Heba A. S. El-Nashar

A root extract of Persicaria vivipara exhibited significant anti-diarrheal activity, with GC-MS-identified compounds showing potential interactions with opioid receptors via molecular docking.

Fraxinus xanthoxyloides Wall. ex DC (Family-Oleaceae) is a tiny tree found in arid highlands, often referred to as “Afghan ash”. This study aimed to explore F. xanthoxyloides bark extract as a potential anti-diabetic agent by conducting GC-MS analysis along with in vitro and in vivo studies. F. xanthoxyloides bark methanol extract (FXBM) was fractionated with n-hexane (FXBH), followed by chloroform (FXBC), ethyl acetate (FXBE), and residual aqueous fraction (FXBA). GC-MS and HPLC-MS analysis of the total extract were performed. The inhibitory activities against α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and DPP4 were assessed for the extract and its fractions. The in vivo study included five groups: control group, diabetic control, groups pretreated with alloxan (150 mg/kg) + glibenclamide (5 mg/kg), group pretreated with alloxan (150 mg/kg) + FXBH (200 mg/kg), and group pretreated with alloxan (150 mg/kg) + FXBH (400 mg/kg). Further, a histopathological investigation was conducted. GC-MS analysis of FXBM revealed the presence of 17 compounds predominated by esters (17.9%), polyols (16.35%), and O -glycosides (12.24%). Among all extract/fractions, FXBH showed maximum α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and DPP4 inhibition when compared to acarbose and berberine, respectively. It also achieved the highest glucose uptake among all extract/fractions when compared with metformin. HPLC-DAD analysis showed the presence of gallic acid (3.29 µg/mg), catechin (4.23 µg/mg), caffeic acid (6.05 µg/mg), ferulic acid (2.99 µg/mg), and quercetin (6.4 µg/mg). FXBH-treated rats showed a significant increase in body weight and reduced blood glucose levels ( p < 0.05) from days 1–30. The biochemical parameters like triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol, lipase, amylase, C-reactive protein, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine, HbA1c, and urea were decreased, while high-density lipoprotein was elevated, compared to diabetic control. Histopathological studies demonstrated restoration of pancreatic β-cells. In conclusion, F. xanthoxyloides bark extract exhibited potential antidiabetic effects; meanwhile, further studies are recommended to characterize the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and synergistic effects with standard drugs.

Schinopsis balansae is a tannin-rich tree belonging to the family Anacardiaceae, native to the Gran Chaco region of Argentina, and cultivated in Egypt. This study was performed to characterize the bioactive compounds of the 80% methanol extract of S. balansae leaves using HPLC-ESI/MS-MS technique, coupled with the assessment of in vitro anti-aging enzyme inhibition assays. Further, total phenolic and flavonoid content and molecular docking studies were conducted. High performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization coupled with mass fragmentation (HPLC-ESI/MS-MS) was used to tentatively identify the phyto-constituents of S. balansae leaf extract. The phenolic and flavonoid contents were assessed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE) and rutin equivalents (RE). Further, the anti-skin aging potential was investigated via assessment of elastase and collagenase inhibition assays. The in silico molecular docking studies were conducted on 7EST elastase and 2TCl collagenase. The HPLC/MS analysis revealed the identification of twenty-two compounds of different chemical classes like flavonoids, phenolic acids, and tannins. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were 399.29 ± 13.23 µg gallic acid equivalent/mg and 8.25 ± 0.63 µg rutin equivalent/mg, respectively. The extract exhibited significant collagenase (IC ₅₀ = 48.08 ± 3.42 µg/mL) and elastase (IC ₅₀ = 18.02 ± 1.57 µg/mL) inhibitory activities, suggesting its potential in combating skin aging. In silico molecular docking studies validated the interactions of major compounds like quercetin- O -benzoyl-hexoside and 5-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxy-6,8-dimethyl homo-isoflavone with these enzymes. This study provides a scientific rationale for the anti-skin-aging potential of S. Balansae leaf extract, supporting its utilization in innovative anti-wrinkle formulations.

