The role of plant-derived drugs and herbal medicines in healthcare

Plant-derived natural compounds for the treatment of acute lung injury: A systematic review of their anti-inflammatory effects in animal models

BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a complex pulmonary disease characterized by a severe inflammatory response. The management of ALI presents a formidable challenge due to the intricate nature of its inflammatory cascade. Numerous studies have highlighted the potential therapeutic benefits of plant-derived natural compounds (PNCs) in treating inflammatory diseases. Our study aims to provide robust current evidence regarding the anti-inflammatory effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of PNCs for ALI treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024468401). A comprehensive search was conducted in electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journal database (VIP), Wanfang database, and China biomedical literature service system (SinoMed) up until November 2023. Preclinical studies published in both English and Chinese were included.

RESULTS

Our research encompassed 81 studies, comprising a total of 71 PNCs, including flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, saponins, glycosides, and miscellaneous compounds. This systematic review demonstrated that PNCs played a beneficial role on ALI by regulating the immune response and reducing the release of inflammatory mediators and cytokines. The molecular mechanisms were partially associated with the regulation of Th17/Treg responses, promotion of the polarization of M1-type macrophages to M2-type macrophages, induction of immune cell apoptosis, reversal of microbial dysbiosis in the lungs and the gut, epigenetic modification, and the modulation of inflammatory pathways, including NF-κB, MAPK, TLR4/MyD88, NLRP3/Caspase-1, TGF-β/Smad, Nrf2/HO-1, Rho/ROCK, TLR7/MyD88, and PI3K/AKT, thereby alleviating inflammatory responses and lung damage.

CONCLUSION

The therapeutic effects of PNCs on ALI are mediated through the modulation of immunity and inflammatory pathways. In light of their potential, PNCs represent a promising pharmacological intervention for the treatment of ALI.

Profiling of antioxidant properties and identification of potential analgesic inhibitory activities of Allophylus villosus and Mycetia sinensis employing in vivo, in vitro, and computational techniques

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The traditional use of plants for medicinal purposes, called phytomedicine, has been known to provide relief from pain. In Bangladesh, the Chakma indigenous community has been using Allophylus villosus and Mycetia sinensis to treat various types of pain and inflammation.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The object of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of these plants in relieving pain and their antioxidant properties using various approaches such as in vitro, in vivo, and computational techniques. Additionally, the investigation will also analyse the phytochemicals present in these plants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted in vivo analgesic experiment on Swiss albino mice and in-silico inhibitory activities on COX-2 & 15-LOX-2 enzymes. Assessment of DPPH, Anti Radical Activities (ARA), FRAP, H2O2 Free Radical Scavenging, Reducing the power of both plants performed significant % inhibition with tolerable IC50. Qualitative screening of functional groups of phytochemicals was précised by FTIR and GC-MS analysis demonstrated phytochemical investigations.

RESULTS

The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fractioned Mycetia sinensis extract as well as the ethanoic extract and all fractioned extracts of Allophylus villosus have reported a significant percentage (%) of writhing inhibition (p < 0.05) with the concentrated doses 250 mg as well as 500 mg among the Swiss albino mice for writhing observation of analgesic effect. In the silico observation, a molecular-docking investigation has performed according to GC-MS generated 43 phyto-compounds of both plants to screen their binding affinity by targeting COX-2 and 15-LOX-2 enzymes. Consequently, in order to assess and ascertain the effectiveness of the sorted phytocompounds, ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) investigation, DFT (Density-functional theory) by QM (Quantum mechanics), and MDS (Molecular dynamics simulation) were carried out. As the outcome, compounds like 5-(2,4-ditert-butylphenoxy)-5-oxopentanoic acid; 2,4-ditert-butylphenyl 5-hydroxypentanoate; 3,3-diphenyl-5-methyl-3H-pyrazole; 2-O-(6-methylheptan-2-yl) 1-O-octyl benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate and dioctan-3-yl benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate derived from the ethnic plant A. villosus and another ethnic plant M. sinensis extracts enchants magnificent analgesic inhibitions and performed more significant drug like activities with the targeted enzymes.

CONCLUSIONS

Phytocompounds from A. villosus & M. sinensis exhibited potential antagonist activity against human 15-lipoxygenase-2 and cyclooxygenase-2 proteins. The effective ester compounds from these plants performed more potential anti-nociceptive activity which could be used as a drug in future.

