Plant mucilages. XLIII. A representative mucilage with biological activity from the leaves of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Mucilage polysaccharide as a plant secretion: Potential trends in food and biomedical applications

Current trends are shifting away from using synthetic compounds in favor of discovering new natural component sources that will allow them to create goods that are healthful, environmentally friendly, sustainable, and profitable. The food industry, in light of these trends, has opted to look for safe natural ingredients that will allow the production of low-fat, artificial-additive-free, gluten-free, prebiotic, and fortified foods. Similarly, the pharmaceutical and medical industries have attempted to apply natural ingredients to address the challenges related to biomaterials more efficiently than synthetic ingredients. Against this background, plant mucilage has proven to be a polysaccharide with excellent health features and technological properties, useful for both food and biomedical applications. Many studies have shown that its inclusion in different food matrices improves the quality of the products obtained under appropriate reformulations. At the same time, plant mucilage has been indicated to be a very interesting matrix in biomedical field especially tissue engineering applications since it has been emerged to favor tissue regeneration with its highly biocompatible structure. This concise review discusses the most recent advances of the applications of plant mucilage in different foods as well as its recent use in biomedical field. In this context, firstly, a general definition of mucilage was made and information about plant-based mucilage, which is frequently used, about the plant parts they are found in, their content and how they are obtained are presented. Then, the use of mucilage in the food industry including bakery products, meat emulsions, fermented dairy products, ice cream, and other foods is presented with case studies. Afterwards, the use of plant mucilage in the biomedical field, which has attracted attention in recent years, especially in applications with tissue engineering approach such as scaffolds for tissue regeneration, wound dressings, drug delivery systems and pharmaceutical industry was evaluated.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Forage as a Potential Feed for Animals: A Review

Simple Summary

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is a medicinal plant recognized for its pharmacological chemical compounds for humans and animals. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis hyperproducer forage technology yields 10–20 t DM/ha/year (t of dry matter/ha/year), depending on the agronomic conditions. Chemical composition of hibiscus forage meal is similar to alfalfa, moringa, tithonia, and cassava forages due to its content of protein, minerals, fiber compound, and metabolizable energy. The fresh forage of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis could be offered in a ratio of 60% plus 40% of grass forage in sheep. Moreover, goats show favorable productive results when fed ad libitum with hibiscus forage. Likewise, inclusion levels of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis forage were recommended for rabbits, pigs, and organic chickens. Hibiscus forage could be considered as a viable alternative feed for ruminant and non-ruminant animals, although more research is needed in other animal species and productive categories.

Abstract

This review summarized for the first time the nutritional benefits of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis in animal feed. the agronomic characteristics for the hyperproduction of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis were reported, as well as the chemical composition of the forage meal (leaves + petioles + stems), with emphasis on crude protein, amino acids, minerals, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin detergent acid, secondary metabolites, and metabolizable energy for ruminants and non-ruminants. Additionally, their medicinal properties such as antimicrobial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, and antipyretic properties were detailed. Its use as a source of protein in ruminant feeding is attractive and can be combined with grasses. In rabbits, fresh forage in high concentrations in the diets reduces the feed palatability, which causes a decrease in animal response, although it depends on the forage quality. In addition, limits for Hibiscus rosa-sinensis forage were recommended in diets or feeding systems for poultry, pigs, rabbits, goats, and sheep.

Measurement of large nonlinear refractive index of natural pigment extracted from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis leaves with a low power CW laser and by spatial self-phase modulation technique

We have reported here, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, a high nonlinear refractive index (n_2e) of a natural pigment extracted from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis leaves by using spatial self-phase modulation technique (SSPM) with a low power CW He-Ne laser radiation at 632.8nm. It is found by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopic analysis that chlrophyll-a, chlrophyll-b and carotenoid are present in the pigment extract with 56%, 25% and 19%, respectively. The photoluminescence (PL) emission characteristics of the extracted samples have also been measured at room temperature as well as in the temperature range of 283-333K to investigate the effect of temperature on luminescent properties of the sample. By analyzing the SSPM experimental data, the nonlinear refractive index value of pigment extract has been determined to be 3.5×10^-5cm²/W. The large nonlinear refractive index has been assigned due to asymmetrical structure, molecular reorientation and thermally induced nonlinearity in the sample. The presented results might open new avenues for the green and economical technique of syntheses of organic dyes with such a large nonlinear optical property.

Development and gamma-scintigraphy study of Hibiscus rosasinensis polysaccharide-based microspheres for nasal drug delivery

OBJECTIVE

This work describes the application of natural plant polysaccharide as pharmaceutical mucoadhesive excipients in delivery systems to reduce the clearance rate through nasal cavity.

METHODS

Novel natural polysaccharide (Hibiscus rosasinensis)-based mucoadhesive microspheres were prepared by using emulsion crosslinking method for the delivery of rizatriptan benzoate (RB) through nasal route. Mucoadhesive microspheres were characterized for different parameters and nasal clearance of technetium-99m ((99m)Tc)-radiolabeled microspheres was determined by using gamma-scintigraphy.

