Investigation of total zinc contents and zinc-protein profile in medicinal plants traditionally used for diabetes treatment

Trace Element and Mineral Content in Medicinal Plants Collected in the Altai Mountains Foothills

The objective of the present study was to assess the patterns of trace element and mineral accumulation in 21 medicinal plants collected in the Altai Mountains foothills. The levels of trace elements and minerals in Hippophae rhamnoides, Aronia melanocarpa, Sorbus aucuparia, Viburnum opulus, Rosa canina, Crataegus sanguinea (fruits), Chamaenerion angustifolium, Echinacea purpurea, Fagopyrum esculentum, Trifolium pratense, Origanum vulgare, Achillea millefolium, Mentha piperita (herbs), Plantago major, Salvia officinalis, Urtica dioica (leaves), Panax ginseng, Rhaponticum carthamoides, Eleuterococcus senticosus, and Taraxacum officinale (roots), and Matricaria recutita flowers were assessed using inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometry. Comparative analysis revealed that R. carthamoides roots accumulated the highest level of toxic trace elements (Al, Cd, Ni, Pb). C. angustifolium herbs and V. opulus fruits are characterized by the highest As and Sn levels, respectively. The highest content of essential trace elements and minerals was observed in H. rhamnoides fruits (Zn), V. opulus fruits (Cu), E. purpurea herbs (I, Mg), R. carthamoides roots (Fe), O. vulgare herbs (Mn), and M. recutita herbs (Se). In turn, R. canina fruits are characterized by the lowest levels of certain essential and toxic trace elements. Significant differences in B, Cr, Li, Si, and Sr content were also revealed. Discriminant analysis revealed complete discrimination of certain medicinal plants based on their trace element and mineral content. The obtained data indicate the potential usefulness of medicinal plants as sources of certain essential trace elements and minerals, as well as provides data for risk assessment of toxic trace element intake following administration of medicinal plants.

A novel diarylethene-based fluorescence sensor for Zn2+ detection and its application

A series of fluorometric sensors of Zn2+ have been synthesized due to the significant function of Zn2+ in the human body and environment. However, most of probes reported for detecting Zn2+ have high detection limit or low sensitivity. In this paper, an original Zn2+ sensor, namely 1o, was synthesized by diarylethene and 2-aminobenzamide. When Zn2+ was added, the fluorescence intensity of 1o increased by 11 times within 10 s, along with a fluorescence color change from dark to bright blue, and the detection limit (LOD) was calculated to be 0.329 μM. According to Job's plot curves, the binding mode of 1o and Zn2+ was measured as 1:1, which was further proved by 1H NMR spectra, HRMS and FT-IR spectra. The logic circuit was designed to take advantage of the fact that the fluorescence intensity of 1o can be controlled by Zn2+, EDTA, UV and Vis. In addition, Zn2+ in actual water samples were tested, in which the recovery rate of Zn2+ was between 96.5 % and 109 %. Furthermore, 1o was successfully made into a fluorescent test strip, which could be used to detect Zn2+ in the environment economically and conveniently.

Effects of sulfate on the photosynthetic physiology characteristics of Hydrocotyle vulgaris under zinc stress

The effects of sulfate on the zinc (Zn) bioaccumulation characteristics and photophysiological mechanisms of the ornamental plant Hydrocotyle vulgaris were explored using a hydroponic culture under three Zn concentrations (300, 500 and 700mgL-1 ) with (400μmolL-1 ) or without the addition of sulfate. Results showed that: (1) tissue Zn concentrations and total Zn contents increased with increasing hydroponic culture Zn concentrations; and sulfate addition decreased Zn uptake and translocation from roots to shoots; (2) Zn exposure decreased photosynthetic pigment synthesis, while sulfate changed this phenomenon, especially for chlorophyll a under 300mgL-1 Zn treatment; (3) Zn exposure decreased photosynthetic function, while sulfate had positive effects, especially on the photosynthetic rate (Pn ) and stomatal conductance (Gs ); and (4) chlorophyll fluorescence parameters related to light energy capture, transfer and assimilation were generally downregulated under Zn stress, while sulfate had a positive effect on these processes. Furthermore, compared to photosynthetic pigment synthesis and photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence was more responsive, especially under 300mgL-1 Zn treatment with sulfate addition. In general, Zn stress affected photophysiological processes at different levels, while sulfate decreased Zn uptake, translocation, and bioaccumulation and showed a positive function in alleviating Zn stress, ultimately resulting in plant growth promotion. All of these results provide a theoretical reference for combining H. vulgaris with sulfate application in the bioremediation of Zn-contaminated environments at the photophysiological level.

