Studies on tracheorelaxant and anti-inflammatory activities of rhizomes of Polygonatum verticillatum

Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles using Polygonatum geminiflorum efficiently control fusarium wilt disease of tomato

Nanomaterials are gaining tremendous potential as emerging antimicrobials in the quest to find resistance-free alternatives of chemical pesticides. In this study, stable silver nanoparticles were synthesized using the aqueous extract of medicinal plant species Polygonatum geminiflorum , and their morphological features were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In vitro Antifungal activity of the synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and P. geminiflorum extract (PE) either alone or in combination (PE-AgNPs) against Fusarium oxysporum was evaluated using disc-diffusion and well-diffusion methods. In planta assay of the same treatments against Fusarium wilt diseases of tomato was evaluated by foliar spray method. Moreover, plant extract was evaluated for the quantitative investigation of antioxidant activity, phenolics and flavonoids by spectroscopic and HPLC techniques. Phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of total phenolic and flavonoid contents as 48.32 mg ± 1.54 mg GAE/g and 57.08 mg ± 1.36 mg QE/g, respectively. The DPPH radical scavenging of leaf extract was found to be 88.23% ± 0.87%. Besides, the HPLC phenolic profile showed the presence of 15 bioactive phenolic compounds. Characterization of nanoparticles revealed the size ranging from 8 nm to 34 nm with average crystallite size of 27 nm. The FTIR analysis revealed important functional groups that were responsible for the reduction and stabilization of AgNPs. In the in vitro assays, 100 μg/ml of AgNPs and AgNPs-PE strongly inhibited Fusarium oxysporum. The same treatments tested against Fusarium sprayed on tomato plants in controlled environment exhibited nearly 100% plant survival with no observable phytotoxicity. These finding provide a simple baseline to control Fusarium wilt using silver nano bio-control agents without affecting the crop health.

In Vitro Antioxidant and Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibition Activity of Polygonatum verticillatum of Karnali, Nepal

Background:

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that has become a major health issue in modern era due to the long-term health consequences. α-amylase and α-glucosidase are the key enzymes involved in the digestion of starchy foods, and the inhibition of these enzymes is regarded as a postprandial hyperglycemia control strategy.

Objective:

The primary goal of this work is to examine the antioxidant activity as well as α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of Polygonatum verticillatum rhizomes via in vitro test.

Method:

The in vitro α-glucosidase inhibition activity was performed using p-nitrophenyl α-D¬-glucopyranoside (PNPG) substrate. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay was performed to estimate the antioxidant activity.

Results:

The in vitro -glucosidase inhibitory activity of Polygonatum verticillatum was investigated for the very first time. Of the three fractions and a crude extract, the ethyl acetate (EA) fraction disclosed potent inhibition activity against α-glucosidase enzyme with an IC50 value of 22.3 ± 0.1 μg/mL. Likewise, the IC50 values for dichloromethane (DCM) fraction and the crude extract against α-glucosidase were reported 34 ± 0.1 μg/mL, and 402.2 ± 0.2 μg/mL, respectively. Similarly, the EA fraction, crude extract, and DCM fraction disclosed promising antioxidant activity with IC50 55 ± 0.3 μg/mL, 171.5 ± 0.6 μg/mL, and 164.1 ± 3.4 μg/mL, respectively.

Conclusion:

These findings concluded that among the crude extract and fractions of Polygonatum verticillatum of Nepalese origin, the EA fraction constituted a potent α-glucosidase inhibiting and antioxidant agent. Further research is required to expose the inhibiting compounds.

Biomedical Applications of Scutellaria edelbergii Rech. f.: In Vitro and In Vivo Approach

