Evaluation of antioxidant potential of “maltese mushroom” (Cynomorium coccineum) by means of multiple chemical and biological assays

Corrigendum: Compounds purified from edible fungi fight against chronic inflammation through oxidative stress regulation

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.974794.].

The Use of Medicinal Plant-Derived Metallic Nanoparticles in Theranostics

In the quest to effectively diagnose and treat the diseases that afflict mankind, the development of a tool capable of simultaneous detection and treatment would provide a significant cornerstone for the survival and control of these diseases. Theranostics denotes a portmanteau of therapeutics and diagnostics which simultaneously detect and treat ailments. Research advances have initiated the advent of theranostics in modern medicine. Overall, theranostics are drug delivery systems with molecular or targeted imaging agents integrated into their structure. The application of theranostics is rising exponentially due to the urgent need for treatments that can be utilized for diagnostic imaging as an aid in precision and personalised medicine. Subsequently, the emergence of nanobiotechnology and the green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) has provided one such avenue for nanoscale development and research. Of interest is the drastic rise in the use of medicinal plants in the synthesis of MNPs which have been reported to be potentially effective in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. At present, medicinal plant-derived MNPs have been cited to have broad pharmacological applications and have been studied for their potential use in the treatment and management of cancer, malaria, microbial and cardiovascular diseases. The subject of this article regards the role of medicinal plants in the synthesis of MNPs and the potential role of MNPs in the field of theranostics.

A Review of the Health Protective Effects of Phenolic Acids against a Range of Severe Pathologic Conditions (Including Coronavirus-Based Infections)

Phenolic acids comprise a class of phytochemical compounds that can be extracted from various plant sources and are well known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. A few of the most common naturally occurring phenolic acids (i.e., caffeic, carnosic, ferulic, gallic, p-coumaric, rosmarinic, vanillic) have been identified as ingredients of edible botanicals (thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, mint, etc.). Over the last decade, clinical research has focused on a number of in vitro (in human cells) and in vivo (animal) studies aimed at exploring the health protective effects of phenolic acids against the most severe human diseases. In this review paper, the authors first report on the main structural features of phenolic acids, their most important natural sources and their extraction techniques. Subsequently, the main target of this analysis is to provide an overview of the most recent clinical studies on phenolic acids that investigate their health effects against a range of severe pathologic conditions (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular diseases, hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and viral infections—including coronaviruses-based ones).

Coronarin K and L: Two Novel Labdane Diterpenes From Roscoea purpurea: An Ayurvedic Crude Drug

The main objective of cancer treatment with chemotherapy is to kill the cancerous cells without affecting the healthy normal cells. In the present study, bioactivity-guided purification of the n-chloroform soluble fraction from the methanol extract of Roscoea purpurea resulted in the identification of two new labdane diterpenes: coronarin K (1) and coronarin L (2), along with eight known compounds, coronarin A (3), bisdemethoxycurcumin (4), kaempferol 3-O-methyl ether (5), kaempferol (6), fenozan acid (7), 3-(3-methoxy,4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propenoic acid ferulic acid (8), caffeic acid (9), and gallic acid (10). The structural identification of new compounds (1 and 2) were determined by detailed analysis of 1D (¹H and ¹³C) and 2D NMR (COSY, HSQC, and HMBC) spectroscopic data. The relative configurations of 1 and 2 were determined with the help of NOESY correlations and comparison of optical rotations with known labdane diterpenes, with established stereochemistry, while structure of known compounds was established by direct comparison of their NMR data with those reported in the literature. This is the first report of isolation of this labdane diterpenes and phenolic classes of secondary metabolites in R. purpurea. In the preliminary screening, the methanol extract and its fractions were tested for the cytotoxic activity against a panel of four cancer cell lines (A549, HCT-116, Bxpc-3, and MCF-7); extract and its chloroform fraction were found to be active against the lung cancer cell line, A-549, with IC₅₀ value <25 μg/ml. Owing to the notable cytotoxic activity of the chloroform fraction, the compounds (1-5) were screened for their cytotoxicity against all the cell lines by MTT assay. Coronarin K, 1 showed significant cytotoxic potential against lung cancer cell lines (A-549), with IC₅₀ value of 13.49 μM, while other compounds did not show activity below 22 μM.

