Protective effects induced by alcoholic Phlomis fruticosa and Phlomis herba‐venti extracts in isolated rat colon: Focus on antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities in vitro

Abstract

Phlomis fruticosa L. and P. herba‐venti are species belonging to the Lamiaceae family, which have been traditionally used to prepare tonic and digestive drinks. Multiple studies also demonstrated the inhibitory effects of P. fruticosa extracts and essential oil against oxidative/proinflammatory pathways and bacterial strains deeply involved in ulcerative colitis. Considering these findings, the present study evaluated the effects of alcoholic P. fruticosa and P. herba‐venti leaf extracts in isolated rat colon challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an ex vivo experimental paradigm of ulcerative colitis. In this context, we assayed colon levels of pro‐oxidant and proinflammatory biomarkers, including nitrites, malondialdehyde (MDA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and serotonin (5‐HT). Additionally, the extracts have been tested in order to evaluate possible inhibitory effects on specific bacterial and fungal strains involved in ulcerative colitis. Alcoholic P. fruticosa and P. herba‐venti extracts were able to blunt LPS‐induced nitrite, MDA, 5‐HT, and LDH levels in isolated rat colon. The same extracts also inhibited the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. In conclusion, our findings show a potential role exerted by alcoholic P. fruticosa and P. herba‐venti in managing the clinical symptoms related to ulcerative colitis.

Multidirectional Pharma-Toxicological Study on Harpagophytum procumbens DC. ex Meisn.: An IBD-Focused Investigation

“…The colorimetric assays also revealed the presence of total phenols and flavonoids in appreciable amounts (Table 1), whereas the HPLC-fluorimetric fingerprint analysis identified the presence of four secondary metabolites, namely, gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, and resveratrol (Table 2), whose levels were comparable with that of harpagoside. In this regard, the antiradical/antioxidant activities shown by DPPH and β-carotene/linoleic acid assays (Table 3) are consistent with the cluster of extract secondary metabolites revealed by HPLC analyses [20,23], thus suggesting potential multiple antioxidant/anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Table 1.…”

“…The extract activity was evaluated in comparison with reference anti-bacterial and anti-micotic drugs, namely ciprofloxacin (Sigma-Aldrich, Milan, Italy) and fluconazole (Sigma-Aldrich, Milan, Italy), respectively. The detailed protocols were described in our previous papers and are enclosed as supplementary materials [22,23].…”

Hop Extract: An Efficacious Antimicrobial and Anti-biofilm Agent Against Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococci Strains and Cutibacterium acnes

“…Finally, we tested the hop extract on both cell lines, using a wound healing experimental paradigm. Cell migration was determined using the scratch wound healing assay, as previously reported ( Ferrante et al, 2019b ). HCT116 cells (6 × 10 3 cells/well) were seeded on six-well plastic plates.…”

Bridelia speciosa Müll.Arg. Stem bark Extracts as a Potential Biomedicine: From Tropical Western Africa to the Pharmacy Shelf

“…Among them, the bark of plants is one of the most important sources of bioactive compounds, including phenolics, flavonoids, and terpenes. In addition, extracts that were prepared from barks have been reported to possess broad biological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, or anti-cancer [3][4][5][6][7]. Based on these data, new studies on uninvestigated bark samples, particularly from Africa, might lead to the discovery of novel bioactive compounds for potential uses in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.…”