Therapeutic importance of Cucurbitaceae: A medicinally important family

Mukherjee, Pulok K.; Singha, Seha; Kar, Amit; Chanda, Joydeb; Banerjee, Subhadip; Dasgupta, Barun; Haldar, Pallab Kanti; Sharma, Nanaocha

doi:10.1016/j.jep.2021.114599

Cited by 47 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 125 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…One class of phenolic acids—hydroxycinnamic acids—is greatly abundant in food and regarded to account for about one-third of dietary phenolic compounds [ 8 ]. Several hydroxycinnamic acids and their glycosides, such as chlorogenic acid, coumaric acid, and ferulic acid, are mainly found in medicinal food plants of the Cucurbitaceae family [ 6 ]. During the ripening process, the individual hydroxycinnamic acids were found to be available in different amounts.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The phytochemical investigations of C. grandis in previous studies have revealed that it contains secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids, alkaloids, sterols, and glycosides, which are known to have in vitro antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antidyslipidemic activities [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. Triterpenoid cucurbitacin contained in C. grandis is a physiologically active functional ingredient with broad therapeutic significance and is useful for a wide range of biological activities [ 6 ]. In addition, the phenolic compounds, including large amounts of phenolic acids and flavonoids, have high antioxidant capacity, providing protection against carcinogenesis, inflammation, atherosclerosis, and thrombosis [ 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Identification and Quantification of Key Phytochemicals, Phytohormones, and Antioxidant Properties in Coccinia grandis during Fruit Ripening

Joo

2022

Antioxidants

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Coccinia grandis contains secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids, alkaloids, sterols, and glycosides, which are known to have in vitro antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antidyslipidemic activities. C. grandis fruits change dramatically during ripening, and the differences in the phytochemicals contribute to various uses. This study reports the phytochemical compounds and antioxidant activities during ripening of C. grandis for the first time. Characterizations were conducted on the physiologically active substances in C. grandis fruits at three ripening stages, and a total of 25 peaks were identified. Key phytochemicals in the ripening stages of C. grandis were identified, and the major substances that contributed to antioxidant properties were selected and quantitatively analyzed. Although the concentration of tiliroside increased during aging, hydroxycinnamic acid (chlorogenic and p-coumaric acids), flavonols (rutin), and triterpenes (cucurbitacins B and D) with antioxidant effects decreased. Therefore, phenolic compounds and cucurbitacins dominate immature C. grandis quantitatively. Regarding phytohormones, the gibberellin A4 content decreased as the fruits matured, but indoleacetic acid and salicylic acid increased with fruit maturity. The antioxidant capacities determined by DPPH and ABTS consistently decreased with increasing maturity. Accordingly, the extracts of immature C. grandis fruits have high levels of bioactive compounds and can be used to develop food additives and health supplements.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification and Quantification of Key Phytochemicals, Phytohormones, and Antioxidant Properties in Coccinia grandis during Fruit Ripening

Joo

2022

Antioxidants

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In the non-cancer cell line, it is effective against embryonic lung fibroblast. Chlorogenic acid has also been studied as a potential treatment for fibrosis and cancer in several experimental studies [ 38 ]. Numerous issues that could arise from utilizing medicinal herbs can be found by toxicological studies, especially in vulnerably disposed of individuals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

HPLC, FTIR and GC-MS Analyses of Thymus vulgaris Phytochemicals Executing In Vitro and In Vivo Biological Activities and Effects on COX-1, COX-2 and Gastric Cancer Genes Computationally

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Medicinal plants have played an essential role in the treatment of various diseases. Thymus vulgaris, a medicinal plant, has been extensively used for biological and pharmaceutical potential. The current study was performed to check the biopotential of active biological compounds. The GC-MS analysis identified 31 compounds in methanolic crude extract, among which thymol, carvacrol, p-cymene, and eugenol are the main phytoconstituents present in T. vulgaris. The HPLC analysis quantified that flavonoids and phenolic acids are present in a good concentration in the active fraction of ethyl acetate and n-butanol. FTIR confirmed the presence of functional groups such as phenols, a carboxylic group, hydroxy group, alcohols, and a benzene ring. Among both fractions, ethyl acetate showed high antioxidant activity in the DPPH (84.1 0.88) and ABTS (87.1 0.89) assays, respectively. The anti-inflammatory activity of the fractions was done in vitro and in vivo by using a carrageenan-induced paw edema assay, while the hexane-based extract showed high anti-inflammatory activity (57.1 0.54) in a dose-response manner. Furthermore, the lead compound responsible for inhibition in the denaturation of proteins is thymol, which exhibits the highest binding affinity with COX1 (−6.4 KJ/mol) and COX2 (−6.3 KJ/mol) inflammatory proteins. The hepatotoxicity analysis showed that plant-based phytoconstituents are safe to use and have no toxicity, with no necrosis, fibrosis, and vacuolar degeneration, even at a high concentration of 800 mg/kg body weight. Furthermore, the in silico analysis of HPLC phytochemical compounds against gastric cancer genes showed that chlorogenic acid exhibited anticancer activity and showed good drug-designing characteristics. Thrombolysis and hemolysis are the major concerns of individuals suffering from gastric cancer. However, the T. vulgaris fractions showed thrombolysis from 17.6 to 5.4%; similarly, hemolysis ranged from 9.73 to 7.1% at a concentration of 12 mg/mL. The phytoconstituents present in T. vulgaris have the potential for multiple pharmacological applications. This should be further investigated to isolate bioactive compounds that can be used for the treatment of different ailments.

