Immunomodulatory and anticancer activities of phenolics from Garcinia mangostana fruit pericarp

The methanolic extract of Garciniamangostana fruit pericarp was partitioned into butanol and water fractions in this work. Three major phenolics were purified and identified as P₁ [1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxy-2,8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) xanthone], P₂ [1,3,6-trihydroxy-7-methoxy-2,8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) xanthone] and P₃ (epicatechin). Strong antioxidant activities were detected for P₁–P₃. In vitro cell proliferation trials indicated that P₁ and P₃ exhibited good immunomodulatory activities when 7.5 μg/ml was used. Furthermore, P₁ and P₃ showed good cytotoxicities against human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and human colon cancer cells (LOVO). P₁ exhibited the maximal cytotoxicity of 73.06% against MCF-7 cells and of 46.27% against LOVO cells when 62.5 μg/ml was used. The cytotoxicities of P₁, P₂, P₃ and paclitaxel against normal embryonic lung fibroblast cells (HELF) were in a decreasing order: paclitaxel > P₃ > P₁ > P_2. These results suggested that P₁ and P₃ could be used as a potential anticancer agent.     

Structural characterization and antioxidant activity of an extracellular polysaccharide isolated from Brevibacterium otitidis BTS 44

A water-soluble acidic extracellular polysaccharide reaching a maximum concentration of 23.4 g/l growth medium, coded as BSMA, was isolated from the non-pathogenic soil bacteria Brevibacterium otitidis BTS44, by precipitating with two volumes of ethanol. BSMA consisted of arabinose, mannose, glucose and mannouronic acid in ratios of 2.7:3.6:2.1:1.0. No protein was detected in the BSMA fraction, and its molecular weight was about 127 kDa. It has a backbone composed of (1 → 5)-linked arabinose, (1 → 6)-linked mannose with three branches attached to O-3 of (1 → 6)-linked mannose and terminated with either mannose, or mannose and glucose; all the glucose and most of the mannouronic acid are distributed in branches. Partial acid hydrolysis of BSMA gave four sub-fractions termed BSMA-1, BSMA-2, BSMA-3 and BSMA-4. BSMA-1 was composed of arabinose, mannose and trace amounts of mannouronic acid; BSMA-2 was only composed of arabinose and mannose; BSMA-3 was composed of mannose, mannouronic acid and glucose, and BSMA-4 was only composed of mannose and glucose. In the in vitro antioxidant assay, BSMA was found to possess DPPH radical-scavenging activity, with an IC₅₀ value of 120 μg/ml.     

The in vitro antioxidative properties of the essential oils and methanol extracts of Satureja spicigera (K. Koch.) Boiss. and Satureja cuneifolia ten

This study was designed to examine the in vitro antioxidant activities of the essential oil and methanol extracts of Satureja spicigera and S. cuneifolia from Turkish flora. GC and GC/MS analysis of the essential oils resulted in the identification of 40 and 29 compounds, representing the 99.4% and 99.5% of the oils, respectively. Major constituents of the oils were carvacrol (42.5% and 67.1%), γ-terpinene (21.5% and 15.2%) and p-cymene (20.9% and 6.7%), respectively. Methanol extracts were also obtained from the aerial parts of the plants. The samples were subjected to a screening for their possible antioxidant activities by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and β-carotene–linoleic acid assays. In general, samples obtained from S. cuneifolia exerted greater antioxidant activities than did those obtained from S. spicigera. In the DPPH test system, free radical-scavenging activity of S. spicigera oil was determined to be 127 ± 1.63 μg/ml, whereas IC₅₀ value of S. cuneifolia was 89.1 ± 2.29 μg/ml. In the β-carotene–linoleic acid test system, antioxidant activities of the oil were 81.7 ± 1.14% and 93.7 ± 1.83%, respectively. Antioxidant activities of the synthetic antioxidant, BHT, ascorbic acid, curcumin and α-tocopherol were also determined in parallel experiments.     

Antioxidant and antibacterial activities of exopolysaccharides from Bifidobacterium bifidum WBIN03 and Lactobacillus plantarum R315

