The growing preference for natural remedies has resulted in increased use of medicinal plants. One of the most significant and varied plants is garden cress (Lepidium sativum), which has large concentrations of proteins, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. It also contains a wide range of bioactive components, including kaempferol glucuronide, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, coumaric acid, caffeic acid, terpenes, glucosinolates, and many more. These substances, which include antioxidant, thermogenic, depurative, ophthalmic, antiscorbutic, antianemic, diuretic, tonic, laxative, galactogogue, aphrodisiac, rubefacient, and emmengogue qualities, add to the medicinal and functional potential of garden cress. An extensive summary of the phytochemical profile and biological activity of garden cress seeds is the main goal of this review. Research showed that garden cress is one of the world\'s most underutilized crops, even with its nutritional and functional profile. Consequently, the goal of this review is to highlight the chemical and nutritional makeup of Lepidium sativum while paying particular attention to its bioactive profile, various health claims, therapeutic benefits, and industrial applications.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to prepare a natural oral wound dressing from alginate modified with garden cress (GC), a rich source of antibacterial phytochemical compounds essential for wound healing.
METHODS: Sodium alginate (SA) dressing (negative control group), was prepared and modified with GC seeds extracts (25 µg/mL and 50 µg/mL) as the intervention groups, and COE-PAK was the positive control group. Cytotoxicity was measured using WST-1 assay (n = 15) after 24 and 48 hours. The in vitro wound healing assay (n = 15) was assessed in terms of wound width, and cell migration rate (0, 24, 48, and 72 hours). Agar diffusion test was performed to investigate the antibacterial action (n = 15) of the groups against Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus casei strains. Results were significant at p ≤ 0.05.
RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in cytotoxicity in all groups (p = 0.24 at 24 hours and 0.1 at 48 hours). Garden cress-containing groups revealed the lowest mean value of wound width (0.27 mm ± 0.01 and 0.23 mm ± 0.01 for 25 µg/mL and 50 µg/mL, respectively at 48 hours) and the highest mean value of cell migration rate (0.013 mm/hour ± 0.004 and 0.014 mm/hour ± 0.004 for 25 µg/mL and 50 µg/mL, respectively at 48 hours), in addition to the highest antibacterial action (1.49 mm ± 0.05 and 2.14 mm ± 0.09 for 25 µg/mL and 50 µg/mL, respectively against S. mutans, 1.43 mm ± 0.07 and 2.55 mm ± 0.09 for 25 µg/mL and 50 µg/mL, respectively against L. casei).
CONCLUSIONS: Alginate wound dressing modified with GC extract could be considered a promising wound dressing material in terms of wound healing and antibacterial action.
CONCLUSIONS: Ready-to-use alginate-based wound dressing modified with GC extract may represent a promising natural alternative to the most commonly used oral wound dressing (COE-PAK).

Mass spectrometry has been an essential technique for the investigation of the metabolic pathways of living organisms since its appearance at the beginning of the 20th century. Due to its capability to resolve isotopically labeled species, it can be applied together with stable isotope tracers to reveal the transformation of particular biologically relevant molecules. However, low-resolution techniques, which were used for decades, had limited capabilities for untargeted metabolomics, especially when a large number of compounds are labelled simultaneously. Such untargeted studies may provide new information about metabolism and can be performed with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Here, we demonstrate the capabilities of high-resolution mass spectrometry to obtain insights on the metabolism of a model plant, Lepidium sativum, germinated in D2O and H218O-enriched media. In particular, we demonstrated that in vivo labeling with heavy water helps to identify if a compound is being synthesized at a particular stage of germination or if it originates from seed content, and tandem mass spectrometry allows us to highlight the substructures with incorporated isotope labels. Additionally, we found in vivo labeling useful to distinguish between isomeric compounds with identical fragmentation patterns due to the differences in their formation rates that can be compared by the extent of heavy atom incorporation.

