Journal of Herbmed Pharmacology
Volume:10 Issue: 1, Jan 2021

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered as one of the most common metabolic disorders affecting huge number of people worldwide. Despite the availability of large numbers of drugs in the market to treat the disease, there is still a need for new sources to deal with the problem and avoid side effects. In the pursuit of discovering safer and more effective anti-diabetic drugs, herbal and folk medicine drugs from regions all over the world have captured researchers’ interest. Middle Eastern and North African medicinal plants contain a variety of pharmacologically active components that have shown to possess promising anti-diabetic potential. However, few data have been reported about medicinal plants from these regions in comparison to plants from other regions. Anti-diabetic medicinal plants from the MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) region, their role in controlling DM, and suggested mechanisms for the anti-diabetic activity of some medicinal plants are discussed in this review. Many of these plants have not been fully investigated and characterized, yet they have great potential for further development as anti-diabetic drugs.

Agrimonia eupatoria is a perennial herb belonging to the Rosaceae family that all its parts are used to treat various diseases. In this article, we aimed to present a comprehensive review on the phytochemical, pharmacological, and therapeutic effects of this plant. We searched various databases and summarized the data documented in literature from 1976 to 2020. Agrimonia eupatoria has effects on various kinds of cancer, oxidative stress, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis B, and liver damage. It also has anti-adhesive, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and wound healing properties. It induces nitric oxide and inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines production. Phytochemical studies related to this plant has led to isolation and identification of tannins, coumarins, and flavonoids as the most active chemicals with biological effects. Based on this comprehensive review about Agrimonia eupatoria, there will be more opportunities for investigators to search and discover ways to use bioactive agents of this herb to develop new Agrimony based medicines.

Kamala tree (Mallotus philippensis) is traditionally used by different ethnic groups to treat a variety of diseases and health ailments. However, these traditional uses need to be scientifically investigated and validated in order to develop drugs from this tree. Therefore, the present article is aimed to review the scientifically validated knowledge on the pharmacology and phytochemistry of the tree. To accomplish this, we extensively surveyed the available databases like Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, NCBI including PubMed and PubChem, etc. by using keywords ‘Mallotus philippensis’, ‘Mallotus phillippinensis’ and ‘Mallotus philippinensis’. Our results indicated that the tree possesses more than 50 different types of important phytochemicals of natural origin. The wide array of phytochemicals possesses fascinating biological activities like anthelmintic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-cancerous, anti-tuberculosis, anti-parasitic, analgesic, anti-urolithiatic and anti-viral activities. Thus, pharmacological activities and isolation of active phytochemicals make the tree a promising candidate for drug discovery. However, pharmacological activities such as antibacterial and anti-oxidant activities are often tested with crude extracts and in vitro rudimentary methods that can be sometimes misleading and non-specific. Thus, more sophisticated techniques may be applied for the isolation of active chemicals and elucidating their mechanism of actions.

Sexual function is one of the most important aspects of menopausal women, and its disorder is a common condition among this group of women. The long-term side effects of hormone replacement therapy to improve this disorder have led women to seek alternative therapies. The purpose of this review is to summarize clinical trials of herbal medicines that improve the sexual function of menopausal women. In this review article, the content was searched in 6 databases to identify double- and triple-blind clinical trial studies from January 2000 to April 2020. The search was conducted in English and Persian. Studies were considered if they were related to menopausal woman, sexual function and its various domains. A total of 479 articles were reviewed, 31 of which were included in the study after reviewing the full text. In this study, 3 articles on ginseng, 4 articles on fennel, 2 articles on Fenugreek, 3 articles on bindii, 3 articles on Red clover, 1 article on Schisandra, 2 articles on Hops; 3 articles about Black cohosh, 2 articles about soy, 2 articles about Ginkgo biloba, 1 article about Nigella sativa, 1 article about neroli oil, 1 article about maca, 1 article about Date pollen, 1 article about Aphrodite and 1 article on the combination of St John’s wort and vitex were evaluated. Red ginseng, fennel, bindii, Red clover and Black cohosh have the greatest effect on improving the sexual function of menopausal women, and people can be encouraged to use these plants.

Quercetin is a flavonoid compound found in many medicinal plants. Antispasmodic effect of quercetin has been reported in ileum and uterus smooth muscles but not in bladder. Therefore, the objective of this research was to investigate relaxant effect of quercetin in rabbit isolated bladder.

