Atherogenic dyslipidemia, characterized by an increased level of lipoprotein (a) and a decreased level of adiponectin, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in diabetic patients. To reduce cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients, use of agents with antidiabetic and anti-atherogenic potential is required. Using an animal model of diabetes, we investigated the antiatherogenic potential of extracts of three medicinal plants: jujube, barberry, and saffron. For this, serum level of fasting blood glucose, lipid profile, malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity, adiponectin and lipoprotein (a) in diabetic control and extract treated groups were measured. Statistical analysis of measurements showed that serum levels of fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, and VLDL decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in all treated groups. Treatment with all extracts reduced lipid peroxidation and increased antioxidant capacity of the experimental diabetic groups. Serum adiponectin levels increased in all treated groups, whereas lipoprotein (a) levels decreased, most markedly when treated with jujube extract. Jujube, saffron, and barberry extracts are beneficial in ameliorating oxidative stress and atherogenic risk of diabetic rats. This highlights the benefits of further investigating the cardio-protective potential of medicinal plant extracts and evaluating their usefulness as cardio protective agents in clinical practice.

Anti-atherogenic potential of jujube, saffron and barberry: anti-diabetic and antioxidant actions.

Many herbaceous plants contain compounds that have biological effects in addition to their medicinal properties. They have compounds with numerous properties, including hypo lipidemic, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, and hepato protective ones, which have been analyzed at different levels. One of these plants, with the scientific name of Berberis vulgaris, is barberry. The most important compounds identified in this plant are berberine, oxycontin, palmatine, bervulcine, berbamine, columbamine, jatrorrhizine, coptisine, and berbamine. In addition to alkaloids, organic acids such as chelidonic acid, citric acid, malic acid, resin, tannin, pectinic, and mucilagic substances are among the ingredients of barberry. In this paper, it was attempted to determine the role and effect of the extract of barberry on various body organs. The results showed that berberine actually increases insulin sensitivity and is capable of inhibiting alpha glucosidase, adipogenesis, and thus acts as an anti-obesity and hypoglycemic agent. Berberine reduces the density of serum cholesterol and triglycerides and can improve the function of liver enzymes, therefore, it can be suggested as a hypo lipidemic and hepato protective plant extract. The hepato protective effects of this extract are probably due to its antioxidant properties. Studies showed that barberry have numerous health benefits, including anti-inflammatory ones. Moreover, it can be used as a medicinal herb to treat a variety of disorders, such as diabetes, liver disease, gallbladder pain, digestive, urinary tract diseases, and gallstones. However, more studies on this issue and doing more focused and intensive researches in this field are recommended.

http://ajp.mums.ac.ir/article_4430_80f8f928c88e3492bf0c3aab058fa618.pdf

A quick overview on some aspects of endocrinological and therapeutic effects of Berberis vulgaris L

In this study we evaluated the biological activity of alcoholic and aqueous extracts from the fruit of Berberis vulgaris. The total antioxidant capacity of Berberis was characterized by FRAP, DPPH, Folin-Ciocalteu while the anthocyanins content was measured by pH differential method. Cell viability and apoptotic property were determined by MTT and DNA fragmentation assays, respectively. Alcoholic extract of Berberis was richer in antioxidants and anthocyanins compared to aqueous extract. Although both extracts significantly inhibited proliferation of breast cancer cells (MCF-7); these changes were not observed in normal human breast epithelial cells (MCF10-A). The alcoholic extract was more effective in inducing apoptosis as detected by DNA fragmentation in treated cancer cells. Our results suggest that Berberis has potent antioxidant properties and cytotoxic effects that can induce apoptosis. Therefore, Berberis can potentially be exploited for the development of therapeutics to fight against human breast cancer.

/pdf/the-antioxidant-and-chemical-properties-of-berberis-vulgaris-2rdppxolb2.pdf

The antioxidant and chemical properties of Berberis vulgaris and its cytotoxic effect on human breast carcinoma cells.

Original article: ANTI-ATHEROGENIC POTENTIAL OF JUJUBE, SAFFRON AND BARBERRY: ANTI-DIABETIC AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIONS

Abstract Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized using barberry (Berberis vulgaris) extract via heating method. The effects of the amount of barberry extract (15–35 ml) and the reaction time (30–90 min) on the antibacterial (clear zone diameter, mm) and antioxidant (%) activities of the synthesized ZnO NPs were investigated by response surface methodology. Main reducing and stabilizing compounds of barberry extract were identified by gas chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Spherical ZnO NPs with an average size of 20 nm were successfully fabricated at optimal synthesis conditions using 35 ml of barberry extract and 30 min reaction time. ZnO NPs were determined to have a zeta potential of –15.3 mV and an antioxidant activity of 28.8%. The antibacterial activity of fabricated ZnO NPs was tested against Staphylococcus aureus and found to possess significant (p<0.05) inhibitory effect against this microorganism.

Biosynthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using barberry (Berberis vulgaris) extract and assessment of their physico-chemical properties and antibacterial activities

Six purple-black barberry accessions (Berberis vulgaris L.) were obtained from various sites in Sivas province of Turkey. Fruits were analyzed for their total phenolic (TP), total monomeric anthocyanin (TMA) contents and for their antioxidant capacity by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and TEAC assays. Sugar and organic acid composition were also determined by HPLC. TP and TMA contents were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and pH differential methods, respectively. Variability between the accessions was not high. Variability among accessions was greatest for FRAP content (C.V. 17.9%); individuals ranged from 41.0 to 65.6 μmol TE·g−1 on a fresh weight basis. Variation among the accessions was also evident for TP, TMA, and TEAC values (C.V. 16.21%, 14.85%, and 7.13%, respectively). The major sugars of barberry fruits were glucose (8.84 g·100 mL−1) and fructose (6.12 g·100 mL−1) and dominant organic acids were malic (7.59 g·100 mL−1) and citric (1.34 g·100 mL−1). Within this limited study of six different accessions, chemical profile and antioxidant capacity of barberry fruits have rich source of natural antioxidant substances.

Antioxidant Capacity and Chemical Properties of Selected Barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) Fruits

Nanoparticles reveal unique properties due to their application in many fields. The easy, eco-friendly, and cost-effective method for synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from the aerial part ...

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench with antioxidant profile

Salvia species have been used extensively in medicinal and food industries for years due to their significant secondary metabolites contents such as flavonoids and phenolic compounds. Silver nanoparticles capped and stabilized by Salvia aethiopis compounds are expected to reveal considerable biological effects. In this study, Salvia aethiopis L. was heated in distilled water for 2 h. After filtration, water extract was treated with silver nitrate for 2 h at 60 °C to yield the silver nanoparticles (Sa-AgNPs). The structure of silver nanoparticles was elucidated by spectroscopic methods such as Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), and zeta potential analyses. The maximum absorption in UV–Vis spectrum was observed at 508 nm. XRD pattern (2θ) at 38.1°, 44.3°, 64.4°, and 77.4° degrees can be assigned to the (111), (200), (220) and (311) Bragg’s reflections of the face-centered cubic crystalline structure. The average size of Sa-AgNPs was found as 74.09 nm by SEM analysis. The characteristic hydroxyl vibration signal appeared at 3222 cm−1. The zeta potential of Sa-AgNPs was found as − 20.3 mV displaying the stability of Sa-AgNPs. Antioxidant activity of extract and Sa-AgNPs were carried out using DPPH⋅, ABTS⋅+ FRAP assay. The Sa-AgNPs revealed a considerable ABTS⋅+ scavenging effect with the value of 4.93 (IC50, µg/mL) compared to BHT (IC50, µg/mL, 8.34). However, Sa-AgNPs displayed a lower DPPH⋅ activity (IC50, µg/mL, 24.37) than that of the standard BHT (IC50, µg/mL, 9.67). The reducing power activity of Sa-AgNPs was found as 4.52 (µmol TE/mg extract) while the standard BHT value was 488 (µmol TE/mg extract).

/pdf/green-synthesis-of-silver-nanoparticles-from-salvia-5004v2sd1h.pdf

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Salvia aethiopis L. and Their Antioxidant Activity

Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Astragalus flavesces Leaf: Identification, Antioxidant Activity, and Catalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue

Nanotechnology is arising as a fast-developing research discipline with many usages areas. The silver nanoparticles synthesis (sm-AgNPs) is accomplished by reduction of silver ions in treatment with aqueous extract of Sideritis montana L. leaves. The colour change from yellow to dark brown confirmed the structures. The spectroscopic studies revealed the desired structure. In the UV-Vis spectrum, the maximum absorption was observed at 480 nm. The diffraction peaks (2θ) at the degrees of 38.14°, 44.29°, 64.48°, and 77.38° can correspond to 111, 200, 220, and 311 facets that indicates the nanostructure to be a face-centered cubic unit structure. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analyses indicated that the synthesized nanoparticles were spherical with an average particle size of 36.42 nm. The zeta potential of sm-AgNPs was found as -35.2 mV which indicated the repulsion among nanoparticles and their stability. The peaks from Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) were associated with the phenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, and alkaloids, indicating that the corresponding compounds might act as reducing agents. The photocatalytic effect of sm-AgNPs was examined by degradation of methylene blue and sm-AgNPs were able to degrade the dye by about 67% at 96 h.

Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Sideritis montana L. Leaf Extract: Characterization, Catalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue and Antioxidant Activity

Esma Nur Gecer

Papers

Antioxidant Capacity and Chemical Properties of Selected Barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) Fruits

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench with antioxidant profile

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Salvia aethiopis L. and Their Antioxidant Activity

Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Astragalus flavesces Leaf: Identification, Antioxidant Activity, and Catalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue

Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Sideritis montana L. Leaf Extract: Characterization, Catalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue and Antioxidant Activity