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Frontiers in Pharmacology 2024Plants, renowned for their rich reservoir of metabolites, play a pivotal role in addressing health-related issues. The Verbenaceae family stands out, showcasing immense... (Review)
Review
Plants, renowned for their rich reservoir of metabolites, play a pivotal role in addressing health-related issues. The Verbenaceae family stands out, showcasing immense potential in preventing and treating chronic diseases. L. (), a shrub with a rich history in traditional medicine, particularly in Eastern Asia, has garnered attention for its diverse therapeutic applications. This comprehensive review aims to bridge traditional knowledge and contemporary insights by investigating ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacological effects of . The keyword "" and its synonyms were searched within the main scientific databases including PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Baidu Scholar (from 1974 to 2022, last search: 21.10.2023). Phytochemical analyses reveal a spectrum of secondary metabolites in , including terpenoids, flavonoids, lignans, phytosterols, anthraquinones, and fatty acids. Notably, terpenoids and flavonoids emerge as the main bioactive metabolites. Pharmacological studies validate its therapeutic potential, demonstrating significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anticancer, anti-amnesic, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-malaria, antispasmodic activities, and reported insecticidal effects. Despite existing literature exploring pharmacological attributes and secondary metabolites of related species, a conspicuous gap exists, specifically focusing on the pharmacological activities and novel methods of purification of pure metabolites from . This review aimed to fill this gap by delving into traditional medicinal applications, exploring secondary metabolites comprehensively, and providing an in-depth analysis of pharmacological effects of pure metabolites. Combining traditional uses with contemporary pharmacological insights, this article sought to serve as a crucial reference for future research and practical application of . This approach contributes substantially to understanding the plant, fostering scientific inquiry, and facilitating its broader application in healthcare.
PubMed: 38576489
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1322083 -
CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics Apr 2024This study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic applications of stigmasterol for treating neuropathic pain.
AIMS
This study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic applications of stigmasterol for treating neuropathic pain.
METHODS
Related mechanisms were investigated by DRG single-cell sequencing analysis and the use of specific inhibitors in cellular experiments. In animal experiments, 32 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group, CCI group, ibuprofen group, and stigmasterol group. We performed behavioral tests, ELISA, H&E staining and immunohistochemistry, and western blotting.
RESULTS
Cell communication analysis by single-cell sequencing reveals that after peripheral nerve injury, Schwann cells secrete IL-34 to act on CSF1R in macrophages. After peripheral nerve injury, the mRNA expression levels of CSF1R pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages were increased in DRG. In vitro studies demonstrated that stigmasterol can reduce the secretion of IL-34 in LPS-induced RSC96 Schwann cells; stigmasterol treatment of LPS-induced Schwann cell-conditioned medium (L-S-CM) does not induce the proliferation and migration of RAW264.7 macrophages; L-S-CM reduces CSF1R signaling pathway (CSF1R, P38MAPK, and NFκB) activation, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and ROS production. In vivo experiments have verified that stigmasterol can reduce thermal and cold hyperalgesia in rat chronic compressive nerve injury (CCI) model; stigmasterol can reduce IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, CCL2, SP, and PGE2 in serum of CCI rats; immunohistochemistry and western blot confirmed that stigmasterol can reduce the levels of IL-34/CSF1R signaling pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome in DRG of CCI rats.
CONCLUSION
Stigmasterol alleviates neuropathic pain by reducing Schwann cell-macrophage cascade in DRG by modulating IL-34/CSF1R axis.
Topics: Rats; Male; Animals; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; Stigmasterol; Inflammasomes; Peripheral Nerve Injuries; Lipopolysaccharides; Neuralgia; Hyperalgesia; Interleukins; Macrophages; Schwann Cells
PubMed: 38572785
DOI: 10.1111/cns.14657 -
Cureus Mar 2024Background species are perennial shrubs and flowering plants belonging to the family . The leaf and flower parts of ()and () aimed at isolating their active...