Male rabbit was asphyxiated with carbon dioxide and then sacrificed. The whole bladder was dissected out and placed in oxygenated Tyrode’s solution. Isolated bladder was cut into longitudinal strips and placed in an organ bath for contraction studies. Contractions were induced with KCl (20mM), acetylcholine (5μM) and electrical field stimulation (EFS). Full inhibitory concentration–response curve was constructed for quercetin following addition of above spasmogens. Quercetin was added into the organ bath with 2 fold increments in concentration until maximum response was achieved. Nifedipine was used as positive control group and equivalent volume of quercetin vehicle (water + DMSO) was used as negative control group.

Quercetin (4 μg/mL to 640 μg/mL) in a concentration dependent manner inhibited isolated bladder strips contracted by KCl (IC50=159±25 μg/mL), acetylcholine (IC50=43±9.1 μg/mL) and EFS (IC50=38±9.3 μg/mL). In the highest used concentration, quercetin completely removed contractile responses to KCl, acetylcholine and electrical filed stimulation (EFS). Nifedipine totally inhibited KCl response (IC50=115±36 ng/mL) but only partially inhibited acetylcholine and EFS responses.

These results confirm the relaxant effect of quercetin on rabbit bladder and if similar effects are seen in human studies, then quercetin would be a suitable drug candidate to be investigated for bladder incontinence.

Bridelia ferruginea is a plant known for its antidiabetic properties. However, few studies on leaf extracts have induced anti-hyperglycemic activity on normal mice subjected to carbohydrate overload. The current study was designed to assess the effect of the leaf extracts’ fraction on fructose-induced diabetic mice.

The in vitro ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay were carried out and the condensed tannins quantified. The vanillin-HCl method was used to characterize the condensed tannins. The antidiabetic effect on fructose-induced diabetic mice was evaluated for 28 days using a fructose-enriched fat diet approach.

The fraction confirmed the antioxidant activity with a reducing power of 800 μg/mL comparable to ascorbic acid at 200 μg/mL. The condensed tannins were estimated at 79.6 ± 3.4 mg catechin equivalent per gram of sample. Significant decreases in blood sugar levels of 6.25% at the 7th day, 11.04% at the 14th day, 12.61% at the 21th day, and 11.35% at the 28th day were obtained in mice treated with the extract dose of 200 mg/kg of body weight, compared to the positive control group. The decreases of 37.11% of triglycerides and 40.16% of total cholesterol were also obtained.

The investigated fraction showed notable antidiabetic activity and might be a good candidate in the treatment of diabetes.

Inflammation is a major cause of arthritis. Since the conventional medicines used for the treatment of this disease have many side effects, herbal remedies can be proved to be effective in this case. So, the present study was aimed at investigating the quantitative detection of phytochemicals, screening of in vivo anti-inflammatory and the possible anti-arthritic activities of the crude methanol extracts of a traditional medicinal plant Macropanax dispermus leaves (MDML) and stem barks (MDMS).

Quantitative screening of phytochemical constituents was analyzed by standard procedures. The in vivo anti-inflammatory activity was conducted on Swiss albino mice by using carrageenan and formalin-induced paw edema tests, and xylene-induced ear edema test. The possible anti-arthritic activity was done by evaluating the in vitro inhibition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) denaturation.

The current research showed that MDML contained a considerable amount of flavonoids and alkaloids, and MDMS contained a considerable amount of phenols. MDMS (200, 400 mg/kg) was observed to be an effective and significant (P < 0.001) peripheral anti-inflammatory agent in carrageenan and formalin-induced paw edema tests, whereas MDML (400 mg/kg) was observed to have an effective and significant (P < 0.001) neurogenic anti-inflammatory effect in xylene-induced ear edema test as compared to the negative control group. MDMS was observed to be an effective anti-arthritic agent as compared to that of the negative control group. All those effects were dose and concentration-dependent.

The present research proved that MDML and MDMS were effective medications for the treatment of inflammation and arthritis.

Hausa people of north-western Nigeria were reported to utilize the plant Adansonia digitata for the management of depressive illnesses in an ethnobotanical survey. Thus, this study aimed to establish the mechanism(s) via which methanol stem bark extract of A. digitata (MEAD) exhibits antidepressant activity in mice.

Antidepressant activity of MEAD was evaluated using tail suspension test (TST) at doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg. For the mechanistic studies, mice were pre-treated with sulpiride (50 mg/kg), prazosin (1 mg/kg), yohimbine (1 mg/kg), metergoline (1 mg/kg), cyproheptadine (3 mg/kg), L-arginine (50 mg/kg), N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA; 50 mg/kg), atropine (1 mg/kg) and naloxone (2 mg/kg) 15 minutes prior to MEAD (1000 mg/kg) administration, then antidepressant activity was assessed using TST one hour later. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test.