Cytinus under the Microscope: Disclosing the Secrets of a Parasitic Plant

Well over 1% of all flowering plants are parasites, obtaining all or part of the nutrients they need from other plants. Among this extremely heterogeneous assemblage, the Cytinaceae form a small group of holoparasites, with Cytinus as the main representative genus. Despite the small number of known species and the fact that it doesn't attack crops or plants of economic importance, Cytinus is paradigmatic among parasitic plants. Recent research has indeed disclosed many aspects of host-parasite interactions and reproductive biology, the latter displaying a vast array of adaptive traits to lure a range of animal pollinators. Furthermore, analysis of biological activities of extracts of the most common species of Cytinus has provided evidence that this plant could be a valuable source of compounds with high potential in key applicative areas, namely food production (nutraceuticals) and the development of antimicrobial therapeutics. This article offers a complete overview of our current knowledge of Cytinus.

Allelopathic Potential and Active Substances from Wedelia Chinensis (Osbeck)

Wedelia chinensis (Asteraceae) is a wetland herb native to India, China, and Japan. It is a valuable medicinal plant recorded to have pharmaceutical properties. However, the phytotoxic potential of Wedelia chinensis has not yet been examined. Thus, we carried out this study to establish the allelopathic effects of Wedelia chinensis and to identify its phytotoxic substances. Extracts of Wedelia chinensis exhibited high inhibitory activity against the root and shoot growth of cress, alfalfa, rapeseed, lettuce, foxtail fescue, Italian ryegrass, timothy, and barnyard grass. The inhibition was varied with species and was dependent on concentrations. The extracts were separated through several purification steps, and the two effective substances were isolated and characterized as vanillic acid and gallic acid using spectral analysis. Vanillic acid and gallic acid significantly arrested the growth of cress and Italian ryegrass seedlings. The concentrations of vanillic acid and gallic acid needed for 50% inhibition (I₅₀ values) of the seedling growth of the cress and Italian ryegrass were 0.04–15.4 and 0.45–6.6 mM, respectively. The findings suggest that vanillic acid and gallic acid may be required for the growth inhibitory activities of Wedelia chinensis.

Absence of Polyphenol Oxidase in Cynomorium coccineum, a Widespread Holoparasitic Plant

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO, E.C. 1.14.18.1) is a nearly ubiquitous enzyme that is widely distributed among organisms. Despite its widespread distribution, the role of PPO in plants has not been thoroughly elucidated. In this study, we report for the absence of PPO in Cynomorium coccineum, a holoparasitic plant adapted to withstand unfavorable climatic conditions, growing in Mediterranean countries and amply used in traditional medicine. The lack of PPO has been demonstrated by the absence of enzymatic activity with various substrates, by the lack of immunohistochemical detection of the enzyme, and by the absence of the PPO gene and, consequently, its expression. The results obtained in our work allow us to exclude the presence of the PPO activity (both latent and mature forms of the enzyme), as well as of one or more genes coding for PPO in C. coccineum. Finally, we discuss the possible significance of PPO deficiency in parasitic plants adapted to abiotic stress.

Phenolic Acids of Plant Origin-A Review on Their Antioxidant Activity In Vitro (O/W Emulsion Systems) Along with Their in Vivo Health Biochemical Properties

Nature has generously offered a wide range of herbs (e.g., thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, mint, basil) rich in many polyphenols and other phenolic compounds with strong antioxidant and biochemical properties. This paper focuses on several natural occurring phenolic acids (caffeic, carnosic, ferulic, gallic, p-coumaric, rosmarinic, vanillic) and first gives an overview of their most common natural plant sources. A summary of the recently reported antioxidant activities of the phenolic acids in o/w emulsions is also provided as an in vitro lipid-based model system. Exploring the interfacial activity of phenolic acids could help to further elucidate their potential health properties against oxidative stress conditions of biological membranes (such as lipoproteins). Finally, this review reports on the latest literature evidence concerning specific biochemical properties of the examined phenolic acids.

