Journal of Medicinal Herbs
Volume:12 Issue: 3, Autumn 2021

The current study was performed to evaluate the ethnobotanical uses, chemical constituents of Spermadictyon suaveolens Roxb. and their pharmacological activities through literature search. Owing to its traditional medicinal uses, its preliminary phyto-evaluation has resulted in various bioactive compounds, which have been shown to have antimicrobial and antiviral potential.

We conducted a survey in diverse databases (such as Google scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science, etc.) and professional websites with a key word related to our study. Firstly, we evaluated the traditional utilization of Spermadictyon suaveolens Roxb. and then the pharmacological studies.

Spermadictyon suaveolens are traditionally utilized by tribes to treat bone pain, wound healing, diabetes, snake bites, scorpion stings, viral infection, and for making gunpowder charcoal. The leaves, flowers, and stems of Spermadictyon suaveolens have been investigated for various chemical compounds with pharmacological activities, such as antifungal, antimicrobial, antimalarial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-diuretic, and insecticidal activities. The root and bark are not well explored for chemical constituents and pharmacological activities.

Spermadictyon suaveolens Roxb need to be subjected to scientific verification based on their traditional utilization, which may lead to a better and effective alternative phytoconstituents for the management of various diseases.

Natural compounds as drugs have fewer and more cost-effective side effects that can be utilized as pharmacological and therapeutic approaches. Traditional medicine can be an efficacious resource in the development of research to treat diseases.

In this review article, keywords including Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), Barberry (Berberis vulgaris), and their medicinal attributes were searched in prominent databases (such as Scopus, and Web of Science, etc.) and professional websites to collect the medicinal properties of Saffron, and Barberry.

Saffron is one of the most important natural compounds that has a wide range of utilizations in traditional medicine and has effects such as anti-cancer, anti-depressant, antispasmodic, nerve sedative, appetizer and also barberry is another natural substance that has considerable influences such as anti-arrhythmia, sedative, reducing blood pressure (BP) and anti-cancer. Saffron and its bioactive components have been revealed to have anti-neurodegenerative influences.

In the present review article, we have made an endeavor to explore approach and therapeutic effects of Saffron and Barberry in the treatment of diseases in clinical trials and animal model studies. Research in clinical trials promising findings that support the role of barberry and saffron in ameliorating disease and safety, although more research is needed to prove their role in treating the disease

Investigating the effects of medicinal plants on the basal physiology of the body is one of the main topics in the application of medicinal plants. Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) or Zofa is one of most important medicinal plants in Iran with numerous therapeutic properties such as antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects. However, there is limited information on its effects on the basal physiology of the body. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of hydroalcoholic extract of hyssop on liver and kidney activities in rats under normal physiological conditions.

For this purpose, 32 male rats of the Wistar breed were used. The rats were allocated to one control group and three experimental groups. The experimental groups received the hydroalcoholic extract of Zufa at 150, 100 and 50 mg/kg concentration levels for 21 days. After the trial, blood samples were collected to measure liver and kidney health indices.

The results showed that hyssop extract did not significantly affect cholesterol and ALT levels (P>0.05); while, significantly reduction in AST levels was observed. Consumption of hyssop extract at the concentration of 150 mg/kg b.w significantly increased GGT level (P<0.05); however, a significant decrease (P<0.05) was observed in creatinine and BUN parameters at the concentration level of 100 mg/kg. Consumption of hyssop extract did not affect HDL levels, whereas, at the concentration level of 150 mg/kg, LDL levels were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Moreover, a decreasing trend in glucose and triglyceride levels was observed with the consumption of hyssop extract.

Generally, Zufa extract at 100 mg/kg concentration level can effectively lower blood sugar without any negative effects on the liver and kidney health.

Centella asiatica is considered a nutraceutical and its leaves are rich in carotenoids, vitamins B and C, amino acids, carbohydrates, phenols and terpenoids. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of C. asiatica leaf powder (CP) on the growth performance of Labeo rohita.

Centella asiatica leaf powder supplemented feeds in 2 doses (1 g and 5 g) were prepared by mixing the CP in 5 mL vegetable oil, and then admixed with 1 kg each of basal pellet feed and fed to fish for 30 days at 3% body weight twice daily. The parameters like specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER), serum glucose and creatinine, and the respiratory oxidative burst (ROB) activity were tested.

The results of the growth indices, serum biomarkers and ROB activities indicated that the CP supplementation at 1 g/kg feed was reasonably the best as it gave the higher SGR, PER and ROB activity and lower FCR. The fish fed 5 g CP/kg feed negatively affected the growth in days 30 of feeding.

Dietary supplementation of CP at 1g/kg feed provided a positive effect on the growth of L. rohita. No significant negative effects on the serum biomarkers of stress and kidney function were noted when fed at this level. Further studies are warranted to establish adequate doses of active novel molecules for dietary supplementation rather than using the dried powder.

Since ancient times till today, honey and shea butter are used in wound treatment. This present study aims to determine an effective hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) value that will produce a stable W/O honey-shea butter emulsion and to evaluate its healing potential on chemical burn wound in mice.

