Ayurvedic preparation of Zingiber officinale Roscoe: effects on cardiac and on smooth muscle parameters

The rhizome of the Zingiber officinale Roscoe, a biennial herb growing in South Asia, is commonly known as ginger. Ginger is used in clinical disorders, such as constipation, dyspepsia, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting and its use is also recommended by the traditional medicine for cardiopathy, high blood pressure, palpitations and as a vasodilator to improve the circulation. The decoction of ginger rhizome is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine. In this papery by high-performance liquid chromatography, we have seen that its main phytomarkers were 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol and 6-shogaol and we report the effects of the decoction of ginger rhizome on cardiovascular parameters and on vascular and intestinal smooth muscle. In our experimental models, the decoction of ginger shows weak negative inotropic and chronotropic intrinsic activities but a significant intrinsic activity on smooth muscle with a potency on ileum is greater than on aorta: EC₅₀ = 0.66 mg/mL versus EC₅₀ = 1.45 mg/mL.     

Biosynthesis and Anti-Mycotoxigenic Activity of Zingiber officinale Roscoe-Derived Metal Nanoparticles

Mycotoxigenic fungi have attracted special attention due to their threat to food security and toxicity to human health. Aqueous extract of Zingiber officinale Roscoe was used as reducing and capping agent for the synthesis of silver (AgNPs), copper (CuNPs), and zinc oxide (ZnONPs) nanoparticles. UV-Visible spectra of the AgNPs, CuNPs, and ZnONPs showed absorption peaks at λ_max 416 nm, 472 nm, and 372 nm, respectively. Zeta potential of AgNPs, CuNPs, and ZnONPs were −30.9, −30.4 and −18.4 mV, respectively. ZnONPs showed the highest activity against Aspergillus awamori ZUJQ 965830.1 (ZOI 20.9 mm and MIC 24.7 µg/mL). TEM micrographs of ZnONPs-treated A. awamori showed cracks and pits in the cell wall, liquefaction of the cytoplasmic content, making it less electron-dense. The sporulation and ochratoxin A production of A. awamori was inhibited by ZnONPs in a concentration-dependent pattern. The inhibition percentage of OTA were 45.6, 84.78 and 95.65% for 10, 15, 20 of ZnONPs/mL, respectively.     

Solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis of Zingiber officinale and Curcuma longa

SPME analysis of Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Curcuma longa L. were performed by using a DVB/CARB/PDMS fiber. The SPME analysis of Zingiber officinale showed that the main components found were camphene (7.27%), geranial (8.37%), α-zingiberene (14.50%), α-farnesene (9.14%), β-bisabolene (6.52%), and β-sesquiphellandrene (9.92%). The SPME analysis of Curcuma longa showed that main components were p-cymene (12.96%) and ar-turmerone (12.08%). Other components were β-phellandrene (7.86%), terpinolene (6.97%), ar-curcumene (8.53%), α-zingiberene (8.46%), and β-sesquiphellandrene (7.37%).     

GC-MS,LC-MS/MS,Docking and Molecular Dynamics Approaches to Identify Potential SARS-CoV-2 3-Chymotrypsin-Like Protease Inhibitors from Zingiber officinale Roscoe

This study aims to identify and isolate the secondary metabolites of Zingiber officinale using GC-MS, preparative TLC, and LC-MS/MS methods, to evaluate the inhibitory potency on SARS-CoV-2 3 chymotrypsin-like protease enzyme, as well as to study the molecular interaction and stability by using docking and molecular dynamics simulations. GC-MS analysis suggested for the isolation of terpenoids compounds as major compounds on methanol extract of pseudostems and rhizomes. Isolation and LC-MS/MS analysis identified 5-hydro-7, 8, 2′-trimethoxyflavanone (9), (E)-hexadecyl-ferulate (1), isocyperol (2), N-isobutyl-(2E,4E)-octadecadienamide (3), and nootkatone (4) from the rhizome extract, as well as from the leaves extract with the absence of 9. Three known steroid compounds, i.e., spinasterone (7), spinasterol (8), and 24-methylcholesta-7-en-3β-on (6), were further identified from the pseudostem extract. Molecular docking showed that steroids compounds 7, 8, and 6 have lower predictive binding energies (MMGBSA) than other metabolites with binding energy of −87.91, −78.11, and −68.80 kcal/mole, respectively. Further characterization on the single isolated compound by NMR showed that 6 was identified and possessed 75% inhibitory activity on SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease enzyme that was slightly different with the positive control GC376 (77%). MD simulations showed the complex stability with compound 6 during 100 ns simulation time.     