Nutritional potential of an edible terrestrial orchid Eulophia nuda LINDL and validation of its traditional claim in arthritis

ETHNO PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Eulophia nuda, locally known as "Amarkand" is an edible orchid, traditionally used as food and ethnomedicine in arthritis, as a blood purifier, vermifuge, in bronchitis, scrofulous glands etc. AIM: The present study focuses on the proximate-nutrient analysis, metabolic profiling of bioactive phenolic acids (PA's) and validation of anti-arthritic activity in E. nuda.

MATERIALS

The proximate, nutrition and element (macro-micro) content were evaluated as per standard protocols. The anti-arthritic activity was evaluated via different Invitro models and bioactive phenolics were quantified through calibrated HPLC-UV (PDA) method, as per ICH guidelines.

RESULTS

The species contains a considerable amount of proximate i.e. ash, fiber, crude alkaloid, total phenolics, and flavonoid. It is a rich source of macro-micro nutrients, carbohydrates and energy, at par with conventional cereals and super-foods like finger millet, foxtail millet etc. It also contains seven PA's viz. gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, vanillin acid, ferulic acid and quercetin. The PA's content varies from 4.00 to 83.50 μg/ml. The anti-arthritic potential of the plant extract based on several in-vitro-models showed a promising inhibitory effect on inflammation and uric acid synthesis.

CONCLUSION

The study scientifically validates the traditional claims of this traditional orchid as food and ethnomedicine. The species can be commercially explored as a supplement to combat nutritional deficiency among rural communities.

Distribution and source apportionment of toxic and trace elements in some benthic and pelagic coastal fish species in Karnaphuli River Estuary, Bangladesh: Risk to human health

The Karnaphuli River is one of the prime and most important streams in the southeastern part of Bangladesh. The favorable water current and the geographic location have rendered the Karnaphuly River estuary a suitable habitat and a breeding ground for diverse fish species. Reversely, this estuary has been polluted by discharges from many point and non-point sources due to its location in the catchment area of a heavily industrialized area, Chattagram port city. However, published research concerning the status of toxic and trace elements in some commercially important benthic and pelagic coastal fish species in Karnaphuli River estuary was not found in the existing literature. Therefore, it's an important field of study on the assessment of toxic and trace elements concentration in the commercially important benthic and pelagic coastal fish species and their health taxation in the Karnaphuli River Estuary. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) was used to quantify trace metal concentration in edible parts of the fish species. This study revealed that the rank of the trace metals concentration was as follows (mg/kg): Zn (37.1) > Mn (16.12) > V (11.16) > Cu (9.49) > Rb (5.62) > Pb (2.98) > Cr (1.59) > Co (1.17). The F-test showed that a significant difference at 95 % confidence level in the distribution pattern of trace metals concentration among the examined fish species in the study area. The metal pollution index (MPI) in the muscle of fishes were found to be in the following order: L. bata > P. monodon > T. cirratus > M. bleekeri > O. pabda > H. nehereus > L. calcarifer > P. argenteus > P. paradiseus > T. toli, and the MPIs for most of the benthic fish species were higher compared to the pelagic fishes. On the other hand, the examined fish species were significantly bio-accumulative with the highest bio-accumulation factor value for benthic species. The multivariate analysis identified that the sources of the trace metals were associated with anthropogenic activities. For the human health risk assessment concern, estimated daily intake, target hazard quotient and cancer-causing risk were estimated. The results for non-cancer hazardous index values were found to be lower than unity. On the other hand, the total cancer risk data ranging from 1.24E-05 to 1.70E-05 were fallen within the range for the threshold values (1.0E-06 to 1.0E-04). However, considering the suggested values set by the environmental and regulatory agencies, it has been recommended that no significant non-carcinogenic and cancer-causing health risk for humans was seen due to the consumption of the studied fish species.

