Phytochemicals

Gouania longipetala is commonly used in Cameroonian traditional medicine to manage women fertility and menopausal complaints. However, despite this use, the estrogenic properties of Gouania longipetala (G. longipetala) have not been studied until now. The present study was aimed to assess estrogenic activities of the stem bark aqueous (GLA) and ethanolic (GLE) extracts of G. longipetala in post menopause-like model of ovariectomized (Ovx) Wistar rats. Animals were either sham-operated or Ovx. 84 days after ovariectomy, animals were divided into seven groups of five animals and were daily treated for 28 days with distilled water (10mL/kg) for group 1, 2% solution of Tween 80 (10mL/kg) for group 2, estradiol valerate (1mg/kg) for group 3, GLA (45 or 180mg/kg) and GLE (40 or 160mg/kg) for groups 4 to 7 respectively. Sham-operated animals daily received distilled water (10mL/kg). During the experimental period, the body weight was registered every week. At the day 29, blood pressure was registered by invasive method while uterine and vagina morphometry as well as body, uterine and abdominal fat weights changes were analyzed. Serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were determined. Moreover, oxidative stress markers such as nitrites, reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in homogenized liver and aorta. Compared with the sham control, vagina and uterine dystrophy and elevated blood pressure were observed in Ovx rats treated with vehicles. Biochemical parameters showed a significant increase of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol and MDA as well as a significant decrease of nitrites and GSH in Ovx animals treated with vehicle as compared to sham group. GLA and GLE displayed estrogen-like effects on vagina and did not affect uterine wet weight and epithelial height compared with vehicle groups. Both extracts displayed anti-atherogenic properties by reducing AI, AIP and LDL-cholesterol level as compared to vehicles groups. GLA and GLE significantly prevented the increase of MDA induced by ovariectomy as compared to rats treated with vehicles. This study showed that GLA and GLE exhibited estrogenic effects by providing vaginal lubrication, by modulating blood pressure and improving lipid profile, oxidative status and endothelial function and may not have an undesirable influence on the endometrium in ovariectomized rats.

Leaves of several bamboo species have been used to treat a variety of diseases for thousands of years. The medicinal effects of bamboo leaves are mostly attributed to their bioactive polyphenol constituents. However, different classes of polyphenol have different degree of solubility in various solvents, a single solvent will not fully extract all phenolic compounds, thus may exhibit varying antioxidant potency. The present study was designed to examine extractive values of leaves of Bambusa nutans and Bambusa vulgaris using chloroform, acetone and methanol successively and to evaluate the total polyphenols contents and free radical scavenging capabilities of each extract. The total phenolic content of the various extracts was determined spectrophotometrically using a modified Folin-Ciocalteu method and antioxidant efficacy by following DPPH radical scavenging protocol. The extracts were also subjected to preliminary screening for presence or absences of various phytochemical constituents. The results showed that B. nutans produced better yield of polyphenol [methanol (15.3542 ± 0.1576 mg/ml GAE/100mg extract) > acetone (11.7992 ± 0.5502 mg/ml GAE/100mg extract) > chloroform (10.1618 ± 0.3284 mg/ml GAE/100mg extract)] than corresponding solvent extracts of B. vulgaris [methanol (12.7976 ± 0.4878 mg/ml GAE/100mg extract) > acetone (10.1328 ± 0.2135 mg/ml GAE/100mg extract) > chloroform (8.8549 ± 0.1747 mg/ml GAE/100mg extract)]. The DPPH radical scavenging assay showed that methanol extracts leaves of both the Bamboo species exhibited highest TPC and radical scavenging activity whereas leaves of B. nutans found to be superior to B. vulgaris in term of TPC and radical scavenging potency. Preliminary phytochemical screening of leaf extracts of the two bamboo species indicated the presence of major classes of phytochemicals. The study evidently showed that leaves of B. nutans and B. vulgaris are rich sources of phenolic compounds and natural antixodants and they could be used as natural antioxidant. The study further indicated methanol as the appropriate extractant for better yield of polyphenols and leaf extract of Bambusa nutans is superior to that of B. vulgaris in term of TPC and antioxidant efficacy.

In this study, the polyphenolic profile of 11 Morus alba fruits grown in the Vojvodina region was investigated. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with Linear Trap Quadrupole and OrbiTrap mass analyzer, and UHPLC coupled with a diode array detector and a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer were used for the identification and quantification of the polyphenols, respectively. A total of 14 hydroxycinnamic acid esters, 13 flavonol glycosides, and 14 anthocyanins were identified in the extracts with different distributions and contents according to the sampling. The total phenolic content ranged from 43.84 to 326.29 mg GAE/100g frozen fruit. The radical scavenging capacity (50.18-86.79%), metal chelating ability (0.21-8.15%), ferric ion reducing power (0.03-38.45 μM ascorbic acid) and superoxide anion radical scavenging activity (16.53-62.83%) were assessed. The findings indicated that mulberry polyphenolics may act as potent superoxide anion radical scavengers...

Pomegranate, containing in high concentration anthocyanins, anthocyanidins, flavones, flavanones, flavanols, flavonols, hydrolysable and non-hydrolysable tannins and alkaloids possesses very strong anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Researches have shown that the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-5, IL-8, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-18, TNFα and IFN-γ and also levels of COX, NF-κB, MPO, NO and MMPs are remarkably downregulated by pomegranate extracts or isolated phytochemicals reducing thus the risk of chronic inflammation, autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, tissue damage, eosinophil mediated inflammation, infections and pathogenic processes such as cancer. Certain types of inflammation are caused by free radicals and the antioxidant pomegranate is very effective in eliminating oxidative stress that leads to chronic inflammation and several diseases. Due to antimicrobial properties of pomegranate’s phytochemicals, it’s found to be beneficial in inflammations where microbes are involved. As pomegranate contains phytochemicals with more than one bioactivity, it can affect more than one of the factors involved in inflammatory incident and process, facilitating the healing process. It is important to be mentioned that pomegranate gave comparable results with commercial drugs in doses used, without side effects and also showed beneficial activity where commercial drugs were harmful, indicating that pomegranate could possibly provide alternative, very effective anti-inflammatory medicines.