, hypocotyls, and radicles. In addition to their role in physiological processes like growth and response to environmental stimuli, the prevalent terpenoids, lipids, and flavonoids present in wild soybeans exhibit beneficial bioactivities, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and cardiovascular disease prevention properties. These findings underscore the potential of wild soybeans as a valuable resource for enhancing the nutritional and ecological adaptability of cultivated soybeans.

Strategies for the efficient biosynthesis of β-carotene through microbial fermentation.

β-Carotene is an orange fat-soluble compound, which has been widely used in fields such as food, medicine and cosmetics owing to its anticancer, antioxidant and cardiovascular disease prevention properties. Currently, natural β-carotene is mainly extracted from plants and algae, which cannot meet the growing market demand, while chemical synthesis of β-carotene cannot satisfy the pursuit for natural products of consumers. The β-carotene production through microbial fermentation has become a promising alternative owing to its high efficiency and environmental friendliness. With the rapid development of synthetic biology and in-depth study on the synthesis pathway of β-carotene, microbial fermentation has shown promising applications in the β-carotene synthesis. Accordingly, this review aims to summarize the research progress and strategies of natural carotenoid producing strain and metabolic engineering strategies in the heterologous synthesis of β-carotene by engineered microorganisms. Moreover, it also summarizes the adoption of inexpensive carbon sources to synthesize β-carotene as well as proposes new strategies that can further improve the β-carotene production.

Pharmacognostic and pharmacological evaluation of Syzygium caryophyllatum L. and Syzygium cumini L.

India is one of the nation blessed with a rich heritage of traditional medical systems and rich biodiversity to complement the herbal needs of the treatment administered by these traditional medical systems. The recognized Indian Systems of Medicine are Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani, which use herbs and minerals in the formulations. The antioxidant compounds are mostly produced in plants in the form of secondary metabolites. Phytochemicals can be literally referred to as ‘plant-chemicals’. They are the non-nutritive chemical components of plants that possess numerous health benefits and disease prevention properties. Leaf chlorophyll concentration is an important parameter that is regularly measured as an indicator of chloroplast content, photosynthetic mechanism and of plant metabolism. Chlorophyll is an antioxidant compounds which are present and stored in the chloroplast of green leaf plants and mainly it is present in the green area of leaves, stems, flowers and roots. The aim of this study was to observe antioxidant activity from the leaves of S. caryophyllatum and S. cumini and also to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis. The present study emphasizes the pharmacognostical study of the plant, chief chemical constituents, present in the plant S. caryophyllatum and S. cumini, and their pharmacological properties. The selected plants (S. caryophyllatum and S. cumini) have been used as a source for the development of medicines and neutraceuticals. Both plant samples contained bioactive chemicals that have pharmacological or toxicological effects. Both showed the presence of secondary metabolites such as steroids, glycosides, phenolics, tannins, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and alkaloids. Plant extracts antioxidant activity may be attributed to their phenolic and flavonoid content. Because of their phytoconstituents, antioxidants, and antibacterial properties, plants offer enormous potential for use in the pharmaceutical business and medicine.

Deciphering of Anthelmintic Potential of Annona squamosa Leaf: Molecular Mechanistic

Herbal treatments have historically been utilized to treat various human diseases. To find a single ingredient that could be the basis for creating new therapeutically effective products, researchers studied herbal medicines. Annona squamosa Linn has anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, cytotoxic, gene-toxic, and anticancer properties. The primary active components of A. squamosa leaves, flavonoids, have been utilised to treat a variety of human ailments. Quercetin and rutin, two flavonoids, have been shown to have anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and heart disease preventive properties. In the present study in -vivo and in -silico evaluation of anthelmintic potential of Annona squamosa leaf methanolic extract was carried out. Further proposed mechanism of Anthelmintic efficacy of Annona squamosa leaf was determined by molecular docking.

Therapeutic Potential of Seaweed-Derived Laminaran: Attenuation of Clinical Drug Cytotoxicity and Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging.

