RESULTS:
1 - 9 of 9 for "'Cucurbitaceae'"
Natural Products; Pharmacological Importance of Family Cucurbitaceae: A Brief Review
Compounds derived from nature have played a major role in drug discovery. They became the basis for the development of new pharmaceuticals. In this scope family Cucurbitaceae is a prominent source of secondary metabolites mainly triterpenoids. In this paper we provide a brief review of cucurbitane metabolites that exhibit an extensive range of biological actions specifically antidiabetic anti-inflammatory cytotoxic hepatoprotective and antiparasitic effects.
The Molecular Characterization and Biological Assessment of the Leaves Extracts of Loofah Reveal their Nutraceutical Potential
Background: Luffa cylindrica is a plant that is widely distributed in Africa and Asia and can be grown in regions with tropical or subtropical climates. Few patents dealt with Loofah biological properties including some functional foods formulated from its leaves. Objective: This study aimed to structurally and functionally characterize the bioactive compounds of L. cylindrica leaves grown in two different environments. Methods: The extracts of L. cylindrica leaves collected from two Tunisian locations: Essouasi (LE) a semi-arid region and Medenine (LM) an arid region were investigated for their phenolic compounds and fatty acids using HPLC/TOF-MS and GC-MS techniques respectively. Furthermore the antioxidant capacity was evaluated with DPPH Chelating effect Hydroxyl radical and Superoxide anion scavenging activities while the anticancer activity against HeLa cell lines was assessed using xCELLigence real time cell analyzer and lactate dehydrogenase cytotoxicity assay. Results: The antiproliferative capacity of both extracts was time and dose-dependent with LE presenting the lowest HeLa cell index (CI = 0.035 ± 0.018 250 μg/ml). LE also showed the best cytotoxic capacity (56.49 ± 0.8%) and antioxidant potential (IC50 = 54.41 ± 1.12 μg/ml for DPPH and 12.12 ± 0.07 μg/ml for chelating effect). 14 phenolic compounds were detected in LE with ferulic acid being the major compound (5128.5 ± 4.09 μg Phenols/g) while LM had only 6 phenolics. GCMS analysis showed the presence of omega-3 fatty acids in LE. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that L. cylindrica leaves especially when collected from semiarid regions are promising for formulating nutraceuticals of interest.
Purification, Characterizations of a Snake Guard Seeds Lectin with Antitumor Activity Against Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma Cells In Vivo in Mice
A lectin was purified (designated as TCSL) from the Snake guard seeds with molecular mass of 56±2 kDa containing two subunits (34±1 and 22±1 kDa.). TCSL exhibited high agglutination activity at the temperature range 30 to 70°C and did not lose its activity between pH 3.0 to 12.0. The lectin was stable in the presence of denaturants and agglutinated mouse goat cow chicken and human erythrocytes. TCSL did not show antifungal activity whereas it agglutinated six pathogenic bacteria and showed less toxicity against brine shrimp nauplii with the LC50 of 261±29 μg/ml. TCSL showed 28% and 72% inhibition against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells in vivo in mice when administered 1 mg/kg/day and 2 mg/kg/day (i.p.) respectively for five days. TCSL enhanced the number of macrophages remarkably in the normal mice. The lectin reduced the tumor burden to 62% of EAC cells and significantly increased the hemoglobin and RBC. Treating the EAC bearing mice with TCSL at 2 mg/Kg/day for ten days with a monitoring of 20 days decreased the total WBC towards the normal level and it increased the life span by 39%.
Biological Activities of Natural and Engineered Cyclotides, a Novel Molecular Scaffold for Peptide-Based Therapeutics
Cyclotides are a growing family of large plant-derived backbone-cyclized polypeptides (≈30 amino acids long) that share a disulfide-stabilized core characterized by an unusual knotted structure. Their unique circular backbone topology and knotted arrangement of three disulfide bonds makes them exceptionally stable to thermal chemical and enzymatic degradation compared to other peptides of similar size. Currently more than 100 sequences of different cyclotides have been characterized and the number is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years. Considering their stability biological activities and ability to cross the cell membrane cyclotides can be exploited to develop new peptide-based drugs with high potential for success. The cyclotide scaffold can be engineered or evolved using molecular evolution to inhibit protein-protein interactions implicated in cancer and other human diseases or design new antimicrobials. The present review reports the biological diversity and therapeutic potential of natural and engineered cyclotides.
