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Centaurea pumilio L. Extract and Nanoparticles: A Candidate for Healthy Skin
Abstract
Centaurea pumilio was the subject of phytochemical and biological studies, and its extract was used
in the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Liquid chromatography/electrospray
ionization mass spectrometry allowed the tentative identification of twenty-nine phytoconstituents of
C. pumilio methanolic extract (CME), while column chromatography led to the identification of
eight phenolic compounds. The neutral red uptake method showed the safety of CME and AgNPs on
skin cells (HaCaT cell lines), while their high antioxidant potentials were demonstrated based on
their oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and these results were confirmed in vivo. Additionally,
CME and AgNPs had promising abilities to retard the ageing process and combat dark spots by
potently inhibiting collagenase, elastase and tyrosinase, in addition to antimicrobial activity against
skin infection-causing strains, especially Staphylococcus aureus, which was further confirmed by the
significant phagocytic activity of neutrophils via engulfment. This study presents C. pumilio as a
candidate for healthy skin.
Key words: Centaurea; phenolics; nanoparticles; anti-ageing.
... Nanotechnology is a promising and quickly evolving field in science that manipulates matter in the nanoscale range, accounting for outstanding contributions to technological innovation so far, including the development of tailorable nanoscale materials -nanomaterials -evidencing improved features and innumerous applications within the biomedical field (Khan, Noreen et al. 2018, Mahdavi, Saneei et al. 2019, Mostafa, Fayed et al. 2019, Pal, Rai et al. 2019. Nanomaterials are known to exhibit enhanced properties when compared to larger-scale materials, such as distinct optical properties and enhanced chemical reactivity (Mahdavi, Saneei et al. 2019). ...
... Subsequently, the biological activities of metals are combined with the enhanced properties of nanoparticles which, together with the benefits of plant-mediated green synthesis and the activities of plant extracts, makes the plant-mediated MNPs a valuable material for topical applications (Appapalam and Panchamoorthy 2017, Alfuraydi, Devanesan et al. 2019, Mostafa, Fayed et al. 2019). ...
... The antibacterial properties can also come from (vi) penetrating/anchoring to cell wall of the bacteria followed by modulation (desphosphorylation) of phosphotyrosine profile of putative key bacterial peptides (key for the progression of cell cycle and for capsular polysaccharides' synthesis), disturbing protein functions and synthesis, resulting in cellular signaling modulation and bacterial growth inhibition(Konwarh, Gogoi et al. 2011, Ghaedi, Yousefinejad et al. 2015, Rolim, Pelegrino et al. 2019). On the other hand, the anti-biofilm activity is based on the inhibition of exopolysaccharide secretion, key in the adhesion of microorganisms and, consequently, in production of biofilm(Arya, Kumari et al. 2019).Diverse phyto-AgNPs characteristics affect the antibacterial action, such as size (Appapalam and Panchamoorthy 2017, Hernandez-Morales, Espinoza-Gomez et al. 2019, Mostafa, Fayed et al. 2019, Rolim, Pelegrino et al. 2019), morphology (AlSalhi, Devanesan et al. 2016, Dhayalan, Denison et al. 2018, Hernandez-Morales, Espinoza-Gomez et al. 2019), crystallographic structure (AlSalhi, Devanesan et al. 2016), agglomeration state (Hernandez-Morales, Espinoza-Gomez et al. 2019, Rolim, Pelegrino et al. 2019), stability (Kummara, Patil et al. 2016, Appapalam and Panchamoorthy 2017), surface roughness (Appapalam and Panchamoorthy 2017), chemistry of the surface and charge (Rolim, Pelegrino et al. 2019), large surface area/volume ratio (Dipankar and Murugan 2012, Ghaedi, Yousefinejad et al. 2015, AlSalhi, Devanesan et al. 2016, Gong, Li et al. 2018); together with external factors, like the starting bacterial number and the bacterial strain (Dipankar and Murugan 2012,Ghaedi, Yousefinejad et al. 2015, Dhayalan, Denison et al. 2018, Mostafa, Fayed et al. 2019. The antimicrobial activity is also concentration dependent (an increase in concentration leads to higher activity)(Dipankar and Murugan 2012, Ghaedi, Yousefinejad et al. 2015, AlSalhi, Devanesan et al. 2016, Arya, Kumari et al. 2019, Dada, Adekola et al. 2019, Mostafa, Fayed et al. 2019). ...
The skin is the primordial barrier that protects the human body against environmental factors. Due to the arise of dermatological pathologies, a crescent interest in the development of efficient delivery systems for topical applications has been arising. The highest challenge consists of increasing the penetration of the active ingredients through the skin barrier, alongside to the need of obtaining enough retention to achieve therapeutic concentrations.
Metals, specially nobble metals, have been used for years to treat and prevent health issues, among them dermatological disorders. Nanoparticles have been extensively used for topical applications given their advantages, namely the enhanced solubility of apolar drugs, the possibility of controlled release, the higher stability and the capability to target specific areas and delivery of high active ingredients concentrations. In order to take advantage of the before mentioned unique properties of nanoparticles and the biological activities of metals, various metal-based nanoparticles (MNPs) have been synthesized in the past few years, such as silver (AgNPs), gold (AuNPs), zinc (ZnNPs), zinc oxide (ZnONPs), copper (CuNPs) and copper oxide (CuONPs) nanoparticles. These MNPs are flexible structures that allow the control of physical characteristics, with enhanced surface properties, which provides a high applicability in dermopharmacy and cosmetics. The conventional methods for synthesizing nanoparticles (physical and chemical approaches) are associated with major drawbacks, being the most concerning the high cost (in resources, energy, time and space) and human/environmental toxicity. Hence, the need to develop an alternative synthesis pathway was imposed, giving rise to the green synthesis. In general, green synthesis consist of using biological sources (plants, bacteria or fungi) to synthesize ecological benign, non-hazard and biocompatible nanoparticles. With the development of green synthesis, starting materials have been used more frequently, among them plants.
Plant-mediated green synthesis of nanoparticles is based on the use of plant extracts to synthesize nanoparticles, and their outstanding advantages have paved the way for exciting developments on nanoparticle synthesis to the detriment of complex and toxicity-associated chemical and physical synthesis. MNPs produced by plant-mediated synthesis also demonstrate notorious biological activities, i.e., anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, wound healing and antiaging activities. However, safety assessments of phyto MNPs (phyto-MNPs) holds significant importance due to the lack of toxicological studies and the conception issues that some of the available studies hold. In general, current studies suggest the biocompatibility and safety of phyto-MNPs, together with significantly improved and relevant biological activities towards dermopharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. Against this backdrop, there is still a long way to run until the application of phyto-MNPs in the medical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields, but studies so far show a very high potential towards their clinical translation for dermopharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. This review focuses on phyto-MNPs synthesized resorting to various plant extracts, including their production, characterization and the biological activities that support their topical application for dermopharmaceutical and cosmetic purposes.
... Anti-aging activities 2.9.1. Estimation of anti-tyrosinase activity L 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA, 5 mM) was used as a substrate and kojic acid (1.4 mg/mL) as a standard inhibitor to test the anti-tyrosinase activity of ZnO-NPs (Mostafa et al., 2019). L-DOPA was added after the mushroom tyrosinase (0.2 mg/mL) was incubated with ZnO-NPs (10 mL) and kojic acid for 15 min at 37°C. ...
... Vesperlysine and Pentosidine AGE generation inhibition potential was evaluated following an established technique (Mostafa et al., 2019). The BSA solution was prepared by adding glucose (0.5 M solution) and PBS solution (0.1 M solution) with 0.02 percent sodium azide (w/v). ...
Nanotechnology is perhaps the most widely explored scientific domain in the current era. With the advent of NPs, revolutionary changes have been observed in various scientific disciplines. Among the NPs, ZnO-NPs are the center of contemplation owing to their biocompatible nature. These nanoparticles have been prepared using a number of techniques; however, biological methods are among the most popular synthesis approaches. The current research therefore reports the phyto-fabrication of ZnO-NPs mediated by Delphinium uncinatum root extract. The resulting NPs were subjected to standard characterization methods such fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The resulting NPs are exploited to their possible antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing potency. FTIR confirmed the capping of ZnO-NPs by a variety of phytochemicals. ZnO-NPs average size was approximately 30 nm. ZnO-NPs exhibited substantial bio-potency and proved to be highly biocompatible even at higher concentrations. ZnO-NPs revealed strong antimicrobial potency for Pseudomonas aeruginosa proving to be the most susceptible strain showing inhibition of 16 ± 0.98. ZnO-NPs also showed dose dependent antidiabetic and cytotoxic potential. COX-1, COX-2, 15-LOX and sPLA2 were efficiently inhibited upon exposure to ZnO-NPs confirming the anti-inflammatory potential of ZnO-NPs. Similarly, ZnO-NPs also revealed considerable anti-aging potential. With such diverse biological potentials, ZnO-NPs can prove to be a potent weapon against a plethora of diseases; however, further study is necessary in order to discover the precise mechanism that is responsible for the biological potency of these NPs.
... aegialophila is a rare species that can be found scattered on sand dunes along the Egyptian Mediterranean coast [13]. Its dried root is frequently used as a fattening agent in traditional Egyptian medicine [14] and the indigenous people commonly use the peeled root to treat diabetes and bad breath. It has also been screened for efficacy against schistosomiasis and showed antioxidant activity [14]. ...
