Browsing by Author "Stefanucci, Azzurra"
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- Exploring the halophyte Cistanche phelypaea (L.) Cout as a source of health promoting products: In vitro antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties, metabolomic profile and computational studiesPublication . Trampetti, Francesca; Pereira, Catarina; Rodrigues, Maria Joao; Celaj, Odeta; D'Abrosca, Brigida; Zengin, Gokhan; Mollica, Adriano; Stefanucci, Azzurra; Custódio, LuísaIn this study, ethyl acetate, acetone, ethanol and water extracts from flowers, stems and roots of Cistanche phelypaea (L.) Cout were appraised for radical scavenging activity (RSA) towards 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl,2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and superoxide free radicals, and for metal chelating activities on iron and copper ions. The water extracts had the highest antioxidant activity, especially those from roots and flowers, and were further appraised for in vitro inhibition of enzymes implicated on the onset of human ailments, namely acetyl- (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) for Alzheimer's disease, alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase for diabetes, and tyrosinase for skin hyper-pigmentation disorders. The extracts had a higher activity towards BuChE, and the roots extract had the highest capacity to inhibit tyrosinase. Samples showed a low capacity to inhibit carbohydrate hydrolysing enzymes, except for the root extract with a good inhibition on glucosidase. Samples were then characterized by NMR (1D and 2D): the main metabolites identified in the flowers extract were iridoid glycosides, in particular gluroside and bartsioside. In stems, phenylehanoid glycosides (PhGs) and iri doids were detected, especially acteoside. In roots were detected essentially PhGs, mainly echinacoside and tubuloside A. Docking studies were performed on the identified compounds. A favorable binding energy of tubuloside A to tyrosinase was calculated, and indicated this compound as a possible competitive inhibitor of alpha-glucosidase and tyrosinase. Our results suggest that C. phelypeae is a promising source of biologically-active compounds with health promoting properties for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
- Scrophularia lucida L. as a valuable source of bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical applications: In vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, enzyme inhibitory properties, in silico studies, and HPLC profilesPublication . Zengin, Gokhan; Stefanucci, Azzurra; Rodrigues, Maria Joao; Mollica, Adriano; Custodio, Luisa; Aumeeruddy, Muhammad Zakariyyah; Mahomoodally, Mohamad FawziThe genus Scrophularia has received much interest with regards to its traditional uses against eczema, psoriasis, and mastitis. Yet, the medicinal properties of some species still need to be scientifically validated. The present study was designed to investigate into the biological properties of various solvent extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, and aqueous) of the roots and aerial parts of Scrophularia lucida based on its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and enzyme inhibitory activities together with phytochemical screening. Our results revealed that the solvent extracts differed in their biological effectiveness. The root ethyl acetate extract showed the highest ABTS scavenging, FRAP, CUPRAC, and inhibitory activity against AChE and alpha-glucosidase. The ethyl acetate extract of the aerial parts displayed the highest BChE and alpha-amylase inhibition and antioxidant effect in the phosphomolybdenum assay, while the methanol extracts of both parts were the most effective DPPH center dot scavengers and tyrosinase inhibitors. The methanol extracts of the root and aerial parts also inhibited NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine leukemic monocyte-macrophage cell (4.99% and 10.77%, respectively), at 31.25 mu g/mL concentration. The highest TPC (34.98 mg GAE/g extract) and TFC (48.33 mg RE/g extract) were observed in the ethyl acetate extract of the root and aerial parts, respectively. The most abundant compounds in the root ethyl acetate extract were luteolin (852 mu g/g extract), rosmarinic acid (522 mu g/g extract), and hesperidin (394 mu g/g extract) while kaempferol was most abundant in the ethyl acetate extract of the aerial parts (628 mu g/g extract). In silico experiments were conducted on tyrosinase and the higher docking values were observed for rosmarinic acid and hesperidin. The present findings provide base line information which tend to support the potential use of S. lucida in the management of several chronic diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and diabetes mellitus. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.