Astringent drugs for bleedings and diarrhoea: The history of Cynomorium coccineum (Maltese Mushroom)

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The botanical identity of the ancient vernacular cynomorium does not correspond to the modern scientific genus while it is not clear how many species of hipocistis (Cytinus sp.) were differentiated by the ancient physicians and whether Cynomorium coccineum was subsumed. The early history of therapeutic uses related to the herbal drugs derived from these parasitic taxa is therefore not easily accessible. Cynomorium coccineum became an important pharmaceutical commodity after the Siege of Malta but its importance decreased in the 18th century and now is considered obsolete.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We compare the morphological, ecological and therapeutic information of Cynomorium and other parasitizing plant taxa across the past 2000 years and contextualize their uses with the pharmacological properties of their principal metabolites focusing on the raise and fall of C. coccineum as a medicine.

RESULTS

The therapeutic uses of C. coccineum, the Maltese mushroom, seem to become clearly traceable since the Canon of Medicine by Avicenna. Styptic and astringent drugs such as Cynomorium, Cytinus but also gall apples and many others have been selected for their protein-linking capacity leading to the formation of a protective layer on the mucous membranes, which can be used to reduce the secretion of water and electrolytes in case of diarrhoea, dysentery and external bleedings. Whether C. coccineum is effective as a systemically applied anti-haemorrhagic drug is questionable.

CONCLUSION

It appears that the vernacular cynomorium of the ancients corresponds to an edible Orobanche sp. while it remains doubtful whether the vernacular hipocistis was next to Cytinus sp. also applied to C. coccineum as evidence of C. coccineum parasitizing Cistus sp. is scarce. The isolation of gallic acid used as a styptic and the increasing availability of chemical styptics in the 18th century together with the availability of effective alternative anti-diarrhoeic drugs with a more reliable supply very probably led to the decline of the importance of the Maltese mushroom in pharmacy during the 18th century. The effectiveness of gallic acid as a systemic anti-haemorrhagic remains uncertain.

Identification and characterization of chemical components in the bioactive fractions of Cynomorium coccineum that possess anticancer activity

Cynomorium coccineum has long been used as the health and medicinal plant known to induce cancer cell death. However, the bioactive compounds of C. coccineum and the underlying mechanism of their regulator in cell autophagy and cell apoptosis remain unexplored. In our previous study, we found that the ethanol extract had antitumor activity through inducing cancer cell death. In this study, by detecting the anti-tumor effect of sequence extracts from Cynomorium coccineum, the active constituents were collected in solvent ethyl acetate. A strategy based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap/MS) was first utilized to analyze the chemical constituents of active fraction (ethyl acetate fraction, CS3). A total of 29 compounds including 8 triterpenoids, 6 flavonoids, 4 fatty acids, 8 phenolic acids, 1 anthraquinones, 1 nucleoside and 1 sterol were detected and identified or tentatively identified for the first time in Cynomorium coccineum. We found that CS3 induces cancer cell death accompanied with a great number of vacuoles in the cytoplasm. CS3-induced autophagosome formation was found and confirmed by electron microscopy and the high expression levels of microtubule-associated protein-1 light chain 3-II (LC3II), a marker protein of autophagy. We additionally demonstrated that CS3 activated and increased the pro-apoptotic mitochondrial proteins, BNIP3 and BNIP3L, in mRNA and protein levels. The constituents of CS3 down-regulated anti-apoptotic BCL2, and then releases autophagic protein Beclin-1. These finding for the first time systematically not only explore and identify the active constituents of CS3 in Cynomorium coccineum, but also examined the mechanism associated with CS3-induced cell death via cell autophagy. This active component may serve as a potential source to obtain new autophagy inducer and anti-cancer compounds for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Antiproliferative and antiviral activity of methanolic extracts from Sardinian Maltese Mushroom (Cynomorium coccineum L.)