... Its dried root is frequently used as a fattening agent in traditional Egyptian medicine [14] and the indigenous people commonly use the peeled root to treat diabetes and bad breath. It has also been screened for efficacy against schistosomiasis and showed antioxidant activity [14]. C. pumilio is regarded as an endangered plant and has been included on the national Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) of threatened plants [13]. ...
Background:
In the context of searching for potent, safe, natural antimicrobial agents to combate the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenomenon, the current study evaluates for the first time ever, the broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity of essential oil (EO) and extracts from the rare wild plant Centaurea pumilio L.. It has tremendous ethnomedicinal values; its dried root is used as a fattening agent, a treatment for bad breath and diabetes, and screened for schistosomicidal activity.
Methods:
C. pumilio EO was extracted by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus. Chemical constituents of aerial part were extracted using a sequential solvent/solvent procedure employing four solvents with increasing polarities in the following order: petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. The chemical constituents were identified by GC-MS. Fifty-two microbial strains were used; twenty-six multidrug resistant (MDR), sixteen clinical, and ten reference strains. The identification of the microbial strains was performed by MALDI-TOF-MS. The antimicrobial activity of the EO and the aerial part and the root extracts was assessed through disc diffusion assay. A minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the EO and extracts was determined using the broth micro-dilution method.
Results:
The growth of reference and clinical strains was inhibited by EO, methanol, chloroform, and ethyl acetate aerial part extracts and chloroform root extract. The MDR strains growth, however, was inhibited only by EO and chloroform aerial part extract. GC-MS identified for the first time eighteen constituents from aerial part EO and chloroform extract each. EO showed antimicrobial activity against the reference, clinical, and MDR strains with MIC values of 31.25-125, 31.25-125, and 62.50-250 μg/mL, respectively. Methanol aerial part extract exhibited high antimicrobial activities with MIC values of 62.50-250 μg/mL against reference and clinical strains. Chloroform root extract displayed strong antimicrobial activity against reference and clinical strains recording MIC values of 62.50-250 μg/mL and 62.50-125 μg/mL, respectively. The chloroform aerial part extract demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity against the reference, clinical, and MDR strains with 31.25, 31.25, and 15.62 μg/mL MIC values, respectively.
Conclusions:
Present data unravel the C. pumilio pharmacological magnitude to discover eco-friendly potent antimicrobial agents to fight AMR phenomenon.
... Tyrosinase is the rate-limiting enzyme in melanin synthesis, that is, inhibiting tyrosinase activity can limit the formation of melanin and then achieve a whitening effect [55], tyrosinase catalyzes tyrosine oxidation to dopaquinone, which is further oxidized to form melanin [56]. It has been reported that AgNPs can inhibit the activity of mushroom tyrosinase [57,58]. AgNPs can play a great role in inhibiting apoptosis and preventing the formation of wrinkles [59]. ...
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized from plant extracts have recently emerged as a rapidly growing field with numerous applications in pharmaceutical and clinical contexts. The purpose of this research is to come up with a novel method for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles that use Eucommia ulmoides leaf extract as a reducing agent. The synthesis of AgNPs was confirmed using UV-vis spectroscopy, and the properties of AgNPs were characterized using Transmission Electron Microscope, Fourier Infrared Spectrometer, X-ray diffraction, Thermogravimetric Analysis, and Zeta potential. The results showed that the AgNPs exhibited a characteristic absorption peak at 430 nm, their diameter ranged from 4 nm to 52 nm, and C, O, and Cl elements, which might represent flavonoids and phenolic components absorbed on the surface of AgNPs. The zeta potential of AgNPs was found to be −30.5 mV, which indicates repulsion among AgNPs and they have good dispersion stability. AgNPs have been found to suppress the tyrosinase activity both in mushroom tyrosinase and A375 cells, as well as diminish ROS formation in HaCat cells. According to this study, AgNPs is a novel material that can enhance skin health by preventing melanin development.
... The flow rate was 0.5 mL/min, and the injection volume was 10 µL. MS/MS analysis used positive and negative ionization modes with a scan (EMS-IDA-EPI) from 100 to 1000 Da for MS1 with the following parameters: curtain gas, 25 psi; Ion Spray voltage, 5500 and − 4500 v for positive and negative modes, respectively; source temperature, 500 °C; ion source gas 1 & 2, 45 psi and from 50 to 800 Da for MS2; declustering potential, 80; collision energy, 35 and − 35 for positive and negative modes, respectively; and collision energy spread, 20 21 . We identified the compounds using MS-DIAL software version 4.70. ...
Heliotropium is a genus of the Boraginaceae family. Its members are used in many traditional and folklore medicines to treat several ailments. Despite this widespread usage, only a few evidence-based scientific studies investigated and identified its phytoconstituents. Herein, we documented the chemical profile of the Heliotropium ramosissimum methanolic extract using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/ MS) and assessed its antioxidant and cytotoxic effects. The methanolic extract exhibited high phenolic content (179.74 ± 0.58 µg/mL) and high flavonoid content (53.18 ± 0.60 µg/mL). The GC-MS analysis of the lipoidal matter allowed us to identify 41 compounds with high percentages of 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis(2-methoxyethyl) ester (23.91%), and 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one (18.74%). Thirty-two phytomolecules were tentatively identified from the methanolic extract of H. ramosissimum using LC-MS/MS. These compounds belonged to several phytochemical classes such as phenolic acids, alkaloids, coumarins, and flavonoids. Furthermore, we assessed the antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract by DPPH assay and oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay, which yielded IC 50 values of 414.30 µg/mL and 170.03 ± 44.40 µM TE/equivalent, respectively. We also assessed the cytotoxicity of the methanolic extract on seven different cell lines; Colo-205, A-375, HeLa, HepG-2, H-460, and OEC showed that it selectively killed cancer cells with particularly potent cytotoxicity against Colo-205 without affecting normal cells. Further studies revealed that the extract induced apoptosis and/or necrosis on Colo-205 cell line at an IC 50 of 18.60 µg/mL. Finally, we conducted molecular docking on the LC-ESI-MS/MS-identified compounds against colon cancer antigen 10 to find potentially cytotoxic compounds. Binding score energy analysis showed that isochlorogenic acid and orientin had the highest affinity for the colon cancer antigen 10 protein, with binding scores of (− 13.2001) and (− 13.5655) kcal/mol, respectively. These findings suggest that Heliotropium ramosissimum contains potent therapeutic candidates for colorectal cancer treatment.
... [29] Up to date, numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate the biological activities of plant-based metal nanoparticles in skin cells. [30,31] In this context, antioxidant, antifungal, and antimicrobial activities of zinc (Zn 2þ ) and copper (Cu 2þ ) metal nanoparticles synthesized from P. americana, which is applied for treatment of skin problems in folk medicine for ages, have been proven by previous reports. [32,33] However, no study was recorded in the literature investigating the effects of the nanoflowers on hyaluronidase and gelatinase enzyme inhibition. ...
This study aimed to evaluate the hyaluronidase and gelatinase inhibitory activities and toxicity potentials of Persea americana Mill. extract and its synthesized hybrid nanoflowers. In the first part of the study, characterization of the nanoflower structures was carried out and then, enzyme inhibitory activities of the methanol extract and hybrid nanoflowers were investigated. It was determined that the enzyme inhibitory activity of both nanoflowers was higher than the methanol extract. Zinc nanoflower was more effective in hyaluronidase enzyme inhibition, while copper nanoflower showed higher inhibitory activity on gelatinase enzyme. In the second part of the study, toxicological profiles of these compounds were investigated. Toxicological evaluations demonstrated that zinc nanoflower may be a safer therapeutic alternative than the copper nanoflower, especially at high concentrations. All these data appear to contribute to the development of effective new generation preparations including nanoflowers for skin problems using Persea ameri-cana leaves extract and its nanostructures. ARTICLE HISTORY
... The free radicals are underlying to activate collagenase, elastase, and tyrosinase enzymes to digest collagen in the triple helix region, breaking down the elastin, and synthesizing toxic melanin (Eun Lee et al. 2019). Mostafa et al. (2019) showed that Ag nanoparticles from C. pumilio plant extract may be against enzymes that cause skin aging. The interaction between the hydroxyl groups of phenol in plant extract with the enzymes functional groups or the hydrophobic interaction between the benzene ring of phenol and enzyme may change the structure, reducing the enzyme activity. ...
Because many engineered nanoparticles are toxic, there is a need for methods to fabricate safe nanoparticles such as plant-based nanoparticles. Indeed, plant extracts contain flavonoids, amino acids, proteins, polysaccharides, enzymes, polyphenols, steroids, and reducing sugars that facilitate the reduction, formation, and stabilization of nanoparticles. Moreover, synthesizing nanoparticles from plant extracts is fast, safe, and cost-effective because it does not consume much energy, and non-toxic derivatives are generated. These nanoparticles have diverse and unique properties of interest for applications in many fields. Here, we review the synthesis of metal/metal oxide nanoparticles with plant extracts. These nanoparticles display antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. Plant-based nanoparticles are also useful for medical diagnosis and drug delivery.
