Raja Adil Sarfraz

Antitumour and antioxidant potential of some selected Pakistani honeys

Antitumour potential of honey is attributed to its excellent antioxidant activity which in turn depends on the geographical origin. The present study focuses on exploration of antioxidant and antitumour potential as well as total phenolic contents (TPC) of 58 Pakistani honeys involving spectrochemical techniques and potato disk assay. Agrobacterium tumefaciens was used to induce tumours in potato disks. All analysed honey samples exhibited 1.33±0.00-155.16±0.98mg/100g of TPC, 50% 2,2-diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) inhibition, ⩾7.36±0.43-39.86±2.34mg/100g qurecitin equivalent antioxidant contents, ⩾13.69±0.91-65.50±1.37mg/100g ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidant contents, 64.65±0.43-1780.74±11.79mM ferric reducing antioxidant power and 60% peroxide inhibition. Antitumour activity observed for 43 natural and 10 commercial samples was ⩾20%. Two samples from Faisalabad region showed 87.50±5.50% and 79.00±5.56% antitumour activity which were reference standard. It was concluded that Pakistani honeys possessed excellent antioxidant and antitumour potential overall.

Chemical Composition and Antidiabetic Activity of Essential Oils Obtained from Two Spices (Syzygium aromaticum and Cuminum cyminum)

The current aim was to evaluate antidiabetic potential of Syzygium aromaticum and Cuminum cyminum essential oils and their emulsions by alpha amylase inhibition assay. Antidiabetic activity of C. cyminum and S. aromaticum was examined in dose dependent mode (1 to 100 µg/mL). The maximum antidiabetic activity for S. aromaticum and C. cyminum essential oils was noted at the highest dose (100 µg/mL). Five emulsions (essential oil + surfactant [tween 80] + co-surfactant [ethanol] + water) of different concentrations for S. aromaticum (A1 to A5) and C. cyminum (B1 to B5) essential oils were formulated. Among different emulsions, A5 of S. aromaticum and B5 of C. cyminum essential oil exhibited a maximum antidiabetic activity with 95.30 and 83.09% inhibition of α-amylase, respectively. Moreover, the analysis of essential oils showed that eugenol (18.7%) and α-pinene (18.8%) were the major components of S. aromaticum and C. cyminum essential oils, respectively.

Chemical composition, antioxidant, antitumor, anticancer and cytotoxic effects of Psidium guajava leaf extracts

Abstract Context Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae) leaves are used in traditional medicines for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and other ailments. Objective The current study explores scientific validation for this traditional medication. Materials and methods We used ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazil (DPPH) assays to estimate antioxidant activity of P. guajava leaf extracts (methanol, hexane and chloroform). Antitumour and in vivo cytotoxic activities were determined using potato disc assay (PDA) and brine shrimp lethality assay, respectively. Three human carcinoma cell lines (KBM5, SCC4 and U266) were incubated with different doses (10–100 μg/mL) of extracts and the anticancer activity was estimated by MTT assay. NF-κB suppressing activity was determined using electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Chemical composition of the three extracts was identified by GC-MS. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were measured by colorimetric assays. Results and discussions The order of antioxidant activity of three extracts was methanol > chloroform > hexane. The IC50 values ranged from 22.73 to 51.65 μg/mL for KBM5; 22.82 to 70.25 μg/mL for SCC4 and 20.97 to 89.55 μg/mL for U266 cells. The hexane extract exhibited potent antitumour (IC50  value = 65.02 μg/mL) and cytotoxic (LC50  value = 32.18 μg/mL) activities. This extract also completely inhibited the TNF-α induced NF-κB activation in KBM5 cells. GC-MS results showed that pyrogallol, palmitic acid and vitamin E were the major components of methanol, chloroform and hexane extracts. We observed significant (p < 0.05) difference in total phenolic and flavonoid contents of different solvent extracts. Conclusion The present study demonstrates that P. guajava leaf extracts play a substantial role against cancer and down-modulate inflammatory nuclear factor kB.

PHENOLIC COMPOSITION AND BIOLOGICAL (ANTI DIABETIC AND ANTIOXIDANT) ACTIVITIES OF DIFFERENT SOLVENT EXTRACTS OF AN ENDEMIC PLANT (HELIOTROPIUM STRIGOSUM)

