Potential Antiproliferative Activity and Evaluation of Essential Oil Composition of the Aerial Parts of Tamarix aphylla (L.) H.Karst.: A Wild Grown Medicinal Plant in Jordan.

Essential (volatile) oil from aerial parts of Tamarix aphylla (L.) H.Karst. (Tamaricaceae) grown wild in Jordan was hydrodistilled by Clevenger apparatus and analyzed by means of GC and GC-MS techniques. In vitro screening of potential cytotoxicity of the aqueous (AE) and ethanol (EE) extracts was also evaluated against human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2), and pancreatic carcinoma (Panc-1) cancer cell lines as well as normal human fibroblasts. GC-MS analysis of T. aphylla EO revealed its richness in nonterpenoid nonaromatic hydrocarbons (52.39%), with predominance of 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone as the principal component. Biologically, the plant extracts exhibited cytotoxicity effects in dose-dependent manner against most of the tested cell lines, but potent effects were only predicted against MCF-7 cells with IC50 values of 2.17 ± 0.10 and 26.65 ± 3.09 µg/mL for T. aphylla AE and EE, respectively. T. aphylla AE demonstrated a comparable cytotoxic effect with that offered by the control drug cisplatin (IC50 value of 1.17 ± 0.13 µg/mL), even with higher safety profile against normal fibroblast cells (IC50 values of T. aphylla AE versus cisplatin: 79.99 ± 4.90 versus 9.08 ± 0.29 µg/mL). T. aphylla extracts could be a valuable source for cytotoxic agents with high safety and selective cytotoxicity profiles. Unfortunately, no antiproliferative potential against Caco-2 or Panc-1 cancer cell lines was detected at a concentration less than 30 µg/mL.

Volatile oil profiles of the aerial parts of Jordanian garland, Chrysanthemum coronarium.

OBJECTIVE: The study evaluates, qualitatively and quantitatively, the volatile oil profiles of the aerial parts of Jordanian garland Chrysanthemum coronarium L. (Asteraceae) and compares the findings with literature reports of garland of other sources, in terms of general composition and content of potentially active components. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chemical composition of the essential oils isolated by hydrodistillation from dried material composed of flowerheads (FH) and aerial parts except for flowerheads (AEF) was assessed by GC-FID and GC-MS. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: More than 60 components were identified in the studied oils, corresponding to about 99.6 and 99.7% of total oil constituents of FH and AEF, respectively. The oil was characterized by substantial levels of monoterpenes (76.9% in FH and 61.9% in AEF) and moderate levels of sesquiterpenes (15.7% in FH and 27.7% in AEF). The oil from FH was characterized by high levels of oxygenated monoterpenes (64.3%, compared to 15.3% in AEF) and moderate levels of both monoterpene-hydrocarbons (12.6%, compared to 46.6% in AEF as the major fraction) and sesquiterpene-hydrocarbons (14.7%, compared to 23.5% in AEF), while very low levels of oxygenated sesquiterpenes were observed in both oils (1.0% in FH and 4.2% in AEF). The principal oil component was camphor (17.5%) in FH and myrcene (36.7%) in AEF. Other major components identified in the FH oil were santolina triene (4.3%), neoiso-3-thujanol (5.6%), cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (10.8%), perilla aldehyde (11.7%), iso-italicene (4.7%), phenylpropyl butanoate (4.9%), and germacrene D (4.3%), while Z-ß-ocimene (5.2%), isobornyl acetate (5.2%), E-ß-farnesene (12.1%), and germacrene D (4.5%) were the major constituents of AEF oil.

Effect of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids on lymphocyte proliferation, interleukin production and phospholipid fatty acids composition in type 2 diabetic and healthy subjects in Jordan people.

Dietary lipid manipulation may affect a great number of immune parameters, such as lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine synthesis. In this study, lymphocytes of diabetic type 2 were incubated with different polyunsaturated fatty acid (docosahexaenoic, eicosapentaenoic, arachidonic acid) for investigated their effect on lymphoproliferation response, the concentration of interleukin 2 produced in each essay and phospholipid fatty acid composition of lymphocyte membrane. Our results found that the concanavalin A and insulin increase significantly the proliferative response while eicosapentaenoic, arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid inhibited that by different degrees: 47%, 37% and 19%, respectively, for healthy subjects and 39%, 29% and 13% for diabetes. However, the concentration of IL-2 produced in presence of either docosahexaenoic, eicosapentaenoic or arachidonic acid was significantly reduced by 36%, 32% and 39%, respectively, in controls while 16%, 15% and 23%, respectively, in diabetics. On the other hand, the tested fatty acids demonstrated a major impact on the fatty acid composition of different phospholipid fractions of lymphocyte membrane but these fractions were different in their response to each fatty acid examined. For instance, the addition of docosahexaenoic acid to culture media was accompanied with a predominant composition of docosahexaenoic acid in phospholipid fractions. Also, our results showed a notable increased proportion of arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in control phospholipid fractions than those of diabetic.

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometric assay of endogenous cellular lipid peroxidation products: quantitative analysis of 9- and 10-hydroxystearic acids.

A sensitive, specific, accurate and reproducible gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method was developed for the assay of 9- and 10-hydroxystearic acids in samples obtained as cell extracts. The preparation of the samples required specific procedures to allow the analysis of both the free and the conjugated hydroxy acids as the corresponding methyl esters. The quantification used propyl-paraben as the internal standard and monitoring of a specific fragment of each isomeric hydroxy acid methyl ester, and allowed quantification of the conjugate and the free fractions of both 9- and 10-hydroxystearic acids. This method is suitable for identification and quantification (LOQ 1.8 and 4.4 ng, respectively) of these important metabolites of lipid peroxidation. In particular the development of an assay for the free 9-hydroxystearic acid methyl ester makes the method a reliable analytical tool for investigations of the role of this metabolite in the mechanisms of tumour cell proliferation.

Chromatographic (GC-MS, HPLC) and virological evaluations of Salvia sclarea infected by BBWV-I.

Salvia sclarea cultivated at the Herb Garden of Casola-Valsenio (Emilia-Romagna region, Italy) has been found for the first time naturally infected by broad bean wilt fabavirus, serotype I (BBWV-I). Symptomatic plants showed malformed leaves, with chlorotic mosaic followed by yellowing and stunting. BBWV-I was identified by applying virological tests: mechanical inoculations on herbaceous plants, electron microscopy, DAS-ELISA and PAS-ELISA. The essential oil obtained from BBWV-infected material corresponded to 2/3 the quantity of that from healthy material. The GC-MS and HPLC analyses of these oils afforded a comparative analytical profile of the two plant materials attributed to BBWV-I infection. The oils from infected materials showed higher percentages of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (e.g. germacrene D and beta-caryophyllene), monoterpene alcohols (e.g. alpha-terpineol) and diterpenoids (mainly sclareol). In contrast, lower levels of monoterpene hydrocarbons (e.g. myrcene, limonene and the two ocimene isomers) and the principal components (linalyl acetate and linalool) were observed.