Combined extract of Moringa oleifera and Centella asiatica modulates oxidative stress and senescence in hydrogen peroxide-induced human dermal fibroblasts

Comparative Neuroprotective Effects of Moringa oleifera Seed Oil and Aqueous Extract on Cognitive Functions on a High-Fat, High-Fructose Diet Mice: Focus on Senescence Markers

Several studies have demonstrated that Moringa oleifera (MO) has different pharmacological properties, including neuroprotective effects. However, the role of MO in preventing brain impairment in high-fat, high-fructose diet (HFFD) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of MO leaves aqueous extract (MOE) and moringa seed oil (MOO) against brain impairment in mice with HFFD. Twenty-eight male mice were randomly divided into four groups: normal diet, HFFD, HFFD + MOE 500 mg/kgBW, and HFFD + MOO 2 mL/kgBW. Cognitive function was assessed using the Y-maze and novel object recognition (NOR) tests. The p16, p21, and BDNF expressions were analyzed using the RT-PCR method. Senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining in the brain was also performed. The results showed that administration of MOE or MOO could increase the percentage of alternation and recognition of new objects, prevent the increase of p16 and p21 expression, and ameliorate SA-β-Gal activity in the brain. MOO, but not MOE, increased BDNF expression in senescence brains isolated from HFFD mice. The findings indicate that MOO and MOE possess neuroprotective properties, with MOO demonstrating a greater ability to inhibit the brain senescence process compared to MOE.

Elevating Cereal-Based Nutrition: Moringa oleifera Supplemented Bread and Biscuits

Enhancing the nutritional value of commonly consumed, cost-effective staple foods, such as bread and biscuits, by fortifying them with Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP) and its phenolic-rich extract holds substantial potential for addressing malnutrition. This study evaluated the phenolic extract from MOLP obtained through Soxhlet extraction, focusing on its antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic properties. The resulting extract exhibited a total phenolic content (TPC) of 138.2 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g. The ABTS and DPPH assays presented IC50 values of 115.2 mg/L and 544.0 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, the extract displayed notable α-amylase inhibition and no cytotoxicity towards human fibroblasts. The primary phenolic compounds identified were catechin, epicatechin, and caffeic acid. Subsequently, MOLP and its extract were incorporated into bread and biscuits, replacing 5% of wheat flour, resulting in fortified functional foods. The fortified products exhibited improved TPC and antioxidant activity compared to the non-fortified foods. Furthermore, they displayed the ability to inhibit microbial growth, leading to an extended shelf life. Sensory analysis indicated that the products incorporated with the extract were preferred over those with MOLP. These results have demonstrated the viability of using MOLP and its phenolic-rich extract as an environmentally sustainable strategy for enhancing the quality of cereal-based products.

Moringa oleifera alleviated oxidative stress, physiological and molecular disruption induced by acute thermal stress in grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella

The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of dietary Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MLM) supplementation against high temperature-induced stress in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). A total of 180 apparent healthy juvenile grass carp (15.48 g ± 0.054) were divided into three groups in triplicate (20 fish in each replicate). Fish were fed with diets containing 0, 1, and 5% MLM for 60 days and then subjected to a high-temperature challenge for 48 h (32-33 °C). The results revealed that feeding fish with 1 and 5% MLM resulted in a significant increase in weight gain and specific growth rate compared to the control. In addition, feed conversion ratio was significantly reduced in groups fed with MLM. No significant difference was reported in the serum cortisol level among different experimental groups before heat stress while serum glucose level significantly decreased in fish fed with 5% MLM. Serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase significantly decreased in fish fed with 1 and 5% MLM before and after heat stress. Hepatic lipid peroxidation significantly decreased in fish fed with MLM for 60 days. A non-significant increase in hepatic reduced glutathione level was reported in fish fed with 1 and 5% MLM before heat stress. Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities increased significantly in the liver of fish fed with 5% MLM. No significant change was observed in the expression profile of heat shock protein (hsp) 70 and 90 before heat stress. Meanwhile, after heat stress, up to a fivefold increase was recorded in mRNA level of hsp 70 and fourfold increase in the expression level of hsp 90 in the liver of the control fish which were not fed with MLM-supplemented diets. Fish fed with 1 and 5% MLM showed a significant decrease in the expression of hsp 70 and a non-significant decrease in the expression of hsp 90. Results of the present study suggest that supplementing the diet of grass carp with 5% MLM could improve growth and physiological performance and provide resistance against high temperature-induced stress.

