In Vitro Phytotherapeutic Properties of Aqueous Extracted Adenia viridiflora Craib. towards Civilization Diseases

Abstract

Adenia viridiflora Craib. is an indigenous edible plant that became an endangered species due to limited consumption of the local population with unknown reproduction and growth conditions. The plant is used as a traditional herb; however, its health applications lack scientific-based evidence. A. viridiflora Craib. plant parts (old leaves and young shoots) from four areas as Kamphaeng Phet (KP), Muang Nakhon Ratchasima (MN), Pakchong Nakhon Ratchasima (PN), and Uthai Thani (UT) origins were investigated for phenolic compositions and in vitro health properties through the inhibition of key enzymes relevant to obesity (lipase), diabetes (α-glucosidase and dipeptidyl peptidase-IV), Alzheimer’s disease (cholinesterases and β-secretase), and hypertension (angiotensin-converting enzyme). Phenolics including p-coumaric acid, sinapic acid, naringenin, and apigenin were detected in old leaves and young shoots in all plant origins. Old leaves exhibited higher total phenolic contents (TPCs) and total flavonoid contents (TFCs), leading to higher enzyme inhibitory activities than young shoots. Besides, PN and MN with higher TPCs and TFCs tended to exhibit greater enzyme inhibitory activities than others. These results will be useful to promote this plant as a healthy food with valuable medicinal capacities to support its consumption and agricultural stimulation, leading to sustainable conservation of this endangered species.

Phytochemicals and In Vitro Bioactivities of Aqueous Ethanolic Extracts from Common Vegetables in Thai Food

“…To determine the phenolic profile, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed using an Agilent 1100 HPLC system equipped with a photodiode array detector and a Zorbax Eclipse XDB–C18 column (150 × 4.6 mm, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA) as previously described [ 13 ]. In brief, dry sample (0.5 g) was dissolved in the solvent containing 62.5% ( v/v ) aqueous methanol (40 mL), 6 N HCl (10 mL) and 0.5 g/L tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ).…”

“…Prior to injection into the HPLC system, the extract (10 mg/mL) was filtered through a 0.22 μM PTFE membrane. Milli-Q water (18.2 MΩ.cm resistivity at 25 °C), HPLC-grade methanol, and HPLC-grade acetonitrile containing 0.05% ( v/v ) trifluoroacetic (TFA) were used as gradient mobile phases with a constant flow rate of 0.6 mL/min [ 13 ]. The authentic phenolic acid standards including 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (>99.0% GC, T), caffeic acid (>98.0% HPLC, T), chlorogenic acid (>98.0% HPLC, T), ferulic acid (>98.0% GC, T), p -coumaric acid (>98.0% GC, T), sinapic acid (>99.0% GC, T), and syringic acid (>97.0% T) were received from Tokyo Chemical Industry (Tokyo, Japan), while vanillic acid (≥97% HPLC) and gallic acid (97.5–102.5% T) were received from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA).…”

“…To determine the enzyme inhibitory activities of the extracts against some NCDs, key enzymes that control obesity (lipase), diabetes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase), hypertension (angiotensin-converting enzyme), and Alzheimer’s disease (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and β-secretase) were chosen for inhibitory reactions using the well-established protocols as previously described [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 22 ]. The inhibition of glycation reaction induced by D-glucose and methylglyoxal (MG) as a non-enzymatic reaction was also determined for anti-aging property [ 60 ].…”

“…Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals including alkaloids, anthocyanins, glucosinolates, flavonoids, phytosterols, phenolic acids and terpenoids that are secondary plant metabolites, with pharmacological effects toward a wide range of ailments including NCDs [ 7 ]. Phytochemicals promote human health benefits through several mechanisms including being antioxidants [ 8 ], possessing anti-inflammatory activities [ 9 ], controlling or modulating signaling transduction against tumorigenesis in cells [ 10 ] and inhibiting key enzymes involved in the pathogenesis of diseases [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Intriguingly, modes of action of some current medicines against NCDs are based on their inhibitory functions against the responsible enzymes.…”

“…Thus, inhibiting AGE formation would be beneficial for NCD prevention [ 15 ]. Plant extracts and phytochemicals have a proven potential to inhibit AGEs and glycation reactions; therefore, the consumption of fruits and vegetables offers a promising approach for preventing NCDs [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”