In the current study, in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities and in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of Scutellaria edelbergii Rech. f. (crude extract and subfractions, i.e., n-hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), chloroform, n-butanol (n-BuOH) and aqueous) were explored. Initially, extraction and fractionation of the selected medicinal plant were carried out, followed by phytochemical qualitative tests, which were mostly positive for all the extracts. EtOAc fraction possessed a significant amount of phenolic (79.2 ± 0.30 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (84.0 ± 0.39 mg QE/g) content. The EtOAc fraction of S. edelbergii exhibited appreciable antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) strains and significant zones of inhibition were observed against Gram-positive bacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus). However, it was found inactive against Candida Albicans and Fusarium oxysporum fungal strains. The chloroform fraction was the most effective with an IC₅₀ value of 172 and 74 µg/mL against DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) and ABTS assays, in comparison with standard ascorbic acid 59 and 63 µg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the EtOAc fraction displayed significant in vivo anti-inflammatory activity (54%) using carrageenan-induced assay and significant (55%) in vivo analgesic activity using acetic acid-induced writing assay. In addition, nine known compounds, ursolic acid (UA), ovaul (OV), oleanolic acid (OA), β-sitosterol (BS), micromeric acid (MA), taraxasterol acetate (TA), 5,3',4'-trihydroxy-7-methoxy flavone (FL-1), 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-6,3'-dimiethoxyflavone (FL-2) and 7-methoxy catechin (FL-3), were isolated from methanolic extract of S. edelbergii. These constituents have never been obtained from this source. The structures of all the isolated constituents were elucidated by spectroscopic means. In conclusion, the EtOAc fraction and all other fractions of S. edelbergii, in general, displayed a significant role as antibacterial, free radical scavenger, anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents which may be due to the presence of these constituents and other flavonoids.

Protective effect of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in chickens

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the protective effects of polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide (PP), an important component of rhizome polygonatum, on cyclophosphamide (CY) induced immunosuppressed chickens. Four hundred and eighty one-day-old Erlang mountainous chickens were randomly allocated into four treatments. The main factors consisted of dietary supplement (PP at 0 or 800 mg/kg of diet) and immunosuppressive challenge (birds challenged with CY or treated with sterile saline). The results showed that PP enhanced chickens' growth performance via elevating daily weight gain (DWG), serum protein production, and decreasing feed conversion ratio (FCR). Moreover, physical measurements revealed that PP accelerated recovery of relative weights of immune organs and maintained their structure and function. Biochemical analysis indicated that PP significantly stimulated immunoglobulin and antioxidant indexes in serum, and improved the proliferation of peripheral blood T lymphocytes. In addition, PP promoted immune organs cells to enter into S and G₂/M phases as well as inhibited the apoptosis in the spleen, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius. PP up regulated the expression of IL-2, IL-6 and IFN-γ genes. Therefore, PP performs a profile in antagonizing Cy-induced immunosuppression in chickens, and it seems that PP can be used as a potential immunostimulant agent.

Antimicrobial Homoisoflavonoids from the Rhizomes of Polygonatum verticillatum

Three homoisoflavonoids, including a new compound, 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-methoxybenzyl)-8-methyl chroman-4-one (1), together with two known compounds, 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzyl)-8-methylchroman-4-one (2) and 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzyl)-chroman-4-one (3), were isolated from the rhizomes of Polygonatum verticillatum (L.) All. (P. verticillatum). Isolated compounds were characterized on the basis of UV, FT-IR, ESI-MS, and 1D-, 2D-NMR data. Further, different extract fractions and pure compounds from Polygonatum verticillatum were screened for their antimicrobial potential. Among three pure compounds, compound 2 was found most potent with good zone of microbial growth inhibition as compared to the standards.

Species identification of polygonati rhizoma in China by both morphological and molecular marker methods

Morphological markers as well as two types of molecular markers, inter-sample sequence repeat (ISSR) and start codon targeted (SCoT) are suitable for species identification of the polygonati rhizoma germplasms. In this paper, we adopted these methods for the identification of rhizomes collected from 47 areas in China. Based on their morphological characters, the collected germplasms were classified into two populations, one with alternate leaf arrangement and the other with verticillate leaf arrangement, and they were comprised of five species and fourteen subgroups. Of the five species identified: Polygonatum kingianum, P. cirrhifolium, P. alternicirrhosum, and P. sibiricum belonged to one cluster, and P. cyrtonema belonged to a different cluster. According to the analysis of both ISSR and SCoT markers, all germplasms with greater genetic similarity were classified into one group. Especially, P. sibiricum and P. cirrhifolium, which shared ∼80% similarity, were clustered together, whereas the germplasms identified as P. kingianum with ∼86% similarity formed a separate clade. P. kingianum showed a much greater genetic similarity with P. cyrtonema than with P. sibiricum. The multidimensional scaling analysis further verified the accuracy and reliability of the molecular marker-based results. Thus, both morphological and molecular methods should be combined for the differentiation of germplasms such as those of polygonati rhizoma.

Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide inhibits osteoporosis by promoting osteoblast formation and blocking osteoclastogenesis through Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway

Bone homeostasis is maintained by a balance between bone formation by osteoblasts and bone resorption by osteoclasts. Osteoporosis occurs when osteoclast activity surpasses osteoblast activity. Our previous studies showed the plant-derived natural polysaccharide (Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide or PSP) had significant anti-ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis effects in vivo, but the mechanisms of PSP’s anti-osteoporosis effect remains unclear. In this study, we assessed PSP’s effect on the generation of osteoblast and osteoclast in vitro. This study showed that PSP promoted the osteogenic differentiation of mouse bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) without affecting BMPs signaling pathway. This effect was due to the increased nuclear accumulation of β-catenin, resulting in a higher expression of osteoblast-related genes. Furthermore, the study showed PSP could inhibit the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and exert prophylatic protection against LPS-induced osteolysis in vivo. This effect was also related to the increased nuclear accumulation of β-catenin, resulting in the decreased expression of osteoclast-related genes. In conclusion, our results showed that PSP effectively promoted the osteogenic differentiation of mouse BMSCs and suppressed osteoclastogenesis; therefore, it could be used to treat osteoporosis.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of flavonoids isolated from Pistacia integerrima galls

The present study deals with the anti-hyperalgesic and anti-inflammtory effects of flavonoids (1-4) isolated from the chloroform fraction of Pistacia integerrima galls. The structure of isolated compounds was elucidated by using advance spectroscopy analysis and comparing their physical spectral data with reported one. The pretreatment of compounds (1-4) caused significant anti-hyperalgesic effects in acetic acid induced writhing test in a dose dependent manner. The compounds strongly complimented the effects in both phases of formalin test. However, the administration of naloxone did not abolish the induced antinociceptive effects and therefore suggested the absence of opioid receptor involvement. The pretreatment of flavonoids (1-4) elicited marked anti-inflammtory effects in carrageenan induced paw edema test in mice during various assessment times (1-5 h). The effects were dose dependent and maximum results were observed after 3rd h of treatments which remained significant up to 5th hour. It is concluded that the isolated flavonoids (1-4) possessed strong anti-hyperalgesic and anti-inflammtory activity and thus are strong candidates for further detail studies.

Isolation and characterization of quinine from Polygonatum verticillatum: A new marker approach to identify substitution and adulteration

Polygonatum verticillatum (Mahameda) is an important ingredient of Ashtawarga and Ayurvedic formulations. Nowadays, it comes under the category of endangered plants due to large scale and indiscriminate collection of wild material. To overcome the scarcity, substitutes of Mahameda are also commonly used in market. These additives are different from the authentic plant by Ayurvedic and pharmacological theory of drug action, thereby resulting in substitution/adulteration. Substitution is a critical issue in isolation and quantification of the therapeutically active ingredients that can be used as markers in the identification of substitution/adulteration. Methanolic extract of the rhizomes of P. verticillatum was subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening for the detection of phytoconstituents, followed by column chromatography for isolation of the marker. The column was first eluted with pure hexane, and polarity of the solvent was gradually increased. A total of 1180 fractions were collected and pooled on the basis of thin-layer chromatography profile. The single compound was isolated and confirmed by chemical test, melting point, spectral analysis, and comparison with literature. Phytochemical screening of the extract shows the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, terpenoids, and phenolics. A pure white crystalline powder was isolated by column chromatography which was characterized as (6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl-8-vinylquinuclidin-2-yl) methanol, i.e. Quinine. The isolated compound, Quinine, was identified as a novel compound in Mahameda as it has not been reported in the genus Polygonatum, till now. It can be used as a marker for the identification of substitution/adulteration and standardization of P. verticillatum.

Natural Products Useful in Respiratory Disorders: Focus on Side-Effect Neutralizing Combinations

This review summarizes literature related to medicinal plants reputed in traditional medical systems for treatment of asthma and coughs. The plants that are pharmacologically investigated for their effectiveness in such conditions, along with respective experimental protocol details, are also discussed. Some of plant origin compounds, which are considered useful as antitussive and antiasthmatic agents, are described as well. Chrysoeriol, a constituent of Aspalathus linearis (Fabaceae) was observed to be selective for relaxant effect in airways (through K⁺ channel activation), compared with other smooth muscles. We reported that Hypericum perforatum (Hyperieaceae), Andropogon muricatus (Poaceae), Juniper excelsa (Coniferae) and Nepeta cataria (Lamiaceae) exhibit bronchodilatory action, mediated through combination of Ca⁺⁺ antagonist and phospohodiesrase inhibitory mechanisms, which scientifically explains their medicinal use in asthma. Hyocyamus niger (Solanaceae), Artemisia vulgaris (Compositae), Fumaria parviflora (Fumariaceae) and Terminalia bellerica (Combretaceae) caused bronchodilation via dual blockade of muscarinic receptors and Ca⁺⁺ influx. Acorus calamus (Araceae), Carum roxburghianum (Apiaceae), Lens culinaris (Fabaceae) and Lepidium sativum (Cruciferae) mediate bronchodilatation through multiple pathways: anticholinergic and inhibition of Ca⁺⁺ channels and PDE enzyme(s). In conclusion, this review presents an analysis of different novel combinations of pharmacological activities in medicinal plants with side effect-neutralizing/synergistic potential, setting new trends in the therapeutic options for hyperactive respiratory disorders such as asthma and cough. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In-vivo antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activity of pistagremic acid isolated from Pistacia integerrima