... Water extraction, including boiling, is not always an effective way to extract bioorganic compounds, as some of them have limited solubility in it. In these cases, water is replaced with a water-ethanol or organic solvents mixture (Khatami et al., , 2016Dhand et al., 2016;Poggialini et al., 2018;Ahn et al., 2019;Choudhary et al., 2020), methanol (Khatami et al., 2016) or hexane (Mostafa et al., 2019). ...
Green chemistry methods can be successfully used for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Plant extracts, secrets of microorganisms contain a wide range of organic substances capable of generating silver nanoparticles during the reaction with Ag⁺ ions. In addition to the reducing function, the same compounds can be surface stabilizers for nanoparticles. As a result of synthesis, stable sols with nanometer-sized metallic silver particles (1–100 nm) are formed. The method of metal vapor synthesis is environmentally friendly and can be effectively used in combination with different technological processes for the synthesis of active silver nanoparticles and to provide support of various kinds to obtain functional materials. An extensive diapason of materials for various purposes can be obtained based on these particles. This chapter contains information from the past 10–15 years on methods for the preparation and practical use of green synthesis silver nanoparticles.
... C. glomerata and C. pallescens have been documented to have antioxidant activity [14,15]. C. pumilio extract has antimicrobial activity against skin infection-causing strains, suggesting its potential to maintain healthy skin [16]. Also, extracts from C. scoparia and C. sinaica have potential antitumor activity against human carcinoma cell lines [17,18]. ...
Centaurea is a value-ultimate genus of medicinal plants showing high diversification levels, especially within the Mediterranean basin, and is still traditionally recognized as a complicated taxon. So far, few studies utilizing molecular markers have been done on Centaurea spp. towards a better dissection of its phylogeny and accurate assessment of genetic diversity. Here, two functional marker systems, start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism and CAAT box-derived polymorphism (CBDP), were implemented to assess the genetic diversity between eight wild Centaurea species in Egypt. Seventeen SCoT and 19 CBDP primers generated 197 and 179 bands, respectively. These primers generated 158 (80.2%) and 131 (73.18%) polymorphic amplicons with an average of 9.29 and 6.89 amplicons per primer, respectively. SCoT primers exhibited higher levels in % of polymorphism, % of heterozygosity, effective multiplex ratio, discriminating power, resolving power parameters compared to the CBDP. In contrast, no significant differences were observed between SCoT and CBDP in polymorphism information content, marker index and mean heterozygosity parameters. The UPGMA (unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean) dendrogram of the combined data classified the Centaurea species under two major clades; the first comprised two species, whereas the second grouped five species. C. pallescens was kept separated as the most diverged among the eight Centaurea species. Principal component analysis (PCA) topology revealed highly similar results to those obtained from the cluster analysis. Ultimately, our results represent the first report utilising two gene-targeting marker systems as powerful techniques for assessing the genetic variability and relatedness among these eight valuable Centaurea species.
... This brought about numerous impeccable manifestations in numerous life sciences including extensive applications in drug delivery and in vivo therapeutics, diagnostic devices, biomarkers, molecular imaging, regenerative medicine, theranostics (i.e. the combination of diagnosis and treatment), implanted devices and biosensors (Watkins et al. 2015). Nanotechnology as a comprehensive research field is characterised by the use of materials or products within size range between 1 and 1000 nm (Calzoni et al. 2019, Mostafa et al. 2019. Nanomedicines exhibit distinguished properties such as effective passage via fine capillarity and lymphatic endothelium, higher binding capability to biomolecules (e.g. ...
The fast progress in nanomedicine and nanoparticles (NP) materials presents unconventional solutions which are expected to revolutionize health care with great potentials including, enhanced efficacy, bioavailability, drug targeting, and safety. This review provides a comprehensive update on widely used organic and inorganic NP with emphasis on recent development, challenges and future prospective for bio applications where, further investigations into innovative synthesis methodologies, properties and applications of NP would possibly reveal new improved biomedical relevance. NP exhibit exceptional physical and chemical properties due to their high surface area to volume ratio and nanoscale size, that led to major breakthroughs in therapeutic, diagnostic and screening techniques where innovative design engineering allowed a paradigmatic shift in their market share. Finally, an update of FDA approved NP is explored where innovative design engineering allowed a paradigmatic shift in their market share. This review would serve as a discerning comprehensive source of information for learners who are seeking a cutting-edge review but have been astounded by the size of publications.
... Thus, it is offered a synergism between the compounds towards enhanced properties and against agglomeration and aggregation [141]. Silver and gold phytosynthesized nanoparticles can be used in cosmetic formulations, due to their free radical scavenging activity, reductive and anti-lipid peroxidation properties, as well as to their anti-aging properties, which some authors assigned to the presence of phytoconstituents coating [142][143][144]. Phyto-mediated Zn and ZnO nanoparticles can be used as protective agents against UV rays, also possessing antimicrobial and antioxidant properties [145,146]. ...
In recent decades, coating materials have gained researchers’ interest, finding applications in different areas such as antimicrobial coatings for biomedical applications, coatings for increasing the shelf-life of commercial products, or coatings for the conservation of cultural heritage artifacts. The use of new types of coating materials based on natural ingredients can lead to the removal of harmful chemicals and contribute to the development of materials having different and promising properties. New challenges can appear both in the production process, as well as in the case of final application, when coating materials must be applied on various supports. The present review paper aims to be a critical discussion regarding the possibility of using natural ingredients as functional coatings, and to prove that the same material can be used in different fields, from the biomedical to environmental, or from cultural heritage protection to the food and cosmetic industries. The paper is based on the newest published studies, and its main goal is to be an inspiration source for researchers, in order to create more functional and applicable composite coatings in specific fields.
... Also, the inhibition of AgNPs may be attributed to phenolic compounds used to the synthesis of nanoparticles (Basavegowda et al., 2014b). Many studies reported bioinspired AgNPs possess the inhibition potency for tyrosinase enzyme (Basavegowda et al., 2014a, b;Mostafa et al., 2019;Radwan et al., 2020). ...
The members of the genus Sideritis have a wide variety of phytochemicals and thus the genus are gaining interest to fabricate nanoparticles (via green synthesis) as sources reducing or stabilizer agents. In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by an easy and eco-friendly method using aqueous extracts of three Sideritis species (Sideritis argyrea (SA), S. brevidens (SB), and S. lycia (SL)). These AgNPs were investigated in terms of cholinesterase (AChE: acetylcholinesterase and BChE: butyrylcholinesterase) and tyrosinase activities. The presence of (111), (200), (220) and (311) planes in Bragg's reflections verified the fcc (face-cantered-cubic) crystalline AgNPs. Sideritis species-directed AgNPs were characterized by surface plasmon resonance at 428-440 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterizations were showed the spherical and monodispersed of the AgNPs with an average particle size of 22-26 nm. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were revealed functional groups responsible for the reduction of silver ions. Also, for the AgNPs were confirmed by the characterizations of Zeta Potential and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). Chlorogenic acid (CGA) was found as major component for all three species. We demonstrated that Sideritis-directed AgNPs showed excellent inhibitory activity against BChE, while Sideritis extracts have no effective inhibitory activity against AChE. Among AgNPs, SA AgNPs exhibited the greatest tyrosinase inhibitory activity with the value of 33.02 mg kojic acid equivalents (KAE)/g, following CGA AgNPs (18.31 mg KAE/g) and SB AgNPs (5.46 mg KAE/g). Regarding the extracts, they had similar tyrosinase inhibition activity (33.61-36.34 mg KAE/g). Our findings suggest that the green synthesis by using Sideritis extracts could be open a new horizon in the biotechnological applications such as bioactivity and drug delivery.
... The anti-aging and skin whitening activities were assessed following the methods reported by Mostafa et al. [41]. For the anti-elastase assay, 1 µg/mL of human leukocyte elastase was incubated with HEPES buffer pH 7.5 and each of the tested extracts or 1.4 mg/mL N-Methoxysuccinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-chloromethyl ketone (standard inhibitor) in a 96-well plate for 20 min at room temperature before the addition of 100 µL of 1 mM N-Methoxysuccinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Val-p-nitroanilide as a substrate. ...
Polyphenols are known dietary antioxidants. They have recently attracted considerable interest in uses to prevent skin aging and hyperpigmentation resulting from solar UV-irradiation. Prunus persica (L.) leaves are considered by-products and were reported to have a remarkable antioxidant activity due to their high content of polyphenols. This study aimed at the development of a cosmeceutical anti-aging and skin whitening cream preparation using ethanol leaves extract of Prunus persica (L.) (PPEE) loaded in solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) to enhance the skin delivery. Chemical investigation of PPEE showed significantly high total phenolic and flavonoids content with notable antioxidant activities (DPPH, ABTS, and β-carotene assays). A unique acylated kaempferol glycoside with a rare structure, kaempferol 3-O-β-4C1-(6″-O-3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetyl glucopyranoside) (KDPAG) was isolated for the first time and its structure fully elucidated. It represents the first example of acylation with 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid in flavonoid chemistry. The in-vitro cytotoxicity studies against a human keratinocytes cell line revealed the non-toxicity of PPEE and PPEE-SLNs. Moreover, PPEE, PPEE-SLNs, and KDPAG showed good anti-elastase activity, comparable to that of N-(Methoxysuccinyl)-Ala-Ala-Pro-Val-chloromethyl ketone. Besides, PPEE-SLNs and KDPAG showed significantly (p < 0.001) higher anti-collagenase and anti-tyrosinase activities in comparison to EDTA and kojic acid, respectively. Different PPEE-SLNs cream formulae (2% and 5%) were evaluated for possible anti-wrinkle activity against UV-induced photoaging in a mouse model using a wrinkle scoring method and were shown to offer a highly significant protective effect against UV, as evidenced by tissue biomarkers (SOD) and histopathological studies. Thus, the current study demonstrates that Prunus persica leaf by-products provide an interesting, valuable resource for natural cosmetic ingredients. This provides related data for further studying the potential safe use of PPEE-SLNs in topical anti-aging cosmetic formulations with enhanced skin permeation properties.
