Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most prevalent cancer worldwide. The emergence of drug resistance and other adverse effects in available anticancer options are challenging to explore natural sources. The current study was designed to decipher theArnebia nobilis(A. nobilis) extracts for detecting phytochemicals, in-vitro evaluation of antioxidative and cytotoxic potentials, and in-silico prediction of potent anticancer compounds. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, phenols, tannins, alkaloids, quinones, and cardiac glycosides, in the ethanol (ANE) and n-hexane (ANH) extracts ofA. nobilis.ANH extract exhibited a better antioxidant potential to scavenge DPPH, nitric oxide and superoxide anion radicals than ANE extract, which showed better potential only against H2O2radicals. In 24 h treatment, ANH extract revealed higher cytotoxicity (IC50value: 22.77 µg/mL) than ANH extract (IC50value: 46.74 µg/mL) on cancer (HepG2) cells without intoxicating the normal (BHK) cells using MTT assay. A better apoptotic potential was observed in ANH extract (49.10%) compared to ANE extract (41.35%) on HepG2 cells using the annexin V/PI method. GCMS analysis of ANH extract identified 35 phytocompounds, from which only 14 bioactive compounds were selected for molecular docking based on druggability criteria and toxicity filters. Among the five top scorers, deoxyshikonin exhibited the best binding affinities of − 7.2, − 9.2, − 7.2 and − 9.2 kcal/mol against TNF-α, TGF-βR1, Bcl-2 and iNOS, respectively, followed by ethyl cholate and 2-Methyl-6-(4-methylphenyl)hept-2-en-4-one along with their desirable ADMET properties. The phytochemicals of ANH extract could be used as a promising drug candidate for liver cancer after further validations.
Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have emerged as a promising approach for the removal of organic dyes from effluents. Different AOPs were employed for the degradation of Reactive Yellow 160A (RY-160A) dye, i.e., SnO2/UV/H2O2 and TiO2/UV/H2O2. In the case of UV treatment, maximum degradation of 28% was observed, while UV/H2O2 furnished 77.78% degradation, and UV/H2O2/TiO2 degraded the RY-160A dye up to 90.40% (RY-160A 30 mg/L, 0.8 mL of H2O2). The dye degradation was 82.66% in the case of UV/H2O2/SnO2 at pH 3. FTIR and LC-MS analyses were performed in order to monitor the degradation by-products. The cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of RY-160A dye were evaluated by hemolytic and Ames (TA98 and TA100 strains) assays. It was observed that the RY-160A dye solution was toxic before treatment, and toxicity was reduced significantly after treatment. Results indicated that UV/H2O2/TiO2 is more efficient at degrading RY-160A versus other AOPs, which have potential application for the remediation of dyes in textile effluents.
Utilizing medicinal plants and other natural resources to prevent different types of human cancers is the prime focus of attention. Cervical cancer in women ranks as the fourth most common type of malignancy. The current study used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to identify the active phytochemical constituents from Caladium lindenii leaf extracts using ethanol (ECL) and n-hexane (HCL) solvents. Plant extracts were tested for potential cytotoxic effects on HeLa and HEK-293 T cells using the MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) and the crystal violet assays. SYBR Green-based real-time PCR was performed to assess the mRNA expression profile of the apoptosis biomarkers (BCL-2 and TP53). The molecular interaction of the compounds with the targeted proteins (TP53, BCL2, EGFR, and HER2) was determined using molecular docking. GC–MS analysis revealed a total of 93 compounds in both extracts. The ECL extract significantly reduced the proliferation of HeLa cervical cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 40 µg/mL, while HEK-293 T cells showed less effect (IC50 = 226 µg/mL). The quantitative RT-PCR gene expression analysis demonstrated the ethanol extract regulated TP53 and BCL2 mRNA expressions in treated cancer cell samples. Heptanediamide, N,Nʹ-di-benzoyloxy-(− 10.1) is the best-docked ligand with a TP53 target found in the molecular docking study, whereas EGFR/Clionasterol had the second highest binding affinity (− 9.7), followed by EGFR/Cycloeucalenol (− 9.6). It is concluded that ECL extract has promising anti-cervical cancer potential and might be valued for developing new plant-derived anticancer agents after further investigations.
