HPTLC Phytochemical Screening and Hydrophilic Antioxidant Activities of <i>Apium graveolens</i>L., <i>Cleome gynandra</i>L., and <i>Hibiscus sabdariffa</i>L. Used for Diabetes Management

Diabetes mellitus is a socially significant disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and metabolic disorders of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids due to reduced function of insulin. Medicinal plants, rich in bioactive components that promote prevention and treatment, are inexpensive and no side effects. Apium graveolens, Cleome gynandra, and Hibiscus sabdariffa from Burkina Faso were investigated for their phytochemical profile and antioxidant activities. The high-performance thin-layer chromatography profile revealed flavonoids, tannins, and sterols in these herbaceous. The Hibiscus sabdariffa methanolic extract exhibited the highest total phenolic (138.4 ± 0.5 mg GAE/g DW) and flavonoid (52.8 ± 0.6 mg RuE/g DW) contents comparatively to Cleome gynandra and Apium graveolens. Hibiscus sabdariffa methanolic extract also presented the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 = 0.31 ± 0.002 mg/mL) using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity assay. A high correlation between flavonoid contents and hydrophilic antioxidant activities (r = 0.99) was observed, indicating that flavonoids contribute significatively to these herbaceous antioxidant properties. Apium graveolens, Cleome gynandra, and Hibiscus sabdariffa constitute a natural source of phenolic compounds that could be exploited in diabetes mellitus management.

Biocompatible microcapsules with a water core templated from single emulsions

Biocompatible microcapsules with a water core are widely used to encapsulate hydrophilic actives.Here,a facile method to fabricate monodisperse biocompatible microcapsules with a water core in large quantity is reported.Microfluidic technology is utilized to emulsify the inner aqueous phase containing the shell polymer into monodisperse drops in the outer oil phase.As the cosolvent in the inner aqueous phase diffuses into the outer oil phase,the solubility of the shell polymer decreases,which eventually precipitates.Since the shell polymer,shellac,contains both hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups,it tends to wet both the inner aqueous phase and the outer oil phase,thus forming a solid shell at the periphery of the drop.We show that the diffusion rate of hydrophilic molecules encapsulated in the water core decreases as their molecular weight increases and the property of the microcapsules could further be modified by polyelectrolyte multilayer coating.These microcapsules are fabricated using FDA-approved polymer and non-toxic solvents and are of great use in drugs,cosmetics and foods.