Cyperus sexangularis (CS) is a plant in the sedges family (Cyperaceae) that grows abundantly in swampy areas. The leaf sheath of plants in the Cyperus genus are mostly used domestically for mat making, while they are implicated for skin treatment in traditional medicine. The plant was investigated for its phytochemical contents as well as its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-elastase properties. The n-hexane and dichloromethane leaf extracts were chromatographed on a silica gel column to afford compounds 1–6. The compounds were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The inhibitory effect of each compound against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO) and ferric ion radicals were determined by standard in vitro antioxidant methods. The in vitro anti-inflammatory response was measured using egg albumin denaturation (EAD) assay, while the anti-elastase activity of each compound in human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells was also monitored. The compounds were characterized as three steroidal derivatives, stigmasterol (1), 17-(1-methyl-allyl)-hexadecahydro-cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene (2) and β-sitosterol (3), dodecanoic acid (4) and two fatty acid esters, ethyl nonadecanoate (5) and ethyl stearate (6). Stigmasterol (1) exhibited the best biological properties, with IC50 of 38.18 ± 2.30 µg/mL against DPPH, 68.56 ± 4.03 µg/mL against NO and 303.58 ± 10.33 µAAE/mg against Fe3+. At 6.25 µg/mL, stigmasterol inhibited EAD by 50%. This activity was lower when compared to diclofenac (standard), which demonstrated 75% inhibition of the protein at the same concentration. Compounds 1, 3, 4 and 5 showed comparable anti-elastase activity with an IC50 ≥ 50 µg/mL, whereas the activity of ursolic acid (standard) was double fold with an IC50 of 24.80 ± 2.60 µg/mL when compared to each of the compounds. In conclusion, this study has identified three steroids (1–3), one fatty acid (4), and two fatty acid esters (5 and 6) in C. sexangularis leaf for the first time. The compounds showed considerable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-elastase properties. Thus, the findings may serve as a justification for the folkloric use of the plant as a local skin ingredient. It may also serve to validate the biological role of steroids and fatty acid compounds in cosmeceutical formulations.
Citrus is a well-known vital fruit grown in South Africa. The presence of important bio-nutrients and metabolites within the different Citrus fruits indicates their significant nutritional qualities. This study is aimed to evaluate the proximate and mineral components of whole Citrus limon and Citrus clementina while considering them as prospective feed material for livestock farmers in South Africa. The nutritional evaluation was done using standard analytical procedures of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). The mineral constituents of the whole citrus samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). From the result, the nutritional analysis showed that the whole C. limon contains significantly higher moisture content (14.13 ± 0.57) and fiber content (24.48 ± 0.61) than C. clementina (11.41 ± 1.24 and 20.66 ± 1.07). Meanwhile, C. clementina had a significantly higher protein value (8.65 ± 0.04) compared to C. limon (5.53 ± 0.10). Furthermore, the whole C. clementina had significantly higher K, Na, P, Zn, and Na+/K+ (1513.33 ± 16.99, 53.33 ± 4.71, 160.00 ± 0.00, 4.80 ± 0.00, and 1.09 ± 0.01) than the whole C. limon (1356.67 ± 20.55, 30.00 ± 0.00, 133.33±4.71, 1.67 ± 0.09, and 0.80 ± 0.02), respectively. While C. limon had significantly higher Ca, Mg, Mn, and Fe (593.33 ± 4.71, 160.00 ± 0.00, 1.00 ± 0.00, and 4.53 ± 0.25) compared to C. clementina (483.33 ± 4.71, 136.67 ± 4.71, 0.80 ± 1.11, and 3.43 ± 0.05). The study revealed variations in some nutritional and mineral components of whole C. limon and C. clementina; however, both citrus fruits have the potential to be explored for more significant livestock nutritional use in South Africa.
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