Natural antioxidants derived from plants have been proven to have significant inhibitory effects on the free radicals of living organisms during actively metabolization. Excessive production of free radicals increases the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and motor sclerosis. This study aimed to compare the ethnopharmacological effects of Urtica dioica (UD), Matricaria chamomilla (MC), and Murraya koenigii (MK) on the amelioration of rotenone-induced toxicity in wild-type Drosophila melanogaster (Oregon R⁺) at biochemical, cellular, and behavioral levels. Phytoextracts were prepared from all three plants, i.e., UD, MC, and MK (aqueous and ethanolic fractions), and their bioactive compounds were evaluated using in vitro biochemical parameters (DPPH, ABTS, TPC, and TFC), UV-Vis, followed by FT-IR and HPLC. Third instar larvae and freshly eclosed flies were treated with 500 µM rotenone alone or in combination with UD, MC, and MK for 24 to 120 h. Following exposure, cytotoxicity (dye exclusion test), biochemical (protein estimation and acetylcholinesterase inhibition assays), and behavioral assays (climbing and jumping assays) were performed. Among all three plant extracts, MK exhibited the highest antioxidant properties due to the highest TPC, TFC, DPPH, and ABTS, followed by UD, then MC. The overall trend was MK > UD > MC. In this context, ethnopharmacological properties mimic the same effect in Drosophila, exhibiting significantly (p < 0.05) reduced cytotoxicity (trypan blue), improved biochemical parameters (proteotoxicity and AChE activity), and better behavioral parameters in the organisms cotreated with phyto extracts compared with rotenone. Conclusively, UV-Vis, FTIR, and HPLC analyses differentiated the plant extracts. The findings of this research may be beneficial in the use of select herbs as viable sources of phyto-ingredients that could be of interest in nutraceutical development and various clinical applications.

Plant fractions have a diversity of biomolecules that can be used to make complicated reactions for the bioactive fabrication of metal nanoparticles (NPs), in addition to being beneficial as antioxidant medications or dietary supplements. The current study shows that Urtica dioica (UD) and biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of UD have antibacterial and antioxidant properties against bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida) and Drosophila melanogaster (Oregon R+). According to their ability to scavenge free radicals, DPPH, ABTS, TFC, and TPC initially estimated the antioxidant potential of UD and UD AgNPs. The fabricated AgNPs were analyzed (UV–Vis, FTIR, EDS, and SEM) to determine the functional groups (alcohol, carboxylic acids, phenol, proteins, and aldehydes) and to observe the shape (agglomerated crystalline and rod-shaped structure). The disc diffusion method was used to test the antimicrobial properties of synthesized Ag-NPs against E. coli and P. putida. For 24 to 120 h, newly enclosed flies and third instar larvae of Drosophila were treated with UD and UD AgNPs. After exposure, tests for biochemical effects (acetylcholinesterase inhibition and protein estimation assays), cytotoxicity (dye exclusion), and behavioral effects (jumping and climbing assays) were conducted. The results showed that nanoparticles were found to have potent antimicrobial activity against all microbial strains tested at various concentrations. In this regard, ethno-medicinal characteristics exhibit a similar impact in D. melanogaster, showing (p < 0.05) significantly decreased cellular toxicity (trypan blue dye), enhanced biochemical markers (AChE efficacy and proteotoxicity), and improved behavioral patterns in the organism treated with UD AgNPs, especially in comparison to UD extract. The results of this study may help in the utilization of specific plants as reliable sources of natural antioxidants that may have been beneficial in the synthesis of metallic NPs, which aids in the production of nanomedicine and other therapeutic applications.

Nutraceuticals play an essential role in the reduction in free radical generation in cells. A similar idea was used in the present study to determine the effects of aqueous extracts on the organismal toxicities in a nontarget organism, Drosophila melanogaster, known as the fruit fly. Punica granatum (peel and pulp), Carica papaya (peel), Foeniculum vulgare (seeds), Trigonella foenum-graecum (seeds), and Urtica dioica (leaves) extracts were employed in this study. The organismal or behavioral effects in rotenone-, and rotenone- and phytoextract-treated flies were evaluated using wild-type Drosophila melanogaster (Oregon R⁺). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and behavioral parameters (climbing ability, memory power, emergence, and reproductive potential) were investigated. Urtica dioica leaves, Punica granatum peel, and pulp elicited maximal amelioration in Drosophila, although not at the same intensity, and all exhibited a varied degree of improvement in different assays. Most extracts with their potent active components (phenols, tannins, flavonoids, and amino acids) revealed a protective action against rotenone-induced toxicities at the organismal level in the stated parameters above. Interestingly, different strains and parameters had varied improvement tendencies. Thus, Drosophila may be used as a suitable in vivo animal model for such investigations, and the usage of phytoextracts may prevent a variety of disorders, including neurodegeneration. The results of this study may help in the use of specific herbs as reliable sources of phytoingredients that may be useful in developing nutraceuticals and in other clinical uses.

