Smilax aspera L. (Smilacaceae), or sarsaparilla, is a wild Mediterranean climbing shrub whose red berries are used in Palestinian folk medicine for inflammatory, rheumatic, and dermatological conditions. Although its leaves, stems, and roots have attracted renewed phytochemical interest, the fruit remains only partly characterized at the compound level. This work determined the phenolic and flavonoid content of wild Palestinian S. aspera fruit extracted with water, 80% ethanol, and 99% ethanol; evaluated antioxidant activity by the DPPH and FRAP assays; screened antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans; fractionated the major UV-active constituents by preparative HPLC-PDA; and characterized them by ESI-MS and MS/MS. Water gave the highest phenolic content (8.21 mg GAE/g), while the FRAP responses of all three extracts were low and below the limit of quantification; 80% ethanol gave the highest flavonoid content (1.22 mg CE/g); and 99% ethanol showed the strongest DPPH activity (5.96 mg TE/g; 78.96% inhibition). Both ethanolic extracts inhibited S. aureus (20 mm) and C. albicans (19–20 mm), but not E. coli, while the aqueous extract inhibited only C. albicans (13 mm). Preparative HPLC-PDA gave eight fractions. Rutin (quercetin-3-O-rutinoside) and a caffeoylquinic acid of the chlorogenic acid type were identified as the main constituents, together with a quercetin-O-hexoside and an isorhamnetin-O-deoxyhexosyl-hexoside accompanied by a minor kaempferol-O-deoxyhexosyl-hexoside. The 80% ethanolic extract caused no visible morphological changes in HT-29 colon cancer cells. Wild Palestinian S. aspera fruit is therefore a source of flavonol glycosides and a caffeoylquinic acid that may contribute to the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of its extracts, which supports further study of the fruit as a nutraceutical ingredient.
The authors would like to make the following correction to their published paper [...]
The species Bidens subalternans DC., belonging to the Asteraceae family, is a native plant of Brazil. The objective of this study was to perform preliminary phytochemical characterization and evaluate the antioxidant activity and acute toxicity of the ethanol extract (EE) and leaf fractions of B. subalternans. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of steroids, saponins, alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids and tannins. Analysis of the EE and the dichloromethane fraction (DCMF) by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) suggested the presence of phytol, ethyl esters, fatty acids, terpenoid compounds, stigmasterol, untriacontane, ketones, and loliolide. The presence of chlorogenic acid, cinnamic acid derivatives, coumaric acid derivatives, caffeic acid derivatives, and flavonoids was putatively assigned using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD). The ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) and DCMF showed higher levels of total phenolic compounds and flavonoids compared to the EE and hydroethanol fraction (HEF) (EAF > DCMF > EE > HEF). In antioxidant activity assays, the EAF exhibited the greatest potential, followed by the DCMF, EE, and HEF. The results showed no mortality of Artemia salina larvae, indicating an absence of acute toxicity under the tested conditions. This study contributes to the preliminary chemical characterization of B. subalternans, toxicity and antioxidant activity in vitro, highlighting it as a potential source of natural antioxidants.
Hydroponic cultivation has emerged as a potential approach for producing plant-derived materials containing bioactive phytochemicals. However, whether hydroponically cultivated mulberry (Morus alba L.) roots exert anti-allergic activity remains unknown. Here, we evaluated the anti-allergic effects of hydroponically cultivated mulberry fibrous root extract and investigated the potential contribution of oxyresveratrol. HPLC analysis demonstrated that the hydroponically cultivated mulberry fibrous root extract contained measurable amounts of oxyresveratrol and several other polyphenols. Oral administration of the extract significantly attenuated passive systemic anaphylaxis and reduced sneezing in an ovalbumin-induced allergic rhinitis model without affecting allergen-specific IgE production. Oxyresveratrol, administered at an amount equivalent to that present in the extract, partially reproduced the protective effect against anaphylaxis. In mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells, oxyresveratrol inhibited IgE-mediated degranulation and suppressed the production of cysteinyl leukotrienes, IL-13, and IL-6. Oxyresveratrol also reduced hydrogen peroxide-induced intracellular ROS accumulation, consistent with its antioxidant activity. Collectively, these findings suggest that hydroponically cultivated mulberry fibrous root extract exerts anti-allergic effects and that oxyresveratrol may contribute to these effects, at least in part, through the suppression of IgE-mediated mast cell activation. These findings provide a basis for further investigation of hydroponically cultivated mulberry fibrous root extract as a potential functional food ingredient.
Natural polyphenols have gained increasing attention as potential anticancer agents, although the selective effects of many plant-derived extracts on cervical cancer cells remain insufficiently characterized. Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) peel, an underutilized agro-industrial by-product enriched in ellagitannins and related polyphenols, represents a promising source of bioactive compounds for nutraceutical and cervical cancer research. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of rambutan peel polyphenolic extract (RPPE) on cervical cancer cells (HeLa) and non-malignant cells. Cell viability, morphological alterations, and transcriptional responses associated with apoptosis, survival, and cell-cycle regulation were examined. RPPE selectively reduced the viability of HeLa cancer cells while exerting limited effects on human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa). Treated HeLa cells exhibited morphological and transcriptional changes consistent with apoptosis and growth inhibition. However, minimal responses were observed in HDF treated with RPPE. Overall, these findings provide evidence that RPPE differentially affects malignant and non-malignant cells, supporting further investigation of rambutan peel-derived polyphenols as sustainable bioactive compounds for cervical cancer research and future nutraceutical applications.
