Exploring the anti-obesity bioactive compounds of Thymelaea hirsuta and Ziziphus spina-christi through integration of lipase inhibition screening and molecular docking analysis.

Activity-guided fractionation of the ethanolic extracts of Thymelaea hirsuta and Ziziphus spina-christi furnished eight compounds with pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity. Six compounds were isolated from the chloroform fraction of T. hirsuta. It is worth mentioning that this is the first report for the isolation of 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-8-methoxycarbonyl flavanol (2), daphnodorin G-3''-methyl ether (4) and daphnodorin G (5) from genus Thymelaea. Moreover, daphnoretin (1), neochamaejasmin A (3) and daphnodorin B (6) were also isolated from the chloroform fraction of the same plant. On the other hand, quercetin 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)]-ß-d-galactopyranoside (7) and 3-O-[α-l-fucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-α-l-arabinopyranosyl] jujubogenin (christinin A) (8) were isolated from the n-butanol fraction of Z. spina-christi. Structure elucidation of the isolated compounds was carried out by detailed analysis of 1D and 2D spectral data. These compounds showed percentage inhibitions of 72% (1), 52% (2), 61.8% (3), 39% (4), 69.5% (5), 3.5% (6), 68% (7) and 75% (8) at the concentration of 250 µM and XP-G scores of lipase inhibition were 11.40 (1), 8.71 (2), 6.13 (3), 8.23 (4), 6.22 (5), 9.76 (6), 14.66 (7) and 12.00 (8). This is the first report of the isolation of lipase inhibitors from both plants T. hirsuta and Z. spina-christi. In addition to that, this might result in presenting the biscoumarin, daphnoretin, and the dammarane saponin, christinin A, as potent lipase inhibitors.

Metabolomics and chemometrics depict the changes in the chemical profile of white lupine (Lupinus albus L.) bioactive metabolites during seed germination.

The current study attempts to illustrate how the chemical and biological profile of white lupine seeds varies throughout the course of various germination days using UHPLC-QqQ-MS combined to chemometrics. Abscisic acid showed maximum level in the un-germinated seeds and started to decline with seed germination accompanied by an increase in the levels of gibberellins which were undetectable in un-germinated seeds. Coumaronochromones were the most prevalent constituents detected in un-germinated seeds while day 2 sprouts showed significant accumulation of flavones. The levels of alkaloids showed significant increase upon germination of the seeds reaching its maximum in day 14 sprouts. The OPLS model coefficients plot indicated that lupinalbin D and F, apigenin hexoside, kaempferol hexoside, albine, and hydoxylupanine showed strong positive correlation to the alpha amylase inhibitory activity of the tested samples while lupinalbin A, lupinisoflavone, lupinic acid and multiflorine were positively correlated to the inhibition of alpha glycosidase activity. The results obtained indicated that seed germination has a profound effect on the chemical profile as well as the in-vitro antidiabetic activity of lupine seeds.

Determination of the effect of germination on the folate content of the seeds of some legumes using HPTLC-mass spectrometry-multivariate image analysis.

Legumes are the main sources of folates which are not synthesized in the human body. The five folate species: 5-methyl tetrahydrofolate, tetrahydrofolate, pteroyl glutamate, 5-formyl tetrahydrofolate and 10-formyl tetrahydrofolate were quantitatively determined in legumes seeds and sprouts by a newly developed and validated high performance thin layer chromatography method. High resolution plate imaging hyphenated to mass spectrometry was exploited for fingerprint analysis of tested samples. Results indicated that germination of all seeds resulted in a 2.5-4 fold increase in the content of total folates as well as the individual vitamers. The total amount of folate reached a maximum on the fifth day in the case of black-eyed peas (861 µg/100 g Fresh Weight), white beans (755 µg/100 g FW) and brown lentils (681 µg/100 g FW). 5-CH3-H4 folate was found to be the most dominating folate species reaching its maximum content in day 5 sprouts of black-eyed peas (490 µg/100 g FW).

Chemical profiling and biological screening with potential anti-inflammatory activity of Callisia fragrans grown in Egypt.

The ethanolic extract of Callisia fragrans aerial parts showed a significant strong in vivo anti-inflammatory and in vitro antioxidant activities with a high in vivo gastrointestinal safety profile and a very low in vitro cytotoxicity on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with an IC50 > 1000 µg/ml. The alcoholic extract of C. fragrans has been analysed by HPLC coupled to multiple-stage Linear Ion-Trap and Orbitrap High-Resolution mass spectrometry in negative electrospray ionisation mode (LC-ESI/LTQOrbitrap/MS/MSn). By this approach, it was possible to putatively identify 13 compounds, mainly organic acids, flavonoids, one steroid and one hydroxy-coumarin. Luteolin 6-C-glucopyranosyl-7-O-glucopyranoside, luteolin-8-C-glucopyranosyl-7-O-rhamnopyranoside, luteolin-6-C-glucoside and isoorientin 7-O-[6''-feruloyl]-glucoside were detected for the first time in C. fragrans and family Commelinaceae.[Figure: see text].