Pressurized liquid extraction of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) with bioethanol: an efficient and sustainable approach

To develop an efficient green extraction approach for recovery of bioactive compounds from natural plants, we examined the potential of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) with bioethanol/water as solvents. The advantages of PLE over other extraction approaches, in addition to reduced time/solvent cost, the extract of PLE showed a distinct constituent profile from that of Soxhlet extraction, with significantly improved recovery of diarylheptanoids, etc. Among the pure solvents tested for PLE, bioethanol yield the highest efficiency for recovering most constituents of gingerol-related compounds; while for a broad concentration spectrum of ethanol aqueous solutions, 70% ethanol gave the best performance in terms of yield of total extract, complete constituent profile and recovery of most gingerol-related components. PLE with 70% bioethanol operated at 1500 psi and 100 °C for 20 min (static extraction time: 5 min) is recommended as optimized extraction conditions, achieving 106.8%, 109.3% and 108.0% yield of [6]-, [8]- and [10]-gingerol relative to the yield of corresponding constituent obtained by 8h Soxhlet extraction (absolute ethanol as extraction solvent).     

Change of Triglyceride Composition of Cucurbitaceae and Taraxacum officinale Seed Oil During Ripening

The change of triglyceride composition in seeds of certain plants of the Cucurbitaceae family and Taraxacum officinale during ripening was studied by HPLC. A small decrease in the content of palmitic derivatives in Cucurbitaceae seed oil and a questionable change of the triglyceride composition of T. Officinale seed oil were found. Data for the triglyceride composition were compared with calculations performed assuming an equally probable statistical distribution of fatty-acid radicals.     

液质联用技术研究人参与干姜或赤芍配伍前后人参皂苷及其抗氧化活性的变化

采用高效液相色谱与电喷雾质谱联用技术(HPLC-ESI-MS),对不同质量比的人参与干姜或赤芍配伍过程中人参皂苷的变化进行了研究,发现随加入的干姜量增加,共煎液中的人参皂苷含量依次降低;少量的赤芍可以使各皂苷的溶出量增加;同时测定了人参单煎液、人参与干姜、赤芍共煎液中正丁醇提取物和水提物的抗氧化活性。 以抗坏血酸(500 μmol/L)作对照,人参与干姜、赤芍配伍溶液的抗氧化活性比人参单煎液要好,同时人参与干姜、赤芍共煎液中正丁醇提取物的FRAP(铁离子还原/抗氧化能力测定)值分别为1562.29和2969.78 μmol/L,高于人参与2种药单煎液（1260.27和2502.07 μmol/L）之和。     

Comparative study on fatty acid composition of olive (Olea europaea L.), with emphasis on phytosterol contents

The present study was designed to determine the fatty acid composition and phytosterol contents of Turkish native olive cultivars, namely Kilis Yağlık and Nizip Yağlık cv. In this context, olive fruits from 34 locations were sampled and then screened for their components in comparison. Fifteen different fatty acids were found in both olive oils. In the order of abundance, the most important ones were oleic acid (18:1) > palmitic acid (16:0) > linoleic acid (18:2) > stearic acid (18:0). Significant differences were observed in the contents of oleic acid (18:1), palmitic acid (16:0), linoleic acid (18:2) but not for stearic acid content in comparison both oils (p < 0.01). There were significant differences in terms of unsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (p < 0.01). The seven phytosterols – cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, β ‐sitosterol, Δ‐5‐avenasterol, Δ‐7‐stigmastenol and Δ‐7‐avenasterol – were studied in both oil sources. The predominant sterols were β ‐sitosterol, Δ5‐avenasterol and campesterol in the samples analysed. However, no significant differences were found in the levels of the phytosterols between the two olive cultivars.     

