Achyranthes aspera Linn. (Amaranthaceae), commonly known as the Prickly Chaff flower, is used as herbal medicine in the Ivorian's culture, Africa. Nonetheless, there is currently a paucity of scientific information on A. aspera from the Ivory Coast. Herein, the antioxidant activity of A. aspera extracts (methanol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and infusion) as well as the enzymatic inhibitory potentials towards key enzymes in human diseases, namely Alzheimer's disease, (cholinesterases: AchE and BChE), type 2 diabetes (α-glucosidase and α-amylase) and hyperpigmentation (tyrosinase) were assessed. The total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) content was determined using colorimetric methods and the individual compounds were characterized using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). Furthermore, a network pharmacology analysis was conducted to predict putative targets of identified phenolic compounds. The highest TPC was observed in the infused extract (28.86 ± 0.12 mg GAE/g), while the dichloromethane extract (38.48 ± 1.48 mg RE/g) showed the highest level of TFC. UHPLC-HRMS analysis has revealed an abundance of fatty acids, flavonoids, phenols and acylquinic acids. Among tested extracts, the infused extract displayed the highest free radical quenching, reducing and metal-chelating ability. The extracts (except infusion) were effective as enzyme inhibitors against AChE, while only methanolic and infused extracts showed noteworthy anti-BChE effects. The methanolic extract showed a remarkable antityrosinase effect (56.24 ± 5.05 mg KAE/g), as well. Modest to moderate inhibitory activity was observed against α-amylase (all extracts) and α-glucosidase (only dichloromethane extract). Finally, the network pharmacology analysis suggested the carbonic anhydrase II enzyme as a putative target for explaining, at least in part, the traditional use of A. aspera preparations as diuretic and blood clotting agent. Data amassed herein tend to validate the use of A. aspera in traditional medicine, as well as act as a stepping stone for further studies in the quest for novel phytopharmaceuticals. In this context, it is desirable that this study will contribute to the validation of the traditional uses of this plant in the African herbal medicine, and to the valorization of the whole chain production of A. aspera, as a local and sustainable botanical resource.

Mangrove forests exemplify a multifaceted ecosystem since they do not only play a crucial ecological role but also possess medicinal properties. Methanolic, ethyl acetate and aqueous leaf and bark extracts were prepared using homogenizer-assisted extraction (HAE), infusion and maceration (with and without stirring). The different extracts were screened for phytochemical profiling and antioxidant capacities in terms of radical scavenging (DPPH, ABTS), reducing potential (CUPRAC, FRAP), total antioxidant capacity and chelating power. Additionally, R. racemosa was evaluated for its anti-diabetic (α-amylase, α-glucosidase), anti-tyrosinase and anti-cholinesterase (AChE, BChE) activities. Additionally, antimycotic and antibacterial effects were investigated against Eescherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma viride, Penicillium funiculosum, Penicillium ludwigii and Penicillium verrucosum. Finally, based on phytochemical fingerprint, in silico studies, including bioinformatics, network pharmacology and docking approaches were conducted to predict the putative targets, namely tyrosinase, lanosterol-14-α-demethylase and E. coli DNA gyrase, underlying the observed bio-pharmacological and microbiological effects. The methanolic leave and bark extracts (prepared by both HAE and maceration) abounded with phenolics, flavonoids, phenolic acids and flavonols. Results displayed that both methanolic leaf and bark extracts (prepared by HAE) exhibited the highest radical scavenging, reducing potential and total antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, our findings showed that the highest enzymatic inhibitory activity recorded was with the tyrosinase enzyme. In this context, bioinformatics analysis predicted putative interactions between tyrosinase and multiple secondary metabolites including apigenin, luteolin, vitexin, isovitexin, procyanidin B, quercetin and methoxy-trihydroxyflavone. The same compounds were also docked against lanosterol-14α-demethylase and E. Coli DNA gyrase, yielding affinities in the submicromolar-micromolar range that further support the observed anti-microbial effects exerted by the extracts. In conclusion, extracts of R. racemosa may be considered as novel sources of phytoanti-oxidants and enzyme inhibitors that can be exploited as future first-line pharmacophores.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible protective effects of a garlic hydroalcoholic extract on the burden of oxidative stress and inflammation occurring on mouse heart specimens exposed to E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is a well-established inflammatory stimulus. Headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS) technique was applied to determine the volatile fraction of the garlic powder, and the HS-SPME conditions were optimized for each of the most representative classes of compounds. CIEL*a*b* colorimetric analyses were performed on the powder sample at the time of delivery, after four and after eight months of storage at room temperature in the dark, to evaluate the color changing. Freshly prepared hydroalcoholic extract was also evaluated in its color character. Furthermore, the hydroalcoholic extract was analyzed through GC-MS. The extract was found to be able to significantly inhibit LPS-induced prostaglandin (PG) E2 and 8-iso-PGF2α levels, as well as mRNA levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, interleukin (IL)-6, and nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB), in heart specimens. Concluding, our findings showed that the garlic hydroalcoholic extract exhibited cardioprotective effects on multiple inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways.