Journal of Medicinal Herbs
Volume:14 Issue: 2, Summer 2023

The current study was performed to evaluate the ethnobotanical uses, chemical constituents of Astragalus graveolens Buch. Leaves and their pharmacological activities through literature search. The preliminary phyto-evaluation of this plant has produced a number of bioactive chemicals, some of which have been proven to have antibacterial and cytotoxic potential as a result of its traditional therapeutic applications.

Experimental: 

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 Astragalus graveolens Buch. and then the pharmacological studies.

Astragalus graveolens has a number of health advantages, including the ability to treat toothaches, strengthen tooth roots, nourish and treat chest infections, kidney, stomach and toothaches. Renal issues, burns, hypertension, and demulcent. Back pain, kidney pain, tooth pain, diabetes, tooth pain, bone pain, bone pain in the bone and tooth pain. They used in food, as a sweetener, a tonic, a headache and stomach pain reliever and to speed up the healing of deep wounds that are infected. The leaves of Astragalus graveolens have been investigated for various chemical compounds with pharmacological activities, such as antifungal, antimicrobial, antimalarial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-diuretic, analgesic and insecticidal activities. The leaves are not well explored for chemical constituents and pharmacological activities.

Recommended applications/industries: 

Astragalus graveolens Buch. 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.

Indian jujube or ber, Ziziphus mauritiana, is a member of the Rhamnaceae family with elliptic paired leaves. They have historically been used to manage a variety of conditions including hypertension, diabetes, liver disease, gonorrhea, abscesses, and diarrhea. The aim of this study was to investigate and establish the pharmacognostic and physicochemical characteristics of the leaves of Ziziphus mauritiana (Lam) by GC-MS, and HPLC analysis.

Experimental: 

The dried leaves of Ziziphus mauritiana (Lam.) were extracted with 70% ethanol. Phytochemical screening, HPLC-DAD, and GC-MS analysis were carried out on the ethanolic leaf extract using standard method. The epidermal leaf microscopy was done on the fresh leaf, and other pharmacognostic evaluation such as chemomicroscopy, moisture content, total ash, acid insoluble ash, water-soluble ash, alcohol soluble extractive value, and water-soluble extractive values were also carried out on the powdered leaf sample.

Quantitative phytochemical screening showed the presence of alkaloid and saponin at 1.86±0.23% and 1.5±0.86%, respectively. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of quercetin, rutin, catechin, ferulic acid, and gallic acid while GC-MS revealed the presence of 1,2 Benzenedicarboxylic acid and n-Decanoic acid. The pharmacognostic parameters of total ash were10.3 ±0.3% with acid-insoluble ash of 3.3 ±0.2%, water-soluble ash of 2.8 ±0.2%, moisture content of 5.5 ±0.3%, alcohol soluble extractive value of 8.1 ± 0.3% and water-soluble extractive value of 10.2 ±0.3%. Chemo-microscopic evaluation indicated the presence of lignin, cellulose, tannins, starch, calcium oxalate, oils, and protein. Microscopy, fluorescence, and organoleptic analysis were also documented.

Recommended applications/industries: 

The findings on the pharmacognostic characteristics, physicochemical parameters, GC-MC analysis, and HPLC analysis of Z. mauritiana leaf can be used as diagnostic features that are useful in identifying and monitoring of the purity of the crude plant drug as well as being useful in telling the difference between closely related species used as raw material.

The clinical use of some Kampo medicines has increased rapidly, and opportunities to be used concomitantly with Western medicines more frequently. Although the inhibition of cytochrome P450(CYP)-mediated drug metabolism and ABCB1-mediated transport by Kampo medicine has been reported, little information is available regarding the induction of CYP enzymes or P-glycoprotein—which is encoded by the highly polymorphic ATP-binding cassette transporter B1 (ABCB1) gene—by Kampo medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the induction of CYP enzymes and ABCB1 using Kampo medicines.

Experimental: 

Four Kampo medicines, namely Saireito, Shosaikoto, Goreisan, and Daikenchuto, were selected. The induction of CYP3A4 and ABCB1mRNA expressionwas evaluated in human-derived colon adenocarcinoma LS180 cells, which are an established model for investigating gene induction mediated by the pregnane X receptor.