Nanotechnology holds significant ameliorative potential against neurodegenerative diseases, as it can protect the therapeutic substance and allow for its sustained release. In this study, the reducing and capping agents of Urtica dioica (UD), Matricaria chamomilla (MC), and Murraya koenigii (MK) extracts were used to synthesize bio-mediated zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) against bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) and against rotenone-induced toxicities in D. melanogaster for the first time. Their optical and structural properties were analyzed via FT-IR, DLS, XRD, EDS, SEM, UV–Vis, and zeta potential. The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the fabricated ZnO-NPs were evaluated employing cell-free models (DPPH and ABTS) and the well diffusion method, respectively. Rotenone (500 µM) was administered to Drosophila third instar larvae and freshly emerged flies for 24–120 h, either alone or in combination with plant extracts (UD, MC, an MK) and their biogenic ZnO-NPs. A comparative study on the protective effects of synthesized NPs was undertaken against rotenone-induced neurotoxic, cytotoxic, and behavioral alterations using an acetylcholinesterase inhibition assay, dye exclusion test, and locomotor parameters. The findings revealed that among the plant-derived ZnO-NPs, MK-ZnO NPs exhibit strong antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, followed by UD-ZnO NPs and MC-ZnO NPs. In this regard, ethno-nano medicinal therapeutic uses mimic similar effects in D. melanogaster by suppressing oxidative stress by restoring biochemical parameters (AchE and proteotoxicity activity) and lower cellular toxicity. These findings suggest that green-engineered ZnO-NPs have the potential to significantly enhance outcomes, with the promise of effective therapies for neurodegeneration, and could be used as a great alternative for clinical development.

Natural antioxidants derived from plants have played a vital role in preventing a wide range of human chronic conditions and provide novel bioactive leads for investigators in pharmacotherapy discovery. This work was designed to examine the ethnopharmacological role of Urtica dioica (UD), Capsella bursa-pastoris (CBP), and Inula racemosa (IR). The total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC) were illustrated through colorimetric assays, while the antioxidant activity was investigated through DPPH and ABTS assays. The evaluation of phytochemicals by FT-IR of UD and CBP revealed high contents of aliphatic amines, while IR showed a major peak for ketones. The antioxidant activity, TPC and TFC were highest in the ethanol extract of UD, followed by CBP, and IR showed the lowest activity. All of the extracts revealed significant antioxidant capacities along a dosage gradient. Through a HPLC analysis at a wavelength of 280 nm, UD leaves demonstrated an intense peak of quercetin, and the peak for rutin was less intense. CBP (whole plant), instead, demonstrated a major yield of rutin, and a peak for quercetin was not observed in CBP. IR (rhizomes) showed both quercetin and rutin. All of the extracts were significantly cytotoxic to HepG2 cells after 48 h with the trend IR > UD > CBP. The outcomes of this study may be effective in the selection of specific plants as realistic sources of the bioactive components that might be useful in the nutraceutical progression and other biomedical efficacies.

Acetaminophen (APAP) is the most commonly used nonprescription antipyretic-analgesic drug. This medication is thought to be safe at the suggested dosage (4 g/24 h), but its overdose (up to 2.5 g/kg) can cause severe injuries to the human body, including renal injury. APAP has various toxic effects on nephrons, as it leads to an excessive free radical generation that, in turn, results in a disturbance in the redox homeostasis of cells, causing oxidative stress. To replenish this oxidative stress, there is an ultimate urge for natural therapies that can retain the cellular homeostasis of nephrons by diminishing the overdose impression of acetaminophen. The principle objective of this work is to appraise nephrotoxicity due to APAP and its amelioration through the antioxidant properties of aqueous extracts of selected medicinal plants: Urtica dioica, Capsella bursa-pastoris, and Inula racemosa (UD, CBP, and IR, respectively). The pH stability of the nutraceuticals used was examined by determining the impact of pH 4, pH 7 and pH 9 on the DPPH radical scavenging activity of aqueous plant extracts. Gas chromatography-Mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) analytical technique was performed to determine the volatile organic phytochemical profiles of all three medicinal plants. Male Swiss albino mice were used for the present investigation. The animals were distributed into five groups of (n = 6), a total of 30 mice, for in vivo analysis. Group 1 served as the control group; group 2 received a single IP dose of APAP (600 mg/kg); group 3 received APAP pretreated with UD (300 mg/kg); group 4 received APAP pretreated with CBP (300 mg/kg); and group 5 received APAP pretreated with IR (300 mg/kg). Overdose of the APAP- induced a significant (p < 0.05) alterations in the total protein concentration, weight and the nephrological architecture in renal tissue, as observed through biochemical assays and histopathological examinations. Due to nephrotoxicity, there was a substantial (p < 0.05) drop in body weight and total protein contents in the APAP alone group when compared to the treatment groups. There was remarkable protection against APAP-induced alterations in the total protein of renal homogenate in the treatment groups. Histopathological analysis (H&E staining) of the mice kidneys indicated severe deterioration in the APAP alone group, whereas the therapy groups showed considerable nephroprotection towards APAP-induced abnormalities. The biochemical findings and histopathological study of the kidneys revealed that the herbal extracts (UD, CBP, and IR) have a nephroprotective potential against APAP-induced nephropathy. The trend of efficacy was observed as UD > CBP > IR. However, extensive study is needed to determine the likely ameliorative mechanism of these nutraceuticals.