Fatema R. Saber

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Basil oils have been traditionally used for alleviating various diseases. This study investigated the chemical profile and anticancer activity of five basil oils’ varieties (purple, lemon, Italian, Asian, and local). Hydrodistilled oils were analyzed using GC–MS, identifying 44 volatile constituents mainly belonging to oxygenated monoterpenes and phenylpropanoid derivatives. PCA and OPLS-DA analyses demonstrated classification into three clusters: lemon basil, Italian basil, and a third group including purple, Asian, and local basil. Linalool and eugenol were identified as key markers for lemon and Italian basil, respectively. Lemon basil exhibited the most potent anticancer activity against the human epidermoid carcinoma cell line (A431), with a high selectivity index. PLS regression attributed this activity to linalool, neral, and geranial. Mechanistically, lemon basil oil induced antiproliferative effects via S-phase arrest and promoted apoptosis, as confirmed by annexin V-FITC/PI staining. Additionally, p53 and Bax proteins were upregulated. The oil showed modest inhibitory activity against CDK2 and TrkA (IC ₅₀ = 55.4 and 103.99 µg/mL), which was consistent with docking analysis of the most abundant compound; linalool. Lemon basil oil represents a promising candidate for skin cancer therapy, warranting further investigation of its active constituents. Consequently, lemon basil oil would be a promising remedy against skin cancer after performing further safety and efficacy studies.

Aromatic Cymbopogon grasses are valued for their culinary and medicinal applications, yet most species remain underexplored compared to C. citratus. In this study, the aroma profile of leaves from 4 Cymbopogon species ( C. citratus , C. nardus , C. martini and C. procerus ) was characterized using headspace-SPME-GC-MS-based analysis alongside lemongrass essential oil identifying 44 volatiles. C. citratus , C. nardus , C. procerus , and lemongrass oil were rich in aldehydes, predominantly citral isomers, neral (24.6–33.9%) and geranial (38.5–57.1%), while geraniol alcohol (86.6%) characterized C. martini . Multivariate data analyses were utilized for species classification but failed to reveal geographical origin. The vapor-phase antibacterial activity of Cymbopogon leaves, lemongrass oil, and citral was evaluated against multidrug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens ( Enterococcus faecalis , Staphylococcus aureus , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Acinetobacter baumannii , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Enterobacter cloacae ). Each specimen revealed inhibition of all Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria except E. faecalis , for which only one C. citratus ( ctr3 ) and lemongrass oil were effective at vapor-phase minimum inhibitory concentration (VP-MIC) 1.57 mg/mL and 0.1 µg/mL, respectively. Lemongrass oil showed higher activity than citral against K. pneumoniae (0.05 vs. 0.1 µg/mL) and A. baumannii (0.08 vs. 0.12 µg/mL). The composition of C. procerus aroma is revealed for the first time along its antibacterial effects.

Sideroxylonal B, a natural dimeric acylphloroglucinol, demonstrates promising anticancer potential through a dual mechanism of action involving both cytotoxicity and selective enzyme inhibition. In preliminary screening against the NCI 60 human tumor cell line panel at a concentration of 10 ^–5 M, sideroxylonal B exhibited moderate but selective antiproliferative activity, particularly against leukemia (CCRF‐CEM, RPMI‐8226), breast (MCF7), and renal (CAKI‐1) cancer cell lines. Notably, sideroxylonal B selectively inhibits tumor‐associated carbonic anhydrase isoforms hCA IX and XII ( K _i = 28.1 and 44.4 µM), with minimal inhibition of isoforms hCA I and II. Molecular docking and MM‐GBSA binding energy simulations corroborated its selective interaction profile, highlighting its preferential binding to the more accommodating active sites of hCA IX and XII via hydrogen bonds and π–π interactions. The compound showed no antiviral activity against coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) or Human Herpes virus type 1 (HHV‐1). These findings suggest sideroxylonal B as a novel and selective natural carbonic anhydrase inhibitor with a unique structural scaffold, to be further explored for its potential application in targeted cancer therapy.

