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Abstract One of the most promising, non-toxic, and biocompatible developments for many biological activities is the green synthesis of nanoparticles from plants. In this work, we investigated the antifungal activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) biosynthesized from Rhazya stricta aqueous extract against several plant pathogenic fungi. UV–visible spectroscopy, Zeta potential analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmitted electron microscopy (TEM) were used to analyze the biosynthesized AgNPs. Drechslera halodes, Drechslera tetramera, Macrophomina phaseolina, Alternaria alternata, and Curvularia australiensis were tested for their potential antifungal activity. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) of Aq. AgNPs and Alkaline Aq. AgNPs was observed at 405 nm and 415 nm, respectively. FTIR analysis indicated hydroxyl, nitrile, amine, and ketone functional groups. Aq. AgNPs and Alka-line Aq. AgNPs had velocities of − 27.7 mV and − 37.9 mV and sizes of 21–90 nm and 7.2–25.3 nm, respectively, according to zeta potential studies and TEM. The antifungal examination revealed that all species' mycelial development was significantly inhibited, accompanied by severe ultra-structural alterations. Among all treatments, Aq. AgNPs were the most effective fungicide. M. phaseolina was statistically the most resistant, whereas A. alternata was the most vulnerable. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on R. stricta's antifungal activity against these species.

Background. Magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgONPs) have been fabricated by several approaches, including green chemistry approach due to diverse application and versatile features. Objectives. The current study aimed to prepare a convenient, biocompatible, and economically viable MgONPs using waste citron peel extract (CP-MgONPs) to evaluate their biological applications. Methods. The CP-MgONPs were synthesized by a sustainable approach from extract of waste citron peel both as capping and reducing agents without use of any hazardous material. The physicochemical features of formed CP-MgONPs were determined by sophisticated analytical and microscopic techniques. The biogenic CP-MgONPs were examined for their antibacterial, anticarcinogenic, and photocatalytic attributes. Results. A prominent absorption peak in the UV-Vis spectra at 284 nm was the distinguishing characteristic of the CP-MgONPs. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals polyhedral morphology of nanoparticles with slight agglomeration of CP-MgONPs. The CP-MgONPs exerted excellent antibacterial potencies against six bacterial strains. The CP-MgONPs displayed significant susceptibility towards E. coli (20.72 ± 0.33 mm) and S. aureus (19.52 ± 0.05 mm) with the highest inhibition zones. The anticancer effect of CP-MgONPs was evaluated against HepG2 (IC50 : 15.3 μg·mL−1) cancer cells and exhibited potential anticancer activity. A prompt inversion of cellular injury manifested as impairment of the integrity of the cell membrane, apoptosis, and oxidative stress was observed in treated cells with CP-MgONPs. The biosynthesized CP-MgONPs also conducted successful photocatalytic potential as much as MgO powder under the UV-light using acid orange 8 (AO-8) dye. The degradation performance of CP-MgONPs showed over 94% photocatalytic degradation efficiency of acid orange 8 (AO-8) dyes within a short time.​ Conclusions. Outcomes of this research signify that biogenic CP-MgONPs may be advantageous at low concentrations, with positive environmental impacts.

Background Biosynthesized nanoparticles are gaining popularity due to their distinctive biological applications as well as bioactive secondary metabolites from natural products that contribute in green synthesis. Methodology This study reports a facile, ecofriendly, reliable, and cost-effective synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs), and polymeric PVP-silver-copper oxide nanocomposite using ethanol extract of seaweed Laurencia dendroidea and were evaluated for antiprotozoal, anticancer and photocatalytic potential. The nanostructures of the AgNPs, CuONPs, and polymeric PVP-Ag-CuO nanocomposite were confirmed by different spectroscopic and microscopic procedures. Results The UV-vis spectrum displayed distinct absorption peaks at 440, 350, and 470 nm for AgNPs, CuONPs, and polymeric Ag-CuO nanocomposite, respectively. The average particles size of the formed AgNPs, CuONPs, and Ag-CuO nanocomposite was 25, 28, and 30 nm, respectively with zeta potential values −31.7 ± 0.6 mV, −17.6 ± 4.2 mV, and −22.9 ± 4.45 mV. The microscopic investigation of biosynthesized nanomaterials revealed a spherical morphological shape with average crystallite sizes of 17.56 nm (AgNPs), 18.21 nm (CuONPs), and 25.46 nm (PVP-Ag-CuO nanocomposite). The antiprotozoal potential of green synthesized nanomaterials was examined against Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi parasites. The polymeric PVP-Ag-CuO nanocomposite exerted the highest antiprotozoal effect with IC50 values of 17.32 ± 1.5 and 17.48 ± 4.2 µM, in contrast to AgNPs and CuONPs. The anticancer potential of AgNPs, CuONPs, and polymeric PVP-Ag-CuO nanocomposite against HepG2 cancer cell lines revealed that all the nanomaterials were effective and the highest anticancer potential was displayed by PVP-Ag-CuO nanocomposite with IC50 values 91.34 µg mL−1 at 200 µg mL−1 concentration. Additionally, PVP-Ag-CuO nanocomposite showed strong photocatalytic effect. Conclusion Overall, this study suggested that the biogenic synthesized nanomaterials AgNPs, CuONPs, and polymeric PVP-Ag-CuO nanocomposite using ethanol extract of seaweed L. dendroidea possesses promising antiprotozoal anticancer and photocatalytic effect and could be further exploited for the development of antiprotozoal and anticancer therapeutics agents.