Cinnamon Oil Alleviates Acetaminophen-Induced Uterine Toxicity in Rats by Abrogation of Oxidative Stress, Apoptosis, and Inflammation

Paracetamol, or acetaminophen (APAP), is one of the first-line medications that is used for fever and pain. However, APAP can induce uterine toxicity when overused. The mode of action of APAP toxicity is due to the production of free radicals. The main goal of our study is to determine uterine toxicity from APAP overdose and the antioxidative activity of cinnamon oil (CO) in female rats. The effect of different doses of CO (50-200 mg/kg b.w.) was assessed in the uterus toxicity induced by APAP. Additionally, the imbalance in oxidative parameters, interleukins, and caspases was evaluated for the protective effects of CO. A single dose of APAP (2 g/kg b.w.) resulted in uterus toxicity, indicated by a significant increase in the level of lipid peroxidation (LPO), inflammatory interleukins cytokines (IL-1 and 6), expression of caspases 3 and 9, and a marked change in uterus tissue architecture evaluated by histopathology. Co-treatment of CO resulted in a significant amelioration of all the parameters such as LPO, interleukins IL-1β, IL-6, caspases 3 and 9 expression, and distortion of tissue architecture in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, we can conclude that APAP-induced uterine injury due to oxidative stress can be restored by co-treatment with cinnamon oil (CO).

Computational discovery of novel anthelmintic natural compounds from Agave Brittoniana trel. Spp. Brachypus

Helminth infections are a medical problem in the world nowadays. This report used bond-based 2D quadratic indices, a bond-level QuBiLs-MAS molecular descriptor family, and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) to obtain a quantitative linear model that discriminates between anthelmintic and non-anthelmintic drug-like organic-compounds. The model obtained correctly classified 87.46% and 81.82% of the training and external data sets, respectively. The developed model was used in a virtual screening to predict the biological activity of all chemicals (19) previously obtained and chemically characterized by some authors of this report from Agave brittoniana Trel. spp. Brachypus. The model identified several metabolites (12) as possible anthelmintics, and a group of 5 novel natural products was tested in an in vitro assay against Fasciola hepatica (100% effectivity at 500 µg/mL). Finally, the two best hits were evaluated in vivo in bald/c mice and the same helminth parasite using a 25 mg/kg dose. Compound 8 (Karatavinoside A) showed an efficacy of 92.2% in vivo. It is important to remark that this natural compound exhibits similar-to-superior activity as triclabendazole, the best human fasciolicide available in the market against Fasciola hepatica, resulting in a novel lead scaffold with anti-helminthic activity. Keywords: TOMOCOMD-CARDD Software; QuBiLs-MAS, nonstochastic and stochastic bond-based quadratic indices; LDA-based QSAR model; Computational Screening, Anthelmintic Agent; Agave brittoniana Trel. spp. Brachypus, Fasciola hepatica.

Plant-Based Innovations for the Transition to Sustainability: A Bibliometric and in-Depth Content Analysis

Plants maintain the ecological equilibrium of the earth and stabilize the ecosystem. Today, traditional commodities and new value-added markets can be served simultaneously. There is significant biosource and bioprocess innovation for biobased industrial products. Furthermore, plant-based innovation is associated with the transition to sustainability. This study performed a bibliometric and in-depth content analysis to review plant-based innovations in the research field between 1995 and 2022. A set of 313 articles was identified from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Different analytical scientometric tools (topic mapping and overlay visualization networks) were used to analyze 124 articles; the most influential countries, institutions, authors, journals and articles were identified. Through in-depth studies, based on the grounded theory approach, five leading research areas related to plant-based innovation were determined: (1) agricultural/environmental innovation, (2) plant-based food or feed innovation, (3) innovation within the medical/pharmaceutical research area, (4) technology-related innovation and (5) economic/business aspects of plant-based innovations. Future research directions include exploring less examined and new topics, such as the sustainability implications of incorporating various plant-based foods and Industry 4.0 in plant-based innovation, and linking and developing findings from different research areas.

Inhibition of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase by natural plant extracts

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are monocopper enzymes of industrial and biological importance. In particular, LPMOs play important roles in fungal lifestyle. No inhibitors of LPMOs have yet been reported. In this study, a diverse library of 100 plant extracts was screened for LPMO activity-modulating effects. By employing protein crystallography and LC-MS, we successfully identified a natural LPMO inhibitor. Extract screening revealed a significant LPMO inhibition by methanolic extract of Cinnamomum cassia (cinnamon), which inhibited LsAA9A LPMO from Lentinus similis in a concentration-dependent manner. With a notable exception, other microbial LPMOs from families AA9 and AA10 were also inhibited by this cinnamon extract. The polyphenol cinnamtannin B1 was identified as the inhibitory component by crystallography. Cinnamtannin B1 was bound to the surface of LsAA9A at two distinct binding sites: one close to the active site and another at a pocket on the opposite side of the protein. Independent characterization of cinnamon extract by LC-MS and subsequent activity measurements confirmed that the compound inhibiting LsAA9A was cinnamtannin B1. The results of this study show that specific natural LPMO inhibitors of plant origin exist in nature, providing the opportunity for future exploitation of such compounds within various biotechnological contexts.