Effects of Naphthaleneacetic Acid, Indole-3-Butyric Acid and Zinc Sulfate on the Rooting and Growth of Mulberry Cuttings

The mulberry tree (Morus alba) is a perennial and fast-growing tree distributed worldwide under different climatic conditions. Most of the world’s silk production (>90%) is facilitated by the feeding of silkworm larvae on the leaves of mulberry (Morus alba L.) varieties. Therefore, exploration of the protocol for improving the propagation efficiency and increasing the reproductive capacity of M. alba varieties could be of great significance. This study aimed to determine the effect of four concentrations (0, 100, 200 and 400 mg L−1) each of naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and zinc sulfate (0, 100 and 200 mg L−1), supplied separately or combined, on the rooting and growth of mulberry cuttings. M. alba cuttings were immersed for 5 s in each solution using the quick-dip method and subsequently, the cuttings were dried and planted in plastic pots and maintained in a greenhouse for 60 days. The number of leaves (NL), longest root size (LRS), longest stem size (LSS), number of rooted cuttings (NRC), number of stems per tree (NSP), rooting percentage (RP), wet root weight (WRW), dry root weight (DRW), wet stem weight (WSW), dry stem weight (DSW), wet leaf weight (WLW) and dry leaf weight (DLW) were evaluated. The results obtained showed an increase in all growth parameters of the mulberry cuttings. Treatments of hormones (IBA and NAA) and Zn sulfate were effective on LSS, LRS and WSW. The highest values of LSS were obtained for the treatments T5, T6, T14, T15, T16 and T18. Moreover, T5, T12 and T10 showed the highest values of LRS. The highest value of WSW was observed for T18, T5, T14, T15 and T16. The highest values of WLW and DLW were observed in T20 and T14. Dry stem weight (DSW) was high in T18 and T14. The application of NAA (at 200 mg L−1), IBA (200 and 400 mg L−1) and Zn sulfate (200 and 400 mg L−1), either alone or in double combination, can be a suitable and reliable method for mulberry propagation.

Pilot Study of Trace Elements in the Infusion of Medicinal Plants Used for Diabetes Treatment

The purpose of this study was to evaluate trace element contents in different medicinal plants used for diabetes treatments by residents in Asir region. Five medicinal plants-Tut leaves (Mulberry), olive leaves (Olea europaea), clove (Syzygium aromaticum), Luban Dhakar (Boswellia carterii), and Karela or bitter melon (Momordica charantia)-were collected from two cities, Khamis Mushait and Abha, in the Asir region, Saudi Arabia. Infusions (hot water extracts) were obtained from each plant, and elemental analysis was conducted using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Fourteen elements (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Cd, Ba, and Pb) were measured in all plants. The results revealed that the fourteen elements were present at different levels (µg/g) in all plants. Momordica charantia exhibited high levels of essential (Mn (251.4), Co (1.18), Cu (54.64), and Se (2.18)) and toxic elements (Al (39.20), As (0.57), Cd (0.33), and Pb (4.48)), followed by Syzygium aromaticum (Mn (736.36)) and Boswellia carterii (Pb (0.93)), which exceeded the PMTDI in traditional doses used for diabetes treatments. However, Mulberry and Olea europaea did not exceed the daily guideline values for all elements. Based on our findings, we cautiously recommend the latter two plants for the traditional treatment of diabetes, because they are not considered as source of harm based on their levels of elements. Their use should be restricted by comprehensive compound analysis to guarantee their safe use.

Medicinal Plants and Zinc: Impact on COVID-19 Pandemic

The world is currently grappling with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The infection can cause fever, a dry cough, fatigue, severe pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome, and in some cases death. There is currently no effective antiviral SARS-CoV-2 drug. To reduce the number of infections and deaths, it is critical to focus on strengthening immunity. This review aims to conduct a comprehensive search on the previous studies using Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Medline, PubMed, and Scopus for the collection of research papers based on the role of zinc in the immune system, the antiviral activity of zinc, the effect of zinc supplementation in respiratory infections, the therapeutic approaches against viral infections based on medicinal plants, and the role of plants' bioactive molecules in fighting viral infections. In conclusion, we highlighted the pivotal role of zinc in antiviral immunity and we suggested the bioactive molecules derived from medicinal plants as a search matrix for the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs.