The current study investigated “pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics interactions” of losartan with Curcuma longa (CUR) and Lepidium sativum (LS) in hypertensive rats. Hypertension was induced by oral administration of L-NAME (40 mg/kg) for two weeks. Oral administration of CUR or LS shows some substantial antihypertensive activity. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) of hypertensive rats was decreased by 7.04% and 8.78% 12 h after treatment with CUR and LS, respectively, as compared to rats treated with L-NAME alone. LS and CUR display the ability to potentiate the blood pressure-lowering effects of losartan in hypertensive rats. A greater decrease in SBP, by 11.66% and 13.74%, was observed in hypertensive rats treated with CUR + losartan and LS + losartan, respectively. Further, both the investigated herbs, CUR and LS, caused an increase in plasma concentrations of losartan in hypertensive rats. The AUC0-t, AUC0-inf and AUMC0-inf of losartan were increased by 1.25-fold, 1.28-fold and 1.09-fold in hypertensive rats treated with CUR + losartan. A significant (p < 0.05) increase in AUC0-t (2.41-fold), AUC0-inf (3.86-fold) and AUMC0-inf (8.35-fold) of losartan was observed in hypertensive rats treated with LS + losartan. The present study affirms that interactions between CUR or LS with losartan alter both “pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics” of the drug. Concurrent administration of losartan with either CUR or LS would require dose adjustment and intermittent blood pressure monitoring for clinical use in hypertensive patients. Additional investigation is necessary to determine the importance of these interactions in humans and to elucidate the mechanisms of action behind these interactions.

Trichinellosis is a nematode-causing disease distinguished by its continuous transmission in the carnivores and omnivores. Despite effective eradication of the enteral forms, conventional drugs fail to eliminate the migrating and muscle ones. Over the past years, researchers intensified the work on herbal medicines as alternatives or aids to albendazole, the reference drug. This research hypothesizes that the therapeutic agent absorption route could be an evidence-based carrier molecule or auxiliary drug to albendazole. Accordingly, this in vitro study was designed to investigate mainly the phenotypic changes induced by a mono-treatment of albendazole, Lipidium sativum (garden cress), and Commiphora molmol (myrrh). Incredibly, no data were reported on the morphological alterations of T. spiralis larvae treated by any of these drugs. The experimental design tested various concentrations (25, 50, 100, and 200 μg/ml) of each herbal medicine for the lethal effects on the parasite forms for a day (1, 12, and 24h). The data showed that the highest significant mortality rate of the parasite forms was in favor of the concentration 200 μg/ml of both plant extracts in a time-dependent manner. Therefore, albendazole at 200 μg/ml dose was tested in parallel, and all experimental groups were compared to non-treated muscle larvae and worms. Albendazole-treated worms accounted for the least significant (p<0.001) survival rate (2 %), followed by myrrh (5 %), and the adverse was valid for the survival rate of the muscle larvae at that time. None of the larvae/worms was alive after 24 hours of incubation with the 200μg/ml of either treatment. The scanning electron microscope investigation of the experimental groups provided a shred of evidence for different routes of taking up the candidate drugs by the parasite. In conclusion, the results of the previous work in vivo and current in vitro study recommend myrrh over garden cress as a complementary agent of albendazole.

Bismuth (Bi) is considered a \"green metal\" as its toxicity has been reported to be lower than other metals, particularly lead. Even though the low presence in the environment, an increase of Bi concentrations in soil and wastewater is predictable due to its enhanced uses for many industrial and medical applications. Therefore, given the little literature on the matter, particularly in plants, information on the effects of Bi on living organisms is needed. In this study, seeds of garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.), a model plant for ecotoxicological assays (OECD), were exposed to increasing Bi concentrations (0 to 485 mg L-1 Bi(NO3)3·5H2O in deionised water) in petri plates. After 72 h, the percent germination index (GI%) revealed no effects at the lowest Bi concentrations, while a slight toxicity occurred at 242 and 485 mg L-1 Bi nitrate. A significant reduction of the root length was observed in Bi-treated seedlings, especially at the highest Bi concentrations. Consistently, the Alkaline Comet Assay revealed a genotoxic effect induced by Bi exposure in garden cress seedlings. A Bi concentration-dependent metal accumulation in plantlets was also observed, with a Bi concentration higher than 1200 mg kg-1 found in plantlets at the highest Bi concentration assayed. The toxicity effects observed in the study were discussed, as contribution to the expansion of knowledge on Bi ecotoxicity and genotoxicity in plants.

Allelochemicals are considered an environment-friendly and promising alternative for weed management, although much effort is still needed for understanding their mode of action and then promoting their use in plant allelopathy management practices. Here, we report that Inuloxin A (InA), an allelochemical isolated from Dittrichia viscosa, inhibited root elongation and growth of seedlings of Lycopersicon esculentum and Lepidium sativum at the highest concentrations tested. InA-induced antioxidant responses in the seedlings were investigated by analysing the contents of glutathione (GSH) and ascorbate (ASC), and their oxidized forms, dehydroascorbate (DHA), and glutathione disulphide (GSSG), as well as the redox state of thiol-containing proteins. An increase in ASC, DHA, and GSH levels at high concentrations of InA, after 3 and 6 days, were observed. Moreover, the ASC/DHA + ASC and GSH/GSSG + GSH ratios showed a shift towards the oxidized form. Our study provides the first insight into how the cell redox system responds and adapts to InA phytotoxicity, providing a framework for further molecular studies.