Adaptive mechanisms of plant specialized metabolism connecting chemistry to function

As sessile organisms, plants evolved elaborate metabolic systems that produce a plethora of specialized metabolites as a means to survive challenging terrestrial environments. Decades of research have revealed the genetic and biochemical basis for a multitude of plant specialized metabolic pathways. Nevertheless, knowledge is still limited concerning the selective advantages provided by individual and collective specialized metabolites to the reproductive success of diverse host plants. Here we review the biological functions conferred by various classes of plant specialized metabolites in the context of the interaction of plants with their surrounding environment. To achieve optimal multifunctionality of diverse specialized metabolic processes, plants use various adaptive mechanisms at subcellular, cellular, tissue, organ and interspecies levels. Understanding these mechanisms and the evolutionary trajectories underlying their occurrence in nature will ultimately enable efficient bioengineering of desirable metabolic traits in chassis organisms.

Scavenging Properties of Plant-Derived Natural Biomolecule Para-Coumaric Acid in the Prevention of Oxidative Stress-Induced Diseases

Para-coumaric acid (p-CA) is a plant derived secondary metabolite belonging to the phenolic compounds. It is widely distributed in the plant kingdom and found mainly in fruits, vegetables, and cereals. Various in vivo and in vitro studies have revealed its scavenging and antioxidative properties in the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions. This evidence-based review focuses on the protective role of p-CA including its therapeutic potential. p-CA and its conjugates possesses various bioactivities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and anti-melanogenic properties. Due to its potent free radical scavenging activity, it can mitigate the ill effects of various diseases including arthritis, neurological disorders, and cardio-vascular diseases. Recent studies have revealed that p-CA can ameliorate the harmful effects associated with oxidative stress in the reproductive system, also by inhibiting enzymes linked with erectile function.

Phytochemical Composition and Biological Activities of Scorzonera Species

The genus Scorzonera comprises nearly 200 species, naturally occurring in Europe, Asia, and northern parts of Africa. Plants belonging to the Scorzonera genus have been a significant part of folk medicine in Asia, especially China, Mongolia, and Turkey for centuries. Therefore, they have become the subject of research regarding their phytochemical composition and biological activity. The aim of this review is to present and assess the phytochemical composition, and bioactive potential of species within the genus Scorzonera. Studies have shown the presence of many bioactive compounds like triterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, flavonoids, or caffeic acid and quinic acid derivatives in extracts obtained from aerial and subaerial parts of the plants. The antioxidant and cytotoxic properties have been evaluated, together with the mechanism of anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and hepatoprotective activity. Scorzonera species have also been investigated for their activity against several bacteria and fungi strains. Despite mild cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines in vitro, the bioactive properties in wound healing therapy and the treatment of microbial infections might, in perspective, be the starting point for the research on Scorzonera species as active agents in medical products designed for miscellaneous skin conditions.

Search for Antimicrobial Activity Among Fifty-Two Natural and Synthetic Compounds Identifies Anthraquinone and Polyacetylene Classes That Inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Drug-resistant tuberculosis threatens to undermine global control programs by limiting treatment options. New antimicrobial drugs are required, derived from new chemical classes. Natural products offer extensive chemical diversity and inspiration for synthetic chemistry. Here, we isolate, synthesize and test a library of 52 natural and synthetic compounds for activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We identify seven compounds as antimycobacterial, including the natural products isobavachalcone and isoneorautenol, and a synthetic chromene. The plant-derived secondary metabolite damnacanthal was the most active compound with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration of 13.07 μg/mL and a favorable selectivity index value. Three synthetic polyacetylene compounds demonstrated antimycobacterial activity, with the lowest MIC of 17.88 μg/mL. These results suggest new avenues for drug discovery, expanding antimicrobial compound chemistries to novel anthraquinone and polyacetylene scaffolds in the search for new drugs to treat drug-resistant bacterial diseases.

Formulation and characterization of nanoemulsion from Alhagi maurorum essential oil and study of its antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and plasmid curing activity against antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria

Nanoemulsion technology is an alternative candidate to overcome antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. The aim of this research was nanoemulsion production from the essential oil of Alhagi maurorum and the characterization of this nanostructure. Nanoemulsion of essential oil from A. maurorum was prepared using the ionotropic gelation method and chitosan as a nano-carrier. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the synthesized nanoparticles. The effect of nanoemulsion on the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and plasmid curing of six antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria (P. aeruginosa, E. coli, S. aureus, K. pneumonia, A. baumannii, B. cereus) was evaluated. The results of this study showed that nanoparticles had a spherical shape and smooth topology. The mean size were 172 ± 4 nm and Zeta potentials was +28.6 mv. The results of antibacterial activity confirmed that nanoemulsion of essential oil had higher inhibition against bacteria compared to free essential oil. Also, this nanoemulsion had antibiofilm activity. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration for Biofilm (MBCB) were determined for nanoemulsion against the biofilm of pathogenic bacteria. The results have shown that the MIC value for A. baumannii is 12.5 mg ml -1 and for E. coli this value is 1.75 mg ml -1. This finding means that MIC values were highest for A. baumannii and lowest for E. coli. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of nanoemulsion against bacterial biofilm was significant (P < 0.05). This nanoemulsion also had a remarkable effect the curing of R-plasmid of three antibiotic-resistant bacteria. According to GC-MS analysis of A. maurorum essential oil, the main compounds were oxygenated sesquiterpenes and hydrocarbons. Nanoemulsion of A. maurorum had the potential to use as suitable antimicrobial agents against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Protective effect of Corynoline on the CFA induced Rheumatoid arthritis via attenuation of oxidative and inflammatory mediators