Background species are perennial shrubs and flowering plants belonging to the family . The leaf and flower parts of ()and () aimed at isolating their active fractions. The present study was to determine in vitro antitumor activity against malignant melanoma cell lines for phytosome formulation. Materials and methods Two species, (red flowers and leaves) and (white flowers and leaves), were selected, and this study focused on determining the active fraction by comparing the in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant potentials of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and hydroalcoholic (ethanol:water, 70:30 v/v) extracts. The identified potent extract was subjected to in vitro anticancer activity in malignant melanoma cell lines. Results A phytochemical study revealed phytosterols, flavonoids, proteins, amino acids, alkaloids, carbohydrates, phenols, tannins, and diterpenes. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay was used to evaluate the antioxidant effect of leaf and flower extracts. In the DPPH assay, flower hydroalcoholic extract (ICFHA) had an IC value of 248.99 µg/mL, and leaf hydroalcoholic extract (ICLHA) had an IC value of 268.87 µg/mL. These two extracts had a lower value with a higher antioxidant effect. In the total antioxidant assay, leaf ethyl acetate extract (ICLEA) and leaf chloroform extract (ICLCE) have 77.4 ± 0.05 and 68.9 ± 0.03 mg of ascorbic acid equivalent per gm of extract, respectively. These two extracts exhibited a high antioxidant effect. The antimicrobial potential was evaluated using selected bacterial and fungal strains using the agar-well diffusion method. Petroleum ether and chloroform extracts of and leaves and flowers did not possess antimicrobial activity with any of the bacterial or fungal strains. An ethyl acetate extract and a hydroalcoholic extract of leaves and flowers showed antimicrobial activity against , , and . An ethyl acetate extract of flower and a hydroalcoholic extract of leaf showed a significant zone of inhibition when compared with standard chloramphenicol for all three selected strains, which may be due to the presence of active phytoconstituents. ICLHA showed a MIC of ≤300 µg/mL for and and ≤400 µg/mL for microbial strains. The high total flavonoid content was reported in ICLEA at 771.31 µg/mL and in flower ethyl acetate extract (ICFEA) at 694.69 µg/mL. High-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis showed a high quercetin (QCE) content in the ICLEA extract. To prove the in vitro skin anticancer activity, an MTT assay was performed for the ICLEA extract in a malignant melanoma cell line, and the IC50 value was reported as 7.96 µg/mL. Conclusion leaf ethyl acetate extract revealed a significant total flavonoid content in analysis through the aluminum chloride method, and the presence of a high QCE content was confirmed by HPTLC analysis. The in vitro skin anticancer activity of ICLEA was confirmed by the MTT assay; therefore, it was concluded that the ICLEA extract was a potent fraction and was selected to develop a phytosome.
PubMed: 38562312
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.55396 -
PeerJ 2024Maize production and productivity are affected by drought stress in tropical and subtropical ecologies, as the majority of the area under maize cultivation in these...
Maize production and productivity are affected by drought stress in tropical and subtropical ecologies, as the majority of the area under maize cultivation in these ecologies is rain-fed. The present investigation was conducted to study the physiological and biochemical effects of 24-Epibrassinolide (EBR) as a plant hormone on drought tolerance in maize. Two maize hybrids, Vivek hybrid 9 and Bio 9637, were grown under three different conditions: (i) irrigated, (ii) drought, and (iii) drought+EBR. A total of 2 weeks before the anthesis, irrigation was discontinued to produce a drought-like condition. In the drought+EBR treatment group, irrigation was also stopped, and in addition, EBR was applied as a foliar spray on the same day in the drought plots. It was observed that drought had a major influence on the photosynthesis rate, membrane stability index, leaf area index, relative water content, and leaf water potential; this effect was more pronounced in Bio 9637. Conversely, the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased in both hybrids under drought conditions. Specifically, Vivek hybrid 9 showed 74% higher CAT activity under drought conditions as compared to the control. Additionally, EBR application further enhanced the activity of this enzyme by 23% compared to plants under drought conditions. Both hybrids experienced a significant reduction in plant girth due to drought stress. However, it was found that exogenously applying EBR reduced the detrimental effects of drought stress on the plant, and this effect was more pronounced in Bio 9637. In fact, Bio 9637 treated with EBR showed an 86% increase in proline content and a 70% increase in glycine betaine content compared to untreated plants under drought conditions. Taken together, our results suggested EBR enhanced tolerance to drought in maize hybrids. Hence, pre-anthesis foliar application of EBR might partly overcome the adverse effects of flowering stage drought in maize.
Topics: Zea mays; Stress, Physiological; Droughts; Antioxidants; Water; Steroids, Heterocyclic; Brassinosteroids
PubMed: 38560461
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17190 -
Heliyon Apr 2024High volume of postharvest materials including peels from citrus fruits is periodically generated, which contributes to environmental pollution. Investigating the...
High volume of postharvest materials including peels from citrus fruits is periodically generated, which contributes to environmental pollution. Investigating the chemical composition cum antioxidant property of these 'wastes' would be instructive in achieving value addition in the food and pharmaceutical value chain. On this premise, this study carried out phytochemical screening and antioxidant activity of three (3) commonly cultivated citrus varieties namely 'valencia', 'washinton' and 'thompson navel'. The peels were extracted using ethanol and hexane in a Soxhlet extractor and thereafter subjected to phytochemical and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses, ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), hydrogen peroxide scavenging and cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) assays to evaluate their antioxidant potentials. Results show that peel extracts contain alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, phytosterols, diterpenes, tannins and glycosides. GC/MS analysis identified about 48 compounds in each extract; with the predominant bioactive compounds being limonene (16.5%), ascorbic acid (17.7%), stearic acid (26.3%), linalool (4.7%), linoleic acid (16.18%), palmitic acid (15.23%), pentadecyclic acid (1.1%). Ethanol and hexane extracts of Valencia exhibited higher FRAP (9.09 ± 0.13) and CUPRAC (2.04 ± 0.06) values while the ethanol extract of Ibadan sweet demonstrated greater hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity (1.39 ± 0.00). Citrus peels are rich in bioactive compounds with excellent antioxidant activity and may serve as potential sources of natural antioxidants for food products or pharmaceutical formulations.
