Volume 76, Issue 7-8

An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography – high-resolution mass spectrometry profiling method was used for a comprehensive study of flavonoid and saponin-rich fractions from the aerial parts of wild spinach ( Chenopodium bonus-henricus L.). Thirty-six compounds, respectively, 22 saponins of eight sapogenins (phytolaccagenin, bayogenin, medicagenic acid, 2 β -hydroxygypsogenin, 2 β -hydroxyoleanoic acid, 2-hydroxy-30-nor-gypsogenin, 2-hydroxyakebonic acid, and akebonic acid) together with 12  flavonoid glycosides of 6-methoxykaempferol, isorhamnetin, patuletin, spinacetin as well as two ecdysteroids (20-hydroxyecdysone and polypodine B) were detected. The occurrence of sapogenins 2-hydroxy-30-nor-gypsogenin, 2-hydroxyakebonic acid, and akebonic acid in the Chenopodium genus is reported here for the first time. The flavonoid and saponin-rich fractions showed in vitro hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity comparable to those of flavonoid complex silymarin (60 μg/mL) in a model of metabolic bioactivation, induced by CCl 4 . All tested fractions, compared to silymarin, significantly reduced the cellular damage caused by CCl 4 in rat hepatocytes, preserved cell viability and GSH level, decreased LDH leakage, and reduced lipid damage. The results showed that saponin-rich fractions F3A and F3B possessed better hepatoprotective activity than flavonoid-rich fractions (F2A and F2B). The most active was fraction F3B and this is probably due to the synergism between the saponins and some acylated flavonol glycosides found there.

Since tyrosine phosphorylation appears to play important functions in photoreceptor cells, we searched here for retinal nonreceptor tyrosine kinases of the Src family. We demonstrated that Src family tyrosine kinases were present in the cytosolic fraction of extracted bovine retinas. A Src family tyrosine kinase with an apparent molecular mass of about 62 kDa was purified to homogeneity from the soluble fraction of dark-adapted bovine retinas after three consecutive purification steps: ω -aminooctyl-agarose hydrophobic chromatography, Cibacron blue 3GA-agarose pseudo-affinity chromatography, and α -casein-agarose affinity chromatography. The purified protein was subjected to N-terminal amino acid sequencing and the sequence Gly-Ile-Ile-Lys-Ser-Glu-Glu was obtained, which displayed homology with the first seven residues of the Src family tyrosine kinase c-Yes from Bos taurus (Gly-Cys-Ile-Lys-Ser-Lys-Glu). Although the cytosolic fraction from dark-adapted retinas contained tyrosine kinases of the Src family capable of phosphorylating the α -subunit of transducin, which is the heterotrimeric G protein involved in phototransduction, the purified tyrosine kinase was not capable of using transducin as a substrate. The cellular role of this retinal Src family member remains to be found.

The phytochemical investigation of Tarenna grandiflora led to the isolation of 18 known compounds of which were four flavones, three anthraquinones, one phenyl propanoic derivative, five triterpenoids, four steroids and a mixture of glucose. Luteolin ( 1 ) and soranjidiol ( 6 ) were allylated and/or prenylated to give four new semisynthesized derivatives which were fully characterized as 7,3′,4′- O -triallylluteolin ( 1a ), luteolin-7,3′,4′- O -triprenyls ( 1b ), luteolin-5,7,3′,4′- O -tetraprenyls ( 1c ) and 6- O -allylsoranjidiol ( 6a ). Their structures were established using spectroscopic analysis including 1D, 2D NMR and MS data. The cytotoxic, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of extracts, fractions, isolated compounds and semi-synthesized derivatives were evaluated. The petroleum ether and EtOAc extracts exhibited good cytotoxic potency on KB-3-1 cell line with IC 50 of >0.1 and 0.025 mg/mL respectively, while compounds 1b and 11 were the most active (IC 50  > 0.0001 M). Compounds 1 and 3 showed the best antioxidant activities (45.5 and 55.8 µM); while compounds 9 and 12 showed the best antibacterial activities with MICs values ranges from 8.55 to 132 µM.

In the present study, we investigated cytogenetic and oxidative [total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS)] effects of methanol and water extracts of Cladonia chlorophaea (Flörke ex Sommerf.) Sprengel, Dermatocarpon miniatum (L.) W.Mann and Parmelia saxatilis (L.) Ach. on cultured human lymphocytes. In addition, different phenolic compounds in the extracts were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. As a result of HPLC analysis, methanol extracts of all lichen species tested had higher phenolic compounds. Likewise, methanol extracts of each lichen increased TAC levels in lymphocytes more than water extracts. The TOS levels of the cells treated with different concentrations (1–100 mg/L) of the extracts decreased due to the increasing concentration of the extracts. Genotoxicity experiments revealed that the tested lichen extracts did not significantly increase ( p  > 0.05) the level of genotoxicity on human peripheral lymphocyte culture compared to the negative control group. The results showed that C. chlorophaea , D. miniatum and P. saxatilis lichens, which were found to be a rich source of phenolic compounds, might be of interest in the pharmaceutical and food industries.

