In vivo and in vitro Study of the Protective Effect of a Phenolic Extract of Morus alba Against Glyphosate Toxicity

Received 18 Jan, 2024

Accepted 12 Nov, 2024

Published 01 Jan, 2025

Since ancient times, man has always been concerned about increasing the quantity and quality of his crops, preventing them from being damaged by insects, fungi, undesirable plant species, etc. However, it was not until after the Second World War those pesticides began to be used on a large scale as a basic tool to control pests that destroy or reduce crops.

But here a major problem arose, which is the confirmed involvement of pesticides in the phenomenon of oxidative stress, which research continues to demonstrate day by day its great share of responsibility in the induction of dozens of major pathologies and disorders.To face this situation, it was essential to resort to natural antioxidants.

Today, consumers are more and more interested in increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables in their diet, due to the presence of bioactive compounds, which are linked to the benefits for human health, such as reducing the risk of suffering from various diseases.

Mulberry trees have a pleasant and sweet taste, in addition, some varieties have attractive colors at ripening, they are popular and appreciated on the world market. The fruits of mulberry trees contain a wide range of bioactive compounds and their use in natural medicine is ancestral. In Asian countries, healing properties are attributed to the leaves, fruits and root bark. This is why, in recent years, its consumption has increased.

The main objective of this thesis is the physico-chemical, then physiological characterization of the leaves of white mulberry tree Tunisian cultivated in northern Tunisia. To achieve this general objective, the following specific objectives are proposed: Identification of bioactive compounds in the leaves by colorimetric assay methods (Ciocalteu Folin test) and by chromatographic analysis using HPLC-DAD chromatography and LC-MS technique. Antioxidant properties were measured and demonstrated by the reduction methods is that of free radical scavenging using DPPH- and ABTS-. The in vivo and in vitro evaluation of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in animal and cell models treated with Glyphosate (herbicide).

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS

This study reinforces the scientific knowledge on phytotherapy in particular with the bioactive substances of the white mulberry of the Mediterranean zone and their beneficial effects in particular on the detoxifying organs like the liver against the xenobiotics like the pesticides, which can of an important utility for the pharmaceutical industry based on the natural resources. This work will therefore help researchers to better elucidate the risks of the arbitrary use of glyphosate-based products on the one hand and on the other hand to better valorizemedicinal plantsand their powerful protective molecules.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Further studies will be needed to make this work usable for the development of a phytomedicine. This study could eventually be completed by a bio-guidance of our extracts. This will involve fractionating the extracts on cultured cells, purifying the most active fractions and determining the chemical structure of the compound responsible for the neuroprotective effect in each case of neurotoxicity. Also, possible synergistic/antagonistic effects between the various phenolic compounds should not be overlooked in future work, in order to deepen our knowledge of the behavior of all the chemical compositions of the extracts studied.

To further elucidate the mechanisms of action and signaling pathways involved in neuroprotection and with a view to developing new therapeutic approaches aimed at reducing the oxidative stress responsible for the neuronal death observed in glutamate excitotoxicity-related neurodegenerative disease. We hypothesized that protein expression is correlated with gene expression. Therefore, in order to confirm our hypotheses, we need to evaluate in vitro gene expression and protein activity (antioxidant enzymes).