Abstract Excess glutamate in the central nervous system may be a major cause of neurodegenerative diseases with gradual loss and dysfunction of neurons. Primary or secondary metabolites from medicinal plants and algae show potential for treatment of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. Three plant extracts were evaluated for impact on glutamate excitotoxicity-induced in primary cultures of retinal ganglion cells (RGC). These cells were treated separately in seven groups: control; Plicosepalus. curviflorus treated; Saussurea lappa treated; Cladophora glomerate treated. Cells were treated independently with 5, 10, 50, or 100 µg/ml of extracts of plant or alga material, respectively, for 2 h. Glutamate-treated cells (48 h with 5, 10, 50, or 100 µM glutamate); and P. curviflorus/glutamate; S. lappa/glutamate; C. glomerata/glutamate [pretreatment with extract for 2 h (50 and 100 µg/ml) before glutamate treatment with 100 µM for 48 h]. Comet and MTT assays were used to assess cell damage and cell viability. The number of viable cells fell significantly after glutamate exposure. Exposure to plant extracts caused no notable effect of viability. All tested plants extracts showed a protective effect against glutamate excitotoxicity-induced RGC death. Use of these extracts for neurological conditions related to excitotoxicity and oxidative stress might prove beneficial.

The essential oil and macroelemental composition of different parts of flower bud (petal, choke, and heart) of Cynara scolymus L. were explored and compared using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Overall, 62 organic components were detected in the flower bud based on mass spectra characteristics and retention indices. The essential oil extracted from the petals, choke, and bud showed the presence of thirty-one, twenty-one, and twenty-one compounds, respectively, with linoleic acid and palmitic acid as the major components. 21 components were identified in the oil of the petals, comprising 94.45% of the total oil, in which linoleic acid methyl ester, palmitic acid methyl ester, octadecanoic acid methyl ester, O-α-d-glucopyranoside, and heptyl oct-3-yl ester were the major constituents. Twenty-one compounds, representing 89.13% of the total oil, were detected in the choke oil. Linoleic acid methyl ester, palmitic acid methyl ester, and 2-methyl-1-hexadecanol were the main components. However, the edible heart oil contains twenty compounds, comprising 86.84% of the total oil. Cyclopropane butanoic acid, linoleic acid, methyl ester, and palmitic acid were the major constituents. The analysis executed by ICP-MS revealed the presence of significant amounts of various inorganic elements in all the three samples. The extracted essential oils were tested for antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. The results showed that the oil extracted from the petals of C. scolymus flower bud displayed the highest antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects, as compared to choke and heart oils.

Salvia is a potentially valuable aromatic herb that has been used since ancient times. The present work studied the chemical profile of three Salvia species essential oils (EO): S. officinalis, S. virgata and S. sclarea, as well as assessing their antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities. A total of 144 compounds were detected by GC-MS analysis, representing 91.1, 84.7 and 78.1% in S. officinalis, S. virgata and S. sclarea EOs, respectively. The major constituents were cis-thujone, 2,4-hexadienal and 9-octadecenoic acid, respectively. The principal component analysis (PCA) score plot revealed significant discrimination between the three species. The antioxidant activity of the EOs was evaluated using in vitro assays. Only S. virgata EO showed antioxidant activity in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) assay (26.6 ± 1.60 mg Trolox equivalent (TE)/g oil). Moreover, this oil exhibited the highest antioxidant activity in 2,2-azino bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) and ferric-reducing power (FRAP) assays in comparison with the other two EOs (190.1 ± 2.04 vs. 275.2 ± 8.50 and 155.9 ± 1.33 mg TE/g oil, respectively). However, S. virgata oil did not show any effect in the chelating ability assay, while in the PBD assay, S. officinalis had the best antioxidant activity (26.4 ± 0.16 mmol TE/g oil). Enzyme inhibitory effect of the EOs was assessed against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), tyrosinase, α-glucosidase and α-amylase. AChE enzyme was more sensitive to S. officinalis EO (4.2 ± 0.01 mg galantamine equivalent (GALAE)/g oil), rather than S. virgata EO, which was ineffective. However, S. virgata had the highest BChE effect (12.1 ± 0.16 mg GALAE/g oil). All studied oils showed good tyrosinase inhibitory activity, ranging between 66.1 ± 0.61 and 128.4 ± 4.35 mg kojic acid equivalent (KAE)/g oil). Moreover, the EOs did not exhibit any glucosidase inhibition and were weak or inefficient on amylase enzyme. Partial least squares regression (PLS-R) models showed that there is an excellent correlation between the antioxidant activity and the volatile profile when being compared to that of enzyme inhibitory activity. Thus, the studied Salvia essential oils are interesting candidates that could be used in drug discovery for the management of Alzheimer’s and hyperpigmentation conditions.

