Uwaisu Iliyasu

The study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant properties, chemical composition, and total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the stembark from Breonadia salicina. Furthermore, lead compounds were studied for their possible antioxidant and anticancer effects using in silico analysis. Antioxidant activity was measured using the ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic) acid) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assays. The chemical composition was analyzed with LCMS/LC-HRM (Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry) technique. The ethyl acetate (EAS) fraction derived from Stembark exhibited significant antioxidant properties, as evidenced by its total phenolic content (146.8 ± 1.2 mg GAE/g), flavonoid contents (84.7 ± 4.6 mg Rutin/g), DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity, yielding values of 279.7 and 259 μg/mL, respectively. A total of twenty-one compounds were identified within the EAS fraction. Notably, compounds 7, 18, and 19 recorded the highest docking scores of -9.2, -9.2, and -9.3 (kcal/mol, respectively. Compounds 1, 5, 8, 9, and 13 demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against ovarian cancer, with a probability (Pa) greater than 0.92. Furthermore, compounds 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 19, and 21 exhibited strong IC50 values of less than 1 µM. Among these, compounds 1 and 19 received the highest predictive scores from the three in silico assessment tools employed. Anacardic acid (compound 1) and SSR161421 (compound 19) achieved the best results, being recognized by two of the three anticancer in silico tools. These lead compounds may serve as promising candidates for the development of therapeutic agents aimed at specifically targeting cancer cells.

The growing interest in health-promoting food options has highlighted the need to explore new sources with unique nutritional compositions. Plants are rich sources of bioactive compounds with biological effects. Urelytrum giganteum Pilg is a perennial wild tufted grass that grows in dry tropical African countries. Traditionally, it has been used to treat several diseases, however, up to date, no study has been done on this plant. This study analyzed the solvent extraction of Urelytrum giganteum Pilg, a perennial wild tufted grass in dry tropical African countries, to determine its proximate analysis, antioxidant potential, chemical composition, antimicrobial efficacy, and molecular docking. The Soxhlet extraction method was employed, and the obtained extracts were subjected to phytochemical evaluation, DPPH radical scavenging activity, a scavenging assay of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), disk diffusion evaluation and molecular docking studies. The phytochemicals identified included alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenolic substances, tannins, carbohydrates, terpenes, and C-glycosides. The ethanol extract showed the highest activity in terms of DPPH (70.2 μg/mL), H2O2 (60.7 μg/mL), and alpha glycosidase (72.3 μg/mL) activities and antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae (17 mm). Most of the phytochemicals demonstrated notable inhibitory activity, with Stigmasterol showing the highest inhibition score. This underscores the potential of U. giganteum as a promising nominee for the pharmaceutical industry. The identified phytochemical and antioxidant compounds could be promising nutraceuticals or food additives for overall well-being.

Quail egg yolk oil (QEYO) has a rich history of medicinal use, showcasing heightened antioxidant and bioactive properties in our prior studies. This positions QEYO as a promising candidate for therapeutic and cosmetic applications. In this investigation, QEYO was extracted using ethanol/chloroform and 2-propanol/hexane solvents. GC–MS and FTIR analyses quantified 14 major bioactive compounds in the ethanol/chloroform fraction and 12 in the 2-propanol/hexane fraction. Toxicity evaluations in fruit flies, spanning acute, sub chronic, and chronic exposures, revealed no adverse effects. Negative geotaxis assays assessed locomotor activity, while biochemical assays using fly hemolymph gauged antioxidant responses. Real-time PCR revealed the relative expression levels of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory genes. FTIR spectra indicated diverse functional groups, and the GC–MS results associated bioactive compounds with the regulation of the anti-inflammatory genes EIGER and UPD2. While no significant change in SOD activities was noted, male flies treated with specific QEYO doses exhibited increased catalase activity and total antioxidant capacity, coupled with a significant decrease in their malondialdehyde levels. This study offers valuable insights into the bioactive compounds of QEYO and their potential regulatory roles in gene expression.