Journal of Herbmed Pharmacology
Volume:10 Issue: 3, Jul 2021

Arundo donax L. (Giant reed) is a grass species belong to Poaceae family with a myriad of uses such as traditional and ethnomedicinal values, bioenergy, and socio-economic importance. The plant is used in conventional medicine to treat various disorders related to skin, gastrointestinal, skeletal, menstrual problems, respiratory and urinary diseases. The present review summarises the scattered information on socio-economic importance, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological aspects of this plant. We conducted a rigorous literature survey using databases such as Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed entering keywords like A. donax, Giant reed, and Spanish reed, etc. Phytochemical investigations have identified several alkaloids, terpenoids, sterols, phenolics, and lignin derivatives. The isolated phytoconstituents are reported to exhibit multiple pharmacological activities such as anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-proliferative, anti-spasmolytic, and also used to treat helminthic infestations in cattle. However, the scientific validity of traditional practices to cure various diseases has not been correctly evaluated yet. Therefore, it is recommended to further investigate the plant for clinical trials to unleash its therapeutic importance towards chemical characterisation for drug discovery and development in the pharmacological field.

Kaempferia galanga included in the Zingiberaceae family is one of the potential medicinal plants with aromatic rhizome. In traditional medicine in Asian countries, this plant is widely used by local practitioners. This plant is widely cultivated in most Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Ethyl-para-methoxycinnamate and ethyl-cinnamate are found as the main compounds in hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol extracts of K. galanga. This plant is traditionally used as an expectorant, stimulant, diuretic, carminative, and antipyretic remedy. In addition, K. galanga is used for treatment of diabetes, hypertension, cough, asthma, joint fractures, rheumatism, urticaria, vertigo, and intestinal injuries. Therefore, this study aimed to give a sneak peek view on galangal’s ethnobotany, toxicology, pharmacology, and phytochemistry.

Studies on bioactivities of numerous essential oils (EOs) and herbal extracts compounds against diseases are crucial. Microencapsulation methods development might be an alternative to obtain bioactive compounds for cosmetics and pharmaceutical uses. In this study, we carried out a literature review of 219 503 data articles using ScienceDirect, Redalyc, Web of Science, Scopus, SciELO, and Google Scholar databases in English and Spanish, after with inclusion (original articles, book chapters, and theoretical references) and exclusion criteria (frameworks description), we found 1854 restricting the publication years between 2004 and August 2020 and 35 relevant articles with our scope research. References found contained a collection of methods that could be utilized to create microcapsules, including coacervation, extrusion, polymerization, and spray drying. This article analyzed the most recent and advanced microencapsulation techniques and their applications in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Herbal extracts and EOs have many applications, depending on the wall materials and microencapsulation methods that could help know about selective release and efficacy to ensure optimal dosing and other advantages; thus, improving the profitability of these product manufacturers.

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) calyces possess natural antioxidants that may provide therapeutic benefits. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of Roselle calyx water extract against isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF) induced liver and renal toxicities.

Male Wistar rats (150-250 g) were designated into five groups: control group, INH-RIF group that was treated with INH-RIF at the toxic doses (50-100 mg/kg for 4 weeks, followed by 100-200 mg/kg for 2 weeks), and Roselle groups that were treated daily with Roselle extract at the doses 62.5, 125, and 250 mg/kg, respectively prior to INH-RIF administration. Blood samples were withdrawn weekly for 6 weeks before removing rats’ livers and kidneys for tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and histopathological analysis.

The results showed all rats in the INH-RIF group experienced marked elevations of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), urea, creatinine, and tissue MDA levels compared to the controls (P<0.05). In contrast, these biomarkers were maintained at near-normal levels in Roselle extract groups. Significant inflammation and cellular degeneration were found in the liver and renal tissues of the INH-RIF group, which were noticeably reduced with Roselle extract pre-treatment at the dose of 250 mg/kg.

It is concluded that Roselle calyx extract can provide protection against liver and renal toxicities induced by INH-RIF administration in rats.

Syzygium cumini (L.) has been known to be used for diabetes treatment in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine. The present study focuses on the evaluation for glucose uptake and insulin release in vitro and characterization of phytoconstituents of the hydro-ethanolic extract of Syzygium cumini seed (SCE). Further, this report covers the molecular docking findings of the bioactive constituents on the sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1).

A glucose uptake assay of SCE was used to estimate the glucose uptake from the cell lysates and the cell culture supernatants using insulin as the reference standard. Insulin release activity of SCE from RIN-5F cells was estimated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The phytoconstituents were isolated by preparative HPLC and characterized by mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared spectroscopy. The molecular docking of bioactive constituents was carried on repaglinide bound to the SUR1.

In the presence of SCE, the glucose uptake through L6 myoblast cells increased by 19.91% at 40 µg/mL in comparison with the vehicle control (P < 0.05). Moreover, SCE showed 2.8-fold enhancement of insulin release at 40 µg/mL as compared to the vehicle controls (P < 0.05). Gallic and ellagic acids were the key phytoconstituents isolated from SCE. Molecular docking studies revealed that both gallic acid and ellagic acid bind to the repaglinide binding pocket of SUR1.

