Journal of Medicinal Plants
Volume:19 Issue: 76, Dec 2021

Many herbal remedies have been used in medical systems for the cure of diseases. One of these important applications is usage of them as cytotoxic agents for the treatment of cancers and tumors. Various studies have been conducted on several species of Caesalpinia genus including evaluation of antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antipsoriatic, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antibacterial, immunomodulatory and hypoglycemic activities. Some reports have shown that these plants contain phytochemicals like polyphenols, glycosides, terpenoids, saponins and flavonoids.

The aim of this study was to find species of the Caesalpinia genus containing diterpene compounds with the structure cassane and norcassane with emphasis on cytotoxic properties.

In this study, keywords including Caesalpinia genus, cytotoxic and anticancer effects, and cassane and norcassane compounds were searched in Scopus and Science Direct databases.

Thirteen Caesalpinia species were investigated for phytochemical composition and biological effects. Different plant parts of the species including leaves, seeds, stems, roots and legumes contained diterpenes. Among these species, the cytotoxic effects on different cancer cell lines have been evaluated and some had significant cytotoxic effects.

Present study show that Caesalpinia genus has valuable cytotoxic activity but further studies are needed to investigate the active components and their possible development as new anticancer drugs.

Sea buckthorn is a thorny shrub with nitrogen-fixing ability belonging to the Elaeagnaceae family.

In this study, phytochemical and morpho-physiological traits in wild populations of sea buckthorn were investigated in two consecutive years in the Taleghan region of Iran.

Some morpho-physiological traits in several parts of plants were measured. Also, some phytochemical analysis of fruit pulp (through spectrophotometric methods) and seed oil content was performed.

The results showed that the populations had significant differences (P ≤ 0.01 or P ≤ 0.05) in most of the main morpho-physiological traits and all phytochemical properties of leaves and fruits in growing seasons during two studied years. The highest and lowest amount of some more important traits of fruit were ranged from 16.02 to 48.55 mg/g, total phenol (Jostan-Bozaj), 0.71 to 1.65 mg/g carotenoid (Gelyard-Fashandak), 0.92 to 2.46 mg/g flavonoid (Dehdar-Shahrak), and 1.37 to 10.00 mg/g vitamin C (Gelyard-Shahrak). Factor analysis based on PCA revealed that the first three-component contributed about 70 and 76% of the total variation for phytochemical and morpho-physiological traits of populations, respectively. The first component (PC1) was contributed by some traits such as fruit glucose, total soluble solids (TSS), vitamin C, and leaf lycopene for phytochemical traits.

The wide range of variation across the sea buckthorn populations in this region can be used for the selection of suitable genotypes for improvement and pharmaceutical exploitation of this plant in Iran.

The genus Colchicum (Colchicaceae) is a perennial and monocotyledon flowering plant that has more than 160 species in the world. In addition, this plant is an important medicinal plant in traditional and modern medicines.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical profiles and physicochemical properties, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Colchicum kurdicum (Bornm.) Stef. corm.

Phytochemical profiles includedtotal tropolone alkaloid, total phenolic/total tannin and total flavonoid contents were determined by spectrophotometric method. Moreover, tropolone alkaloid profiles was analyzed by HPLC method. Physicochemical properties including macroscopic and organoleptic properties, solubility, foreign matter, ash values and heavy metals were evaluated based on pharmacopeial protocoles. In addition, in vitro anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of the plant were determined.

Total tropolone alkaloids, phenol, tannin and flavonoid contents of the corm were estimated to be 0.652, 0.426, 0.052 and 0.325 g/100 g corm. In HPLC analysis, N-deacetyl-N-formyl colchicine, colchifoline, colchicoside and cornigerine were calculated as highest bioactive tropolone alkaloids. Physicochemical properties were determined within an acceptable range for the pharmacopoeia. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities in 10 mg/ml of methanolic extract were estimated 84.7 % and 94.8 %, respectively.

The corm of the Colchicum kurdicum had the main bioactive compounds. In addition, these compounds have the valuable biological activities as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.

Apiaceae fruits as common spices used for prevention of many chronic diseases including cancer.

The present study compared the biological effects of different fruits from various Apiaceae tribes to compare and find the fraction source(s) with potential characteristics for further investigation including cancer prevention.

Fruits of Apium graveolens L. (celery), Bunium persicum (Boiss.) B.Fedtsch. (black cumin), Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss (parsley), Pimpinella anisum L. (anise), Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague (ajwain), Coriandrum sativum L. (coriander), Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (fennel), Anethum graveolens L. (dill), Heracleum persicum Desf. ex Fisch., C.A.Mey. & Avé-Lall. (Persian hogweed), Ferula assa-foetida L. (asafoetida), Cuminum cyminum L. (cumin) and Daucus carota L. (carrot) were extracted with 80 % methanol and fractionated by petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol, respectively. For different fractions and total extract of all 12 samples, cytotoxicity by brine shrimp test (BST) and MTT assay against cancer and normal cell (foreskin fibroblast cells), antioxidant effects by FRAP, and total phenols by Folin-Ciocalteu method were measured.