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-standing and growing autoimmune disease. Therefore, the present study was intended to investigate the effect of Corynoline (COR) on CFA induced rheumatoid arthritis in a rat model. Results suggested that COR causes significant reduction in paw swelling, edema, arthritis score, thymus and spleen indexes and neutrophil infiltration (p < 0.01). Moreover, the levels of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin- 1β, -6, and -17, and TNF-α) and anti-collagen II-specific immunoglobulins (IgG1 and IgG2a) were decreased significantly (p < 0.01) together with increase in antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GSH) (p < 0.01) in COR-treated group in dose-dependent manner. In western blot analysis, COR-treated group showed concentration-dependent reduction of expression of COX-2, 5-LOX and NF-p65 as compared to CFA rats. Moreover, COR-treated group showed mild inflammation of cartilage with fewer cartilage erosion and synovititis with most significant reversal of arthritic features in the rats treated with 30 mg/kg. It has been concluded that, COR alleviates oxidative stress and inflammation in arthritic rats, thus verifying its anti-rheumatoid arthritis property.

Recent Advances in Standardization of Herbal Drugs

Background:

Herbal drugs play a significant role to maintain the human healthiness and to treat the ailments since the dawn of civilization. Moreover, these plants have provided many lead compounds that culminated in modern medicine. A single herb is regarded as mini-combinatorial library of phytoconstituents hence the quality control of herbal drugs in an herbal formulation is not an easy task because a number of factors impact their pharmacological efficiency and consistent therapeutic effects. Hence, to provide consistent beneficial therapeutic effects, standardized herbal products of consistent quality and purity are required.

Methods:

This review is based on publications obtained by a selective search in PubMed using the keywords “Standardized herbal products”, “fingerprinting”, “authentication”, “chemometric, hyphenated techniques”, “quality control of herbal drugs”, “identification”.

Results:

In the era of modernization, chromatographic techniques coupled with sophisticated spectroscopic analytical methods are used in estimating the authenticity, identity and characteristic of herbal products. Further, with the advancement of computer technology, chemometrics methods have become a leading tool with an unsupervised pattern recognition technique for handling multivariate data without prior knowledge about the studied samples and mines more beneficial and valuable information about the chemical entities from the raw data.

Conclusion:

Standardization of HDs chromatographic fingerprint is not always a perfect way to present all compounds. To assess the quality of medicinal plants, new ways are regularly being explored such as combination chemical fingerprint with biological methods, biofingerprint and metabolic fingerprint quality metrology, pharmacodynamics and export system of medicinal plants have been researched in some groups but still a significant amount of work is required to achieve a perfect system for quality evaluation of herbal drugs. Further, novel chemometric techniques have been unfolded that mines more beneficial and valuable information about the chemical entities from the raw data. So this review emphasis mainly on hyphenated techniques associated with chemometric method used in herbal drugs for identifying more valuable information and various methods for providing data, among which most commonly used techniques are chemometric resolution method and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method.

Botanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used in the Traditional Treatment of Human Disease in Montain Hay Meadows from Gurghiului Mountains

The aim of this study was to identify the medicinal and aromatic plants from mountain hay meadows (6520 - Natura 2000 habitat) of Gurghiului Mountains and to analyze the correlation of these herbs with their therapeutic compounds as well as the human diseases on which they can be used on therapeutic purpose. The area covered by this study was the Gurghiului Mountains. Regarding the vegetation, this area is characterized by the predominance of forest ecosystems, along with semi-natural mountainous grasslands. The floristic inventory for the studied area included numerous medicinal plants with therapeutic chemical compounds. These medicinal plants were grouped in this study according to the dominant active principles used in phytotherapy. Two plant associations were identified: Festuco rubrae-Agrostietum capillaris Horvat 1951 and Poo-Trisetetum flavescentis Knapp ex Oberdorfer 1957. This survey demonstrates that the medicinal plant area in the Gurghiului Mountains is a promising economic resource for developing this region, but it needs planned exploitation.

