Effects of Alcoholic Extracts of Bangladeshi Mangrove Acanthus ilicifolius Linn. (Acanthaceae) Leaf and Stem on Atherogenic Model of Wistar Albino Rats

Comparative analysis of flavonoids, polyphenols and volatiles in roots, stems and leaves of five mangroves

Mangrove plants contain a variety of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, polyphenols, and volatiles, which are important for their survival and adaptation to the coastal environment, as well as for producing bioactive compounds. To reveal differences in these compounds among five mangrove species' leaf, root, and stem, the total contents of flavonoids and polyphenols, types and contents of volatiles were determined, analyzed and compared. The results showed that Avicennia marina leaves contained the highest levels of flavonoids and phenolics. In mangrove parts, flavonoids are usually higher than phenolic compounds. A total of 532 compounds were detected by a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method in the leaf, root, and stem parts of five mangrove species. These were grouped into 18 classes, including alcohols, aldehydes, alkaloids, alkanes, etc. The number of volatile compounds in A. ilicifolius (176) and B. gymnorrhiza (172) was lower than in the other three species. The number of volatile compounds and their relative contents differed among all three parts of five mangrove species, where the mangrove species factor had a greater impact than the part factor. A total of 71 common compounds occurring in more than two species or parts were analyzed by a PLS-DA model. One-way ANOVA revealed 18 differential compounds among mangrove species and nine differential compounds among parts. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis showed that both unique and common compounds significantly differed in composition and concentration between species and parts. In general, A. ilicifolius and B. gymnorrhiza differed significantly from the other species in terms of compound content, while the leaves differed significantly from the other parts. VIP screening and pathway enrichment analysis were performed on 17 common compounds closely related to mangrove species or parts. These compounds were mainly involved in terpenoid pathways such as C10 isoprenoids and C15 isoprenoids and fatty alcohols. The correlation analysis showed that the content of flavonoids/phenolics, the number of compounds, and the content of some common compounds in mangroves were correlated with their salt and waterlogging tolerance levels. These findings will help in the development of genetic varieties and medicinal utilization of mangrove plants.

Molecularly imprinted polymer-specific solid-phase extraction for the determination of 4-hydroxy-2(3H)benzoxazolone isolated from Acanthus ilicifolius Linnaeus using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The minor constituent found in Acanthus ilicifolius Linnaeus, 4-hydroxy-2 (3H) benzoxazolone alkaloid (HBOA), has a range of versatile applications. Herein, a quick and straightforward method for extracting HBOA from A. ilicifolius Linnaeus was proposed. HBOA was used as a template, whereas methacrylic acid, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and acetonitrile were used as functional monomers, cross-linkers, and porogens, respectively. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were synthesized by precipitation polymerization, and their adsorption isotherms, dynamics, and selective binding ability were characterized and analyzed. The results showed that the adsorption amount of the template was 90.18 mg/g. The MIPs were used as solid-phase extraction fillers and actual sample extraction columns, with a linear range of 0–100 μg/L, average recovery of 78.50–101.12%, and a relative standard deviation of 1.20–3.26%. The HBOA concentrations in the roots, stems, and leaves were 1,226, 557, and 205 μg/g, respectively. In addition, MIP–SPE was successfully used in isolating and purifying HBOA from different parts of A. ilicifolius Linnaeus, indicating its effectiveness in extracting and determining HBOA in other herbs.