Salix daphnoides: A Screening for Oligomeric and Polymeric Proanthocyanidins

Bassia longifolia (= Madhuca longifolia): Isolation of flavan-3-ols and their contribution to the antibacterial and antidiabetic activity in vitro

Bassia longifoliaKOENIG (= Madhuca longifolia (L.) is an evergreen tree that is widely distributed throughout Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka. The bark has various traditional uses: as a paste in the treatment of cuts and wounds or internally as a decoction that is given to diabetic patients. Chemical-analytical and pharmacological investigations regarding the bark are not sufficiently available. We focused on the isolation of flavan-3-ols from the methanolic extract and their contribution to the described traditional uses in wound healing and diabetes treatment. Therefore, an antibacterial assay and an α-glucosidase assay were performed. The isolation process was performed by a combination of Sephadex®-, MCI®-Gel-, and RP-18 chromatography. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by 1H- and 13C-NMR-spectroscopy including COSY, ROESY, HSQC, and HMBC methods. Optical characterization was performed by polarimetry and circular dichroism. Two monomeric, seven dimeric, six trimeric, and one tetrameric flavan-3-ols were found including one dimer and three trimers with rare epiafzelechin units. Two compounds were isolated for the first time. A fraction containing higher oligomeric and polymeric proanthocyanidins (PAs) was examined by 13C NMR spectroscopy and revealed an average degree of polymerization of 8-9. PA with cis-configurated subunits predominated at 90 % and the presence of further monohydroxylated flavan-3-ols was revealed. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were investigated by the serial microdilution broth assay with Staphylococcus aureus. The bacterial suspension was inoculated on agar plates for determining the MICs. The α-glucosidase assay was performed in 96 well plates with α-glucosidase from Bacillus stearothermophilus. For the detection of enzyme inhibition, p-nitrophenyl-α-d-glucopyranoside was used as a substrate and after incubation absorbance was measured at 405 nm. Antibacterial effects were only found for fractions enriched with PAs or containing higher oligomeric and polymeric flavan-3-ols. All tested substances showed high α-glucosidase inhibition. Whereby 4β→8 conjugated dimers and the monomers showed the lowest inhibition, procyanidin (PC) B5 as 4β→6 conjugated and cinnamtannin A2 as tetrameric flavan-3-ol showed the highest. PAs with epiafzelechin units are rarely found in nature but their reoccurring appearance in B. longifolia could be characteristic of this plant. For its traditional uses, the antibacterial activity of the PA-enriched fractions could contribute to the wound healing process when applied to the injured skin. Moreover, all tested substances and fractions showed α-glucosidase inhibition, which could also explain the use of a decoction in the treatment of diabetes. In conclusion, pharmacological investigations could provide scientific evidence for traditional uses of B. longifolia.

Inter- and intraspecific diversity of Salix bark phenolic profiles - A resource for the pharmaceutical industry

Due to their content of phenolic compounds, willow bark preparations are used as an herbal remedy. The large diversity of phenolic secondary metabolites in Salix still provides a resource for the identification of bioactive compounds in particular species, including species not yet in focus from a phytopharmaceutical perspective. The present study describes the bark phenolic profile of 13 Salix species analyzed by HPLC-MS: Salix alba, Salix babylonica, Salix daphnoides, Salix fragilis, Salix hastata, Salix myrsinifolia, Salix pentandra, Salix purpurea, Salix repens (including subspecies S. repens ssp. arenaria and S. repens ssp. repens), Salix rosmarinifolia, Salix sachalinensis, Salix triandra and Salix viminalis. The analyzed profiles comprised the chemical groups of salicylates, flavonoids, procyanidins, phenolic acid derivatives, and some unclassified phenolics. Particular compounds were detected in species where they have not been previously reported. Apart from interspecific diversity, qualitative variability within species was observed as certain components were detected only in some of the analyzed genotypes. The knowledge on specific phenolic profiles of species and genotypes is the basis for the selection of suitable willow bark material with certain desired bioactive properties. Furthermore, the high inter- and intraspecific variability points out the necessity for product standardization of willow bark raw material.

Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins: An Updated Review of Their Natural Sources, Synthesis, and Potentials

Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (OPCs), as a class of compounds widely found in plants, are particularly abundant in grapes and blueberries. It is a polymer comprising many different monomers, such as catechins and epicatechins. The monomers are usually linked to each other by two types of links, A-linkages (C-O-C) and B-linkages (C-C), to form the polymers. Numerous studies have shown that compared to high polymeric procyanidins, OPCs exhibit antioxidant properties due to the presence of multiple hydroxyl groups. This review describes the molecular structure and natural source of OPCs, their general synthesis pathway in plants, their antioxidant capacity, and potential applications, especially the anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, cardiovascular disease prevention, and antineoplastic functions. Currently, OPCs have attracted much attention, being non-toxic and natural antioxidants of plant origin that scavenge free radicals from the human body. This review would provide some references for further research on the biological functions of OPCs and their application in various fields.

Multiple biological effects of secondary metabolites of Ziziphus jujuba: isolation and mechanistic insights through in vitro and in silico studies

In this study, we tested tyrosinase and α-glucosidase effects of different extracts of Ziziphus jujuba fruits. The n-BuOH subextract inhibited both tyrosinase and α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 18.82 ± 1.13 and 25.03 ± 0.77 µg/mL, respectively) better than the positive controls kojic acid and acarbose (IC₅₀ = 58.26 ± 0.25 and 46.10 ± 2.3 µg/mL, respectively). Thus, the n-BuOH extract was selected for further phytochemical studies. Indole-3-lactic acid methylester, catechin, magnoflorine, kaempferol 3-O-α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-galactopyranoside, quercetin 3-O-α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-galactopyranoside, and procyanidin B4 were isolated from the extract. We tested α-glucosidase and tyrosinase inhibitory effects, as well as DNA nuclease effects of the isolated compounds. Procyanidin B4 exhibited the best activity against both tyrosinase and α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 60.25 ± 0.88 and 170.18 ± 5.60 µg/mL, respectively). The isolates did not show any nuclease effect at increasing concentrations. Molecular docking studies provided insights into inhibition mechanisms of the isolates against tyrosinase and α-glucosidase at the molecular level.

Identification and accumulation of phenolic compounds in the leaves and bark of Salix alba (L.) and their biological potential

The study examines the phenolic compounds in hydromethanolic extracts of Salix alba (L.) leaves and bark as well as their antioxidant activity and cytotoxic potential. UPLC-PDA-Q/TOF-MS analysis showed a total of 29 phenolic compounds in leaves and 34 in bark. Total phenolic compound content was 5575.96 mg/100 g of dry weight (DW) in leaves and 2330.31 mg/100 g DW in bark. The compounds were identified as derivatives of phenolic acids (seven in leaves and five in bark), flavanols and procyanidins (eight in leaves and 26 in bark) and flavonols (14 in leaves and three in bark). Both extracts exhibited strong antioxidant potential, assessed by radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), but the bark extract was even stronger than the ascorbic acid used as a standard. The cytotoxicity of both extracts was evaluated against human skin fibroblasts and human epidermal keratinocytes cell lines using the Presto Blue cell viability assay. The keratinocytes were more resistant to tested extracts than fibroblasts. The leaf and bark extracts at concentrations which exhibited antioxidant activity were also not toxic against the keratinocyte cell line. Thus, S. alba extracts, especially the leaf extract, offer promise as a nontoxic natural antioxidant, in cosmetic products or herbal medicines, and as a source of bioactive secondary metabolites.

Investigation of the flavan-3-ol patterns in willow species during one growing-season