Exposure to Saireito caused a dose-dependent increase in CYP3A4 mRNA expression. A significant increase in CYP3A4 mRNA expression was also observed with Goreisan and Daikenchuto, but not with Shosaikoto. Exposure to Saireito, Shosaikoto, and Goreisan significantly upregulated the expression of ABCB1 mRNA in a dose-dependent manner, but exposure to Daikenchuto had no such effect. These results indicate the differing induction effects of Kampo medicines and the distinct profiles of CYP3A4 and ABCB1, suggesting the upregulation of CYP3A4 or ABCB1 expression by Kampo medicines in enterocytes.

Recommended applications/industries: 

Collectively, our results show that Kampo medicines can potentially induce the expression of CYP enzymes and ABCB1, and provide useful clinical information on the safety and efficacy of the combined use of Kampo and Western medicines.

 Lantana camara, regarded as an invasive plant, is found in tropical climates worldwide. Several studies have validated its antiulcer activity which is one of the ethnomedicinal uses of L. camara. This study seeks to find the correlation between the phytochemical content and the wound-healing potential of L. camara extracts.

Experimental:  

The study was conducted using spectrophotometric analysis and selected in vitro bioactivity assays; 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), inhibitory effect on nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages, and 96-well plate micro-broth dilution method assay, of methanol flower (MLF), berry (MLB), leaf (MLL) and ethyl acetate flower (ELF), berry (ELB), leaf (ELL) extracts for cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities which support wound-healing capabilities.

The highest total polyphenolic content (TPC) was recorded in MLF and ELF extracts (34.59±3.01; 29.50±2.11, mg GAEQ/100 mg). MLF and MLB retained the highest terpenoid concentration (20.74±2.34; 20.51±1.86 mg LIN EQ/100 mg). ELB exhibited anti-inflammatory activity at 200 μg/mL. MLF and ELB were nontoxic to Vero cells, while MLL and MLB caused < 20 % cell death at all concentrations investigated. All ethyl acetate extracts exhibited potent antimicrobial activities against Streptococcus pyogenes with both ELL and ELF extracts demonstrating inhibition with MIC ≤ 0.125 mg/mL. The results showed MLF which retained the highest TPC was nontoxic whereas ELL, with relatively high alkaloid content, was the most cytotoxic extract that exhibited growth inhibition to S. pyogenes at a significantly low MIC. Thus, the phytochemical content of extracts is positively associated with bioactivity. The nontoxic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities support the wound-healing potentials of the extracts.

Recommended applications/industries:  

The high phenolic content and microbial growth inhibition exhibited could be leveraged to develop wound-healing tinctures or isolate bioactive compounds that could be developed as wound-healing agents.

Garcinia kola is one of the well-known tropical medicinal plants known in the traditional management of several diseases especially connected with inflammatory and degenerative diseases. This study was designed to compare the phytochemical contents and cytotoxic activities of crude G. kola n-hexane seed and stem-bark extracts by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).

Experimental: 

Fresh seeds and stem-bark of G. kola were collected, authenticated and extracted by macerating in n-hexane separately. The compounds in the crude extracts were evaluated using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometer (GC-MS). The cytotoxic activity was determined using the brine shrimp lethality assay.

Extraction of the plant materials yielded the crude n-hexane extracts GKSE and GKBE from the G. kola seed and stem-bark, respectively. GC-MS analysis detected 54 and 34 compounds in GKSE and GKBE, respectively. The most abundant compounds in both extracts were Lanosta-8,24-dien-3-one and Oxacycloheptadec-8-en-2-one with percentage abundance of 20.72% and 22.71%, respectively. The stem-back extract (LC50=42.76±1.85 μg/mL) showed better cytotoxic activity than the seed extract (LC50=73.15±1.51 μg/mL). GC-MS results for both extracts indicated compounds known for their antioxidant and anticancer properties which may explain some of the various ethno-medical uses of G. kola seed and stem-bark.

Recommended applications/industries:

 This plant could be a source of a new anticancer drug.

Ethnobotanical studies have shown that Suregada zanzibariensis roots are used by traditional healers and the community for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the effect of the ethyl acetate extract of Suregada zanzibariensis roots (EAESZ) on blood sugar levels, lipid profile, and pancreatic histology in streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetic rats.

