Search Results (53)

Maize, one of the most widely cultivated crops globally, is highly susceptible to mycotoxin contamination. In this study, an endophytic strain Pseudomonas sp. HP-1, isolated from Peganum harmala L., demonstrated significant biocontrol potential. The culture extract of Pseudomonas sp. HP-1 (PHE) exhibited strong antifungal activity, with inhibition zones of 40.07 ± 0.21 mm against Penicillium italicum, 29.71 ± 0.25 mm against Aspergillus niger, and 23.10 ± 0.44 mm against A. flavus, along with notable antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (22.43 ± 0.55 mm). At a concentration of 16 mg/mL, PHE almost completely inhibited the mycelial growth of A. flavus. The antifungal mechanism of PHE was investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and propidium iodide (PI) staining analysis, which demonstrated that antifungal activity is primarily through the disruption of cellular membrane integrity. Furthermore, PHE significantly reduced the incidence of A. flavus contamination in agroecological maize seeds during storage, and treated PHE showed superior antifungal efficacy compared to non-treated PHE, highlighting its potential as an effective antifungal agent for seed protection. Through one- and two-dimensional NMR and MS analyses, the primary active compound of PHE was identified as 1-phenazinecarboxylic acid. These findings indicate that PHE can be utilized as a sustainable antifungal agent for protecting maize seeds against mycotoxin-producing fungi. Full article

The voltage-gated sodium channel Na_v1.7 is essential for pain perception and is an interesting target for the development of pain-relieving substances. Here, we investigated whether the Na_v1.7 channel is sensitive to harmaline, an alkaloid produced by the North African plant Peganum harmala. To this end, we used Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing the human Na_v1.7 channel and studied Na⁺ channel pharmacology with an automated patch-clamp technique. Cells stimulated with depolarizing voltage pulses responded with typical transient inward currents. The Na⁺ channel blocker ranolazine inhibited whole-cell currents in a concentration-dependent manner (IC₅₀: 12.1 µM). Harmaline inhibited both peak and late Na⁺ currents. A complete block was achieved at 300 µM of harmaline, with half maximum inhibition occurring at 35.5 µM. In contrast to ranolazine, the effect of harmaline was voltage independent. Neither the current/voltage curves nor the steady-state inactivation curves were shifted in response to drug application (30 µM). We conclude that the plant alkaloid harmaline, which is used in traditional medicine in North Africa, is an effective blocker of the voltage-gated Na⁺ channel Na_v1.7. Our results offer a rationale for the use of harmaline against certain pain syndromes and rise hopes for the development of a new class of anti-nociceptive drugs targeting Na_v1.7. Full article

Cyvirus cyprinidallo3, also known as Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3), is a common pathogen of koi and common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Infection of CyHV-3 can lead to high mortality in fry under 4 months of age. CyHV-3 can become latent in recovered fish, and latent CyHV-3 can reactivate under stress conditions and spread the virus. Reactivation of CyHV-3 can also lead to mortality and diseases in latently infected fish. No effective drugs are available to prevent CyHV-3 infection or reactivation from latency. There is a need for the discovery of anti-CyHV-3 drugs. Harmine (HAR) and harmaline (HAL) are β-carboline alkaloids found in the medicinal plant Peganum harmala with antiviral activities against many viruses, including HSV. Here, HAL was evaluated against CyHV-3 infection in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Immediately after a one-hour infection exposure of ~1000 FPU/plate or ~500 PFU/plate, cells treated with 5 µM HAL for 2 h can block nearly 50% or 90% plaque formation in vitro. Only around 50% inhibition was observed in cells treated with the common anti-herpesvirus drug acyclovir (ACV) at 10 or 20 µM for 2 h following 1 h post-infection of ~500 PFU/plate. Cells treated with 10 µM HAL for 30 min, 60 min, 2 h, and 6 h can reduce 60%, 65%, 85.5%, and 85% CyHV-3 replication in vitro, respectively. HAL at 20 µM is still effective against CyHV-3 DNA replication and virion production when the treatment started at 3 and 5 days post-infection for 1 or 2 h, respectively. HAL under 50 µM has little toxicity to cells treated for 24 h. Immersion treatment with 10 µM HAL for 3–4 h daily within the first 5 days post-infection can increase the survival of fry by 60%. In addition, IM injection of HAL at 20 µM can reduce the rate of CyHV-3 reactivation induced by heat stress in latently infected koi. This study demonstrated that HAL could potentially be used to prevent CyHV-3 infection or reactivation from latency. Full article

