Natural Phytochemicals and Their Therapeutic Role in Management of Several Diseases: A Review

Harnessing nanofibers for targeted delivery of phytoconstituents in age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration is a degenerative eye condition that affects the macula and results in central vision loss. Phytoconstituents show great promise in the treatment of AMD. AMD therapy can benefit from the advantages of phytoconstituents loaded nanofibers. There are opportunities to improve the effectiveness of phytoconstituents in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) through the use of nanofiber-based delivery methods. These novel platforms encapsulate and distribute plant-derived bioactives by making use of the special qualities of nanofibers. These qualities include their high surface area-to-volume ratio, variable porosity, and biocompatibility. Exploring the use of nanofiber-based delivery methods to provide phytoconstituents in AMD treatment is a great choice for enhancing patient adherence, safety, and efficacy in managing this condition. This article explores the potential of nanofiber-based delivery methods to revolutionize AMD treatment, providing an innovative and effective approach to treat this condition.

Elucidation and active ingredient identification of aqueous extract of Ficus exasperata Vahl leaf against bisphenol A-induced toxicity through in vivo and in silico assessments

Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting chemical, poses significant health problems due to its induction of oxidative stress, inflammation, etc. Whereas Ficus exasperata Vahl leaf (FEVL) was reported for its ethnopharmacological properties against several ailments owing to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties, etc. Here, we aim to elucidate and identify the bioactive compounds of aqueous extract of FEVL (AEFEVL) against BPA-induced toxicity using in vivo and in silico assessments. To determine the BPA toxicity mechanism and safe doses of AEFEVL, graded doses of BPA (0-400 μM) and AEFEVL (0-2.0 mg/10 g diets) were separately fed to flies to evaluate survival rates and specific biochemical markers. The mitigating effect of AEFEVL (0.5 and 1.0 mg/10 g diet) against BPA (100 and 200 μM)-induced toxicity in the flies after 7-day exposure was also carried out. Additionally, molecular docking analysis of BPA and BPA-o-quinone (BPAQ) against selected antioxidant targets, and HPLC-MS-revealed AEFEVL compounds against Keap-1 and IKKβ targets, followed by ADMET analysis, was conducted. Emergence rate, climbing ability, acetylcholinesterase, monoamine oxidase-B, and glutathione-S-transferase activities, and levels of total thiols, non-protein thiols, nitric oxide, protein carbonyl, malondialdehyde, and cell viability were evaluated. BPA-induced altered biochemical and behavioral parameters were significantly mitigated by AEFEVL in the flies (p < 0.05). BPAQ followed by BPA exhibited higher inhibitory activity, and epigallocatechin (EGC) showed the highest inhibitory activity among the AEFEVL compounds with desirable ADMET properties. Conclusively, our findings revealed that EGC might be responsible for the mitigative effect displayed by AEFEVL in BPA-induced toxicity in D. melanogaster.

Graphical abstract

Phytochemicals and their Potential Mechanisms against Insulin Resistance

Insulin's inception dates back to 1921 and was unveiled through a momentous revelation. Diabetes is a dangerous, long-term disease in which the body fails to generate enough insulin or utilize the insulin it creates adequately. This causes hyperglycemia, a state of high blood sugar levels, which can even put a person into a coma if not managed. Activation of the insulin receptor corresponds to two crucial metabolic functions, i.e., uptake of glucose and storage of glycogen. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) exists as one of the most challenging medical conditions in the 21st century. The sedentary lifestyle and declining quality of food products have contributed to the rapid development of metabolic disorders. Hence, there is an urgent need to lay some reliable, significant molecules and modalities of treatment to combat and manage this epidemic. In this review, we have made an attempt to identify and enlist the major phytoconstituents along with the associated sources and existing mechanisms against insulin resistance. The conducted study may offer potential sustainable solutions for developing and formulating scientifically validated molecules and phytoconstituents as formulations for the management of this metabolic disorder.

Ethnomedicinal Plants Used for Treatment of Urolithiasis in India: A Review

Background:

The kidney stone is the most commonly observed and painful disease of the urinary tract in human being. Numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors are responsible for the formation of kidney stone, for instance, age, sex, heredity (intrinsic factors) and climate, dietary, geography, mineral composition, and water intake (extrinsic factors). The kidney stones are categorized into calcium, struvite or magnesium ammonium phosphate, uric acid or urate, cystine and other types of stones based on chemical composition and pathogenesis. Due to the multifactorial nature of kidney stone disease, the patient may need to rely on complex synthetic medication. However, in ancient Indian history, there are several pieces of evidence where natural resources such as plants were used to remediation this lethal disease.

Objective:

The present review attempts to provide exhaustive information of ethnomedicinal and ethnopharmacological information of medicinal plants used for kidney stone in India.

Result:

Hitherto, there are a total of 258 ethnomedicinal plants from 90 different families reported using for kidney stone application. The majority of the plant species are associated with three important families: Asteraceae, Amaranthaceae, and Fabaceae. Most of the plants are from Andhra Pradesh (43 plants), followed by East Bengal (38), Jammu & Kashmir (36), Uttarakhand (31), Panjab (27), Mizoram (23), Karnataka (20), Maharashtra (20) and Assam (18). The commonly used plant parts for the herbal preparation are roots (21.22 %) followed by leaves/leaf (20.15 %), and sometimes complete plant (17.77 %) is used. The most commonly used method for the formulation is decoction (46.41 %) followed by powder (18.66 %) and then extracts (15.78 %) of different aerial and non-aerial parts of the plant. To date, the in-vitro and in-vivo activities against the kidney stone assessed for more than sixty ethnomedicinal plants.

Conclusion:

The present review epitomizes the ethnomedicinal information of medicinal plants used for kidney stone and pharmacological evidence for anti-urolithiasis activity. Most reported medicinal plants are not yet scientifically explored and need immediate attention before we lose some important species due to excessive deforestation for farming and industrial needs.

Astragaloside IV, a saponin from Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus, induces expressions of heme recycle proteins via signaling of Nrf2/ARE in cultured macrophages

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, "Qi" is classified as energetic essence supporting the life activities in human. "Blood" is categorized as nourishing essence and circulating in the body. "Blood" and "Qi" have an intimate relationship. Astragali Radix (AR; root of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. Var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao) has a broad spectrum of application for "Qi-Blood" enrichment. Astragaloside IV, a major saponin in AR, has therapeutic functions in erythropoietic, cardiovascular and immune systems. However, the efficacy of astragaloside IV in erythrophagocytosis has not been elucidated.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The possible functions of astragaloside IV in heme iron recycling during erythrophagocytosis in cultured macrophage were elucidated.

METHODS

The translational and transcriptional expressions of heme recycling enzymes were determined after incubating of astragaloside IV for 24 h in cultured macrophage.

RESULTS

In astragaloside IV-treated macrophage, the expressions, both RNA and protein levels, of regulators of heme recycling, e.g. heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), ferroportin (FPN), biliverdin reductase A and B (BVRA, BVRB), were markedly induced in dose-dependent manners. In parallel, the transcriptional activity of antioxidant response element, cloned within an expression vector as pARE-Luc and transfected in cultured macrophages, was markedly induced after a challenge with astragaloside IV in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the translocation of Nrf2, a transcriptional factor in regulating expression of heme recycling protein, was induced by astragaloside IV, leading to an enrichment at nucleus fraction.

CONCLUSION

Astragaloside IV shed lights in enhancing the expression of heme recycle proteins via Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway.