Nada M Mostafa

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of Egyptian moraceous plants against carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress and liver damage in rats.

Context: In the absence of reliable liver-protective drugs in modern medicine, a large number of medicinal preparations are recommended for treatment of liver disorders. Objective: The antioxidant, hepatoprotective and kidney protective activities of methanol extracts of Ficus carica Linn. (Moraceae) leaves and fruits and Morus alba Linn. root barks (Moraceae) are evaluated here. Materials and methods: Liver and kidney damage were induced in rats by carbon tetrachloride in a subcutaneous dose of 1 mL (40% v/v in corn oil)/kg. The extract was given intraperitoneally at doses of 50 mg/kg (F. carica leaf and M. alba root bark) and 150 mg/kg (F. carica fruit). The activity of the extracts was comparable to that of silymarin, a known hepatoprotective agent. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by measuring blood glutathione (GSH) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activities, and malondialdehyde equivalent (MDA). Hepatoprotective activity was evaluated by measuring serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin, and total protein. These biochemical observations were supported by histopathological examination of liver sections. Kidney function was evaluated by measuring plasma urea and creatinine. Results: Methanol extracts of Ficus carica and Morus alba showed potent antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities; in-depth chromatographic investigation of the most active extract (Ficus carica leaf extract) resulted in identification of umbelliferone, caffeic acid, quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, quercetin-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside, and kaempferol-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside. Discussion and conclusion: These findings demonstrate that the phenolic constituents of Ficus carica leaf and Morus alba root bark are responsible at least in part for the observed protective effects.

Cytotoxic activity and molecular docking of a novel biflavonoid isolated from Jacaranda acutifolia (Bignoniaceae)

Abstract A novel biflavonoid [kaempferol (6→8″) apigenin] was isolated from the leaves of Jacaranda acutifolia. The structure was elucidated based on chemical evidence, 1D and 2D spectroscopic analyses as well as spectrometric techniques. The compound showed promising cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cell line MCF-7. The anticancer activity was explained via virtual docking of the isolated compound to the main sites in the human cyclin-dependent kinase2 (CDK2) crystal structure.

Pyrostegia venusta (Ker Gawl.) Miers: A Botanical, Pharmacological and Phytochemical Review

Objective: Pyrostegia venusta (Ker Gawl.) Miers (Bignoniaceae) has been commonly used in the traditional Brazilian medicine as a general tonic, treating skin infections (leukoderma, vitiligo), as well as a treatment for diarrhoea, cough and common respiratory diseases related to infections, such as bronchitis, flu and cold. This study highlights the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Pyrostegia venusta. Information was obtained from Google Scholar, Scirus, PubMed and Science Direct. Key findings: Phytochemical studies on Pyrostegia venusta have shown the presence of triterpenes, sterols, flavonoids, fatty acids, n-alkanes, nitrogenous compounds as allantoin and carbohydrates. Crude extracts of Pyrostegia venusta possess a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antinociceptive, wound healing, antimicrobial, and useful in the treatment of disorders that induced sickness behavior, such as flu and cold. Also used to reduce menopausal symptoms, and for enhancement of melanogenesis. Conclusions: Pyrostegia venusta is a natural source of antioxidants. and has been widely used in the traditional Brazilian medicine. Pyrostegia venusta could be exploited as a potential source for plant-based pharmaceutical products. The present review could form a sound basis for further investigation in the potential discovery of new natural bioactive compounds, and could provide preliminary information for future research.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of flower essential oil of Jacaranda acutifolia Juss. against food-borne pathogens.

