Anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential of leaf extract of Justicia adhatoda L. (Acanthaceae) in Carrageenan and Formalin-induced models by targeting oxidative stress

Identification of hydroxyquinazoline alkaloids from Justicia adhatoda L. leaves, a traditional natural remedy with NF-κB and AP-1-mediated anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant activity

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Justicia adhatoda L. is used as traditional medicine in Nepal to treat cough, asthma, and inflammatory disorders, and is indicated as "Asuro". Leaves are used worldwide as herbal medicine due to cardiotonic, expectorant, anti-asthmatic, and bronchodilatory properties. The aim of this work was to study the phytochemical composition of leaves of Nepalese J. adhatoda and assess their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in vitro.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Secondary metabolites were extracted from dried leaves using methanol (JAME: J. adhatoda methanol extract). They were analysed by means of liquid chromatography coupled with multiple-stage mass spectrometry (LC-MSn). Anti-inflammatory potential was determined by the NF-κB and AP-1 inhibition assay, and DPPH, ABTS, and β-carotene bleaching assays were performed to assess its antioxidant properties.

RESULTS

JAME is a rich source of secondary metabolites, especially quinazoline alkaloids such as vasicine, vasicinone, vasicoline, and adhatodine. 7-Hydroxy derivatives of peganidine, vasicolinone, and adhatodine were also identified by means of MSn data and are here reported in J. adhatoda for the first time. JAME inhibited NF-κB and AP-1 expression in THP-1 cells to a greater extent than the positive control prednisolone. A moderate radical-quenching property was observed in DPPH and ABTS assays, but the anti-carotene bleaching activity was significantly higher than the reference BHT.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first insight into the phytochemical composition of Asuro leaves from Nepal and their bioactivity. Our results will contribute to the valorisation of this medicinal species still widely used in the traditional and complementary medicine.

Ferulic acid via attenuation of oxidative stress and neuro-immune response utilizes antinociceptive effect in mouse model of formalin test

Introduction

Plenty evidences suggests that neuroinflammation and oxidative stress augmented the neural sensitivity specifying that neuro-immune response is involved in the pathophysiology of pain. Ferulic acid (FA), a natural antioxidant found in various fruits, has various pharmacological properties. The purpose of the current study was to assess the antinociceptive effect of FA in a mouse model of formalin test with focus on its anti-neuroinflammatory and antioxidative stress effects.

Methods

The injection of FA (40 mg/kg), piroxicam (2 mg/kg), and saline (0.9% NaCl) (1 ml/kg) was done intraperitoneally and after one hour, formalin injected into the plantar surface of the hind paw of mice. Then pain behavior was documented during 60 min. Then mice were euthanized and prefrontal cortex (PFC) samples were taken. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level, antioxidant capacity and expression of inflammatory genes, counting tumor necrosis factor (TNF-) and interleukine 1 (IL-1) evaluated in the PFC.

Results

exhibited that FA declined the pain behavior following injection of formalin. Besides, FA significantly diminished the MDA level and increased the antioxidant capacity in the PFC. We revealed that FA diminished the expression of TNF-α and IL-1β genes in the PFC.

Conclusion

We conclude that FA exerted antinociceptive effects in the formalin test in mice, at least partially, by reducing oxidative stress and neuroimmune response in the PFC.

Ruellia angustiflora (Nees) Lindau ex Rambo: extraction and characterization of phenolic compounds and evaluation of antiradical, photoprotective and antimicrobial activities

Ruellia angustiflora is a shrub popularly known as flower of fire, used in traditional medicine as a healing agent. This study aims to verify the presence of characteristics of pharmaceutical interest in extracts from the root, stem and leaves of this species. The ideal time for ultrasound-assisted extraction is 60 min with a solid-liquid ratio of 1% (w/v). The kinetics of the reaction of the extracts with DPPH is biphasic, and IC50 values are related to the total phenolic compounds. Five phenolic compounds were identified in the extracts, where ferulic acid, rutin and quercetin showed to be the main responsible for the antiradical activity. The extracts displayed considerable photoprotective activity, mainly Ra-LE (SPF = 23). Ra-RE showed an inhibition halo similar to erythromycin against Streptococcus pyogenes. Taken together, these data reveal that Ruellia angustiflora is a source of phenolic compounds and has relevant antiradical, photoprotective and antibacterial activities.

Green Extracts with Metal-based Nanoparticles for Treating Inflammatory Diseases: A Review

Globally, high death rates and poor quality of life are caused mainly by inflammatory diseases. Corticosteroids, which may have systemic side effects and would enhance the risk of infection, are the common forms of therapy. The field of nanomedicine has created composite nanoparticles that carry a pharmacological carrier and target ligands for distribution to sites of inflammation with less systemic toxicity. However, their relatively large size often causes systemic clearance. An interesting approach is metal-based nanoparticles that naturally reduce inflammation. They are made not only to be small enough to pass through biological barriers but also to allow label-free monitoring of their interactions with cells. The following literature review discusses the mechanistic analysis of the anti-inflammatory properties of several metal-based nanoparticles, including gold, silver, titanium dioxide, selenium, and zinc oxide. Current research focuses on the mechanisms by which nanoparticles infiltrate cells and the anti-inflammatory techniques using herbal extracts-based nanoparticles. Additionally, it provides a brief overview of the literature on many environmentally friendly sources employed in nanoparticle production and the mechanisms of action of various nanoparticles.

Multifunctional analysis and antimicrobial activity of Adhatoda vasica: a traditional medicinal plant

OBJECTIVES

Antibiotic resistance is rising, prompting innovative strategies for eradicating the epidemic. This study investigated the antibacterial properties of the leaves of a widely used medicinal plant, Adhatoda vasica.

