Dr Mohammed Mahmoud Youssif

Several bioactive constituents found in conventional medicine possess antioxidants and anti-cancer effects and may be useful in the treatment of a variety of diseases, so the current study sought to conduct a thorough investigation of their potential use as a potent antioxidant and anticancer agent for Korean red ginseng root. The preliminary phytochemical analysis in a methanol extract of Panax ginseng indicated the existence of numerous bioactive secondary metabolites especially in fresh Korean ginseng than dried one where about 79 active phytoconstituents in fresh ginseng compared to 25 in dried ginseng. More accurately, several bioactive compounds, including eicosatrienoic acid and melezitose, were identified in Korean red ginseng, some of which are less commonly reported in this species. The results demonstrated that the plants have therapeutic values, since the extracts' antioxidant impact was examined using radical 2,2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl. The methanolic extract displayed varying half-maximal inhibitory concentration values slightly above the standard, indicating the significance of the bioactive metabolites present in the plant. Additionally, investigation was conducted on the potential anticancer properties targeting a specific cancer cell line and we revealed that fresh ginseng was the powerful would effectively inhibit cancer cell lines. KEY WORDS: Panax ginseng, Phytoconstituents, GC-Ms, Antioxidant activity, Anticancer Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2025, 39(10), 2039-2053.                                                  DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v39i10.18

INTRODUCTION: The genus comprises a large number of economically important fruit crops. They are recognized globally as functional foods and in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.

METHODS: We present herein the chemical composition of the hexane extracts of (bitter orange) fruits and leaves by GC-MS for the first time, in addition to their antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities .

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: GC-MS revealed nootkatone (15.29%), decyl anthranilate (11.58%), neryl acetate (7.83%), and linalool acetate (6.83%) as major components of fruit extract; while the leaves extract contained mainly lupeol (24.32%), linalool (16.47%), friedelan-3-one (16.40%) and linalool acetate (12.31%). The extracts showed potential inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), tyrosinase, amylase, and glucosidase enzymes. Results were confirmed by in silico molecular docking studies on the respective enzymes' active sites, viz NADPH oxidase, BChE, tyrosinase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase. Amongst the docked compounds, lupeol showed the best binding affinities to NADPH oxidase, butyrylcholinesterase BChE, and α- glucosidase; while linalool acetate and neryl acetate showed the best activities against tyrosinase and α-amylase enzymes, respectively. In conclusion, bitter orange waste products can be a potentially important source of antioxidants and useful supplements.

β-blockers have been implicated in cognitive impairment, with some studies suggesting their role in increasing the risk of vascular dementia (VD). While previous clinical and preclinical research has linked β-blockers, including metoprolol, to cognitive decline, the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to elucidate the impact of metoprolol on scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in rats, focusing on the role of NADPH oxidase-mediated oxidative stress. Adult male Wistar rats were administered metoprolol (30 mg/kg/day; p.o) alone or in combination with scopolamine (1 mg/kg/day; i.p). To assess the involvement of NADPH oxidase, a subset of rats also received apocynin (10 mg/kg/day; i.p), a specific NADPH oxidase inhibitor. Behavioral tests were performed to evaluate cognitive function, while biochemical analyses were conducted to measure oxidative stress markers, neuroinflammatory mediators, and mitochondrial biogenesis-related proteins. Metoprolol exacerbated scopolamine-induced cognitive decline, which was unvieled through the impaired learning and memory performance. This effect was accompanied by increased hippocampal NADPH oxidase activity, oxidative stress biomarkers, and p38 MAPK/NF-κB-mediated neuroinflammation. Subsequently, metoprolol disrupted mitochondrial biogenesis machinery through the negative regulation of the SIRT1/PGC-1α/NRF1/TFAM signaling axis, which was followed by apoptotic cell death. Co-administration of apocynin reversed most of these alterations, where attenuation of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction were identified. In conclusion, metoprolol significantly worsens cognitive impairment, likely through oxidative stress amplification, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial biogenesis impairment. These findings suggest that caution is needed when prescribing metoprolol to elderly patients, especially those at risk of cognitive decline. Targeting NADPH oxidase may offer a potential therapeutic approach to counteract metoprolol's adverse effects on cognitive function.

Fibromyalgia (FM) patients are highly susceptible to depression. Wnt/β-catenin signaling has shown a crucial role against depression in several studies. The FDA-approved FM drug, milnacipran (Miln), has shown antinociceptive potential against FM. Yet, no study has investigated its antidepressant potential in FM. Vanillin (Van), a well-known phytochemical often employed as flavoring agent, has been previously reported for its antidepressant and antinociceptive effects in several animal models, but has not been tested so far in FM. This study explored the antidepressant effect of Van and Miln in FM through investigating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. FM was induced in female Wistar rats by injecting reserpine (1 mg/kg/day s.c) for 3 days. Thereafter, animals received either Miln (30 mg/kg/day p.o) or Van (100 mg/kg/day p.o) for the subsequent 14 days. Results showed that both drugs demonstrated antidepressant effect in forced swimming test besides analgesic, and antiallodynic influences observed in Randall-Selitto, hot plate, cold allodynia, Von-Frey, and tail immersion tests. Biochemically, Miln and Van significantly enhanced serotonergic transmission in the hippocampus and upregulated the protein expression of the Wnt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling axis, including the downstream proteins, T cell factor, and dicer. This is followed by subsequent upregulation of the resilience micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) 124 and 135. Histopathological examinations corroborated the biochemical and molecular findings. Interestingly, these effects of Miln and Van were overturned via administration of the β-catenin inhibitor, XAV939 (0.1 mg/kg, i.p., daily). In conclusion, this study outlined the antidepressant aptitude of Miln and Van through activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the hippocampus in reserpine-induced FM.

Abstract The alarming rise in atmospheric CO2 levels, primarily driven by fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes, has become a major contributor to global climate change. Effective CO2 capture technologies are urgently needed, particularly for the selective removal of CO2 from industrial gas streams, such as flue gas and biogas, which often contain impurities like N2 and CH4. In this study, we report the design and synthesis of novel molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) using 4-vinylpyridine (4VP) and methacrylic acid (MAA) as functional monomers, and thiophene (Th) and formaldehyde (HC) as molecular templates. The MIPs were specifically engineered to create selective molecular cavities within a nanoporous polymer matrix for the efficient capture of CO2. By adjusting the molar ratios of the template to functional monomers, we optimized the molecular imprinting process to enhance CO2 selectivity over N2 and CH4. The resulting MIPs exhibited outstanding performance, with a maximum CO2/N2 selectivity of 153 at 25 bar and CO2/CH4 selectivity of 25.3 at 1 bar, significantly surpassing previously reported porous polymers and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) under similar conditions. Furthermore, we conducted heat of adsorption studies, which revealed the strong and selective interaction of CO2 with the imprinted cavities, confirming the superior adsorption properties of the synthesized MIPs. The study demonstrates that molecular imprinting can effectively enhance both CO2 capture capacity and selectivity, providing a cost-efficient and scalable solution for industrial CO2 separation and purification processes.