BACKGROUND: Herbs usually contain a mixture of biologically active constituents, which can interact with numerous prescribed drugs and alter their safety profiles.
OBJECTIVE: The current investigation was aimed to evaluate the effect of commonly used herbal products, including black seed (Nigella sativa), garden cress (Lepidium sativum), and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of clopidogrel using a Wistar rat model.
METHODS: A GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of several phytoconstitutents (polyphenols) in the extracts of the black seed, garden cress, and fenugreek. These polyphenols have the potential to interfere with the clopidogrel effect. Plasma concentrations of clopidogrel were measured at different time points in the absence and presence of the concurrent use of tested herbal products and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated. Bleeding time was measured in various groups as a measure of the antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel.
RESULTS: Area under the plasma concentration-time curves (AUC0-∞) of clopidogrel were 35.53 ±0.89 µg/ml*h (p<0.05), 26.01 ±0.90 µg/ml*h (p>0.05) and 32.80 ±2.51 µg/ml*h (p<0.05) in the black seed, garden cress and fenugreek group, respectively, compared with that of the control group (27.02 ±0.42 µg/ml*h). Treatment with black seed also caused an increase in clopidogrel Cmax by 31.52% (p<0.05) and with fenugreek by 21.42% (p<0.05); Cmax, did not changed with garden cress treatment (6.48 ±0.15 µg/ml versus 6.12 ±0.21 µg/ml, p>0.05). The pharmacodynamic evaluation of the antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel in the presence of herbal products treatment showed a significant prolongation in the bleeding time from a control baseline by ~22-26%, and by added ~8-12% about clopidogrel therapeutic effect (p<0.05). The concurrent use of black seed, fenugreek, or garden cress can alter the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of clopidogrel to varying degrees due to the presence of various bioactive polyphenols.
CONCLUSIONS: This is probably due to changes in drug disposition and its antiplatelet action. Further confirmation can determine the clinical relevance of these observations and identify the exact constituents responsible for such activities.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and the greatest cause of cancer-related death in the world. Garden cress (Lepidium sativum) seeds have been proven to possess extraordinary antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypothermic, and analgesic properties. In this study, in vitro cytotoxic efficiency evaluation of L. sativum fractions was performed against two hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (HuH-7 and HEPG-2), and the expression of some apoptotic genes was explored. In addition, the chemical composition of a potent extract of L. sativum was analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Then, molecular docking analysis was implemented to identify the potential targets of the L. sativum components\' most potent extract. Overall, the n-hexane extract was the most potent against the two HCC cell lines. Moreover, these cytotoxicity levels were supported by the significant downregulation of EGFR and BCL2 gene expression levels and the upregulation of SMAD3, BAX, and P53 expression levels in both HuH-7 and HEPG2 cell lines. Regarding L. sativum\'s chemical composition, GC-MS analysis of the n-hexane extract led to the identification of thirty compounds, including, mainly, hydrocarbons and terpenoids, as well as other volatile compounds. Furthermore, the binding affinities and interactions of the n-hexane fraction\'s major metabolites were predicted against EGFR and BCL2 molecular targets using the molecular docking technique. These findings reveal the potential use of L. Sativum in the management of HCC.

Vegetables of the plant order Brassicales are believed to have health-promoting properties, as they provide high contents of glucosinolates (GLS) and deriving from these, enzymatically and heat-induced breakdown products, such as isothiocyanates (ITC). Besides their positive physiological effects, ITC are electrophilic and can undergo reactions with food components such as proteins. Following the trend of improving traditional food products with GLS-rich ingredients, interactions of ITC with proteins can diminish the properties of both components-protein\'s value and functionality as well as ITC\'s bioactivity. In vegetable-enriched bread, where cresses (Lepidium sativum L. or Tropaeolum majus L.) are added to the initial dough, together with benzyl cyanide, benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) is formed during the baking process. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible migration behavior of the GLS breakdown products and the formation of ITC-wheat protein conjugates. After the baking process, the breads\' proteins were enzymatically hydrolyzed, and the ITC-amino acid conjugates analyzed using a LC-ESI-MS/MS methodology. In all samples, BITC-protein conjugates were detected as thiourea derivatives, while formation of dithiocarbamates could not be detected. The study showed that GLS and their breakdown products such as ITC migrate into the surrounding food matrix and undergo reactions with proteins, which could in turn lead to modified protein properties and reduce the bioavailability of ITC and lysine.