Aims: To investigate the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the hydrodistilled flower essential oil of Jacaranda acutifolia Juss. (Bignoniaceae) to validate some of its ethnopharmacologial uses such as treatment of wounds and dermatitis. Study Design: Volatile oil isolation, component identification and antimicrobial activity. Place and Duration of Study: Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, the flowers were collected on 15 April 2012 and the study is completed within four months. Methodology: The essential oil of the flowers of Jacaranda acutifolia was extracted by hydrodistillation, analysed by capillary gas chromatography (GC/FID) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Antimicrobial activity was studied in vitro, this included both antibacterial activity against food-borne pathogens and antifungal activity using agar diffusion method. Results: Fourty seven components, comprising almost 84.33% of the total peak area, were identified in the analysis. The main components were n-dodecanoic acid (17.48%), ntetradecanoic acid (15.59%), n-hexadecanoic acid (10.98%), hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (8.2%), n-decanoic acid (7.9%), and nonacosane (7.71%). The oil showed significantly high in-vitro antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.09 up to 1.09 mg, and moderate antimicrobial activity against Salmonella typhimurium and Shigella flexneri. The % potency of the oil was calculated as compared to standard antibiotics (penicillin, gentamycin and nystatin) and ranged from 9.77 up to 126.47%. Conclusion: The essential oil of Jacaranda acutifolia exhibited promising antimicrobial activity, and this makes its local traditional uses rational.

New Methoxyflavone from Casimiroa sapota and the Biological Activities of Its Leaves Extract against Lead Acetate Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

Flavonoids are agents with strong antioxidant properties and ameliorate many diseases associated with oxidative stress. Leaves of Casimiroa sapota were investigated for components and antioxidant/anti‐inflammatory activities against lead acetate ((AcO)2Pb) induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Three groups of male albino rats were administrated orally with vehicle or C. sapota (100 and 200 mg/kg b.w/day) for 28 days; other group was injected with sub‐acute dose (100 mg/kg b.w/day) of (AcO)2Pb. Three protective groups were injected with (AcO)2Pb (100 mg/kg b.w/day) for 7 days at day 22 after treatment with either C. sapota (100 or 200 mg/kg b.w/day) or silymarin (SILY) for 28 days. We isolated and identified, from C. sapota, a new compound for the 1st time in nature; 5,6,2′,3′‐tetramethoxyflavone in addition to the rare compound 5,6,3′‐trimethoxyflavone (second report of isolation from nature) and the known compound 5,6,2′,3′,4′‐pentamethoxyflavone. There is an improvement in all hemato‐biochemical parameters, antioxidant defense system and anti‐inflammatory cytokines of protective groups, which received C. sapota in dose dependent manner. The percentage of changes in all parameters measured in (AcO)2Pb groups that received vehicle, CS100, CS200 or SILY were 109.2, 37.3, 12.5%, and 1.2% compared with the healthy control group. The C. sapota groups confer a better antioxidant activity by preventing oxidative stress and inflammation in (AcO)2Pb treated rats. The compounds isolated are responsible at least in part for the observed protective effects.

Comparative Analysis of Rutin Content in Some Egyptian Plants: A Validated RP-HPLC-DAD Approach

Aims: To quantify the bioflavonoid rutin in three Egyptian plant families extracts in a comparative study and to prove the accuracy, precision, linearity and reproducibility of the used method. Study Design: Development of RP-HPLC-DAD method. Rutin analysis in 29 plant extracts. Method validation using different parameters. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. The study was performed in 11 months. Methodology: A method was developed using reversed phased-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector (RP-HPLC-DAD) and rutin as an analytical marker. Twenty-nine extracts from different Egyptian plants belonging to three families (Lythraceae, Lamiaceae and Asteraceae) were investigated for their rutin content. The method was then validated for accuracy, repeatability, precision, detection, quantification limits, linearity, and range parameters. Results: The content of rutin (mg g -1 extract) was highest in Punica granatum bark (158.29), followed by Melissa officinalis leaves (133.09), Lagerstroemia tomentosa flowers (120.16) and leaves (118.17). The lowest rutin content (4.4 mg g -1 extract) was found in Lagerstroemia speciosa Original Research Article Mostafa; EJMP, 19(2): 1-8, 2017; Article no.EJMP.33760 2 bark. The calibration regression equation was y = 7390x + 15.81 showing a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9995, with best linearity in the range of 0.01-0.1 mg mL -1 . The detection and quantification limit values were 0.0031 and 0.0093 mg mL -1 , respectively, confirming the quantification method sensitivity. A recovery value of 100.17% indicates the best method accuracy. Conclusion: The applied method was simple, precise, accurate, and proved successful for rutin determinations in different extracts for the first time in the selected plants, declaring regional variation in the phytoconstituents content of the Egyptian chemotypes and proved that Lythraceae plants were the richest in rutin, with Punica granatum bark extract showing the highest values. The method can be applied for the plants routine quality control analyses and the traces analysis of rutin in complex samples.

