Lipoxygenase inhibiting and antioxidant iridoids from Buddleja crispa

Botany, ethnomedicines, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Himalayan paeony (Paeonia emodi Royle.)

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Himalayan paeony (Paeonia emodi Royle.) is an important species used to treat various diseases. This study aimed to compile the detailed traditional medicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicological investigations on P. emodi. This study also highlights taxonomic validity, quality of experimental designs and shortcomings in previously reported information on Himalayan paeony.

METHODS

The data was extracted from unpublished theses (Pakistan, China, India and Nepal), and different published research articles confined to pharmacology, phytochemistry and antimicrobial activities using different databases through specific keywords. The relevant information regarding medicinal uses, taxonomic/common names, part used, collection and identification source, authentication, voucher specimen number, plant extracts and their characterization, isolation and identification of phytochemicals, methods of study in silico, in vivo or in vitro, model organism used, dose and duration, minimal active concentration, zone of inhibition (antimicrobial study), bioactive compound(s), mechanism of action on single or multiple targets, and toxicological information.

RESULTS

P. emodi is reported for diverse medicinal uses with pharmacological properties like antioxidant, nephroprotective, lipoxygenase inhibitory, cognition and oxidative stress release, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antiepileptic, anticonvulsant, haemaglutination, alpha-chymotrypsin inhibitory, hepatoprotective, hepatic chromes and pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine expression, β-glucuronidase inhibitory, spasmolytic and spasmogenic, and airway relaxant. Data confined to its taxonomic validity, shows 10% studies with correct taxonomic name while 90% studies with incorrect taxonomic, pharmacopeial and common names. The literature reviewed, shows lack of collection source (11 reports), without proper source of identification (15 reports), 33 studies without voucher specimen number, 26 reports lack information on authentic herbarium submission and most of the studies (90%) without validation of taxonomic names using recognized databases. In reported methods, 67% studies without characterization of extracts, 25% lack proper dose, 40% without duration and 31% reports lack information on proper controls. Similarly, only 18% studies reports active compound(s) responsible for pharmacological activities, 14% studies show minimal active concentration, only 2.5% studies report mechanism of action on target while none of the reports mentioned in silico approach.

CONCLUSION

P. emodi is endemic to Himalayan region (Pakistan, China, India and Nepal) with diverse traditional therapeutic uses. Majority of reviewed studies showed confusion in its taxonomic validity, incomplete methodologies and ambiguous findings. Keeping in view the immense uses of P. emodi in various traditional medicinal systems, holistic pharmacological approaches in combination with reverse pharmacology, system biology, and "omics" technologies are recommended to improve the quality of research which leads to natural drug discovery development at global perspectives.

Iridoids from Canthium subcordatum iso-butanol fraction with potent biological activities

Background

The continuous emergence of multi-drug-resistant bacteria drastically reduces the efficacy of antibiotic armory and, consequently, increases the frequency of therapeutic failure. The discovery of new antibacterial drugs is an urgent need. The present study reports the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the methanol extract, fractions and iridoids from Canthium subcordatum, a plant traditionally used as antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial.

Methods

Broth microdilution assay was used to determine minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of extracts and iridoids against Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae and Shigella flexneri. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and gallic acid equivalent antioxidant capacity (GAEAC) assays. The samples were also tested for their cytotoxicity against human red blood cells (RBC).

Results

The methanol extract, hexane, ethyl acetate and iso-butanol fractions from C. subcordatum fruits displayed different degrees of antioxidant (EC₅₀ = 62.83–70.17 μg/ml; GAEAC = 45.63–58.23 μg/ml) and antibacterial (MIC = 128–512 μg/ml) activities. Canthiumoside 1(1) and linearin (7) were the most active antioxidant (EC₅₀ = 1.12–2.03 μg/ml; GAEAC = 79.82–92.35 μg/ml) and antibacterial (MIC = 8–64 μg/ml) compounds while the most sensitive bacterium was Staphylococcus aureus. The tested samples were non-toxic to normal cells.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrated that compounds 1 and 7 were potent antibacterial agents and DPPH/ABTS·⁺ radical scavengers, so they warrant further investigation.

Analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet activities of Buddleja crispa

Background

Buddleja crispa Benth (Buddlejaceae) is a dense shrub; several species of genus Buddleja have been used in the management of various health conditions including pain and inflammation. The present study was aimed to investigate the analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet properties of B. crispa.

Methods

Male rats (220–270 gm,) and mice (25–30 gm) were randomly divided into different groups (n = 6). Various doses of plant extract of B. crispa, its fractions and pure compounds isolated from the plant were administered intraperitoneally (i.p). The analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet activities were assessed using acetic acid and formalin-induced nociception in mice, carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and arachidonic acid-induced platelets aggregation tests.

Results

The intraperitoneal administration of the methanolic extract (50 and 100 mg/kg), hexane fraction (10 and 25 mg/kg i.p) exhibited significant inhibition (P < 0.01) of the acetic acid-induced writhing in mice and attenuated formalin-induced reaction time of animals in second phase of the test. Pure compounds BdI-2, BdI-H3 and BH-3 isolated from B. crispa produced significant (P < 0.01) analgesic activity in acetic acid-induced and formalin tests. The crude extract of B. crispa (50–200 mg/kg i.p.) and its hexane fraction inhibited carrageenan-induced rat paw edema with maximum inhibition of 65 and 71 % respectively (P < 0.01). The analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect of the plant extract and isolated pure compounds were comparable to diclofenac sodium. B. crispa plant extract (0.5–2.5 mg/mL) produced significant anti-platelet effect (P < 0.01) with maximum inhibition of 78 % at 2.5 mg/ml.

Conclusion

The findings from our present study suggest that B. crispa possesses analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet properties. B. crispa could serve a potential novel source of compounds effective in pain and inflammatory conditions.

Sesinoside, a New Iridoid Glucoside from Sesame (Sesamum indicum) Seedlings

A new iridoid glucoside, sesinoside (1), was isolated from the seedlings of Sesamum indicum. The structure of 1 was elucidated by spectroscopic analyses and by methanolysis of 1, which produced the known compounds, phlorigidosides C (2) and (6 Z)-foliamenthic acid methyl ester (3). This is the first report of an iridoid glucoside with 3.

Antioxidative iridoid glycosides from the sky flower (Duranta repens Linn)

Phytochemical investigations were performed on the EtOAc-soluble fraction of the whole plant of the sky flower (Duranta repens) which led to the isolation of the iridoid glycosides 1-6. Their structures were elucidated by both 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis. All the compounds showed potent antioxidative scavenging activity in four different tests, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) values in the range 0.481-0.719 mM against DPPH radicals, 4.07-17.21 μM for the hydroxyl radical (·OH) inhibitory activity test, 43.3-97.37 μM in the total reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitory activity test, and 3.39-18.94 μM in the peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)) scavenging activity test. Duranterectoside A (1) displayed the strongest scavenging potential with IC(50) values of (0.481 ± 0.06 mM, 4.07 ± 0.03, 43.30 ± 0.05, 3.39 ± 0.02 μM) for the DPPH radicals, ·OH inhibitory activity test, total ROS inhibitory activity test and the ONOO(-) scavenging activity test, respectively.