Cancer is a life threatening malignant tumor, caused by many factors including the oxidative stress. Medicinal plants containing phenolic compounds represent an important source of antioxidant and anticancer drugs. Azadirachta indica Family: Meliaceae contains variety of bioactive components of numerous biological and pharmacological properties. This study explored the constitutive polyphenols of Azadirachta indica (A. indica) growing in KSA and evaluated its antioxidant and cytotoxic activity. Chemical structures of the isolated compounds from the leaves of A. indica were established by spectral techniques (UV, MS, 1H, and 13 C NMR, and two dimentional NMR). The colourimetric assay (SRB) used to evaluate the cytotoxicity against HCT 116 , MCF 7 and Hep-G 2 cell lines. Chromatographic separation of 80% Ethanol extract of the leaves of A. indica have resulted in seven polyphenolic compounds three of them isolated for the first time from this species (2,3-(S)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl-(α α α α α/β β β β β)-D-glucopyranose, Avicularin and Castalagin) and four known previously isolated compounds (Gallic acid, Ellagic acid, Quercetin and Quercetin-3-O-glucoside). The 80% Ethanol extract exhibited higher antioxidant activity than the ethyl acetate and butanol extracts, which is correlated with its phenolic content. The ethanolic extract, compounds 4 and 6 exhibited cytotoxic activity against HCT 116 , MCF 7 and Hep-G 2. These findings revealed that the leaves of A. indica contains a considerable amount of polyphenolic compounds with significant antioxidant and cytotoxic activity, consequently it could be considered as a great potential source for natural health products.

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Background: The fruit of Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi is used in ethnomedicine for the treatment of different ailments. Materials and Methods: We studied the phytochemical profile of S. terebinthifolia fruit and evaluated its properties, including its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity. Results: Phytochemical investigation of S. terebinthifolia fruit showed an estimated total phenolic content of 67 mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g, with respect to gallic acid, while the flavonoid content was 26 mg of quercetin equivalent (QE)/g, in terms of quercetin. Bioassay fractionation of methanolic extract of the fruit resulted in the isolation of a new molecule for the first time from this natural source: 4′,methoxy-6-vinyl-7- O-rhamnosyl-dihydromyricetin or 4′,methoxy-6-vinyl-7- O-rhamnosyl-ampelopsin (Compound 8). Seven other phenolic compounds were isolated, such as (1) gallic acid; (2) afzelin; (3) quercetin 3- O- β-D-glucopyranoside; (4) genistein 7- O- α-l-rhamnopyranoside; (5) ellagic acid; (6) kaempferol and (7) quercetin. The new compound was ascertained using UV, NMR and MS spectra and acid hydrolysis analysis. Significant antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antimicrobial properties were observed in the alcohol extract, as well as proliferation inhibition in MCF-7 human cancer cell lines. Its activity in elevating glutathione levels in diabetic rats could be due to its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Conclusion: The new compound shows immunomodulatory effects that can be utilized to augment host responses, which is important in both cancer and infectious diseases and thus worth further pharmacological investigation.

Lung cancer is one of the most lethal cancers which is causing up to 3 million deaths annually worldwide. Therefore, management of lung cancer needs searching for new chemopreventive agents. This work was designed to inspect the chemopreventive potential of different extracts prepared from branches and leaves of Synadenium grantii for screening their effects on lung cancer cells (A549), then the most active extract was used for combating lung cancer induced in animal model. The in vitro results showed that, the methanolic extract was the most active extract against A549 cells with a notable cytotoxicity activity (IC50: 4.30±0.44 µg/ml), which was close to the activity of standard drug, doxorubicin (IC50: 3.50±0.40 µg/ml). The results of the in vivo  experiment, revealed that in B(a)P-treated group, aspartate (AST) and alanine (ALT) transaminase activities as well as the levels of urea, creatinine, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and Phosphotylinosital 3 Kinase (PI3K) were significantly increased comparing to control group. However, treatment with S. grantii  ameliorated the increase in these parameters in both after- and before-treatment groups comparing with B(a)P-treated group. This improvement in biochemical results were also supported by improving in morphological and histopathological injuries induced by B(a)P, which indicated that methanolic extract of S. grantii  has a chemoprevention effect on lung cancer.