Modulating effect of a new ester, 28-O-phosphatidylbetulin (DAPB), obtained from hen egg yolk lecithin and betulin on lymphocyte subsets and humoral immune response in mice

Context: Leaf extracts of plants of the genus Betula have traditionally been used as diuretic, anti-rheumatic and diaphoretic preparations. One of the main active ingredients of Betula bark is betulin, lupane-type triterpene alcohol, with multiple biological activities. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro and in vivo immunomodulatory effects of a newly synthesized ester of betulin: 28-O-phosphatidylbetulin [28-O-(1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho)-betulin, DAPB] in comparison with betulin in mice. Materials and methods: Cytotoxic activity of DAPB or betulin was tested against non-cancer (D10.G4.1 and J774E.1) and cancer (GL-1; CL-1 and Jurkat) cell lines. The in vivo part assessed total lymphocyte count, weight ratio and subsets of lymphocytes in the lymphatic organs, and humoral immune response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC). Results: In vitro assay showed that DAPB, contrary to betulin, had no antiproliferative activity. Exposure to four doses of DAPB increased the absolute count of immature CD4⁺CD8⁺ thymic cells as well as the percentage and absolute count of mature CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ thymocytes. DAPB enhanced the percentage or absolute count of CD3⁺ cells in spleen and lymph nodes with corresponding decrease in the percentage and/or absolute count of CD19⁺ cells. Both DAPB and betulin enhanced the percentage and absolute count of CD8⁺ lymphocytes in lymph nodes. In SRBC-immunized mice, betulin contrary to DAPB enhanced the number of splenocytes producing anti-SRBC antibodies (PFC). Both DAPB and betulin increased the level of total (IgM + IgG) and IgG titers. Conclusion: Despite the lack of cytotoxic activity, DAPB shows valuable immunomodulatory properties.

Natural products chemistry: The emerging trends and prospective goals

The role and contributions of natural products chemistry in advancements of the physical and biological sciences, its interdisciplinary domains, and emerging of new avenues by providing novel applications, constructive inputs, thrust, comprehensive understanding, broad perspective, and a new vision for future is outlined. The developmental prospects in bio-medical, health, nutrition, and other interrelated sciences along with some of the emerging trends in the subject area are also discussed as part of the current review of the basic and core developments, innovation in techniques, advances in methodology, and possible applications with their effects on the sciences in general and natural products chemistry in particular. The overview of the progress and ongoing developments in broader areas of the natural products chemistry discipline, its role and concurrent economic and scientific implications, contemporary objectives, future prospects as well as impending goals are also outlined. A look at the natural products chemistry in providing scientific progress in various disciplines is deliberated upon.

Use of Plant and Herb Derived Medicine for Therapeutic Usage in Cardiology

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have become prominent in mortality and morbidity rates. Prevalent cardiovascular conditions, such as hypertension, atherosclerosis and oxidative stress, are increasing at an alarming rate. Conventional drugs have been associated with adverse effects, suggesting a need for an alternative measure to ameliorate CVD. A number of plant- and herb-derived preventative food and therapeutic drugs for cardiovascular conditions are progressively used for their various benefits. Naturally derived food and drugs have fewer side effects because they come from natural elements; preventative food, such as grape seed, inhibits changes of histopathology and biomarkers in vital organs whereas therapeutic drugs, for instance Xanthone, improve heart functions by suppressing oxidative stress of myocyte. This review closely examines the various plant- and herb-derived drugs that have assumed an essential role in treating inflammation and oxidative stress for prevalent cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, the use of plant-derived medicine with other synthetic particles, such as nanoparticles, for targeted therapy is investigated for its effective clinical use in the future.

Concurrent Use of Herbal and Orthodox Medicines among Residents of Tamale, Northern Ghana, Who Patronize Hospitals and Herbal Clinics

Despite the development of more researched and formulated orthodox medicines, herbal medicines continue to be well patronized for persons across the world with some patrons concurrently using both forms, oblivious of the unwanted effects that may occur. Using a multistage sampling procedure, a semistructured questionnaire was used to collect data in April 2016 from 240 informants from three selected hospitals and three herbal clinics in Tamale, a city in northern Ghana. Using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, binary logistic regression was used to determine sociodemographic predictors of concurrent use of herbal and orthodox medicines. Orthodox medicines were the drug of choice for 54.2% and 49.2% of patrons of hospitals and herbal clinics, respectively. Also, 67.5% of herbal clinic patrons used orthodox medicines, while 25.0% of hospital attendees used herbal medications prior to their visit to the health facilities. Up to 17.9% of respondents concurrently used herbal and orthodox medicines for their prevailing ailment with age, less than 30 years being the only predictor of this habit (p = 0.015; 95% CI, 1.183–4.793; cOR = 2.4). All health professionals including those in herbal clinics should therefore be interested in the drug history of their clients.