Peganum harmala L. is a perennial herbaceous plant that plays critical roles in protecting the ecological environment in arid, semi-arid, and desert areas. Although the seed germination characteristics of P. harmala in response to environmental factors (i.e., drought, temperature, and salt) have been investigated, the response mechanism of seed germination to drought conditions has not yet been revealed. In this study, the changes in the physiological characteristics and transcriptional profiles in seed germination were examined under different polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentrations (0–25%). The results show that the seed germination rate was significantly inhibited with an increase in the PEG concentration. Totals of 3726 and 10,481 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were, respectively, generated at 5% and 25% PEG vs. the control (C), with 1642 co-expressed DEGs, such as drought stress (15), stress response (175), and primary metabolism (261). The relative expression levels (RELs) of the key genes regulating seed germination in response to drought stress were in accordance with the physiological changes. These findings will pave the way to increase the seed germination rate of P. harmala in drought conditions. Full article

The psychedelic beverage ayahuasca is originally obtained by Banisteriopsis caapi (B. caapi) (BC) and Psychotria viridis (P. viridis) (PV). However, sometimes these plant species are replaced by others that mimic the original effects, such as Mimosa hostilis (M. hostilis) (MH) and Peganum harmala (P. harmala) (PH). Its worldwide consumption and the number of studies on its potential therapeutic effects has increased. This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer properties of ayahuasca in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. Thus, the maximum inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of decoctions of MH, PH, and a mixture of these (MHPH) was determined. The activities of caspases 3 and 9 were evaluated, and the cell proliferation index was determined through immunocytochemical analysis (Ki-67). Two fluorescent probes were used to evaluate the production of oxidative stress and the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) was also evaluated. It was demonstrated that exposure to the extracts significantly induced apoptosis in Caco-2 cells, while decreasing cell proliferation. MH and MHPH samples significantly reduced oxidative stress and significantly increased glutathione peroxidase activity. No significant differences were found in SOD activity. Overall, it was demonstrated that the decoctions have a potential anticancer activity in Caco-2 cells. Full article

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic and cumulative environmental pollutant. Siderophores are heavy metal chelators with high affinity to heavy metals, such as Cd. Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) has a potential remediation capacity for soils contaminated by heavy metals. Consequently, using ryegrass alongside beneficial soil microorganisms that produce siderophores may be an effective means to remediate soils contaminated with Cd. In this study, the Bacillus strains WL1210 and CD303, which were previously isolated from the rhizospheres of Nitraria tangutorum in Wulan and Peganum harmala L. in Dachaidan, Qinghai, China, respectively, both arid and sandy environments, were evaluated for heavy metal pollution mitigation. Our quantitative analyses have discerned that the two bacterial strains possess commendable attributes of phosphorus (P) solubilization and potassium (K) dissolution, coupled with the capacity to produce phytohormones. To assess the heavy metal stress resilience of these strains, they were subjected to a cadmium concentration gradient, revealing their incremental growth despite cadmium presence, indicative of a pronounced tolerance threshold. The subsequent phylogenetic analysis, bolstered by robust genomic data from conserved housekeeping genes, including 16S rDNA, gyr B gene sequencing, as well as dnaK and recA, delineated a species-level phylogenetic tree, thereby confirming the strains as Bacillus atrophaeus. Additionally, we identified the types of iron-carrier-producing strains as catechol (WL1210) and carboxylic acid ferrophilin (CD303). A genomic analysis uncovered functional genes in strain CD303 associated with plant growth and iron carrier biosynthesis, such as fnr and iscA. Ryegrass seed germination assays, alongside morphological and physiological evaluations under diverse heavy metal stress, underscored the strains’ potential to enhance ryegrass growth under high cadmium stress when treated with bacterial suspensions. This insight probes the strains’ utility in leveraging alpine microbial resources and promoting ryegrass proliferation. Full article