The objective of this study was to investigate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of exopolysaccharide (EPS) from Bifidobacterium bifidum WBIN03 (B-EPS) and Lactobacillus plantarum R315 (L-EPS). The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical-scavenging, and superoxide radical-scavenging abilities were measured to evaluate antioxidant activity. Inhibition of erythrocyte hemolysis and lipid peroxidation was also measured. Both B-EPS and L-EPS had strong scavenging ability against DPPH and superoxide radicals at high concentration. The inhibitory effect of B-EPS on erythrocyte hemolysis was stronger than that of L-EPS in a concentration range from 0.30 to 1.00 mg/mL, whereas the hydroxyl scavenging ability of L-EPS (39.15 ± 0.58%) was significantly higher than that of 0.15 mg/mL ascorbic acid (24.33 ± 1.17%) and B-EPS (17.89 ± 3.30%) at 0.10 mg/mL. The inhibition of lipid peroxidation of 0.50 mg/mL B-EPS and L-EPS was 13.48 ± 1.74% and 12.43 ± 0.51%, respectively, values lower than that of ascorbic acid at the same concentration (23.20 ± 1.41%). Furthermore, all these abilities were enhanced in a concentration-dependent manner. Agar diffusion assay showed that both EPS exhibited antibacterial activities against tested pathogens such as Cronobacter sakazakii, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphyloccocus aureus, Candida albicans, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhimurium, and Shigella sonnei at 300 μg/mL. In conclusion, both EPS have antimicrobial and antioxidant activities and could have applications in the food industry.     

Chemical composition,antimicrobial, cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of the essential oil of Artemisia indica Willd

Essential oil from the aerial parts of Artemisia indica was analysed by GC-FID and GC–MS. A total of 43 compounds representing 96.8% of the oil were identified and the major components were found to be artemisia ketone (42.1%), germacrene B (8.6%), borneol (6.1%) and cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (4.8%). Antimicrobial activity of the oil was evaluated against seven clinically significant bacterial and two fungal strains. The essential oil and its major constituents exhibited moderate to potent, broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal activities targeting both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation against four human cancer cell lines THP-1 (leukemia), A-549 (lung), HEP-2 (liver) and Caco-2 (colon) showed that the essential oil exhibited concentration dependant growth inhibition in the 10–100 μg/ml dilution range, with IC₅₀ values of 10 μg/ml (THP-1), 25 μg/ml (A-549), 15.5 μg/ml (HEP-2) and 19.5 μg/ml (Caco-2). It was interesting to note that the essential oil also exhibited potent antioxidant activity.     

Kinetic modeling of spice extraction from S. aromaticum and C. cassia

A mathematical model was developed for the extracts obtained from Syzygium aromaticum and Cinnamomum cassia with different particle size, solvent–solid ratios on extraction yield. Different particle sizes in the range of 2.8 mm to ?0.5 mm were employed and maximum extraction efficiency was achieved with particles of size ?0.5 mm. Among the solvent–solid ratios (20:1, 30:1, 40:1 and 50:1) ratio of 50:1 showed higher extraction yield. In the extraction kinetics, higher effective diffusivity value of 36.01 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s for S. aromaticum and 26.78 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s for C. cassia were achieved. Antioxidant values were determined and extracts prepared from ethanol showed higher scavenging activities for S. aromaticum and C. cassia as 78% and 85% respectively. Maximum phenolic content of 1.6 and 12.4 mg GAE/g of sample were achieved for S. aromaticum and C. cassia by hexane and water respectively.     

Saponins in Ipomoeabatatas tubers: Isolation,characterization, quantification and antioxidant properties

Triterpene saponins are a class of plant natural products with a wide range of bioactivities, which makes them an interesting research subject. This work reports, for the first time, the isolation and characterization of saponins in Ipomoeabatatas tuber flour, their quantification and antioxidant properties. Their structures were characterized on the basis of UV, FAB–MS, ESI–MS, GC–MS, polarimetry and NMR data, as: oleanolic acid-3-O-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-glucuronopyranosyl]-28-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (sandrosaponin IX) (1) and oleanolic acid-3-O-[β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-d-glucuronopyranosyl]-28-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (2). A new quantitative HPLC–DAD method for saponin content determination in this tuber was developed and validated. Their total content was 200.01 mg/100 g dry weight (RSD = 7.2%; p < 0.001). The single saponin contents were: 161.20 mg/100 g dry weight (RSD = 0.58%; p < 0.001) for saponin 1 and 14.67 mg/100 g dry weight (RSD = 0.41%; p < 0.001) for saponin 2. The antioxidant activities, tested by DPPH and FRAP assay, of total phytochemical fraction and of single saponins were moderate in relation to commercial standards.     

Chemical and antioxidant properties of pomegranate cultivars grown in the Mediterranean region of Turkey

Arils from six pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars obtained from various sites from the Mediterranean region of Turkey were evaluated for their chemical and antioxidant properties. These properties included total phenolics (TP), total monomeric anthocyanins (TMA), soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), individual sugars and organic acids. Antioxidant capacities of arils were determined by both the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays. The antioxidant capacities averaged 5.60 and 7.35 mmol TE/l by the TEAC and FRAP methods. Variability among cultivars was greatest for TMA content (CV 132%); individuals ranged from 6.1 to 219 mg cy3-Gluc l⁻¹. TP means averaged 1507 mg GAE/l. Levels of FRAP, TEAC, TP, and TMA were strongly correlated (r = 0.82–0.96). The major sugars were fructose (6.4 g/100 ml) and glucose (6.8 g/100 ml), the major acids were citric (1.78 g/100 ml) and malic (0.12 g/100 ml).     

