Effect of Abrus precatorius leaves on milk induced leukocytosis and eosinophilia in the management of asthma

The traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Abrus precatorius L.: A comprehensive review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Abrus precatorius L. (AP) is a folk medicine with a long-term medicinal history worldwide, which is extensively applied to various ailments, such as bronchitis, jaundice, hepatitis, contraception, tumor, abortion, malaria, etc. Meanwhile, its leaves are also served as tea in China, and its roots are employed as a substitute for Glycyrrhiza uralensis or as a raw material for the extraction of glycyrrhizin in India. Thus, AP is considered to be a plant with dual values of medicine and economy as well as its chemical composition and biological activity, which are of growing interest to the scientific community.

AIM OF REVIEW

In the review, the traditional application, botany, chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, and toxicity are comprehensively and systematically summarized.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An extensive database retrieval was conducted to gather the specific information about AP from 1871 to 2022 using online bibliographic databases Web of Science, PubMed, SciFinder, Google Scholar, CNKI, and Baidu Scholar. The search terms comprise the keywords "Abrus precatorius", "phytochemistry", "pharmacological activity", "toxicity" and "traditional application" as a combination.

RESULTS

To date, AP is traditionally used to treat various diseases, including sore throat, cough, bronchitis, jaundice, hepatitis, abdominal pain, contraception, tumor, abortion, malaria, and so on. More than 166 chemical compounds have been identified from AP, which primarily cover flavonoids, phenolics, terpenoids, steroids, alkaloids, organic acids, esters, proteins, polysaccharides, and so on. A wide range of in vitro and in vivo pharmacological functions of AP have been reported, such as antitumor, antimicrobial, insecticidal, antiprotozoal, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antifertility, antidiabetic, other pharmacological activities. The crushed seeds in powder or paste form were comparatively toxic to humans and animals by oral administration. Interestingly, the methanolic extracts were non-toxic to adult Wistar albino rats at various doses (200 and 400 mg/kg) daily.

CONCLUSIONS

The review focuses on the traditional application, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and toxicity of AP, which offers a valuable context for researchers on the current research status and a reference for further research and applications of this medicinal plant.

Pharmacological screening of Acalypha indica L.: Possible role in the treatment of asthma

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Acalypha indica Linn (Euphorbiaceae), a popular traditional medicine, is an erect herb found throughout various parts of India. In Ayurveda, Acalypha indica was commonly used in asthma and allergy. However, no attempts were made in past to validate the antiasthmatic potential of Acalypha indica.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present study was aimed to assess the anti-asthmatic potential of ethanolic extracts of Acalypha indica leaves (EAIL) using various experimental animal models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

EAIL was analyzed using different screening methods such as acetylcholine and histamine-induced contraction of goat tracheal chain, clonidine-induced catalepsy in mice, milk-induced leucocytosis and eosinophilia in mice, clonidine-induced mast cell degranulation in rats, passive paw anaphylaxis in rats, histamine-induced bronchoconstriction in guinea pigs, and ovalbumin (OVA)-induced histopathological alterations in mice.

RESULTS

Data received in the present study showed that EAIL drastically antagonized acetylcholine and histamine-induced contraction of goat tracheal chain, suggesting its anticholinergic and antihistaminic activity respectively. The duration of immobility, produced by clonidine, was found to be decreased in mice which showed its H₁ receptor blocking activity. In milk-induced leucocytosis and eosinophilia in mice, EAIL significantly reduced the number of leucocytes and eosinophils suggesting its adaptogenic and anti-allergic potential. Inhibition of clonidine-induced mast cell degranulation in rats displayed its mast cell stabilizing potential. Reduction of paw edema in passive paw anaphylaxis exhibited antianaphylactic activity of EAIL. Guinea pigs were protected from histamine-induced bronchoconstriction by EAIL which revealed its bronchodilator potential. Furthermore, the histopathological architecture of lung tissue was near to normal.

CONCLUSION

Our results contribute towards validation of the traditional use of Acalypha indica in the treatment of asthma due to the presence of a wide range of phytoconstituents. Hence our investigation revealed that EAIL possessed strong antiasthmatic property by virtue of various mechanisms.

Antiasthmatic potential of Zizyphus jujuba Mill and Jujuboside B. - Possible role in the treatment of asthma

Zizyphus jujuba Mill, a famous oriental traditional medicine, has been reported to exhibit diverse activities in biological systems including the respiratory system. However, a little information is available on its antiasthmatic activity. Jujuboside B (JB) is a natural saponin and one of the active constituent of fruits of Zizyphus jujuba. In the present investigation, JB was isolated from ethanolic extracts of fruits of Zizyphus jujuba (EZJF). EZJF and JB were then evaluated for anti-asthmatic activity using various screening methods. JB was additionally evaluated using ovalbumin (OVA) -induced allergic asthma in mice. Results obtained in the present study showed that EZJF and JB significantly inhibited clonidine-induced catalepsy, milk-induced leucocytosis and eosinophilia, clonidine-induced mast cell degranulation, and passive paw anaphylaxis. The number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was considerably lowered and the severity of pulmonary inflammation was alleviated in the mice pretreated with JB. The high-level expression of T-helper type 2 (TH2) cytokines was markedly reduced in the serum, BAL fluid, and lung homogenates. Thus EZJF and JB showed potent anti-asthmatic activity. Hence EZJF and JB possess a potential role in the treatment of asthma.

