Helena D. Smolarz

Apoptotic activities of ethanol extracts from some Apiaceae on human leukaemia cell lines.

Apiaceae are a family of medicinal plants widely used in traditional medicine. The apoptotic activities of seven ethanol extracts from fruits of seven species of Apiaceae, Eryngium planum, Archangelica officinalis, Pastinaca sativa, Heracleum sibiricum, Carum carvi, Foeniculum vulgare, Levisticum officinale against ML-1--human acute myeloblastic leukaemia, J-45.01--human acute T cell leukaemia, EOL--human eosinophilic leukaemia, HL-60--human Caucasian promyelocytic leukaemia, 1301--human T cell leukaemia lymphoblast, C-8166--human T cell leukaemia, U-266B1--human myeloma, WICL--human Caucasian normal B cell, and H-9--human T cell, were investigated.

Pinostrobin - : An anti-leukemic flavonoid from Polygonum lapathifolium L. ssp. nodosum (Pers.) Dans

Abstract Aim of study: Search for plant compounds possessing anti-leukemic properties. Results: We have shown that 5-hydroxy-7-methoxy flavanone (pinostrobin) isolated from Polygonum lapathifolium ssp. nodosum quickly penetrates through cytoplasm to the cellular nucleus of the cultured cells, and gives intensive apoptotic response in stimulating leukemic cells in vitro. The number of apoptotic cells increased with the concentration of pinostrobin: 10 nm D 25% and 60%; 100 nm D 45% and 76%; 1 μm D 70% and 88% for Jurkat and HL60 cell lines, respectively. Conclusion: Pinostrobin may be considered as a good candidate for a leukemia chemopreventic agent

Antimicrobial activity of the extracts from fruits of Rumex L. species

This study was designed primarily to investigate the antibacterial and antifungal activity of the extracts from fruits of six Rumex L. species: R. acetosa L., R. acetosella L., R. confertus Willd., R. crispus L., R. hydrolapathum Huds. and R. obtusifolius L. The 7 Grampositive and 7 Gram-negative bacteria strains and 5 fungal ones were tested by agar and broth dilution method. Determination of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) revealed that the extracts from R. confertus, R. crispus, R. hydrolapathum and R. obtusifolius exerted differential inhibitory effect on the growth of Gram-positive bacteria — staphylococci (MIC=62.5–125 µg/mL) and Gramnegative bacteria — Escherichia coli ATCC 3521, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC=125→500 µg/mL); MIC values determined by agar dilution method were somewhat higher. The same extracts inhibited also the growth of fungi — Candida spp. or Trichophyton mentagrophytes ATCC 9533 (MIC=250–500 µg/mL), as found by agar dilution method. The total content of polyphenols (11.66–78.36 mg/g), anthracene derivatives (0.26–12.93 mg/g) and tannins (4.00–11.16%) was also determined.

Identification of MMP-1 and MMP-9 inhibitors from the roots of Eleutherococcus divaricatus, and the PAMPA test

The purpose of this study was the isolation of metalloproteinases MMP-1 and MMP-9 inhibitors from the chloroform extract of the Eleutherococcus divaricatus roots. Using GC-MS, 1H and 13C NMR, HMQC, HMBC, COSY and DEPT, (+)-sesamin has been identified as a new anti-MMP inhibitor. We report for the first time that (+)-sesamin inhibited MMP-1 and MMP-9 activity in 40% and 17%, respectively. The high inhibitory potential has been shown by ursolic acid (90.9% and 89.8% for MMP-1 and MMP-9). In the PAMPA test, the Pe value for sesamin was established as 17.4 × 10− 6 cm/s, that for ursolic acid as 30.0 × 10− 6 cm/s. Verapamil and theophylline were used as a positive and negative control (Pe 42.1 and 2.9 × 10− 6 cm/s). To our best knowledge, no information was available on this activity of sesamin and other compounds. These studies provide a biochemical basis for the regulation of MMP-1 and MMP-9 by E. divaricatus compounds.

Cytotoxic activity of ethanolic extracts of Eleutherococcus species cultivated in Poland on HL60 leukemia cell line

Abstract The Eleutherococcus species including 40 species native to Asia are medicinal plants widely used in traditional medicine. Some of these species are cultivated at the botanical gardens in Europe. On the basis on our earlier studies it was concluded that the extracts of analyzed species act as antioxidants, inhibitors of MMPs, and cytotoxic against Jurkat 45 leukemia cell line. In this study, the anti-leukemic potential of roots and leaves from six Eleutherococcus species cultivated in Poland was determined. The in vitro cytotoxic activity towards human promyelotic leukemia cell line HL60 using trypan blue assay was evaluated. The induction of apoptosis in stimulated leukemia cells was determined by AnnexinV method. Morphological changes in treated cells were observed by microscopic investigations. The results showed that ethanolic extracts from the roots and the leaves of E. senticosus, E. setchuensis, E. sessiliflorus, E.gracilistylus, E. henryi and E. divaricatus exhibit cytotoxic effect towards leukemic HL60 cells. The received IC50 values for roots ranged from 49- 208 μg/mL and for the leaves from 116-518 μg/mL. The ethanol extract from the roots of E. divaricatus showed the highest cytotoxic and proapoptotic effect on HL60 human lymphoid leukemia cell line.

LC-ESI-MS/MS profiling of phenolics from Eleutherococcus spp. inflorescences, structure-activity relationship as antioxidants, inhibitors of hyaluronidase and acetylcholinesterase.

Nature is a source of many plant-based molecules used as pro- or drugs. Eleutherococcus species are native to Asia and the North Russia, and are traditionally used to treat various diseases. In turn, neither secondary metabolites of the species cultivated in the West Europe nor the bioactivity is known. No differences in the phenols and flavonoids content in the inflorescences were found. The richest in polyphenols was E. giraldii (5.18 mg/g), while in flavonoids it was E. gracilistylus (1.80 mg/g). Using LC-ESI-MS/MS, protocatechuic and trans-caffeic acids have been identified as the most abundant compounds in E. gracilistylus, E. giraldii, E. senticosus (833.4; 855.6; 614.7 and 280.8; 156.0; 167.6 μg/g DE). It was observed that all species were able to chelate Fe2+ with the EC50 value of 0.2, 0.6, 0.3 mg/mL for E. gracilistylus, E. giraldii, E. senticosus, respectively. E. gracilistylus exhibited the strongest antiperoxidation and anti-DPPH∗ activity (EC50 3.2 and 0.48 mg/mL). The weak inhibitory potential has been observed in case of AChE inhibition at the level of 16.17 and 12.2% for E. gracilistylus, E. giraldii. We report for the first time that the extracts inhibited Hyal activity in the range from 16.4 to 60.7%. To our best knowledge, no information was available on this activity of the inflorescences and this provides a background to study inflorescences in more detail. Considering the SAR, an antioxidant activity may be correlated with a high amount of protocatechuic and trans-caffeic acids and their chemical structure.