RESULTS

Their Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies showed that the drug was stable during preparation of microspheres. Aerodynamic diameter of microspheres was in the range 13.23 ± 1.83-33.57 ± 3.69 µm. Change in drug and polysaccharide ratio influenced the mucoadhesion, encapsulation efficiency and in-vitro release property. Scintigraphs taken at regular interval indicate that control solution was cleared rapidly from nasal cavity, whereas microspheres showed slower clearance (p < 0.005) with half-life of 160 min.

CONCLUSION

Natural polysaccharide-based microspheres achieved extended residence by minimizing effect of mucociliary clearance with opportunity of sustained delivery for longer duration.

Acute and sub-acute oral toxicity assessment of the methanolic extract from leaves of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. in mice

BACKGROUND

The leaves of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. (Malvaceae) are used for the treatment of dysentery and diarrhea, to promote draining of abscesses and as analgesic agent in the traditional medicine of Cook Islands, Haiti, Japan and Mexico.

AIM

The present study investigated the oral acute and subacute toxicity of methanol leaf extract of H. rosa-sinensis in mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In the acute toxicity study, a single oral dose of 2000 mg/kg of extract was given to five mice at 48 h intervals. Animals were observed individually for any clinical signs of toxicity or mortality for 14 days. In the sub-acute toxicity study, mice were treated with 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg doses of the extract for 14 days. The hematological and biochemical parameters and histopathology of liver and kidneys of animals were studied at the end of the experiment.

RESULTS

For acute treatment, the extract did not reveal any signs of toxicity or mortality in any animal, during the 14 days observation period. The LD50 of extract was estimated to be greater than 2000 mg/kg. In the sub-acute toxicity study, administration of 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg doses of extract to mice for two weeks did not reveal any marked adverse effects on hematological, biochemical parameters and histopathology of liver and kidney in the 400 mg/kg group. However, hepato-renal toxicity as evidenced by elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total and indirect bilirubin, urea and creatinine was seen in the animals that received 800 mg/kg dose of extract for 14 days. In addition, in the same group of animals, the histological assessments of liver and kidney also showed various adverse effects viz. dilated sinusoids, apoptotic nuclei and inflammatory infiltrate inside sinusoidal capillaries in the liver, and marked the disorganization of tubules and glomeruli, and enlarged interstitial spaces in the kidney.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that for traditional medicinal purpose, only a low dose of H. rosa-sinensis leaf extract (i.e., 400 mg/kg) should be considered as safe.

Post-Coital Antifertility Activity of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn. roots

Ancient literature mentions the use of a number of plants/preparations for fertility regulation. Some local contraceptive agents have also been described in Ayurvedic and Unani texts. Documented experiments or clinical data are, however, lacking. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to explore the antifertility and estrogenic activity of ethanolic extract of the roots of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn. A strong anti-implantation (inhibition 100%) and uterotropic activity was observed at the dose level of 400 mg/kg body weight. Histological studies were carried out to confirm this effect.

Evaluation of mucilage of Hibiscus rosasinensis Linn as rate controlling matrix for sustained release of diclofenac

This article reports the exploitation of novel hydrophilic excipient, that is, mucilage from Hibiscus rosasinensis Linn, for the development of sustained release tablet. Swelling ratio and flow properties analyses of dried mucilage powder were carried out. A 3(2) full factorial design was used. In factorial design, amounts of dried mucilage and dibasic calcium phosphate (DCP) were taken as independent factors and percentage drug release in 60 and 300 min and time for 80% drug release as dependent variables. Matrix tablet containing dried mucilage and diclofenac sodium (DS) was prepared through direct compression techniques. DS tablets were evaluated for hardness, friability, weight variation, in vitro drug release and water uptake, and mass loss study. The dried mucilage powder shows superior swelling capacity and excellent flow properties. Prepared tablets have acceptable hardness, friability, and uniformity in weight. It was found that batch HD8 fulfills all selected criteria. Drug release kinetics from these formulations corresponded best to the zero-order kinetics. Water uptake was independent whereas mass loss was dependent on agitation speed. The concept of similarity factor (f(2)) was used to prove similarity of dissolution profile in distilled water and phosphate buffer and was found to be 90.68. It was concluded that mucilage can be used as release-retarding agent for 12 h when the drug-mucilage ratio was 1:1.5. So, matrix tablet containing dried mucilage is most suitable for sustained release of DS.

Effect of Hibiscus rosa sinensis Linn. ethanol flower extract on blood glucose and lipid profile in streptozotocin induced diabetes in rats

Blood glucose and total lipid levels were determined in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats after oral administration of an ethanol flower extract of Hibiscus rosa sinensis. A comparable hypoglycemic effect was evidenced from the data obtained after 7 and 21 days of oral administration of the extract and glibenclamide. Maximal diminution in blood glucose (41-46%) and insulin level (14%) was noticed after 21 days. The extract lowered the total cholesterol and serum triglycerides by 22 and 30%, respectively. The increase in HDL-cholesterol was much higher (12%) under the influence of the extract as compared to that of glibenclamide (1%). The hypoglycemic activity of this extract is comparable to that of glibenclamide but is not mediated through insulin release. Other possible mechanisms are discussed.