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IntroductionDiabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that exhibited great expansion all over the world. It is becoming an epidemic disease adding a major burden to the health care system, particularly in developing countries.MethodsThe plant under investigation in the current study Phragmanthera austroarabica A. G. Mill and J. A. Nyberg is traditionally used in Saudi Arabia for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The methanolic extract (200 mg/kg) of the plant and pure gallic acid (40 mg/kg), a major metabolite of the plant, as well as their silver nanoparticle formulae (AgNPs) were evaluated for their antidiabetic activity.Results and DiscussionThe results showed a decrease in body fat, obesity, an improvement in lipid profiles, normalization of hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and hyperinsulinemia, and an improvement in liver tissue structure and function. However, the results obtained from AgNPs for both extract and the pure gallic acid were better in most measured parameters. Additionally, the activity of both the crude extract of the plant and its AgNPs were evaluated against a number of gram-positive, gram-negative bacteria and fungi. Although the activity of the crude extract ranged from moderate to weak or even non-active, the AgNPs of the plant extract clearly enhanced the antimicrobial activity. AgNPs of the extract demonstrated remarkable activity, especially against the Gram-negative pathogens Proteus vulgaris (MIC 2.5 μg/ml) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC 5 μg/ml). Furthermore, a promising antimicrobial activity was shown against the Gram-positive pathogen Streptococcus mutants (MIC 1.25 μg/ml).
Euclea divinorum Hiern is a medicinal plant widely distributed in the northeast parts of South Africa. This plant has been used to treat miscarriage and to alleviate gastrointestinal problems. It can also be used externally for the treatment of ulcers and gonorrhea. In this study, we investigated the phytochemical composition of E. divinorum leaf extract using LC-MS and explored its antioxidant properties in vitro and in vivo. The total polyphenolic content of the extract was determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu method. DPPH and FRAP assays were employed to confirm the plant’s antioxidant potential in vitro. A survival assay in the Caenorhabditis elegans model was used to evaluate the extract’s ability to counteract juglone-induced oxidative stress. Moreover, a docking study was performed for the extract’s metabolites, in order to predict possible molecular targets that could explain the antioxidant effect of the plant on a molecular level. This in silico approach was accomplished on three different proteins; xanthine oxidase enzyme, heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), and induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Docking scores of the resulting poses and their interactions with binding sites’ residues were explored for each protein and were compared to those of simultaneously docked respective co-crystallized and reference substrates. The extract furnished promising antioxidant activities in vitro and in vivo in the C. elegans model that might be attributed to the presence of 46 compounds, which showed several interactions and low binding scores with the tested enzymes. In conclusion, E. divinorum is a promising, safe, and effective antioxidant candidate that could be used to ameliorate oxidative stress-related disorders.
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