Pentacyclic triterpenes and cardenolides were isolated from Acokanthera oblongifolia leaves. Their chemical structures were determined based on comprehensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. Their MIC was determined against 12 microorganisms. Their exerted cytotoxicity on the immortalized normal cells, hTERT-RPE1 was assessed by the sulforhodamine-B assay. The viral inhibitory effects of compounds against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and H5N1 influenza virus IV were evaluated. Four in vitro antioxidant assays were performed in comparison with BHT and trolox and a weak activity was exhibited. Acovenoside A was with potent against H5N1-IV and NDV with IC 50  ≤ 3.2 and ≤ 2.1 μg/ml and SI values of 93.75 and 95.23%, respectively, in comparison to ribavirin. Its CC 50 record on Vero cells was > 400 and 200 μg/ml, respectively. Acobioside A was the most active compound against a broad range of microbes while Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most sensitive. Its MIC (0.07 μg/ml) was 1/100-fold of the recorded CC 50 (7.1 μg/ml/72 h) against hTERT-RPE1. The molecular docking of compounds on human DNA topoisomerase I (Top1-DNA) and IV glycoprotein hemagglutinin were studied using MOE program. This study has introduced the cardenolides rather than triterpenoids with the best docking score and binding interaction with the active site of the studied proteins.

Phytochemical profiles of essential oil ( EO ), fatty acids, and n -hexane (CAH), diethyl ether (CAD), ethyl acetate (CAE) and methanol extracts (CAM) of Cota altissima L. J. Gay (syn. Anthemis altissima L.) were investigated as well as their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and antimicrobial activites. The essential oil was characterized by the content of acetophenone (35.8%) and β -caryophyllene (10.3%) by GC-MS/FID. Linoleic and oleic acid were found as main fatty acids. The major constituents of the extracts were found to be 5-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, isorhamnetin glucoside, quercetin and quercetin glucoside by LC-MS/MS. Antioxidant activities of the extracts were determined by scavenging of DPPH and ABTS free radicals. Also, the inhibitory effects on lipoxygenase and α -glucosidase enzymes were determined. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated against Gram positive, Gram negative bacteria and yeast pathogens. CAM showed the highest antioxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals with IC 50 values of 126.60 and 144.40 μg/mL, respectively. In the anti-inflammatory activity, CAE demonstrated the highest antilipoxygenase activity with an IC 50 value of 105.40 μg/mL, whereas, CAD s howed the best inhibition of α -glucosidase with an IC 50 value of 396.40 μg/mL in the antidiabetic activity. CAH was effective against Staphylococcus aureus at MIC = 312.5 µg/mL. This is the first report on antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of different extracts of C. altissima .

Several epidemiologic, clinical and experimental reports indicate that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) could have a potential as anticancer agents. The aim of this study was the evaluation of cytotoxic potential in human glioblastoma cells of novel synthesized NSAID derivatives, obtained by linking, through a spacer, α -lipoic acid (ALA) to anti-inflammatory drugs, such as naproxen (AL-3, 11 and 17), flurbiprofen (AL-6, 13 and 19) and ibuprofen (AL-9, 15 and 21). The effects on the level of gene expression were also determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. According to our results, NSAID derivatives exhibited concentration dependent cytotoxic effects on U87-MG cell line when compared with the control group. Moreover, treatment of the most active compounds (AL-3, AL-6 and AL-9) caused upregulation of tumor suppressor gene PTEN and downregulation of some oncogenes such as AKT1, RAF1 and EGFR . In conclusion, our results revealed that AL-3, AL-6 and AL-9 could be suitable candidates for further investigation to develop new pharmacological strategies for the prevention of cancer.

Acovenoside A (Acov-A) and acobioside A (Acob-A) were isolated from Acokanthera oblongifolia . Their anticancer properties were explored regarding, antiproliferative and antiangiogenic activities. The study included screening phase against six cancer cell lines followed by mechanistic investigation against HepG2 cancer cell line. The sulforhodamine-B (SRB) was used to determine their growth inhibitory power. In the other hand, flow cytometry techniques were recorded the cell death type and cell cycle analysis. The clonogenic (colony formation) and wound healing assays, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and molecular docking, were performed to evaluate the antiangiogenesis capability. Both compounds were strongly, inhibited four cancer cell lines at GI 50 less than 100 nM. The in vitro mechanistic investigation against HepG2 resulted in cell accumulations at G2M phase and induction of apoptosis upon treating cells separately, with 400 nM Acov-A and 200 nM Acob-A. Interestingly, the same concentrations were able to activate caspase-3 by 7.2 and 4.8-fold, respectively. Suppressing the clonogenic capacity of HepG2 cells (20 and 40 nM) and inhibiting the migration of the colon Caco-2 cancer cells were provoke the results of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor2 (VEGFR2) kinase enzyme inactivation. The docked study was highly supportive, to the antiangiogenic approach of both cardenolides. The isolated cardenolides could orchestrate pivotal events in fighting cancer.