Goldenberry (Physalis peruviana) Juice Rich in Health-Beneficial Compounds Suppresses High-Cholesterol Diet-Induced Hypercholesterolemia in Rats

Ahovegbe LY, Ali MS, Tusiimire J, Ogwang PE, Kadima JN, Agaba AG. Chemical constituents and evidence-based pharmacological properties of Physalis peruviana L.: An overview

Physalis peruviana L. is among plant species possessing evident nutritional, nutraceutical, and commercial interests. This review highlights the complexity of the chemical composition supporting the multiple pharmacotherapeutic indications and dietary values of this plant through evidence-based studies from Google Scholar, PubMed/Medline, SciFinder, Science Direct, Scopus, the Wiley online library, and Web of Science. The literature mentions at least 40 compounds isolated from different parts; others are still under investigation. High yields in carotenoids, amino acids, minerals, vitamin C, vitamin E, and essential fatty acids have healthy nutritional benefits. Various phytoconstituents, particularly withanolides, exhibit anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic potentials, as well as cardiovascular and liver protective effects. Prospective studies reveal that the leaves would also provide various beneficial bioactive chemicals worth being isolated. However, clinical evidence-based studies are seldom. Therefore, adequate pharmaceutical formulations and more in-depth controlled clinical trials are needed to fill the gap.

Ethnotherapeutic Uses and Phytochemical Composition of Physalis peruviana L.: An Overview

Background

Plant-derived medicines are widespread and continue to increase in traditional and modern medicine, especially in developing countries. Physalis peruviana L. is among the most used plants in conventional medication worldwide. This review aimed to highlight the ethnotherapeutic uses and phytochemical status of identified compounds in P. peruviana.

Methods

Data were collected from Google Scholar, PubMed/Medline, SciFinder, Science Direct, Scopus, the Wiley Online Library, Web of Science, and any other helpful search engine using Physalis peruviana as the primary keyword.

Results

Some countries, worldwide, use P. peruviana in their traditional medicine system to manage diverse ailments, mainly diseases and gastrointestinal tract disorders (25.33%). Leaf was the mostly used part (49.28%), prepared by decoction (31.58%) and overall administrated orally (53.57%) as the main route of admission. Around 502 phytoconstituents were identified in different plant parts, especially fruit (38.19%) ethanol/ethyl acetate extract. In most cases (36.17%), the solvent of the extract was not specified. Several phytochemical classes were found in the plant, especially terpenes (26.09%) and phenolic compounds (14.94%). Esters were also abundant (11.55%). In the terpenes category, carotenoids were the most abundant (11.15% followed by monoterpenes (8.76%) and diterpenes (3.18%). However, flavonoids (5.17%) followed by cinnamic acid derivatives (3.99%), monophenolic compounds (1.79%), and phenolic acids (1.33 M) are the most reported phenolic compounds. Hexadecanoic acid (palmitic acid) was the most cited (five times).

Conclusion

P. peruviana plays an essential role in managing diseases in some countries and is rich in chemical compounds, which need to be isolated and investigated pharmacologically before clinical trials.

Safely effective hypoglycemic action of stevia and turmeric extracts on diabetic Albino rats

The potentiality of Stevia leaves and turmeric roots as remedies against diabetes mellitus type 2 was tested in this study. Stevia leaves and turmeric roots were extracted with ethanol:water (80:20 v/v) and analyzed by HPLC. Turmeric extract (TUE) was rich in; curcumin, gallic acid, and eugenol. Stevia extract (STE) contained 28 known compounds, including glycosides, aromatic organic acids, and catechin. Fifty rats were divided into five groups (10 rats each); the control group were fed with feed and water ad libitum. Forty rats were injected a single dose of alloxan, then treated with either 10 mg/kg glibenclamide (GLI), 300 mg/kg STE, or 200 mg/kg TUE or water (positive control) through daily gastric oral gavages for 56 days. Treating diabetic rats with TUE significantly reduced serum glucose and glycated hemoglobin down to the negative control levels. Both GLI and STE produced similar but less effective actions. Animals treated with either STE or TUE exhibited reduced levels of liver and kidney markers compared to the negative control, while GLI increased them significantly. It could be concluded that turmeric roots and stevia leaves extracts can be used treatment for type 2 diabetes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Turmeric roots and stevia leaves extracts may be used as a remedy for type 2 diabetic patients as aiding substituting treatments under medical supervision. The two plant sources can be used as raw materials for the extracts, which can be used under medical supervision as a gradual replacement of the synthetic antidiabetic drugs. These extracts can be used after a preliminary clinical study to determine the dose and frequency of administration. Stevia extract can be incorporated in drinks as a sweetener and drug. Turmeric extract has a bitter taste, so it may be incorporated in some foods such as bread, which is a traditional practice in some kinds of bread in Egypt. But its content in the bread and the acceptability of the taste should be adjusted. Alternatively, this food can incorporate both TUE and STE to get the best biological action and to conceal the bitter taste of turmeric.

Operationally defined species characterization and bioaccessibility evaluation of cobalt, copper and selenium in Cape gooseberry (Physalis Peruviana L.) by SEC-ICP MS

Physalis peruviana could attract great interest because of its nutritional and industrial properties. It is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and carotenoids. Physalis Peruviana is also known to have a positive impact on human health. Unfortunately, still little is known about trace elements present in Physalis Peruviana and their forms available for the human body. Thus, the aim of this study was to estimate bioaccessibility and characterization of species of cobalt, copper and selenium in Physalis Peruviana fruits. Total and extractable contents of elements were determined by mass spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma (ICP MS). In order to separate the different types of metal complexes Physalis peruviana fruits were treated with the following solvents: Tris-HCl (pH 7.4), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) (pH 7.4) and ammonium acetate (pH 5.5). The best efficiency of extraction of: cobalt was obtained for ammonium acetate (56%) and Tris-HCl (60%); for copper was obtained for SDS (66%), for selenium the best extraction efficiency was obtained after extraction with SDS (48%). To obtain information about bioaccessibility of investigated elements, enzymatic extraction based on in vitro simulation of gastric (pepsin) and intestinal (pancreatin) digestion was performed. For copper and selenium the simulation of gastric digestion leads to the extraction yield above 90%, while both steps of digestion method were necessary to obtain satisfactory extraction yield in the case of cobalt. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled to on-line ICP MS detection was used to investigate collected metal species. The main fraction of metal compounds was found in the 17 kDa region. Cobalt and copper create complexes mostly with compounds extracted by means of ammonium acetate and SDS, respectively. Cobalt, copper and selenium were found to be highly bioaccessible from Physalis Peruviana. Investigation of available standards of cobalt and selenium allows confirming the presence of vitamin B12 and probably selenomethionine in the fraction bioaccessible by human body (obtained during enzymatic extraction). It should be noted that the presence of small seleno-compounds in Cape gooseberry was performed for the first time. The results show that the combination of SEC and ICP MS could provide a simple method for separating of soluble element species.