show abstract

“…Cucurbitacin is an oxygenated tetracyclic triterpene found in many pumpkins and plants, including cucumbers, melons, watermelons, and melons of the genus Cucumis. According to the structure, approximately 20 types of cucurbitacin compounds, A to T, have been identified [ 13 , 14 ]. Cucurbitacin compounds, which are representative components of these Cucurbitaceae plants, mainly produce a bitter taste, and through this, they are utilized as a defense mechanism in insects or hostile plants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cucurbitacin B-, E-, and I-Induced Browning of White Adipocytes Is Promoted by the Inhibition of Phospholipase D2

Park

Kang

et al. 2022

IJMS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The mechanism of white adipose tissue browning is not well understood; however, naturally occurring compounds are known to play a positive role. The effects of cucurbitacins B, E, and I on the browning of mature white adipocytes were investigated. First, the cell viability exhibited by cucurbitacins B, E, and I in pre- and mature adipocytes was verified. Cucurbitacins B, E, and I had no effect on cell viability in pre- and mature adipocytes at concentrations up to 300 nM. To investigate the characteristics of representative beige adipocytes, the formation and morphology of cucurbitacin B, E, and I lipid droplets were verified. The total lipid droplet surface area, maximum Feret diameter, and total Nile red staining intensity of cucurbitacin B-, E-, and I-treated adipocytes were lower than those of mature white adipocytes. Furthermore, treatment of white mature adipocytes with cucurbitacin B, E, and I led to the formation of several small lipid droplets that are readily available for energy expenditure. We evaluated the effect of cucurbitacins B, E, and I on the expression of representative browning markers UCP1, PGC1a, and PRDM16, which participate in the browning of white adipose tissue. Cucurbitacins B, E, and I increased the mRNA and protein expression levels of UCP1, PGC1a, and PRDM16 in a concentration-dependent manner. To promote energy consumption by beige adipocytes, active mitochondrial biogenesis is essential. Next, we investigated the effects of cucurbitacin B, E, and I on mitochondrial biogenesis in mature adipocytes. Mitochondrial mass increased when mature adipocytes were treated with cucurbitacin B, E, and I. The degree of cucurbitacin B-, E- and I-induced transformation of white adipocytes into beige adipocytes was in the order of Cu E > Cu B > Cu I. To verify the effect of phospholipase D2 on the browning of white adipocytes, CAY10594—a PLD2 pharmacological inhibitor, and a knockdown system were used. PLD2 inhibition and knockdown improved the expression levels of UCP1, PGC1a, and PRDM16. In addition, PLD2 inhibition and knockdown in mature white adipocytes promoted mitochondrial biosynthesis. The effect of PLD2 inhibition and knockdown on promoting browning of white adipocytes significantly increased when Cu B, Cu E, and Cu I were co-treated. These data indicate that mature white adipocytes’ beige properties were induced by cucurbitacins B, E, and I. These effects became more potent by the inhibition of PLD2. These findings provide a model for determining anti-obesity agents that induce browning and increase energy expenditure in mature white adipocytes.

show abstract

Therapeutic importance of Cucurbitaceae: A medicinally important family

Cited by 47 publications

References 125 publications

Identification and Quantification of Key Phytochemicals, Phytohormones, and Antioxidant Properties in Coccinia grandis during Fruit Ripening

Identification and Quantification of Key Phytochemicals, Phytohormones, and Antioxidant Properties in Coccinia grandis during Fruit Ripening

HPLC, FTIR and GC-MS Analyses of Thymus vulgaris Phytochemicals Executing In Vitro and In Vivo Biological Activities and Effects on COX-1, COX-2 and Gastric Cancer Genes Computationally

Cucurbitacin B-, E-, and I-Induced Browning of White Adipocytes Is Promoted by the Inhibition of Phospholipase D2

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About