Although Psidium cattleianum (strawberry guava, Myrtaceae) is known for its anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic properties, its phytochemical profile and associated bioactivities remain largely underexplored. This study employed UHPLC‐QTOF‐HRMS for untargeted phenolic profiling of leaf and fruit extracts from P. cattleianum , followed by semi‐quantification of phenolic subclasses and multivariate data analysis. Four hundred sixty‐nine metabolites, including various phenolic subclasses—predominantly flavonoids and phenolic acids were— identified and annotated. Using HEK‐293 cells stably transfected with TRPA1 or TRPV1 cation channels, it was found that both leaf and fruit extracts activate and rapidly desensitize TRPA1 in a concentration‐dependent manner (EC ₅₀ 18 and 30 μg/mL; IC ₅₀ 60 and 47 μg/mL, respectively). Additionally, molecular docking analysis provided deeper insights into the interactions between P. cattleianum phytochemicals and the TRPA1 cation channel, identifying theaflavin 3,3'‐ O ‐digallate as the phenolic compound with the highest affinity (S score of −9.27 Kcal/mol). Interestingly, except for theaflavin 3,3'‐ O ‐digallate, compounds enriched in the leaf extract exhibited weaker binding interactions and lower S scores (approximately −7 Kcal/mol) compared to those enriched in the fruit extract. Also, a 100 ns molecular dynamics study of theaflavin 3,3'‐ O ‐digallate with TRAP1 demonstrated high binding stability of the complex. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into the phytochemical characteristics of P. cattleianum extracts and reveals their mechanism of action through affinity for the TRPA1 cation channel‐receptors.

Background: The present study aims to enhance the wound healing potential of the seed oil (SO) of Lagenaria siceraria (Egyptian cultivar) via the preparation of SO-loaded binary nanoethosomal (SO-BNE) gels. SO-BNEs were prepared using 2³ factorial design, characterized for vesicle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, linoleic and oleic acid EE% for ensuring improved skin permeability. The L. siceraria SO, optimized SO-BNE gels (0.5% and 5%) and Mebo® were topically applied in full-thickness wounded rat model twice daily for 10 days. Results: In the SO-BNE gel groups, the normal appearance of the skin architecture and structure of the dermis was revealed. In addition, the levels of NRF2, TGF-β1 and FOXO1, collagen type I, SMA-α and MIP2 were significantly elevated. The wound healing potential of SO-BNE gels was proposed to be via suppression of oxidative stress and stimulation of skin regeneration biomarkers. Furthermore, the SO screening through GC/MS unveiled high percentages of unsaturated fatty acids. SO was also found to be nontoxic to human skin fibroblast cells; enhanced viability and migration rates at concentration of 50 g/mL by 99.76% and 75.9%, respectively. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that the Lagenaria siceraria SO-loaded BNE gels represent a promising delivery for wound healing with enhanced release and bioavailability.

In this study, flower and leaf extracts of Colvillea racemosa were considered a source of bioactive compounds. In this context, the objective of the study focused on investigating the anticancer potential as well as the phytochemical composition of both extracts. The extracts were analyzed by UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS, and the bioactivity was tested using in vitro antioxidant assays (FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS) in addition to cytotoxic assays on non-small cell lung cancer cell line (A549). Our results clearly indicated the potent radical scavenging capacity of both extracts. Importantly, the flower extract exhibited a greater antioxidant capacity than the leaf extract. In terms of cytotoxic activity, leaf and flower extracts significantly inhibited cell viability with IC₅₀ values of 17.0 and 17.2 µg/mL, respectively. The phytochemical characterization enabled the putative annotation of 42 metabolites, such as saccharides, phenolic acids, flavonoids, amino acids, and fatty acids. Among them, the flavonoid C-glycosides stand out due to their high relative abundance and previous reports on their anticancer bioactivity. For a better understanding of the bioactive mechanisms, four flavonoids (vitexin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, luteolin, and isoorientin) were selected for molecular docking on hallmark protein targets in lung cancer as represented by γ-PI3K, EGFR, and CDK2 through in-silico studies. In these models, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and vitexin had the highest binding scores on γ-PI3K and CDK2, followed by isoorientin, so they could be highly responsible for the bioactive properties of C. racemosa extracts.