The present study is concerned with the fabrication of the bifunctional Plectranthus cylindraceus oil/TiO2/polyethylene glycol polymeric film for antibacterial and anticancer activities. The suggested film is based on the utility of naturally extracted P. cylindraceus oil in the formation of the polymeric bionanocomposite film decorated with TiO2 nanoparticles. The bionanocomposite film was fabricated by incorporating 15 w% of P. cylindraceus oil with 10 w% polyethylene glycol and 5 w% TiO2 nanoparticles. The active components of P. cylindraceus oil were verified using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The surface morphology of the resulted bionanocomposite film was characterized by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The antibacterial potential of the fabricated bionanocomposite film was investigated against four pathogenic strains. The obtained results revealed excellent sensitivity against the bacterial strains, particularly E. coli and S. aureus, with minimum inhibitory concentration 320 µg mL−1 and minimum bactericidal concentration 640 and 1280 µg mL−1 for E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. Polymeric bionanocomposite exerted significant cytotoxicity against human lung carcinoma cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 42.7 ± 0.25 μg mL−1. Safety assessment test against peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) demonstrated that the bionanocomposite is nontoxic in nature. Bionanocomposite also showed potent photocatalytic effects. Overall, the results concluded that the bionanocomposite has expressed scope for multifaceted biomedical applications.

Brassicaceae comprises various species representing an economically important source of industrial or pharmaceutical crops. The present study aimed to identify glucosinolates (GSLs) and volatile compounds in six Brassicaceae seeds cultivated in Egypt. An (High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Photodiode Array) HPLC–PDA analysis of GSLs in the alcoholic extracts of Raphanus raphanistrum L. (Rr), Raphanus sativus L. (Rs), Brassica oleracea var. capitata L. (Boc), Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L. (Bob), Brassica rapa L. (Br), and Eruca sativa L. (Es) was carried out using a mixture of 23 standard GSLs. Nineteen GSLs were detected in the studied seeds. Rs had the highest GSL content (135.66 μmol/g Dry weight, DW), while Boc had the lowest GSL content (93.66 μmol/g DW). Glucobrassicin was the major identified compound in Rr, Rs, and Bob. Its highest content was in Rs (28.96 μmol/g DW). Sinigrin was the major identified GSL in Boc (18.02 μmol/g DW), although present with higher content in Bob (22.02 μmol/g DW). Neoglucobrassicin was the major GSL in Br (30.98 μmol/g DW), while glucoerucin was the major GSL in Es (17.84 μmol/g DW). The yields of the steam-distilled oils of the studied seeds ranged between 3.25 ± 0.36 and 9.68 ± 0.25% v/w. A GC–MS analysis of the oils could detect 3, 23, 18, 16, 7, and 9 compounds in Rr, Rs, Boc, Bob, Br, and Es oils, respectively. Sulfur and nitrogenous compounds predominated in all studied oils except Rs, which contained a higher percentage of alkanes. The major identified compound in Rr oil was 4-isothiocyanato-1-(methylthio)-1-butene (94.77 ± 1.25%), while in Br it was 3-butenyl isothiocyanate (69.55 ± 1.02%), thiolane in Rs (15.15 ± 0.22%), and erucin in Es (97.02 ± 1.514%). Both Boc and Bob had the same major compound 4-(methylthio) butanenitrile, which represented 40.35 ± 1.15 and 50.52 ± 1.02% in both oils, respectively. Radical scavenging activity for both GSL extracts and essential oils on DPPH radical ranged between 18.01 ± 0.72 and 114.28 ± 1.15 µg/mL (IC50). The highest antioxidant capacity was for Es oil, while the lowest one was for Rr oil. Generally, it was observed that the GSLs had better antioxidant activity than their corresponding essential oils except for Es oil, which had higher activity. A principal component analysis (PCA) was successfully applied to discriminate among six Brassicaceae seeds based on both HPLC and GC–MS, where complete segregation was achieved among all samples with high correlation between Boc and Bob. Partial Least Squares-Regression (PLS-R) models showed that there is a better correlation between the antioxidant activity and glucosinolate profile when being compared to that of a volatile one. This profiling and variation of GSLs and volatile metabolites of the studied Brassicaceae seeds may be employed in further studies regarding their health-promoting properties.