β-glucan has been shown to be effective for several diseases such as immune regulation and blood pressure suppression. Seaweed contains a β-1,3/1,6-glucan called laminaran. The present commercial source of β-glucan is black yeast; however, a fermentation process using organic carbon substrates makes production unsustainable, whereas macroalgae provide a sustainable alternative with the use of CO2 and seawater as growth substrates. However, bioactivity studies on laminaran are limited. We aimed to evaluate whether laminaran can scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and attenuate cytotoxicity caused by clinical drugs such as indomethacin (Ind) and dabigatran (Dab). Electron spin resonance assay revealed that laminaran scavenged singlet oxygen (1O2) and superoxide anions (O2•-) directly but did not scavenge hydroxyl radicals (•OH). Mitochondrial ROS detection dye showed that laminaran scavenged mitochondrial O2•- produced upon administration of Ind or Dab. Moreover, significant reductions in •OH and peroxynitrate (ONOO-) levels were observed. Since •OH and ONOO- are generated from O2•- in the cells, laminaran could indirectly suppress the generation of •OH and ONOO- via the removal of O2•-. Both Ind and Dab induce cell injury via ROS production. Laminaran attenuated the cytotoxicity derived from these drugs and may represent a functional food with anti-aging and disease prevention properties.

Identification and Quantification of Phenolic Compounds by HPLC-DAD and Antioxidant activity from Cordia Gharaf Plant

Numerous indigenous plants may grow on Pakistan's soil due to its suitable climate. A few of these are now exploited as a source of expensive pharmaceuticals with therapeutic benefits. Since 4000-5000 B.C., people have used these native herbs as medicines. The Cordia gharaf plant is one of them. There are several phytochemicals found in plants, including flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, phenolic compounds, and others, that can protect against disease. Many phytochemicals have a broad range of biological activities that help to protect against chronic illnesses, and around the world, they have been used to treat several different human ailments. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, more than 80% of the world's population uses traditional medicines for treatment and maintaining their health, and many valuable medications have been extracted from these medicinal plants. Therefore, scientific investigation is necessary to make enormous profits from these priceless medicinal plants. Due to the importance of the primary and secondary metabolites produced by these medicinal plants, our purpose includes the idea of examining biologically active components from these plants. Keeping in mind the foregoing, the goal of our research is to examine the phytochemicals from the selected species of Cordia gharaf that have disease-preventive properties.

Mushroom consumption and risk of gastric cancer: a pooled analysis within the stomach cancer pooling project and a combined meta-analysis with other observational studies.

Edible mushrooms have high concentrations of vitamins and minerals. They are considered 'functional foods' for their disease-prevention properties. Mushroom consumption may reduce the risk of gastric cancer, the fifth most common cancer worldwide. We investigated the association between mushroom consumption and gastric cancer risk in a pooled analysis within the Stomach Cancer Pooling (StoP) Project and in a meta-analysis that also included previously published studies. A total of 3900 gastric cancer cases and 7792 controls from 11 studies were included in the StoP analysis. Mushroom consumption was measured using food frequency questionnaires. Higher mushroom consumption was associated with a lower risk of gastric cancer [relative risk (RR) for the highest vs. lowest consumption categories, 0.82; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.71-0.95]. The corresponding RRs were 0.59 (95% CI, 0.26-1.33) in a meta-analysis of four previously published studies and 0.77 for all studies combined (95% CI, 0.63-0.95; n = 15 studies). In geographic subgroup analysis, the pooled risk in Western Pacific countries was (RR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.40-0.87; n = 6). The stronger effect in Asian countries may reflect high level of antioxidants in mushroom species consumed in Asia.

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF EXTRACTS FROM THE LEAVES OF Andrographis paniculata, Tithonia diversifolia and Macrosphyra Longistyla

Alkaloids, Saponins, Flavonoids, Tannins, Glycosides, Terpenoids and Steroids distribution in Andrographis paniculata, Tithonia diversifolia and Macrosphyra longistyla were assessed in a non-polar solvent. All the plants were found to contain these phytochemicals except for the absence of flavonoids in A. paniculata and alkaloids in M. longistyla. The presence of these phytochemicals showing potential disease-preventive properties indicates that the leaves of A. paniculata, T. diversifolia and M. longistyla could serve as basic ingredients in drug making for use in treatment of various ailments.

Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) in Health and Disease: A Critical Review.

The açaí palm (Euterpe oleracea Mart.), a species belonging to the Arecaceae family, has been cultivated for thousands of years in tropical Central and South America as a multipurpose dietary plant. The recent introduction of açaí fruit and its nutritional and healing qualities to regions outside its origin has rapidly expanded global demand for açaí berry. The health-promoting and disease-preventing properties of this plant are attributed to numerous bioactive phenolic compounds present in the leaf, pulp, fruit, skin, and seeds. The purpose of this review is to present an up-to-date, comprehensive, and critical evaluation of the health benefits of açaí and its phytochemicals with a special focus on cellular and molecular mechanisms of action. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that açaí possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and exerts cardioprotective, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, renoprotective, antilipidemic, antidiabetic, and antineoplastic activities. Moreover, clinical trials have suggested that açaí can protect against metabolic stress induced by oxidation, inflammation, vascular abnormalities, and physical exertion. Due to its medicinal properties and the absence of undesirable effects, açaí shows a promising future in health promotion and disease prevention, in addition to a vast economic potential in the food and cosmetic industries.

Daily berry consumption attenuates β-catenin signalling and genotoxicity in colon carcinoma cells exposed to faecal water from healthy volunteers in a clinical trial

Berries are known to have disease preventive and anticancer properties. We studied whether supplementing a habitual diet rich in red meat with berries affects cancer biomarkers in a clinical trial with 43 healthy volunteers. We exposed Caco-2 and HCA-7 colon adenocarcinoma cells and HaCaT cells, representing non-cancerous epithelial tissue, in 2D and 3D cultures to faecal water extracted from stool samples collected at baseline and at the end of the 4-wk trial. Expression of markers from the Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways, the cell proliferation marker Ki67, and the apoptosis marker cleaved caspase-3 were detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining methods. In addition, genotoxicity of faecal water and the concentration of N-nitroso compounds in the faeces were analysed. The diet supplemented with berries caused downregulation of β-catenin, PS6 as well as Ki67 signalling in the cells exposed to faecal water. Our results suggest that consuming berries as part of a habitual Western-type diet could lead to less cancerous colon metabolism and possibly lower the risk for colorectal cancer by modulating the central signalling pathways in cancer.

Medicinal Uses of Nitrogen Group Containing Secondary Metabolites: A Review

In the history of humanity plants have always existed as a source of health benefits to living things. These plants produce non-nutritive chemicals that have protective or disease preventive properties. These plants produce a necessary wide range of primary and secondary metabolites that have antimicrobial and antifungal properties. The primary metabolites prominently function in the growth, development, and reproduction of cells. The primary metabolites perform their functions as molecules signaling to trigger defense response. The secondary metabolites are produced by plants and used as their defense mechanism and harnessed by humans for medicinal use because of their unique pharmacological properties. The secondary metabolites are generally small organic molecules produced by plants that are not essential for their growth, development and reproduction but are used as defense mechanism by these plants. Although these secondary metabolites are not essential for plant growth, they are very essential for the health, nutrition, and economics of human societies, the main secondary metabolites are nitrogen group compounds found are in alkaloids, glycosides and non-protein. Alkaloids play a very important role due to their medicinal properties and can be used as analgesic, stimulants, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory agents etc.

