Search

Objectives: The current study aimed to conduct a phytochemical screening of commonly known fruit red grape (Vitis vinifera L.) seed methanolic extract through gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify the bioactive compounds responsible for its health benefits and evaluate the pharmacological potentialities of the extract and its fractions against oxidation, inflammation, pain, and diarrhea. Methods: The in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic characteristics of methanolic extracts and various solvent fractions of V. vinifera were evaluated using the DPPH free radical scavenging assay, membrane stabilizing, and brine shrimp lethality bioassay. Furthermore, the study assessed the effects of crude extracts (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg of body weight) on pain relief and reduction of diarrhea in animals using methods such as tail immersion, the acetic acid-induced writhing technique, and a diarrheal mouse model induced with castor oil. Results: A total of 73 phytoconstituents were predominantly found in the seed extract based on the GC-MS analysis. Among the identified compounds, 9-octadecenamide (13.7%), and (9E,11E)-octadeca-9,11-dienoate (11.07%) are most abundant. Several notable constituents, such as gamma-sitosterol, stigmasterol, paromomycin, 4,6-cholestadienol, gamma-tocotrienol, 24-Propylidenecholest-5-en-3beta-ol, and alpha-tocopherol acetate, are also present. The methanolic extract of V. vinifera seed and its different solvent fractions showed promising antioxidant properties (IC50 = 1.19-17.42 µg/mL) compared to the standard antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (IC50 = 20.46 µg/mL). Aqueous soluble fraction exerted inhibition of nearly 50% heat-induced hemolysis compared to the standard acetylsalicylic acid (42%). Besides, all the tested doses (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg bw) of the crude extract showed significant (P <.05) analgesic and antidiarrheal effects. Conclusion: The current findings endorsed the health benefits of V. vinifera by revealing potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antidiarrheal effects. Nevertheless, further in-depth analysis of the plant's chemical constituents and pharmacological effects on health is warranted for novel drug discovery from V. vinifera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viscum monoicum has been used as a traditional medicinal plant for the treatment of many ailments that include pain, neuropharmacological disorders as well as various types of tumors. This study was designed to investigate the polyphenolic compound, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanolic extract of Viscum monoicum (EVM). The extract was subjected to HPLC-DAD analysis for the quantification of polyphenols. In addition, DPPH, ABTS free radical scavenging, reducing power, total antioxidant capacity, phenolic, and flavonoid content was measured for antioxidant activities of EVM. Besides, the anti-inflammatory activity of EVM was studied using carrageenan and histamine-induced rat paw edema at different doses. High levels of ellagic acid and (+)-catechin hydrate (410.15 and 340.88 mg/100 g extract, respectively) were determined for the first time through HPLC in EVM. IC50 of EVM was significant in DPPH and ABTS scavenging assay compared to that of ascorbic acid. The total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic, and total flavonoid contents were estimated and found significant amount equivalent to standard. At a dose of 400 mg kg−1, a significant anti-inflammatory activity (P<0.01) was observed in rats at both carrageenan and histamine-induced edema test models with a reduction in the paw volume; in comparison to indomethacin. Therefore, the results suggest that polyphenolic compounds might be responsible for the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of EVM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wendlandia tinctoria var. grandis (Roxb.) DC. (Family: Rubiaceae) is a semi-evergreen shrub distributed over tropical and subtropical Asia. The present research intended to explore the pharmacological potential of the stem extract of W. tinctoria, focusing on the antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and antidiarrheal properties, and to isolate various secondary metabolites as mediators of such activities. A total of eight phenolic compounds were isolated from the dichloromethane soluble fraction of the stem extract of this plant, which were characterized by electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometric and 1H NMR spectroscopic data as liquiritigenin (1), naringenin (2), apigenin (3), kaempferol (4), glabridin (5), ferulic acid (6), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (7), and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (8). The dichloromethane soluble fraction exhibited the highest phenolic content (289.87 ± 0.47 mg of GAE/g of dried extract) and the highest scavenging activity (IC50 = 18.83 ± 0.07 µg/mL) against the DPPH free radical. All of the isolated compounds, except 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, exerted a higher antioxidant effect (IC50 = 6.20 ± 0.10 to 16.11 ± 0.02 μg/mL) than the standard butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (IC50 = 17.09 ± 0.01 μg/mL). Significant hypoglycemic and antidiarrheal activities of the methanolic crude extract at both doses (200 mg/kg bw and 400 mg/kg bw) were observed in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, the computational modeling study supported the current in vitro and in vivo findings, and the isolated constituents had a higher or comparable binding affinity for glutathione reductase and urase oxidase enzymes, glucose transporter 3 (GLUT 3), and kappa-opioid receptor, inferring potential antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and antidiarrheal properties, respectively. This is the first report of all of these phenolic compounds being isolated from this plant species and even the first demonstration of the plant stem extract's antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and antidiarrheal potentials. According to the current findings, the W. tinctoria stem could be a potential natural remedy for treating oxidative stress, hyperglycemia, and diarrhea. Nevertheless, further extensive investigation is crucial for thorough phytochemical screening and determining the precise mechanisms of action of the plant-derived bioactive metabolites against broad-spectrum molecular targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]