Effect of ontogeny on the content of the hallucinogenic alkaloids atropine and scopolamine in the different organs of some Solanaceae plants.

The content of atropine and scopolamine is known to vary with ontogeny and plant organs selected which makes it necessary to define the optimal stage for harvesting of each plant organ. The present study aims at investigating the effect of ontogeny on the accumulation of atropine and scopolamine in the leaves, stems, roots, flowers and fruits of the Solanaceae plants Burgmansia suaveolens Bercht. & J.Presl, Datura stramonium L., D. arborea L., D. inoxia Mill. and Hyoscyamus albus L. Results showed that the highest content of atropine and scopolamine was observed during the flowering stage of most organs. H. albus L. leaves collected during flowering stage exhibited the highest content of atropine (746.66 ug/g) followed by the pre-flowering leaves of D. stramonium L. and the flowering stage stems of H. albus L. while D. inoxia Mill. pre-flowering leaves and flowering stems had significantly higher content of scopolamine among all the tested extracts with a concentration of 555.04 ug/g and 244.26 ug/g, respectively.

Phytochemical and pharmacological appraisal of the aerial parts of Lotus corniculatus L. growing in Egypt.

Lotus corniculatus L. (Fabaceae) is widely grown in Egypt. It has a great history of folkloric medicinal uses. All fractions of aerial parts of L. corniculatus L. showed significant antioxidant and immunostimulant activities and could strongly induce lymphoproliferation. However, the light petrol fraction had antifungal activity against C. neoformans with IC50 value (<8 µg/mL) and exhibited strongest in-vitro antiprotozoal activity against protozoan parasites belonging to the genera Trypanosoma with IC50 value (0.98 µg/mL) and Plasmodium (with 100% inhibition using a sample concentration of 15866.7 ng/mL). This is the first study of the immunostimulant and antiprotozoal activities of genus Lotus. By this approach, it was possible to isolate eight compounds (-)-7,2'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxyisoflavan (vestitol) (1), kaempferol (2), kaempferol 3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (afzelin) (3), kaempferol 3, 7-O-α-L-dirhamnoside (kaempferitin) (4), kaempferol-3-O-[ß-D-xylopyranosyl (1″'→2″)-ß-D-galactopyranoside] (5), 3-O-[ß-D-glucuronopyranosyl] soyasapogenol B (6), kaempferol-3-O-[ß-D-xylopyranosyl (1″'→2″)-ß-D-galactopyranoside]-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (7) and 3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1″'→2″)-ß-D-galactopyranosyl-(1″→2')-ß-D-glucuronopyranosyl] soyasapogenol B (soyasaponin І) (8).

Flavonoids of Alcea rosea L. and their immune stimulant, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities on hepatocellular carcinoma HepG-2 cell line.

Alcea rosea L. is widely cultivated in gardens of Egypt as an ornamental plant and it has a great history of folkloric medicinal uses. In the present work, phytochemical investigation of the alcoholic extract of the flowers of A. rosea L. led to the isolation of six flavonoids (1-6). Dihydrokaempferol-4'-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside (1), dihydrokaempferol (2), kaempferol-3-O-[6″-(E-coumaroyl)]-ß-d-glucopyranoside (3), kaempferol-3-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside (4), Apigenin (5) and kaempferol-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1'″→6″)-ß-d-glucopyranoside (6). Four of the isolated compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant, immunostimulant and cytotoxic activities against HepG-2 cell line. Compound (3) showed potent cytotoxic activity against HepG-2 cell line with high selectivity towards hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro (with IC50 = 3.8 µg/mL). Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited significant antioxidant activity and compound 4 showed a significant immune stimulant activity. Compound 1 is isolated for the first time from genus Alcea and this is the first report for its biological investigation.

Simultaneous Determination of Soyasaponins and Isoflavones in Soy (Glycine max L.) Products by HPTLC-densitometry-Multiple Detection.

A new high-throughput method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of isoflavones and soyasaponnins in Soy (Glycine max L.) products by high-performance thin-layer chromatography with densitometry and multiple detection. Silica gel was used as the stationary phase and ethyl acetate:methanol:water:acetic acid (100:20:16:1, v/v/v/v) as the mobile phase. After chromatographic development, multi-wavelength scanning was carried out by: (i) UV-absorbance measurement at 265 nm for genistin, daidzin and glycitin, (ii) Vis-absorbance measurement at 650 nm for Soyasaponins I and III, after post-chromatographic derivatization with anisaldehyde/sulfuric acid reagent. Validation of the developed method was found to meet the acceptance criteria delineated by ICH guidelines with respect to linearity, accuracy, precision, specificity and robustness. Calibrations were linear with correlation coefficients of >0.994. Intra-day precisions relative standard deviation (RSD)% of all substances in matrix were determined to be between 0.7 and 0.9%, while inter-day precisions (RSD%) ranged between 1.2 and 1.8%. The validated method was successfully applied for determination of the studied analytes in soy-based infant formula and soybean products. The new method compares favorably to other reported methods in being as accurate and precise and in the same time more feasible and cost-effective.