Juniperus sabina L. as a Source of Podophyllotoxins: Extraction Optimization and Anticholinesterase Activities

Abstract

Juniperus sabina L. (J. sabina) has been an important plant in traditional medicine since ancient times. Its needles are rich in podophyllotoxin, a precursor compound to anti-tumor drugs. However, no systematic research has been done on J. sabina as a source of podophyllotoxins or their biological action. Hence, extracts of podophyllotoxin and deoxypodophyllotoxin were the main optimization targets using the Box–Behnken design (BBD) and response surface methodology (RSM). The total phenol content and antioxidant activity of J. sabina needle extract were also optimized. Under the optimal process conditions (ratio of material to liquid (RLM) 1:40, 90% methanol, and ultrasonic time 7 min), the podophyllotoxin extraction rate was 7.51 mg/g DW, the highest level reported for Juniperus spp. distributed in China. To evaluate its biological potential, the neuroprotective acetyl- and butyrylcholinease (AChE and BChE) inhibitory abilities were tested. The needle extract exhibited significant anti-butyrylcholinesterase activity (520.15 mg GALE/g extract), which correlated well with the high levels of podophyllotoxin and deoxypodophyllotoxin. This study shows the potential medicinal value of J. sabina needles.

Antioxidant, Tyrosinase, α-Glucosidase, and Elastase Enzyme Inhibition Activities of Optimized Unripe Ajwa Date Pulp (Phoenix dactylifera) Extracts by Response Surface Methodology

“…As stated in Table 3 , the relative standard deviations (RSDs) of TPC and TFC showed that the predicted values for all groups were very similar to the experimental results. This result is also supported by a prior report [ 38 ]. The suitability of the response surface methodology model for quantitative predictions was verified by a satisfactory agreement between the predicted and measured values.…”

“…To quantify the antioxidant activities of different extracts/compounds, the concentration of the samples required to scavenge 50% of radicals (IC 50 ) was measured. A smaller IC 50 value indicates an increase in free-radical scavenging ability [ 38 ].…”

Profiling of Secondary Metabolites of Optimized Ripe Ajwa Date Pulp (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Using Response Surface Methodology and Artificial Neural Network

“…In this study the CV values range from 0.9981 to 3.44. The modified R 2 (R 2 ≥ 0.80) was well within acceptable limits in this study, showing that the experimental data fits second-order polynomial equations satisfactorily [ 29 ]. To demonstrate the interactions between the independent variables, 3D surfaces and contour plots were constructed using multiple linear regression equations.…”

Chemistry and Biological Activities of Naturally Occurring and Structurally Modified Podophyllotoxins

“…It was reported that a bulky at C-4 could enhance their cytotoxic activities [137]. Some researches indicated that replacing the saccharide chain with a non-saccharide moi- It was reported that the alkoxy-substituted benzene ring was replaced by a pyrazole moiety (105)(106)(107)(108)(109)(110). The antiproliferative properties of these heterocyclic compounds were comparable with the currently used anticancer drug etoposide [136].…”

“…Introducing a hydroxyl group into ring B (104) could remarkably improve the TOPO-II inhibitory activity of epipodophyllotoxin[3]. It was reported that the alkoxy-substituted benzene ring was replaced by a pyrazole moiety(105)(106)(107)(108)(109)(110). The antiproliferative properties of these heterocyclic compounds were comparable with the currently used anticancer drug etoposide[136].…”