In the 21st century, plant-derived metal nanoparticles (PDMNPs) have gained considerable interest because of their tremendous and remarkable potential as therapeutic agents as well as development of less expensive, safer, and easier biomedical equipment. PDMNPs are synthesized from metal salts or oxides by using plant extracts because plants have diversified bioactive compounds that can act as reducing and stabilizing agents at the time of nanoparticle synthesis. Besides, PDMNPs take advantages over the nanoparticles synthesized by other methods because of their low cost, environmental friendliness, and sustainability. The present review explains the synthesis of PDMNPs, their characterization techniques, and oxidative stress-mediated pharmacological effects. The mode of actions for antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties has also been critically explored. Due to the plethora of data on plant-derived nanoparticles and their pharmacological properties, we have highlighted PDMNPs’ shape, size, metals of use, and experimental findings regarding their antioxidant, anti-microbial, and anticancer properties in a tabulated form for studies conducted in the last five years, from 2018 to 2022. Because of our review study, we, herein, contemplate that the scientific community as a whole will get a greater comprehension of PDMNPs and their numerous therapeutic applications in a single window.
İn vitro Şartlarda Double Haploid Bitki
Üretim Yöntemleri
Temperature Metrology
Neutrophils are crucial elements of innate immune system, which assure host defense via a range of effector functions, such as phagocytosis, degranulation, and NET formation. The latest literature clearly indicates that modulation of effector functions of neutrophils may affect the treatment efficacy. Pharmacological modulation may affect molecular mechanisms activating or suppressing phagocytosis, degranulation or NET formation. In this review, we describe the role of neutrophils in physiology and in the course of bacterial and viral infections, illustrating the versatility and plasticity of those cells. This review also focus on the action of plant extracts, plant-derived compounds and synthetic drugs on effector functions of neutrophils. These recent advances in the knowledge can help to devise novel therapeutic approaches via pharmacological modulation of the described processes.
Phytonanotechnology is the scientific discipline in which nanomaterials are phytosyntheszied using the extracts of different plant parts as well as agro-industrial wastes. Different classes of biomolecules exist in plant extracts involving; proteins, amino acids, enzymes, saponins, terpenoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, tannins, terpenoids, vitamins, phenolics, and flavonoids. These active biomolecules are usually involved in nanoparticle synthesis as they act as reductants, capping and stabilizing agents. Additionally, with the excessive progress in urbanization and industrialization, massive quantities of agricultural and food wastes are generated worldwide. During the past decades, agro-industrial and food wastes were either incinerated or left to rot in fields, which can be potentially hazardous to the environment. As a result, strategies to reduce, reuse, recycle, and upgrade these wastes into sustainable valuable products are the need of the hour. These agro-industrial wastes are readily available, eco-friendly, cost-effective, and can be easily reused. This chapter focuses on the green synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles using extracts of plants and agro-industrial waste to mediate the biosynthesis of nanoparticles.
Journal of Nanotechnology. SPECIAL ISSUES OPEN ACCESS . Nanoparticles for Environment, Engineering, and Nanomedicine
Since discovery of the first antibiotic drug, penicillin, in 1928, a variety of antibiotic and antimicrobial agents have been developed and used for both human therapy and industrial applications. However, excess and uncontrolled use of antibiotic agents have caused a significant growth in number of drug resistant pathogens. Novel therapeutic approaches replacing the inefficient antibiotics are in high demand to overcome increasing microbial multidrug resistance. In the recent years, ongoing research have focused on development of nano-scale objects as efficient antimicrobial therapy. Among the various nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles have gained much attention due to their unique antimicrobial properties. However, concerns about the synthesis of these materials such as use of precursor chemicals and toxic solvents, and generation of toxic byproducts have led to a new alternative approach, green synthesis. This eco-friendly technique which incorporates use of biological agents, plants or microbial agents as reducing and capping agents. Silver nanoparticles synthesized by green chemistry offer a novel and potential alternative to chemically synthesized nanoparticles. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in green synthesis of silver nanoparticles, their application as antimicrobial agents and mechanism of antimicrobial mode of action.
Exposure to UV light triggers the rapid generation and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in skin cells, with consequent increase in oxidative stress and thus in photoaging. Exogenous supplementation with dietary antioxidants and/or skin pretreatment with antioxidant-based lotions before sun exposure might be a winning strategy against age-related skin pathologies. In this context, plants produce many secondary metabolites to protect themselves from UV radiations and these compounds can also protect the skin from photoaging. Phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid and carotenoids, derived from different plant species, are able to protect the skin by preventing UV penetration, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, and influencing several survival signalling pathways. In this review, we focus our attention on the double role of oxidants in cell metabolism and on environmental and xenobiotic agents involved in skin photoaging. Moreover, we discuss the protective role of dietary antioxidants from fruits and vegetables and report their antiaging properties related to the reduction of oxidative stress pathways.
Gold (Au0) and silver (Ag0) nanoparticles were synthesized using tannic acid (TA) as both reducing and stabilizer. Nanoparticles formation, stability, and interaction with TA were compared to citrate-coated nanoparticles and monitored by UV-Vis, zeta potential, and transmission electron microscopy. TA coating resulted in a red-shift and broadening of bands compared to citrate-coated nanoparticles (NPs-Cit). AgNPs-TA and AuNPs-TA are negatively charged with mean surface charge of -29.4 mV and -29.6 mV, respectively. TEM images showed polydispersety of AuNPs-TA (6-42 nm) and aggregation of AgNPs-TA (12-71 nm). In vitro assays of Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes showed an increment of antileishmanial activity for AgNPs-TA in relation to AgNPs-Cit, while AuNPs-TA and AuNPs-Cit did not affect the protozoas at tested concentrations. CC50 value for AgNPs-TA suggested that TA attenuates nanosilver toxicity comparatively to its precursor (Ag+). This investigation can contribute to the development of new, green, and fast produced drugs aiming at leishmaniasis treatment.
Evaluation of the anti-herpetic activity of 25 Egyptian plants extracts was investigated in vitro in this study. The antiviral activity against Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) was done on Vero cell lines by cell viability. Only two plants extracts; namely Euphorbia coopire (Euphorbiaceae) and Morus alba (Moraceae) showed potent anti-herpetic activity and six other extracts showed moderate inhibition. In contrast, a bioassay monitored phytochemical exploration of these two plants led to the isolation of pure flavonoid compounds. The antiviral activity of the isolated compounds was also examined, among which seven pure compounds namely; 7-galloyl catechin, gallic acid, kaempferol 3-O-β-(6″-O-galloyl)-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3-O-β-(6″-O-galloyl)-glucopyranoside, curcumin, quercetin and kaempferol exhibited significant inhibition.
Objective:
The present study aimed to compare the polyphenol content, total phenolic, total flavonoid, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the extracts obtained from Centaurea amaena Boiss. & Balansa and Centaurea aksoyi Hamzaoğlu & Budak.
Methods:
Both species were subjected to maceration, Soxhlet and ultrasonication extractions with methanol in order to macerated (ME), Soxhlet (SE) and ultrasonicated (UE) extracts. Their phenolic profiles were qualitatively examined by LC-MS. Their antioxidant activities were determined by phosphomolybdenum, β-carotene bleaching and DPPH assays. Agar diffusion and broth dilution methods were carried out to find the antimicrobial activity of these extracts against fifteen microorganisms.
Results:
Quercetin, quercetin-3-β-D-glucoside and protocatechuic acid were the main components of the both extracts obtained by Soxhlet extraction. The highest phenolic and flavonoid contents were found in the UE for both species. All the extracts exhibited good total antioxidant and DPPH radical scavenging activity. UE obtained from C. amaena showed the highest antioxidant activity with the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents. The antibacterial activity of UE obtained from C. amaena was better than other extracts and antibacterial activity of C. amaena was also better than C. aksoyi.
Discussion:
This study confirms that ultrasonic extraction may be an ideal, simple and rapid method to obtain polyphenol-rich extracts have antioxidant as well as antibacterial activity from both Centaurea species especially from C. amaena.
investigated for its phytochemical constituents. This study represents the first in-depth characterization of the phenolic profile of the
aerial parts of C. aegyptiaca methanolic extract utilizing liquid chromatography (LC) combined with electrospray ionization (ESI)
tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).
