Antioxidant and Understanding the Anticancer Properties in Human Prostate and Breast Cancer Cell Lines of Chemically Characterized Methanol Extract from Berberis hispanica Boiss. & Reut

The current research was conducted to investigate the chemical profile, antiproliferative, and antioxidant activities of methanol extracts obtained by two different methods including maceration and Soxhlet from Berberis hispanica Boiss. & Reut. Antiproliferative activities were evaluated by the MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay in four human cancer cell lines including prostate (LnCap and 22 RV1) and breast cancer (MDA-MB-231 and MCF7). The antioxidant power was evaluated by DPPH ((2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate), ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), and FRAPS (Ferric reducing antioxidant power) tests. The chemical composition was conducted by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after methylation. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were assessed using the Folin–Ciocalteu method. The phytochemical analysis showed that the tested extracts possessed inserting potentially active compounds. The MTT test revealed that both extracts (maceration and Soxhlet) reduced cell viability in all cell lines tested. In breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, the IC50 values obtained by maceration were 16.55 ± 0.58 and 17.95 ± 0.58 µg/mL, respectively. These values were slightly lower than those obtained with the Soxhlet extract toward MDA-MB-231 (19.93 ± 0.74 µg/mL) and MCF-7 (20.22 ± 0.89 µg/mL). Regarding prostate cancer cells 22 RV and LnCap, the IC50 values obtained by maceration extract (22 RV: 11.75 ± 0.35 µg/mL; LnCap: 11.91 ± 0.54 µg/mL) were also slightly lower than those obtained with Soxhlet (22 RV: 13.47 ± 0.52 µg/mL; LnCap: 19.64 ± 1.05 µg/mL). The antioxidant activity showed that the studied extracts had considerable antioxidant activity (DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS) with particular attention to the extract obtained with maceration. The Berberis hispanica Bois. and Reut. can serve society as it provides potentially bioactive compounds that may find application in the medical sector to control such diseases.

Acute and repeated dose 60-day oral toxicity assessment of chemically characterized Berberis hispanica Boiss. and Reut in Wistar rats

Berberis hispanica Boiss. & Reut (B. hispanica) belongs to the family Berberidaceae, which is currently used in traditional medicines. This article aimed to study the phytochemical composition and acute and subacute toxicity of B. hispanica extract in rats. The phytochemical composition of B. hispanica extract was characterized using GC-MS. The acute toxicity was investigated in vivo via the oral administration of single doses including 400, 800, 1,000, 1,200, and 1,400 mg/kg for 14 days. The subchronic toxicity was studied through oral administration of 400 mg/kg for 60 days. The findings of the phytochemical analysis of B. hispanica extract showed the presence of various phytochemical compounds. Acute toxicity results revealed serious clinical symptoms and mortalities in rats treated with 800 mg/kg up to a maximum of 1,400 mg/kg. With acute toxicity, subchronic toxicity results showed also serious signs of toxicity including biochemical and histological alterations in animals treated with 1,400 mg/kg. B. hispanica extract revealed to be toxic in rats orally treated under both subacute (>400 mg/kg) and subchronic toxicity conditions (400 mg/kg). The outcome of this study serves the society as it provides toxicological evidence of B. hispanica used in alternative medicines

Antistaphylococcal Activity and Phytochemical Analysis of Crude Extracts of Five Medicinal Plants Used in the Center of Morocco against Dermatitis

Novel drugs for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) hospital- and community-acquired infections are needed because of the emergence of resistance against antibiotics. In this study, methanolic and aqueous extracts of Berberis hispanica, Crataegus oxyacantha, Cistus salviifolius, Ephedra altissima, and Lavandula dentata selected from an ethnopharmacological study to treat skin infections in Sefrou city (Center of Morocco) were tested for their antistaphylococcal activity against strains often involved in cutaneous disorders: two methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains and one strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis using the well-diffusion assay, while the agar macrodilution method was used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentrations. The total phenolic compounds and flavonoid contents of all tested extracts were also evaluated. Three of the five methanolic extracts showed an important antibacterial activity. Berberis hispanica extract was the most active with a minimal inhibitory concentration of 04.00 mg/ml against all tested strains, followed by Cistus salviifolius and Crataegus oxyacantha extracts containing the highest amounts of total phenols (133.83 ± 9.03 and 140.67 ± 3.17 μg equivalent of gallic acid/mg of extract). However, the aqueous extracts have not shown any activity against the tested strains. The current data suggested that the most active extracts can be a good source of natural antistaphylococcal compounds and warrants further investigations to isolate bioactive molecules.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Medicinal Plants Used in Sefrou City (Center of Morocco), a Focus of Leishmaniasis

Sefrou city, located in the center of Morocco, is a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis which constitutes a major public health problem. The majority of the rural local population resorts to herbal medicine to cure this parasitic disease. The aim of this study, which has never been undertaken in Sefrou area, was to document the list of medicinal plants used for treating cutaneous leishmaniasis and to verify if their leishmanicidal activity is mentioned in the literature. The current ethnopharmacological study was conducted using a questionnaire based on informations about anti-cutaneous eruption plants used by the local population and prescribed by the herbalists. The present work has taken into consideration the representation of the plant name (local and scientific), the used part, the mode of preparation and administration. A total of 17 plant species belonging to 12 families were mentioned: the Lamiaceae family was the most represented (29.4%) with 5 species, followed by the Myrtaceae family (11.8%) with 2 species. For the rest of the 10 families, they were represented with the same percent (5.9%) which means one species per family. According to the calculated frequency index (FI), the most recommended species were the following: Lavandula dentata (FI = 93.75%), Berberis hispanica (FI = 87.5%), Cistus salviifolius (IF = 87.5%), Crataegus oxyacantha (FI = 81.25%), and Ephedra altissima (FI = 75%). Leaves (29.4%) and flowers (23.5%) were the favored used parts. Decoction (58.82 %) was the most frequently used method to prepare remedies which are taken externally (64.7%). These medicinal plants can be a source of natural leishmanicidal drugs – some of them have already been confirmed experimentally in the bibliography. More indepth investigations must be undertaken to assess the antileishmanial potential of the inventoried plants.

Isolation of phytoconstituents and evaluation of biological potentials of Berberis hispanica from Algeria

<p class="Abstract">The aim of this study was to isolate the phytoconstituents and evaluate the biological activities of <em>Berberis hispanica</em>. Three phenolic compounds (tamarixetin, caffeic acid and rutin) were isolated from <em>B. hispanica</em>. The structures of the pure compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic and mass-spectrometric analyses, including 1D-, 2D-NMR, and HPLC-TOF/MS. In addition, antimicrobial, anti-oxidant and anti-proliferative effects of the extracts, some fractions and isolated compounds were evaluated. The extracts of B. hispanica were evaluated against six bacterial strains and exhibited the highest activity against <em>Klebsiella pneumonia</em> (15 mm at 100 mg/mL). Fraction T36 (IC₅₀&lt;5 μg/mL) from the n-butanol extract displayed higher radical scavenging activity than butylated hydroxytoluene. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative effects against human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cell line by real time cell analyzer assay and tamarixetin exhibited the remarkable effect (IC₅₀&lt;50 μg/mL) on HeLa cells. This study supports the documented medicinal effects of <em>B. hispanica</em>.</p><p class="Abstract"><strong>Video Clip of Methodology</strong>:</p><p class="Abstract">Antiproliferative Assay: 4 min 31 sec <a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/vi_fS47fpY0&amp;t=3s">Full Screen</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi_fS47fpY0&amp;t=3s">Alternate</a></p>