α-Glucosidase inhibitors from Chinese Yam (Dioscoreaopposita Thunb.)

The inhibitory activities of crude extracts and purified constituents from the fresh tuberous rhizomes of Chinese Yam (Dioscorea opposita Thunb.), which is commonly called Huai Shan Yao in Chinese, were evaluated against yeast α-glucosidase in order to search for the active principals for treatment of diabetes. Bioassay-guiding isolation gave four compounds: trans-N-p-coumaroyltyramine (1) (IC₅₀ = 0.40 μM), 1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)heptane-3,5-diol (2) (IC₅₀ = 0.38 mM), 6-hydroxy-2,4,7-trimethoxyphenanthrene (3) (IC₅₀ = 0.77 mM) as α-glucosidase inhibitors, and cis-N-p-coumaroyltyramine (4), an isomer of compound 1, which showed no inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase. Furthermore, the separation and purification of compound 3 from Chinese Yam (Huai Shan Yao) was conducted by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) using hexane–ethyl acetate–methanol–water (1:1:1:1, v/v/v/v). Compound 1, 2 and 4 were isolated from or detected in the Dioscoreaceae family for the first time.     

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of ethanolic extract of leaves of Solidago microglossa containing polyphenolic compounds

The antioxidative and hepatoprotective potential of Solidago microglossa D.C, a widely used medicinal plant from Brazil was investigated. The leaf extract showed inhibition against thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) induced by different prooxidants (10 μM FeSO₄ and 5 μM sodium nitroprusside SNP) in rat liver, brain and phospholipid homogenates from egg yolk. Moreover, the free radical scavenging activities of the extract was evaluated by the scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (IC_50, 3.8 ± 0.5 μg/ml) and hydroxyl radical on benzoic acid hydroxylation (IC_50, 32.3 ± 1.3 μg/ml) and deoxyribose (IC_50, 39.1 ± 2.4 μg/ml) assays. The ethanolic extract showed significant hepatoprotective activity against paracetamol (250 mg/kg) induced liver damage in mice in a dose dependent manner. The phenolic composition and their quantification by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) resulted in the identification of gallic acid and flavonoids: quercetrin (quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside), rutin (quercetin-3-O-rutinoside) and quercetin.     

Identification,quantification and antioxidant activity of acylated flavonol glycosides from sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. sinensis)

A novel acylated flavonol glycoside: isorhamnetin (3-O-[(6-O-E-sinapoyl)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)]-β-d-glucopyranosyl-7-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside) (1), together with two known acylated flavonol glycosides: quercetin (3-O-[(6-O-E-sinapoyl)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)]-β-d-glucopyranosyl-7-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside) (2) and kaempferol (3-O-[(6-O-E-sinapoyl)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)]-β-d-glucopyranosyl-7-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside) (3) were isolated from the n-butanol fraction of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. sinensis) berries for the first time by chromatographic methods, and their structures were elucidated using UV, MS, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, and 2D NMR. Compounds 1–3 showed good scavenging activities, with respective IC₅₀ values of 8.91, 4.26 and 30.90 μM toward the 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical; respective Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacities of 2.89, 4.04 and 2.44 μM μM⁻¹ toward 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulphonate (ABTS) radical. The quantitative analysis of the isolated acylated flavonol glycosides was performed by HPLC–DAD method. The contents of compounds 1–3 were in the range of 12.2–31.4, 4.0–25.3, 7.5–59.7 mg/100 g dried berries and 9.1–34.5, 75.1–182.1, 29.2–113.4 mg/100 g dried leaves, respectively.     

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.) Murrill

Antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activities of Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.) Murrill. extracts obtained with ethanol were investigated in this study. The study was aimed at determining the antioxidant activity (DPPH free radical-scavenging, β-carotene/linoleic acid systems), total phenolic content and total flavonoid concentration of L. sulphureus. Inhibition values both of L. sulphureus ethanol and the standards increased parallel with the elevation of concentration in the linoleic acid system. Inhibition values of L. sulphureus (LS) extract, BHA and α-tocopherol standards were found to be 82.2%, 96.4% and 98.6%, respectively, at a concentration of 160 μg/ml. DPPH free radical-scavenging activity was found to exhibit 14%, 26%, 55% and 86% inhibition, respectively, at concentrations of 100, 200, 400 and 800 μg/ml. Total flavanoids were 14.2 ± 0.12 μg mg⁻¹ (quercetin equivalent) while the phenolics were 63.8 ± 0.25 μg mg⁻¹ (pyrocatechol equivalent) in the extract. Positive correlations were found between total phenolic content in the mushroom extracts and their antioxidant activities. Edible mushrooms may have potential as natural antioxidants. L. sulphureus showed narrow antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria and strongly inhibited the growth of the Gram-positive bacteria tested. The crude extract exhibited high anticandidal activity on Candida albicans. Therefore, the extracts could be suitable as antimicrobial and antioxidative agents in the food industry.     