SCE increases the release of insulin and enhances glucose uptake in vitro, which may contribute to its in vivo anti-diabetic activity. The presence of ellagic acid and gallic acid in SCE may be the cause for enhanced insulin release observed with SCE following binding to SUR1.

Selligueain A derived from the roots of Polypodium feei was shown to have anti-inflammatory activity, which was tested in vivo on the rats’ paw edema induced by carrageenan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of selligueain A in vitro against the production of pro-inflammatory mediators.

In this study, RAW264.7 cells were used as an inflammatory cell model, and observations were made on the inflammatory mediators nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The NO concentration was measured by the Griess reaction, and the iNOS enzyme and the TNF-α concentrations were determined by the ELISA method. Cell viability was assessed by the [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium] (MTS) test.

Selligueain A at concentrations of 100 and 150 µM suppressed the production of NO, iNOS, and TNF-α in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The concentration of 150 µM showed the highest inhibition of NO, iNOS, and TNF-α mediators with the percentage inhibition of 64.85, 55.01, and 48.54%, respectively.

This study shows that selligueain A has anti-inflammatory activity through inhibition of NO, iNOS, and TNF-α production in RAW264.7 macrophage cells.

In the present research, the health benefits of the traditional Egyptian food called Kishk Sa′eedi (KS) and KS mixed with gum Arabic (GA) or with a mixture of GA and pomegranate seed oil (PSO) were studied in a rat model of metabolic syndrome (MS) induced by feeding high fructose high hydrogenated fat diet (HFFD).

Rats were divided into a normal control group (NC) fed on a balanced diet (Diet 1), a MS control (MSC) receiving HFFD (Diet 2), and three test groups feeding on HFFD containing KS (Diet 3), KS with GA (Diet 4), and KS with GA and PSO (Diet 5), respectively for five weeks. Biochemical and histopathological changes were assessed.

Significant increase in blood glucose, plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), urea, creatinine, uric acid, malondialdehyde (MDA), dyslipidemia and reduction in reduced glutathione (GSH) were demonstrated in MSC compared to NC (P < 0.05). Significant elevation in liver fat, MDA and gene expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) with significant down-regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR-α) were noticed in MSC compared to NC (P < 0.05). The three test diets improved plasma high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), uric acid, MDA, liver PPAR-α and IL-6 expression (P < 0.05) compared to MSC without affecting liver lipids. Blood glucose, plasma dyslipidemia, AST, creatinine and urea were improved by diet 3 and diet 5 (P < 0.05). Diet 3 elevated GSH and reduced ALT and MDA (P < 0.05). Histopathological changes induced by HFFD in both liver and kidney showed variable improvement by feeding the tested diets.

The tested diets significantly improved MS rat model with superiority to diet 3.

The principal mechanism responsible for reducing blood glucose is through insulin-stimulated glucose transport into skeletal muscle. The transporter protein that mediates this uptake is GLUT-4. A defect in this step is associated with reduced glucose utilization in muscle and adipose tissue, as observed in insulin-resistant type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. This study aimed to develop an experimental T2DM model and evaluate altered glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT-4) levels as a biomarker of insulin resistance. Antidiabetic activities of Syzygium cumini hydro-ethanolic seed extracts (SCE) were also evaluated.

Adult male Wistar albino rats were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks and dosed intraperitoneally with streptozotocin (35 mg/kg). After treatment for 21 days, all investigations were done. The homeostasis model of assessment (HOMA) was used for the calculation of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and beta-cell function (HOMA-B) index. Diaphragm muscle and retroperitoneal fat were collected for real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) studies.

A significant increase in fasting blood glucose, HOMA-IR, and serum lipids, and a decrease in serum insulin and HOMA-B were observed in the diabetic group, effects that reversed following pioglitazone and SCE treatment. The diabetic group showed a downregulation of GLUT-4 expression in skeletal muscle while an increase was observed in adipose tissue.

A high-fat diet and low dose streptozotocin-induced experimental T2DM model of insulin resistance was developed to screen novel insulin sensitizers. Data generated demonstrated that altered GLUT-4 levels could be used as a biomarker of insulin resistance. Antidiabetic activity of S. cumini hydro-ethanolic seed extract was also confirmed in this study.

Gnetum macrostachyum is a known Thai medicinal plant as a source of bioactive oligostilbenes, which possess platelet inhibitory activities. The study aimed to evaluate the in vitro human platelet aggregation inhibitory activities of macrostachyols A-D (compounds 1-4) isolated from the roots of G. macrostachyum.

The in vitro human platelet aggregation assay was assayed with a 96-well microtiter plate format. The well-known aggregating agents were used to investigate the possible mechanism of inhibition, including adenosine diphosphate (ADP), arachidonic acid (AA), thromboxane A2 analog (U-46619), collagen, thrombin, and thrombin receptor-activating peptide-6 (TRAP-6).

