Endogenous Antioxidant and LOX-Mediated Systems Contribute to the Hepatoprotective Activity of Aqueous Partition of Methanol Extract of Muntingia calabura L. Leaves against Paracetamol Intoxication

Localized surface plasmon resonance shift of biosynthesized and functionalized quasi-spherical gold nanoparticle systems

Rapid and more environment-friendly means of gold nanoparticle synthesis is necessary in many applications, as in ion detection. Leaf extracts have become effective and economical reducing agents for gold nanoparticle formation, however, effects of extract combinations have not been thoroughly investigated. With the exploitation of combined extract effects, gold nanoparticles were synthesized then functionalized and investigated to produce selected nanoparticle systems which are capable of detecting aqueous lead(ii) ions with minimum detection limits of 10-11 ppm. The measured localized surface plasmon resonance absorption peaks of the gold nanoparticles were 541-800 nm for the synthesis and 549 nm for the functionalization. The diameters of different gold nanoparticle systems were 17-37 nm. These were mostly quasi-spherical in morphology with some rod-, triangular-, and hexagonal plate-like particles. The biosynthesis used polyphenols and acids present in the extracts in the reduction of gold ions into gold nanoparticles, and in the nanoparticle capping and stabilization. Functionalization replaced the capping compounds with alliin, S-allylcysteine, allicin, and ajoene. Gold nanoparticle stability in aqueous systems was verified for two weeks up to five months. The investigations concluded the practicability of the gold nanoparticles in lead(ii) ion detection with selectivity initially verified for other divalent cations.

Hepatoprotective Potential of Malaysian Medicinal Plants: A Review on Phytochemicals, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidant Mechanisms

Hepatotoxicity is a major global public health concern. Despite advances in modern medicine, the demerits of chemically prepared drugs outweigh their merits. In addition, the treatment of liver diseases based on modern medical principles has been found to produce several undesired side effects. Therefore, the exploration of medicinal plants has gained worldwide attention for treating various diseases, including liver diseases, owing to their potential efficacy and cost effectiveness. Several plants, including Andrographis paniculata, Bauhinia purpurea, Commelina nudiflora, Dillenia suffruticosa, Elaeis guineensis, Lygodium microphyllum, and Nephrolepis biserrata, have been reported with hepatoprotection. Moreover, these plants have been shown to play a vital role in ameliorating cellular damage because they contain several phytochemicals, including alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, steroids, polyphenols, and diterpenoid lactones. The following antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and hepatoprotective compounds have been found in these plants: andrographolide, rosmarinic acid, phenol, eugenol, 9,12-octadecadienoic, n-hexadecanoic acid, dihydroxy dimethoxy flavone, sitosterol, demethoxycurcumin, quercetin, linoleic acid, stigmasterol, kojic acid, indole-2-one, α-terpinol, linalool, kaempferol, catechin, ellagic acid, and oleanolic acid. This paper aimed to provide an in-depth review of in vivo studies on Malaysian medicinal plants possessing hepatoprotective properties, phytochemical ingredients, and antioxidant mechanisms, with an emphasis on the species proven particularly useful for treating hepatic disorders.

Fermentation of Jamaican Cherries Juice Using Lactobacillus plantarum Elevates Antioxidant Potential and Inhibitory Activity against Type II Diabetes-Related Enzymes

Jamaican cherry (Muntinga calabura Linn.) is tropical tree that is known to produce edible fruit with high nutritional and antioxidant properties. However, its use as functional food is still limited. Previous studies suggest that fermentation with probiotic bacteria could enhance the functional properties of non-dairy products, such as juices. In this study, we analyze the metabolite composition and activity of Jamaican cherry juice following fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum FNCC 0027 in various substrate compositions. The metabolite profile after fermentation was analyzed using UPLC-HRMS-MS and several bioactive compounds were detected in the substrate following fermentation, including gallic acid, dihydrokaempferol, and 5,7-dihydroxyflavone. We also found that total phenolic content, antioxidant activities, and inhibition of diabetic-related enzymes were enhanced after fermentation using L. plantarum. The significance of its elevation depends on the substrate composition. Overall, our findings suggest that fermentation with L. plantarum FNCC 0027 can improve the functional activities of Jamaican cherry juice.