Parasite Killing of Leishmania (V) braziliensis by Standardized Propolis Extracts

Treatments based on antimonials to cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) entail a range of toxic side effects. Propolis, a natural compound widely used in traditional medical applications, exhibits a range of biological effects, including activity against infectious agents. The aim of this study was to test the potential leishmanicidal effects of different propolis extracts against Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes in vitro. Stationary-phase L. (V) braziliensis promastigotes were incubated with medium alone or treated with dry, alcoholic, or glycolic propolis extract (10, 50, or 100 μg/mL) for 96 h. Our data showed that all extracts exhibited a dose-dependent effect on the viability of L. (V) braziliensis promastigotes, while controlling the parasite burden inside infected macrophages. Dry propolis extract significantly modified the inflammatory profile of murine macrophages by downmodulating TGF-β and IL-10 production, while upmodulating TNF-α. All three types of propolis extract were found to reduce nitric oxide and superoxide levels in activated L. braziliensis-infected macrophages. Altogether, our results showed that propolis extracts exhibited a leishmanicidal effect against both stages of L. (V) braziliensis. The low cell toxicity and efficient microbicidal effect of alcoholic or glycolic propolis extracts make them candidates to an additive treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Pharmaceutical prospects of naturally occurring quinazolinone and its derivatives

Quinazolinones belong to a family of heterocyclic nitrogen compounds that have attracted increasing interest because of their broad spectrum of biological functions. This review describes three types of natural quinazolinones and their synthesized derivatives and summarizes their various pharmacological activities, including antifungal, anti-tumor, anti-malaria, anticonvulsant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and antihyperlipidemic activities. In addition, structure-activity relationships of quinazolinone derivatives are also reviewed.

Anti-HCV Activity from Semi-purified Methanolic Root Extracts of Valeriana wallichii

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a serious global health problem affecting approximately 130-150 million individuals. Presently available direct-acting anti-HCV drugs have higher barriers to resistance and also improved success rate; however, cost concerns limit their utilization, especially in developing countries like India. Therefore, development of additional agents to combat HCV infection is needed. In the present study, we have evaluated anti-HCV potential of water, chloroform, and methanol extracts from roots of Valeriana wallichii, a traditional Indian medicinal plant. Huh-7.5 cells infected with J6/JFH chimeric HCV strain were treated with water, chloroform, and methanol extracts at different concentrations. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction result demonstrated that methanolic extract showed reduction in HCV replication. The methanolic extract was fractionated by thin layer chromatography, and the purified fractions (F1, F2, F3, and F4) were checked for anti-HCV activity. Significant viral inhibition was noted only in F4 fraction. Further, intrinsic fluorescence assay of purified HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase NS5B in the presence of F4 resulted in sharp quenching of intrinsic fluorescence with increasing amount of plant extract. Our results indicated that methanolic extract of V. wallichii and its fraction (F4) inhibited HCV by binding with HCV NS5B protein. The findings would be further investigated to identify the active principle/lead molecule towards development of complementary and alternative therapeutics against HCV. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Antinoceptive and Anti-inflammatory Activities of the Ethanolic Extract, Fractions and Flavones Isolated from Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir (Leguminosae)

The bark of Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poiret (Leguminosae family), popularly known as “jurema preta” in Brazil, is used by the population of Contendas of Sincorá (Bahia State, Brazil) for the treatment of coughs and wound healing. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the bark ethanol extract (EEMT) and solvent soluble fractions (hexane—H, DCM—D, EtOAc—E and BuOH—B) of the extract in vivo. Additionally, we synthesized 5,7-dihidroxy-4’-methoxyflavanone (isosakuranetin) and isolated the compound sakuranetin, and both compounds were also tested. The anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive assays performed were: writhing test; nociception induced by intraplantar formalin injection; leukocyte recruitment to the peritoneal cavity; evaluation of vascular permeability (Evans blue test); and evaluation of mechanical hypernociception (von Frey test). Production of TNF-α, IL-10, myeloperoxidase and the expression of ICAM-1 were also evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni post-test (n = 8), with P < 0.05. The EEMT showed antinociceptive activities in writhing test (100–200 mg/kg), in the second phase of the formalin test (50–200 mg/kg), and in mechanical hypernociception (100 mg/kg). EEMT showed an anti-inflammatory effect by reducing neutrophil migration to the peritoneal cavity and in the plantar tissue detected by the reduction of myeloperoxidase activity (100 mg/kg), reduction of IL-10 levels and expression of ICAM-1 in the peritoneal exudate and the mesentery (100 mg/kg), respectively. The four soluble EEMT fractions showed good results in tests for antinociceptive (H, D, E, B) and anti-inflammation (H, D, E). Only sakuranetin showed reduction of the writhing and neutrophil migration (200 mg/kg). Thus, the EEMT and soluble fractions of M. tenuiflora bark demonstrated great antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities, as also sakuranetin. More studies should be conducted to elucidate the mechanism of action of this compound. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the antinociceptive activity of the M. tenuiflora fractions and the bioactive isolated compound sakuranetin in vivo.

