Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activity of the Ethanolic Extract of Equisetum myriochaetum and Molecular Docking of Its Main Metabolites (Apigenin,Kaempferol, and Quercetin) on β-Tubulin

Equisetum myriochaetum is a semi-aquatic plant found on riverbanks that is commonly used in traditional medicine as a diuretic agent. Additionally, the genus Equisetum stands out for its content of the flavonoid kaempferol, a well-known antiproliferative agent. Therefore, in this study, E. myriochaetum ethanolic extract was tested in vitro against a cervical cancer cell line (SiHa). Additionally, the antioxidative activity was evaluated through a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrilhidrazil (DPPH) assay. Finally, a molecular docking analysis of apigenin, kaempferol, and quercetin on the active site of β-tubulin was performed to investigate their potential mechanism of action. All fractions of E. myriochaetum ethanolic extract showed antioxidative activity. Fraction 14 displayed an antiproliferative capacity with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of 6.78 μg/mL against SiHa cells.     

Evaluation of <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs soil-to-plant transfer: Natural and model experiments

Soil and meadow grass were sampled in the whole territory of Lithuania in 1992–2000. For the laboratory experiment, spring wheat Triticum aestivum L. “Nandu” was used because its root system type is similar to that of perennial meadow grass. The ¹³⁷Cs soil-to-plant transfer factor of spring wheat was determined and the results were compared with the predicted values using a compartment model of soil-to-plant transfer and with the results of the field experiment. The results of comparing the measured and calculated transfer factor using the model show rather good coincidence, however, the calculated values were overestimated. The reason for overestimation can be that the uptake rate is not influenced only by the soil-to-plant transfer. The results of the model experiment (from 0.005 m²·kg⁻¹ to 0.053 m²·kg⁻¹) are close to those of the field measurements for grass (from 0.013 m²·kg⁻¹ in 1992–1995 to 0.10 m²·kg⁻¹ in 1999–2000).     

Comparative Antioxidant Study of Stem and Stem Induced Callus of Phyllanthus fraternus Webster—An Important Antiviral and Hepatoprotective Plant

Phyllanthus fraternus is widely used in the cure of various liver diseases and possess antiviral properties especially against hepatitis virus. In the present study, evaluation of the antioxidant activity of stem and calli induced from stem has been done by different assays. Extraction was done by standard method in water and ethanol. Total antioxidant capacity was measured by 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging method. Lipid peroxidation was measured in terms of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) by using egg yolk homogenates as lipid-rich media, and superoxide radical scavenging activity was measured using riboflavin–light–nitro blue tetrazolium assay. Reducing power was determined on the basis of Fe³⁺–Fe²⁺ transformation in the presence of the extract. In addition to the antioxidant activity, polyphenolic compounds like total phenolics and flavonoids were also measured by spectroscopic method. Results showed that the ethanolic extract of stem is more potent in antioxidant activity than its aqueous extract and ethanolic extract of calli. A significant correlation between antioxidant capacity and polyphenolic content and reducing potential was observed, indicating that phenolic compounds and reducers present in extract are major contributors to the antioxidant potential. Thus, this plant extract could be used as a potent natural antioxidant.     

The antioxidative power AP--A new quantitative time dependent (2D) parameter for the determination of the antioxidant capacity and reactivity of different plants

In the last decade, naturally occurring antioxidants continue to play an important role in the food-supplement industry. The content of antioxidants in a plant depends on the species, temperature, humidity, period of growth, harvest month, part of the plant used and many other variables. Herein, we present a new method able to determine the all over antioxidative power (AP) of plant extracts or lyophilised plant parts based on the reducing activity against a stable test radical. The method is performed by ESR spectroscopy and is based on the well-known 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH) method with the major difference that both the antioxidative capacity and the antioxidative activity are used to characterise an antioxidant. The resulting antioxidative power is expressed in antioxidative units (AU), where 1AU corresponds to the activity of a 1 ppm solution of Vitamin C as a benchmark. This method allows a rapid, unexpensive and general applicable technique for the measurement of the antioxidative power of very different kinds of substances. The inclusion of the kinetic behaviour of the reducing process of the antioxidant for the determination of the AP allows the identification of the main antioxidant present in a sample. Herein, we present the application example of seeds, sprouts and adult parts of dandelion, amaranth, quinoa, fenugreek, broccoli, red clover and mugwort, where the AP method permits to characterise the plants with the highest antioxidant capacity and reaction velocity. The method permits to select active plant extracts for the food and nutrition industry.     

