An insight into the potent medicinal plant Phyllanthus amarus Schum. and Thonn

Phyllanthus amarus Schum. and Thonn., a globally distributed herb is known for its several therapeutic potentials. P. amarus has a long history of use in the traditional system of medicine for over 2000 years owing to its wide array of secondary metabolites that confer significant medicinal attributes. Research on various aspects including ethnobotany, phytochemistry to bioactivity, or pharmacological studies has been conducted over the past several decades on this potent herb. P. amarus extracts have shown a broad range of pharmacological activities like hepatoprotective, antioxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimalarial, nephroprotective, diuretic, and several other properties. The present review compiles and covers literature and research of several groups across past decades to date and focuses on how the therapeutic significance of this plant can be further explored for future research either as herbal formulations, alternative medicine, or in the pharmaceutical industry.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13237-022-00409-z.

Antimalarial plants with potential male-factor antifertility properties

Malaria, caused mainly by Plasmodium falciparum among other Plasmodium species, is one of the main causes of death from parasitic diseases. Malaria is still a health problem mainly because of the cost of effective antimalarial drugs and the growing parasite resistance to conventional antimalarial drugs, making a great proportion of the people in malaria endemic countries dependent on plants for its treatment. Corollary, a large number of the rural populations consume antimalarial herbal preparations in large or excessive quantities despite the fact that it has been reported that some of them could cause male-factor infertility, a growing global health concern. Few studies have compiled information on the scientifically validated male-factor antifertility effects of these antimalarial plant remedies. The aim of this review therefore is to compile information on commonly used antimalarial plant remedies that have been experimentally validated as having male-factor antifertility effects. Thus, antimalarial plant remedies with experimentally confirmed male-factor antifertility potentials and compounds isolated from them are identified and discussed. The male-factor antifertility effects of these plants include reduction of sperm quality, regulation of reproductive hormone levels and induction of lipid peroxidation. Indiscriminate use of such antimalarial plants is discouraged when male contraception is not desired.

Phyllanthus amarus: ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology: a review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Phyllanthus amarus Schum. & Thonn. belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae is a small herb well known for its medicinal properties and widely used worldwide. P. amarus is an important plant of Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine which is used in the problems of stomach, genitourinary system, liver, kidney and spleen. It is bitter, astringent, stomachic, diuretic, febrifuge and antiseptic. The whole plant is used in gonorrhea, menorrhagia and other genital affections. It is useful in gastropathy, diarrhoea, dysentery, intermittent fevers, ophthalmopathy, scabies, ulcers and wounds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present review covers a literature across from 1980 to 2011. Some information collected from traditional Ayurvedic texts and published literature on ethanomedicinal uses of Phyllanthus amarus in different countries worldwide.

RESULTS

Phytochemical studies have shown the presence of many valuable compounds such as lignans, flavonoids, hydrolysable tannins (ellagitannins), polyphenols, triterpenes, sterols and alkaloids. The extracts and the compounds isolated from P. amarus show a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities including antiviral, antibacterial, antiplasmodial, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective nephroprotective and diurectic properties.

CONCLUSION

The present review summarizes information concerning the morphology, ecology, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biological activities, clinical applications and toxicological reports of P. amarus. This review aims at gathering the research work undertaken till date on this plant in order to provide sufficient baseline information for future works and commercial exploitation.

Protective potential [correction of potencial] of Euphorbia hirta against cytotoxicity induced in hepatocytes and a HepG2 cell line

Medicinal plants play a key role in human health care. Frustration over the side effects of allopathic drugs has driven the medical world to take asylum in the plant kingdom for the treatment of various ailments. Euphorbia hirta belonging to the family of Euphorbiacae has been reported to possess antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer activity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of E. hirta against antitubercular drug-induced cytotoxicity in freshly isolated hepatocytes. The extent of cytotoxicity of the plant extracts was also analyzed using human liver derived HepG2 cell line by estimating the viability of cells (MTT assay). The alcoholic plant extract normalized the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), triacylglycerol (TAG), cholesterol, total protein, albumin, total and direct bilirubin, which were altered due to antitubercular drug intoxication. A dose-dependent increase in percent viability was observed when antitubercular drug exposed HepG2 cells were treated with different concentrations of plant extracts (125, 250, 500 and 1000 microg/mL) which were compared with a standard hepatoprotective drug silymarin. The highest percentage viability of HepG2 was observed at a concentration of 1000 microg/mL. The results suggest that E. hirta exerts protection against antitubercular drug-induced cytotoxicity in this vitro model system.

Breed and seasonal variations in the testicular morphometry, gonadal and extragonadal sperm reserves of the barred plymouth rock and Nigerian indigenous breeds of the domestic fowl

Breed and seasonal influence on testicular morphometry, Gonadal Sperm Reserves (GSR), Extragonadal Sperm Reserves (ESR) was investigated in the barred Plymouth rock and the Nigerian indigenous breeds of the domestic fowl. Twenty sexually matured birds per breed were studied in the four seasons of the year. Breed significantly (p<0.01) influenced the body weight (2.11 +/- 0.05 vs. 1.58 +/- 0.02), paired testes weight (21.92 +/- 1.46 vs. 12.43 +/- 0.91) and all other morphometric parameters with the barred Plymouth Rock showing superiority over the Nigerian indigenous breed. The GSR, ESR and their efficiencies (GSR/g, ESR/g) were highly and significantly (p<0.01) higher in the barred Plymouth rock. Season neither significantly (P>0.05) influenced the testicular morphometric parameters, GSR, ESR nor gonadal sperm reserve/gram testis (GSR/g). The higher numerical differences observed in morphometric parameters, GSR and ESR during the early and late dry seasons suggested that the dry season favors sperm production, hence sperm reserve potentials. The testicular weight was significantly (p<0.001) correlated not only to the body weight (r = 0.63) but to paired Tunica albuginea (= 0.98, p<0.001) and paired epididymal weight (r = 0.69, p<0.001). There was also a significant (p<0.001) and positive correlation between the testicular weight and GSR (r = 0.84, p<0.001). The GSR/g (r = 0.77; p<0.001) ESR (r = 0.86; p<0.001) and ESR/g (r = 0.50, p<0.001). Based on these observations it is concluded that genetic improvement of the Nigerian indigenous breed of the domestic fowl can be carried out by increasing their body weight, hence, testicular weight through crossbreeding with the heavier barred Plymouth rock to achieve improved sperm production and reserve for year round artificial insemination.