The Protective Effect of Marigold Hydroalcoholic Extract in STZ-Induced Diabetic Rats: Evaluation of Cardiac and Pancreatic Biomarkers in the Serum

Diabetes mellitus is the most common endocrine disorder worldwide and it is usually along with complications such as retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy, and cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of diabetes is increasing and its treatment has created concerns in society. The use of herbal medicine can be helpful in the management of diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of marigold hydroalcoholic extract under diabetes condition. A total of 36 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control group, diabetic control group, and groups treated with 250 or 500 mg/kg hydroalcoholic extract of marigold flower during four weeks. At the end of the study, the rats were anesthetized with ketamine/xylazine, and sampling was performed through cardiac puncture. The results showed that treatment with marigold improved body weight. In addition, we determined that marigold normalized the level of CK-MB, total CK, amylase, and lipase in a dose-dependent manner. Probably these effects resulted from antioxidant property of marigold; thus we suggest that marigold flower can be useful for reduction of diabetes complication.

Effects of methanol extracts from roots, leaves, and fruits of the Lebanese strawberry tree (Arbutus andrachne) on cardiac function together with their antioxidant activity

CONTEXT

Several plant-derived natural products have been used in clinical phase for applications in neurological, cardiovascular, and inflammatory diseases. Arbutus andrachne L. (Ericacea) is an evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean region. Traditionally, the fruits and leaves of Arbutus tree are well known and used as antiseptics, diuretics, blood tonic, and laxatives.

OBJECTIVE

Data regarding the biological effects of compounds derived from the Lebanese Arbutus andrachne are not available. In the present work, we studied the antioxidant activity of methanol extracts of leaves, fruits, and roots of the plant against electrolysis; together with their effects on the cardiodynamics of isolated perfused rabbit hearts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In vitro electrolysis of the different root, leaves, and fruits methanol extracts was evaluated by the amount of free radicals that has been reduced by increasing the concentration of root extracts ranging from 0.5 to 2 mg after 1, 2, 3, and 4 min. Left ventricular pressure (LVP), heart rate (HR), and coronary flow (CR) were investigated in isolated rabbit heart after administration of 0.5, 1, 2, and 2 mg of each methanol extracts plotted against time (0, 0.5, 1.5, 5, and 10 min), according to the Langendorff method. Lipid peroxidation study was performed by the colorimetric method on myocard tissue after incubation with 500 μl of the different methanol extracts. The amount of MDA was determined at 500 nm absorbance after 5 min incubation.

RESULTS

Among the different methanol extracts, the roots showed the highest in vitro antioxidant activity, particularly observed at concentration of 2 mg which completely inhibits free radical generation after 4 min. LVP decreases by 32% at the dose of 2 mg of root extracts after 5 min. No significant effect was observed by the three tested extracts on the heart rate. The three methanol extracts did not show any significant effect on the coronary flow. Moreover, the roots show an increase in the coronary flow at a concentration of 1 and 2 mg/ml during 1 min. Electrolysis on heart tissue treated with the roots extracts shows a decrease in the MDA level from 70.51 ± 6.71 to 48.58 ± 4.15 nmole/g of tissue.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Methanol extracts of the roots possess antihypertensive effect that may result from its ability to decrease the LVP together with its protective role by inhibiting free radical generation and significantly decreasing the MDA level of heart tissue.

Clinical trials with herbal medicinal products in children: a literature analysis

Herbal medicinal products have been used since several decades for the health care of children. Nevertheless, well-controlled clinical studies with herbal medicinal products for children are rare. The authors' objective therefore was to evaluate clinical trials with herbal medicinal products in children, based on a literature search in PubMed and Web of Science. A total of 133 trials were identified. 90 studies were randomized, 32.2% were randomized and double-blinded. Most studies were performed in China, in the age group 6-12 years, and in children with respiratory diseases, most often herbal medicinal products with Hedera helix were tested. The analysis revealed that studies on herbal medicinal products were feasible in children. Although clinical trials have been found, this literature search have limitations and did not cover all studies performed. However, only few clinical trials of high quality were identified. Further studies therefore are urgently needed to support the good empirical findings.

Bar-HRM for Authentication of Plant-Based Medicines: Evaluation of Three Medicinal Products Derived from Acanthaceae Species