Phenolic Profile,Antioxidant Capacity and Antimicrobial Activity of Nettle Leaves Extracts Obtained by Advanced Extraction Techniques

Nettle is a widely known plant whose high biological activity and beneficial medicinal effects are attributed to various bioactive compounds, among which polyphenols play an important role. In order to isolate polyphenols and preserve their properties, advanced extraction techniques have been applied to overcome the drawbacks of conventional ones. Therefore, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) has been optimized for the isolation of nettle leaves polyphenols and it was compared to pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and conventional heat-reflux extraction (CE). The obtained extracts were analyzed for their individual phenolic profile by UPLC MS² and for their antioxidant capacity by ORAC assay. MAE proved to be the more specific technique for the isolation of individual phenolic compounds, while PLE produced extracts with higher amount of total phenols and higher antioxidant capacity. Both techniques were more effective compared to CE. PLE nettle extract showed antimicrobial activity against bacteria, especially against Gram-negative Pseudomonas fragi ATCC 4973 and Campylobacter jejuni NCTC 11168 strains. This suggests that PLE is suitable for obtaining a nettle extract with antioxidant and antimicrobial potential, which as such has great potential for use as a value-added ingredient in the food and pharmaceutical industry.     

Preparation and analysis of14C-lignin grass lignocellulose and DHP

(¹⁴C-lignin) grass lignocellulose was prepared from wheat seedlings injected with (¹⁴C-uniform) phenylalanine. Seedlings were injected 2 wk after germination and grown for 3–4 wk in a diurnal light cycle before harvesting. The plant material was ground in liquid N₂, extracted with hot water, benzene-ethanol, and ethanol, and treated with protease. Treatment of the lignocellulose with acid, alkali, and cellulase solubilized¹⁴C, which was analyzed by HPLC and TLC. Reverse-phase HPLC demonstrated that¹⁴C-ferulic and coumaric acid were bound primarily to carbohydrate and lignin, respectively. Gel permeation chromatography by HPLC of¹⁴C solubilized by treatment with 1M NaOH confirmed that the majority of the¹⁴C was incorporated into high molecular weight material. No¹⁴C was detected in either hexoses or pentoses obtained from the lignocellulose and only a minor amount was present as¹⁴C-phenylalanine. These studies show that (¹⁴C-lignin) grass lignocelluloses must be carefully characterized before being used as defined substrates for biodegradation studies. Coniferyl alcohol was synthesized by a route derived from those of Nakamura et al. (1974) and Nakamura and Higuchi (1976). DHP was then prepared by a modification of the method of Brunow and Wallin (1981) in which solutions of coniferyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide were added alternately by a computer controlled HPLC system so that the coniferyl alcohol concentration was maintained below 1 mM throughout the synthesis. The DHP obtained was characterized by HPLC gel permeation chromatography and by NMR. The results of these analyses will be discussed.     

Antioxidative properties of defatted dabai pulp and peel prepared by solid phase extraction

Solid phase extraction (SPE) using Sep-Pak^? cartridges is one of the techniques used for fractionation of antioxidant compounds in waste of dabai oil extraction (defatted dabai parts). The aim of this study was to determine the phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity in crude extracts and several SPE fractions from methanolic extract of defatted dabai pulp and peel. Based on SPE, Sep-Pak^? cyanopropyl and C₁₈ cartridges were used to fractionate the antioxidant-rich crude extracts into water and methanolic fractions. Analyzed using LC-MS, flavonoids, anthocyanins, saponin derivatives and other unknown antioxidative compounds were detected in the defatted dabai crude extracts and their SPE fractions. Anthocyanins were the major phenolic compounds identified in the defatted dabai peel and detected in most of the SPE fractions. Methanolic fractions of defatted dabai parts embraced higher total phenolics and antioxidant capacity than water fractions. This finding also revealed the crude extracts of defatted dabai peel have the most significant antioxidant properties compared to the methanolic and water fractions studied. The crude extract of defatted dabai parts remain as the most potent antioxidant as it contains mixture of flavonoids, anthocyanins and other potential antioxidants.     

