Anticholinergic, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of Vitex agnus-castus L. seed extract : Assessment of its phenolic content by LC-MS/MS

Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Capacity, and Therapeutic Potential of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Leaves

The phenolic composition, antioxidant capacity, and enzyme inhibition activities of Mangifera indica L. leaf (MLs) ethanol extract were comprehensively evaluated to explore its therapeutic and industrial applications. Quantitative profiling of 21 phenolic compounds was performed using the LC-MS/MS method, with vanillic acid (1242.47 μg/L), gallic acid (283.58 μg/L), and quercetin (102.40 μg/L) identified as the most abundant constituents. Antioxidant activities were assessed through DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC assays, revealing moderate radical scavenging (DPPH: 26.87% ± 2.25%, ABTS: 14.65% ± 1.83%) and metal reduction capacities (FRAP: 0.118 ± 0.07, CUPRAC: 0.172 ± 0.03). In addition, MLs extract demonstrated dose-dependent inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE, IC50: 18.73 μg/mL), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE, IC50: 8.56 μg/mL), and α-glucosidase (IC50: 10.83 μg/mL), highlighting its potential in the management of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and metabolic disorders including diabetes. The findings emphasize the bioactive potential of M. indica leaves, positioning them as a promising resource for sustainable valorization. By showcasing the applicability of this agricultural by-product, the study provides a foundation for innovations in the food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical sectors. Nevertheless, further in vivo and clinical investigations are essential to fully validate their safety and therapeutic efficacy.

Bioactive Potential and Chemical Composition of Vitex agnus-castus L. Leaf Extracts Collected in Algeria: A Combined In Vitro and In Silico Approach

Vitex agnus-castus L., a medicinal plant widespread in the Middle East and Europe, is traditionally used to treat various disorders. In this study, extracts from its leaves, collected in Algeria, were evaluated for their antioxidant, enzymatic, and antibacterial activities through in vitro and in silico studies. The hydroalcoholic extract was fractionated using solvents of varying polarity to isolate bioactive compounds with potential biological effects. Notable levels of total phenolics, flavonoids, and flavonols were detected in the dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extracts. NMR and GC-MS were used to identify metabolites in the extracts, which were discussed in relation to their biological activities. Antioxidant assays showed that the EtOAc extract had a remarkable effect, particularly in the DPPH• free radicals test (IC50 = 15.68 ± 1.51 μg/mL), while enzymatic assays revealed that the dichloromethane extract moderately inhibited butyrylcholinesterase (IC50 = 133.54 ± 1.45 μg/mL). Antibacterial assays showed that the extracts inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli strains, with the most significant effect observed for the n-hexane extract, especially against S. aureus and B. subtilis (respectively, 22.33 ± 0.47 and 18.33 ± 0.47 mm diameters). These outcomes were validated via molecular docking simulations on three DNA gyrase enzymes: 3G7E (from E. coli), 3G75 (from S. aureus), and 4DDQ (from B. subtilis), revealing that linolenic and palmitic acids, as well as phytol significantly interacted with these enzymes, showing varying binding affinities and suggesting antibacterial potential against the targeted species E. coli and S. aureus. These findings highlight the potential therapeutic use of V. agnus-castus leaves, encouraging further research into their applicability in the development of plant-derived drugs.

Metabolic profiling of Vitex Pubescens Vahl bark via UPLC-ESI-QTOF/MS/MS analysis and evaluation of its antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative age-related disease that primarily affects the elderly population leading to progressive memory impairments and neural deficits. It is counted as a major cause of geriatric dependency and disability. The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease incidence is complex and involves various hypotheses, including the cholinergic hypothesis, deposition of β-amyloid plaques, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Conventional treatments such as donepezil aim to delay the symptoms but do not affect the progression of the disease and may cause serious side effects like hepatoxicity. The use of natural candidates for Alzheimer's disease treatment has drawn the attention of many researchers as it offers a multitargeted approach.

METHODS

This current study investigates the metabolic profiles of total defatted methanolic extract of Vitex pubescens bark and its polar fractions, viz. ethyl acetate and n-butanol, using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-ESI-QTOF/MS/MS) technique as well as evaluate the antioxidant using free radical scavenging assays, viz. DPPH and ABTS assays and in-vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities using Ellman's microplate assay.

RESULTS

Metabolic profiling revealed a total of 71, 43, and 55 metabolites tentatively identified in the defatted methanolic extract, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol fractions, respectively. Phenolic acids were the most abundant class, viz. benzoic acids, and acyl quinic acid derivatives followed by flavonoids exemplified mainly by luteolin-C-glycosides and apigenin-C-glycosides. Quantification of the total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the total defatted methanolic extract confirmed its enrichment with phenolics and flavonoids equivalent to 138.61 ± 9.39 µg gallic acid/mg extract and 119.63 ± 4.62 µg rutin/mg extract, respectively. Moreover, the total defatted methanolic extract exhibited promising antioxidant activity confirmed through DPPH and ABTS assays with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value equivalent to 52.79 ± 2.16 µg/mL and 10.02 ± µg/mL, respectively. The inhibitory activity of acetylcholine esterase (AchE) was assessed using in-vitro Ellman's colorimetric assay, the total defatted methanolic extract, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol fractions exhibited IC50 values of 52.9, 15.1 and 108.8 µg/mL that they proved the significant inhibition of AchE activity.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained herein unraveled the potential use of the total methanolic extract of Vitex pubescens bark and its polar fractions as natural candidates for controlling Alzheimer's disease progression.