Cynomorium coccineum is a non-photosynthetic plant that grows in Mediterranean countries and that is amply used in the traditional medicine. The aim of this study was to extend previous studies on the chemical and biological properties of C. coccineum, evaluating the potential antiviral and antiproliferative activity of the methanolic extract. The MTT assay was used for the in vitro cytotoxic studies against human cancer-derived cell lines, while both MTT and plaque reduction (PRT) methods were used to evaluate the potential inhibitory effect of the extract against a panel of mammal viruses. The results obtained showed no selective activity against any DNA and RNA virus but revealed an interesting antiproliferative activity against human leukaemia-derived cell lines.

The Modern Use of an Ancient Plant: Exploring the Antioxidant and Nutraceutical Potential of the Maltese Mushroom (Cynomorium Coccineum L.)

In the continuous scientific search for new safe and effective drugs, there has recently been a rediscovery of natural substances as a potential reservoir of innovative therapeutic solutions for human health, with the prospect of integrating with and sometimes replacing conventional drugs. Cynomorium coccineum subsp. coccineum is a holoparasitic plant well known in ethnopharmacology, although its current use as a curative remedy is reported only in some ethnic groups of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Often known as ‘Maltese mushroom’ due to its unique appearance and the absence of chlorophyll, C. coccineum is present in almost all of the Mediterranean Basin. It is only recently that a few research groups have begun to look for confirmation of some of its traditional uses to highlight previously unknown biological activities. Here, we review the recent scientific findings on the plant’s phytochemistry and the most significant descriptions of some of its antioxidant and biological activities (antimicrobial, anticancer, pro-erectile, and anti-tyrosinase enzyme) both in vivo and in vitro. Some of these may be promising from the perspective of food and cosmetic formulations. The purpose of this review is to provide an initial impetus to those who, in the foreseeable future, will want to increase the knowledge and possible applications of this plant full of history, charm, and mystery.

Lamium Plants-A Comprehensive Review on Health Benefits and Biological Activities

This work is an updated snapshot of Lamium plants and their biological activities. The main features of the plant are described and the components of its essential oils are summarized. The traditional medicinal uses of Lamium plants has been reported. The presence of these chemicals i.e., hydroxycinnamic acids, iridoids, secoiridoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenylpropanoids, phytoecdysteroids, benzoxazinoids, betaine can provide biological activities. After the discussion of antioxidant properties documented for Lamium plants, the biological activities, studied using in vitro models, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive activity, and pain therapy and cytotoxicity and cytoprotective activity are here described and discussed. Finally, targeted examples of in vivo studies are reported.

Tannin profile, antioxidant properties, and antimicrobial activity of extracts from two Mediterranean species of parasitic plant Cytinus

BACKGROUND

Cytinus is small genus of endophytic parasitic plants distributed in South Africa, Madagascar, and in the Mediterranean region. In the latter area, two species occur, Cytinus hypocistis and C. ruber, distinguished by both morphological characters and ecological traits. We characterized the ethanolic and aqueous extracts obtained from the inflorescences of C. hypocistis and C. ruber collected in Sardinia, Italy, and explored their tannin content, antioxidant properties and antimicrobial activities.

METHODS

Total phenolic contents were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu spectrophotometric method. Tannin content was determined by HPLC. Antioxidant activity of the extracts was tested with both electron transfer-based (FRAP, TEAC, DPPH) and spectrophotometric HAT methods (ORAC-PYR). The antimicrobial activities of extracts/compounds were evaluated using the broth microdilution method. The bactericidal activity was evaluated using the time-kill method. Biofilm formation was evaluated by crystal violet (CV) staining assay.

