Appraisal of the Antioxidant Activity, Polyphenolic Content, and Characterization of Selected Himalayan Herbs: Anti-Proliferative Potential in HepG2 Cells

Abstract

Natural antioxidants derived from plants have played a vital role in preventing a wide range of human chronic conditions and provide novel bioactive leads for investigators in pharmacotherapy discovery. This work was designed to examine the ethnopharmacological role of Urtica dioica (UD), Capsella bursa-pastoris (CBP), and Inula racemosa (IR). The total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC) were illustrated through colorimetric assays, while the antioxidant activity was investigated through DPPH and ABTS assays. The evaluation of phytochemicals by FT-IR of UD and CBP revealed high contents of aliphatic amines, while IR showed a major peak for ketones. The antioxidant activity, TPC and TFC were highest in the ethanol extract of UD, followed by CBP, and IR showed the lowest activity. All of the extracts revealed significant antioxidant capacities along a dosage gradient. Through a HPLC analysis at a wavelength of 280 nm, UD leaves demonstrated an intense peak of quercetin, and the peak for rutin was less intense. CBP (whole plant), instead, demonstrated a major yield of rutin, and a peak for quercetin was not observed in CBP. IR (rhizomes) showed both quercetin and rutin. All of the extracts were significantly cytotoxic to HepG2 cells after 48 h with the trend IR > UD > CBP. The outcomes of this study may be effective in the selection of specific plants as realistic sources of the bioactive components that might be useful in the nutraceutical progression and other biomedical efficacies.

Application of Response Surface Methodology to Optimize the Extraction Process of Bioactive Compounds Obtained from Coffee Silverskin

“…Based on the findings obtained in the first stage of CS bioactive compounds extraction optimization, it can be seen that the aqueous CS extracts were characterized by significantly lower antioxidant activity and the TPC compared to methanol and ethanol extracts. A similar trend was demonstrated in the works of Bhatt and Parajuli [59] and Yousuf et al [60], in which alcoholic extracts showed a greater antioxidant activity and TPC compared to other extracts. For this reason, the possibility of using water as an extractant was excluded from further experimental extraction.…”

Comparative Effect of Antioxidant and Antibacterial Potential of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles from Aqueous Extract of Nepeta nepetella through Different Precursor Concentrations

“…amethystine , which was 850 µg/mL for stems and 2000 µg/mL for leaves. Many studies showed a significant positive correlation between the phenolic compounds contained in herbal extracts [ 62 ] or other plant components, such as lignin, and their antioxidant activity [ 63 , 64 ]. However, in this study, the levels of polyphenolic compounds in the leaves and stems did not exhibit significant differences.…”

“…Moreover, the surface properties of NPs, such as being hydrophobic, hydrophilic, lipophilic, or lipophobic, are determined by their surface characteristics. These properties significantly influence how NPs interact with biological systems, including their solubility, stability, and ability to interact with cell membranes, impacting their biomedical applications and effectiveness [ 62 ]. In the study published by Motelica et al [ 81 ], the shape of the NPs was influenced by the solvent used in their synthesis.…”

Therapeutic Potential of Green-Engineered ZnO Nanoparticles on Rotenone-Exposed D. melanogaster (Oregon R+): Unveiling Ameliorated Biochemical, Cellular, and Behavioral Parameters

“…Plant material was dried, crushed into fine powder utilizing a grinder and then sieved to obtain the desired particle size. A 10% plant fraction was made by steeping 5 g (±0.05) of plant powder in deionized water (50 mL) for 15 min at 95–100 °C [ 25 ]. The plant fractions were then filtered using Whatman No.…”