The implementation of phytoremediation strategies under arid and semiarid climates requires the use of appropriate plant species capable of withstanding multiple abiotic stresses. In this study, we assessed the combined effects of organo-mineral amendments and microbial inoculants on the chemical and biological properties of mine tailings, as well as on the growth of native plant species under drought stress conditions. Plants were cultivated in pots containing 1 kg of a mixture of mine tailings and topsoil (i.e., pre-mined superficial soil) in a 60:40 ratio, 6% marble sludge, and 10% sheep manure. Moreover, a consortium of four drought-resistant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) was inoculated. Three irrigation levels were applied: well-watered, moderate water deficit, and severe water deficit, corresponding to 80%, 45%, and 30% of field capacity, respectively. The addition of topsoil and organo-mineral amendments to mine tailings significantly improved their chemical and biological properties, which were further enhanced by bacterial inoculation and plants’ establishment. Water stress negatively impacted enzymatic activities in amended tailings, resulting in a significant decrease in acid and alkaline phosphatases, urease, and dehydrogenase activities. Similar results were obtained for bacteria, fungi, and actinomycete abundance. PGPR inoculation positively influenced the availability of phosphorus, total nitrogen, and organic carbon, while it increased alkaline phosphatase, urease (by about 10%), and dehydrogenase activity (by 50%). The rhizosphere of Peganum harmala showed the highest enzymatic activity and number of culturable microorganisms, especially in inoculated treatments. Severe water deficit negatively affected plant growth, leading to a 40% reduction in the shoot biomass of both Atriplex halimus and Pennisetum setaceum compared to well-watered plants. P. harmala showed greater tolerance to water stress, evidenced by lower decreases observed in root and shoot length and dry weight compared to well-watered plants. The use of bioinoculants mitigated the negative effects of drought on P. harmala shoot biomass, resulting in an increase of up to 75% in the aerial biomass in plants exposed to severe water deficit. In conclusion, the results suggest that the combination of organo-mineral amendments, PGPR inoculation, and P. harmala represents a promising approach to enhance the phytoremediation of metal-polluted soils under semiarid conditions. Full article

Wild fruits and vegetables (WFVs) have been vital to local communities for centuries and make an important contribution to daily life and income. However, traditional knowledge of the use of wild fruits is at risk of being lost due to inadequate documentation. This study aimed to secure this knowledge through intermittent field visits and a semi-structured questionnaire. Using various ethnobotanical data analysis tools and SPSS (IBM 25), this study identified 65 WFV species (52 genera and 29 families). These species, mostly consumed as vegetables (49%) or fruits (43%), were predominantly herbaceous (48%) in wild and semi-wild habitats (67%). 20 WFVs were known to local communities (highest RFC), Phoenix sylvestris stood out as the most utilized species (highest UV). Surprisingly, only 23% of the WFVs were sold at markets. The survey identified 21 unique WFVs that are rarely documented for human consumption in Pakistan (e.g., Ehretia obtusifolia, Euploca strigosa, Brassica juncea, Cleome brachycarpa, Gymnosporia royleana, Cucumis maderaspatanus, Croton bonplandianus, Euphorbia prostrata, Vachellia nilotica, Pongamia pinnata, Grewia asiatica, Malvastrum coromandelianum, Morus serrata, Argemone mexicana, Bambusa vulgaris, Echinochloa colonum, Solanum virginianum, Physalis angulata, Withania somnifera, Zygophyllum creticum, and Peganum harmala), as well as 14 novel uses and five novel edible parts. Despite their ecological importance, the use of WFVs has declined because local people are unaware of their cultural and economic value. Preservation of traditional knowledge through education on conservation and utilization could boost economies and livelihoods in this and similar areas worldwide. Full article