The extract (at doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg) significantly (P < 0.05) and dose-dependently decreased the duration of immobility in the TST. Sulpiride (D2 receptor antagonist), prazosin and yohimbine (α1 and α2 receptor antagonists, respectively), metergoline and cyproheptadine (5-HT1 and 5-HT2 receptor antagonists, respectively) significantly (P < 0.05) reversed the antidepressant effect of MEAD. On the other hand, L-NNA (NOS inhibitor) augmented the antidepressant effect of MEAD while L-arginine (nitric oxide substrate) had no effect on MEAD. However, atropine (muscarinic receptor antagonist) significantly (P < 0.01) augmented the antidepressant effect of MEAD.

The antidepressant activity of methanol stem bark extract of A. digitata was established to be via the monoaminergic, nitric oxide and cholinergic pathways.

Steatohepatitis, which is the deposition of fat in the liver with inflammation and starting of necrosis, can induce cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The aim of this research was to study the preventive effects of steatohepatitis and CVD by ethanol extract of two quinoa varieties (quinoa 1 and hualhuas) in rats.

Phenolic and flavonoid compounds were determined in the extracts utilizing colorimetric and high-performance liquid chromatography techniques. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH) scavenging activity was assessed for the extracts. Rats were divided into four groups, the first group was fed on a balanced diet (negative control), and other groups consumed a high fructose-fat diet (HFFD) to induce steatohepatitis and CVD. The second group served as a positive control; however, the third and fourth groups were treated by ethanol extract of quinoa 1 and hualhuas, respectively. Different biochemical changes, as well as liver and heart histopathology, were followed.

Results showed significant elevation in liver lipids, plasma malondialdehyde, total cholesterol (T-C), triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with reduction of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and total antioxidant as well as a significant increase in T-C/HDL-C in control positive group (P < 0.05) compared to control negative group. Plasma parameters and liver lipids were improved by the extracts; hualhuas was superior concerning the effect on lipid while quinoa 1 was more efficient in reducing oxidative stress. The oral glucose tolerance curve and the histopathology of the liver and heart tissues were improved by both extracts. Total phenolic and DPPH scavenging activity were higher in quinoa 1 than hualhuas. Protocatechuic and rutin were the major identified phenolic acid and flavonoid compounds, respectively in the extracts.

Quinoa extracts are able to prevent the progression of steatohepatitis and CVD, and might be beneficial in patients with such diseases.

Antituberculosis drugs are associated with hepatic and renal toxicities due to drug’s radical metabolites. Kleinhovia hospita L extract possesses a potent antioxidant capacity that can be beneficial in eradication of oxidative-induced cell damage. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of K. hospita hydro-alcoholic extract on biomarkers and structure changes in liver and kidney induced by a combination of antituberculosis drugs (CAD), comprising isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol in Wistar rats.

Thirty-five male Wistar rats were assigned into one of the five groups: control, CAD, and CAD with K. hospita extract in three different doses (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg). The extract was administered three hours prior to CAD and all treatments were carried out for 28 days. Following the last day of treatment, blood samples and organs were collected for biomarker analysis and histopathological examinations.

Twenty-eight days of CAD treatment in rats induced marked elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum creatinine and urea levels compared to controls. K. hospita extract at higher doses (250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg) significantly improved ALT, urea and creatinine levels in the rats treated with CAD (P<0.05), although it did not significantly reduce AST. Furthermore, liver and renal tissue damages induced by CAD were restored with K. hospita extract treatment, especially at higher doses.

Kleinhovia hospita extract treatment has the potential to protect the liver and renal damage induced by toxic doses of CAD.

Acmella oleracea has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of asthma, sore throat, haemorrhoids and toothache. However, whether A. oleracea has gastrointestinal functions, such as regulation of intestinal contractions, has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of A. oleracea flowers extract (AFE) on rat ileum contractions and the possible mechanism(s) of its action.

The extract was prepared using the Soxhlet apparatus with 95% ethanol. Ileum was removed from male Wistar rats and mounted in an organ bath containing Krebs solution. The tissue contractions were recorded by an isotonic transducer under 1 g tension.

The cumulative concentrations of the AFE (0.01–1 mg/mL) reduced the ileum contractions induced by KCl (80 mM) (n = 6, P < 0.05). AFE (1 mg/mL) attenuated the contractions induced by cumulative concentrations of CaCl2 (1–20 mM), while the spasmolytic effects of the extract were not reduced after tissue incubation with N (ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (100 μM, 20 minutes).

These results suggest that AFE inhibits ileum contractions without involving the nitric oxide pathway, which is possibly mediated via blockade of voltage-dependent calcium channels. A. oleracea may be useful in gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhoea.