Surface interaction and corrosion inhibition of carbon steel in sulfuric acid using Petroselinum crispum extract

With the aid of the mass loss (ML) method, and a few electrochemical techniques [potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)], the inhibitory impact of Petroselinum crispum (PC) extract on C-steel corrosion in solutions of 1 M sulfuric acid was assessed. By employing Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques, the C-steel surface morphology was investigated. The data showed that the solution of plant extract can be effectively utilized to inhibit C-steel corrosion in solutions of 1 M sulfuric acid. The effectiveness of the extract was enhanced by the higher extract dose and rising temperature. The apparent activation energy and the enthalpy of the dissolution process were determined and discussed. The presence of PC decreases the double-layer capacity from 493.1 to 107.3 μF cm⁻² and raises the charge transfer resistance in a solution of 1 M sulfuric acid from 43.39 to 287.7 Ω cm². PC is a mixed-type inhibitor, as demonstrated by PDP tests. The PC extract demonstrated the highest productivity for the C-steel protection up to 90.2% at 300 ppm from the extract, according with the PDP technique. The attained data indicated that PC extract was adsorbed chemically (ΔG^o_ads > 40 kJ mol⁻¹) onto the surface of the C-steel following the Temkin isotherm. The results of numerous tests appear to agree.     

Separation and identification of bioactive compounds in Anabasis articulata (Forsk) Moq. roots

In the present paper, for the first time, we are interested to separate and identify some bioactive fractions isolated from the roots of a Saharan plant Anabasis articulata, which is widely used in traditional medicine against cancer. The crude methanolic extract of the roots was fractionated on column chromatography, and eluted with dichloromethane/methanol each time with increasing polarity of methanol; 17 fractions were separated. One of these fractions named F12 showed more antioxidant activity to scavenge DPPH free radical with percentage inhibition of 95.29%. F12 was separated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) to give 12 compounds. A second preparative TLC of compound 2, which has antioxidative activity of 74.92%, provided the three phenolic acids M1, M2 and M3, analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography and UV–visible spectrophotometry.     

Silica accumulation in Triticum aestivum L. and Dactylis glomerata L

The silica accumulation in orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has been studied in plant samples grown under defined conditions in a pot trial. The plant habit and the quantity of biomineralised silica within the selected Gramineae depend to a remarkable extent on the soil. The plants grew with different soil pH values and silica additives. By means of atomic absorption spectrometry, the silicon enrichment in different plant parts was determined. In dried plant parts the silica bodies can be well distinguished by variable pressure scanning electron microscopy in the back scattering mode. They are located in silica cells below the epidermis and in epidermal appendices (bristles, prickle hairs). The silica bodies showed a defined morphology, structure and composition which was elucidated by the combined performance of scanning electron microscopy in combination with X-ray spectroscopy, solid-state nuclear resonance, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The composition was near to stoichiometric SiO(2) (41 weight% silicon, 56 weight % oxygen), and the SiO(4/2)tetrahedra were arranged preferentially in three-dimensional networks; a smaller proportion was in chains and layers. The silica bodies with an overall amorphous structure contained crystalline precipitates, which could be indexed by alpha-quartz.     

In vitro effect of wheat bran (Triticum aestivum) extract on calcium oxalate urolithiasis crystallization

Urolithiasis can lead to the loss of renal function in some cases. In this study, we tested the inhibiting effect of wheat bran (Triticum aestivum L) extract on calcium oxalate crystallization in a turbidimetric model, by FTIR spectroscopy, and polarized microscopy. The results show that this plant extract has a major inhibitory effect on calcium oxalate crystallization.     

