Essential Oil of Ipomoea carnea: Chemical Profile, Chemometric Analysis, Free Radical Scavenging, and Antibacterial Activities

Essential oils (EOs) have been reported as a promising group of naturally extracted compounds due to their various reported biological activities. Ipomoea carnea is a widely distributed plant with many traditional uses worldwide. However, although the EOs of various Ipomea species have been reported, I. carnea remains poorly studied. Therefore, the present investigation aimed to characterize the chemical profile of the EO of I. carnea growing in Egypt via gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and correlate its profile with other reported species via chemometric analysis using agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) and principal component analysis (PCA). In addition, the aim was to determine the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the extracted EO. Depending on the GC-MS analysis, 31 compounds were identified, mainly terpenes (94.82), with traces of carotenoid and apocarotenoid-derived compounds. The major compounds were tau-cadinol (35.68%), α-cadinol (26.76%), spathulenol (8.11%), and caryophyllene oxide (6.56%), which were assigned as major compounds. The chemometric studies showed that the Egyptian ecospecies of I. carnea differs in chemical profile from those growing in Brazil, as well as those reported for other Ipomea species. The EO showed significant DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging abilities, with IC50 values of 33.69 and 40.86 mg L−1, respectively. Additionally, the I. carnea EO displayed significant inhibition against the growth of all tested bacterial strains, where it showed an MIC range of 82–1442 mg mL−1. Based on the current results, the I. carnea EO, particularly the major identified compounds, could be used as a potential eco-friendly green resource for antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Therefore, further study is recommended to evaluate the biological significance of the main compounds, either individually or in combination, as well as assess their modes of action and safety.

Functional Studies of Plant Latex as a Rich Source of Bioactive Compounds: Focus on Proteins and Alkaloids

Latex, a sticky emulsion produced by specialized cells called laticifers, is a crucial part of a plant's defense system against herbivory and pathogens. It consists of a broad spectrum of active compounds, which are beneficial not only for plants, but for human health as well, enough to mention the use of morphine or codeine from poppy latex. Here, we reviewed latex's general role in plant physiology and the significance of particular compounds (alkaloids and proteins) to its defense system with the example of Chelidonium majus L. from the poppy family. We further attempt to present latex chemicals used so far in medicine and then focus on functional studies of proteins and other compounds with potential pharmacological activities using modern techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Despite the centuries-old tradition of using latex-bearing plants in therapies, there are still a lot of promising molecules waiting to be explored.

Maternal exposure to swainsonine impaired the early postnatal development of mouse dentate gyrus of offspring

Neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) plays a key role in the normal of structure and function of the hippocampus-learning and memory. After eating the locoweeds, animals develop a chronic neurological disease called "locoism". Swainsonine (SW) is the main toxin in locoweeds. Studies have shown that SW induces neuronal apoptosis in vitro and impairs learning and memory in adult mouse. The present study explored effects of SW exposure to dams on the postnatal neurogenesis of DG of offspring. Pregnant ICR mice were orally gavaged with SW at a dose of 0, 5.6 or 8.4 mg/kg/day from gestation day 10 to postnatal day (PND) 21, respectively. We found that SW impaired the proliferation capacity of neural progenitor cells in the DG so that the number of newborn cells was reduced at PND 8. Using the postnatal in vivo electroporation, we showed that the dendritic branching and total length of granule cells were significantly decreased due to SW exposure. In addition, on PND 21, the density of NeuN-positive and Reelin-positive interneurons increased in the hilus, implying the disorder of neuronal migration. These results suggest that maternal exposure to SW, the neurogenesis of DG on offspring was disrupted, finally leading to the functional disorder of DG.

Swainsonine exposure induces impairment of host immune response in pregnant BALB/c mice

BACKGROUND

Swainsonine can cause serious disorders in reproduction of livestock, affecting both corpora lutea and reproductive hormone. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of swainsonine about the immunotoxic effects on pregnant mice in vivo.

RESULTS

The peripheral Th1/Th2 was detected by Ionomycin and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of phase pregnant mice. Relevant cytokines in serum was evaluated after exposed to different dose of swainsonine. Gene expression of IL-1β, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-10 in PBMC was assessed by real-time PCR. Swainsonine caused vacuolization phenomenon of lutein cells and a dose-effect relationship. The IL-1β, IFN-γ and TNF-α were promoted, but IL-4 and IL-10 were suppressed in serum. Swainsonine significantly increased IL-1β, IFN-γ and TNF-α nuclear translocation and decreased IL-4 and IL-10. Swainsonine resulted in a significant shift of peripheral Th1/Th2 paradigm to Th1.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrate that the immunomodulatory of swainsonine disturbed the regular immunologic state of the pregnant mice. This may increase the risk of abortion and probably resulted in serious disorders in reproduction of livestock.