A review of pathobiological mechanisms and potential application of medicinal plants for vascular aging: focus on endothelial cell senescence

Endothelial cell (EC) senescence plays a pivotal role in aging and is essential for the pathomechanism of aging-related diseases. Drugs targeting cellular senescence, such as senolytic or senomorphic drugs, may prevent aging and age-related diseases, but these bullets remain undeveloped to target EC senescence. Some medicinal plants may have an anti-senescence property but remain undiscovered. Deep learning has become an emerging approach for drug discovery by simply analyzing cellular morphology-based deep learning. This precious tool would be useful for screening the herb candidate in senescent EC rejuvenescence. Of note, several medicinal plants that can be found in Indonesia such as Curcuma longa L., Piper retrofractum, Guazuma ulmifolia Lam, Centella asiatica (L.) Urb., and Garcinia mangostana L. might potentially possess an anti-senescence effect. This review highlighted the importance of targeting EC senescence, the use of deep learning for medicinal plant screening, and some potential anti-senescence plants originating from Indonesia.

Moringa oleifera potential as a functional food and a natural food additive: a biochemical approach

Several works have shown different aspects of the use of the plant Moringa oleifera. However, few review studies bring an approach to its use in food preparation, specifying its role as a functional food and its use as a natural additive, focusing on food biochemistry and including sensory acceptance and safety. Composed by multiple bioactive substances, Moringa oleifera has the potential to be used as a food additive, mainly as a preservative with the potential to prevent lipid oxidation and other unwanted chemical reactions that lead to product deterioration. Furthermore, it can improve the physicochemical characteristics of food, increasing its quality and shelf life. It also promotes nutritional improvement, elevating protein, mineral, and vitamin levels. Despite this, the sensorial characteristics of this plant result in a low consumer acceptance of the fortified products, which is a problem for the food industry. Apart from inconclusive works, some data involving Moringa's safety are contradictory, resulting in its commercialization prohibition in Brazil in 2019. This review focused on important data about Moringa use to contribute to the literature and to the food industry, describing information about this medicinal plant effects on food products.

Moringa oleifera Protects SH-SY5YCells from DEHP-Induced Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Apoptosis

Moringa oleifera (MO) is a medicinal plant that has been shown to possess antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and antibiotic activities. In a rat model, MO extract (MOe) has been shown to have a protective effect against brain damage and memory decline. As an extending study, here, we have examined the protective effect of MOe against oxidative stress and apoptosis caused in human neuroblastome (SH-SY5Y) cells by di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a plasticizer known to induce neurotoxicity. Our data show that MOe prevents oxidative damage by lowering reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, restoring mitochondrial respiratory chain complex activities, and, in addition, by modulating the expression of vitagenes, i.e., antioxidant proteins Nrf2 and HO-1. Moreover, MOe prevented neuronal damage by partly inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, as indicated by decreased expression of CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) and Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) proteins. MOe also protected SH-SY5Y cells from DEHP-induced apoptosis, preserving mitochondrial membrane permeability and caspase-3 activation. Our findings provide insight into understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in neuroprotective effects by MOe against DEHP damage.

The methanolic extract of Garcinia atroviridis (MeGa) reduces body weight and food intake, and improves lipid profiles by altering the lipid metabolism: a rat model

Garcinia species are widely used for their slimming effects via increased fat burning and suppression of satiety. However, scientific evidence for the biological effects of Garcinia atroviridis (GA) is lacking. We investigated the phytochemical composition, safety profiles, and antioxidant and antiobesity effects of methanolic extracts of Garcinia atroviridis (MeGa) in obese female rats. Repeated dose toxicity studies were conducted according to the OECD guidelines. Upon sacrifice, haematological, biochemical, lipid profile, and serum-based metabolomics analyses were performed to evaluate metabolic expression changes and their related pathways. MeGa contains several phytochemical groups and GA fruit acids. MeGa was found to be nontoxic in both male and female rats with an oral lethal dose (LD50) of 2000 mg/kg. After 9 weeks of treatment, MeGa-treated obese rats had lower weight gain and better lipid profiles (cholesterol and triglyceride), which correlated with the altered metabolic pathways involved in the metabolism of lipid (glycerophospholipid) and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acid. In addition, MeGa caused differential metabolism pathways of arachidonic acid and tryptophan that affect the inflammatory response and suppression of appetite. We concluded that MeGa is safe, and its slimming effects are due to the differential metabolism of lipids.