The chemical composition of the essential oils (EOs) of Stachys byzantina, S. hissarica and S. betoniciflora growing in Uzbekistan were determined, and their antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activity were assessed. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of 143 metabolites accounting for 70.34, 76.78 and 88.63% of the total identified components of S. byzantina, S. hissarica and S. betoniciflora, respectively. Octadecanal (9.37%) was the most predominant in S. betoniciflora. However, n-butyl octadecenoate (4.92%) was the major volatile in S. byzantina. Benzaldehyde (5.01%) was present at a higher percentage in S. hissarica. A chemometric analysis revealed the ability of volatile profiling to discriminate between the studied Stachys species. The principal component analysis plot displayed a clear diversity of Stachys species where the octadecanal and benzaldehyde were the main discriminating markers. The antioxidant activity was evaluated in vitro using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), ferric reducing power (FRAP), chelating and phosphomolybdenum (PBD). Moreover, the ability of the essential oils to inhibit both acetyl/butyrylcholinesterases (AChE and BChE), α-amylase, α-glucosidase and tyrosinase was assessed. The volatiles from S. hissarica exhibited the highest activity in both the ABTS (226.48 ± 1.75 mg Trolox equivalent (TE)/g oil) and FRAP (109.55 ± 3.24 mg TE/g oil) assays. However, S. betoniciflora displayed the strongest activity in the other assays (174.94 ± 0.20 mg TE/g oil for CUPRAC, 60.11 ± 0.36 mg EDTA equivalent (EDTAE)/g oil for chelating and 28.24 ± 1.00 (mmol TE/g oil) for PBD. Regarding the enzyme inhibitory activity, S. byzantina demonstrated the strongest AChE (5.64 ± 0.04 mg galantamine equivalent (GALAE)/g oil) and tyrosinase inhibitory (101.07 ± 0.60 mg kojic acid equivalent (KAE)/g) activity. The highest activity for BChE (11.18 ± 0.19 mg GALAE/g oil), amylase inhibition (0.76 ± 0.02 mmol acarbose equivalent (ACAE)/g oil) and glucosidase inhibition (24.11 ± 0.06 mmol ACAE/g oil) was observed in S. betoniciflora. These results showed that EOs of Stachys species could be used as antioxidant, hypoglycemic and skincare agents.

Euphorbia cactus Ehrenb ex Boiss. is a plant species reported from central Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, belonging to the family of Euphorbiaceae. The plant has ethnobotanical values and is well-known for its milky latex, which has been turned into medicine to treat various ailments. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no literature reports available on phytochemical constituents and antiproliferative mechanism of E. cactus. In the current study, the phytochemical investigation of E. cactus methanolic extract (ECME) resulted in the isolation and characterization of four secondary metabolites, which are reported for the first time from this plant species. In addition, the results of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) and ferrous ion chelating (FIC) assays expressed maximum antioxidant activity by ECME and the isolated phytochemicals. Furthermore, ECME exerted a promising antiproliferative effect against different cancer cell lines, and the A549 lung cancer cells were the most sensitive with an IC50 value of 20 µg/mL. The antiproliferative action of ECME in A549 cells was associated with cell accumulation in the G2/M phase and an increase in early and late apoptosis. In addition, RT-PCR and western blot analysis revealed that ECME decreased the anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) expression, while the expression of pro-apoptotic (Bax) and caspase-3 were increased. This study provides the first insight into the phytochemical constituents and the antiproliferative mechanism of ECME, implying that it could be exploited as a promising natural source for developing new cancer therapies. Further preclinical research is warranted to support the current results.

This study aimed to assess and correlate the phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of the methanol extracts of the stems, roots, flowers, and leaves of Echinops spinosus L. from north-eastern Algeria. Qualitative analysis was performed by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR) LC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS and (HR) LC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS/MS). Forty-five compounds were identified in the methanol extracts; some are described for the first time in E. spinosus. Targeted phenolic compounds were quantified by HPLC-DAD and it was shown that caffeoyl quinic derivatives were the most abundant compounds. Chemometric analysis was performed using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) based on the qualitative and quantitative LC data. The score plot discriminates different Echinopsis spinosus organs into three distinct clusters, with the stems and flowers allocated in the same cluster, reflecting their resemblance in their secondary metabolites. The antioxidant activities of the methanol extracts were assessed using cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), ferric reducing antioxidant assay (FRAP), diphenyl picryl hydrazyl radical-scavenging capacity assay (DPPH●), and 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS●+). The root extract exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, evidenced by 3.26 and 1.61 mmol Fe2+/g dried residue for CUPRAC and FRAP, respectively, and great free radical-scavenging activities estimated by 0.53 and 0.82 mmol TEAC/g dried residue for DPPH● and ABTS●+, respectively. The methanol extract of the roots demonstrated a significant level of total phenolics (TP: 125.16 mg GAE/g dried residue) and flavonoids (TFI: 25.40 QE/g dried residue TFII: 140 CE/g dried residue). Molecular docking revealed that tricaffeoyl-altraric acid and dicaffeoyl-altraric acid exhibited the best fit within the active sites of NADPH oxidase (NO) and myeloperoxidase (MP). From ADME/TOPAKT analyses, it can be concluded that tricaffeoyl-altraric acid and dicaffeoyl-altraric acid also revealed reasonable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics with a significant safety profile.

