Phenolic profiles, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and DNA damage inhibitory activities of chestnut honeys from Black Sea Region of Turkey

Expression Analysis of Cyst Specific Protein (CSP21) and Cellulose Synthase II (CSII) Genes in Acanthamoeba castellanii Trophozoites Exposed to Silver Nanoparticles Conjugated with Elaeagnus umbellata

PURPOSE

Acanthamoeba species are eucaryotic protozoa found predominantly in soil and water. They cause ulceration and vision loss in the cornea (Acanthamoeba keratitis) and central nervous system (CNS) infection involving the lungs (granulomatous amoebic encephalitis). Antiparasitic drugs currently used in the treatment of infections caused by Acanthamoeba species are not effective at the desired level in some anatomical regions such as the eye and CNS. The existence of an agent effective against both cysts and trophozoites has not yet been proven. Drugs used for treatment of Acanthamoeba infrections are still limited.

METHOD

The present study investigates amoebicidal activites of various concentrations of ethanolic fruit extract of E. umbellata (EU) (40, 20, 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625 mM/mL), silver nanoparticles (AgNP) that are synthesized from EU and confirmed with characterization tests (20, 10, 5, 1, 0.5 mM/mL), and lauric acid (LA) in EU detected with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) against A. castellanii trophozoites. In addition, DNA-preserving activities of EU, AgNP and LA were studied on pBR322 plasmid DNA, following damage induced with hydroxyl radical (-OH). Cytotoxicity of EU over HeLa cells was examined with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT). Furthermore, the effects over the expression of SOD and CAT genes, which are coding oxidative stress enzymes in trophozoites, and expression of genes responsible for pseudocyst and cyst formation (CSII and CSP21, respectively) were investigated following methanol-induced stress, with reverse-transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

RESULTS

At highest concentrations, EU, AgNP and LA showed lethal effects against majority of trophozites at 24 th h and against all trophozoites at 48th hour. EU at 5 mg/mL concentration and LA at 1, 0.8, 0.6, 0.4 mM/mL concentrations prevented DNA damage. A dose-dependent decrease in cell viability was observed, EU was found to be non-cytotoxic for 53.82% of HeLa cells at 72 nd h even at 40 mg/mL concentration. Greatest inhibitory effects were found with EU, AgNP and LA on CSII, EU on CAT, LA on CSP21, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on SOD genes.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study show that EU, LA and AgNPs can be used in a controlled manner to combat A. castellanii infections by reducing or blocking the activity of the parasite's antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT), without giving the parasite a chance to initiate the process of pseudocyst or proper cyst formation.

Anti-Inflammatory and Wound Healing Properties of Different Honey Varieties from Romania and Correlations to Their Composition

The complex composition of honey plays a crucial role in wound healing, exhibiting varying effects at different stages of the healing process. This study investigated seven honey varieties sourced from different regions of Romania using in vitro experimental models developed in macrophage-like, fibroblast, and keratinocyte cell lines to explore the mechanisms by which honey promoted the healing process. This study assessed the impact of honey on inflammatory cytokine production in macrophage-like cells, cell proliferation and collagen synthesis in fibroblasts, and cell proliferation and migration in keratinocytes. Additionally, correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between honey composition and its biological properties. Honey varieties presented both anti- and pro-inflammatory effects. Moreover, they displayed dose-dependent pro-proliferative effects, stimulating collagen synthesis and cell migration, thereby enhancing the re-epithelialization process. The Pearson coefficient analysis indicated a strong positive correlation between biological activities and phenolic content. Additionally, there was a medium positive correlation with the ascorbic acid content and a medium negative correlation with the glucose content in the different honey varieties. Romanian honey varieties rich in phenolics showed potential in modulating inflammation, proliferation, collagen synthesis, and cell migration, suggesting their suitability for further evaluation and development of innovative dressings for skin tissue regeneration.

Chemometric classification of chestnut honeys from different regions in Turkey based on their phenolic compositions and biological activities

The objective of this study was to investigate the phenolic composition and biological properties of chestnut honeys of 41 stations in Turkey's the Black Sea and Marmara regions. A total of sixteen phenolic compounds and organic acids were detected using HPLC-DAD and levulinic, gallic, protocatechuic, vanilic, trans-cinnamic acids and (4-hydroxyphenyl) ethanol were identified in all studied chestnut honeys. Antioxidant activities were measured by ABTS^•+, β-carotene-linoleic acid, CUPRAC, DPPH^•, and metal chelating assays. Antimicrobial activities were carried out against gram positive, gram negative bacteria and Candida species using well diffusion test. Anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated against COX-1 and COX-2 whereas enzyme inhibitory activities were assessed on AChE, BChE, urease, and tyrosinase. The chemometric classification of chestnut honeys were carried out using PCA and HCA and it was seen that some phenolic compounds contributed significantly to the classification of chestnut honeys from various geographical origin.