Cancer poses a significant threat to the well-being and life of millions of people worldwide. There are several modern and costly synthetic treatments available to fight cancer and limit its fatality, but they suffer from serious adverse effects. Nature provides humanity with different sources of bioactive compounds that can interact with anticancer targets through innovative strategies. Natural alkaloids represent a substantial division of the research arena, predominantly in the field of cancer treatment over the years. They exhibit molecular diversity and novel biofunctionalities with superior efficacy and availability. This chapter is designed to provide a comprehensive summary of natural anticancer alkaloids isolated from medicinal plants, marine organisms, and endophytic fungi, focusing on their potential therapeutic applications and anticancer mechanisms of action. Different research engines such as Clarivate Analytics, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, MDPI, PubMed, and Google Scholar were used for literature analysis. This chapter builds a solid foundation of anticancer natural alkaloids that help oncologists and drug scientists to identify natural anticancer candidates for further experiments, such as pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, in vivo studies, and clinical trials.

This manuscript presents original research on Salvadora persica fruit, investigating its antioxidant and metabolic properties using in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches in high‐fat‐diet induced hyperlipidemic rat models. Nutritional profiling, phytochemical analysis (TPC, DPPH, FRAP, ABTS), and GC–MS analysis identified key bioactive compounds. The antioxidant tests revealed high activity of the methanolic extract, with TPC (62.1 mg GAE/g), DPPH (67.8%), FRAP (335.4 μmol Fe ²⁺ /g), and ABTS (540.2 μmol Trolox/g) assays. GC–MS analysis revealed oleic acid as the predominant compound (56.64%), followed by (9E,11E)‐octadecadienoic acid (18.10%) and n ‐hexadecanoic acid (10.92%). Molecular docking studies confirmed strong binding affinities with HMG‐CoA reductase. Furthermore, in vivo studies in male Wistar albino rats ( n = 5 per group) confirmed that S. persica significantly restored antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, Catalase, and GSH) and reduced oxidative stress markers (MDA and NO) in a dose‐dependent manner ( p < 0.05). Lipid parameters (TG, TC, LDL, and VLDL) in animals treated with S. persica were significantly reduced, and liver and kidney markers, including AST, ALT, creatinine, and urea, were significantly improved ( p < 0.05). Additionally, glucose levels in hyperlipidemic rats treated with S. persica methanolic extract were lower than those in the negative control ( p < 0.05). These results underscore the promising antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, hepatoprotective, and renoprotective potential of the methanolic extract of S. persica .

Pain is one of the most pervasive health problems associated with a negative impact on thinking, mood, psychological, and social communication. The medicinal plants and their derived compounds have recently attracted great interest as potential candidates for defeating pain because of their worldwide safety, availability, and affordability. This review was constructed to summarize all in vitro and in vivo studies and clinical trials regarding plant‐derived compounds' analgesic and antinociceptive effects. Further, we focus on structural aspects, molecular mechanisms, and pharmacological effects. A literature survey was performed in “PubMed,” “Science Direct,” and “Google Scholar,” using the keywords “Pain, Analgesic activity, Flavonoids, Phenolics, Medicinal plants, Volatile oils, Tannins, Saponins, Alkaloids” to assess the activities of each compound. The main natural compounds studied were flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, lignans, anthraquinones, and volatile oils. Different in vitro studies utilized nucleus pulposus cells, VK2/E6E7, End1/E6E7, and LPS‐stimulated RAW264.7 cells to assess analgesic effects. The frequently defined animal models of analgesic activity included acetic acid‐induced abdominal constrictions, hot‐plate test, tail‐flick test, formalin test, complete Freund's adjuvant‐induced pain, and hind paw incisional surgery. For the natural compounds described, the opioids, serotonergic, and cannabinoid receptors appeared to be the most promising targets for pain management. This review suggested a wealthy resource of natural compounds as analgesic and antinociceptive candidates for pharmacists and drug researchers to launch a new drug with promising efficacy and safety.