Chemical composition and antioxidant,antibacterial activity of Cirsium rivulare (Jacq) All. roots

The mixture of three phytosterols (campesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol), β-sitosterol 3-O-glucoside and syringin were isolated from hexane and methanol extract of Cirsium rivulare roots after chromatographic separation. The main component of the source was syringin which was obtained with the yield 0.08% of the dry source. In hexane extract, the qualitative and quantitative composition of fatty acids was determined. The predominant component was linoleic acid (23.31 mg/g of extract). The extracts showed antioxidant activity. The ability to scavenge DPPH? free radical was in correlation with appointed total phenol content. The not-defatted methanolic extract was the most active. Hexane and defatted methanol extracts showed moderate antibacterial activity against G(+) and G(?) strains with MIC and MBC ranged from 25 to 200 μg/mL.     

Proliferative and antioxidant activity of Symphytum officinale root extract

The root of Symphytum officinale L. is commonly used in folk medicine to promote the wound healing, reduce the inflammation and in the treatment of broken bones. The objective of our investigation was to analyse the extract from S. officinale in term of its antioxidant activity and the effect on cell viability and proliferation of human skin fibroblast (HSF). Moreover, the quantification of main phenolics and allantoin was conducted using HPLC–DAD method. Five compounds were found: rosmarinic, p-hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, chlorogenic and p-coumaric acid. DPPH, FRAP and TPC assay showed the high antioxidant activity of the extract. MTT test proved the stimulatory effect on cell metabolism and viability of HSF cells. Moreover, no changes in cytoskeleton structure and cells shape were observed. The obtained results indicate that non-toxic extract from S. officinale root has strong antioxidant potential and a beneficial effect on human skin fibroblasts.     

Rapid analysis of the essential oils from dried Illicium verum Hook. f. and Zingiber officinale Rosc. by improved solvent-free microwave extraction with three types of microwave-absorption medium

A new method of extracting essential oils from dried plant materials has been studied. By adding a microwave-absorption medium (MAM) to a reactor, solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) was improved and can be used to extract essential oils from dried plant material without pretreatment. With a microwave irradiation power of 85 W it took only approximately 30 min to extract the essential oils completely. The whole extraction process is simple, rapid, and economical. Three types of MAM, iron carbonyl powder (ICP), graphite powder (GP), and activated carbon powder (ACP), and two types of dried plant material, Illicium verum Hook. f. and Zingiber officinale Rosc., were studied. The results were compared with those obtained by use of conventional SFME, microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD), and conventional hydrodistillation (HD), and the conclusion drawn was that improved SFME was a feasible means of extracting essential oils from dried plant materials, because there were few differences between the composition of the essential oils extracted by improved SFME and by the other methods.     

Fatty acid composition of wild edible mushrooms species: A comparative study

A comparative study was developed on the total fatty acids composition of twelve wild edible mushroom species (Suillus bellini, Suillus luteus, Suillus granulatus, Hygrophorus agathosmus, Amanita rubescens, Russula cyanoxantha, Boletus edulis, Tricholoma equestre, Fistulina hepatica, Cantharellus cibarius, Amanita caesarea and Hydnum rufescens). In order to define qualitative and quantitative profiles, combined fatty acids were hydrolyzed with potassium hydroxide/methanol and all free compounds were derived to their methyl ester forms with methanolic boron trifluoride, followed by analysis by GC-MS. Thirty fatty acids were determined. As far as we know, the fatty acid profiles of A. caesarea and H. rufescens are described for the first time. As for the remaining species, a high number of new compounds were identified, which much improved the knowledge about their fatty acids profiles. In general, oleic, linoleic, palmitic and stearic acids were present in highest contents. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, valuable healthy compounds for humans, predominated over saturated fatty acids for all the studied mushroom species. R. cyanoxantha presented the highest fatty acids amounts, while B. edulis was the poorest species. By Agglomerative Hierarchic Cluster Analysis the studied species were gathered in 5 groups, based in their fatty acid patterns.     

In-vitro investigation on antiurolithiatic activity and phytochemical examination of Aerva lanata and Bryophyllum pinnatum: A comparative study

Using the titrimetry method, the researchers hope to discover the kidney stone dissolving properties of the ethyl acetate extracts of Bryophyllum pinnatum and Aerva lanata. The ethyl acetate extract of B. pinnatum has the ability to dissolve calcium oxalate crystals and exhibited strong antiurolithiatic properties, according to the findings. Both extracts outperformed the conventional medication Neeri in terms of antiurolithiatic activity. The phytochemicals included in both plant extracts were studied using HPLC analysis. As a result, ethyl acetate extract of B. pinnatum can be used as an alternative for the treatment of kidney stones in this investigation.     

