The current study reports on polyphenols profile of pomegranate leaves (PL) Punica granatum grown in Egypt and exhibiting their role in development of an eco-friendly method of green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). PL aqueous alcohol extract was fractionated, the major phenolic compound was isolated from the polyphenols rich fraction (ethyl acetate fraction) and identified by conventional and spectroscopic methods of analysis as ellagic acid. Furthermore, the fraction was standardized and analysed using UPLC-PDA-UV and LC–MS-MS techniques revealing tentative identification of 23 polyphenolic compounds, quantifying ellagic acid as 43.14 ± 0.57 μg/mg of the fraction. AgNPs were successfully synthesized with the aid of polyphenols rich fraction. This is the first report revealing the systematic optimization of the green synthesis process using various independent variables. AgNPs were characterized by adopting UV–Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, and SEM, which revealed strong SPR band within average of λ max 425 nm and polygonal shaped nanoparticles of 26.22 nm size, respectively. The antimicrobial efficacies of AgNPs and polyphenols rich fraction were tested against Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Sarcina lutea), Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella paratyphi, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and fungi (Candida albicans). AgNPs showed a concentration-dependent activity against all the tested microorganisms.

Context: Brassicaceae plants are associated with protection against cancers due to their glucosinolate contents. Objectives: We investigate fresh leaves, roots and ripe seeds of Lobularia libyca (Viv.) C.F.W. Meissn. (Brassicaceae) to identify their glucosinolate constituents, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities Materials and methods: The glucosinolates were identified using GC-MS analysis of their hydrolysis products and LC-MS analysis in the case of seeds. Disc diffusion (1 mg/disc) and minimum inhibitory concentration (0-160 lg/mL) methods were used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of seed hydrolysate. In vitro cytotoxicity against colorectal HCT-116, hepatic HUH-7, breast MCF-7 and lung A-549 cells was evaluated for seed hydrolysate (0.01-100 lg/mL) using the sulforhodamine B assay and doxorubicin as a standard Results: Three glucosinolates were identified for the first time in this plant and genus Lobularia. Glucoiberverin was the major compound accumulated in the seeds and leaves, while glucoiberin and glucoerucin were detected only in the seeds. No glucosinolates were detected in roots under the same experimental conditions. Other volatile constituents, e.g., terpenes and fatty acids were only identified in the seeds. The seed hydrolysate showed significant antimicrobial activities against Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruoginosa (MIC ¼ 64 and 82 lg/mL, respectively). The seed hydrolysate exhibited a marked selective cytotoxicity in vitro against colorectal, hepatic and breast cancer cell lines. The IC 50 values were 0.31, 2.25 and 37 lg/mL, respectively. Discussion and conclusion: The results indicated the antimicrobial activity of L. libyca and the selective effect of the seed hydrolysate as a cytotoxic drug that is potentially more active than doxorubicin against HCT-116. ARTICLE HISTORY

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Salvadora persica L. (S. persica, Siwak) is an ethnic plant that is widely used for improving oral hygiene. This study aimed to provide a phytochemical profiling of S. persica ethyl acetate fraction (SPEAF) and to evaluate the healing activity of a muco-adhesive formula of the fraction against acetic acid-induced oral ulcers in rats. HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS-MS analysis of SPEAF resulted in the tentative identification of 56 metabolites containing fatty acids (23%), urea derivatives (10.5%) and sulphur compounds (10%), in addition to several amides, polyphenols and organic acids (6.5%, 5% and 2%, respectively). For the first time, 19 compounds were identified from S. persica. In vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that the extract is non-toxic. SPEAF exhibited superior healing activities compared to both the negative and positive control groups on days 7 and 14 of tongue ulcer induction. This was confirmed by histopathological examinations of haematoxylin and eosin-stained (H&E) and Masson’s trichrome-stained tongue sections. Moreover, SPEAF showed potent anti-inflammatory activities, as evidenced by the inhibited expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis alpha (TNF-α). Moreover, SPEAF exhibited potent antioxidant activity, as it prevented malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, reduced glutathione (GSH) depletion and superoxide dismutase (SOD) exhaustion. SPEAF significantly enhanced hydroxyproline tongue content and upregulated collagen type I alpha 1 (Col1A1) mRNA expression. SPEAF also improved angiogenesis, as shown by the increased mRNA expression of the angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1). In conclusion, S. persica has a wide range of secondary metabolites and ameliorates acetic acid-induced tongue ulcers in rats. This can be attributed, at least partly, to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, procollagen and angiogenic activities. These findings provide support and validity for the use of S. persica as a traditional and conventional treatment for oral disorders.