An Investigation into Chestnut Honeys from Artvin Province in Turkiye: Their Physicochemical Properties, Phenolic Profiles and Antioxidant Activities

The aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical properties, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activities of eight chestnut honey samples collected from Artvin province in Turkiye. The honey samples' phenolic profiles were analyzed using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). All honeys were monofloral, and the quantities of chestnut sativa pollen ranged from 56 % to 80 %. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) values were assessed. The pH and moisture values of the honeys ranged between 4.60 and 5.40 and between 17.60 % and 19.00 %, respectively. Electrical conductivity (EC) and Hunter color L values ranged between 0.56 and 1.12 mS/cm and between 43.16 and 67.60, respectively. Proline values ranged from 876 to 1246 mg/kg. The diastase activities of all honeys were high, ranging between 18.28 and 26.30 DU. The mean of total phenolic, total flavonoid and total antioxidant (FRAP) levels in the samples were 72.79±0.03 mg GAE/100 g, 2.25±00.03mg QE/100 g, and 312.67±2.85 μmol FeSO₄ /100 g, respectively. Almost all of the 19 phenolic standards studied were detected in the samples, with catechin, chrysin, caffeic acid, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and gallic acid being determined as major components. In conclusion, the honeys from the Artvin region were high-quality chestnut honeys, with high polyphenolic contents and diversity and high apitherapeutic potentials.

A Comprehensive Survey of Phenolic Constituents Reported in Monofloral Honeys around the Globe

The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the large variety of phenolic compounds that have to date been identified in a wide range of monofloral honeys found globally. The collated information is structured along several themes, including the botanical family and genus of the monofloral honeys for which phenolic constituents have been reported, the chemical classes the phenolic compounds can be attributed to, and the analytical method employed in compound determination as well as countries with a particular research focus on phenolic honey constituents. This review covers 130 research papers that detail the phenolic constituents of a total of 556 monofloral honeys. Based on the findings of this review, it can be concluded that most of these honeys belong to the Myrtaceae and Fabaceae families and that Robinia (Robinia pseudoacacia, Fabaceae), Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium, Myrtaceae), and Chestnut (Castanea sp., Fagaceae) honeys are to date the most studied honeys for phenolic compound determination. China, Italy, and Turkey are the major honey phenolic research hubs. To date, 161 individual phenolic compounds belonging to five major compound groups have been reported, with caffeic acid, gallic acid, ferulic acid and quercetin being the most widely reported among them. HPLC with photodiode array detection appears to be the most popular method for chemical structure identification.

Chemical profiling and antioxidants screening from natural products: using CiNingJi as an example

Natural products with good antioxidative properties have been paid increased attention globally. However, due to its chemical complexity, it is difficult to find out its antioxidative compounds. Herein, the chemical profiling and antioxidant capacity of CiNingJi (CNJ) were analyzed, as an example. By using UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS, a total of 82 compounds were tentatively deduced. Furthermore, its free radical scavenging capacity was assessed by different in vitro spectrophotometric-based assays. The result showed that one ingredient, Rosa roxburghii, plays a critical role in its antioxidant activity. In addition, 18 potential antioxidants were screened out in CNJ by comparing the difference of it with and without DPPH reaction. They were identified mainly as catechin, ellagic acid, kajiichigoside F1, and their derivatives or isomers. With the further quantification of major found antioxidants, our results may provide some knowledge on predicting the antioxidative compounds of natural products.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-022-01049-4.

Comparison of the Antioxidant Activities and Phenolic Content of Five Lonicera Flowers by HPLC-DAD/MS-DPPH and Chemometrics

The Lonicera plants (family Caprifoliaceae) with strong antioxidant activity are used as potential health-supporting phytochemicals. Studying the detailed relationships between bioactive compounds and their antioxidant activity is important for further comprehensive development and application of them. In this paper, the antioxidant capacities and compositions of five species of Lonicera flowers were investigated by using the online HPLC-DAD/MS-DPPH method. Results indicated that the samples contained higher amounts of phenols had better antioxidant activity. Furthermore, principal component analysis and linear regression were further used to analyze the correlations between antioxidant capacity and compounds and find the compounds having higher contribution to antioxidant activity. 5-O-Caffeoylquinic acid, 4-O-caffeoylshikimic acid, methyl-5-O-caffeoylquinate, 1,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, and 3,4,5-tri-O-caffeoylquinic acid were screened as stronger antioxidant candidates. In this study, HPLC-DAD/MS and antioxidant activity methods were combined together to analyze the compounds' information and activity assays of Lonicera, which might provide more evidence for its quality control.

The antioxidant properties of the chestnut bee pollen extract and its preventive action against oxidatively induced damage in DNA bases

Chestnut bee pollen has potential nutritional and medicinal effects and is an important natural bee product. This study focused on the investigation of the antioxidant capacity and DNA damage inhibition ability of chestnut bee pollen (CBP) from Bursa (Turkey). The phenolic compounds (rosmarinic acid, vitexin, hyperoside, pinocembrin, trans-chalcone, apigenin, protocatechuic, and galangin) and carotenoids in CBPE were determined by HPLC-DAD (high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection). Additionally, the protective ability of CBPE against DNA damage by oxidation was investigated. In this study, it was determined that CBPE has a high total phenolic compound content, and the antioxidant capacity of CBPE inhibits DNA oxidation (34% reduction of DNA damage in Fenton reaction media). This study could reveal new information regarding the use of CBPE as a protective agent for DNA in the future. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Phenolic compounds and carotenoids prevent some diseases because of their important biological activities. One of the potential food sources chestnut bee pollen contains sugar, carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, lipids, vitamins, hormones, enzymes, and flavonoids. Chestnut bee pollen, which has protective activity against DNA oxidation, could be an excellent potential source of a protective agent against some degenerative diseases through future applications.