Flavonoids, proanthocyanidins (PAs) and salicylic alcohol derivatives are the main groups of ingredients in Salix needed as defensive tools and signal molecules, but have also pharmaceutical importance. The present study investigated total PA content, complete PA pattern, the oligomeric/total PAs quotient and the contents of catechin and epicatechin during one growing-season for the leaves and this year's sprouts in ten willows (Salix pentandra L. ♂, S. alba L. ♂, S. fragilis L. ♀, S. caprea L. ♂ & ♀, S. cinerea L. ♂, S. caprea x cinerea ♂, S. daphnoidesVill. ♂ & ♀ and S. purpurea L. ♀; all Salicaceae). Comparison of the different species revealed distinct seasonal fluctuations of the oligomeric and polymeric PA fractions, but the contents of both groups always developed in the same direction. All willows prefer the synthesis of PAs with DP-2 - DP-4 within the oligomeric fraction (DP-2 - DP-10) and species with rather low PA contents like S. purpurea (0.1-2.6 mg/g) as well as species with rather high PA contents like S. alba (3.8-14.7 mg/g) were found. Only slight gender specific differences could be observed for both sexes of S. daphnoides and S. caprea. The PA pattern of the hybrid S. caprea x cinerea seems to be influenced by both parents. Thus, the accumulation of the oligomeric PAs accorded to S. caprea and the polymeric PAs matched S. cinerea resulting in an overall depression of PAs in the sprouts and a varying seasonal trend in the leaves. In contrast, the content of catechin remained high and seemed to be not influenced in the hybrid. Although only one individual of each Salix species could be considered in this screening study, the present results demonstrate the variability of the flavan-3-ol pattern within the genus Salix but also some preliminary correlations could be observed. Future studies with more Salix species will provide more insights into chemotaxonomic correlations.

Reduction of apoptosis by proanthocyanidin-induced autophagy in the human gastric cancer cell line MGC-803

Proanthocyanidins are flavonoids that are widely present in the skin and seeds of various plants, with the highest content in grape seeds. Many experiments have shown that proanthocyanidins have antitumor activity both in vivo and in vitro. Autophagy and apoptosis of tumor cells induced by drugs are two of the major causes of tumor cell death. However, reports on the effect of autophagy induced by drugs in tumor cells are not consistent and suggest that autophagy can have synergistic or antagonistic effects with apoptosis. This research was aimed at investigating whether proanthocyanidins induced autophagy and apoptosis in human gastric cancer cell line MGC-803 cells and to identify the mechanism of proanthocyanidins action to further determine the effect of proanthocyanidins-induced autophagy on apoptosis. MTT assay was used to examine the proanthocyanidin cytotoxicity against human gastric cancer cell line MGC-803. Transmission electron microscopy and monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining were used to detect autophagy. Annexin V APC/7-AAD double staining and Hoechst 33342/propidium iodide (PI) double staining were used to explore apoptosis. Western blotting was used to determine expression of proteins related to autophagy and apoptosis. Real-time quantitative PCR technology was used to determine the mRNA level of Beclin1 and BCL-2. The results showed that proanthocyanidins exhibit a significant inhibitory effect on the human gastric cancer cell line MGC-803 proliferation in vitro and simultaneously activate autophagy and apoptosis to promote cell death. Furthermore, when proanthocyanidin-induced autophagy is inhibited, apoptosis increases significantly, proanthocyanidins can be used together with autophagy inhibitors to enhance cytotoxicity.

Efficacy of Procyanidins against In Vivo Cellular Oxidative Damage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

AIMS

In this study, the efficacy of proanthocyanidins (PCs) against oxidative damage was systematically reviewed to facilitate their use in various applications.

METHODS

A meta-analysis was performed by two researchers. Each investigator independently searched electronic databases, including Cochrane, PubMed, Springer, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CKNI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (CSTJ), and WanFang Data, and analyzed published data from 29 studies on the effects of PCs against oxidative damage. Oxidative stress indexes included superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC).

RESULTS

Compared with the oxidative damage model group, PCs effectively improved the T-AOC, SOD, GSH, GPx, and CAT levels, and reduced the MDA levels; these differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). In studies that used the gavage method, SOD (95% CI, 2.33-4.00) and GPx (95% CI, 2.10-4.05) were 3.16-fold and 3.08-fold higher in the PC group than in the control group, respectively. In studies that used the feeding method, SOD (95% CI, 0.32-1.74) and GPx (95% CI, -0.31 to 1.65) were 1.03-fold and 0.67-fold higher in the PC group than in the control group, respectively. Statistically significant differences in the effects of PCs (P < 0.00001) were observed between these two methods. MDA estimated from tissue samples (95% CI, -5.82 to -2.60) was 4.32-fold lower in the PC group than in the control group. In contrast, MDA estimated using serum samples (95% CI, -4.07 to -2.06) was 3.06-fold lower in the PC group than in the control group. The effect of PCs on MDA was significantly greater in tissue samples than in serum samples (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

PCs effectively antagonize oxidative damage and enhance antioxidant capacity. The antagonistic effect may be related to intervention time, intervention method, and the source from which the indexes are estimated.