METHODS

The plant's polar (water, methanol) and non-polar (hexane) extracts were tested against several different bacterial strains using the disc diffusion technique.

RESULTS

In a study, it was found that the water extract had the greatest inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus simulans and Staphylococcus aureus, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 16.444 and 19.315 g/mL, respectively. Gram-negative strains were more susceptible to plant extracts than Gram-positive strains. The phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, and steroids, where absorbance was recorded at 415 nm. The water extract had the highest amount of phenolics, with a total phenolic content of 53.92 0.47 mg and a total flavonoid content of 7.25 0.08 mg. Results suggest that the extract may have potential therapeutic applications for antimicrobial properties.

CONCLUSIONS

The study concluded that the extract's phenolic group of secondary metabolites were responsible for its antibacterial activity. The study highlights A. vasica as a promising source for discovering new and effective antibacterial compounds.

Hecogenin a Plant Derived Small Molecule as an Antagonist to BACE-1: A Potential Target for Neurodegenerative Disorders

The field of drug discovery has recognized the significance of computer-aided drug design. Recent advancements in structure identification and characterization, bio-computational science and molecular biology have significantly contributed to the development of novel treatments for various diseases. Alzheimer's disease is prevalent in over 50 million affected people, with the pathological condition of amyloidal plaque formation by the beta-amyloidal peptide that results in lesions of the patient's brain, thus making the target prediction and treatment a hurdle. In this study, we evaluated the potential of 54 bioactive compounds from Justicia adhatoda L. and Sida cordifolia L. identified through LC-MS/MS against the β-site amyloid precursor cleaving enzyme (beta-secretase) that results in the formation of amyloidal plaques. To study the drug-likeness of the phytocompounds, Lipinski's rule of five for ADME profiling and toxicity prediction was performed. Molecular docking was performed using auto-dock tool of PyRx software; molecular dynamic simulations were performed using the Schrodinger suite. Molecular docking against BACE-1 protein revealed that hecogenin, identified from S. cordifolia has a broad spectrum of pharmacological applications and a binding affinity score of -11.3 kcal/Mol. The Hecogenin-BACE-1 protein complex was found to be stable after 30 ns of MD simulation, resulting in its substantial stability. Further studies focusing on the in vivo neuroprotective activity of hecogenin against the disease will pave the way for efficient drug discovery from natural sources in a precise manner.

Overview of the Justicia Genus: Insights into Its Chemical Diversity and Biological Potential

The genus Justicia has more than 600 species distributed in both hemispheres, in the tropics and temperate regions, and it is used in the treatment of numerous pathologies. This study presents a review of the biological activities of plant extracts and isolated chemical constituents of Justicia (ACANTHACEAE), identified in the period from May 2011 to August 2022. We analyzed over 176 articles with various biological activities and chemical compound descriptions present in the 29 species of Justicia. These have a variety of applications, such as antioxidant and antimicrobial, with alkaloids and flavonoids (e.g., naringenin) the most frequently identified secondary metabolites. The most observed species were Justicia gendarussa Burm., Justicia procumbens L., Justicia adhatoda L., Justicia spicigera Schltdl, and Justicia pectoralis Jacq. The frontier molecular orbitals carried out using density functional theory (M062X and basis set 6-311++G(d,p) indicate reactive sites for naringenin compound and a chemical reaction on phytomedicine activity. The energy gap (206.99 kcal/mol) and dimer solid state packing point to chemical stability. Due to the wide variety of pharmacological uses of these species, this review points toward the development of new phytomedicines.

Bridging the Chemical Profile and Biomedical Effects of Scutellaria edelbergii Essential Oils

The present study explored chemical constituents of Scutellaria edelbergii essential oils (SEEO) for the first time, extracted through hydro-distillation, and screened them against the microbes and free radicals scavenging effect, pain-relieving, and anti-inflammatory potential employing standard techniques. The SEEO ingredients were noticed via Gas Chromatography-Mass-Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and presented fifty-two bioactive compounds contributed (89.52%) with dominant volatile constituent; 3-oxomanoyl oxide (10.09%), 24-norursa-3,12-diene (8.05%), and methyl 7-abieten-18-oate (7.02%). The MTT assay via 96 well-plate and agar-well diffusion techniques against various microbes was determined for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), IC₅₀, and zone of inhibitions (ZOIs). The SEEO indicated considerable antimicrobial significance against tested bacterial strains viz. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis and the fungal strains Fusarium oxysporum and Candida albicans. The free radicals scavenging potential was noticed to be significant in 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) as compared to 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzotiazolin-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assays with IC₅₀ = 125.0 ± 0.19 µg/mL and IC₅₀ = 153.0 ± 0.31 µg/mL correspondingly; similarly, the antioxidant standard in the DPPH assay was found efficient as compared to ABTS assay. The SEEO also offered an appreciable analgesic significance and presented 54.71% in comparison with standard aspirin, 64.49% reduction in writhes, and an anti-inflammatory potential of 64.13%, as compared to the standard diclofenac sodium inhibition of 71.72%. The SEEO contain bioactive volatile ingredients with antimicrobial, free radical scavenging, pain, and inflammation relieving potentials. Computational analysis validated the anti-inflammatory potential of selected hit “methyl 7-abieten-18-oate” as a COX-2 enzyme inhibitor. Docking results were very good in terms of docked score (−7.8704 kcal/mol) and binding interactions with the functional residues; furthermore, MD simulation for 100 ns has presented a correlation with docking results with minor fluctuations. In silico, ADMET characteristics supported that methyl 7-abieten-18-oate could be recommended for further investigations in clinical tests and could prove its medicinal status as an anti-inflammatory drug.