Composition and antioxidative activities of supercritical CO2-extracted oils from seeds and soft parts of northern berries

The present study investigated the composition and the antioxidative activities of oils from the seeds and the soft parts of a range of northern berries extracted by supercritical CO₂. The seed oils of the species of Rubus, Vaccinium, Empetrum, Fragaria and Hippophaë were rich in linoleic (18:2n-6, 34-55% of total fatty acids) and ??-linolenic (18:3n-3, 29-45% of total) acids with n-6:n-3 ratios of 1:1-1:2. The seed oils of the species Ribes contained, in addition to linoleic and ??-linolenic acids, ??-linolenic (18:3n-6) and stearidonic (18:3n-4) acids. In seed oils from European rowanberry (Sorbus aucuparia L.) and snowball berry (Viburnum opulus L.), linoleic and oleic (18:1n-9) acids together exceeded 90% of the total fatty acids. The sea buckthorn (SB) pulp oil had palmitoleic (16:1n-7), palmitic (16:0) and oleic acids as the major fatty acids. The SB pulp oil and snowball berry seed oil were rich in ??-tocopherol (120 and 110 mg/100 g oil, respectively), whereas raspberry seed oil contained a high level of ??-tocopherol (320 mg/100 g oil). Seed oils of cranberry (180 mg/100 g oil), Arctic cranberry (190 mg/100 g oil) and lingonberry (120 mg/100 g oil) are rich sources of ??-tocotrienol. The berry seed oils and the SB pulp oil showed varying peroxyl radical scavenging efficacies (300-2300 ??mol ??-tocopherol equivalent per 100 g oil) and inhibitory effects on perioxidation of microsomal lipids (250-1200 ??mol trolox equivalent per 100 g oil) in vitro. The peroxyl radical scavenging activity positively correlated with the total content of tocopherols and tocotrienols of the oils (r = 0.875, P = 0.001). The SB seed oil and pulp oil were active in scavenging superoxide anions produced by xanthine-xanthine oxidase system and inhibited Cu²⁺-induced LDL oxidation in vitro. The SB oils also protected purified DNA and rat liver homogenate from UV-induced DNA oxidation in vitro. The current research suggests potential of supercritical CO₂-extracted oils from northern berries as nutraceuticals and ingredients of functional foods.     

Essential oil composition,antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Satureja cuneifolia Ten.

Satureja cuneifolia Ten. is a well-known aromatic plant which is frequently used as a spice and herbal tea in Anatolia. S. cuneifolia oil was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The major components of S. cuneifolia oil were carvacrol (44.99%) and p-cymene (21.61%). The essential oil of S. cuneifolia exhibited antimicrobial activity against all of the tested foodborne and spoilage bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for test bacteria which were sensitive to the essential oil of S. cuneifolia were in the range of 600–1400 μg/ml. Antioxidant activities of the essential oil and the methanolic extract from S. cuneifolia were evaluated by using DPPH radical scavenging, β-carotene–linoleic acid bleaching and metal chelating activity assays. In addition, the amounts of total phenol components in the plant methanolic extract (222.5 ± 0.5 μg/mg) and the oil (185.5 ± 0.5 μg/mg) were determined.     

Purification and characterisation of a hypoglycemic peptide from Momordica Charantia L. Var. abbreviata Ser.

A water-soluble peptide MC2-1-5 from Momordica charantia L. Var. Abbreviata Ser., with hypoglycemic effect, was purified by ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The infrared (IR) spectra showed characteristic absorption peaks and the molecular mass of MC2-1-5 was found to be 3405.5174 Da by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The sequence of its first 10 N-terminal amino acids was GHPYYSIKKS as determined by a protein sequencer. MC2-1-5 reduced the blood glucose level in alloxan-induced diabetic mice by 61.70% and 69.18% at 2 and 4 h, respectively, after oral administration at a dose of 2 mg/kg. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) showed MC2-1-5 produced a reduction of 25.50%, 39.62% and 41.74% in blood glucose level after 1, 2 and 3 h, respectively, of oral administration compared with a diabetic control.