Plants of the Genus Zingiber: A Review of Their Ethnomedicine,Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

Plant of the genus Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) have primarily distributed in subtropical and tropical Asia, South America and Africa. The species of this genus have been widely used as food and in folk with a long history for treating various diseases. Reports related to the phytochemistry and phytochemistry of Zingiber species are numerous, but articles on the summary of the genus Zingiber remain scarce. This review aims at presenting comprehensive information about the genus Zingiber and providing a reference for the future application by systematically reviewing the literature from 1981 to 2020. Currently, a total of 447 phytochemical constituents have been isolated and identified from this genus, in which volatile oils, diarylheptanoids, gingerols, flavonoids and terpenoids are the major components. Gingerols, which are the main functional components, are the spicy and aromatic ingredients in the Zingiber species. Extracts and single compounds from Zingiber plants have been discovered to possess numerous biological functions, such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, larvicidal, antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities. This review provides new insights into the ethnomedicine, phytochemistry and pharmacology of the genus Zingiber and brings to the forefront key findings on the functional components of this genus in food and pharmaceutical industries.     

A comparative study of phytochemical metabolites and antioxidant properties of Rhodiola

Rhodiola crenulata (RC) and Rhodiola fastigiata (RF) are representative species of Rhodiola with well-accepted health benefits; the roots are the medicinal part. However, prior to this study, the differences in phytochemicals between these two species and different parts of the same species remained unclear. Using LC-ESI-MS/MS, HS-SPME-GC–MS, chemical and sensory analyses, volatile compounds and non-volatile compounds, and antioxidant activities of the roots of Rhodiola crenulata and Rhodiola fastigiata and four parts (roots, leaves, flowers, and above-ground stems) of RC were investigated. The volatile compounds and non-volatile compounds of RC roots exhibited upregulation overall compared to those of RF roots, and the odorousness, phenolic content, and antioxidant activity were more pronounced in the RC roots. The phenolic content and antioxidant activity of roots and leaves, alongside the odorousness of roots and flowers, were more significant among the four parts of RC, and the RC roots and RC flowers exhibited similar odorousness. Comparison of non-volatile differential metabolites between RC roots and RC leaves showed upregulations of saccharides and phospholipids, and minor upregulations of flavonoids and phenylpropanoids in the roots; in addition, amino acids, organic acids, and vitamins were upregulated in the leaves. These results revealed the following: 1) RC roots are superior to RF roots regarding volatile compounds and non-volatile compounds, and antioxidant activity; 2) it is more favorable to select RC roots for exploiting volatile compounds compared with RC flowers in consideration of the biomass available; 3) in terms of non-volatile compounds, and antioxidant ability, RC leaves are also of great value in addition to RC roots, though these two parts show distinct characteristics.     

Modelling of acid-base equilibria in binary-solvent systems: A comparative study

A new approach to modelling of some binary (hydro-organic, HL/H₂O + B) acid-base systems with organic co-solvent B fully miscible with water, is suggested and applied for the determination of acidity parameters pK for some weak acids HL. The models are designed to get the pK = pK(x) relationships (x—mole fraction of B in H₂O + B) from results of pH titrations made in such systems and for the determination of pK_B = pK(1) for HL in pure B. The Redlich-Kister equation, together with its asymmetric extensions, and the Legendre functions with orthogonal polynomials, appeared to be suitable for such purposes.     

Calendula officinalis-based green synthesis of titanium nanoparticle: Fabrication,characterization, and evaluation of human colorectal carcinoma