Egyptian rice bran was fermented with baker’s yeast, and released phenolics were extracted with aqueous methanol to give fermented rice bran extract (FRBE). The analysis of the FRBE with ultra-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry revealed 21 compounds, mainly phenolic acids and flavonoids. The FRBE was then complexed with (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) via noncovalent host–guest inclusion complexation using the thin-film hydration technique to improve the hydrophilicity and bioactivity of the FRBE. The formation of the inclusion complex was confirmed using HPLC, 1 H NMR, FT-IR, and a phase solubility study. In addition, the biological activities of the complex were investigated. The FRBE/HPβCD inclusion complex had more pronounced antioxidant, antiviral, and anticancer activities compared to free FRBE. These findings warrant the future investigation of potential medical applications of FRBE.

Natural products are considered as a good source of antifibrotic agents, but identifying and isolating bioactive molecule(s) is still challenging. Fortunately, numerous computational techniques have evolved to save time and efforts in this field. The aim of the current study was to utilize several cheminformatics software to study the chemical and biological features of the bark of Eucalyptus globulus cultivated in Egypt. Sirius software, with the aid of online databases, was used to process liquid chromatography−mass spectrometry (LC−MS) chemical profiling and predict precise molecular formulae, chemical classes, and structures. Accordingly, 37 compounds were tentatively identified, including 15 reported here for the first time from this species. Also, the BioTransformer tool was successfully applied for in silico virtual study of the human metabolism of these compounds, and 1960 different products were obtained through various metabolic pathways. Finally, an electronic library of the identified compounds and their metabolites were developed and docked in silico against eight different protein targets that are involved in the liver fibrosis process. The results revealed that the extract may have a potential hepatoprotective effect through several mechanisms and that the metabolites have the highest binding affinities to the relevant enzymes than their parent compounds. The extract was found to show potent cytotoxic activity against the liver cancer cell lines HEPG2 and HUH-7, and its absorption was enhanced through nanoformulation, as proved using the ex vivo everted gut sac method.

The presence of inflammation is one of the key factors in the onset and progression of various medical disorders and diseases, making it a crucial challenge for treatment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Vinpocetine, using acute models of inflammation; Xylene-, Carrageenan (CGN)-induced inflammation and acetic acid-induced vascularpermeability in mice were used. We also employed molecular docking approach to verify the underlying mechanism of anti-inflammatory activity of Vinpocetine. In a current investigation, Vinpocetine showed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on Xylene-and CGN-induced inflammation in a dose-dependent manner. Vinpocetine reduced inflammatory edema and restored antioxidant tissue balance, probably via suppression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, MDA and MPO activity, and also through increased non-enzymatic antioxidant (GSH) levels in paw tissue. Histopathological examination showed that Vinpocetine restored normal skin architecture with significant inhibition of tissue edema, congestion, and cellular infiltration in CGN-challenged paw. Mechanistically, Vinpocetine showed downregulation the expression of COX-2 protein, in western blot assessment, that was associated with significant decrease in the level of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE2) levels; a major metabolic product of COX-2 enzyme. Interestingly, Silico study showed that Vinpocetine has strong affinity to COX-2, similar to diclofenac, suggested possible mechanism of downregulation of COX-2 expression. Therefore, Vinpocetine showed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses might, in part, due to inhibition of COX-2/PGE 2 pathway.