In recent years, a cancer research trend has shifted towards identifying novel therapeutic compounds from natural assets for the management of cancer. In this study, we aimed to assess the cytotoxic activity of Kigelia Africana (KA) extracts on breast cancer (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7) and noncancerous kidney cells (HEK-293T) to develop an efficient anticancer medication. We used gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS to analyze the constituents of EKA and HKA extracts meanwhile the crystal violet and the MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) assays were used to examine the possible cytotoxic effects of plant extracts on our cancer cell lines along with non-cancerous control. The quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) was run on cell samples to evaluate the differential expression of cell proliferative markers of cancer (BCL-2 and TP53). These phytochemicals have been reported to have binding affinity for some other growth factors and receptors as well which was evaluated by the in-silico molecular docking against Bcl2, EGFR, HER2, and TP53. Our Morphological observation showed a significant difference in the cell morphology and proliferation potential which was decreased under the effect of plant extracts treatment as compared to the control samples. The ethanol extract exhibited a marked antiproliferative activity towards MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines with IC50 = 20 and 32 μg/mL, respectively. Quantitative RT-PCR gene expression investigation revealed that the IC50 concentration of ethanolic extract regulated the levels of mRNA expression of apoptotic genes. With the target and active binding site amino acids discovered in the molecular docking investigation, TP53/Propanoic acid, 3-(2, 3, 6-trimethyl-1, 4-dioxaspiro [4.4] non-7-yl)-, methyl ester (-7.1 kcal/mol) is the best-docked ligand. The use of this plant in folk remedies justifies its high in vitro anti-cancer capabilities. This work highlights the role of phytochemicals in the inhibition of cancer proliferation. Based on all these findings, it can be concluded that EKA extract has promising anti-proliferative effect on cancerous cells but more study is required in future to further narrow down the active ingredients of total crude extract with specific targets in cancer cells.
This study focused on the assessment of the antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from bovine mastitis milk samples and the revealing anti-mastitis potential of phytocompounds of Ziziphus jujube and Acacia nilotica through molecular docking analysis. The mastitis milk samples were collected from various dairy farms for the isolation of the bacteria (S. aureus and E. coli) and their response to antibiotics. Ethanolic extracts of both plants were prepared. Their antibacterial activity was evaluated, and they were processed for phytochemical analysis after which, molecular docking analysis with pathogenic proteins of the bacteria was carried out. Parametric and non-parametric statistical analyses were performed to reach the conclusions of this study. The findings of the study revealed a higher drug resistance (≥40%) of E. coli against ampicillin, amikacin, and vancomycin, while S. aureus exhibited the highest resistance to ampicillin, erythromycin, and ciprofloxacin. The ethanolic extracts of the Ziziphus jujube and Acacia nilotica plants produced a ZOI between 18 and 23 mm against multidrug-resistant S. aureus and E. coli. Gas chromatography–mass spectrophotometry (GC–MS) was used to explore 15 phytocompounds from Ziziphus jujube and 18 phytocompounds from Acacia nilotica. The molecular docking analysis of 2cyclopenten−1-one,3,4,4 trimethyl and Bis (2ethylhexyl) phthalate of Ziziphus jujube showed a binding affinity of −4.8 kcal/mol and −5.3 kcal/mol and −5.9 kcal/mol and −7.1 kcal/mol against the DNA Gyrase and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 proteins of S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. The suberic acid monomethyl ester of Acacia nilotica showed a binding affinity of −5.9 kcal/mol and −5 kcal/mol against the outer membrane protein A and Topoisomerase IV protein of E. coli and −5.1 kcal/mol and −5.8 kcal/mol against the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 and Enterotoxin B proteins of S. aureus. Similarly, 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol di-iso-butyrate showed a binding affinity of −6.5 kcal/mol and −5.3 kcal/mol against the outer membrane protein A and Topoisomerase IV of E. coli and −5.2 kcal/mol and −5.9 kcal/mol against the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 and Enterotoxin B proteins of S. aureus, respectively. The study concluded that there was an increasing trend for the antimicrobial resistance of S. aureus and E. coli, while the Ziziphus jujube and Acacia nilotica plant extracts expressed significant affinity to tackle this resistance; hence, this calls for the development of novel evidence-based therapeutics.