Antioxidative activity of the flower of Torenia fournieri

Torenia sp. Extracts Contain Multiple Potent Antitumor Compounds with Nematocidal Activity, Triggering an Activated DNA Damage Checkpoint and Defective Meiotic Progression

Previously, we analyzed 316 herbal extracts to evaluate their potential nematocidal properties in Caenorhabditis elegans. In this study, our attention was directed towards Torenia sp., resulting in reduced survival and heightened larval arrest/lethality, alongside a noticeable decrease in DAPI-stained bivalent structures and disrupted meiotic progression, thus disrupting developmental processes. Notably, Torenia sp. extracts activated a DNA damage checkpoint response via the ATM/ATR and CHK-1 pathways, hindering germline development. LC-MS analysis revealed 13 compounds in the Torenia sp. extracts, including flavonoids, terpenoids, tanshinones, an analog of resveratrol, iridoids, carotenoids, fatty acids, and alkaloids. Of these, 10 are known for their antitumor activity, suggesting the potential of Torenia species beyond traditional gardening, extending into pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications.

Biopolymer Based Multifunctional Films Loaded with Anthocyanin Rich Floral Extract and ZnO Nano Particles for Smart Packaging and Wound Healing Applications

There are significant societal repercussions from our excessive use of plastic products derived from petroleum. In response to the increasing environmental implications of plastic wastes, biodegradable materials have been proven to be an effective means of mitigating environmental issues. Therefore, protein- and polysaccharide-based polymers have gained widespread attention recently. In our study, for increasing the strength of a biopolymer (Starch), we used ZnO dispersed nanoparticles (NPs), which resulted in the enhancement of other functional properties of the polymer. The synthesized NPs were characterized using SEM, XRD, and Zeta potential values. The preparation techniques are completely green, with no hazardous chemicals employed. The floral extract employed in this study is Torenia fournieri (TFE), which is prepared using a mixture of ethanol and water and possesses diverse bioactive features and pH-sensitive characteristics. The prepared films were characterized using SEM, XRD, FTIR, contact angle and TGA. The incorporation of TFE and ZnO (SEZ) NPs was found to increase the overall nature of the control film. The results obtained from this study confirmed that the developed material is suitable for wound healing and can also be used as a smart packaging material.

Luteolin: A promising natural agent in management of pain in chronic conditions

Pain due to chronic conditions is a frequent and insufficiently addressed problem. Current drug options for pain management (either in cases of chronic inflammatory conditions or neuropathy) do not adequately treat pain. Moreover, they are associated with important adverse events in long term use. Luteolin is a flavonoid widely present in the plant kingdom and its sources have been assembled in a comprehensive list of this paper. Luteolin has shown in several research studies a range of pharmacological properties; anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, and analgesic. In this article, we summarize the effects and potential benefits from introducing luteolin as an adjuvant agent in established protocols for pain management. We review the most indicative in vivo and in vitro evidence of how luteolin can target the molecular pathways involved in pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain. The data reviewed strongly support luteolin's promising benefits in pain management and raise the need for further clinical trials that can establish its role in clinical practice.

Determination of Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity of Six Ornamental Plants

Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity from six Indonesian ornamental plants have been studied. Those plants are Yellow Allamanda (Allamanda cathartica L.), Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser.), Crystal Anthurium (Anthurium crystallinum Linden & André), Kapok Bush (Aerva sanguinolenta (L.) Blume), Siamese Calypha (Acalypha siamensis Oliv. Ex Gage), and Wishbone Flower/Bluewings (Torenia fournieri Linden ex E. Fourn). Extraction was carried out by maceration using ethanol as the extracting solvent. Total phenolic content was determined by the Folin Ciocalteu method. Antioxidant activity was measured using the 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power, and cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) method. Based on the results obtained, Bigleaf Hydrangea has the highest yield and total phenolic content about 15.45% and 13.86 mg gallic acid/g dry powder respectively. Siamese Acalypha leaves have the highest antioxidant activity for all methods used namely DPPH, reducing power, and CUPRAC with a value of 180.45; 202,17; and 589.90 µmol trolox/g dry powder, respectively. This indicates that antioxidant activity is not only derived from phenolic compounds because Siamese Acalypha leaves which have lower total phenolic levels than Bigleaf Hydrangea leaves provide higher antioxidant capacity.

Chemical and biological evaluation of nephrocizin in protecting nerve growth factor-differentiated PC12 cells by 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity

The neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) has been widely used to generate an experimental model of Parkinson's disease. This model is crucial in the search for compounds that diminish 6-OHDA-induced nerve growth factor (NGF)-differentiated PC12 cell death. Nephrocizin (luteolin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside), a flavone glycoside, was isolated from widely distributed plants. The protective effects of pre-treatment with nephrocizin on the induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells by 6-OHDA and its oxidative products, H₂O₂-, and p-quinone, were evaluated herein. Nephrocizin promoted cell viability, scavenged ROS-related products, increased cellular glutathione (GSH) levels, and reduced caspase-3 and -8 activities in 6-OHDA-, H₂O₂-, or p-quinone-treated PC12 cells. Furthermore, nephrocizin-conjugated metabolites in PC12 cells were identified with the boronate-affinity method and LC-MS technology, and preferential regioselectivity at the C2' and C5' positions by the nephrocizin-GSH (or NAC) adduct method was observed. These lines of evidence established that nephrocizin could form a dimer to diminish the intracellular ROS. These results demonstrate the first neuroprotective mechanism of nephrocizin against 6-OHDA-, H₂O₂- or p-quinone-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells via chemical and biological studies. These dietary antioxidants are potential candidates for use in intervention in neurodegenerative diseases.

HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis and pharmacokinetics of luteoloside, a potential anticarcinogenic component isolated from Lonicera japonica, in beagle dogs

Luteoloside is a potential anticarcinogenic component isolated from Lonicera japonica, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This study details the development and validation of a sensitive and accurate HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the quantification of luteoloside in dog plasma. Sample pretreatment includes simple protein precipitation using methanol-acetonitrile (1:1, v/v). A Phenomenex Gemini C(18) column (2.0 × 50 mm, i.d., 3.5 µm) was used to separate luteoloside and internal standard by gradient mode with mobile phase consisting of water containing 0.1% formic acid and methanol containing 0.1% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.40 mL/min with a column temperature of 25°C. The detection was performed by positive ion electrospray ionization (ESI) in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The calibration curves were linear (R > 0.995) over the concentration range 1.0-2000 ng/mL and the lower limit of quantification was 1.0 ng/mL. The intra-day and inter-day precisions (RSD) were all <15%, accuracies (RE) were within the range of ±15%, and recoveries were between 85.0 and 115%. The validated HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method was successfully applied to determine plasma concentrations of luteoloside after intravenous administration of luteoloside at a dose level of 20 mg/kg.

Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Sch. ethanolic extract inhibits LPS-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells

OBJECTIVE

Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Sch. is widely used in Korean traditional medicine. No previous work has investigated in detail the anti-inflammatory activities of S. polyrhiza or assessed in vitro their potential underlying mechanism(s). We assessed the effects of S. polyrhiza ethanolic extract (SPEE) on the production of inflammatory mediators in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and investigated some potential underlying mechanisms. Additionally, we performed simultaneous determination of seven flavonoids in S. polyrhiza by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-photodiode array (PDA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RAW264.7 cells were subjected to 5, 10, 20, and 50 μg/mL of SPEE for 1 h then treated with LPS for 24 h. Production of namely nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E(2) and cytokine levels were measured by the Griess reagent and ELISA, respectively. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory activities of SPEE, expression of NO synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) proteins were evaluated by western blot analysis. HPLC analysis was performed using a Gemini C(18) column at 40°C and PDA detection at 340 nm.

RESULTS

SPEE treatment significantly inhibited the LPS-induced production of NO, prostaglandin E(2), interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α and inhibited the expression of iNOS and COX-2 via attenuation of NF-κB p65 expression. The contents of the seven flavonoids in S. polyrhiza range from 0.25 to 8.77 mg/g.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that the anti-inflammatory activity of SPEE may be NF-κB p65 signaling. Also, the method will help to improve quality control of S. polyrhiza.

Advanced research on acteoside for chemistry and bioactivities

Acteoside is one kind of phenylethanoid glycoside, which has shown a lot of biological activities. This article reviewed the study progress of acteoside, such as distribution, preparation, identification, and bioactivities.

Acteoside inhibits PMA-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression via CaMK/ERK- and JNK/NF-κB-dependent signaling

SCOPE

Acteoside, an active phenylethanoid glycoside found in bitter tea and many medicinal plants, displays chemopreventive properties. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of acteoside on tumor invasion and migration; the possible mechanisms involved in this inhibition were investigated in human fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We employed invasion, migration and gelatin zymography assays to characterize the effect of acteoside on HT-1080 cells. Transient transfection assays were performed to investigate gene promoter activities, and immunoblot analysis to study its molecular mechanisms of action. We found that acteoside suppresses phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-enhanced matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression at the protein, mRNA, and transcriptional levels through the suppression of NF-κB activation. In addition, acteoside repressed the PMA-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 (ERK, extracellular regulated kinase) and JNK1/2. Further, we found that acteoside decreased the PMA-induced influx of Ca(2+) and repressed PMA-induced calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) phosphorylation. Furthermore, treatment with BAPTA/AM, W7, or capsazepine markedly decreased PMA-induced MMP-9 secretion and cell migration, as well as ERK and JNK/NF-κB activation.

CONCLUSION

Acteoside inhibited PMA-induced invasion and migration of human fibrosarcoma cells via Ca(2+) -dependent CaMK/ERK and JNK/NF-κB-signaling pathways. Acteoside therefore has the potential to be a potent anticancer agent in therapeutic strategies for fibrosarcoma metastasis.

Protective effect of verbascoside in activated C6 glioma cells: possible molecular mechanisms

The glycosylated phenylpropanoid verbascoside (VB), isolated from cultured cells of the medicinal plant Syringa vulgaris (Oleaceae), has previously been characterized as an effective scavenger of biologically active free radicals and an inhibitor of lipid peroxidation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in a rat glioma cell line (C6) the effect of VB biotechnologically produced by S. vulgaris plant cell cultures in the regulation of the inflammatory response. We used a model of central nervous system inflammation induced by bacterial endotoxin/cytokine (lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/interferon (IFN)-gamma, 1 microg/ml and 100 U/ml, respectively). Our results show that the treatment with LPS/IFN-gamma for 24 h elicited the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity as determined by NO(x) accumulation in the culture medium. Preincubation with VB (10-100 microg/ml) abrogated the mixed cytokine-mediated induction of iNOS. The effect was concentration-dependent. Our studies also showed an inhibitory effect of VB on neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression. Moreover, Western blot analysis showed that this glycoside prevents specifically the activation of the proinflammatory enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in glioma cells without simultaneous inhibition of COX-1 enzyme. Moreover, we found that VB reduced the expression of proinflammatory enzymes in LPS/IFN-gamma through the inhibition of the activation of nuclear factor kappa B and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. The mechanisms underlying in vitro the neuroprotective properties of VB involve modulation of transcription factors and consequent altered gene expression, resulting in downregulation of inflammation. These findings provide support that VB may provide a promising approach for the treatment of oxidative-stress-related neurodegenerative diseases.