Experimental: 

Rats were induced to have diabetes by interstitial injection of streptozotocin nicotinamide, followed by daily oral administration of the ethyl acetate extract of Suregada zanzibariensis roots (EAESZ) for 28 days at doses of 350, 500, and 700 mg/kg body weight. The effect of EAESZ on serum lipid profiles and pancreatic β-cells in diabetic rats were examined after 28 days of administration of the extract. While fasting, blood glucose levels were measured every seven days.

The administration of EAESZ at doses of 350, 500, and 750 mg/kg significantly decreased the fasting blood glucose levels compared to the diabetic control rats. Also, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglyceride (TG) levels decreased while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels increased in all treated groups compared to diabetic control rats. Furthermore, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in body weight of treated diabetic rats compared to standard control diabetic rats, while there was a significant difference (P<0.05) with diabetic control rats.

Recommended applications/industries:

 These results indicate that EAESZ has high antidiabetic potential along with significant hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. However, more studies are needed to identify and isolate compounds responsible for those properties.

The leaves of Pavonia senegalensis are used in African traditional medicine in the treatment of wounds and bone infection. The aim of this study is to quantify the phytochemical constituents and establish the LCMS profile of the hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves of P. senegalensis which can be used in the authentication, standardization and quality control of herbal products labelled as the leaves of P. senegalensis.

Experimental: 

Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening of the aqueous ethanol leaf extract were carried out using standard methods. LCMS analysis was carried out for identification of phytochemical compounds in the aqueous ethanol leaf extract of the plant.

The phytochemical screening of the aqueous ethanol leaf extract of P. senegalensis showed the presence of phenolic compounds (flavonoids and tannins) and steroids/triterpenes (saponins). The quantitative phtytochemical determination per gram of the plant extract revealed total phenolics 152.5 mg/g, flavonoids 133.4 mg/g, tannins 24.50 mg/g and saponins 81.9 mg/g. Eight compounds were tentatively identified from the LCMS analysis of the plant extract which included the flavonoid glycosides: kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-glucose-6''-acetate, luteolin-8-C-glucoside, daidzein O-di-hexosidemalonylated, kaempferol hexose glucuronide, malvidin 3-O-glucoside and Dihexosyl luteolin sulfate; and the saponin Oleanolic acid 3-O-glucose acid.

Recommended applications/industries:

 The results of this study can be used in the identification process and help in quality control for authentication and detection of adulteration of herbal medicines labelled as P. senegalensis.

Today, due to the importance of nutrition and the role of food on human health, attention has been paid towards the production of foods rich in functional and beneficial compounds, as well as low calorie products to reduce various diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, etc. The aim of this research was to develop a functional and low-calorie dairy dessert using long-chain inulin and Moringa oleifera extract.

Experimental: 

Moringa oleifera extract (ME) was prepared by the percolation method and used in combination with inulin in the formulation of low-calorie dairy dessert based on maltitol and sucralose as sweeteners. ME was used at 1%, 2% and 3% (w/w) levels and inulin at 5% and 7% levels. The moisture, ash, fat, protein and carbohydrate content, as well as calorie, pH, acidity, soluble solids (brix), syneresis, viscosity, color indices, antioxidant capacity and sensory characteristics (color, flavor, texture, mouth feel and overall acceptability) of the dairy dessert treatments were examined after production.

The addition of inulin and ME showed a significant effect on the chemical composition of the desserts and reduced the calories of the treatments compared to the control. Increasing the level of ME did not affect the syneresis and viscosity of the desserts, while by increasing the level of inulin from 5% to 7%, viscosity increased and syneresis decreased significantly (P<0.05). Incorporation of ME into the formulation of dairy dessert also reduced the L* and a* and increased the b* values of the samples (P<0.05). By adding ME and increasing its level from 1% to 3% in the formulation, significant improvement in the antioxidant capacity of the desserts was observed, so that the highest antioxidants capacity was evaluated in the samples containing 7% ME (37.53-37.82%). The results of sensory evaluation indicated that all treatments were acceptable, and the desserts containing lower levels of ME obtained higher flavor, color and overall acceptability scores.

Recommended applications/industries: 

The results of this research demonstrated that inulin as a prebiotic and Moringa oleifera extract as a rich source of bioactive and antioxidant compounds can be used to develop a functional low-calorie dairy dessert.