Comprehensive evaluation of chemical properties and toxic metals in the surface water of Louhajang River, Bangladesh

Louhajang River, Bangladesh, which crosses Tangail as a densely industrialized and urbanized city, supplies water for different purposes. This study reports the levels of pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and some toxic heavy metals in 40 water samples collected during the summer and winter seasons from Louhajang River. The winter season reported higher levels of the examined parameters than the summer season with significant variation (p < 0.05) for all parameters, with the exception of Cd. The metal contents were assessed against local and international standards for drinking, irrigation, and aquatic life purposes where different trends were observed. The heavy metal evaluation index and the ecological risk index reported low to moderate risks. The spatial distribution of metal contents assigned hot spots in some sites along the riverbed. The health risk assessment for three population categories, i.e., adult male, adult female, and children, was examined. Cr and Cd recorded hazard index > 1 in all cases, indicating possible non-cancer risk. The total carcinogenic risk values during both seasons were > 1.0 × 10^-6, indicating possible cancer risk. The adopted collection of different approaches (comparison against standard levels of toxicants, statistical analysis, spatial distribution, and health risk assessment) successfully demonstrates a whole picture of the environmental status of Louhajang River, Bangladesh.

The Effect of Momordica charantia in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus: A Review

In recent years, many studies of Momordica charantia (MC) in the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications have been reported. This article reviewed the effect and mechanism of MC against diabetes, including the results from in vitro and in vivo experiments and clinical trials. The common side effects of MC were also summarized. We hope that it might open up new ideas for further mechanism exploration and clinical application as well as provide a scientific theoretical basis for the development of drugs or foods derived from MC.

Cr and Mn total, accessible species, and protein-fraction contents in plants used for traditional anti-diabetes treatment

BACKGROUND

Our survey has found eleven plants that have being consumed for traditional treatment of diabetes mellitus, particularly in Saudi Arabia and generally in many countries across the world. The literature reported about trace elements such as Cr and Mn positively affecting diabetes mellitus. The aim of this work is to determine the total, accessible element species, and protein-fraction contents of Cr and Mn in the edible parts of those plants.

METHODS

The total contents of Mn were determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), while the total contents of Cr was determined by ICP-sector field (sf)-mass spectrometry (MS) due to lower concentration. The protein-fraction contents were determined in accessible element species by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC)-ICP-MS.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The separation was successfully carried out to quantify Cr and Mn bound up to 11 protein fractions. The examined plants recorded wide ranges of total contents (Cr 44.7-1880.0 μg/kg and Mn 3.7-59.0 mg/kg) and accessible element species contents (Cr 0.93-29.40 μg/kg and Mn 0.82-35.85 mg/kg). Also wide ranges of percentages of accessible element species contents to total contents of Cr (0.65-4.21%) and Mn (5.43-68.42%) were obtained. The hazardous indices of both trace elements Cr and Mn for all examined plants consumed by both children and adults were all < 1, indicating no probability of health risk to occur. Moreover, Cr as carcinogen element reported no probability of cancer risk to occur from the consumption of all examined plants. Irrespective of plant species, Cr was quantified in all SEC fractions (mainly protein fractions), with the exception of 1.9-3.7 kDa, while Mn was quantified in all SEC fractions with the exception of 100-120 and 1.3-3.7 kDa. Nevertheless, the majority of accessible Cr species contents bound to the 10-14 and 0.05-0.40 kDa fractions, while that of Mn bound to 0.05-0.40 kDa fraction. To gather, the benefits of specific plant species in terms of accessible Cr and Mn species contents, in addition to accessible Zn species contents reported in our previous study, Haloxylon Salicornicum, Olea Europaea Momordica and Charantia are recommended to be consumed for traditionally controlling T2DM.