Propionibacterium acnes plays a critical role in the development of acne vulgaris. There has been a rise in the number of patients carrying P. acnes strains that are resistant to antibiotics. Thus, alternative anti-microbial agents are required. Zinc oxide (ZnO-NPs) and silver (Ag-NPs) nanoparticles can be used against several antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The impact of Ag-NPs and ZnO-NPs against two clinical strains of P. acnes, P1 and P2, and a reference strain, NCTC747, were investigated in this research. A chemical approach for the green synthesis of Ag-NPs and ZnO-NPs from Peganum harmala was employed. The microtiter plate method was used to examine the effects of NPs on bacterial growth, biofilm development, and biofilm eradication. A broth microdilution process was performed in order to determine minimal inhibitory (MIC) concentrations. Ag-NPs and ZnO-NPs had a spherical shape and average dimensions of 10 and 50 nm, respectively. MIC values for all P. acnes strains for Ag-NPs and ZnO-NPs were 125 µg/mL and 250 µg/mL, respectively. Ag-NP and ZnO-NP concentrations of 3.9- 62.5 µg/mL and 15–62.5 µg/mL significantly inhibited the growth and biofilm formation of all P. acnes strains, respectively. ZnO-NP concentrations of 15–62.5 μg/mL significantly inhibited the growth of NCTC747 and P2 strains. The growth of P1 was impacted by concentrations of 31.25 μg/mL and 62.5 μg/mL. Biofilm formation in the NCTC747 strain was diminished by a ZnO-NP concentration of 15 μg/mL. The clinical strains of P. acnes were only affected by ZnO-NP titres of more than 31.25 μg/mL. Established P. acne biofilm biomass was significantly reduced in all strains at a Ag-NP and ZnO-NP concentration of 62.5 µg/mL. The findings demonstrated that Ag-NPs and ZnO-NPs exert an anti-bacterial effect against P. acnes. Further research is required to determine their potential utility as a treatment option for acne. Full article

Honeys from different regions of Algeria were analyzed to determine their pollen characteristics and physicochemical properties (humidity, pH, electrical conductivity, diastase content, color, phenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity). The antioxidant activity was investigated using the free radical scavenging and Ferric reducing/antioxidant power assays. The melissopalynological analysis revealed 129 pollen types from 53 botanical families. The pollen types found as dominant were Coriandrum, Bupleurum, Brassica napus type, Hedysarum coronarium, Ceratonia siliqua, Eucalyptus, Peganum harmala, Ziziphus lotus and Tamarix. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were used to analyze significant relationships between the physicochemical variables and the botanical origin of the honeys and establish groupings based on the similarities of their physicochemical and antioxidant properties. The results showed that Ceratonia siliqua, Eucalyptus, Arbutus and honeydew honeys had a higher antioxidant contribution and higher phenolic and flavonoid contents than the rest of the honeys. In addition, the contributions of Mediterranean vegetation such as Myrtus and Phyllirea angustifolia were significant in this honey group. This paper demonstrates the diverse botanical variability for honey production in Algeria. However, there is a gap in its characterization based on its botanical origin. Therefore, these studies contribute positively to the needs of the beekeeping sector and the commercial valorization of the country’s honey. Full article