Compound 1 was more potent than ibuprofen (positive control) on the adenosine diphosphate- induced platelet aggregation assay (P < 0.05). Compound 3 was more potent than 1, 2, and 4 (P < 0.05), but all active oligostilbenes were less potent than the positive control (P < 0.05) on the arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation assay. The oligostilbenes 1, 2, 3, and 4 also displayed the inhibitory effects on the U-46619-induced platelet aggregation. The tetrameric stilbenes 1 was the only compound that exhibited inhibitory effects on thrombin-induced platelet aggregation without TRAP-6 mediated platelet aggregation.

The findings revealed the inhibitory effects of oligostilbenes on human platelet aggregation through a target-specific experimental design. It suggests that oligostilbenes from this plant might be applied as antiplatelet aggregation agents in platelet hyperreactivity- related diseases.

Herbal products are beneficial compounds with many applications in human life. In this study the chemical composition and cytotoxic activity of the essential oil of the aerial parts of Dorema aucheri were assessed.

The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation after drying the aerial parts of D. aucheri, collected from the mountains around Yasuj city in the South-West of Iran. The oil composition was determined by GC/MS. To evaluate in vitro cytotoxic activity, the apoptotic effects of the essential oil were investigated against SW48 and SW1116 colorectal cancer cell lines by (3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5 diphenyl tetrazolium) bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometry.

The essential oil yield was obtained 0.02% (W/W). Twenty-five compounds were identified in the oil, and the main constituents were caryophyllene (E) (31.29%), Phytol (14.92%), gurjunene (β-) (9.84%), 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol (8.7%), and n-hexadecanoic acid (8.09%). The MTT assay showed that the IC50 values of the essential oil for SW48 and SW1116 cell lines were 1.4 and 1.2 mg/mL, respectively. The results of flow cytometry showed that the essential oil significantly increased the apoptosis in SW48 cell line compared with the vincristine (P < 0.05). It also increased the apoptosis in SW1116 cells compared with the vincristine, but this difference is not significant.

The essential oil of D. aucheri consisted of high amounts of caryophyllene and showed significant cytotoxic effects against SW48 and SW1116 cancerous cell lines.

Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is an ornamental flowering plant with numerous traditional medicinal uses. It has been claimed to have anti-spasmodic activities, but only limited studies have been done to support this. The objective of this research was to investigate anti-spasmodic effect of L. japonica flower extract on uterus contractions.

Hydroalcoholic extract was prepared using the maceration technique. In addition, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions were prepared using a solvent in solvent fractionation technique. Essential oils were collected using the hydro-distillation technique. Rat isolated uterus was suspended in an organ bath and contracted with oxytocin, acetylcholine (ACh), KCl, or application of electrical field stimulation (EFS). The relaxant effects of the extract, its fractions, and nifedipine were examined on uterine contrition induced by the above-mentioned stimuli.

Nifedipine in a concentration-dependent manner inhibited uterine contraction induced by oxytocin, KCl, ACh, and EFS. L. japonica flower extract also exhibited an inhibitory effect on the isolated rat uterus. Comparison of the hydroalcoholic extract with its chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions showed that the chloroform fraction was the most potent and the ethyl acetate the weakest part of the plant with antispasmodic activity. The relaxant effect of essential oil had close similarities to that of chloroform extract.

Lipophilic compounds isolated by the chloroform partition of crude hydroalcoholic extract of L. japonica flower exhibited the most antispasmodic activity. Ethyl acetate partition of the same extract exhibited the least activity. Therefore, it can be concluded that the spasmolytic constituents of L. japonica flower reside in chloroform partitioning. The nonpolar essential oils may also have a contribution.

Poorly controlled hyperglycemia causes numerous health complications. Postprandial hyperglycemia is an important indicator of diabetic status. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of Annona muricata L. extract on the in vitro intestinal glucose absorption in diabetic rats and in vivo antihyperglycemic activity in both normal and diabetic rats.

Phytochemical screening of the aqueous extract from the leaves of A. muricata was carried out. Albino rats were randomly assigned into normal and diabetic groups. Each group was divided into three subgroups: control (vehicle), experimental (A. muricata), and standard (Metformin) groups, to determine antihyperglycemic activity at different times after glucose overload. The everted intestinal sac technique was used to study intestinal glucose absorption in diabetic rats.

Aqueous leaf extract of Peruvian A. muricata exhibited statistically significant (P < 0.05) in vivo antihyperglycemic activity in both normal and diabetic rats when compared to the control group. The magnitude of the effect was similar to metformin treatment. Moreover, the aqueous leaf extract of A. muricata significantly diminished in vitro intestinal glucose absorption, with a magnitude similar to metformin treatment. Phytochemical analysis of the aqueous extract revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and leucoanthocyanidins, among others.

This study reveals that A. muricata aqueous extract is able to reduce in vitro intestinal glucose absorption and improve oral glucose tolerance in rats.