Camboginol and Morelloflavone from Garcinia dulcis (Roxb.) Kurz Flower Extract Promote Autophagic Cell Death against Human Glioblastoma Cells through Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

Garcinia dulcis is a tropical plant native to Southeast Asia that is traditionally used as a folk remedy to cure several pathological symptoms. Camboginol and morelloflavone have been revealed by previous studies as the principal bioactive compounds from the flower extract of G. dulcis. The disease-preventing properties of camboginol or morelloflavone, including anti-cancer, from various parts of G. dulcis have been revealed by recent studies. Glioblastoma is the aggressive malignant stage of brain cancer and suffers from chemotherapeutic resistance. This study aimed to test the anti-cancer effect of G. dulcis flower extract against the proliferation of A172 human glioblastoma cells. The extract had cytotoxic activity and promoted cell cycle arrest at the S and G2/M phases. Autophagic cell death was promoted by cytotoxic concentrations of the extract, as observed by enhancing autophagic flux and the expression of autophagic markers. Autophagic cell death induced by the extract might be associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Conclusively, it was indicated by this study that the extract from the flower of G. dulcis had a protective effect against the proliferation of A172 human glioblastoma cells through the induction of ER stress-mediated cytotoxic autophagy.

Nomilin and Its Analogues in Citrus Fruits: A Review of Its Health Promotion Effects and Potential Application in Medicine

Nomilin is one of the major limonoids, which are plant secondary metabolites also known as tetranortriterpenoids. Nomilin is found mostly in common edible citrus fruits including lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, mandarins, along with traditional Chinese medicines derived from citrus fruits, such as tangerine seed, tangerine peel, fructus aurantii immaturus, etc. A number of studies have demonstrated that nomilin and its analogues exhibit a variety of biological and pharmacological activities. These include anti-cancer, immune-modulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-viral, anti-osteoclastogenic, anti-oxidant, and neuro-protective effects. Thus, nomilin and its analogues have emerged as a potential therapy for human diseases. The purpose of this review is to chronicle the evolution of nomilin research from examining its history, structure, occurrence, to its pharmacological and disease-preventing properties as well as its potential utilization in medicine and food science.

Assessing the Phytochemical Profile and Potential of Traditional Herbal Infusions against Aldose Reductase through In Silico Studies and LC-MS/MS Analysis

In the current market, there is a growing interest in traditional herbal nutraceuticals. Therefore, herbal formulations have re-emerged as products with sought-after nutraceutical and disease-preventing properties. The health-promoting effects of herbal bioactives are attributed to the active phytoconstituents of these plants. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the putative nutraceutical effectiveness of the preparations of ten herbs (chamomile, purple coneflower, lemon verbena, pennyroyal, spearmint, oregano, marjoram, headed savory, sea buckthorn, and St. John’s wort) by combining in silico techniques and LC-MS/MS analysis. The binding potential of the selected phenolic compounds, according to literature and web databases, was investigated by using molecular target prediction tools. Aldose reductase (AR), an enzyme of polyol pathway which is related to hyperglycemic-induced pathologies, emerged as the most promising molecular target. The molecular docking results showed that rosmarinic acid, caftaric acid, naringenin, and quercetin presented the highest binding affinity. In a further step, the phytochemical profile of the examined infusions, obtained by LC-MS/MS analysis, revealed that the abovementioned compounds were present, mainly in the herbs of the Lamiaceae family, designating headed savory as the herbal infusion with possible significant inhibitory activity against AR.

Processing induced changes on coarse cereals (majorly millets) derived antioxidant compounds - a review

Coarse cereals also known as nutricereals contain several bioactive components that provide many health-promoting and disease-preventing properties. This paper presents a review of the effect of processing on the various antioxidant compounds present in coarse cereals. Polyphenols, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, avenanthramides, vitamins, and phytoestrogens are the major categories that contribute to the antioxidant properties of coarse cereals. As per the literature, processing technologies like fermentation, boiling, malting, hydrolysis, soaking and germination, heat treatment, microwaving and extrusion, etc, have a significant effect on these antioxidant compounds present in coarse cereals. Coarse cereals and their processed products could be of potential benefit to human health, but extensive research is required to optimize the dietary recommendation for realizing these health benefits.Keywords: Millets; flavonoids; polyphenols, processing techniques

Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract inhibits DNA and protein damage and labile iron, enzyme, and cancer cell activities

