BackgroundCyperus rotundus Linn. (Cyperaceae) is a Tunisian medicinal plant used in folkloric (traditional) medicine to treat stomach disorders and inflammatory diseases. The present study explored the analgesic, anti-inflammatory and genotoxic activities of extracts from the aerial parts of C. rotundus. The antioxidant capacity and the modulation of splenocyte functions by these extracts were also investigated in mice. The phytochemical analysis was carried out using standard methods.MethodsAqueous, ethyl acetate, methanol and TOF-enriched extracts (300, 150, and 50 μg/ml) were evaluated for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. 4, 2, and 1 mg/ml of each extract were tested to investigate their effect on lipid peroxidation. The genotoxic study was monitored by measuring the structural chromosome aberrations of mice treated with 300 mg/kg of extract. The proliferation of lymphocytes in the absence and presence of mitogens was assessed at a concentration range 1–1000 μg/ml.ResultsThe tested extracts were able to decrease the mouse ear oedema induced by xylene. Furthermore, it was shown that the same extracts reduced the number of abdominal contractions caused by acetic acid in mice, revealing the peripheral analgesic activity of these extracts. It is worth noting that mice treated with doses up to 300 mg/kg b.w. of Cyperus rotundus extracts did not exhibit any toxicity. The tested extracts significantly enhance lymphocyte proliferation at 1 mg/ml.ConclusionsIt appears that C. rotundus extracts contain potent components such as flavonoids that may potentially be useful for modulating the immune cell functions, provoking analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

It appears that C. rotundus extracts exhibit a potential use as a natural antioxidant and an apoptosis inducer.

In this particular study, the antibacterial activity of esculin and oligomer fractions was assessed. MIC values of esculin and its oligomer fractions as well as of some antibiotics against Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains and against Escherichia coli multiresistant variants were determined by the standard broth microdilution method. Both esculin and oligoesculin fractions exhibited antibacterial effect against reference strains; Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium. It appears that E3 oligomer fraction had the greatest antibacterial activity against these reference strains. Besides, as E2 and E3 revealed the best antibacterial effect against multiresistant variants of E. coli, we decided to test the effect of each, combined to the antibiotic against which the variants were resistant. In the interaction study, E2 and E3 oligoesculin fractions were found to be effective in reducing the resistance of E. coli 6574 to ofloxacin and the resistance of E. coli 6228 to amoxicillin. Only E3 oligoesculin fraction showed a synergetic interaction with amoxicillin and tetracyclin against E. coli 6708, but no interaction was found either with E2 or E3 fractions against E. coli 6234. Our study allowed us to conclude that oligomerization of esculin increases its antibacterial potential, according to the degree of polymerization.

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Nitraria retusa leaf extracts have been investigated for their ability to induce antioxidant and antigenotoxic effects in a human chronic myelogenous leukaemia cell line. Antioxidant and antigenotoxic properties of N. retusa products were explored using antioxidant and the assays, respectively. Hex, Chl and MeOH extracts decreased oxidation induced by 2,2 0 -azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride in human cells, with IC 50 concentrations of 0.6, 0.52 and 0.24 mg/mL, respectively, reflecting significant antioxidant potential. The same products inhibited the genotoxicity induced by hydroxyl radicals in the same human cell line, by 67% at 600 mg/mL, 74% at 780 mg/mL and 81.5% at 800 mg/mL, respectively.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Ã P < 0.05 compared to negative control without N. retusa extracts. Results are represented by the means AE SD of three experiments. J. Boubaker et al.