“Smart Extraction Chain” with Green Solvents: Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Picea abies Bark Waste for Pharmaceutical,Nutraceutical and Cosmetic Uses

Secondary metabolites from the sawmill waste Picea abies bark were extracted using an innovative two-step extraction that includes a first step with supercritical CO₂ (SCO₂) and a second step using green solvents, namely ethanol, water, and water ethanol mixture. Maceration (M), ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave assisted extraction (MAE) techniques were applied in the second step. A total of nineteen extract were obtained and yield were compared. Bark extracts were characterized by LC-DAD-MSⁿ and classes of compounds were quantified as abietane derivatives, piceasides, flavonoids, and phenolics to compare different extractions. Obtained extracts were studied by in vitro assay to evaluate potential pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic uses assessing the antioxidant activity as well as the inhibitory activity on target enzymes. Results show that the “smart extraction chain” is advantageous in term of yield of extraction and phytoconstituent concentration. SCO₂ extract, presenting a unique composition with a large amount of abietane derivatives, exerted the best activity for amylase inhibition compared to the other extracts.     

Phenolic Profile,Antioxidant and Enzyme Inhibitory Activities of Leaves from Two Cassia and Two Senna Species

Several species within the genera Cassia or Senna have a treasure of traditional medicines worldwide and can be a promising source of bioactive molecules. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the phenolic content and antioxidant and enzyme inhibition activities of leaf methanolic extracts of C. fistula L., C. grandis L., S. alexandrina Mill., and S. italica Mill. The two Cassia spp. contained higher total polyphenolic content (42.23–49.75 mg GAE/g) than the two Senna spp., and C. fistula had significantly (p ˂ 0.05) the highest concentration. On the other hand, the Senna spp. showed higher total flavonoid content (41.47–59.24 mg rutin equivalent per g of extract) than that found in the two Cassia spp., and S. alexandrina significantly (p ˂ 0.05) accumulated the highest amount. HPLC–MS/MS analysis of 38 selected bioactive compounds showed that the majority of compounds were identified in the four species, but with sharp variations in their concentrations. C. fistula was dominated by epicatechin (8928.75 µg/g), C. grandis by kaempferol-3-glucoside (47,360.04 µg/g), while rutin was the major compound in S. italica (17,285.02 µg/g) and S. alexandrina (6381.85). The methanolic extracts of the two Cassia species exerted significantly (p ˂ 0.05) higher antiradical activity, metal reducing capacity, and total antioxidant activity than that recorded from the two Senna species’ methanolic extracts, and C. fistula displayed significantly (p ˂ 0.05) the highest values. C. grandis significantly (p ˂ 0.05) exhibited the highest metal chelating power. The results of the enzyme inhibition activity showed that the four species possessed anti-AChE activity, and the highest value, but not significantly (p ≥ 0.05) different from those obtained by the two Cassia spp., was exerted by S. alexandrina. The Cassia spp. exhibited significantly (p ˂ 0.05) higher anti-BChE and anti-Tyr properties than the Senna spp., and C. grandise revealed significantly (p ˂ 0.05) the highest values. C. grandise revealed significantly (p ˂ 0.05) the highest α- amylase inhibition, while the four species had more or less the same effect against the α-glucosidase enzyme. Multivariate analysis and in silico studies showed that many of the identified phenols may play key roles as antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties. Thus, these Cassia and Senna species could be a promising source of natural bioactive agents with beneficial effects for human health.     

Anti-Inflammatory and Neuromodulatory Effects Induced by Tanacetum parthenium Water Extract: Results from In Silico,In Vitro and Ex Vivo Studies

Tanacetum parthenium (feverfew) has traditionally been employed as a phytotherapeutic remedy in the treatment of migraine. In this study, a commercial T. parthenium water extract was investigated to explore its anti-inflammatory and neuromodulatory effects. Isolated mouse cortexes were exposed to a K⁺ 60 mM Krebs-Ringer buffer and treated with T. parthenium water extract. The prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) level, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and IL-1β gene expression were evaluated in the cortex. The effects on dopamine (DA) release and dopamine transporter (DAT) gene expression were assayed in hypothalamic HypoE22 cells. A bioinformatics analysis was conducted to further investigate the mechanism of action. The extract was effective in reducing cortex PGE₂ release and IL-1β gene expression. In the same experimental system, IL-10 and BDNF gene expressions increased, and in HypoE22 cells, the extract decreased the extracellular dopamine level and increased the DAT gene expression due to the direct interaction of parthenolide with the DAT. Overall, the present findings highlight the efficacy of T. parthenium water extract in controlling the inflammatory pathways that occur during cortical-spreading depression. Additionally, the inhibition of the hypothalamic DA release observed in this study further supports the role of dopaminergic pathways as key targets for novel pharmacological approaches in the management of migraine attacks.     

