Trends in Phytochemical Research
Volume:6 Issue: 1, Winter 2022

‘Helencha’ (Enhydra fluctuans Lour.), a well-known but underused leafy vegetable with medicinal properties, belongs to the family Asteraceae (alt. Compositae). This aquatic or semi-aquatic herb is also known by several other common names such as ‘buffalo spinach’, ‘English marsh herb’, ‘godobos’, ‘harkuch’, ‘hilmochikah’, ‘hinche’, ‘jalabrahmi’, ‘phak bung ruem’ and ‘zhao ju’. Enhydra fluctuans is synonymous with Coreopsis anagallis, Enhydra anagallis, E. linifolia, E. longifolia, E. paludosa, E. wollsii, Tetraotis longifolia, T. paludosa and Meyera fluctuans. This plant is indigenous to Bangladesh and India, but also native to other South- East Asian countries like Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, and introduced in various other countries, e.g., China, the Philippines, Senegal and Zaire.

Physalis peruviana L. is widely used in folk medicines to manage diabetes. This study aimed to identify new chemical constituents and explore in vitro antioxidant ability and alpha-glucosidase inhibition activity to explain its antidiabetic mechanism. Methanolic extracts and hexane fractions were prepared and analyzed by CG-FID and GC-MS. In vitro antidiabetic activity was assessed on α-glucosidase inhibition and DPPH models. The phytochemical analysis detected 29 constituents, manly heptacosane (25) and hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (14). Aliphatic hydrocarbons and esters were identified as the main classes of secondary metabolites. Compared to the standard, the methanol-water fraction was the most potent fraction on α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 32.5 ± 0.27 µg/mL). The antioxidant values (IC50) of two fractions, and the reference were quite close (44.5 ± 0.54; 49.5 ± 0.87; 44.2 ± 0.77 µg/mL). Almost 82.75% are recognized for the first time in the leaf hexane fractions of this plant. The observed antioxidant activity was found to be significantly notable.

Essential oils are natural products composed of a mixture of volatile and aromatic compounds extracted from different organs of plants that have been widely studied for their antibacterial activities against pathogens. In this study, clove, lemon peel and thyme essential oils and their mixture were assessed for their antimicrobial activities using a panel of pathogenic Gram-positive, and Gram-negative, strains. Cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activity were also evaluated. Lemon peel essential oil was characterized by the predominance of limonene. Eugenol was the main component in clove essential oil and thymol in thyme essential oil. Clove, lemon peel and thyme essential oils and their combination had potent antibacterial, cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities. This study demonstrates that the use of essential oils is an effective alternative for pathogenic bacterial control, alone or in combination with antibiotic therapy.

India presently comprises 23 species of Chlorophytum which are commercially utilized as ‘White gold’ or ‘Divya aushadhi’. There are pressing demands on the biodiversity and bioresources of Western Ghats and Chlorophytum is one of the highly demanded medicinal entities, as Chlorophytum has export value and there is a vast demand for its roots under the trade name ‘Safed Musali’. The roots of various species are collected from nature. Even all the species of Chlorophytum are not studied properly for taxonomy, morphology, medicinal value and antioxidant contents. The present review proposes a comprehensive impression of phytogeographical survey, morphological, genetic and phytochemical diversity, medicinal properties and uses, field studies and breeding practices of genus Chlorophytum. Conclusively, the anticipated article is an endeavour to provide a complete update of several studies led by members of the genus Chlorophytum that will possibly be utilized systematically and appropriately in different conservation strategies and sustainable development.

The genus Ficus is one of the largest genera of the mulberry family (Moraceae) consisting of about 800 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines and climbers collectively known as ‘figs’ occurring in most tropical and subtropical forests worldwide. Fig plants are known for their ethnopharmacological, therapeutic and commercial importance and have been used in traditional medicines as a cure against malaria, diabetes, cancer, diarrhea, pyretic, ulcer, as well as gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections. Therefore, the present review aims to offer an updated compendium of documents sourced from recent publications regarding ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and biological activities of nine selected African Ficus species with the aim to open new prospects and strategies for further pharmacological research as a remedy for various ailments and for drug development.

Dengue virus belongs to the Flaviviridae family. It causes dengue fever (DF), dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Still, no licensed antiviral or vaccine is available. Quercetin is a plant-derived flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables. Several in silico and experimental studies revealed quercetin and its derivatives as potent inhibitors of DENV. This review extensively discussed the outcomes of these studies. This review employed PRISMA guidelines for systematic review. Literature was retrieved from PubMed and other databases using the keywords "Dengue virus", "Quercetin", "Quercetin derivatives", "Flavonoids", "Antiviral Activity", "in vitro", "in vivo" and "in silico". Twenty-nine articles were screened; twenty-five met the eligibility criteria and were reviewed. This review is the first insightful and comprehensive document that reveals quercetin and quercetin derivatives are inhibitors of DENV. Quercetin could lead the way in developing antiviral drugs against dengue diseases.