The growing demand for medicinal plants in herbal medicine highlights their therapeutic value, yet heavy
metal contamination, such as cobalt (Co), poses potential health risks. Cobalt’s dual role as an essential
micronutrient and a toxic pollutant necessitates a more profound understanding of its impact on medicinal
plants like Adhatoda vasica. We investigated how varying Co concentrations affect A. vasica shoot
growth, leaf anatomy, antioxidant enzyme activity, and secondary metabolite profiles. Additionally,
molecular docking was performed to assess the interaction of the metabolites with the skin cancer-related
protein anti-ssDNA antigen-binding fragment (PDB code: 1P7K). Low Co concentrations (50 µM)
enhanced shoot dry weight by 41.45%, while higher levels (100–1000 µM) reduced it by up to 66.86%.
Cobalt exposure increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, indicating
reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative stress. Higher Co levels increased superoxide dismutase
(SOD), catalase (CAT), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) but
decreased peroxidase (POD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity. HPLC-UV and GC-MS data
showed that Co altered the secondary metabolites of A. vasica, including phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids,
and terpenoids, in both qualitative and quantitative ways. Molecular docking shows that naringin has a
higher binding affinity (-9.2 kcal/mol) to PDB: 1P7K than phenolics (-4.8 to -6.4 kcal/mol). Cobalt stress
significantly impacts A. vasica, altering its leaf structure, growth, and antioxidant defenses. These effects
extend to secondary metabolites in a dose-dependent manner.
These findings highlight the plant’s potential for Co tolerance and its metabolites’ therapeutic promise,
particularly naringin, for skin cancer applications.
Keywords Adhatoda vasica L., Antioxidant enzymes, Cobalt, Anatomy, Metabolite profiling, Molecular
docking 
 

Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile is a medicinal wild tree, naturally distributed in wide regions of Africa and South Asia. The fruits are commercially available in Egypt as antidiabetic natural products. The current study aimed to determine the effects of environmental factors on the metabolites and the bioactivities of fruit and leaf extracts. The main ecological differences
between the sites of collection, Wadi El-Gemal and Baris Oasis, are temperature, aridity, humidity, and location. The fruit extract of Baris Oasis showed higher saponin content and saponin metabolites (LC-MS analysis) than the fruit extract of Wadi El-Gemal. Baris Oasis fruit extract showed twice the inhibition of α-Glucosidase than Wadi El-Gemal fruit extract.
Twelve phenolics and flavonoids were detected in Baris Oasis leaf extract, while ten compounds were detected in Wadi El-Gemal leaf extract using HPLC. The higher quality and quantity of flavonoids and phenolics of Baris Oasis leaf extract than Wadi El-Gemal leaf extract, have significant effects on the antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. In conclusion, elevation of temperature and aridity have significant positive effects on the synthesis and accumulation of B. aegyptiaca saponins, phenolics and flavonoids. The bioactivities of the fruit and leaf extracts are directly proportional to the variation in metabolites due to abiotic stresses.
Key word: Balanites aegyptiaca L, Ecological Factors, Saponins, Flavonoids, Phenolics.      

The current study aims to investigate the in vivo anti-inflammatory and in vitro antioxidant activities of the ethyl acetate fraction of Dimorphotheca ecklonis DC (Compositae) along with its phytochemical composition and safety in gastric tissue. Wistar rats were divided into seven groups to analyze histopathological changes in the paw and gastric tissues treated with extracts of D. ecklonis (African daisy), compared to both positive and negative controls. The thickness of the dermal layers across all groups was measured using ImageJ software. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis and metabolite isolation techniques were employed to identify the phytochemical constituents of the ethyl acetate fraction. Additionally, in vitro antioxidant activity and antihistamine release were evaluated using DPPH and MTT assays. The ethyl acetate fraction of African daisy demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory activity comparable to that of indomethacin. No significant pathological changes were observed in the gastric tissues of the rats treated with D. ecklonis ethyl acetate extract. Thirteen polyphenols of various classes were detected in the ethyl acetate fraction, including kaempferol, luteolin, apigenin, chlorogenic acid, and 4-caffeoyl-5-feruloyl quinic acid methyl ester. The high phenolic and flavonoid content contributed to its potent antioxidant, antihistamine, and anti-inflammatory activities. Our study concluded that the ethyl acetate fraction of D. ecklonis exhibits significant antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and antihistamine activities in both in vivo and in vitro assays. These potent effects are attributed to the synergistic interactions of phenolics and flavonoids, such as kaempferol, luteolin, apigenin, chlorogenic acid, and 4-caffeoyl-5-feruloyl quinic acid methyl ester
Keyword: Anti-inflammatory, Dimorphotheca. ecklonis, Flavonoids, Quinic acid derivatives, Carrageenan induced paw edema