Material and Methods: Phenolic profile was researched utilizing LC-HRESI-MS-MS. Assessment of cytotoxic activity against four
human cancer cell lines (Hep-G2; hepatocellular carcinoma cells, MCF-7; breast adenocarcinoma cells, and HCT-116; colon
carcinoma and HELA; cervical carcinoma cells) was performed using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium
bromide (MTT) assay. Antiviral activity was surveyed utilizing cytopathic effect inhibition assay.
Results: A total of sixty-one compounds were tentatively distinguished (twenty-one phenolic acids and their derivatives, thirty-one
flavonols and nine flavones) in the negative and positive modes. Centaurea aegyptiaca demonstrated outstanding results against
Hep-G2, MCF-7, HCT-116 and HELA cell lines with IC50 of 12.1, 30.9, 11.7 and 19.5 μg/mL respectively compared and
doxorubicin as a reference drug. Weak antiviral activity was seen against hepatitis A virus (HAV) and no impact against herpes
simplex virus type 1 (HSV 1).
Conclusion: This study provides a better understanding of the chemistry of C. aegyptiaca that announces itself as a promising
cytotoxic agent.
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-containing endopeptidases with an extensive range of substrate specificities. Collectively, these enzymes are able to degrade various components of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Based on their structure and substrate specificity, they can be categorized into five main subgroups, namely (1) collagenases (MMP-1, MMP-8 and MMP-13); (2) gelatinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9); (3) stromelysins (MMP-3, MMP-10 and MMP-11); (4) matrilysins (MMP-7 and MMP-26); and (5) membrane-type (MT) MMPs (MMP-14, MMP-15, and MMP-16). The alterations made to the ECM by MMPs might contribute in skin wrinkling, a characteristic of premature skin aging. In photocarcinogenesis, degradation of ECM is the initial step towards tumor cell invasion, to invade both the basement membrane and the surrounding stroma that mainly comprises fibrillar collagens. Additionally, MMPs are involved in angiogenesis, which promotes cancer cell growth and migration. In this review, we focus on the present knowledge about premature skin aging and skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma, with our main focus on members of the MMP family and their functions.
Staphylococcus aureus causes many types of infections, ranging from self-resolving skin infections to severe or fatal pneumonia. Human innate immune cells, called polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs or neutrophils), are essential for defense against S. aureus infections. Neutrophils are the most prominent cell type of the innate immune system and are capable of producing non-specific antimicrobial molecules that are effective at eliminating bacteria. Although significant progress has been made over the past few decades, our knowledge of S. aureus-host innate immune system interactions is incomplete. Most notably, S. aureus has the capacity to produce numerous molecules that are directed to protect the bacterium from neutrophils. Here we review in brief the role played by neutrophils in defense against S. aureus infection, and correspondingly, highlight selected S. aureus molecules that target key neutrophil functions.
The kinetics and mechanism of the reaction of HAuCl4 with rutin and the size of the resulting gold nanoparticles have been studied by UV-vis, FTIR, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The reaction includes the formation of a rutin complex with HAuCl4 and its decomposition yielding Au atoms. The gold nanoparticles result from Au ions and atoms at the second stage. This stage can be described in terms of a second order kinetic equation. The rate constant and Gibbs energy of the second stage of nanoparticle formation have been determined. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2014.
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in researching and developing new antimicrobial agents from various sources to combat the emergence of the microbial resistance. Therefore, a greater attention was paid on antimicrobial activity screening and evaluating methods. Several bioassays are well known and commonly used such as disk-diffusion, well diffusion and broth or agar dilution, but others are not widely used such as flow cytofluorometric and bioluminescent methods because they require specified equipment and further evaluation for reproducibility and standardization, even if they can provide a rapid results of the antimicrobial agent’ effects and a better understood of their impact on the viability and cell damage inflicted to the tested microorganism. In this present review article, an exhaustive list of in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods and detailed information on their advantages and limitations are reported.
Quantitative and qualitative analysis of phenolic compounds in tissue extracts from Centaurea rupestris L. as well as their antiphytoviral activity against Tomato bushy stunt virus was performed.
Extracts of flowers, leaves and roots from C. rupestris growing in the wild, as well as extracts from shoots, tissue consisting of callus and shoots and undifferentiated callus grown in vitro, were tested.
Between tested extracts predominantly quantitative and only several qualitative differences in phenolics were detected by high performance liquid chromatography. The highest amounts of quercetagetin
3’-methylether-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside and quercetin were detected in flowers while in leaves the high-est amounts of luteolin, caffeic and p-coumaric acid were detected. Except for roots, antiphytoviral activi-ty of all other extracts was high, inducing virus inhibition, ranging from 43 to 90 %. Simultaneous appli-cation of quercetin, caffeic or p-coumaric acid with virus decreased the number of lesions indicating that these substances contribute to the antiphytoviral activity of C. rupestris extracts.
The bio-production of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using Ziziphus spina-christi extract was studied as a novel, rapid, low-cost and eco-friendly route. The impact of experimental factors, such as the extract quantity, precursor concentration and pH on the size and size distribution of Ag NPs, was studied with the aid of UV-vis spectrophotometer and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The FTIR analysis was carried out to identify the functional groups in Ag NPs. The as-synthesized Ag NPs was used as a catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) in the presence of NaBH4.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced by living organisms as a result of normal cellular metabolism and environmental factors, such as air pollutants or cigarette smoke. ROS are highly reactive molecules and can damage cell structures such as carbohydrates, nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins and alter their functions. The shift in the balance between oxidants and antioxidants in favor of oxidants is termed "oxidative stress." Regulation of reducing and oxidizing (redox) state is critical for cell viability, activation, proliferation, and organ function. Aerobic organisms have integrated antioxidant systems, which include enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants that are usually effective in blocking harmful effects of ROS. However, in pathological conditions, the antioxidant systems can be overwhelmed. Oxidative stress contributes to many pathological conditions and diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders, atherosclerosis, hypertension, ischemia/perfusion, diabetes, acute respiratory distress syndrome, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. In this review, we summarize the cellular oxidant and antioxidant systems and discuss the cellular effects and mechanisms of the oxidative stress.
Tyrosinase, also known as polyphenol oxidase, is a key enzyme that catalyzes synthesis of melanin in plants, microorganisms and mammalian cells. Melanin biosynthesis inhibitory compounds are useful for skin whitening agents used in cosmetics and also as a remedy for disturbances in pigmentation. Contributing to their roles in tissue remodeling in health and disease, several studies have reported investigations on plant extracts as inhibitors of proteinases and as anti-oxidants. The correlation between the radical scavenging activity and tyrosinase inhibitory activity designate the ability of the compound in preventing free radical caused skin cells damage, anti-wrinkle and reduce hyperpigmentation. Phenolic-like structure in their compounds and were reported to possess tyrosinase inhibitory effect. Arbutin, kojic acid and kojic derivative were used as whitening cosmetic and medicines, but clinical effects of these compounds are unsatisfactory. The polyphenolic compounds found in many plants were gained interest for cosmetic product development as they might possess less toxicity than the synthetic compounds. The usage of pure chemical in the cosmetic product such as hydroquinone as whitening agent was reported to be toxic, induce severe skin irritation and skin cancer in long-term used. The anti-tyrosinase activity of the different plant extracts was determined by using mushroom tyrosinase as a suitable model system. The antioxidant based on DPPH scavenging activity and tyrosinase inhibitory activities in vitro were performed and determined for the correlation of both activities. The results showed that anti-tyrosinase activity was not in dose dependent manner with the plant extract, which have shown 10.8% inhibition at the concentration of 20µg/ml. This result suggests that the plant extract might be used as skin whitening and anti-ageing agents.
Phytochemical studies on the ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of Centaurea scoparia led to the isolation of two new flavonoids, 3',4'-dihydroxy-(3'',4''-dihydro-3''-hydroxy-4''-acetoxy)-2'',2''-dimethylpyrano-(5'',6'':7,8)-flavone-3-O- β -D-glucopyranoside (1) and 3,3',4'-trihydroxy-(3'',4''-dihydro-3'',4''-dihydroxy)-2'',2''-dimethylpyrano-(5'',6'':7,8)-flavone (2), along with eight known flavonoids isolated for the first time from this plant, cynaroside (3), Apigetrin (4), centaureidin (5), oroxylin A (6), 5,7-dihydroxy-3',4',5'-trimethoxyflavone (7), atalantoflavone (8), 5-hydroxy-3',4',8-trimethoxy-2'',2''-dimethylpyrano (5'',6'':6,7)-flavone (9), and 3',4',5,8-tetramethoxy-2'',2''-dimethylpyrano (5'',6'':6,7)-flavone (10). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by means of spectroscopic tools including 1D and 2D NMR, UV, IR, and mass spectroscopy. Cytotoxic activities of the isolated compounds were evaluated against human cervical carcinoma HeLa, human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2, and human breast carcinoma MCF-7. Compound 2 was the most potent cytotoxic agent against HeLa cells with an IC50 0.079 μ M.
Silver nanoparticles (NPs) have been the subjects of researchers because of their unique properties (e.g., size and shape depending optical, antimicrobial, and electrical properties). A variety of preparation techniques have been reported for the synthesis of silver NPs; notable examples include, laser ablation, gamma irradiation, electron irradiation, chemical reduction, photochemical methods, microwave processing, and biological synthetic methods. This review presents an overview of silver nanoparticle preparation by physical, chemical, and biological synthesis. The aim of this review article is, therefore, to reflect on the current state and future prospects, especially the potentials and limitations of the above mentioned techniques for industries.