Using various ratios of span 20/tween 20, 6 formulations of honey-shea butter emulsion were prepared and subjected to accelerated stability study as per ICH guideline. The most stable preparation was further evaluated for its wound healing ability. The animals were sacrificed via chloroform inhalation after treatment for 7 days from wound created by dropping 0.2 ml, hydrochloric acid for 15 sec. The burn area was harvested and subjected to histopathological study.

Most stable emulsion was those prepare with ratio 5:5 of span 20/ tween 20. Haematoxylin-eosin and Verhoeff-Van Gieson stain revealed that groups treated with this emulsion had normal fibroblast, fibrocyte, epidermal cells, inflammatory cells, gland cells, collagen and elastic fibres; outperforming honey, shea butter and silver sulfadiazine groups. The present formulation gave a percent wound contraction of 36, while those of honey, shea butter, silver sulfadiazine were 29, 25 and 28, respectively. The occlusive effect of emulsion and the synergistic effect achieved by combining honey and shea butter could also be responsible for its superior wound healing activity.

Our study concluded that honey-shea butter prepared with 5:5 span 20/tween 20 was relatively stable and possesses greater wound healing activity compared to commercial preparation and can safely be utilize as an effective natural therapy for burn wound.

There is increasing interest in the quest for safe and relatively inexpensive medicines from natural products for the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). Thus, the main thrust of this study was to formulate and evaluate the anti-diabetic activity of tablets containing aqueous fraction of Dioscorea dumetorum (bitter yam).

D. dumetorum was extracted using ethanol followed by aqueous fractionation. A rational amount (200 mg) of the fraction (drug) was blended used to produce seven batches of granules by wet granulation and their micromeritic profiles were determined. The granules were compressed into seven batches of tablets and quality control tests including weight uniformity, crushing strength, friability, drug content, disintegration, and dissolution profiles were undertaken. Anti-diabetic activity of the tablets was assayed using alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Results showed that the granules had good flow properties and compressibility. Tablets produced had good uniformity of weight (0.64 ± 0.01 to 0.66 ± 0.01 g), hardness (4.33 to 8.67 kgf), were less friable (0.05 ± 0.03 to 0.31 ± 0.04 %) with high drug content (98.91 ± 0.55 to 101.39 ± 0.92 %), had acceptable disintegration time (6.44 ± 0.46 to 14.05 ± 0.42 min) for normal release tablets, and recorded 70 – 100 % drug release in 60 min. The result of the anti-diabetic activity study showed that the tablets had blood glucose lowering ability similar to metformin tablet, and therefore could be used as an important alternative in the treatment of diabetes. 

Aqueous fractions of D. dumetorum should be further purified and used in the preparation of tablets for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Extraction and fractionation methods for the plant should be made reproducible for easier industrial application.

In traditional medicine, Zizyphus jujuba (jujube) has been used due to its medicinal properties and various physiological functions such as antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. This study was conducted to study anti-cancer and apoptotic effects of essential oil from Zizyphus jujuba seeds and to evaluate the effect of essential oils on p53, APC and KRAS genes expression in HT-29 colorectal cell line.

In this study, the essential oil of jujube seeds collected from orchards in Isfahan was prepared by Clevenger apparatus and then analyzed by GC-MS. The effects of toxicity and cell viability were determined using Trypan Blue, MTT and clonogenic methods. DNA fragmentation and apoptosis techniques were used to evaluate the mechanism of the effects of essential oil on cell death by flow cytometry. Finally, Real-time PCR was used to evaluate the expression of p53, APC and KRAS genes and their role in induction of apoptosis.

Essential oil of Zizyphus jujuba seeds reduced the viability of cells by concentration and time-dependent manner as compared to the control group. The essential oil also induced apoptosis by increasing gene expression p53 and suppressing gene expression KRAS.

The present results indicated that essential oil of Zizyphus jujuba seeds induces apoptosis by targeting genes involved in colon carcinogenesis. However, further investigations on signaling pathways are needed to fully confirm the results of this study.

Spirulina microalgae is known to has beneficial effects in the treatment of many animals diseases. Effects of Spirulina platensis microalgae, singly or in comparison with levamisole drug are not still studied in dogs. Thus, the present study was conducted to investigate the effects of this microalgae on hematological and immunological parameters in dogs.

In this research, 24 native breed dogs were used for 30 days. The dogs were divided into three groups of eight randomly, including a control group, treatment group (received 2 g Spirulina orally) and the third group received 5 mg/kg Levamisole. At the end of mentioned period, hematocrit percent, Hb, RBC, WBC, Neutrophil, Lymphocyte, Eosinophil, monocyte, basophil levels and immunological factors including IgM, total protein and phagocytic precent were measured.

Hematocrit in levamisole receiving group increased significantly (P<0.05). Results showed that RBC and Hb levels in Spirulina receiving group were significantly higher than the control and levamisole groups. Alb and Neutrophil levels in Spirulina receiving group were lower than the other two groups. In addition, Eosinophil and WBC levels in control group were significantly lower than the other two groups, but monocyte and Lymphocyte levels in control group increased significantly (P<0.001). Also, on the 30th day, total protein and phagocytic percent in Spirulina receiving group were significantly higher than others groups. In addition, in Spirulina and levamisole groups a significant increase in IgM level was observed (P<0.001).

It can be concluded that the use of Spirulina in dogs for a short time could improve hematological and immunological factors and the effects of  Spirulina alga in the most factors is comparable to levamisole drug.