The present study focused on the phytochemical chromatographic isolation of two chemical constituents, sterol and flavonoid (stigmasterol glucoside and luteolin) from Plectranthus asirensis. A novel, eco-friendly, and cost benefit, ultrasensitive sequential injection analysis chemiluminescence (SIA-CL) approach based on the enhanced catalytic activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was suggested to evaluate the isolated compounds. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized using the biomass of an ethanolic extract of aerial parts of P. asirensis as a reducing agent. Spectroscopic and microscopic characterization of the prepared AgNPs were performed, including UV-Vis spectrometry, XRD and FT-IR as well as TEM and SEM. UV-spectroscopic method detected the formed AgNPs at an absorbance wavelength of 420 nm. Furthermore, antioxidant activity of the isolated compounds was also determined using 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity protocol.

A facile, eco-friendly fluorescence approach based on the biogenic formation of zinc oxide nanoparticles using the biomass of Plicosepalus curviflorus shoots was developed. The suggested approach was employed to analyze three phenolic compounds (catechin, curviflorside, and curviflorin) isolated from the shoots of P. curviflorus. The surface morphology of the prepared ZnONPs was characterized by carrying out different microscopic and spectroscopic investigations. A significant UV-Vis absorption peak of ZnONPs was recognized at 345 nm and the FT-IR spectra of the isolated catechin, curviflorside, and curviflorin in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and ZnONPs were recorded at λem 470, 490, and 484 nm after excitation at λex 380, 420, and 410 nm. The suggested fluorescence method displayed linear concentration ranges of 10–120, 5–100, and 10–150 μg mL−1 for the three isolated compounds, respectively. The shoot extract, isolated compounds, and ZnONPs were screened for antibacterial and anticancer effects against four different types of bacterial strains and HeLa cells, respectively. The ZnONPs exhibited the highest zone of inhibition against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus strains when compared with pure, isolated compounds and shoot extract. The anticancer potential of ZnONPs (64%) was stronger as compared to the 160 µg mL−1 of shoot extract (49%), catechin (52%), curviflorside (54%), and curviflorin (58%) at 160 µg mL−1. Moreover, all the samples were investigated for hemolysis activity and showed a potent anti-hemolytic effect. The developed analytical method showed excellent sensitivity and reliability for the concurrent analysis of the isolated bioactive markers.

The current study is focused on the biosynthesis of nutmeg oil/ polyurethane/ZnONPs bionanocomposite film for immunomodulatory and antioxidant activities. The fabricated film was prepared by using naturally extracted nutmeg oil functionalized with ZnONPs in the presence of polyutherane (PU) medium. The bionanocomposite film was obtained by incorporating dropwise 10 % (w/v) of nutmeg oil to the PU solution/ZnONPs blend. The active constituents of nutmeg oil were determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The morphological characteristics of the resulting bionanocomposite film were confirmed using various microscopic and spectroscopic methods. Immunomodulatory potential of bionanocomposite was evaluated for RAW 264.7 macrophages. The results exhibited an excellent reduction in inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, and TNFα) secretions after the treatment with bionanocomposite. The bionanocomposite exerted the highest inhibitory effects on certain cell signaling constituents that influence the initiation of expression of proinflammatory cytokines. The bionanocomposite was also tested for DPPH and ABTS free radicals scavenging assays and showed excellent antioxidant potential with IC50 values (0.28 ± 0.22 and 0.49 ± 0.36), respectively. The outcomes suggested promising immunomodulatory and antioxidant potentials for the biogenic synthesized nutmeg oil/PU/ZnONPs polymeric bionanocomposite.

The antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory potential of fifteen cycloartane-type triterpenes’ potentials were investigated using different assays. In the phosphomolybdenum method, cycloalpioside D (6) (4.05 mmol TEs/g) showed the highest activity. In 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH*) radical and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) cation radical scavenging assays, cycloorbicoside A-7-monoacetate (2) (5.03 mg TE/g) and cycloorbicoside B (10) (10.60 mg TE/g) displayed the highest activities, respectively. Oleanolic acid (14) (51.45 mg TE/g) and 3-O-β-d-xylopyranoside-(23R,24S)-16β,23;16α,24-diepoxycycloart-25(26)-en-3β,7β-diol 7-monoacetate (4) (13.25 mg TE/g) revealed the highest reducing power in cupric ion-reducing activity (CUPRAC) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, respectively. In metal-chelating activity on ferrous ions, compound 2 displayed the highest activity estimated by 41.00 mg EDTAE/g (EDTA equivalents/g). The tested triterpenes showed promising AChE and BChE inhibitory potential with 3-O-β-d-xylopyranoside-(23R,24S)-16β,23;16α,24-diepoxycycloart-25(26)-en-3β,7β-diol 2′,3′,4′,7-tetraacetate (3), exhibiting the highest inhibitory activity as estimated from 5.64 and 5.19 mg GALAE/g (galantamine equivalent/g), respectively. Compound 2 displayed the most potent tyrosinase inhibitory activity (113.24 mg KAE/g (mg kojic acid equivalent/g)). Regarding α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition, 3-O-β-d-xylopyranoside-(23R,24S)-16β,23;16α,24-diepoxycycloart-25(26)-en-3β,7β-diol (5) (0.55 mmol ACAE/g) and compound 3 (25.18 mmol ACAE/g) exerted the highest activities, respectively. In silico studies focused on compounds 2, 6, and 7 as inhibitors of tyrosinase revealed that compound 2 displayed a good ranking score (−7.069 kcal/mole) and also that the ΔG free-binding energy was the highest among the three selected compounds. From the ADMET/TOPKAT prediction, it can be concluded that compounds 4 and 5 displayed the best pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behavior, with considerable activity in most of the examined assays.

In-depth botanical characterization was performed on Premna odorata Blanco (Lamiaceae) different organs for the first time. The leaves are opposite, hairy and green in color. Flowers possess fragrant aromatic odors and exist in inflorescences of 4–15 cm long corymbose cyme-type. In-depth morphological and anatomical characterization revealed the great resemblance to plants of the genus Premna and of the family Lamiaceae, such as the presence of glandular peltate trichomes and diacytic stomata. Additionally, most examined organs are characterized by non-glandular multicellular covering trichomes, acicular, and rhombic calcium oxalate crystals. P. odorata leaves n-hexane fraction revealed substantial anti-tuberculous potential versus Mycobacterium tuberculosis, showing a minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of 100 μg/mL. Metabolic profiling of the n-hexane fraction using gas-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis revealed 10 major compounds accounting for 93.01%, with trans-phytol constituting the major compound (24.06%). The virtual screening revealed that trans-phytol highly inhibited MTB C171Q receptor as M. tuberculosis KasA (β-ketoacyl synthases) with a high fitting score (∆G = −15.57 kcal/mol) approaching that of isoniazid and exceeding that of thiolactomycin, the co-crystallized ligand. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity predictions (ADME/TOPKAT) revealed that trans-phytol shows lower solubility and absorption levels when compared to thiolactomycin and isoniazid. Still, it is safer, causing no mutagenic or carcinogenic effects with higher lethal dose, which causes the death of 50% (LD50). Thus, it can be concluded that P. odorata can act as a source of lead entities to treat tuberculosis.

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from the aerial parts of four Apiaceae species, namely Elaeosticta allioides (EA), E. polycarpa (EP), Ferula clematidifolia (FC), and Hyalolaena intermedia (HI), were determined using gas chromatography. Altogether, 100 volatile metabolites representing 78.97, 81.03, 85.78, and 84.49% of the total components present in EA, EP, FC, and HI oils, respectively, were reported. allo-Ocimene (14.55%) was the major component in FC, followed by D-limonene (9.42%). However, in EA, germacrene D (16.09%) was present in a high amount, while heptanal (36.89%) was the predominant compound in HI. The gas chromatographic data were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) to explore the correlations between these species. Fortunately, the PCA score plot could differentiate between the species and correlate Ferula to Elaeosticta species. Additionally, the antioxidant activity was evaluated in vitro using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), and the ferric reducing power (FRAP) assays. In addition, the antimicrobial activity using the agar diffusion method was assessed, and the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined. Furthermore, the cell viability MTT assay was performed to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the essential oils against hepatic (HepG-2) and cervical (HeLa) cancer cell lines. In the DPPH assay, FC exhibited the maximum activity against all the antioxidant assays with IC50 values of 19.8 and 23.0 μg/mL for the DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively. Ferula showed superior antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities as well. Finally, a partial least square regression model was constructed to predict the antioxidant capacity by utilizing the metabolite profiling data. The model showed excellent predictive ability by applying the ABTS assay.