Significant Decreased Expressions of CaN, VEGF, SLC39A6 and SFRP1 in MDA-MB-231 Xenograft Breast Tumor Mice Treated with Moringa oleifera Leaves and Seed Residue (MOLSr) Extracts

Moringa oleifera is a miracle plant with many nutritional and medicinal properties. Chemopreventive values of the combined mixture of moringa leaves and seed residue (MOLSr) at different ratios (M1S9, M1S1 and M9S1) were investigated. MOLSr extracts were subjected to phytochemical screening, antioxidant assays, metabolite profiling and cytotoxic activity on the primary mammary epithelial cells (PMECs), non-malignant Chang’s liver cells and various human cancer cell lines (including breast, cervical, colon and liver cancer cell lines). The MOLSr ratio with the most potent cytotoxic activity was used in xenograft mice injected with MDA-MB-231 cells for in vivo tumorigenicity study as well as further protein and gene expression studies. M1S9, specifically composed of saponin and amino acid, retained the lowest antioxidant activity but the highest glucosinolate content as compared to other ratios. Cell viability decreased significantly in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and PMECs after treatment with M1S9. Solid tumor from MDA-MB-231 xenograft mice was inhibited by up to 64.5% at third week after treatment with high-dose M1S9. High-dose M1S9 significantly decreased the expression of calcineurin (CaN) and vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) proteins as well as the secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (SFRP1) and solute carrier family 39 member 6 (SLC39A6) genes. This study provides new scientific evidence for the chemoprevention potential of MOLSr extracts in a breast cancer model; however, the precise mechanism warrants further investigation.

Dietary supplementation of drumstick tree, Moringa oleifera, improves mucosal immune response in skin and gills of seabream, Sparus aurata, and attenuates the effect of hydrogen peroxide exposure

In aquatic animals, the mucosal barrier is the first line of innate immune defence against external chemicals and pathogens. In this study, the effects of dietary Moringa oleifera leaf (MOL) supplementation on skin and gill mucosal immunity, antioxidants and stress responses were evaluated in seabream (Sparus aurata) fingerlings exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). A total of 144 specimens (10.11 ± 0.41 g) were divided into four treatments (three replicates per treatment contained 12 specimens each) and fed a non-supplemented control diet or a 1, 2.5 or 5% MOL-supplemented diet. After three weeks of feeding, six specimens from each aquarium were sampled for blood, mucus and tissues. The other six fish in each aquarium were subjected to H₂O₂ exposure. The results revealed that MOL did not negatively affect either cortisol or glucose levels. MOL supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) improved skin mucosal immunity-related characteristics, including phosphatase, peroxidase and lysozyme activity and IgM levels. Additionally, MOL upregulated the expression of antioxidant genes (sod and cat), an anti-inflammatory gene (tgf-β), tight junction protein genes (occludin and zo-1), c3, and igm in both the skin and gills. However, H₂O₂ exposure significantly (P < 0.05) increased both cortisol and glucose levels and disrupted skin mucosal immune function by significantly (P < 0.05) decreasing phosphatase, peroxidase, protease, antiprotease and lysozyme activity and IgM levels. H₂O₂ exposure severely decreased the mRNA levels of the studied genes. MOL dietary supplementation at the 5% level successfully attenuated the negative effects of H₂O₂ on the mucosal immune response in both the skin and gills. In conclusion, dietary MOL supplementation at the 5% level is recommended to improve S. aurata mucosal immune function under both normal and stress conditions. Additionally, exposure to H₂O₂ disrupts the mucosal immunity of fish. This contributes knowledge on the routes involved in mucosal innate immunity and could help to understand the fish resistance against chemicals exposure. Graphical abstract.

Conditioned medium derived from human amniotic stem cells delays H2O2‑induced premature senescence in human dermal fibroblasts

Stem cells derived from human amniotic membrane (hAM) are promising targets in regenerative medicine. A previous study focused on human amniotic stem cells in skin wound and scar-free healing. The present study aimed to investigate whether hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced senescence of human dermal fibroblasts (hDFs) was influenced by the anti-aging effect of conditioned medium (CdM) derived from human amniotic stem cells. First, the biological function of two types of amniotic stem cells, namely human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) and human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs), on hDFs was compared. The results of cell proliferation and wound healing assays showed that CdM promoted cell proliferation and migration. In addition, CdM from hAECs and hAMSCs significantly promoted proliferation of senescent hDFs induced by H₂O₂. These results indicated that CdM protects cells from damage caused by H₂O₂. Treatment with CdM decreased senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity and improved the entry of proliferating cells into the S phase. Simultaneously, it was found that CdM increased the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase and decreased malondialdehyde by reducing H₂O₂-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species production. It was found that CdM downregulated H₂O₂-stimulated 8-hydroxydeoxy-guanosine and γ-H2AX levels and decreased the expression of the senescence-associated proteins p21 and p16. In conclusion, the findings indicated that the paracrine effects derived from human amniotic stem cells aided delaying oxidative stress-induced premature senescence.