RESULTS

Characterization of the tannin profile of C. hypocistis and C. ruber revealed a significant amount of gallotannins, in particular 1-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose. In addition, pentagalloyl-O-β-D-glucose was present in all extracts, reaching the concentration of 0.117 g/kg in the ethanolic extract of C. hypocistis. C. hypocistis extracts displayed a strongest antioxidant activity than C. ruber extracts. Three Gram-positive bacterial species tested (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecium) resulted sensitive to both Cytinus extracts, with MICs ranging from 125 to 500 μg/ml for aqueous extracts and from 31.25 to 250 μg/ml for ethanolic extracts; on the contrary, Gram-negative strains (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae) were not affected by Cytinus extracts. Intriguingly, we observed the suppressive activity of ethanolic extracts of C. hypocistis and C. ruber on biofilm formation of S. epidermidis. Experiments performed with synthetic compounds indicated that pentagalloyl-O-β-D-glucose is likely to be one of the active antimicrobial components of Cytinus extracts.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show that Cytinus extracts have antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, suggesting a possible application of Cytinus as sources of natural antimicrobials and antioxidants.

Toxicity Assessment of Chinese Herbal Medicine Cynomorium songaricum Rupr

Cynomorium songaricum Rupr, known as Suo Yang, is most commonly used to treat fatigue, protect the liver, and invigorate kidneys in Northwest China. Given the wide medicinal utilisation and lack of safety evaluation, this work evaluated the acute toxicity, genetic toxicity, and 90-day repeated oral toxicity of Suo Yang. Twenty Kunming mice were orally given Suo Yang once and observed for 14 days in the acute toxicity test. The genetic toxicity of Suo Yang was tested using in vivo and vitro assays (bacterial reverse mutation test, mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay, and spermatocyte chromosomal aberration assay). In the 90-day repeated oral toxicity study, 80 SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups and then orally given Suo Yang at different concentrations (1.04, 2.08 or 4.16 g/kg), while the control group was given sterile water. In the acute toxicity test, no abnormal behaviour or mortality was found in mice. The results suggest that the maximum tolerable dose of Suo Yang is greater than 15 g/kg. In the genotoxicity studies, no revertant colonies were produced in vitro. In the in vivo assays, no increased frequencies of micronuclei or structural abnormalities of spermatocyte chromosomes were found. In the 90-day repeated oral toxicity study, no significant toxicological manifestations were observed in haematological parameters or clinical and pathological examinations. In summary, these results suggest that Suo Yang at the given doses does not cause adverse effects in animals. Thus, Suo Yang can reasonably be considered a safe herbal medicine.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition as a target for botanicals in cancer metastasis

BACKGROUND

The plant kingdom represents an unlimited source of phytotherapeutics with promising perspectives in the field of anticancer drug discovery.

PURPOSE

In this view, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) represents a novel and major target in anticancer therapy. Therefore, this narrative review aims to provide an updated overview on the bioactive phytochemicals with anti-EMT activity.

CONCLUSION

Among the plant products reviewed, phenylpropanoids were the most investigated at preclinical phase, thus exhibiting a promising potential as anticancer drugs, though an evidence-based clinical efficacy is still lacking.