Composition of essential oil and antioxidant capacity of Centaurea drabifolia Sm. subsp. detonsa (Bornm.) Wagenitz, endemic to Turkey

In this study, composition of essential oil and antioxidant capacity of Centaurea drabifolia subsp. detonsa were investigated. The antioxidant capacity of the methanolic extract was evaluated by various methods including measuring the total phenolic content, total antioxidant capacity, free radical scavenging activity (DPPH assay), β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching assay and ferric and cupric ion reducing power assay. The composition of essential oil was identified by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Totally, 41 compounds were described in the essential oil. Germacrene D (44.829%) was determined as the major compound of the essential oil. The total phenolic content, total antioxidant capacity, inhibition rate of oxidation of linoleic acid, IC(50) (in DPPH assay) and EC(50) (in reducing power) value were found to be 40.454?mg?GAE/g, 100.840?mg?AAE/g, 65.639%, 39.584?μg?mL(-1) and 0.603?mg?mL(-1), respectively. The results indicated that the extract of C. drabifolia subsp. detonsa has strong antioxidant properties and this species can be used as a natural antioxidant in food processing and pharmaceutical industries.     

Evaluation of oil content and fatty acid composition of five endemic Bupleurum species growing in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey

The fatty acid composition of five endemic Bupleurum (Apiaceae) species was analysed by GC technique for their nutritional value. The amount of oil content of the species varied from 3.77% to 7.03%. Twenty-one fatty acids were identified in the oils. The fatty acid composition of the studied species contained oleic, palmitic and linoleic acids as the major components. Oleic acid ranged from 8.81% to 68.30%, while the levels of palmitic acid were found to be between 12.47% and 47.85%. Bupleurum lycaonicum, Bupleurum sulphureum and Bupleurum heldreichii are very good sources of oleic acid. The remaining species were characterised as containing the highest level of palmitic acid. In this study, the total saturated fatty acids ranged between 15.02 and 65.20%, while total monounsaturated fatty acids were between 18.10 and 70.65%. The total polyunsaturated fatty acid accounted for 13.47-35.20% of the studied fatty acids. Therefore, we can conclude that Bupleurum oils have a significant nutritional value.     

Structural and mechanical stability of rare-earth diborides

Structural and mechanical properties of several rare-earth diborides were systematically investigated by first principles calculations. Specifically, we studied XB2 , where X=Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Lu in the hexagonal AlB2 , ReB2 , and orthorhombic OsB2 -type structures. The lattice parameters, bulk modulus, bond distances, second order elastic constants, and related polycrystalline elastic moduli (e.g., shear modulus, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, Debye temperature, sound velocities) were calculated. Our results indicate that these compounds are mechanically stable in the considered structures, and according to "Chen’s method", the predicted Vickers hardness shows that they are hard materials in AlB2 - and OsB2 -type structures.     

Integrating expert weighting and multi-criteria decision making into eco-efficiency analysis: the case of US manufacturing

In this paper, the effect of weighting strategies on sustainability performance assessment is addressed. Eco-efficiency is used as the main metric for sustainability performance evaluation. An integrated input-output life cycle assessment (LCA) and multi criteria decision making (MCDM) approach is employed. The US manufacturing sectors’ LCA results are used in conjunction with the proposed MCDM framework to perform the eco-efficiency evaluation of 276 US manufacturing sectors. Five environmental impact categories are considered as the negative factors, namely: greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, water withdrawal, hazardous waste generation and toxic releases into air and the economic output of each manufacturing sector is considered to be the positive output. To study the overall impact of different weighting strategies; twenty weighting scenarios are designed. Five pairs of weights considered for the overall economic versus environmental impacts along with four specific weighting strategies based on Harvard, SAB, EPP and Equal weighting for each pair. According to the results of the statistical analysis, it is concluded that the weighing strategies applied to the overall environmental impacts and economic outputs cause statistically significant differences in the eco-efficiency scores.