The compositions of volatile components in the aerial parts of six Astragalus species, namely A. campylotrichus (Aca), A. chiwensis (Ach), A. lehmannianus (Ale), A. macronyx (Ama), A. mucidus (Amu) and A. sieversianus (Asi), were investigated using gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Ninety-seven metabolites were identified, accounting for 73.28, 87.03, 74.38, 87.93, 85.83, and 91.39% of Aca, Ach, Ale, Ama, Amu and Asi whole oils, respectively. Sylvestrene was the most predominant component in Asi, Amu and Ama, with highest concentration in Asi (64.64%). In addition, (E)-2-hexenal was present in a high percentage in both Ale and Ach (9.97 and 10.1%, respectively). GC-MS based metabolites were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchal cluster analysis (HCA) to explore the correlations between the six species. The PCA score plot displayed clear differentiation of all Astragalus species and a high correlation between the Amu and Ama species. The antioxidant activity was evaluated in vitro using various assays, phosphomolybdenum (PM), 2,2 diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH), 2,2-azino bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), ferric reducing power (FRAP) and ferrous ion chelation (FIC) assays. In addition, the potential for the volatile samples to inhibit both acetyl/butyrylcholinesterases (AChE, BChE), α- amylase, α-glucosidase and tyrosinase was assessed. Most of the species showed considerable antioxidant potential in the performed assays. In the DPPH assay, Ama exhibited the maximum activity (24.12 ± 2.24 mg TE/g sample), and the volatiles from Amu exhibited the highest activity (91.54 mgTE/g oil) in the ABTS radical scavenging assay. The effect was more evident in both CUPRAC and FRAP assays, where both Ale and Ama showed the strongest activity in comparison with the other tested species (84.06, 80.28 mgTE/g oil for CUPRAC and 49.47, 49.02 mgTE/g oil for FRAP, respectively). Asi demonstrated the strongest AChE (4.55 mg GALAE/g oil) and BChE (3.61 mg GALAE/g oil) inhibitory effect. Furthermore, the best tyrosinase inhibitory potential was observed for Ale (138.42 mg KAE/g). Accordingly, Astragalus species can be utilized as promising natural sources for many medicinally important components that could be tested as drug candidates for treating illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes mellitus and oxidative stress-related diseases.

Two noble metals, such as silver and gold alloy nanoparticles, were successfully synthesized by the microwave assisted method in the presence of the Asparagus racemosus root extract and were used as an antibacterial and immunomodulatory agent. The nanostuctures of the synthesized nanoparticles were confirmed by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The UV-vis spectrum exhibits a distinct absorption peak at 483 nm for the bimetallic alloy nanoparticles. The microscopic analysis revealed the spherical shaped morphology of the biosynthesized nanoparticles with a particle size of 10–50 nm. The antibacterial potential of the green synthesized single metal (AgNPs and AuNPs) and bimetallic alloy nanoparticles was tested against five bacterial strains. The bimetallic alloy nanoparticles displayed the highest zone of inhibition against P. aeurgnosia and S.aureus strains when compared to single metal nanoparticles and plant extract. In addition, the inmmunomodulatory potential of the root extract of A. racemosus, AgNPs, AuNPs, and Ag-Au alloy NPs is achieved by measuring the cytokine levels in macrophages (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and NK cells (IFN-γ) of NK92 and THP1 cells using the solid phase sandwich ELISA technique. The results showed that the root extract of A. racemosus, AgNPs, and AuNPs can reduce the pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the macrophages cells, while Ag-Au alloy NPs can reduce cytokine responses in NK92 cells. Overall, this study shows that the microwave assisted biogenic synthesized bimetallic nanoalloy nanoparticles could be further explored for the development of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapies.

A series of iridoid glycosides were isolated from the leaves of Lasianthus verticillatus (Lour.) Merr., belonging to family Rubiaceae. A new iridoid glycoside, lasianoside F (1), and three new bis-iridoid glycosides, lasianosides G–I (2–4), together with four known compounds (5–8) were isolated. The structures were established by spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR experiments (1H, 13C, DEPT, COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY) in combination with HR-ESI-MS and CD spectra.

A new abietane diterpene namely plectrabarbene (2), together with two known compounds: sugiol (1) and 11,14-dihydroxy-8,11,13-abietatrien-7-one (3) have been isolated from the aerial parts of Plectranthus barbatus Andr. (Labiatae). The structures of these compounds were determined by various spectral techniques (e.g., UV, IR, NMR, and FAB) and by comparison with the literature data. A molecular docking study of the isolated diterpenes (1–3) was performed with AChE to gain an insight into their AChE inhibition mechanism. The results of docking experiments revealed that the all tested compounds showed binding affinity at the active site of AchE in comparison to donepezil.

The present study focused on the prospect of fabricating a polymeric naturally extracted Moringa oleifera oil bionanocomposite film enriched with silver nanoparticles for antimicrobial activity. In this study, a standard concentration of Moringa oleifera oil (5-10 wt%) was used to fabricate a polymeric bionanocomposite film using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) enriched with silver nanoparticles. The active constituents of the extracted Moringa oleifera oil were verified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, were employed to characterize and study the surface morphology of the fabricated bionanocomposite film. The antimicrobial activity of the fabricated bionanocomposite film was investigated using different strains of bacteria and fungus. The results revealed well-oriented and excellently dispersed silver nanoparticles in the PVC-Moringa oleifera oil matrix. The bionanocomposite was able to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella flexneri, and Candida albicans. The combination of nanoparticles with polymers is opening new routes for engineering fixable composites, which showed antimicrobial properties.