The cytotoxic effect and glucose uptake modulation of Baeckea frutescens on breast cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Baeckea frutescens (B. frutescens) of the family Myrtaceae is a plant that has been used in traditional medicine. It is known to have antibacterial, antipyretic and cytoprotective properties. The objective of this study is to explore the mechanism of B. frutescens leaves extracts in eliminating breast cancer cells.

METHOD

B. frutescens leaves extracts were prepared using Soxhlet apparatus with solvents of different polarity. The selective cytotoxicity of these extracts at various concentrations (20 to 160 μg/ml) were tested using cell viability assay after 24, 48 and 72 h of treatment. The IC₅₀ value in human breast cancer (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and mammary breast (MCF10A) cell lines were determined. Apoptotic study using AO/PI double staining was performed using fluorescent microscope. The glucose uptake was measured using 2-NBDG, a fluorescent glucose analogue. The phytochemical screening was performed for alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, triterpenoids, and phenols.

RESULTS

B. frutescens leaves extracts showed IC₅₀ value ranging from 10 -127μg/ml in MCF-7 cells after 72 h of treatment. Hexane extract had the lowest IC₅₀ value (10μg/ml), indicating its potent selective cytotoxic activity. Morphology of MCF-7 cells after treatment with B. frutescens extracts exhibited evidence of apoptosis that included membrane blebbing and chromatin condensation. In the glucose uptake assay, B. frutescens extracts suppressed glucose uptake in cancer cells as early as 24 h upon treatment. The inhibition was significantly lower compared to the positive control WZB117 at their respective IC₅₀ value after 72 h incubation. It was also shown that the glucose inhibition is selective towards cancer cells compared to normal cells. The phytochemical analysis of the extract using hexane as the solvent in particular gave similar quantities of tannin, triterpenoids, flavonoid and phenols. Presumably, these metabolites have a synergistic effect in the in vitro testing, producing the potent IC₅₀ value and subsequently cell death.

CONCLUSION

This study reports the potent selective cytotoxic effect of B. frutescens leaves hexane extract against MCF-7 cancer cells. B. frutescens extracts selectively suppressed cancer cells glucose uptake and subsequently induced cancer cell death. These findings suggest a new role of B. frutescens in cancer cell metabolism.

The Cytotoxic Properties of Baeckea frutescens Branches Extracts in Eliminating Breast Cancer Cells

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women in over 100 countries worldwide and accounts for almost 1 in 4 cancer cases among women. Baeckea frutescens of the family Myrtaceae has been used in traditional medicine and is known to possess antibacterial, antipyretic, and cytoprotective properties. In this study, we investigated the role of Baeckea frutescens branches extracts against human breast cancer cells. Baeckea frutescens branches extracts were prepared using Soxhlet apparatus with solvents of different polarity. The selective cytotoxic activity and the glucose consumption rate of Baeckea frutescens branches extracts of various concentrations (20 to 160 ug/ml) at 24-, 48-, and 72-hour time points were studied using MTT and glucose uptake assay. The IC₅₀ values in human breast cancer (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and mammary breast (MCF10A) cell lines were determined. Apoptotic study using AO/PI double staining was performed using fluorescent microscopy. The glucose uptake was measured using 2-NBDG, a fluorescent glucose analogue. The phytochemical screening of major secondary metabolites in plants was performed. This study reports that Baeckea frutescens branches extracts showed potent selective cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 cells compared to MDA-MB-231 cells after 72 hours of treatment. Evidence of early apoptosis which includes membrane blebbing and chromatin condensation was observed after 72 hours of treatment with Baeckea frutescens branches extracts. Interestingly, for the glucose uptake assay, the inhibition was observed as early as 24 hours upon treatment. All Baeckea frutescens extracts showed the presence of major secondary metabolites such as tannin, triterpenoid, flavonoid, and phenol. However, alkaloid level was unable to be determined. The identification of Baeckea frutescens and its possible role in selectively inhibiting glucose consumption in breast cancer cells defines a new role of natural product that can be utilised as an effective agent that regulates metabolic reprogramming in breast cancer.