Medicinal plants are used as a popular alternative to synthetic drugs, both in developed and developing countries. The economic importance of the herbal and natural supplement industry is increasing every year. As the herbal industry grows, consumer safety is one issue that cannot be overlooked. Herbal products in Thai local markets are commonly sold without packaging or labels. Plant powders are stored in large bags or boxes, and therefore buying local herbal products poses a high risk of acquiring counterfeited, substituted and/or adulterated products. Due to these issues, a reliable method to authenticate products is needed. Here DNA barcoding was used in combination with High Resolution Melting analysis (Bar-HRM) to authenticate three medicinal Acanthaceae species (Acanthus ebracteatus, Andrographis paniculata and Rhinacanthus nasutus) commonly used in Thailand. The rbcL barcode was selected for use in primers design for HRM analysis to produce standard melting profiles of the selected species. Melting data from the HRM assay using the designed rbcL primers showed that the three chosen species could be distinguished from each other. HRM curves of all fifteen test samples indicated that three of tested products did not contain the indicated species. Two closely related species (A. paniculata and R. nasutus), which have a high level of morphological similarity, were interchanged with one another in three tested products. Incorrect information on packaging and labels of the tested herbal products was the cause of the results shown here. Morphological similarity among the species of interest also hindered the collection process. The Bar-HRM method developed here proved useful in aiding in the identification and authentication of herbal species in processed samples. In the future, species authentication through Bar-HRM could be used to promote consumer trust, as well as raising the quality of herbal products.

Halofuginone - the multifaceted molecule

Halofuginone is an analog of febrifugine-an alkaloid originally isolated from the plant Dichroa febrifuga. During recent years, halofuginone has attracted much attention because of its wide range of beneficial biological activities, which encompass malaria, cancer, and fibrosis-related and autoimmune diseases. At present two modes of halofuginone actions have been described: (1) Inhibition of Smad3 phosphorylation downstream of the TGFβ signaling pathway results in inhibition of fibroblasts-to-myofibroblasts transition and fibrosis. (2) Inhibition of prolyl-tRNA synthetase (ProRS) activity in the blood stage of malaria and inhibition of Th17 cell differentiation thereby inhibiting inflammation and the autoimmune reaction by activation of the amino acid starvation and integrated stress responses. This review deals with the history and origin of this natural product, its synthesis, its known modes of action, and it's various biological activities in pre-clinical animal models and in humans.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Febrifugine Analogues

A series of febrifugine analogues were designed and synthesized. Antimalarial activity evaluation of the synthetic compounds indicated that these derivatives had a strong inhibition against both chloroquine-sensitive and -resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Many of them were found to be more active than febrifugine hydrochloride. The tested analogues had also a significant cytotoxicity against four cancer cell lines (KB, MCF7, LU1 and HepG2). Among the synthetic analogues, two compounds 17b and 17h displayed a moderate cytotoxicity while they exhibited a remarkable antimalarial activity.

A review on phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology studies of Aconitum

Objectives

A number of species belonging to herbal genus Aconitum are well-known and popular for their medicinal benefits in Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Tibetan and Chinese systems of medicine. It is a valuable drug as well as an unpredictable toxic material. It is therefore imperative to understand and control the toxic potential of herbs from this genus. In this review, the ethnomedicinal, phytochemistry, pharmacology, structure activity relationship and toxicology studies of Aconitum were presented to add to knowledge for their safe application.

Key findings

A total of about 76 of all aconite species growing in China and surrounding far-east and Asian countries are used for various medical purposes. The main ingredients of aconite species are alkaloids, flavonoids, free fatty acids and polysaccharides. The tuberous roots of genus Aconitum are commonly applied for various diseases such as rheumatic fever, painful joints and some endocrinal disorders. It stimulates the tip of sensory nerve fibres. These tubers of Aconitum are used in the herbal medicines only after processing. There remain high toxicological risks of the improper medicinal applications of Aconitum. The cardio and neurotoxicities of this herb are potentially lethal. Many analytical methods have been reported for quantitatively and qualitatively characterization of Aconitum.

Summary

Aconitum is a plant of great importance both in traditional medicine in general and in TCM in particular. Much attention should be put on Aconitum because of its narrow therapeutic range. However, Aconitum's toxicity can be reduced using different techniques and then benefit from its pharmacological activities. New methods, approaches and techniques should be developed for chemical and toxicological analysis to improve its quality and safety.

Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad and Wendl (Kaṇṭakāri) extract in laboratory animals

Context:

Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad and Wendl (Kaṇṭakāri) is a diffuse herb with prickly stem, traditionally used for the treatment of inflammation and one in the group of daśamūla (group of ten herbs) herbs commonly used drug in Ayurveda.

Aims:

In continuation of search for potent natural anti-inflammatory agents, the present research work was planned to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of ethanol extract of S. xanthocarpum whole plant.

Settings and Design:

The ethanol extract was evaluated at dose 10, 30 and 100 mg/kg p.o. in rats.

Materials and Methods:

Using pharmacological screening models carrageenan induced rat paw edema, histamine induced rat paw edema and cotton pellet granuloma in rats.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Data obtained was analyzed statistically using analysis of variance followed by post-hoc Dunnett test, P < 0.05 is considered as statistically significant.

Results:

Acute treatment didn’t show anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenan and histamine induced paw edema. However, administration of 100 mg/kg p.o for 7 day reduced the granuloma formation in cotton pellet granuloma model.

Conclusions:

Present results support the traditional use of plant for anti-inflammatory activity. In brief, the results provide scientific pharmacological basis for the therapeutic use of S. xanthocarpum.