Research Journal of Pharmacognosy
Volume:9 Issue: 3, Summer 2022

Depression is a chronic mental disorder that influences people’s lives and functionality.  The available medications do not give full guaranty of effectiveness and are not devoid of unwanted side effects.  Cuscuta chinensis has been recommended for the treatment of depression in traditional medicine. In this study, the antidepressant-like activity of C. chinensis has been evaluated by using forced swimming test (FST) in mice.

Cuscuta chinensis extract was provided by boiling in water. The antidepressant effect was evaluated by forced swimming test (FST) in mice with daily gavage of 270, 360 and 430 mg/kg of the treatments for four weeks. The immobility time and behavioral activity and also the blood levels of 5-HT and norepinephrine were measured.

The FST confirmed antidepressant effect of the extract with decreased time of immobility and increased swimming time alongside increase in serum 5-HT in all groups (p<0.01compared to the control) except for the extract at the dose of 270 mg/kg (MA270).  This effect was not statistically significant with fluoxetine group.

Cuscuta chinensis demonstrated antidepressant effects in mice model which is a confirmation for its traditional use in depression.

 Chemical drugs such as metronidazole, quinacrine and furazolidone are used to treat giardiasis. Although these drugs are useful in most cases, they are associated with some side effects. The present investigation was designed to evaluate the antiparasitic effects and cellular mechanisms of Astragalus maximus chloroformic extract against both trophozoites and cysts of Giardia.  The extraction was done based on the maceration method with 70% methanol. The in vitro anti-Giardia effects of various concentrations of A. maximus extract (11.25, 22.5, and 450 mg/mL) were evaluated on cysts and trophozoites of G. lamblia for 15-360 min. In addition, the effects on the plasma membrane permeability and the induction of apoptosis in the trophozoites of G. lamblia were studied. Astragalus maximus extract significantly (p<0.0001) declined the viability of cysts of G. lamblia; in both concentrations of 22.5 mg/mL and 45 mg/mL, the extract killed 100% of G. lamblia cysts after 240 and 360 min of incubation. The results also showed that the extract in both concentrations of 22.5 mg/mL and 45 mg/mL, killed 100% of G. lamblia trophozoites after 120 and 240 min incubation The findings revealed that treatment of G. lamblia trophozoites with A. maximus extract increased the permeability of the plasma membrane in a dose dependent response. The extract, especially at the concentration of 10 mg/mL, significantly (p<0.001) induced caspase-3 activation. The present study showed the promising in vitro antiparasitic effects of A. maximus extract against both trophozoites and cysts of G. lamblia by affecting the permeability of the plasma membrane and induction of apoptosis. Further investigations especially in animal models and clinical setting are required to clarify the accurate efficacy and mechanisms against G. lamblia infection.

Melanoma, the most lethal type of skin cancer, has a high recurrence rate within one year in melanoma patients following treatment by chemotherapy or immunotherapy. In an effort toward reducing this event, the present study aimed to investigate whether galegine has inhibitory effects on human melanoma cell lines. Galegine is a natural active compound found in Galega officinalis which was known and used in Europe for medicinal purposes for centuries.  Cell viability by MTT assay was conducted to measure the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of galegine on DFW and SK-MEL-5 cells. Also, apoptosis level was determined using Annexin V/FITC-propidium iodide (PI) flow cytometry. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) for Bax, Bcl2, and p53 genes was performed with specific primers to evaluate their expression pattern in each group. The experimental results indicated that galegine induced cytotoxicity in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50 of 630 µM and 3300 µM in DFW and SK-MEL-5 cells, respectively. Also, apoptosis induction occurred in both melanoma cell lines, in a way that 12.4% of the DFW cells and 41.8% of SK-MEL-5 were detected in the apoptotic phase. Furthermore, it was found that the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was upregulated in both melanoma cells. An upregulation in p53 gene expression was observed in SK-MEL-5 cells, as well. The results of the present study revealed that galegine induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in human melanoma cells with the potential toward more research as a novel therapeutic candidate for melanoma treatment.

The oleoresin of Pistacia atlantica Desf. (known as “Baneh” in Iran) has been frequently used in traditional medicine for its medicinal properties. Herein, P. atlantica essential oil was investigated for its antimicrobial and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities since α-pinene which has been identified as the most abundant component in Pistacia genus oil, has demonstrated antimicrobial and anti-α-glucosidase properties. Fresh oleoresin was collected from Javanroud, Kermanshah, Iran and the essential oil was obtained by Clevenger-type apparatus. The chemical composition of essential oil was identified with GC/MS analysis and compared with those reported from various regions. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against various strains (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Lactobacilli spp.) through MIC method. Also, its anti-α-glucosidase property and antioxidant activity by DPPH assay were investigated. GC/MS analysis of the essential oil confirmed the presence of nineteen compounds and among them, α-pinene (64.8%) was identified as the major constituent. Also, β-pinene (5.7%) and cis-limonene oxide (4.5%) were relatively abundant. Our results revealed antimicrobial properties of the “Baneh” essential oil against various bacterial and fungal strains. Moreover, it demonstrated inhibitory activity toward α-glucosidase with IC50 value of 41.5 ± 2.5 mg/mL compared with acarbose (IC50=0.5±0.2 mg/mL). DPPH free-radical scavenging activity assay showed antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 155.2 ± 1.4 mg/mL compared with quercetin (IC50=250.0±0.0 μg/mL). Pistacia atlantica oleoresin essential oil depicted satisfactory antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. However, it demonstrated low antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory effects.

The use of herbal medicine dates back to ancient times when humans used to consume natural substances such as medicinal plants to treat various diseases. Advancement in technology increases the importance of natural medicines in health care. Numerous drugs have been derived from natural sources and the alternative system of medicine mainly utilizes herbs and other natural sources or their extracts to treat different diseases. These herbs also possess herb-drug, food-drug interactions and other side effects; therefore, the knowledge of pharmacognosy is mandatory for pharmacists in order to work efficiently in their field. The present study was conducted to evaluate the significance of pharmacognosy from the viewpoint of pharmacy students.   An online survey was conducted in which students from all the recognized institutes of pharmacy located in Karachi, Pakistan were given a questionnaire to evaluate their knowledge about the significance of pharmacognosy. Majority of students were satisfied with the curriculum of pharmacognosy in the Pharm-D curriculum and they believed that one can’t be a good pharmacist without studying pharmacognosy. They have the concept of herb-drug and food-drug interactions. They have studied the doses and side effects of herbal drugs in their undergrad curriculum, and they will consider studying pharmacognosy in their postgrad program. The results of this study indicate that pharmacy students of various institutes of Karachi, Pakistan are well aware of the importance of pharmacognosy.

20S-Ginsenoside Rg3 is a pharmacological active compound of ginseng. Evidences indicate that S20-Rg3 as an anti-cancer factor plays role in prevention and treatment of cancer. In the present study, proteomic data of 20S-ginsenoside Rg3 effect on human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29 was analyzed via network analysis to understand more details about the molecular events. The differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) related to the effect of 20S-ginsenoside Rg3 on human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29 were extracted from literature and analyzed via protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The central nodes of the network were determined based on degree value and betweenness centrality. Eight DEPS plus 100 added first neighbors were included in the PPI network. Five central nodes as hub-bottlenecks including ACTB, GAPDH, TP53, AKT1, and ALB among the added first neighbors and ANXA5 as hub-bottleneck and GSTP1 and PCNA as bottlenecks among the queried DEPs were introduced. PCNA, GSTP1, and ANxA5 as cell protective proteins are the crucial targeted proteins by 20S-ginsenoside Rg3 in the treated cell line HT-29. Up-regulation of GSTP1 and ANXA5 is correspondent to the cell protective property of 20S-ginsenoside Rg3, and down-regulation of PCNA refers to the opposite effect. It seems that cell protective roles of 20S-ginsenoside Rg3 are accompanied with the possible side effects.

This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial properties of Salvia limbata, Centella asiatica, and Bacopa Monnieri extracts against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We also examined the synergistic effect of these extracts with ceftazidime and neomycin. The antimicrobial effects of these plants had been reported before but synergistic effect with broad spectrum antibiotics such as ceftazidime and neomycin was an important issue that we tried to determine. Methanol extracts were prepared by percolation method and phenolics content was determined by Folin–Ciocalteu method. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the extracts were determined by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) broth microdilution method. Checkerboard assay was used to evaluate the synergistic effect of the extracts with ceftazidime and neomycin. Salvia limbata methanolic extract with MIC of 25, 100, and 150 mg/mL could inhibit the growth of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and MRSA, respectively. Bacopa monnieri with MIC of 50 mg/mL and 100 mg/mL inhibited the growth of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Centella asiatica did not affect the studied strains. The fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) results showed partial synergistic activity between S. limbata with ceftazidime and neomycin against P. aeruginosa and MRSA. The MIC of ceftazidime and neomycin in combination with S. limbata was reduced fourfold for each antibiotic. Salvia limbata is a potentially rich source of bioactive compounds with antimicrobial properties that can be used with ceftazidime and neomycin to provide a synergistic effect.

The aim of this study was extraction, isolation, and identification of potent metabolites from aerial parts of Artemisia kermanensis Podl.“Dermaneh kermani’, the Iranian endemic species of Asteraceae family, and finally evaluation the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects against normal and breast cancer cell lines. Air-dried aerial parts of A. kermanensis Podl. were extracted by maceration method with acetone/dichloromethane and then fractionated with MPLC apparatus using a gradient solvent system. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were determined based on analysis of mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Anti-proliferative effects of the three compounds were determined by MTT assay against HUVEC, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. The apoptotic effects of compounds 2 and 3 were determined by flow cytometry on MCF-7 cells. Compound 1 (5,7-dihydroxy-3',4',6-trimethoxyflavone, eupatilin), compound 2 (5,7,3'-Trihydroxy-6,4',5'-trimethoxyflavone) and compound 3 (1-acetoxy-3,7-dimethyl-7-hydroxy-octa-2E,5E-dien-4-one) were isolated from the plant extract. Compound 3 was identified for the first time from A. kermanensis. Statistical studies revealed that this compound showed the most anti-proliferative properties on all three cell lines. In MCF-7 cells treated with concentration of 10 µg/mL of compound 3, 36% apoptosis was observed. Furthermore, compound 2 (5,7,3'-Trihydroxy-6,4',5'-trimethoxyflavone) showed 33% apoptosis at 650 µg/mL. In the present study, the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of 5,7,3'-trihydroxy-6,4',5'-trimethoxyflavone and Compound 3 (1-acetoxy-3,7-dimethyl-7-hydroxy-octa-2E,5E-dien-4-one) were determined for the first time. On the other hand, since Compound 3 showed the most cytotoxic effects on the cancer cell lines, investigation of its biological effects is recommended.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) has been used for its therapeutic effects since a long time ago. Most of the healing properties of rosemary might be attributed to its antinociceptive, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. The present review covers the certified patents and discoveries on medicinal, pharmaceutical, and therapeutic properties of rosemary to disclose its brilliant value on athletes’ health. An extended literature review was carried out in Google Patent, US Patent, and Patentscope in the field of sports injuries, inflammation, and pain. Numerous patents uncovered the importance of rosemary to apply in various healing, pharmaceutical, and medicinal fields. These discoveries might also be used as complementary methods in sports medicine for sore muscle, muscle and ligament sprain, strain, bruise, spasm, tendinitis, tendon rupture, cartilage, and joint injuries. Due to a lack of clinical trials, the use of rosemary in the clinic has been limited to a few medicinal products. Considering the human trend to use phytocompounds rather than medications based on chemical compounds, precise attention must be devoted to linking the value of rosemary from basic science to clinical usage.

Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim. commonly known as "meadowsweet", is a perennial herb native to Iran, Europe, and Western Asia. Several medicinal properties of the plant have been reported in Persian medicine. Filipendula ulmaria is traditionally used for fever, pain, inflammatory diseases (arthrosis, rheumatism, and arthritis), gastric disorders, liver dysfunction, and gout. The phytochemical studies indicate the presence of several active compounds, mainly phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, and terpenoids. Salicylic acid and its derivatives are the most important compounds found in essential oil and extracts of different parts of the plant. Pharmacological evaluations have shown the anti-arthritis, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-coagulant, anti-microbial, immunomodulatory, gastro-protective, and hepato-protective activity of F. ulmaria. Despite pharmacological activities, traditional uses and herbal supplements, there is no complete review article on this herb's properties. In this paper, we have provided a review on traditional uses, phytochemicals, pharmacological properties and medical information of this valuable medicinal plant.