Tunisian Clematis flammula Essential Oil Enhances Wound Healing: GC-MS Analysis, Biochemical and Histological Assessment

The aerial part of Clematis flammula (Ranunculaceae) has been traditionally used in the treatment of skin diseases including mycotic infection in the Tunisian traditional medicine. The study was undertaken to extract and determine the essential oil chemical composition of Clematis flammula aerial parts and to assess the potential of anemonin in wound healing on mechanically wounded wistar rats. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. Anemonin was isolated and then incorporated as active in a cream for which the cytotoxicity was evaluated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT)-based colorimetric assay. Then, its potential in wound healing on mechanically wounded wistar rats was assessed. The GC-MS analysis showed that the major compound was protoanemonin (86.74%) which spontaneously dimerised in part to form the anemonin. The wound healing activity of anemonin cream exhibited a non toxic potential of anemonin at a concentration of 25 µg/mL with a cell migration efficiency that reaches more than 80% after 48 hours of treatment. Wound healing efficiency was evaluated by monitoring morphological and skin histological analyses. Comparable wound surface reduction of the group treated by anemonin cream (p ≥ 0.05) when compared to the reference treated group. The skin histological analysis showed the completely wound closure. Antioxidant activity was assessed by the malondialdehyde (MDA) rates and antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase) determination. The results provided strong support for the effective wound healing activity of anemonin cream, making it a promising candidate as a therapeutic agent in tissue repairing processes.

Hexane Extract of Echinops spinosissimus Turra subsp. spinosus from Tunisia: A Potential Source of Acetylated Sterols - Investigation of its Biological Activities

The hexane extract of Echinops spinosissimus Turra subsp. spinosus flower heads was analyzed for its fatty acid and sterol composition. Its physicochemical characteristics were also studied. The saponification, iodine and peroxide values were determined as 255 mg KOH/g, 42.57 g I₂ /100 g and 110 m equiv. O₂ /kg of oil, respectively. The oleic (C18:1; 61.14%), palmitic (C16:0; 21.36%) and linoleic (C18:2; 10.45%) acids were the dominant fatty acids. This extract was also found to contain high levels of β-sitosterol and stigmasterol (44.97% and 34.95% of total sterols, respectively). On the other hand, the identification of terpenoid compounds was investigated by using GC/MS, which revealed fourteen major terpenoids mainly taraxasterol, lupeol, pseudotaraxasterol, lup-22(29)-en-3-yl acetate, taraxasteryl acetate, α-amyrin, β-amyrin, pseudotaraxasteryl acetate, hop-20(29)-en3-β-ol, α-amirenone, along with β-sitosterol and stigmasterol. Moreover, we have evaluated the in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of the unsaponifiable matter and a fraction isolated from this extract. These activities were conducted using the diffusion disc methods and broth microdilution assay. The resulted fraction from this extract showed the highest antibacterial activity with significant minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) values 125.0 μg/ml against Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus cereus. However, it did exhibit no substantial antifungal activity.

Hepatoprotective activity of Peganum harmala against ethanol-induced liver damages in rats

In this study, we investigated the protective effects of Peganum harmala seeds extract (CPH) against chronic ethanol treatment. Hepatotoxicity was induced in male Wistar rats by administrating ethanol 35% (4 g/kg/day) for 6 weeks. CPH was co-administered with ethanol, by intraperitonial (IP) injection, at a dose of 10 mg/kg bw/day. Control rats were injected by saline solution (NaCl 9‰). Chronic ethanol administration intensified lipid peroxidation monitored by an increase of TBARS level in liver. Ethanol treatment caused also a drastic alteration in antioxidant defence system; hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities. A co-administration of CPH during ethanol treatment inhibited lipid peroxidation and improved antioxidants activities. However, treatment with P. harmala extract protects efficiently the hepatic function of alcoholic rats by the considerable decrease of aminotransferase contents in serum of ethanol-treated rats.

Protective effects of aqueous extract of Hammada scoparia against hepatotoxicity induced by ethanol in the rat

Aqueous extract (AE) of Hammada scoparia leaves was chemically characterized and its hepatoprotective activities were investigated in vivo in rat model. Wistar rats were treated daily with 35% ethanol solution (3 g/kg/day) during 4 weeks and fed with basal diet or basal diet containing AE (200 mg/kg/day). Control rats were treated with saline solution and fed with basal diet. The bioactivity of AE against ethanol-induced oxidative stress in rat liver was studied in order to explore its hepatoprotective effects. H. scoparia extract used at 200 mg/kg body weight significantly prevented the effects of ethanol, which induced a hepatic pathological damage and increased the levels of the serum markers of the enzymes such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Concomitantly, with these changes, this extract also prevented ethanol-induced oxidative stress in the rat liver as evidenced by the decreased lipid peroxidation level, a considerable decrease in the activities of AST, ALT and ALP and restoring the activities of antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase. These biochemical changes were consistent with histopathological observations suggesting marked hepatoprotective effect of the AE of H. scoparia.

Chemical composition, cytotoxicity effect and antimicrobial activity of Ceratonia siliqua essential oil with preservative effects against Listeria inoculated in minced beef meat

The present study describes the phytochemical profile and the protective effects of Ceratonia siliqua pods essential oil (CsEO), a food and medicinal plant widely distributed in Tunisia. Twenty five different components were identified in the CsEO. Among them, the major detected components were: Nonadecane, Heneicosane , Naphthalene, 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid dibutylester, Heptadecane, Hexadecanoic acid, Octadecanoic acid, 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, Phenyl ethyl tiglate, Eicosene, Farnesol 3, Camphor, Nerolidol and n-Eicosane. The antimicrobial activity of CsEO was evaluated against a panel of 13 bacteria and 8 fungal strains using agar diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Results have shown that CsEO exhibited moderate to strong antimicrobial activity against the tested species. In addition, the inhibitory effect of this CsEO was evaluated in vivo against a foodborne pathogens Listeria monocytogenes, experimentally inoculated in minced beef meat (2×10(2) CFU/g of meat) amended with different concentrations of the CsEO and stored at 7 °C for 10 days. The antibacterial activity of CsEO in minced beef meat was clearly evident and its presence led to a strong inhibitory effect against the pathogens at 7 °C. On the other hand, the cytotoxic effects of the essential oil against two tumoral human cell lines HeLa and MCF-7 were examined by MTT assay. The CsEO showed an inhibition of both cell lines with significantly stronger activity against HeLa cells. The IC(50) values were 210 and 800 μg/ml for HeLa and MCF-7 cells, respectively. Overall, results presented here suggest that the EO of C. siliqua possesses antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties, and is therefore a potential source of active ingredients for food and pharmaceutical industry.

N-(Hydroxymethyl)ibogaine

THE TITLE COMPOUND (SYSTEMATIC NAME

16-hydroxy-methyl-12-methoxy-ibogamine), C(21)H(28)N(2)O(2), was prepared by reaction of ibogaine with a formaldehyde-acetic acid solution (pH = 4). The crystal structure of this new product, belonging to the iboga indole family, is stabilized by an inter-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bond. The identity of the compound was confirmed by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopic techniques.

N-Methyl-isosalsoline from Hammada scoparia

THE TITLE COMPOUND (SYSTEMATIC NAME

1,2-dimethyl-6-meth-oxy-1,2,3,4-tetra-hydro-isoquinolin-7-ol), C(12)H(17)NO(2), is a major alkaloid isolated from Hammada scoparia leaves. It belongs to the isoquinoline family and it was characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallographic techniques. The absolute configuration could not be reliably determined. An intermolecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bond is present in the crystal structure.