Phytochemistry, Green Extraction and Biological Activities of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2024) | Viewed by 4172

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Organic Chemistry LR17ES08 (Natural Substances Team), University of Sfax, Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
Interests: Antioxidants; Antioxidant Activity; Phytochemicals; Natural Product; Plant Biology
*
grade
Guest Editor
Groupe de Recherche en Eco-Extraction de Produits Naturel, Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, Université d´Avignon et des Pays du Vaucluse, 84029 Avignon, France
Interests: green extraction; alternative solvents; innovative technologies; original procedures; microwave; ultrasound; intensification
* We dedicate the memory of the editor, Prof. Dr. Farid Chemat, who passed away during this special issue period.
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Equipe BTSB-EA 7417, Institut National Universitaire Jean-François Champollion, Université de Toulouse, Place de Verdun, 81012 Albi, France
Interests: analytical chemistry; mass spectrometry; peptides; applied microbiology; chromatography

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since ancient time, plants have been the main source of medicines and all human societies have practically utilized plants not only as sources of nutrition but also as therapy against diseases and ailments. Plants contain various phytochemicals which can play an important role in reducing occurrences of many diseases (such as diabets, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and cancer) by boosting up various organ functions of the human body. It is well known that conventional drugs usually contain synthetic active ingredients with several undesirable side effects. To remedy these drawbacks, researchers have resorted to herbal medicine, which consists of the use of drugs containing active ingredients derived from medicinal plants (extracts, pure products, essential oils) which have no undesirable effects. Natural products and their derivatives represent more than 50% of all drugs in clinical used in the world. It is also a fact that one quarter of all medicinal prescriptions are formulations based on substances resulting from plants or plant derived synthetic analogs. It is estimated that only 20 % of plants were studied until now. Hence, researchers are called upon to develop many more phytochemical studies aimed in the extraction (green or conventional extraction methods), isolation and identification of biomolecules with high added value as well as to evaluate their biological activities. These hits would be interesting ingredients in various medicinal and agro-food preparations. This Special Issue is dedicated to publishing original investigations dealing with extraction, biomolecules isolation and identification as well as biological activities of medicinal and aromatic plants. Researches dealing with valorisation of plant  by-products throw biomolecules green-extraction are also welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Noureddine Allouche
Prof. Dr. Farid Chemat
Dr. Nathan Téné
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • aromatic and medicinal plants
  • phytochemistry
  • spectroscopic analysis
  • green extractions
  • biological activities