Cucurbitacins: Nature’s Wonder Molecules
Over the past decades several natural constituents belonging to different classes have been isolated from plants for medicinal purposes. Cucurbitacins is one such type of natural compound. Cucurbitacin is a class of biochemical compounds that some plants notably members of the pumpkin and gourd family Cucurbitaceae produce and function as a defense against herbivores. They and their derivatives have been found in many plant families (including Brassicaceae Cucurbitaceae Scrophulariaceae Begoniaceae Elaeocarpaceae Datiscaceae Desfontainiaceae Polemoniaceae Primulaceae Rubiaceae Sterculiaceae Rosaceae and Thymelaeaceae) in some mushrooms (including Russula and Hebeloma) and even in some marine mollusks. They have been isolated from various plant species chiefly belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family which comprises around 130 genera and 800 species. Cucurbitacins are a group of tetracyclic triterpenoid substances that are highly oxygenated and contain a cucurbitane skeleton characterized by 9β-methyl−19-norlanosta- 5-ene. Cucurbitacins can be categorized into twelve main groups according to variations in their side-chains. Cucurbitacins A B C D E F I J K L O P Q R S and their glycosides are mainly found in Cucurbitaceae family members. These plants have been used as folk medicines in some countries because of their broad spectrum of crucial pharmacological activities such as anti- inflammatory anti-cancer anti-diabetic and anti-atherosclerotic effects. The present review explores the possibility of a correlation between the chemistry of various Cucurbitacins and the uses of the plants which contain them thereby opening avenues for further phytochemical ethnomedicinal and modern pharmacological research on these important molecules.
A Comprehensive Review on the Medicinal Importance; Biological and Therapeutic Efficacy of Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) (Bottle Gourd) Standley Fruit
Herbal remedies have been employed for the treatment and management of different diseases for ages. Herbal medicines are a promising choice over modern synthetic drugs because of their low side effects and are thus considered to be safe and effective in treating human diseases. Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standley fruit (Bottle gourd) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family that has been used in a different system of traditional medication to treat various diseases. This is a domestic plant that provides food as well as medication. This vegetable have low caloric values and high water contents. The edible portion of it contains phytochemicals like vitamins proteins choline minerals terpenoids flavonoids etc. Several bioactive compounds have been isolated from L. siceraria including triterpenoids sterols cucurbitacins flavones C-glycosides and β-glycosides. Researchers have evaluated various parts of this plant viz. fruit root flowers and leaves for pharmacological activities like antianxiety antidepressant diuretic antimicrobial cytotoxic antihyperlipidemic cardio protective analgesic anti-inflammatory anthelmintic anti-hyperglycemic antihepatotoxic anti-urolithiatic antistress antiulcer anticancer hepatoprotective anthelmintic immunomodulatory and antioxidant. In this review an attempt has been made to explore its phytochemical constituents traditional medicinal and pharmacological uses to highlight the therapeutic importance of this well-known plant. This would be helpful in reviving its importance and will highlight its several promising aspects to encourage researchers for further research on L. siceraria.
Cucurbitacin: Unveiling its Role as Phytomolecule in Health Benefits
In recent scientific studies a variety of phytochemicals including carotenoids polyphenols isoprenoids phytosterols saponins and dietetic fibers besides polysaccharides have been linked to beneficial health effects which include reducing the risk of diabetes obesity and cancer cardiovascular diseases and other conditions. Squash pumpkin cucumber and melons are just a few examples of the Cucurbitaceae family plants that contain cucurbitacins highly oxygenated tetracyclic triterpenes. Since ancient times various traditional remedies have been made from plants that contain cucurbitacins. Several cucurbitacins (A B C D E F G I J K L O P Q R S) have an extensive assortment of bioactivities including hepatoprotective activity liver protection anticancer anti-inflammatory antiviral and anti-diabetic properties. Cucurbitacins for instance have a well-known anticancer effect. Specific reports suggest that cucurbitacins stimulate apoptosis via the JAK/STAT3 pathway. Through cyclin inhibition cucurbitacins may inhibit the cell cycle. Besides they expedite autophagy while preventing cancer cells from migrating and infecting other tissues. Cucurbitacins have been categorized as signal transducers and activators of transcription. It is soundly acknowledged that the plant-based compound cucurbitacin B (CuB) has insecticidal and repellent properties. CuB has been shown to have non-specific toxicity and limited bioavailability in studies evaluating its toxicity and pharmacokinetic characteristics. Hence we aimed to concentrate on the numerous properties of cucurbitacins in this article including their chemistry an analysis of biosynthesis several types of bioactivities and studies on their toxicity.
Phytochemicals Content and Health Effects of Cultivated and Underutilized Species of the Cucurbitaceae Family
Cucurbitaceae represents a large plant family with more than 120 genera and 800 species among which many significant cultivated vegetable species are included such as watermelon melon cucumber and cucurbits (squash pumpkin and zucchini). These species are usually consumed for their edible fruits however several other uses have been reported for the various plant parts including medicinal and therapeutic ones among others. The present chapter will demonstrate the most common vegetable species in terms of their chemical composition and health effects as well as their edible medicinal and industrial uses based on the phytochemical content of the various plant parts. Special focus will be given on cucurbitacins which are an important group of phytochemicals present in the Cucurbitaceae family since several studies have confirmed its bioactive properties and multiple health effects. Finally selected less known species of this family (gourds) will be presented considering their important health effects and their use in vegetable grafting. In conclusion future perspectives for further valorization of these species will be highlighted especially for the ones that are less commonly used.