Flavonoids are secondary metabolites providing Ultraviolet-visible (UV) spectroscopy protection and color in almost all terrestrial plants and fruits. They have a fused ring system consisting of an aromatic ring and a benzopyran ring with a phenyl substituent. As their biological activities have an impact on human health, they serve as target molecules in the development of new drugs. The objective of this research was to study the antioxidant activity and chemical analysis of the luteoline from Centaurea behen L. (Compositae family). The aerial parts of powdered and dried C. behen were extracted with methanol (MeOH) in a Soxhlet apparatus over a period of 2 days. The concentrated total extract was extracted with petroleum ether, diethylether, and methanol. From the methanol extract of the aerial parts of C. behen, the flavonoid derivative (luteoline) was identified. The aerial parts’ extract demonstrated effective antioxidant activity measured in terms of half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50). The product extract has been isolated by UV, column chromatography (CC), and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The structures involved were elucidated by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and heteronuclear multiple-bond correlation (HMBC) spectra. The compound identified had not been reported in previous studies of C. behen L.
Owing to their roles in tissue remodelling in health and disease, several studies have reported investigations on plant extracts as inhibitors of proteinases and as anti-oxidants.
The anti-ageing and anti-oxidant properties of 23 plant extracts (from 21 plant species) were assessed as anti-elastase and anti-collagenase activities and in selected anti-oxidant assays along with phenolic content.
Anti-elastase activities were observed for nine of the extracts with inhibitory activity in the following order: white tea (~89%), cleavers (~58%), burdock root (~51%), bladderwrack (~50%), anise and angelica (~32%). Anti-collagenase activities were exhibited by sixteen plants of which the highest activity was seen in white tea (~87%), green tea (~47%), rose tincture (~41%), and lavender (~31%). Nine plant extracts had activities against both elastase (E) and collagenase (C) and were ranked in the order of white tea (E:89%, C:87%) > bladderwrack (E:50%, C:25%) > cleavers (E:58%, C:7%) > rose tincture (E:22%, C:41%) > green tea (E:10%: C:47%) > rose aqueous (E: 24%, C:26%) > angelica (E:32%, C:17%) > anise (E:32%, C:6%) > pomegranate (E:15%, C:11%).
Total phenolic content varied between 0.05 and 0.26 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/mL with the exception of white tea (0.77 mg GAE/mL). For anti-oxidant assessment, the Trolox equivalent anti-oxidant capacity (TEAC) assay revealed activity for all extracts. White tea had the highest activity equivalent to ~21 μM Trolox for a 6.25 μg aliquot. In addition, seven extracts exhibited activities = 10 μM Trolox with witch hazel (6.25 μg = 13 μM Trolox) and rose aqueous (6.25 μg = 10 μM Trolox) showing very high activities at low concentrations. A high activity for white tea was also found in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) assay in which it exhibited ~88% inhibition of reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium. High activities were also observed for green tea (86.41%), rose tincture (82.77%), witch hazel (82.05%) and rose aqueous (73.86%).
From a panel of twenty three plant extracts, some one dozen exhibit high or satisfactory anti-collagenase or anti-elastase activities, with nine having inhibitory activity against both enzymes. These included white tea which was found to have very high phenolic content, along with high TEAC and SOD activities.
Development of environmental friendly procedures for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles through biological process is evolving into an important branch of nanobiotechnology. Generally, nanoparticles are synthesized by chemical and physical methods, which are not eco-friendly. In this paper, we report the fabrication of silver nanoparticles (NPs) and discuss the possible mechanism involved. Silver nanoparticles were rapidly synthesized by challenging silver ions with leaf extract of Datura metel. The reaction process is rapid, simple and easy to handle. The UV-Vis spectrum of aqueous medium containing silver nanoparticles showed peak at 420 nm corresponding to plasmon absorbance of silver nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopic analysis of the silver nanoparticles indicated that they ranged in size from 16 to 40 nm and were assembled in solution into quasilinear superstructures. X-ray EDS analysis confirmed that Ag constituted the nanoparticles. It is assumed that alcoholic component (plastohydroquinone or plastrocohydroquinol) present in leaf extract is mainly responsible for reduction of silver ions thus indicating a possible mechanism of synthesis of silver nanoparticles by D. metel.
Precipitation of copper(II) and zinc(II) by low molecular weight phenols, penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose, and commercial tannins is studied at pH 5. The extent of copper precipitation, higher than that of zinc, depends on the initial concentration of both copper and phenolic compounds and on the control of acidification which results from complexation. The copper/phenol ratio in the precipitate, determined by elemental analysis, is independent of the initial concentration of catechol. However, it increases with chestnut tannin when the metal concentration is increased to a value corresponding to complexation with all o-dihydroxyphenyl chelating groups in the molecule. Stability of the precipitates obtained with coppper(II) and various polyphenols in water, acetic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid solutions is determined. Models for metal/polyphenol precipitation are proposed. Keywords: Polyphenols; tannins; metal ions; copper; zinc; complexation; precipitation
We analyzed the vegetation of Lake Burullus at the deltaic Mediterranean coast of Egypt, the sand bar between its northern
shore and Mediterranean Sea, the water courses that drain into the lake and the wetland around it. Our ultimate aim was to
identify threatened species and communities and the environmental factors that affect their distribution in order to formulate
a plan for their conservation. The total number of the recorded species was 197 (100 annuals and 97 perennials), including
12 floating and submerged hydrophytes. Three species are endemic to Egypt: two annuals (Sinapis arvensis subsp. allionii and Sonchus macrocarpus) and one perennial (Zygophyllum album var. album). Thirty-four species are rare allover Egypt (15 annuals and 19 perennials). The lake area included 10 types of habitat (sand
formations, salt marshes, lake cuts, terraces, slopes, water edges and open water of the drains, islets, shores and lake).
The vegetation was classified into 13 groups (i.e., plant communities). Six groups were dominated or co-dominated by the common
reed (Phragmites australis); these groups occupied a wide environmental gradient from xeric to hydric habitats. Five other groups were dominated by
halophytic species (Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, Suaeda vera, Sarcocornia fruticosa, Halocnemum strobilaceum and Salsola Kali). The remaining two groups were dominated by the emergent Typha domingensis and the submerged Potamogeton pectinatus. Moisture, salinity and sedimentation were the main factors that governed the plant succession in this wetland.
The compensation of loss in metal by gain in interfacing dielectric has been demonstrated in a mixture of aggregated silver
nanoparticles and rhodamine 6G dye. An increase of the quality factor of surface plasmon (SP) resonance was evidenced by the
sixfold enhancement of Rayleigh scattering. The compensation of plasmonic losses with gain enables a host of new applications
for metallic nanostructures, including low- or no-loss negative-index metamaterials.
We have also predicted and experimentally observed a suppression of SP resonance in metallic nanoparticles embedded in dielectric
host with absorption.
This study is a continuation of our previous work in which a bioassay screening of 346 methanol extracts from 281 Egyptian plant species was carried out for in vitro schistosomicidal activity.
Another 309 methanol extracts from 278 plant species were subjected to the bioassay screening using the same technique on viable Schistosoma mansoni Sambon (Schistosomatidae) mature worms in specialized culture medium (Roswell Park Memorial Institute medium 1640) in a trial to discover a source for a schistosomiasis drug from Egyptian flora.
The methanol plant extracts were tested in vitro against viable S. mansoni mature worms in culture medium. Viability of worms was examined after exposure to 100 μg/ml of the extract in the medium for 24 h. Negative (dimethyl sulfoxide) and positive (praziquantel) controls were simultaneously used. Extracts showing schistosomicidal activity were further subjected to determination of their (Lethal concentration) LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ values.
Confirmed in vitro antischistosomal activity was found in 42 extracts. Of these, 14 plant species possessed considerably high antischistosomal activity (LC₅₀ ≤ 15 µg/ml), viz. Callistemon viminalis (Soland. Ex Gaertn) Cheel, C. rigidus R.Br., C. speciosus (Sims.) DC, C. citrinus Stapf, Eucalyptus citriodora Hook, E. rostrata Dehnh., Eugenia edulis Vell, E. javanica Lam syn. Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merril, Melaleuca leucadendron (L.) L., M. stypheloides Sm. (all belong to Myrtaceae), Cryptostegia grandiflora R.Br. (Asclepiadaceae), Zilla spinosa (L.) Prantl (Cruciferae), Ficus trijuja L. (Moraceae) and Fagonia mollis Delile (Zygophylacae).
These species may represent additional natural sources of bioactive material that deserve further investigation for drug discovery against schistosomiasis.
The n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and ethyl alcohol extracts of the aerial parts of Centaurea ensiformis, endemic to Turkey, have been assessed for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The chemical composition of the hexane extract of this plant was determined. The antimicrobial activities on microorganisms, including multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria, were evaluated using the disc diffusion method. The antioxidant activities were determined by using four complementary in vitro assays: inhibition of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, total antioxidant activity, and the total amount of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The structure of the active extract was elucidated by: thin layer chromatography, column chromatography, gas chromatography or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The various extracts of C. ensiformis inhibited the growth of tested bacteria. All the C. ensiformis extracts had no effect on the yeasts. The total antioxidant activity increased with the increasing amount of the extracts (20, 40, 80 and 160 microg), which contained linoleic acid emulsion. The major compounds of the hexane extract of the plant were caryophyllene oxide (28.72%), spathulenol (17.81%), eudesmol (13.03%) and beta-bourbonene (8.51%).
