Antiproliferative activity of chrysin (5, 7-dihydroxyflavone) from Indigofera tinctoria on human epidermoid carcinoma (A431) cells

Nutritional and pharmacological potentials of orphan legumes: Subfamily faboideae

Legumes are a major food crop in many developing nations. However, orphan or underutilized legumes are domesticated legumes that have valuable properties but are less significant than main legumes due to use and supply restrictions. Compared to other major legumes, they are better suited to harsh soil and climate conditions, and their great tolerance to abiotic environmental circumstances like drought can help to lessen the strains brought on by climate change. Despite this, their economic significance in international markets is relatively minimal. This article is aimed at carrying out a comprehensive review of the nutritional and pharmacological benefits of orphan legumes from eight genera in the sub-family Faboidea, namely Psophocarpus Neck. ex DC., Tylosema (Schweinf.) Torre Hillc., Vigna Savi., Vicia L., Baphia Afzel. ex G. Lodd., Mucuna Adans, Indigofera L. and Macrotyloma (Wight & Arn.) Verdc, and the phytoconstituents that have been isolated and characterized from these plants. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct for articles that have previously reported the relevance of underutilized legumes. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species was also conducted for the status of the species. References were scrutinized and citation searches were performed on the study. The review showed that many underutilized legumes have a lot of untapped potential in terms of their nutritional and pharmacological activities. The phytoconstituents from plants in the subfamily Faboideae could serve as lead compounds for drug discovery for the treatment of a variety of disorders, indicating the need to explore these plant species.

Preparation and Recognition Properties of Molecularly Imprinted Nanofiber Membrane of Chrysin

The separation and extraction of chrysin from active ingredients of natural products are of great significance, but the existing separation and extraction methods have certain drawbacks. Here, chrysin molecularly imprinted nanofiber membranes (MINMs) were prepared by means of electrospinning using chrysin as a template and polyvinyl alcohol and natural renewable resource rosin ester as membrane materials, which were used for the separation of active components in the natural product. The MINM was examined using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The adsorption performance, adsorption kinetics, adsorption selectivity, and reusability of the MINM were investigated in static adsorption experiments. The analysis results show that the MINM was successfully prepared with good morphology and thermal stability. The MINM has a good adsorption capacity for chrysin, showing fast adsorption kinetics, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 127.5 mg·g⁻¹, conforming to the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. In addition, the MINM exhibited good selectivity and excellent reusability. Therefore, the MINM proposed in this paper is a promising material for the adsorption and separation of chrysin.

Chrysin: Perspectives on Contemporary Status and Future Possibilities as Pro-Health Agent

Chrysin belongs to the group of natural polyphenols. It can be found, among others, in honey, propolis and fruits and has a wide range of biological activities, including the prevention of oxidative stress, inflammation, neurodegeneration and carcinogenesis. Being a part of the human diet, chrysin is considered to be a promising compound to be used in the prevention of many diseases, including cancers, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. Nevertheless, due to the low solubility of chrysin in water and under physiological conditions, its bioavailability is low. For this reason, attempts at its functionalization have been undertaken, aiming to increase its absorption and thus augment its in vivo therapeutic efficacy. The aim of this review is to summarize the most recent research on chrysin, including its sources, metabolism, pro-health effects and the effects of its functionalization on biological activity and pharmacological efficacy, evaluated both in vitro and in vivo.

Emerging cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying anticancer indications of chrysin

Chrysin has been shown to exert several beneficial pharmacological activities. Chrysin has anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, and renoprotective as well as gastrointestinal, respiratory, reproductive, ocular, and skin protective effects through modulating signaling pathway involved in apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation. In the current review, we discussed the emerging cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying therapeutic indications of chrysin in various cancers. Online databases comprising Scopus, PubMed, Embase, ProQuest, Science Direct, Web of Science, and the search engine Google Scholar were searched for available and eligible research articles. The search was conducted by using MeSH terms and keywords in title, abstract, and keywords. In conclusion, experimental studies indicated that chrysin could ameliorate cancers of the breast, gastrointestinal tract, liver and hepatocytes, bladder, male and female reproductive systems, choroid, respiratory tract, thyroid, skin, eye, brain, blood cells, leukemia, osteoblast, and lymph. However, more studies are needed to enhance the bioavailability of chrysin and evaluate this agent in clinical trial studies.

A review of traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of the genus Indigofera

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Indigofera is the third-largest genus in the family of Fabaceae, with approximately 750 species. It is distributed across all tropical regions. Indigofera species are widely employed in traditional medicine all around the world, against many ailments. Thus, based on these medicinal properties, various investigations have been undertaken in order to appraise the pharmacological activities and the chemical composition of these species. A recent paper provides a summary of the phytochemistry and pharmacology of the genus Indigofera. Consequently, this review is a continuation of this previous study by updating some data and adding information about the phylogeny and traditional uses of the genus.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To provide an overview of the phylogeny, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicity of the genus Indigofera, and to identify the remaining gaps and thus supply a basis for further investigations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A review of the literature was performed by consulting scientific databases such as 'ScienceDirect', 'PubMed', 'Google Scholar' and 'SpringerLink' and using the keyword Indigofera.

RESULTS

Over 60 Indigofera species are reported in traditional medicine. The uses depend on the country and the species, but similarities have been noticed. Indeed, treatments of gastrointestinal disorders, inflammatory conditions and pain, skin ailments, and respiratory and infectious diseases are recurring. Phytochemical studies have led to the identification of more than 200 compounds, notably flavonoids and terpenoids. Many pharmacological activities have been demonstrated, particularly antimicrobial, cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities, and thus allowed to assert most of the traditional uses of the genus. Some active compounds have been isolated and have shown remarkable therapeutic potential, like the alkaloid indirubin, which is currently being clinically trialed.

CONCLUSIONS

The data on the genus Indigofera are extensive, but gaps still remain. Indeed, some promising species have not been assessed for their phytochemistry and/or pharmacology and thus remain unexplored. Moreover, relatively few active compounds have been isolated and tested for their biological activity, and studies to explain their mechanism of action are nearly inexistent. Furthermore, some pharmacological studies have inappropriate methodologies that make the results difficult to interpret. Consequently, further in-depth and relevant research is required to supplement the knowledge on this wide-ranging genus and to confirm its reported therapeutic potential.