Anticancer Activity of Cynomorium coccineum

The extensive applications of Cynomorium species and their rich bioactive secondary metabolites have inspired many pharmacological investigations. Previous research has been conducted to examine the biological activities and numerous interesting pharmaceutical activities have been reported. However, the antitumor activities of these species are unclear. To understand the potential anticancer activity, we screened Cynomorium coccineum and Cynomorium songaricum using three different extracts of each species. In this study, the selected extracts were evaluated for their ability to decrease survival rates of five different cancer cell lines. We compared the cytotoxicity of the three different extracts to the anticancer drug vinblastine and one of the most well-known medicinal mushrooms Amaurederma rude. We found that the water and alcohol extracts of C. coccineum at the very low concentrations possessed very high capacity in decreasing the cancer cells viability with a potential inhibition of tumorigenesis. Based on these primitive data, we subsequently tested the ethanol and the water extracts of C. coccineum, respectively in in vitro and in vivo assays. Cell cycle progression and induction of programmed cell death were investigated at both biological and molecular levels to understand the mechanism of the antitumor inhibitory action of the C. coccineum. The in vitro experiments showed that the treated cancer cells formed fewer and smaller colonies than the untreated cells. Cell cycle progression was inhibited, and the ethanol extract of C.coccineum at a low concentration induced accumulation of cells in the G1 phase. We also found that the C. coccineum’s extracts suppressed viability of two murine cancer cell lines. In the in vivo experiments, we injected mice with murine cancer cell line B16, followed by peritoneal injection of the water extract. The treatment prolonged mouse survival significantly. The tumors grew at a slower rate than the control. Down-regulation of c-myc expression appeared to be associated with these effects. Further investigation showed that treatment with C.coccineum induced the overexpression of the tumor suppressor Foxo3 and other molecules involved in inducing autophagy. These results showed that the C. coccineum extract exerts its antiproliferative activity through the induction of cell death pathway. Thus, the Cynomorium plants appear to be a promising source of new antineoplastic compounds.

Optimization of Extract Method for Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. by Response Surface Methodology

The present study aimed to evaluate the quality of Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. from different producing areas, which is an edible, holoparasitic, and desert plant that has been used in traditional medicine for improving immunity and kidney function and treating constipation. We optimized the extract conditions by response surface methodology (RSM) and determined the content of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, and catechin of C. songaricum simultaneously from different producing areas by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). It is the first study in which the RSM was used to optimize the extract condition of C. songaricum with multiple evaluation factors, ensuring the efficiency and accuracy of the study. The results were analyzed by principal component analysis, and they showed that the quality of C. songaricum from Qinghai Province was the best, while the quality of C. songaricum from Gansu Province was the worst. For the first time, the two ecotypes of C. songaricum, including Outside Great Wall type and Inside Great Wall type, were discovered and identified by the chemical marker protocatechuic acid. This study is the scientific basis for quality evaluation, especially for food safety.

Assembled Plastid and Mitochondrial Genomes, as well as Nuclear Genes, Place the Parasite Family Cynomoriaceae in the Saxifragales

Cynomoriaceae, one of the last unplaced families of flowering plants, comprise one or two species or subspecies of root parasites that occur from the Mediterranean to the Gobi Desert. Using Illumina sequencing, we assembled the mitochondrial and plastid genomes as well as some nuclear genes of a Cynomorium specimen from Italy. Selected genes were also obtained by Sanger sequencing from individuals collected in China and Iran, resulting in matrices of 33 mitochondrial, 6 nuclear, and 14 plastid genes and rDNAs enlarged to include a representative angiosperm taxon sampling based on data available in GenBank. We also compiled a new geographic map to discern possible discontinuities in the parasites’ occurrence. Cynomorium has large genomes of 13.70–13.61 (Italy) to 13.95–13.76 pg (China). Its mitochondrial genome consists of up to 49 circular subgenomes and has an overall gene content similar to that of photosynthetic angiosperms, while its plastome retains only 27 of the normally 116 genes. Nuclear, plastid and mitochondrial phylogenies place Cynomoriaceae in Saxifragales, and we found evidence for several horizontal gene transfers from different hosts, as well as intracellular gene transfers.

Antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase properties of extracts of the Mediterranean parasitic plant Cytinus hypocistis

Background

Cytinus is an endophytic parasitic plant occurring in South Africa, Madagascar, and in the Mediterranean region. We have extracted the inflorescences (the only visible part of the plant, emerging from the host roots at the time of blossom) of Cytinus hypocistis collected in Sardinia, Italy, and explored the antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, and cytotoxic activities of the extracts.