Grape seed extract from (Vitis vinifera) (VGSE) is an excellent source of various polyphenols that exhibit highly potent antioxidant and disease prevention properties. Although numerous biological activities, with potential for improving human health, have been reported for VGSE, there is a lack of data relating to the health benefits of VGSE on DNA damage, protein damage, labile iron activity, and enzyme inhibitory effects. This investigation demonstrated, for the first time, that VGSE inhibits DNA and BSA damage and labile iron activity in-vitro. Moreover, VGSE also inhibited in-vitro activities of AChE, tyrosinase, and α-amylase. VGSE treatment significantly reduced viability of MCF-7, Hep-G2, Caco-2, and Huh-7 cells after 48-h treatments. The results obtained provide additional support for the purported health benefits of VGSE and reinforce its potential in disease prevention and therapy, especially in relation to cancer.

Assessment of nutritional status and academic performance of adolescents in relation to their phytochemical intake

Phytochemicals can be described as chemicals of plant origin. These are certain non-nutritive plant chemicals which have various disease preventive properties. However, the term phytochemical is often used to describe a varied range of bioactive compounds found in plants. These are primary and secondary metabolites which are naturally occurring in the leaves, vegetables and roots that have defence mechanisms and protect from various diseases. Primary metabolites are proteins, carbohydrates, chlorophyll, lipids and common sugars which are synthesised during photosynthesis and these organic compounds are essential for plant life and growth. Secondary metabolites are tannins, flavonoids, phenolic, saponins and alkaloids which are synthesized by the plant during development and are time, tissue and organ specific.Several epidemiological studies have shown that phytochemical rich fruits and vegetables have considerable health benefits. These benefits include: (i) reducing the risk of several types of cancer, (ii) reducing the risk of heart diseases. The consumption of fruit and vegetable is associated with several health benefits.The present study was aimed on the assessment of nutritional status and academic performance in relation to phytochemical intake of adolescents. The study was performed on a sample size of 60 school going adolescents (30 girls and 30 boys) between the age group 12-16 years. The adolescents consuming fruits and vegetables in their regular diet reported to have good nutritional status. In the intervention community, the academic output was also increased. The research concluded that the intake of phytochemical rich fruits and vegetables has a positive impact on nutritional status and academic performance of school going adolescents.

Physical and Nutritional Aspects of Biscuits Prepared with Purple Wheat

As oxidative stress has been linked to the advancement of a number of degenerative illnesses, bioactive substances including polyphenols, anthocyanins, and carotenoids have sparked the interest of food scientists and manufacturers for their health-promoting and disease-preventive properties. The objective of this study was to develop anthocyanin-rich biscuits using purple wheat (100%) and compare their physical and nutritional content with commonly consumed wheat (100%) biscuits. Biscuits were analyzed for thickness, width and spread ratio. 9-point hedonic scale was used for analysis of organoleptic acceptability. Biscuits were analyzed for nutritional parameters i.e., proximate composition, sugars, total and available (in vitro) calcium, iron and zinc, in vitro digestibility of protein and starch, phytic acid, total lysine, DPPH radical scavenging activity, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total anthocyanin content (TAC). T-test was used to compare the differences between regular wheat and purple wheat. Results of thickness, width and spread ratio of purple wheat prepared biscuits was 0.81 cm, 3.04 cm and 3.75 (W T-1) respectively. Biscuits prepared with purple wheat depicted significantly higher (P<0.05) protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates and mineral content than regular wheat. Total lysine, in-vitro digestibility of protein and starch were also observed higher in purple wheat biscuits i.e., 4.24 g 16-1 g N, 82.57% and 42.98% respectively. Total antioxidant activity of purple wheat prepared biscuits also had significantly (P<0.01) higher DPPH activity (65.64 mg TE 100-1 g), TPC (125.4 mg GAE 100-1 g), TFC (66.19 mg RE 100-1 g) and TAC (3.01 mg C3GE 100-1 g) than regular wheat.