Calendula officinalis is a flowering plant with various applications in traditional medicine. The herbal products of the plant are also used in pharmaceuticals or food. In this study. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles were synthesized using Calendula officinalis extract in an aqueous medium. The plant extract plays a role as the stabilizing and reducing agent. The nanoparticles were characterized by UV–Vis. and FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, and Energy EDS techniques. In the cellular and molecular part of the recent study, the treated cells with TiNPs@C. officinalis were assessed by MTT assay for 48 h about the cytotoxicity and anti-human colorectal carcinoma properties on normal (HUVEC) and colorectal carcinoma cell lines i.e. WiDr, SW1417 [SW-1417], DLD-1, and LS123. According to the XRD analysis, 15.68 nm was measured for TiNPs crystal size. SEM images exhibited a uniform spherical morphology in range size of 15.72—40.74 for the biosynthesized nanoparticles respectively. In the antioxidant test, the IC50 of TiNPs@C. officinalis and BHT against DPPH free radicals were 212 and 173 µg/mL, respectively. The IC50 of TiNPs@C. officinalis were 181, 250, 271, and 215 µg/mL against WiDr, SW1417 [SW-1417], DLD-1, and LS123 cell lines, respectively. The viability of malignant colorectal cell line reduced dose-dependently in the presence of TiNPs@C. officinalis.     

Competitive Binding of Drugs to the Multiple Binding Sites on Human Serum Albumin: A calorimetric study

A multiple-site competitive model has been developed to evaluate quantitatively the equilibrium competition of drugs that bind to multiple classes of binding sites on human serum albumin (HSA). The equations, which are based on the multiple-class binding site model, assume that competition exists at individual sites, that the binding parameters for drug or drug competitor pertain to individual sites, and also that the binding parameters for drug or competitor at any given site are independent of drug or competitor bound at other sites. For the drug-competitor pairs, ethacrynic acid (EA) -caproic acid (C6), -lauric acid (C12), and -palmitic acid (C16), the reaction heat of EA binding to HSA was measured in the absence and the presence of fatty acids at the molar ratio of 3:1 with HSA at pH 7.4 and 37°C by isothermal titration microcalorimetry. The calorimetric titration data induced by the presence of fatty acids were directly compaired to the computer simulation curves by the corresponding multiple-site competititve models, which were precedently calculated from binding parameters of EA and fatty acids. In the case of EA-C12 or -C16 competitive binding, EA binding at the first and the second classes of binding sites on HSA were instantaneously inhibited by C12 or C16, resulting that the binding constant of the first class of binding sites of EA were decreased and that the second class of binding sites on HSA entirely disappeared. In the competition between EA and C6, the first class of binding sites of EA was diminished by C6, resulting in the decrease of the binding constants and the number of binding sites in the first class of EA, whereas, the second class of binding sites was unaffected. The multiple-site competitive model assuming site-site competition could be directly comparable to the calorimetric data and be suitable to account for the competitive processes for drugs bound to the multiple-class of binding sites on HSA.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A comparative CP/MAS 13C-NMR study of cellulose structure in spruce wood and kraft pulp

CP/MAS ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy in combination with spectral fitting was used to study the supermolecular structure of the cellulose fibril in spruce wood and spruce kraft pulp. During pulping, structures contributing to inaccessible surfaces in the wood cellulose are converted to the cellulose I allomorph, that is, the degree of order is increased. This increase is also accompanied by a conversion of cellulose I to cellulose I. Cellulose from wood composed of different cell types, that is, compression wood, juvenile wood, earlywood, latewood and normal wood exhibited a similar supermolecular structure. Assignments were made for signals from hemicellulose which contribute significantly to the spectral C-4 region (80–86 ppm) in kraft pulp spectra but substantially less to the corresponding region in wood spectra.     

Molecular modeling of the intestinal bile acid carrier: A comparative molecular field analysis study

A structure–binding activity relationship for the intestinal bile acidtransporter has been developed using data from a series of bile acid analogsin a comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA). The studied compoundsconsisted of a series of bile acid–peptide conjugates, withmodifications at the 24 position of the cholic acid sterol nucleus, andcompounds with slight modifications at the 3, 7, and 12 positions. For theCoMFA study, these compounds were divided into a training set and a test set,comprising 25 and 5 molecules, respectively. The best three-dimensionalquantitative structure–activity relationship model found rationalizesthe steric and electrostatic factors which modulate affinity to the bile acidcarrier with a cross-validated, conventional and predictive r²of 0.63, 0.96, and 0.69, respectively, indicating a good predictive model forcarrier affinity. Binding is facilitated by positioning an electronegativemoiety at the 24–27 position, and also by steric bulk at the end of theside chain. The model suggests substitutions at positions 3, 7, 12, and 24that could lead to new substrates with reasonable affinity for the carrier.