The formation of soil seed banks could be an important survival strategy for desert plant species that determine their persistence under harsh conditions, where temperature is extremely high, and chances of rainfall are low and unpredictable. Therefore, the assessment of the seed viability and germination potential of in-situ stored seeds could be important for understanding their reproductive strategies. Seeds of the studied species were collected in 2017 and divided into two batches. The first batch (fresh seeds) of each species was tested for seed germination within one week after collection. However, the second batch (in-situ stored seeds) was tested for seed germination in the first week of October 2022. In the current study, the germination potential of in-situ stored seeds was investigated in order to determine their ability to remain viable under natural conditions. Stored seeds of studied species showed higher germination percentages (53–89%) than fresh seeds (3–34%), except for Peganum harmala, indicating the presence of seed dormancy at the time of seed maturation. Seed germination percentages of all the species were significantly enhanced by storage, indicating their ability to form persistent soil seed banks, although the extent was species-specific. Fresh seeds of all the species attained higher germination in light as compared to complete darkness, suggesting that the germination of seeds can be restricted if they are buried deep in the soil under natural conditions. However, depending on species, in-situ seed storage changed the light requirement for germination. Additionally, the absence of an increase in the ratio of dead seeds between fresh and stored seeds indicates their ability to remain persistent in a soil seed bank and thus may offer great potential for maintaining and restoring desert ecosystems. Full article

Traditionally, Middle Eastern herbal medicines, especially traditional Iranian medicines (TIM), have been used by cancer patients both during and after active cancer treatments. Medicinal plants and herbs which are common in traditional Iranian medicine are considered to be less toxic and less expensive than chemical drugs. Alkaloid anti-cancer compounds are pyrrolidine, tropane, pyridine, piperidine, quinolizidine, pyrrolizidine, isoquinoline, indolizidine, isoxazaole, oxazole, quinoline, quinazoline, purine, indole serin, colchicine, β-phenylethylamine, abornin, benzylamine, narciclasine, and pancratistatin. Anticancer terpenoids compounds from medicinal plants and herbs are alpha-hederin, isoprene, galanal A, galanal B, oleanane, carnosol, and xanthorrhizol. Anticancer phenolic compounds from medicinal plants are kaempferol, flavones, flavonol, curcumin, luteoline, chalcone, apigenin, and cafesterol. All relevant papers in the English language from different research using the keywords traditional Persian medicine, traditional Iranian medicine, natural products, and cancer were collected from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. Some of the most important medicinal plants and herbs in the middle east, especially in Iran, with anti-caner activities are Acorus calamus, Aracia seyal, Allium ascalonicum, Allium cepa, Agaricus campestris, Aloe vera, Allium sativum, Apium graveolens, Anethum graveolens, Arum palaestinum, Artemisia absinthium, Beta vulgaris, Astoma seselifolium, Brassica oleraceae, Brassica nigra, Boswellia carterii, Capparis spinosa, Bryonia syriaca, Ceterach officinarum, Cassia senna, Cichorium intybus, Chrysanthemum coronarium, Citrullus colocynthis, Cinnamomum camphora, Crataegus azarolus, Crocus sativus, Cucumis melo, Nigella sativa, Olea europaea, Peganum harmala, Punica granatum, Pistacia lentiscus, Zingiber officinale, Thymus vulgaris, Vitis vinifera, Viscum cruciatum, and Urtica pilulifera. Iranian medicinal plants and herbs should be considered more as a notable and great potential source of novel chemical ingredients with anti-cancer activities. Full article