Rumex spp. have been used in folk medicine either as food or as medicine for the treatment of several diseases including constipation, fever, inflammation, bacterial and fungal infections. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of the successive extracts of the aerial parts of Rumex pictus Forssk. growing in Egypt, and to identify the chemical constituents in the bioactive extract.

Ether, chloroformic, and 70% methanolic extracts of the aerial parts of R. pictus were assayed for their in vivo anti-inflammatory activity using carrageenan-induced rat hind paw edema method. These extracts were also tested for their in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities using disc diffusion method.

The 70% methanolic extract of R. pictus exhibited significant anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-candida activities. Thus, fractionation of the bioactive extract was performed which led to the isolation of three anthraquinones, as well as, seven flavonoids.

Rumex pictus possesses anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities which reinforce its use in ethnomedicine.

Pinus halepensis is a medicinal plant used in traditional medicine for treatment of various pathologies including diabetes. The objective of this study is to perform a phytochemical study and to evaluate the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of extracts of the bark of P. halepensis.

Total polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins were determined by the Folin Ciocalteu method, aluminum trichloride reagent (AlCl3) and vanillin assay. Evaluation of the antioxidant activity was carried out using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azinobis- (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and ferric reducing agent (ferric reducing). The antidiabetic activity was first revealed by enzymatic inhibition tests through measuring the residual activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and then, by oral tolerance tests of glucose and starch in male Wistar rats. To verify the safety of plant extracts, acute oral toxicity was determined.

The phytochemical analysis showed that the extracts of P. halepensis were rich in phenolic compounds. The anti-oxidation activity tests revealed a significant reducing power towards the radicals tested. In addition, P. halepensis inhibited the enzymes involved in diabetes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) at very low concentrations. These effects were verified in the in vivo approach, in particular by using the starch tolerance test.

P. halepensis extracts showed remarkable antioxidant and antidiabetic effects. However, further investigations are necessary to identify the main compounds of P. halepensis and to evaluate their antioxidant and antidiabetic effects.

Terminalia species have the potential to be exploited in phytomedicine based on their several pharmacological properties including antiplasmodial activity. However, there is need for more data on their antiplasmodial activity and toxicity. This study evaluated the antiplasmodial activities of Terminalia catappa and Terminalia superba found in the coastal area of Cameroon on resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum not previously tested, and their toxicity.

Three leaf extracts of each plant prepared separately using three organic solvents were screened in vitro on 3 strains of P. falciparum: chloroquine-sensitive 3D7, chloroquine-resistant Dd2 and multi-drug resistant W2mef using the parasite growth inhibition assay. Antiplasmodial activity was assessed using fluorescence microscopy and the parasite lactate dehydrogenase assay. Cytotoxicity of active extracts was assessed on LLC-MK2 monkey kidney epithelial cells and acute toxicity including effect on some liver enzymes in BALB/c mice.

The methanol extracts of both plants showed the highest antiplasmodial activity (IC50 between 5.03-9.76 μg/mL) on the three parasite strains. The methanol extracts showed high selectivity for parasites with selectivity index values ranging from 40 to 80 indicating very low risk of toxicity. There was no mortality or adverse effect and no significant effect on the liver enzymes, alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.506) and aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.243).

The antiplasmodial activity, high selectivity and no adverse effects for T. catappa and T. superba demonstrate the potential for use of these plants in traditional treatment of malaria, further development into a phytomedicine against malaria and as source of new antimalarial lead.

Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (haramonting), a typical plant of North Sumatera, Indonesia, contains important medicinal ingredients. Nano sized drugs have high loading capacities and can be given at high concentrations. This study aimed to determine the components and toxicity of nanoherbal haramonting. It also aimed to determine the effect of nanoherbal haramonting on the histology of the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart and brain.

High-energy milling was performed to produce nanoherbal haramonting. Thin-layer chromatography was utilised to determine the chemical components of the nanoherb. Antioxidant tests were performed by using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazil method. The three-stage of lethal dose 50 (LD50) which comprised the dose orientation test, preliminary test and actual phase test/LD50 determination, and the Thomson–Weil formula was applied to measure the lethal concentration 50 (LC50) of nanoherbal haramonting. Organs were collected for histological investigation after 14 days of the lethality test.

Nanoherbal haramonting had an average diameter distribution of 600.1 nm ± 135.8. It contained flavonoids, steroids, glycosides, saponins and tannins. Its LC50 and LD50 values were 2961.535 ppm and 10.4 ± 0.135 mg/kg BW, respectively. The histology of the heart, kidney, lungs, heart and brain were changed and affected by nanoherbal haramonting treatment at each dose level.

Nanoherbal haramonting has strong antioxidative activity and small size, can be effectively used as medicine in the future because it contains secondary metabolite compounds that can be developed as drugs. However, it has mild toxicity.