Heliotropium strigosum plant is widely used in traditional medicines for treatment of various ailments. In current study, an effort was made to evaluate phenolic profile as well as antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of crude methanol extract and different solvent (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform and aqueous) fractions of H. strigosum . Total phenolic contents were determined by spectrophotometric assay. Polyphenolic compounds in crude methanol extract and each solvent fraction were identified by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Antioxidant and antidiabetic activities were determined using DPPH and α-amylase inhibition assays, respectively. The outcome of spectrophotometric assay showed that methanol extract had higher amount of total phenolic (84.50 ± 0.06 μg GAE/ mg of plant extract) contents than aqueous, ethyl acetate, chloroform and n-hexane fractions, respectively. The RP-HPLC analysis revealed the maximum number of phenolic (chromotropic acid, quercetin, trans-4-hydroxy-3-methoxy cinnamic acid, vanillic acid, gallic acid, caffeic acid, m-coumaric acid, p-coumaric acid, syringic acid, sinapic acid and ferulic acid) compounds in methanol extract. Methanol extract (IC 50 = 8.97 μg/mL) exhibited the maximum antidiabetic activity followed by aqueous (IC 50 = 20.04 μg/mL), ethyl acetate (IC 50 = 27.79 μg/mL), chloroform (IC 50 = 56.87 μg/mL) and hexane (IC 50 = 32.16 μg/mL) fractions, respectively. The outcome of antioxidant assay revealed that methanol extract was the leading one with regard to antioxidant activity at different doses (10 to 250 μg/mL). The current study concludes that H. strigosum solvents extracts with significant phenolic profile and potent biological activities could be explored for potential uses in neutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.

Prediction of optimum equilibrium and kinetic models for U(VI) sorption onto rice husk: comparison of linear and nonlinear regression methods∗

AbstractThe use of empirical models in the research is a vital part of the inventions and investigations of civil and environmental engineering organizations. Linear regression is the most commonly used method for optimization and parameter estimation of different equilibrium and kinetic models for sorption. In addition, the usage of this analysis can be extended to a range of nonlinear error functions, subsequently in consent to broader mathematical approach to parameter estimation. The sorption behavior of U(VI) ions from aqueous solution was studied with untreated, treated, and immobilized rice husk by conducting batch-mode sorption experiments. The equilibrium experimental data were fitted to the Freundlich, Langmuir and Redlich–Peterson isotherms by linear and nonlinear regression methods. Kinetic modeling of U(VI) ions removal was also done using linear and nonlinear pseudo-first and second-order rate expressions. In the case of nonlinear regression method, six error functions, namely hybrid fractio...

Biological activity of Boswellia serrata Roxb. oleo gum resin essential oil: effects of extraction by supercritical carbon dioxide and traditional methods

ABSTRACT The findings of this study suggests that chemical composition, essential oil yield, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Boswellia serrata oleo gum resin essential oils extracted by hydro distillation, steam distillation and supercritical fluid carbon dioxide methods vary greatly from each other. The optimum essential oil yield was obtained using hydro distillation method (8.18 ± 0.15 %). The essential oils isolated through different extraction methods contained remarkable amounts of total phenolics and total flavonoids. Essential oil isolated through supercritical fluid carbon dioxide extraction exhibited better antioxidant activity with highest free radical scavenging potential (96.16 ± 1.57 %), inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation (94.18 ± 1.47 %) and hydrogen peroxide free radical scavenging potential (68.25 ± 1.02 %). Moreover, the antimicrobial activity of essential oils was performed through well diffusion, resazurin microtiter plate and micro dilution broth assay assays. The essential oil isolated through steam distillation method revealed highest antimicrobial activity with maximum inhibition zone (24.21 ± 0.34 to12.08 ± 0.30 mm) and least MIC values (35.18 ± 0.77 to 281.46 ± 7.03 µg/mL). The comparison of chemical composition of essential oils isolated at different extraction methods have shown that the concentration of α-thujene, camphene, β-pinene, myrcene, limonene, m-cymene and cis-verbenol was higher in steam distilled essential oil as compared to hydro and supercritical fluid carbon dioxide extracted essential oils. These compounds may be responsible for the higher antimicrobial activity of Boswellia serrata oleo gum resin steam distilled essential oil.

Phenolic compounds’ characterization of Artemisia rutifolia spreng from Pakistani flora and their relationships with antioxidant and antimicrobial attributes

ABSTRACT Artemisia rutifolia (Asteraceae) had been used in traditional medicines for the treatment of different ailments. In the current study, an effort was made to explore the phenolic composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of different solvent extracts obtained from A. rutifolia leaves. The reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) analysis revealed the higher extent of polyphenolic compounds (i.e., gallic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, syringic acid, sinapic acid, p-coumaric acid, m-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, vanillic acid, myricetin, and quercetin) in methanol extract. Methanol extract consistently showed the highest total phenolic contents (98 ± 2 µg GAE/mg of plant extract), total flavonoid contents (28 ± 0.0 µg QE/mg of plant extract), antimicrobial activity, free radical (DPPH) scavenging (IC50 = 39 µg/mL) activity, and reducing power (18.3 ± 0.2 mg GAE/g of plant extract) followed by those of chloroform and hexane extracts, respectively. The current study concluded that extracts of A. rutifolia are novel natural source of antioxidative and antimicrobial agents for the treatment of oxidative stress-related disorders and microbial infections.