Effects of vitamin E and selenium supplementation on in vitro phagocytosis and intracellular kill of bacteria by bovine neutrophils were investigated. Diets were not supplemented with vitamin E and selenium during the dry period and first 21 d of lactation. Cows were then assigned to one of four treatment diets for 30 d. Treatment diets were either unsupplemented or supplemented with vitamin E, selenium, or both vitamin E and selenium, in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. Peripheral blood neutrophils were isolated from each cow on lactation d 51. Vitamin E supplementation of diets increased intracellular kill of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli by neutrophils. Intracellular kill of S. aureus was greater in neutrophils isolated from selenium supplemented cows than in neutrophils from cows without supplemental selenium. Intracellular kill of E. coli did not differ between neutrophils from selenium supplemented and selenium unsupplemented cows. Ability of neutrophils to phagocytize either S. aureus or E. coli was independent of vitamin E and selenium.
A comparative study of phagocytosis and postphagocytic oxidative metabolic activity of bovine blood neutrophils incubated with pure and mixed cultures of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus agalactiae was preformed. Most neutrophils when incubated with mixed cultures showed preferential phagocytosis for one species and a smaller number phagocytized both species of microorganisms. Percent phagocytosis for E. coli in pure culture was similar to that of Strep. agalactiae in pure culture and higher than that for Staph. aureus in pure culture. Neutrophils incubated with mixed cultures of E. coli and Staph. aureus or E. coli and Strep. agalactiae showed greater than expected phagocytosis of each microorganisms alone and reduced phagocytosis of both microorganisms together. Postphagocytic oxidative metabolic activity of neutrophils, measured by percent nitroblue tetrazolium reduction, did not differ following phagocytosis of these three microorganisms in pure cultures. In comparison, a synergistic effect on nitroblue tetrazolium reductive activity was seen in mixed cultures as evidenced by higher percent nitroblue tetrazolium reduction following phagocytosis of both E. coli and Staph. aureus or E. coli and Strep. agalactiae. These observations indicate that the phagocytic and metabolic activities of neutrophils for bacteria in mixed cultures may not be identical to those in pure cultures.
Gold and silver nanoparticles were prepared from the green tea and black tea extracts of the leaves of Camellia sinensis. The metal nanoparticle solutions were obtained by reacting HAuCl4 or AgNO3 aqueous solutions with aqueous NaHCO3 and tea leaf extracts, which were obtained from used tea leaves at low temperature, under ambient conditions. The nanoparticles were stable at room temperature and had a uniform particle size (Au: ∼10 nm, Ag: ∼30 nm). Nanoparticle-immobilized cotton cloths were then prepared, which displayed high antibacterial activity and a characteristic color, thereby showing potential application as antimicrobial pigments. This study provides a means of utilizing used tea leaves, which would otherwise be considered waste products.
Nanomaterials (NMs) have gained prominence in technological advancements due to their tunable physical, chemical and biological properties wtih enhanced performance over their bulk counterparts. NMs are categorized depending on their size, composition, shape, and origin. The ability to predict the unique properties of NMs increases the value of each classification. Due to increased growth of production of NMs and their industrial applications, issues relating toxicity are inevitable. The aim of this review is to compare the man-made (engineered) and naturally occurring nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructured materials (NSMs) to identify their nanoscale properties and to define the specific knowledge gaps related to the risk assessment of the NPs and NSMs in the environment. The review presents an overview of NMs history and classifications as well as profiling various sources of NPs and NSMs from natural to synthetic and their toxic effects towards mammalian cells and tissues. Additionally, the types of toxic reactions associated with NPs and NSMs and the regulations implemented by different countries to reduce the risks are also discussed.
Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a heme-containing peroxidase expressed mainly in neutrophils and to a lesser degree in monocytes. In the presence of hydrogen peroxide and halides, MPO catalyzes the formation of reactive oxygen intermediates, including hypochlorous acid (HOCl). The MPO/HOCl system plays an important role in microbial killing by neutrophils. In addition, MPO has been demonstrated to be a local mediator of tissue damage and the resulting inflammation in various inflammatory diseases. These findings have implicated MPO as an important therapeutic target in the treatment of inflammatory conditions. In contrast to its injurious effects at sites of inflammation, recent studies using animal models of various inflammatory diseases have demonstrated that MPO deficiency results in the exaggeration of inflammatory response, and that it affects neutrophil functions including cytokine production. Given these diverse effects, a growing interest has emerged in the role of this well-studied enzyme in health and disease.
Skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections, posing considerable diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Fourteen members of the Italian Society of Infectious Diseases, after a careful review of the most recent literature using Medline database and their own clinical experience, updated a previous paper published in 2011 by preparing a draught manuscript of the statements. The manuscript was successively reviewed by all members and ultimately re-formulated the present manuscript during a full day consensus meeting. The microbiological and clinical aspects together with diagnostic features were considered for necrotizing and not necrotizing SSTIs in the light of the most recent guidelines and evidences published in the last five years. The antimicrobial therapy was considered as well - both empirical and targeted to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and/or other pathogens, also taking into account the epidemiological and bacterial resistance data and the availability of new antibacterial agents.
The aim of present study was to examine the inhibitory effects of hydroxamic acid derivatives on the melanogenesis. We found that hydroxamic acid moiety was important for anti-melanogenic activity. Compounds 1a and 1b strongly inhibited melanin synthesis via deactivation of tyrosinase. Hydroxamic acid has metal ion chelating ability which is similar to that kojic acid, however, anti-tyrosinase mechanism of compounds 1a and 1b was different from that of kojic acid. They showed noncompetitive inhibition kinetics
Immunology is a source of continuous discoveries; Immunology was and still is a source of continuous discoveries. Immunomodulation encompasses all therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying the immune response. Immunostimulation is desirable to prevent infection in states of immunodeficiency and to fight infections and cancer. On the other hand, immunosuppressive agents inhibit the activity of the immune system, and they are used to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs and tissues and to treat autoimmune diseases or diseases that are most likely of autoimmune origin (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, etc.), or other nonautoimmune inflammatory diseases (e.g., allergic asthma). The discovery of immunomodulatory agents from medicinal plants devoid of toxic side effects, with enhanced bioavailability and that can be used for a long duration, is of great actuality. Research on natural immunomodulators provides a therapeutic solution that addresses a multitude of disorders. Plant phenolic compounds already proved beneficial effects in cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer, exerting mainly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The concepts of “immunomodulatory,” “anti-inflammatory,” and “antioxidant” are often strongly related, and a review of phenolic compound action on immune system should be analyzed in a context, revealing their mechanism of action on effector cells and also on the system as a whole.
In the early nineties the presence of flavonoids in herbal began to attract the attention of a number of researchers, as a result of their biological and physiological importance [1]. The present study deals with the isolation and identification of flavonoids from Centaurea glomerata Vahl. and evaluation of antioxidant activity of the extract. The aqueous alcoholic extract (MeOH:H2O 7:3) of Centaurea glomerata aerial parts was subjected to extensive repeated column chromatography on polyamide, and Sephadex LH-20 resulted in two new flavonoids named quercetin 6- methoxy -7-O-galactoside (1) and quercetin 6,4- dimethoxy -7-O-galactoside (2) as well as apigenin 8-C-glucoside, apigenin 6-C-glucoside, quercetin 6-methoxy, quercetin and apigenin. Structures of the isolated compounds were established by chromatography, UV, HRESI-MS and 1D/2D 1H/13C NMR spectroscopy. The radical scavenging activity of the extract was quantified spectrophotometrically, using DPPH radical. The effective dose 50 (ED50) of the extract was compared with that of standard antioxidants as vitamin C. References: 1. Havsteen B (2002) Pharmacology & Therapeutics 96: 67–202
A new acylated flavonoid glucoside named algerianin 1 and a new as natural product, 4′-methyl gossypetin 2, together with 10 known compounds, isovanillic acid ethyl ester, β-sitosterol, β-sitosterol 3-O-glucoside, a mixture of α and β-amyrin, 3′-hydroxyflindulatin, chrysoeriol, jaceidin, corniculatusin and centaurein were isolated from the ethanolic extract of the flowering and aerial parts of Centaurea africana Lamk var. africana (Bonnet) M., an endemic species to Algeria and Tunisia collected from El-Kala in the eastern Algeria. The structures were established by chemical and spectral analysis, mainly HREIMS, ESIMS, UV and NMR experiments (GOESY, COSY, ROESY, HSQC and HMBC). Algerianin showed cytotoxicity against the human myeloid leukaemia cell line HL-60.
Flavonoid aglycons (quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, apigenin, luteolin, hispidulin) and their glycosides, and caffeic,
chlorogenic, neochlorogenic, and isochlorogenic acids have been isolated from the epigeal part of theCentaurea cyanus L. and have been identified, and ten amino acids have also been identified.
Fractionation of the dichloromethane extract of Centaurea tougourensis (Boiss. and Reut.) led to the isolation of four sesquiterpene lactones: an elemanolide (1), a germacranolide (2) and two heliangolides (3, 4), the latter being identified for the first time from natural source.