The current study was designed to explore the antinociceptive, antiinflammatory and antipyretic activity of pistagremic acid (PA), isolated from Pistacia integerima bark in various animal paradigms. The results illustrated significant inhibition of noxious stimulation in acetic acid induced writhing test with maximum effect of 68% at 10mg/kg i.p. In tail immersion test, pretreatment with PA demonstrated marked activity during various assessment times in a dose dependent manner. The maximum pain inhibition was 59.46% at 10mg/kg i.p. after 90 min of PA treatment. However, the injection of naloxone did not antagonize this induced effect. PA significantly ameliorated post carrageenan induced edema dose dependently during various stages of inflammation. The effect was most dominant (60.02%) after 3(rd) h of drug administration when examined for 5h. Similarly, it provoked dose dependent antipyretic effect in febrile mice with maximum of 60.04% activity at 10mg/kg i.p. after 3rd hour of PA post treatment. Furthermore, molecular docking was carried out to understand the binding mode of PA. From the docking study it was observed that PA fits well in the active site of COX-2 enzyme due to hydrogen and hydrophobic moiety interactions to the important active site of molecule. In conclusion, PA possesses strong peripheral and central antinociceptive activity independent of opioidergic effect which was augmented by its anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities.

Evaluation of Phytochemical Screening and Anti Inflammatory Activity of Leaves and Stem of Mikania scandens (L.) Wild

Background:

The greatest disadvantage in the presently available potent synthetic anti-inflammatory drugs lies in their toxicity and reappearance of symptoms after discontinuation. Hence, people are returning to the natural products with the hope of safety and security. Several species of Mikania have been reported to have anti-inflammatory properties.

Aim:

The present study aims to assess the anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanolic extract of the leaves and stem of Mikania scandensin vivo and in vitro.

Materials and Methods:

The in vitro bioassay consisted of assaying the effect of the extracts against denaturation of protein (egg albumin) and measuring the absorbance. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity was checked by measuring the percentage inhibition of carrageenan-induced rat paw edema after oral administration of the extracts to male Wistar rats.

Results:

The plant extracts revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, steroids and flavonoids in both the leaf and stem extracts. The in vitro study of leaf extracts of M. scandens demonstrated that at 16000 μg/ml concentration a better anti-inflammatory activity was exhibited which is more than the stem extracts. Similarly in the in vivo study, carrageenan induced inflammation was significantly antagonized by M. scandens leaf extract, with inhibition of 50% at 1000 mg/kg.

Conclusion:

The ethanolic extract of both leaf and stem of M. scandens showed potent anti-inflammatory activity. In comparison the leaf extract found to be more potent in both the conditions in vivo and in vitro, comparing with the standard drug diclofenac sodium and traditional control rumalaya perhaps due to the presence of phytochemicals like alkaloids and flavonoids in the plant.

In Vitro Attenuation of Thermal-Induced Protein Denaturation by Aerial Parts of Artemisia scoparia

The goal of this study was to explore the aerial parts of Artemisia scoparia (crude extract, total flavonoid contents, and aqueous fraction) for protein denaturation potential. The crude extract provoked marked attenuation of thermal-induced denatured protein in a concentration-dependent manner with maximum inhibition of 54.05 μg/mL at 500 μg/mL and IC50 of 449.66 μg/mL. When total flavonoid contents were studied, it illustrated most dominant activity concentration dependently with maximum amelioration of 62.16 μg/mL at 500 μg/mL and IC50 of 378.35 μg/mL. The aqueous fraction also exhibited significant activity with maximum of 56.75% inhibition at 500 μg/mL and IC50 of 445.10 μg/mL. It can be concluded on the basis of the results that the crude extract, flavonoid contents, and aqueous fraction of the plant possessed significant inhibition on thermal-induced denatured protein.