PubMed: 38560209
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28456 -
Scientific Reports Mar 2024Europe imports large amounts of soybean that are predominantly used for livestock feed, mainly sourced from Brazil, USA and Argentina. In addition, the demand for...
Europe imports large amounts of soybean that are predominantly used for livestock feed, mainly sourced from Brazil, USA and Argentina. In addition, the demand for GM-free soybean for human consumption is project to increase. Soybean has higher protein quality and digestibility than other legumes, along with high concentrations of isoflavones, phytosterols and minerals that enhance the nutritional value as a human food ingredient. Here, we examine the potential to increase soybean production across Europe for livestock feed and direct human consumption, and review possible effects on the environment and human health. Simulations and field data indicate rainfed soybean yields of 3.1 ± 1.2 t ha from southern UK through to southern Europe (compared to a 3.5 t ha average from North America). Drought-prone southern regions and cooler northern regions require breeding to incorporate stress-tolerance traits. Literature synthesized in this work evidenced soybean properties important to human nutrition, health, and traits related to food processing compared to alternative protein sources. While acknowledging the uncertainties inherent in any modelling exercise, our findings suggest that further integrating soybean into European agriculture could reduce GHG emissions by 37-291 Mt CO year and fertiliser N use by 0.6-1.2 Mt year, concurrently improving human health and nutrition.
Topics: Humans; Glycine max; Plant Breeding; Fabaceae; Agriculture; Europe
PubMed: 38556523
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57522-z -
Journal of Oleo Science 2024Cold-pressed oils are oils prepared from pressing plant materials with a screw or hydraulic press, yielding oils with little contamination of harmful chemicals and high... (Review)
Review
Cold-pressed oils are oils prepared from pressing plant materials with a screw or hydraulic press, yielding oils with little contamination of harmful chemicals and high content of nutrients and functional constituents. Cold-pressed oils have gained increasing recognition as food supplements for preventing and ameliorating body deterioration due to ageing and the progression of lifestyle diseases or non-communicable diseases. This article aimed to review their structure, bioactivity, and chromatographic analysis of the mostly found functional compounds in cold-pressed oils, including phytosterols, carotenoids, tocols (tocopherols and tocotrienols), phenolic compounds (flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, stilbenes, and lignans), and squalene.
Topics: Carotenoids; Phytosterols; Plant Oils; Tocopherols
PubMed: 38556275
DOI: 10.5650/jos.ess23164 -
The Journal of Biological Chemistry May 2024Sterols are ubiquitous membrane constituents that persist to a large extent in the environment due to their water insolubility and chemical inertness. Recently, an...
Sterols are ubiquitous membrane constituents that persist to a large extent in the environment due to their water insolubility and chemical inertness. Recently, an oxygenase-independent sterol degradation pathway was discovered in a cholesterol-grown denitrifying bacterium Sterolibacterium (S.) denitrificans. It achieves hydroxylation of the unactivated primary C26 of the isoprenoid side chain to an allylic alcohol via a phosphorylated intermediate in a four-step ATP-dependent enzyme cascade. However, this pathway is incompatible with the degradation of widely distributed steroids containing a double bond at C22 in the isoprenoid side chain such as the plant sterol stigmasterol. Here, we have enriched a prototypical delta-24 desaturase from S. denitrificans, which catalyzes the electron acceptor-dependent oxidation of the intermediate stigmast-1,4-diene-3-one to a conjugated (22,24)-diene. We suggest an αβ architecture of the 440 kDa enzyme, with each subunit covalently binding an flavin mononucleotide cofactor to a histidyl residue. As isolated, both flavins are present as red semiquinone radicals, which can be reduced by stigmast-1,4-diene-3-one but cannot be oxidized even with strong oxidizing agents. We propose a mechanism involving an allylic radical intermediate in which two flavin semiquinones each abstract one hydrogen atom from the substrate. The conjugated delta-22,24 moiety formed allows for the subsequent hydroxylation of the terminal C26 with water by a heterologously produced molybdenum-dependent steroid C26 dehydrogenase 2. In conclusion, the pathway elucidated for delta-22 steroids achieves oxygen-independent hydroxylation of the isoprenoid side chain by bypassing the ATP-dependent formation of a phosphorylated intermediate.
Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Molybdenum; Stigmasterol; Betaproteobacteria; Fatty Acid Desaturases; Hydroxylation; Flavins
PubMed: 38556086
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107243 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2024In China, Russia, Mongolia, Japan, North Korea, and Mexico, L. () is used as an edible plant. Up to now, over 234 metabolites, including phenolic acids, flavonoids,... (Review)
Review
In China, Russia, Mongolia, Japan, North Korea, and Mexico, L. () is used as an edible plant. Up to now, over 234 metabolites, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, triterpenes, phytosterols, and alkaloids, among others, have been identified. In addition to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, and hemostatic activities, is used for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. This paper provides an overview of the history, botany, nutritional value, traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and quality control of .
PubMed: 38549672
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1349032