Protective Effect of Selected Medicinal Plants against Hydrogen Peroxide Induced Oxidative Damage on Biological Substrates

Oxidative stress is developed due to susceptibility of biological substrates to oxidation by generation of free radicals. In degenerative diseases, oxidative stress level can be reduced by antioxidants which neutralize free radicals. Primary objective of this work was to screen four medicinal plants, namely, Andrographis paniculata, Costus speciosus, Canthium parviflorum, and Abrus precatorius, for their antioxidant property using two biological substrates-RBC and microsomes. The antioxidative ability of three solvent extracts, methanol (100% and 80%) and aqueous leaf extracts, was studied at different concentrations by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances method using Fenton's reagent to induce oxidation in the substrates. The polyphenol and flavonoid content were analyzed to relate with the observed antioxidant effect of the extracts. The phytochemical screening indicated the presence of flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins, and β-carotene in the samples. In microsomes, 80% methanol extract of Canthium and Costus and, in RBC, 80% methanol extract of Costus showed highest inhibition of oxidation and correlated well with the polyphenol and flavonoid content. From the results it can be concluded that antioxidants from medicinal plants are capable of inhibiting oxidation in biological systems, suggesting scope for their use as nutraceuticals.

In vivo anti-ulcer, anti-stress, anti-allergic, and functional properties of gymnemic acid isolated from Gymnema sylvestre R Br

BACKGROUND

Gymnema sylvestre is a highly valued ethno pharmacologically important medicinal plant used currently in many poly-herbal formulations due to its potential antidiabetic activity and other health benefits. The present study was carried out to analyze the anti-stress, anti-allergic, and antiulcer activity of the bioactive compounds present in Gymnema sylvestre leaves.

METHODS

The preliminary phytochemical screening for bioactive compounds from aqueous extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, triterpenes, flavonoids, steroids, and saponins. The antioxidant activities were investigated using DPPH radical scavenging method. The characterization of the extract was carried out using standard compound by High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and phytochemical analysis in terms of total phenol, total flavonoids, reducing power and antioxidant potentials, etc. The in vivo studies on albino mice proved the purified fraction has anti-stress/anti-allergic activity against milk induced leucocytosis/eosinophilia and able to inhibit the aspirin induced gastric ulcers.

RESULTS

The quantitative estimation for aqueous extract exhibited total antioxidant (9.13 ± 0.04 μg/g), flavonoids (125.62 ± 26.84 μg/g), tannin (111.53 ± 15.13 μg/g), total phenol content (285.23 ± 1.11 μg/g) and free radical scavenging (52.14 ± 0.32%). Further the aqueous extract was consecutively purified by TLC and silica column chromatography. The purified fractions were characterized by HPTLC and GC-MS and the component was identified as gymnemic acid. The potency of the antimicrobial activity of the extract was studied with bacteria. Pharmacological experiments clearly demonstrated that the extracts of all plants given orally showed significant gastric protection against the asprin-induced gastric ulcer model in mice. Furthermore, healing effects were also confirmed through histopathological examination.

CONCLUSIONS

The aqueous extracts of the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre possess anti ulcerogenic, Anti allergic, Anti stress, properties that may be due to cytoprotective mechanism. These results support the ethno medical uses of the plant in the treatment of gastric ulcer.

The uniqueness and therapeutic value of natural products from West African medicinal plants, part III: least abundant compound classes

In this review, a continuation of our in-depth coverage of natural products derived from West African medicinal plants with diverse biological activities has been given.

Antitrypanosomal potentials of the extract and fractions of Abrus precatorius seeds

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the in vivo trypanocidal activity of the methanol extract and fractions of Abrus precatorius seeds in mice.

METHODS

Parasiteamia was induced unto mice by intraperitoneal injection of 1.25×10(5)Trypanosoma in normal saline. Five days when a high level of parasiteamia was established treatment commenced until ten days. The mice were treated with 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg bt. of the extract and 5 and 10 mg/kg bt. of the fraction (F(2)), respectively for 5 days. Diminazene aceturate at the dose of 3.5 mg/kg bt. for two days was used as the reference drug. The level of parasitaemia and packed cell volume (PCV) of the animals estimated.

RESULTS

At doses of 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg the crude extract showed a sharp reduction in the level of parasitaemia in mice compared with the untreated group. The mice treated with F(2) at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg showed a sharp reduction in the level of parasitamia to zero in day 9, and a gradual recovery from the 12th day of treatment. This effect is comparable to that of the mice treated with 7 mg/kg of standard drug diminazene aceturate. The PCV of the treated showed a gradual decrease with time, but not as much as the untreated group. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of glycosides, alkaloids, carbohydrates, tannins and proteins in the Abrus precatorius powder while F(2) was rich in alkaloids.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that both the extract and the fractions of Abrus precatorius seeds exhibited a promising trypanocidal property. Alkaloids may be responsible for the observed activity.