Currently, the main pillars in treating breast cancer involve tumorectomy pursued by hormonal, radio, or chemotherapies. Nonetheless, these approaches exhibit severe adverse effects and might suffer from tumor recurrence. Therefore, there is a considerable demand to fabricate an innovative controlled-release nano-delivery system to be implanted after tumor surgical removal to guard against cancer recurrence. In addition, combining platinum-based drugs with phytochemicals is a promising approach to improving the anticancer activity of the chemotherapeutics against tumor cells while minimizing their systemic effects. This study designed polycaprolactone (PCL)-based electrospun nanofiber mats encapsulating nedaplatin (N) and Peganum harmala alkaloid-rich fraction (L). In addition to physicochemical characterization, including average diameters, morphological features, degradation study, thermal stability, and release kinetics study, the formulated nanofibers were assessed in terms of cytotoxicity, where they demonstrated potentiated effects and higher selectivity towards breast cancer cells. The dual-loaded nanofiber mats (N + L@PCL) demonstrated the highest antiproliferative effects against MCF-7 cells with a recorded IC50 of 3.21 µg/mL, as well as the topmost achieved selectivity index (20.45) towards cancer cells amongst all the tested agents (N, L, N@PCL, and L@PCL). This indicates that the dual-loaded nanofiber excelled at conserving the normal breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A). The combined therapy, N + L@PCL treatment, resulted in a significantly higher percent cell population in the late apoptosis and necrosis quartiles as compared to all other treatment groups (p-value of ≤0.001). Moreover, this study of cell cycle kinetics revealed potentiated effects of the dual-loaded nanofiber (N + L@PCL) at trapping more than 90% of cells in the sub-G1 phase and reducing the number of cells undergoing DNA synthesis in the S-phase by 15-fold as compared to nontreated cells; hence, causing cessation of the cell cycle and confirming the apoptosis assay results. As such, our findings suggest the potential use of the designed nanofiber mats as perfect implants to prevent tumor recurrence after tumorectomy. Full article

Seventy percent of the territory of Uzbekistan consists of arid regions. This situation is considered very favorable for plants adapted to a desert climate. Medicinal plants distributed in the arid regions of Uzbekistan have not been studied much. Medicinal plants are considered inexpensive, yet are vital for the lives of local residents. They play a very important role in the traditional healing of ailments. To determine the current state of medicinal plants and enhance their subsequent protection and sustainable use, it is necessary to obtain annual information on the state of their distribution, their population size, and the impact of negative factors on their populations. Based on our field studies, which were conducted during the period from 2012 to 2022 in the arid regions of Uzbekistan, we updated the checklists of the main medicinal plants used in these regions. A total of 529 medicinal species belonging to 70 families and 269 genera were identified in the study region. Several species, including Peganum harmala L., Capparis spinosa L., Ferula foetida (Bunge) Regel, Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Alhagi pseudalhagi (M. Bieb.) Desv. ex Wangerin, Lagochilus inebrians Bunge, Xanthium strumarium L., Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn., Onopordum acanthium L., Ziziphora tenuior L., and Cichorium intybus L., are spread over large areas and have been used regularly by the locals since ancient times. These species are common in saline and degraded soils in arid regions of Uzbekistan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with tabibs (traditional doctors), elders, herders, and residents with experience in traditional healing using medicinal plants. The medicinal value of most plants was based on the interviews with representatives of the local population, which were useful for understanding traditional healing skills and customer service skills. Full article

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common clinical malignant tumor with limited therapeutic drugs. Leading by cytotoxicity against NSCLC cell lines (A549 and PC9), bioactivity-guided isolation of components from Peganum harmala seeds led to the isolation of pegaharoline A (PA). PA was elucidated as a structurally novel aniline derivative, originating from tryptamine with a pyrrole ring cleaved and the degradation of carbon. Biological studies showed that PA significantly inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation, suppressed DNA synthesis, arrested the cell cycle, suppressed colony formation and HUVEC angiogenesis, and blocked cell invasion and migration. Molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) demonstrated PA could bind with CD133, correspondingly decreased CD133 expression to activate autophagy via inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, and increased ROS levels, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 to promote apoptosis. PA could also decrease p-cyclinD1 and p-Erk1/2 and block the EMT pathway to inhibit NSCLC cell growth, invasion, and migration. According to these results, PA could inhibit NSCLC cell growth by blocking PI3K/AKT/mTOR and EMT pathways. This study provides evidence that PA has a promising future as a candidate for developing drugs for treating NSCLC. Full article