A review on plant importance, biotechnological aspects, and cultivation challenges of jojoba plant

Jojoba is considered a promising oil crop and is cultivated for diverse purposes in many countries. The jojoba seed produces unique high-quality oil with a wide range of applications such as medical and industrial-related products. The plant also has potential value in combatting desertification and land degradation in dry and semi-dry areas. Although the plant is known for its high-temperature and high-salinity tolerance growth ability, issues such as its male-biased ratio, relatively late flowering and seed production time hamper the cultivation of this plant. The development of efficient biotechnological platforms for better cultivation and an improved production cycle is a necessity for farmers cultivating the plant. In the last 20 years, many efforts have been made for in vitro cultivation of jojoba by applying different molecular biology techniques. However, there is a lot of work to be done in order to reach satisfactory results that help to overcome cultivation problems. This review presents a historical overview, the medical and industrial importance of the jojoba plant, agronomy aspects and nutrient requirements for the plant's cultivation, and the role of recent biotechnology and molecular biology findings in jojoba research.

Antihyperlipidimic Effect of Simmondsia Chinensis Seeds Extracts in Rabbits.

Objective: The present study was designed to examine the effect of 70% ethanol extract of Simmondsia chinensis seeds on lipid profile in rabbits. Material and methods: The plant extract was orally administered to the atherogenic rabbits (atherogenic diet + cholesterol powder supplement at 400 mg/kg/body weight/ day dissolved in 5 mL coconut oil) at dose of 500mg/kg body weight/day. During the hall period of the experiment blood samples were collected and serum was analyzed for lipid profile. At the end of the experiment the animals were sacrificed; the heart and the liver were collected and stored at -20°C until assayed. Biochemical analysis of blood serum and tissue (liver and heart muscle) were performed for cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides. In addition blood serum was analyzed further for HDLcholesterol. Results: All the results were by administration of Simmondsia chinensis seeds. Serum cholesterol levels dropped from 957.57 to 223.3 and further to 143.4 by the end of the experiment. Similarly, phospholipids statistically analyzed using student’s t-test. Hypolipidaemic nature of Simmondsia chinensis extract was studied in hyperlipidaemic rabbits. The increased cholesterol levels were brought to normal and triglycerides levels were reduced. The tissues lipids profiles of liver and heart muscle showed similar changes in those noticed in serum lipids. Conclusion: We can conclude from these results that a Simmondsia chinensis seed possesses active hypolipidaemic constituents. The results suggest the validity of Simmondsia chinensis seeds clinical use in hypolipidaemic control, after their toxicological investigation.

Antioxidant lipoxygenase inhibitors from the leaf extracts of Simmondsia chinensis

Objective: To isolate and identify chemical constituents with antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitory effects of the ethanolic extract of Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) leaves. Methods: The alcoholic extract was subjected to successive solvent fractionation. The antioxidant active fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions) were subjected to a combination of different chromatographic techniques guided by the antioxidant assay with DPPH. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidences and correlated with known compounds. The antioxidant activity was assessed quantitively using DPPH and β-carotene methods. The inhibitory potential against enzyme lipoxygenase was assessed on soybean lipoxygenase enzyme. Results: Ten flavonoids and four lignans were isolated. Flavonoid aglycones showed stronger antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitory effects than their glycosides. Lignoid glycosides showed moderate to weak antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitory effects. Conclusions: A total of 14 compounds were isolated and identified from Simmondsia chinensis; 12 of them were isolated for the first time. This is the first report that highlights deeply on the phenolic content of jojoba and their potential biological activities and shows the importance of this plant as a good source of phenolics in particular the flavonoid content.

Antioxidant lipoxygenase inhibitors from the leaf extracts of Simmondsia chinensis

OBJECTIVE@#To isolate and identify chemical constituents with antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitory effects of the ethanolic extract of Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) leaves.@*METHODS@#The alcoholic extract was subjected to successive solvent fractionation. The antioxidant active fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions) were subjected to a combination of different chromatographic techniques guided by the antioxidant assay with DPPH. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidences and correlated with known compounds. The antioxidant activity was assessed quantitively using DPPH and β-carotene methods. The inhibitory potential against enzyme lipoxygenase was assessed on soybean lipoxygenase enzyme.@*RESULTS@#Ten flavonoids and four lignans were isolated. Flavonoid aglycones showed stronger antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitory effects than their glycosides. Lignoid glycosides showed moderate to weak antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitory effects.@*CONCLUSIONS@#A total of 14 compounds were isolated and identified from Simmondsia chinensis; 12 of them were isolated for the first time. This is the first report that highlights deeply on the phenolic content of jojoba and their potential biological activities and shows the importance of this plant as a good source of phenolics in particular the flavonoid content.