Bioactive phenolic glycosides from the aerial parts of Stipagrostis plumose(L.) Munro ex T.Anderson family Poaceae
Cancer is certainly one of the biggest health issues of the 21st century. The number of people who fall ill by this disease rise from year to year. In last years, science has paid more attention to this disease. Various factors may cause mutations that are the trigger for a cancer appearance ( Mareel,Leroy,2003, pp. 275-290). Cancer is often treated with some combination of radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Everyone wonders do this extremely insidious disease have a natural solution. Humans with help of medicine and new technology are trying to find the most effective treatment that can conquer the greatest worldwide illness of today. Many scientists are also wondering is cancer curable disease or it will become soon. Speaking of that, some of them have discovered that some bioactive phenolic compounds which are isolated from aerial parts of Stipagrostis plumosa may have a great contribution to humankind(Bilušić Vundać, Brantner, Plazibat ,2007, 1277-1281).
Stipagrostis plumosa is a perennial grass that occurs in Africa, north of the Sahara, eastwards through Arabia, Turkey, and Palestine to Pakistan and northwest India, Mediterranean region and Egyptian desert. This plant has never been explored in medical purposes. It has been used only by local people and forages as food for horses and camels. Some scientists consider this plant as a very significant one for medicine, especially in the battle against cancer of any kind. However, this plant is not yet fully explored as one important medicinal plant. From my point of view, this plant needs to be more investigated because of the phenolic compounds which have many activities such as good antioxidant activity, moderate cytotoxicity, strong analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities. On the other hand, not many studies are done about this plant and all its properties, which can be beneficially for developing a new natural cure for cancers of any kind. Reviewing one study about properties and compounds which were isolated from this plant by different chromatographic methods, I claim that this Stipagrostis plumosa plant is a promising medical plant that needs to be more explored for the benefit of us all.
In the current study that I have reviewed, some methods were used to demonstrate and prove some activity of isolated compounds from this plant. MTT assay was used to prove cytotoxicity against HepG-2 and MCF-7 cell lines. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity is demonstrated using DPPH radical scavenging assay. For the study purpose, it has also been used as one of the most popular tests – Carrageenan-induced paw edema. It has been used in the screening of African spices and vegetables for anti-inflammatory activity.
Ten compounds are isolated from this plant. Salcolin A and salcolin B , a flavonoid; tricin, simple phenolics; vanillic acid and protocatechualdehyde, fatty acids; palmitic acid and oleic acid, and phytosterols; β-sitosterol-3-Oβ-D-glucopyranoside and a mixture of βsitosterol and stigmasterol. The capability of each compound was tested during various experiments. Tricin is one of the most abundant compounds which was isolated. This substance shows a variety of health-enhancing activities and potentially the most important one would be anticancerogenic activity. Tricin showed potential anticancerogenic activity against tumor cells that are found in the liver and colon. The tricin succeed to prevent the growth of the HepG-2 cell line. On the other side, tricin showed mellow activity against MCF-7 cell lines. This data may lead us to the conclusion that every type of cancer should be first examined carefully and then treat differently (Reya, Morrison, Clarke, Weissman, 2001, pp. 45-63). The exact mechanism of tricin reactions with tumor cells is not yet revealed, but there are shreds of evidence that this substance has the potential to cure one of the biggest health issues in the modern world. Besides the development of the in-vivo conditions for tricin action, the scientists and engineers should invent the innovative way of processing aerial parts of S. plumose. That process should enable the strict separation of tricin from other compounds. Some of my ideas are the application of selective organic solution which will extract just tricin or invention of less expensive separation process which will enable cheaper production of the tricin. Besides this interesting and promising substance, there were some other substances whose antioxidant, antitoxic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity were tested.
The MTT colorimetric assay was used against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2) and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines. The anticancerogenic activities of isomers of Salcolin were also tested. Despite their minor difference within atomic structures, those substances showed diverse cytotoxic activity (Sadik, Sies, Schewe, 2003, pp. 773-781). To evaluate their effectiveness, activities of those substances were compared to activities of other organic compounds such as n-butanol, ethyl – acetate and doxorubicin. Salcolin A showed more activity against HepG-2 cell line and MCF-7 cell line. On the other side, Salcolin B was less active with IC50, HepG-2, and MCF-7 cell lines. It appears that minors’ changes of the N- butanol generally showed less cytotoxic activity than ethyl – acetate.
The second tested activity of isolated compounds was anti-inflammatory activity. This activity was observed by using the carrageenan model. This model consists of two stages. The duration of the first stage is one hour. This stage is described as the release of serotonin, kinin, and histamine. On the other side, the second stage defines the release of prostaglandins and lysosome enzyme. Anti-inflammatory actions were tested in carrageenan-induced edema in rats. None of the substances showed significant activity within the first hour of its application. First activity signs started at the beginning of the second hour. Most of the substances had shown the most significant decrease of edema during the third and fourth hour. The extracted solution of aerial parts of S.plumosa has shown potent anti-inflammatory activity. The extract showed the most significant decrease in the paw thickness between the third and the fourth hour. The N- hexane, and ethyl – acetate haven’t shown any significant activity. Thus, there is great dominance shown by the extract upon other organic compounds that were used in this experiment.
The third activity that was tested is analgesic activity. The extract of the plant proved pertinent analgesic action against pain in mice which was caused by acetic acid. The extract showed the highest inhibition percentage in comparison with all other tested components which were: diclofenac, sodium, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous fraction. Within other components that were tested, the best results showed ethyl acetate and n-butanol. From my point of view, the data from the research present firm evidence of the anti-inflammatory potential of S.Plumosa plant. If another research about the anti-inflammatory activity of every substance within the extract would be done, it would provide the possibility to detect which fractions are successful in this task(Rezazadeh, Kebryaeezadeh, Pirali-Hamedani , Shafiee , Isfahani, 2005, pp. 165-169). Thus, the right mixture of compounds within the extract could be isolated and present the real tool against inflammation processes.
The last activity which will be discussed is antioxidant activity and phenolic content. Antioxidant activity is extremely important in the human organism. The role of antioxidant is the neutralization of free radicals that treat human immunity system (Niki,2010 pp. 503-515). The DPPH method was used to check the antioxidant activity of the extract. The results imply quiet well scavenging activity of the extract. The referent compound was ascorbic acid. The anti-oxidants are widely used in the food industry as health-enhancing substances. In the modern world, commonly, consumers prefer natural products, rather than synthetic ones. So, here is another great potential for S.Plumosa usage. Probably this plant may be used as an ingredient in some food product (Bilušić Vundać, Brantner, Plazibat ,2007, pp. 1277-1281).
The S.Plumosa may have a great impact upon humans health in the future. There should be a serious plan for the production, marketing, and application of final products. Some companies should invest in the intensive growth of this plant in controlled conditions. It will be a place for new biopharmaceutical products at the market according to global awareness of human health importance in the modern world. I am sure that this plant is promising and investing in this plant may be a groundbreaking event. Many steps should be passed to reach the desired purpose of this plant. Biologists, doctors, chemical engineers should work together to create final products. From my point of view the greatest potential of this plant lays in it’s potential anticancerogenic activity. Every isolated compound should be tested separately against all kinds of cancer. Also, reactions of compounds should be tested against same type of cancer that are placed at different organs. With the proper approach, I think that scientists may be one-step far from discovering the key formula for the cure of cancer and this plant will be part of that key.
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