Pimenta racemosa var. recemosa (Mill.) J. W. Moore is an aromatic plant belonging to the family Myrtaceae, native to Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica and well-known for its traditional and medicinal uses. Our study was designated to explore the chemical composition of essential oil isolated from P. racemosa leaves growing in Egypt via Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, alongside investigation of its antioxidant properties and enzyme inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), tyrosinase, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase. The GC-MS analysis of the leaf oil revealed the presence of fourteen compounds (99.76%), predominated by eugenol (70.87%), β-myrcene (12.88%) and D-limonene (8.35%). The oil demonstrated the highest antioxidant capability in ferric ion-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP; 1506.62 mg TE/g), followed by 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS; 1346.85 mg TE/g), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH; 1032.83 mg TE/g) and cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC; 1001.03 mg TE/g). Further, it showed a metal chelating ability (MCA) of 25.63 mg EDTAE/, and phosphomolybdenum (PBD) activity of 209.59 mmol TE/g. The oil displayed significant AChE and BChE inhibitory activities, with values of 1.96 mg GALAE/g and 1.42 mg GALAE/g, respectively. Additionally, it exhibited a moderate level of tyrosinase inhibitory activity (38.83 mg KAE/g) and a significantly higher α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (2.38 mmol ACAE/g) than α-amylase (0.08 mmol ACAE/g). Consequently, the leaf oil of Pimenta racemosa could be used as adjuvant therapy for management of oxidative stress-related conditions and chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes mellitus, and skin pigmentation. However, further toxicological, in vivo and clinical studies are recommended.

Bougainvillea glabra is a well-known and well-documented ornamental plant belonging to family Nyctaginaceae, always planted for its beautifully colored flowers. The current study was performed for profiling the metabolites of B. glabra leaf extract. Further, the leaf extract was evaluated using the total phenolic and total flavonoid assays and profiling using UPLC/MSⁿ for the leaf extract’s secondary metabolites. The leaf extract was also subjected to several antioxidant assays, viz. DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, metal chelating, and phosphomolybdenum tests, as well as enzyme inhibition assays such as α-amylase, α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). The results showed that the total phenolic and flavonoid contents were 27.68 mg GAE/g and 31.76 mg RE/g, respectively. Besides, twenty-one metabolites were tentatively identified and quantified, where flavonoids and phenolic acids constituted the most abundant classes of compounds. The molecular docking experimentss showed that the most abundant components, namely rhamnocitrin-O-rutinoside, sagerinic acid, tri-O-caffeoyl-shikimic acid, and chlorogenic acid, had the best scores when docked in the vicinity of the selected enzyme targets. The extract recorded a potentially powerful antioxidant activity, compared to the used standards, while it showed a good inhibitory effect against AChE (2.40 mg GALAE/g) and BChE (1.95 mg GALAE/g). The tyrosinase-inhibiting effect was 48.23 mg CAE/g. The amylase and glucosidase inhibitory effects were 0.30 mmol ACAE/g and 0.03 mmol ACAE/g, respectively. Thus, this study suggests that B. glabra may not only act as an ornamental plant, but also it may be a promising source for effective phytochemicals that act as antioxidants and enzyme inhibitors, which may play a role in reversing the aging process and age-related ailments like diabetes.

Background/Objectives: Haloxylon griffithii is a medicinal plant possessing therapeutic effects in disorders associated with the gastrointestinal (GIT) system. This research aims to study the pharmacological activity of Haloxylon griffithii in a multidimensional manner, involving phytochemistry screening and in vitro and in vivo experiments. Methods: The whole dried plant was extracted with 80% methanol and further fractionation using solvents of increasing polarity. GC-MS analysis was performed on the crude extract to discover volatile compounds. The spasmolytic/spasmogenic effect was assessed in isolated rabbit jejunum using spontaneous and K⁺-induced contractions, as well as contractions induced by increasing concentrations of calcium ions in depolarized tissue. Antidiarrheal activity was evaluated in Swiss albino rats/mice (n = 6/group) using castor oil-induced diarrhea and peristaltic index models. In silico ADMET screening was conducted via SwissADME and pkCSM. Results: The GC-MS profiling of H. griffithii revealed the presence of 59 phytochemicals and a rare azulene derivative and constituents, including α-santonin and hexadecanoic acid esters, with favorable pharmacokinetic profiles, as predicted using SwissADME and pkCSM computational tools. The in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed the significant calcium channel blocking activity in non-polar fractions (n-hexane and ethyl acetate), while the polar extracts (ethanolic, aqueous) exhibited cholinergic effects, indicating a dual mode of action. Conclusions: This was a first-time demonstration of both antidiarrheal and smooth muscle-relaxant activity in H. griffithii, supported by GC-MS profiling and pharmacological assay. The findings lend scientific credibility to the traditional use of the plant in community healthcare, while also reinforcing the need for further pharmacological and clinical studies to explore its potential in drug development.