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3488 KiB  
Article
Edible Medicinal Guava Fruit (Psidium guajava L.) Are a Source of Anti-Biofilm Compounds against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
by Christian Emmanuel Mahavy, Andriantsihoarana Jonathan Razanatseheno, Adeline Mol, Jeremie Ngezahayo, Pierre Duez, Mondher El Jaziri, Marie Baucher and Tsiry Rasamiravaka
Plants 2024, 13(8), 1122; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13081122 - 17 Apr 2024
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Abstract
Psidium guajava is one of the most common edible medicinal plants frequently used in Malagasy traditional medicine to treat gastrointestinal infections. In order to evaluate their probable antibacterial activities, three organic extracts (successive extractions by hexane, dichloromethane, and ethanol) of ripe guava fruits [...] Read more.
Psidium guajava is one of the most common edible medicinal plants frequently used in Malagasy traditional medicine to treat gastrointestinal infections. In order to evaluate their probable antibacterial activities, three organic extracts (successive extractions by hexane, dichloromethane, and ethanol) of ripe guava fruits were assessed for their bactericidal and anti-virulence properties against P. aeruginosa PAO1. Although these three extracts have shown no direct antibacterial activity (MIC of 1000 µg/mL) and, at the non-bactericidal concentration of 100 µg/mL, no impact on the production of major P. aeruginosa PAO1 virulence factors (pyocyanin and rhamnolipids), the hexane and dichloromethane extracts showed significant anti-biofilm properties and the dichloromethane extract disrupted the P. aeruginosa PAO1 swarming motility. Bioguided fractionation of the dichloromethane extract led to the isolation and identification of lycopene and β-sitosterol-β-D-glucoside as major anti-biofilm compounds. Interestingly, both compounds disrupt P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm formation and maintenance with IC50 of 1383 µM and 131 µM, respectively. More interestingly, both compounds displayed a synergistic effect with tobramycin with a two-fold increase in its effectiveness in killing biofilm-encapsulated P. aeruginosa PAO1. The present study validates the traditional uses of this edible medicinal plant, indicating the therapeutic effectiveness of guava fruits plausibly through the presence of these tri- and tetraterpenoids, which deserve to be tested against pathogens generally implicated in diarrhea. Full article
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22 pages, 3846 KiB  
Article
HPLC-HESI-MS/MS Analysis of Phenolic Compounds from Cynoglossum tubiflorus Leaf Extracts: An Assessment of Their Cytotoxic, Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Properties
by Dhouha Dallali, Jawhar Fakhfakh, Cédric Paris, Nissaf Aoiadni, Stéphanie Philippot, Arnaud Risler, Mihayl Varbanov and Noureddine Allouche
Plants 2024, 13(6), 909; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13060909 - 21 Mar 2024
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Abstract
The current study aimed to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic properties of three extracts (hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol) from Cynoglossum tubiflorus. The composition of the methanolic extract was elucidated using HPLC-HESI-MS/MS analysis. The antioxidant effect was examined using NO, DPPH, [...] Read more.
The current study aimed to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic properties of three extracts (hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol) from Cynoglossum tubiflorus. The composition of the methanolic extract was elucidated using HPLC-HESI-MS/MS analysis. The antioxidant effect was examined using NO, DPPH, FRAP, and TAC assays. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by broth microdilution using various bacterial strains such as S. aureus, S. epidermidis, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, and K. pneumoniae. Structural disruptions in Gram-positive bacteria were visualized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cytotoxic effects were evaluated on human MRC-5 in culture according to the MTT assay. The outcomes suggest that methanol extract contained a high amount of phenolic compounds (254.35 ± 0.360 mg GAE/g DE and 211.59 ± 0.939 mg QE/g DE). By applying the HPLC-HESI-MS/MS analysis, 32 compounds were identified, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignans, and fatty acids. This extract showed strong antioxidant (IC50 = 0.043 ± 0.001 mg/mL) and antimicrobial (MIC = 156 µg/mL) activities. The SEM suggests that cells exhibited membrane distortions characterized by surface depressions and alterations in bacterial shape, including dents, when compared to untreated cells. The in vitro cytotoxicity effect on human MRC-5 cells showed no toxicity effects at a concentration of 600 µg/mL. In silico analysis predicted low toxicity for all tested compounds across four different administration routes. This research indicates that this plant could be explored as a powerful source of natural drugs to target pathogens, with applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and medical industries. Full article
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14 pages, 1020 KiB  
Article
Isolation and Characterization of Anti-Inflammatory Compounds from Ficus microcarpa L.f. Stem Bark
by Mohan Kalaskar, Vivek Redasani, Muniappan Ayyanar, Mahavir Ghante, Sandip Firke, Kapil Agrawal, Vilas Ghawate, Sanjay Surana, Saud Alarifi, Rupesh Chikhale and Shailendra Gurav
Plants 2023, 12(18), 3248; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12183248 - 13 Sep 2023
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Abstract
The anti-inflammatory effect of the ethyl acetate extract of F. microcarpa bark (EAFMB) was investigated in acute and chronic (21 days) inflammation induced in Wistar albino rats. EAFMB (200 mg/kg b.w.) exhibited comparable anti-inflammatory effects to the reference drug, with a reduction of [...] Read more.
The anti-inflammatory effect of the ethyl acetate extract of F. microcarpa bark (EAFMB) was investigated in acute and chronic (21 days) inflammation induced in Wistar albino rats. EAFMB (200 mg/kg b.w.) exhibited comparable anti-inflammatory effects to the reference drug, with a reduction of 59.48% at 4 h in acute inflammation and 83.96% on day 21 in chronic inflammation. Bioassay-guided fractionation using DPPH radical scavenging activity led to isolating and identifying three compounds from EAFMB: oleanolic acid, catechin, and p-hydroxycinnamic acid. All these compounds demonstrated the concentration-dependent inhibition of COX enzymes and the protection of egg albumin from heat-induced denaturation. Catechin exhibited the highest COX inhibition (COX-1 and COX-2 IC50 = 9.02 and 50.38 μM, respectively) and anti-denaturation effect (IC50 = 27.13 μg/mL) compared to oleanolic acid and p-hydroxycinnamic acid. These isolated compounds are likely responsible for the anti-inflammatory activities of F. microcarpa bark. Full article
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