Methods

Extracts from C. hypocistis were prepared using increasing polarity solvents: cyclohexane, ethanol, and water. Phenolic composition were determined through spectrophotometric assays, and antioxidant activity with both electron-transfer and hydrogen-atom assays. Nine different bacterial strains, including clinical isolate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, were used in agar diffusion method. Cytotoxicity was tested using against the B16F10 melanoma cell line.

Results

While cyclohexane extracts where biologically inactive, ethanolic and aqueous extracts displayed an intriguing activity against several Gram-positive bacterial strains, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and against the Gram-negative Acinetobacter baumanii. Compared to the conventional antibiotics like cloxacillin, ampicillin, and oxytetracycline, C.hypocistis extracts were less active in absolute terms, but displayed a wider spectrum (notably, cloxacillin and ampicillin were inactive against methicillin-resistant S. aureus). The ethanolic extract of C. hypocistis was found to be particularly rich in polyphenols, in most part hydrolysable tannins. The antioxidant activity of extracts, tested with several methodologies, resulted to be particularly high in the case of ethanolic extracts, in accordance with the composition in phenolics. In detail, ethanol extracts presented about a twofold higher activity than the water sample when tested through the oxygen radical absorbance capacity-pyrogallol red (ORAC-PYR) assay. Cytotoxicity analysis against the B16F10 melanoma cell line showed that both extracts have not significant cytotoxic effect, even at the highest dose (1000 µg/mL). Tests showed that ethanolic extracts also had the greatest tyrosinase inhibition activity, indicating that C. hypocistis-derived substances could find application in food formulations as anti-browning agents.

Conclusions

Overall, these results point to the need of further studies on C. hypocistis extracts, aimed at isolating and fully characterizing its biologically active compounds.

Maltese mushroom (Cynomorium coccineum L.) as source of oil with potential anticancer activity

The present study aimed to examine the potential anticancer properties of fixed oil obtained from Maltese mushroom (Cynomorium coccineum L.), an edible, non-photosynthetic plant, used in traditional medicine of Mediterranean countries to treat various ailments and as an emergency food during the famine. We investigated the effect of the oil, obtained from dried stems by supercritical fractioned extraction with CO2, on B16F10 melanoma and colon cancer Caco-2 cell viability and lipid profile. The oil, rich in essential fatty acids (18:3n-3 and 18:2n-6), showed a significant growth inhibitory effect on melanoma and colon cancer cells. The incubation (24 h) with non-toxic oil concentrations (25 and 50 μg/mL) induced in both cancer cell lines a significant accumulation of the fatty acids 18:3n-3 and 18:2n-6 and an increase of the cellular levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) with anticancer activity. Moreover, the oil exhibited the ability to potentiate the growth inhibitory effect of the antitumor drug 5-fluorouracil in Caco-2 cells and to influence the melanin content in B16F10 cells. The results qualify C. coccineum as a resource of oil, with potential benefits in cancer prevention, for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.

Antifungal activity of extracts from Cynomorium coccineum growing wild in Sardinia island (Italy)

Cynomorium coccineum L. is a non-photosynthetic plant, spread over Mediterranean countries, amply used in traditional medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate for the first time the antifungal activity of its extracts. The antifungal activity was evaluated using the macrodilution method against Candida spp., Cryptococcus neoformans and dermatophyte strains. The methanolic extract was very active against C. neoformans, Candida guilliermondii and Candida krusei, with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) values of 0.025 mg/mL. This extract is more active than fluconazole against C. krusei H9. The influence of methanolic extract on the dimorphic transition in Candida albicans was also studied through the germ tube inhibition assay. More than 60% of filamentation was inhibited at a concentration of 1/4 MIC. These results are preliminary and further studies are needed to an eventual use of C. coccineum methanolic extract in the treatments of candidiasis and cryptococcosis.