After HCV Eradication with Sovaldi®, Can Herbs Regenerate Damaged Liver, Minimize Side Effects and Reduce the Bill?

Objective: Hepatitis C virus is a major health burden. It has infected millions of people worldwide with the highest prevalence in Egypt. Sofosbuvir (Sovaldi®) has been recently approved for treating chronic hepatitis C virus infections. Herbal medicine has been searched for centuries for the remedy of liver diseases. Key findings: Plants contain phytochemicals that proved to demonstrate hepatoprotective activity in vitro in various hepatotoxic models. Herbal drugs also proved efficacy in many clinical trials in reducing the viral load and improving the clinical manifestations in patients suffering hepatitis C virus. Conclusions: A hypothesis is postulated for the possibility of the use of a herbal mixture of plants, which are known for their hepatoprotective activity, in a combination therapy with directly acting antiviral drugs such as Sovaldi® to help regenerate the liver, improve the clinical condition and reduce both the cost and side effects for hepatitis C virus patients.

Volatile constituents of leaves of Ficus carica Linn. grown in Egypt.

Abstract The volatile constituents of the oil from the leaves of Ficus carica Linn. (Moraceae), isolated by hydrodistillation,were analysed by GC and GC-MS. The leaf oil was found to contain 66 compounds, of which 44 compounds were identified. The oil was rich in oxygenated compounds of different classes, (Z)-3-hexenyl benzoate (19.8 %) was the most abundant. The other major components were n-Tetracosane (11.6 %), n-hexadecanoic acid (9.2 %), n-Docosane (7.7 %), (E)-2-hexenal (7.2 %), phytol (6.7 %) and n-nonanal (3.9 %).

Prospective of Herbal Medicine in Egypt

The great genetic biodiversity of medicinal plants found in Egypt played an important role in the use of Egyptian herbal medicines throughout the years. The ancient Egyptians, used them in therapy protocols, which were clarified in their papyri and tombs walls; and passing by the modern prescriptions, trends were found for using traditional alternatives to costly medications, either alone or as supplements accompanying the chemical drugs in the treatment protocols. Though many challenges are found in Egypt for herbal medicine industry and marketing, as lack of scientific evidence, quality standards, marketing strategies, extensive documentation to protect intellectual property and post-harvesting technologies; yet good agriculture practice, proper marketing plans, and modern molecular technologies can help the efficient use of those medicinal plants and their exportation worldwide, fetching a high income source to Egypt for carrying out more scientific research in agriculture and developing green technologies to produce pollution-free medicinal plants.

Hepatoprotective, Antihyperglycemic and Cytotoxic Activities of Jacaranda acutifolia Leaf Extract

Objective: Leaves methanol extract of Jacaranda acutifolia Humb. and Bonpl. (JA) family Bignoniaceae was subjected to phytochemical investigation as well as antioxidant, hepatoprotective, cytotoxic and antihyperglycemic activities evaluation. Key findings: Eight compounds were identified: luteolin-7-O-β-D-glucuronide, luteolin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, aesculetin, luteolin, verbascoside, luteolin-7-O-β-D-glucuronide methyl ester, apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucuronide methyl ester and apigenin. JA revealed a potent antioxidant activity In vitro superior to vitamin E (DPPH assay; EC50 of 0.43 mg/mL). A potential cytotoxic activity was produced against hepatocellular (HepG2) and cervical (HeLa) carcinoma cells with IC50 of 6.05 and 16.7 μg, respectively. Treatment with JA extract inhibited the rise in alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase by 33.6% and 36.8% respectively, reduced thiobarbituric acid by 35.7% and decreased the tamoxifen-induced elevation in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) level by 42.86%. JA extract elicited a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose by -59.26%. Conclusions: Jacaranda acutifolia could be a natural source for antioxidant, hepatoprotective supplements and could provide a basis for a potential cytotoxic agent. The compounds isolated are responsible at least in part for the observed effects.