Dry deposition velocity of iodine-129 onto grass as obtained by field measurements in the environment of a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant

The deposition velocity of gaseous organic¹²⁹I species from the exhaust air stack of the Karlsruhe reprocessing plant onto pasture grass was measured by a field experiment. By simultaneously measuring the amount of¹²⁹I deposited per unit area of pasture grass and the time integrated mean air concentration of¹²⁹I a deposition velocity of V_g=5.8×10^–1 /cm s^–1/ onto pasture grass was determined.     

Iodide and iodine uptake in plants

The influence of chemical forms of iodine (I^– and I₂) on the uptake by wheat plant (Triticum aestivum) as a function of growth, in terms of days since germination, has been studied. The normalized amount on fresh weight basis of I^– and I₂ absorbed by root, shoot and plant as a whole was determined by independent experiments. Both chemical forms of iodine were tagged with¹³¹I for radiometric assay. The transport index, depletion factor and shoot to root ratios were determined. The total amount of iodine absorbed increases as a function of growth in case of both chemical forms; however, uptake and transportation of I^– is greater as compared to I₂.     

Antimicrobial and antioxidative activities of bioactive constituents from Hydnophytum formicarum Jack

Hydnophytum formicarum Jack. (Rubiaceae) is a medicinal plant whose tubers possesses cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory and antiparasitic effects and have been used for the treatment of hepatitis, rheumatism and diarrhea. Herein we report the isolation of its active constituents and the testing of their antimicrobial activity against 27 strains of microorganisms using an agar dilution method and of their antioxidative activity using the DPPH and SOD assays. The results show that the crude hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate and methanol extracts exert such activities. Particularly, the crude ethyl acetate extract exhibits antigrowth activity against many Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with MIC 256 microg/mL. Shewanella putrefaciens ATCC 8671 is completely inhibited at a lower MIC (128 microg/mL). Interestingly, Corynebacterium diphtheriae NCTC10356 is inhibited by all the tested extracts. Significantly, the ethyl acetate extract is also the most potent antioxidant, showing 83.31% radical scavenging activity with IC50 8.40 microg/mL in the DPPH assay. The other extracts display weak to moderate antioxidative activities, ranging from 28.60-56.80% radical scavenging. The SOD assay shows that methanol extract exhibits the highest activity (74.19% inhibition of superoxide radical). The dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts display comparable SOD activity. The promising bioactivities of the crude ethyl acetate extract guided the first isolation of bioactive flavonoid and phenolic compounds: isoliquiritigenin (2), protocatechualdehyde(3), butin (4) and butein (5) from this species. Their structures have been fully established by 1D and 2D NMR. In addition, stigmasterol was isolated from the crude hexane and dichloromethane extracts. The antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of compounds 3-5 were evaluated. The tested compounds were inactive against HuCCA-1 and KB cell lines,showing ED50> 10 microg/mL. Protocatechualdehyde (3) completely inhibits the growth of Plesiomonas shigelloides with MIC 相似文献   

Determination of Traces of Uranium and Thorium in Environmental Matrices by Neutron Activation Analysis

Radioactive elements like ²³²Th and ²³⁸U along with their daughter products, form part of all environmental matrices and are getting transferred to living beings by different pathways, leading to a continuous radiation exposure and need to be monitored. This paper presents an analytical methodology, highlighting the need to separate interfering beta- and gamma-emitters from the analytes, when neutron activation analysis is employed for the determination of traces of uranium and thorium in soil and plant materials. The method has been applied to the soil and plant materials from selected regions of India, along with standard reference materials to verify the validity of the proposed separation scheme. The overall reproducibility of the procedure was 2–10%. The concentration values of uranium and thorium so obtained, have been used to calculate transfer factors from soil to various parts of wheat plant.     

