Morphological, phytochemical and anti-hyperglycemic evaluation of Brachychiton populneus

Abstract Brachychiton populneus (Schott & Endl.) R.Br., Malvaceae, is one of five Brachychiton species cultivated in Egypt. Little information was found concerning the morphological, phytochemical and biological investigations of B. populneus. Morphological investigations of B. populneus were performed on fresh and dried leaves. Air-dried, ground leafy branches were extracted with 70% methanol/water yielding B. populneus extract. Seventeen flavonoids were isolated and identified using different chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques; eleven of them were reported for the first time from this plant. Potential activity of B. populneus extract against alloxan inducing oxidative stress and diabetes in male rats was preliminary investigated (four groups of ten rats /group). B. populneus extract (500 mg/kg bw i.p.) exhibited significant acute anti-hyperglycemic activity with blood glucose levels of 227.3 and 157.6 mg/dl after 4 and 24 h, respectively, compared to alloxan and standard Diamicron (5 mg/kg bw p.o.) groups, as well as to a normoglycemic control group at p < 0.05. The extract reverted the body weight values of the alloxan-induced diabetic rats to that of control animals after 24 h. In addition, B. populneus extract counteracted the effect of the oxidative stress induced by alloxan causing significantly increase in the glutathione content level (2.35 mmol/l) and relative decrease in the malondialdehyde level (21.31 nmol/l) and nitric oxide content (1.98 µmol/l) in serum after 24 h of treatment compared to alloxan-induced diabetic rats (1.01 mmol/l, 118.9 nmol/l, 4.69 µmol/l, respectively) and to normoglycemic control at p < 0.05. These effects appear to be related to the flavonoid principles. The intergeneric relationship of the genus Brachychiton and other related genera assessed well-supported differentiation between them. Furthermore, a significant dissimilarity was observed at interspecific level.

C-glycosyl flavonoids-rich extract of Dipcadi erythraeum Webb & Berthel. bulbs: Phytochemical and anticancer evaluations

Dipcadi erythraeum Webb & Berthel. is a wild edible species belonging to family Asparagaceae and commonlyused in folk medicine. The D. erythraeum bulbs extract was subjected to chemical investigation using LiquidChromatography-Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) technique to identify its polar activeconstituents and evaluated against four human carcinoma cell lines; MCF7, HEPG2, A549, and HCT116. The D.erythraeum bulbs extract revealed 22 phenolic compounds characterized for the first time from the studied species,14 of them were identified as C-glycosyl flavonoids. Moreover, the studied extract showed moderate activity againstMCF7 and HCT116 at 100 µg/ml with cell viability of 43.6% and 48.4%, respectively. From the chemotaxonomicpoint of view, the presence of C-glycosyl flavonoids supported that D. erythraeum has a closer relationship with thespecies of Asparagaceae family than Liliaceae.