L. Custódio

Hybrid chemical-biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles with antibacterial efficacy using Salicornia and Sarcocornia hydroethanolic extracts.

This study investigates the use of a hybrid approach combining various ratios of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) with hydroethanolic extracts of Salicornia emerici, Sarcocornia fruticosa, and Sarcocornia alpini as reducing agents for AgNPs synthesis. The resulting nanoparticles were confirmed by the presence of a characteristic absorption peak around 400 nm using UV-visible spectroscopy, observed for Sarcocornia-mediated AgNPs at a 1:5 (v/v) extract-to-NaBH4 ratio and at a 1:2 (v/v) ratio for AgNPs synthesized from S. emerici (SE-AgNPs). Furthermore, their size, dispersity and morphology were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The nanoparticles displayed variable sizes with broad polydispersity, reflecting heterogeneous nucleation associated with plant-derived metabolites, and predominantly exhibited a cubic shape. Their antibacterial activity against different bacterial strains was evaluated using the broth microdilution method. All formulations inhibited bacterial growth, showing size-independent efficacy. The inhibition of multidrug-resistant bacteria Enterococcus faecalis was particularly noteworthy, with the strongest efficacy observed in SE-AgNPs at a concentration of 21.9 µg/mL. Taken together, the findings suggest that hybrid synthesis can generate bioactive AgNPs while partially reducing dependence on strong chemical reductants. Future work should focus on improving nanoparticle size control, cytotoxicity assessment, and elucidating the mechanistic pathways underlying their bioactivity.

Salicylic acid induces dose-dependent and organ-specific modulation of phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity in Polygonum maritimum L. in vitro cultures

Phytochemical Characterization of Euphorbia peplis Extracts and Their Antioxidant, Enzyme Inhibitory, and Cytotoxic Activities: An Integrated Experimental and In Silico Study

ABSTRACT Euphorbia members (Euphorbiaceae) are valuable sources of lead compounds for potential drug discovery. This study was conducted to evaluate, for the first time, the phytoconstituents, antioxidant capacity, enzyme inhibitory, and cytotoxic properties of E. peplis . Extracts were prepared from the aerial parts using ethyl acetate (EtOAc), ethanol (EtOH), 70% EtOH, and water. Results showed that the 70% EtOH and EtOH extracts contained the highest levels of total phenolics (68.12 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (45.49 mg RE/g). UPLC‐ESI‐MSn analysis revealed a variety of phytochemicals, including flavonoids, cinnamic acid derivatives, tannins, triterpenoids, and saponins, with 24 metabolites tentatively identified. PCA grouped these metabolites into three clusters, and their distribution was visualized with a heatmap. Polar extracts demonstrated strong antioxidant activity, with the 70% EtOH extract showing the highest values in most assays (DPPH = 385.50 mg TE/g; ABTS = 466.31 mg TE/g; CUPRAC = 439.95 mg TE/g; FRAP = 305.07 mg TE/g; PBD = 2.45 mmol TE/g). The EtOH and EtOAc extracts exhibited the strongest anti‐acetylcholinesterase (2.83 mg GALAE/mg) and anti‐butyrylcholinesterase (2.18 mg GALAE/mg) activities, respectively. Both the 70% EtOH and EtOH extracts showed the best anti‐tyrosinase effects (54.40 and 53.39 mg KAE/g; p ≥ 0.05). The EtOAc extract was more toxic toward SHSY5Y cells, with a viability of 4.31%, compared to 8.18% in normal KEK293 cells. Network pharmacology identified 11 common targets for E. peplis metabolites, with AKT1, EGFR, GSK3B, ESR1/ESR2, and CCND1 serving as key hubs. Pathway enrichment analysis highlighted PI3K‐Akt, EGFR, and hormone‐related pathways. Docking and molecular dynamics simulations confirmed stable multi‐target binding. These findings suggest that E. peplis could be a promising source of antioxidants and compounds with potential anticancer and enzyme‐inhibitory activities relevant to human diseases.