Application of a new ion-imprinted polymer for solid-phase extraction of bismuth from various samples and its determination by ETAAS

A batch process was developed to extract bismuth ions by a novel and selective sorbent. In this study, a new Bi(III)-ion imprinted polymer was prepared by formation of 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol complex for selective preconcentration of ultra trace amounts of bismuth. Polymerization was performed with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, as crosslinking monomer and methacrylic acid as functional monomer; in the presence of 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile, as initiator, via bulk polymerization. Optimum pH for maximum sorption was 2.5–3.5. Maximum sorbent capacity and enrichment factor for bismuth were 35.9?mg?g^?1 and 300, respectively. The relative standard deviation and limit of detection the method were evaluated as ±4.1% and 8.6?ng?L^?1. This method is simple, selective and sensitive and can be applied to the determination of bismuth in water, biological and plant samples.     

Supercritical fluid extraction of cynaropicrin and 20-hydroxyecdysone from Leuzea carthamoides DC

Leuzea carthamoides is an adaptogenic plant containing biologically active compounds as ecdysteroids and guaianolide-type sesquiterpene lactones, conventionally extracted from the plant with ethanol. It may be a potential source of the mentioned natural compounds. Ethanol-modified near-critical CO(2) was used as selective solvent with the aim to increase the level of 20-hydroxyecdysone in the extract from L. carthamoides roots and to remove selectively cynaropicrin, a sesquiterpene lactone of bitter taste, from the leaves. The extraction conditions were varied (pressure 20-28 MPa, temperature 40-60 degrees C, ethanol concentration in the solvent 0-7.1%) and the extraction yield and extract composition were compared with the results of ethanolic extraction. The supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) from finely powdered plant was controlled by phase equilibrium. Cynaropicrin was quantitatively removed from the leaves where 89% of 20-hydroxyecdysone was retained. The extraction yield of 20-hydroxyecdysone from roots with ethanol-modified CO(2 )was lower by 30% than with ethanol but its concentration in the extract was higher by 67%.     

Changes to the physicochemical characteristics of wheat straw by mechanical ultrafine grinding

To investigate changes on the physicochemical characteristics of wheat straw by mechanical ultrafine grinding, wheat straw powders of four different particle sizes and distributions were produced using a sieve-based Retsch ZM100 grind mill and CJM-SY-B ultrafine vibration grind mill. Changes on the microstructure and physicochemical characteristics of the different powders were assessed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and relevant standard laboratory analysis methods. Ultrafine grinding reduced the crystallite size and crystallinity of the wheat straw. New surfaces were exposed on the ultrafine powder with high levels of cellulose/hemicelluloses components but there was no apparent change in chemical structure. Wheat straw powders were smaller in size but had a higher bulk density (from 0.19 to 0.54 g/mL) and angle of repose (from 46.02° to 55.61°) and slide (from 37.26° to 41.00°). The hydration properties (water-holding capacity and swelling capacity) decreased with reduction in particle size of the wheat straw. Both the sieve-based and ultrafine powder exhibited a good ability to remove Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ and there was marginal improvement when using the ultrafine powder. The thermal stability of the ultrafine powder measured by thermogravimetric analysis decreased significantly because of the low cellulose crystallinity.     

Isolation of Ferulic Acid from Wheat Bran with a Deep Eutectic Solvent and Modified Silica Gel

Five deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were synthesized with choline chloride and glycerol at ratios from 1:1 to 1:5 and used to extract ferulic acid from wheat bran. The DES with choline chloride:glycerol at a 1:2 molar ratio (DES-2) provided the highest extraction yield. The optimal extraction conditions for DES-2 were obtained using response surface methodology with a yield of 5.86?mg?·?g^?1 ferulic acid. The DES-2 was used to modify silica gel and purify ferulic acid from wheat bran by solid-phase extraction (SPE). The yields were compared for silica gel and silica gel modified with ionic liquid. The recoveries for ferulic acid were 64.1, 89.7, and 80.3%, respectively. Silica gel modified with DES-2 provided the highest recovery. The materials were characterized by infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The DESs were used as extraction solvents and to modify silica gel for SPE, expanding their use in the isolation of ferulic acid from wheat bran.