In this study, the contents of total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, β-carotene, and lutein as well as free, conjugated, and insoluble bound phenolic acids were determined in whole kernels of 10 different colored maize genotypes. In addition, the antioxidant activity was evaluated as radical scavenging activity with ABTS (2,2-azino-bis/3-ethil-benothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) reagents. Generally, considerable differences in phytochemical contents and antioxidant capacity were observed between the genotypes. The β-carotene and lutein contents ranged from 0 to 2.42 mg/kg d.m. and from 0 to 13.89 mg/kg d.m., respectively, whereas the total anthocyanin contents of anthocyanin-rich colored maize genotypes ranged from 2.50 to 696.07 mg CGE/kg d.m. (cyanidin 3-glucoside equivalent) with cyanidin 3-glucoside (Cy-3-Glu) as the most dominant form. The light blue ZPP-2 selfed maize genotype has a higher content of total phenolics, flavonoids, and ferulic acid as compared to other tested maize and the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity.
Skin aging involves degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in both the epidermal and dermal layers, it leaves visible signs on the surface of skin and the physical properties of the skin are modified. Chronological aging is due to passage of time, whereas premature aging occurred due to some environmental factors on skin produces visible signs such as irregular dryness, dark/light pigmentation, sallowness, severe atrophy, telangiectases, premalignant lesions, laxity, leathery appearance and deep wrinkling. There are several synthetic skincare cosmetics existing in the market to treat premature aging and the most common adverse reactions of those include allergic contact dermatitis, irritant contact dermatitis, phototoxic and photo-allergic reactions. Recent trends in anti-aging research projected the use of natural products derived from ancient era after scientific validation. Ample varieties of phytomolecules such as aloin, ginsenoside, curcumin, epicatechin, asiaticoside, ziyuglycoside I, magnolol, gallic acid, hydroxychavicol, hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxybenzoic acids, etc. scavenges free radicals from skin cells, prevent trans-epidermal water loss, include a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher contribute to protect skin from wrinkles, leading to glowing and healthy younger skin. Present era of treating aging skin has become technologically more invasive; but herbal products including botanicals are still relevant and combining them with molecular techniques outlined throughout this review will help to maximize the results and maintain the desired anti-skin aging benefits.
Green synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles is a vast developing area of research. In this paper we report the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using aqueous seed extract of Macrotyloma uniflorum. The effect of experimental parameters such as amount of extract, temperature and pH on the formation of silver nanoparticles was studied. The as prepared samples are characterized using XRD, TEM, UV-Visible and FTIR techniques. The formation of silver nanoparticles is evidenced by the appearance of signatory brown colour of the solution and UV-vis spectra. The XRD analysis shows that the silver nanoparticles are of face centered cubic structure. Well-dispersed silver nanoparticles with anisotropic morphology having size ∼12 nm are seen in TEM images. FTIR spectrum indicates the presence of different functional groups in capping the nanoparticles. The possible mechanism leading to the formation of silver nanoparticles is suggested.
Intracellular and extracellular oxidative stress initiated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) advance skin aging, which is characterized by wrinkles and atypical pigmentation. Because UV enhances ROS generation in cells, skin aging is usually discussed in relation to UV exposure. The use of antioxidants is an effective approach to prevent symptoms related to photo-induced aging of the skin. In this review, the mechanisms of ROS generation and ROS elimination in the body are summarized. The effects of ROS generated in the skin and the roles of ROS in altering the skin are also discussed. In addition, the effects of representative antioxidants on the skin are summarized with a focus on skin aging.
Formation of flower organs and the subsequent pollination process require a coordinated spatial and temporal regulation of particular metabolic pathways. In this study a comparison has been made between the metabolite composition of individual flower organs of strawberry (Fragariaxananassa) including the petal, sepal, stamen, pistil and the receptacle that gives rise to the strawberry fruit. Non-targeted metabolomics analysis of the semi-polar secondary metabolites by the use of UPLC-qTOF-MS was utilized in order to localize metabolites belonging to various chemical classes (e.g. ellagitannins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols, terpenoids, and spermidine derivatives) to the different flower organs. The vast majority of the tentatively identified metabolites were ellagitannins that accumulated in all five parts of the flower. Several metabolite classes were detected predominantly in certain flower organs, as for example spermidine derivatives were present uniquely in the stamen and pistil, and the proanthocyanidins were almost exclusively detected in the receptacle and sepals. The latter organ was also rich in terpenoids (i.e. triterpenoid and sesquiterpenoid derivatives) whereas phenolic acids and flavonols were the predominant classes of compounds detected in the petals. Furthermore, we observed extensive variation in the accumulation of metabolites from the same class in a single organ, particularly in the case of ellagitannins, and the flavonols quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin. These results allude to spatially-restricted production of secondary metabolite classes and specialized derivatives in flowers that take part in implementing the unique program of individual organs in the floral life cycle.
The interactions of three BPTI homologues with human leukocyte elastase and porcine pancreatic elastase have been investigated. The principal mutation in determining the specificity of inhibition was the Lys15-Val mutation at the P1 position. An additional mutation at P3, i.e., BPTI (Lys15-Val, Pro13-Ile), increased the inhibition of HLE to a Ki = 2.5 x 10(-10) M, but decreased the inhibition of PPE, showing this to be a useful site for improving selectivity. Kinetic evidence suggests that the inhibition of HLE by BPTI homologues probably takes place by a two-step mechanism in which an isomerization step occurs after initial binding. 1H NMR spectroscopy of the BPTI (Lys15-Val) and BPTI (Lys15-Val, Pro13-Ile) mutants indicates that small conformational changes are associated with the mutations, but these are localized in the immediate vicinity of the mutation in the outer binding loop and in the inner loop connected to it through the Cys14-Cys38 disulfide bridge.
A direct, rapid, quantitative colorimetric assay to determine neutrophil primary granule degranulation was adapted for use with bovine neutrophils. The assay measures the exocytosis of myeloperoxidase (MPO) using 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine as a substrate. The assay was validated by evaluating the effects of various stimulants and inhibitors of degranulation, the kinetics of primary granule exocytosis, and comparing the total myeloperoxidase content of neutrophils obtained from calves and adults. The results demonstrate that the assay is capable of detecting important differences that may occur in degranulation of bovine neutrophil primary granules and in total neutrophil myeloperoxidase content.
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Baypamun on selected lymphocyte subpopulations and granulocyte phagocytic activity mediated by lectin-like receptors in goats of normal immune status and in goats experimentally immunosuppressed with dexamethasone. Eighteen goats in total were used. Blood samples were collected 24 h before immunomodulation and 5 and 10 days after immunomodulation. Animals in group I were immunostimulated with Baypamun for 2 days and immunosuppressed with Dexafort for the next 2 days. Animals in group II received Dexafort first and then Baypamun. The number of leucocytes in total and in subpopulations was determined by flow cytometry. Application of Baypamun before (group I) or after (group II) immunosuppression caused significant (P < 0.001) and lasting changes in the percentage of CD2+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Significant but transient changes were observed in CD19+ (B) and WC1-N2+ (null) cells. Results show that application of Baypamun to modulate non-specific defence is advisable following immunosuppression (group I). When Baypamun was applied after immunosuppression (group II), although there was no reaction during the initial phase, an increase in the activity of cells responsible for non-specific immunity was noticeable after 10 days.
Sesquiterpene lactones isolated from the aerial parts of various species of the genus Centaurea were examined for their in vitro cytotoxic/cytostatic activity against five human cell lines (i. e., DLD1, SF268, MCF7, H460 and OVCAR3). Compounds 1 - 4 were isolated from C. zuccariniana, 5 and 6 from C. achaia, 7 from C. thessala ssp. drakiensis and compounds 8 and 9 from C. deusta. Compound 1, 8alpha- O-(3,4-dihydroxy-2-methylenebutanoyloxy)dehydromelitensine was found to be the most active, exhibited a considerable growth inhibiting activity against three of the cell lines tested, while compound 5 8alpha- O-(3-hydroxy-2-methylenepropanoyl)dehydromelitensin exhibited a growth inhibiting effect against most of the tested cell lines. A new eudesmanolide (8alpha-hydroxysonchucarpolide, 4) was isolated from C. zuccariniana and its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods.
UV irradiation acts as a broad activator of cell surface growth factor and cytokine receptors. This ligand-independent receptor activation induces multiple downstream signaling pathways that regulate expression of multiple genes. These signaling pathways converge to stimulate transcription factor AP-1. Among genes whose expression is regulated by AP-1 are several matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP) family members and type I procollagen. UV-enhanced matrix degradation is accompanied with decreased collagen production mediated not only by activation of AP-1, but also by inhibition of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta signaling. Several alterations to skin connective tissue that occur during aging are mediated by mechanisms that are similar to those that occur in response to UV irradiation. Thus, skin aging is associated with increased AP-1 activity, increased MMP expression, impaired TGF-beta signaling, enhanced collagen degradation, and decreased collagen synthesis. Knowledge gained from examining molecular responses of human skin to UV irradiation provides not only a framework for understanding mechanisms involved in skin aging, but also may help in development of new clinical strategies to impede chronological and UV-induced skin aging.