Simple Indolizidine and Quinolizidine Alkaloids

This review of simple indolizidine and quinolizidine alkaloids (i.e., those in which the parent bicyclic systems are in general not embedded in polycyclic arrays) is an update of the previous coverage in Volume 55 of this series (2001). The present survey covers the literature from mid-1999 to the end of 2013; and in addition to aspects of the isolation, characterization, and biological activity of the alkaloids, much emphasis is placed on their total synthesis. A brief introduction to the topic is followed by an overview of relevant alkaloids from fungal and microbial sources, among them slaframine, cyclizidine, Steptomyces metabolites, and the pantocins. The important iminosugar alkaloids lentiginosine, steviamine, swainsonine, castanospermine, and related hydroxyindolizidines are dealt with in the subsequent section. The fourth and fifth sections cover metabolites from terrestrial plants. Pertinent plant alkaloids bearing alkyl, functionalized alkyl or alkenyl substituents include dendroprimine, anibamine, simple alkaloids belonging to the genera Prosopis, Elaeocarpus, Lycopodium, and Poranthera, and bicyclic alkaloids of the lupin family. Plant alkaloids bearing aryl or heteroaryl substituents include ipalbidine and analogs, secophenanthroindolizidine and secophenanthroquinolizidine alkaloids (among them septicine, julandine, and analogs), ficuseptine, lasubines, and other simple quinolizidines of the Lythraceae, the simple furyl-substituted Nuphar alkaloids, and a mixed quinolizidine-quinazoline alkaloid. The penultimate section of the review deals with the sizable group of simple indolizidine and quinolizidine alkaloids isolated from, or detected in, ants, mites, and terrestrial amphibians, and includes an overview of the "dietary hypothesis" for the origin of the amphibian metabolites. The final section surveys relevant alkaloids from marine sources, and includes clathryimines and analogs, stellettamides, the clavepictines and pictamine, and bis(quinolizidine) alkaloids.

A review on Ipomoea carnea: pharmacology, toxicology and phytochemistry

Phytomedicines are increasingly being established in modern medical science. The shrub Ipomoea carnea has been used traditionally for thousands of years. However, there are few scientific studies on this medicinal plant, and most of the information are scattered. In this review, we have summarized the existing knowledge and recent progress on the medicinal importance of I. carnea. Different extracts of I. carnea plant possess anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-convulsant, immunomodulatory, anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, sedative and wound healing activities. However, some toxicological effects have been also reported. Some of the major phytochemicals associated with the bioactivity of I. carnea have been characterized, which have been discussed in this study too. This review article might be beneficial for phytotherapy research, as I. carnea can be a good source for drug development.

Effect of swainsonine in Oxytropis kansuensis on Golgi α-mannosidase II expression in the brain tissues of Sprague-Dawley rats

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of swainsonine in Oxytropis kansuensis on the expression of Golgi α-mannosidase II (MAN2A1) in the brain tissues of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Twenty-four SD rats were randomly divided into four groups (experimental groups I, II, and III and a control group) of six animals each. The rats were penned as groups and fed feeds containing either 15% (swainsonine content = 0.003%), 30% (swainsonine content = 0.006%), or 45% (swainsonine content = 0.009%) O. kansuensis for experimental groups I-III, respectively, or complete feed for the control group. One hundred and nineteen days after poisoning, all rats showed neurological disorders at different degrees, which were considered to be successful establishment of a chronic poisoning model of O. kansuensis. Rats were sacrificed, and MAN2A1 expression of brain tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. The results showed that MAN2A1 was either not expressed or lowly expressed in the molecular layer of the cerebral cortex and hippocampal layers, but was found to be highly expressed in other areas of the brain. MAN2A1 expression decreased in the cerebrum and cerebellum in experimental groups when compared to the control group, whereas the expression of MAN2A1 mRNA was inhibited in cerebral and cerebellar tissues by O. kansuensis. These results indicated that O. kansuensis treatment could reduce the expression of MAN2A1 in brain tissues of SD rats.

Review on Medicinal Uses, Pharmacological, Phytochemistry and Immunomodulatory Activity of Plants

Since ancient times, plants have been an exemplary source of medicine. Researchers have discovered some important compounds from plants. The present work constitutes a review of the medicinal plants whose immunomodulant activity has been proven. We performed PUBMED, EMBASE, Google scholar searches for research papers of medicinal plants having immunomodulant activity. Medicinal plants used by traditional physicians or reported as having immunomodulant activity include Acacia concocinna, Camellia sinensis, Lawsonia inermis Linn, Piper longum Linn, Gelidium amansii, Petroselinum crispum, Plantago major and Allium sativum. Immunomodulant activities of some of these medicinal plants have been investigated. The medicinal plants documented have immunomodulant activity and should be further investigated via clinical trial.