Two lupane and four ursane triterpenes, namely epilupeol (1), lupeol acetate (2), ursolic acid (3), brein (4), 3β 11α-dihydroxy urs-12-ene (5) and ursolic acid lactone (6) were isolated from aerial parts of Kleinia odora and identified. Compounds 1 and 3–6 were isolated for the first time from K. odora. The triterpene constituents were investigated for antiprotozoal potential against erythrocytic schizonts of Plasmodium falciparum, intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania infantum and Trypanosoma cruzi and free trypomastigotes of T. brucei. Cytotoxicity was determined against MRC-5 fibroblasts to assess selectivity. The ursane triterpenes were found to be active against more than one type of the tested parasites, with the exception of compound 6. This is also the first report on the occurrence of ursane type triterpenes in the genus Kleinia and their antiprotozoal potential against P. falciparum, L. infantum, T. cruzi, and T. brucei.

Distinct morphological MgO nanoparticles (MgONPs) were synthesized using biomasses of Saussurea costus roots. The biomass of two varieties of Saussurea costus (Qustal hindi and Qustal bahri) were used in the green synthesis of MgONPs. The physical and chemical features of nanoparticles were confirmed by spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The surface morphology of the obtained nanoparticles was detected at different magnifications by SEM and TEM microscopy and the size of nanoparticles were found to be 30 and 34 nm for Qustal hindi and Qustal bahri, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of the prepared MgONPs was screened against six pathogenic strains. The synthesized nanoparticles by Qustal bahri biomass exerted significant inhibition zones 15, 16, 18, 17, 14, and 10 mm against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, C. tropicalis and C. glabrata, S. aureus and B. subtilis as compared to those from Qustal hindi 12, 8 and 17 mm against B. subtilis, E. coli and C. tropicalis, respectively. MgONPs showed a potential cytotoxicity effect against MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines. Cellular investigations of MgONPs revealed that the prepared nanoparticles by Qustal bahri exhibited high cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cancer cell lines. IC50 values in MCF-7 cells were found to be 67.3% and 52.1% for MgONPs of Saussurea costus biomasses, respectively. Also, the photocatalytic activity of MgONPs of each Saussurea costus variety was comparatively studied. They exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue after UV irradiation for 1 h as 92% and 59% for those prepared by Qustal bahri and Qustal hindi, respectively. Outcome of results revealed that the biosynthesized MgONPs showed promising biomedical potentials.

Malaria, leishmaniasis and human African trypanosomiasis continue to be major public health problems in need of new and more effective drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro antiprotozoal activity of twenty endemic medicinal plants collected from the island of Soqotra in the Indian Ocean. The plant materials were extracted with methanol and tested for antiplasmodial activity against erythrocytic schizonts of Plasmodium falciparum, for antileishmanial activity against intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania infantum and for antitrypanosomal activity against intracellular amastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi and free trypomastigotes of T. brucei. To assess selectivity, cytotoxicity was determined against MRC-5 fibroblasts. Selective activity was obtained for Punica protopunica against Plasmodium (IC50 2.2 µg/mL) while Eureiandra balfourii and Hypoestes pubescens displayed activity against the three kinetoplastid parasites (IC50 < 10 µg/mL). Acridocarpus socotranus showed activity against T. brucei and T. cruzi (IC50 3.5 and 8.4 µg/mL). Ballochia atrovirgata, Dendrosicycos socotrana, Dracaena cinnabari and Euphorbia socotrana displayed non-specific inhibition of the parasites related to high cytotoxicity.

The present study investigated the in vitro antiprotozoal activity of sixteen selected medicinal plants. Plant materials were extracted with methanol and screened in vitro against erythrocytic schizonts of Plasmodium falciparum, intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania infantum and Trypanosoma cruzi and free trypomastigotes of T. brucei. Cytotoxic activity was determined against MRC-5 cells to assess selectivity. The criterion for activity was an IC50 < 10 µg/mL (4. Antiplasmodial activity was found in the extracts of Prosopis juliflora and Punica granatum. Antileishmanial activity against L. infantum was demonstrated in Caralluma sinaica and Periploca aphylla. Amastigotes of T. cruzi were affected by the methanol extract of Albizia lebbeck pericarp, Caralluma sinaica, Periploca aphylla and Prosopius juliflora. Activity against T. brucei was obtained in Prosopis juliflora. Cytotoxicity (MRC-5 IC50 < 10 µg/mL) and hence non-specific activities were observed for Conocarpus lancifolius.