Suppression of breast cancer: modulation of estrogen receptor and downregulation of gene expression using natural products

The main cause of cancer death among women is breast cancer. The most common type of breast cancer is the estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. Discovery of estrogen receptor provided a highly effective target for treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer. Selective estrogen receptor inhibitors are useful for halting the growth of breast cancer cells and inducing apoptosis. Tamoxifen, a popular selective estrogen receptor modulator, can treat breast cancer but also has unfavourable side effects due to its estrogenic activity in other tissues. Many herbal remedies and bioactive natural compounds, such as genistein, resveratrol, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, prenylated isoflavonoids, zearalenol, coumestrol, pelargonidin, delphinidin, and biochanin A, have the ability to specifically modulate the estrogen receptor alpha. Moreover, several of these compounds speed up cell death by supressing estrogen receptor gene expression. This opens wide avenue to introduce number of natural medicines with a revolutionary therapeutic impact and few side effects.

Antioxidant, antidiabetic effects and polyphenolic contents of propolis from Siirt, Turkey

Propolis, a natural product collected by honeybees from various plant sources, has gained significant attention due to its diverse bioactive compounds and potential therapeutic properties. To further explore its contents and biological activities, this study aimed to analyze the phenolic compounds in Siirt propolis extracts obtained using different solvents, namely ethanol, water, and ethanol-water mixtures. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the phenolic profile, as well as the antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of the propolis extracts. Chemical profiling of extracts was performed using LC-MS/MS. The antioxidant potential of the propolis extracts was evaluated through free radical scavenging methods, including DPPH and ABTS assays. As a result of these analyses, propolis extracts showed moderate radical scavenging potential with 13.86%-35.72% for DPPH and 33.62%-62.50% for ABTS at a concentration of 30 μg mL-1, respectively. This radical scavenging potential of the extracts sheds light on its ability to combat oxidative stress, which is implicated in the development of diabetes, and its potential effects on cellular health. Additionally, the study assessed the antidiabetic properties of the propolis extracts by examining their inhibition effects on α-amylase and α-glycosidase enzymes. Extracts with high phenolic content showed a high inhibitory effect against α-glucosidase with an IC50 of 5.72 ± 0.83 μg mL-1. This research provided significant findings regarding the potential use of propolis in the treatment of diabetes and related metabolic disorders.

Isolation of phenolic compounds from eco-friendly white bee propolis: Antioxidant, wound-healing, and anti-Alzheimer effects

This study presents the first findings regarding extraction, isolation, enzyme inhibition, and antioxidant activity. The oral mucosal wound-healing process was investigated using propolis water extract (PWE) incubation with gingival fibroblast cells and concluded that propolis was effective on the oral mucosal wound-healing pattern compared to untreated controls. Additionally, phenolic compounds (fraxetin, apigenin, galangin, pinobanksin, chrysin, etc.) were isolated from propolis, and their chemical structures were elucidated using comprehensive spectroscopic methods. The antioxidant and anti-Alzheimer potential activities of PWE and some isolated compounds were screened and revealing their inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) with IC50 values ranging from 0.45 ± 0.01 to 1.15 ± 0.03 mM, as well as remarkable free-radical scavenging and metal reduction capacities. The results suggest that these compounds and PWE can be used as therapeutic agents due to their antioxidant properties and inhibitory potential on AChE. It can also be used for therapeutic purposes since its wound-healing effect is promising.

Phenolic Content Analysis of Two Species Belonging to the Lamiaceae Family: Antioxidant, Anticholinergic, and Antibacterial Activities

The Lamiaceae family are utilized as ornamental, medicinal, and food supplements throughout the world. The current study focuses on a comparative analysis of the phenolic compositions and bioactivities (including antioxidant, anticholinergic, and antibacterial activities) of ethanolic extracts derived from the aerial parts of the two species (Lavandula stoechas L. and Thymus sipyleus Boiss). The presence of phenolic compounds and phytochemicals in the plant extracts was identified using the LC-MS/MS technique. The LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that vanillic acid (125,596.66 µg/L) was the most abundant phytochemical in L. stoechas. Kaempferol (8550.52 µg/L) was the most abundant substance in Thymus sipyleus. The assessment of the antioxidant efficacy of the species extracts was conducted using the DPPH (2.2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate), ABTS (2.2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)), Fe3+-Fe2+ reducing, and CUPRAC (Cu2+-Cu+ reducing) assays. The anticholinergic activity of the samples was determined using the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition assay. The results of antioxidant activity were higher in the T. sipyleus than in the L. stoechas ethanol extracts. The extracts of L. stoechas exhibited radical scavenging activity ranging from 15 to 18%, while T. sipyleus had activity effects ranging from 34% to 38%. The AChE inhibition potential for L. stoechas and T. sipyleus extracts as IC50 values were 0.221 ± 0.01 mg/mL and 0.067 ± 0.02 mg/mL, respectively. The antibacterial effects of the ethanolic extracts of these species against pathogenic bacteria isolates were determined using the MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) method. These findings indicated that the extracts from L. stoechas and T. sipyleus possess the potential to be natural antioxidants in the realm of food preservation. Additionally, their antioxidant, anticholinergic, and antimicrobial properties suggest potential therapeutic utility in the management of certain diseases.