The general toxicity of ethyl acetate fractions (mean of data) was higher than others in the brine shrimp test (P < 0.05). The most cytotoxic fractions against colon carcinoma (HT-29), breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231) and alveolar basal epithelial adenocarcinoma (A549) cell lines were from Ammineae and Peucedaneae tribes while fruits fractions with high phenol contents and antioxidant powers were from Ammineae tribe.

The Apiaceae fruits have significant biological effects, therefore the isolation of phytochemical compounds from active fractions with cytotoxicity is suggested in future studies.

The use of medicinal plants has been one of the most common treatments since ancient times. Various plants are used in traditional and modern medicine, due to their antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer properties, and other biological potentials.

In this study, the aerial parts of four species of Salvia including two populations of S. reuteriana Boiss., two populations of S. limbata C.A.Mey. and one population of each S. syriaca L. and S. ceratophylla L. species from Kashan region have been investigated.

The antioxidative activity of the methanol extracts of plant samples were evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. The total phenol and flavonoid contents were determined via the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride methods, respectively. The cytotoxic effects of samples on HeLa cells were determined through MTT assay.

Based on the results of DPPH assay, IC50 levels of methanolic extracts were in the range of 39.08 ± 0.15 to 163.77 ± 0.63 μg/ml, and total phenol contents were in the range of
42.7 ± 3.09 to 105.8 ± 1.15 μg/mg. In addition, the flavonoid contents ranged from 30.07 ± 2.52 to 82.46 ± 2.2 μg/mg. There was a direct relationship between antioxidant activity and phenol compound contents. According to our study, the methanolic extracts of Salvia species showed toxicity effects on HeLa cells.

The extracts of two populations of S. reuteriana were associated with the highest cytotoxicity, compared to other species of Salvia. Furthermore, all examined extracts exhibited weak to moderate antioxidant activities. The S. ceratophylla extract was associated with the highest antioxidant activity.

The relative values of secondary metabolites may be impacted by harvesting time and post-harvest drying methods.

The effects of various harvesting stages of flower and drying methods were investigated on the quality and quantity of secondary metabolites of A. chamissonis Less. grown in the field.

The flowers were harvested in early May, June and July from four different developmental stages (stage 1: opening bud; stage 2: all radial florets or less than half of tubular florets opened; stage 3: all radial and tubular florets opened; stage 4: radial florets withering and seed formation). Also, the maximum collection of inflorescences during two years of trial was considered for drying method treatments (shade and sun drying, oven drying at 40 and 50 °C, and microwave drying at 500 and 1000 W power).

Results showed that the highest and the lowest total phenols were obtained in the second and first harvest date at flower maturity stages of 3 and 4, respectively. However, the highest luteolin and apigenin contents were obtained in the third harvest time at flower development stage 1. In the second experiment, the flower heads treated by shade contained the highest total phenols content followed by oven drying at 40°C. Moreover, oven drying was the most favorable method for preserving of other main secondary metabolites including total flavonoid, rutin, luteolin and apigenin.

Different harvesting dates at various flower bud phenological stages had significant effect on total phenols, flavonoids, rutin, luteolin and apigenin contents.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is widely used in traditional medicine. In Iranian folk medicine, turmeric and egg yolk mixture is used for inflammation due to dislocations and strains. Since lecithin (one of the component of egg yolk) is an absorption enhancer, it seems this phospholipid can increase turmeric absorption and its anti-inflammatory effect.

In order to find the role of lecithin in the folklore formulation, anti-inflammatory effects of ointments containing turmeric extract and lecithin have been studied.

Ointment base was prepared using bees wax, vaseline, liquid paraffin and eucerin. Then, hydroalcoholic turmeric extract (2.5 % and 5 %) with lecithin (5 % and 15 %) or without lecithin were added to the ointment base. Anti-inflammatory effect of the ointments was assessed in arthritis model in rat using complete Freund’s adjuvant. Ointments were used daily on the inflamed joints for 20 days. Finally, arthritis index, TNF-α concentration and histopathological changes of joints were determined.

The results showed that arthritis index has decreased in all groups but it was significant in groups of turmeric 2.5 % and turmeric 5 % with lecithin 15 %. TNF-α was decreased in all samples but reduction was more significant in group turmeric 2.5 %. Histopathological changes were significantly less in turmeric groups compared to ointment base group.

It seems that local healers use egg yolk as a binder in formulation. In other words, turmeric 2.5 % ointment is preferable compared to other formulations.

Taxol (Paclitaxel) has been highly recommended to control and treat a wide range of cancers. Taxus baccata L. is primary and natural origin of Taxol.

Due to severe restriction and prohibition of cutting T. baccata, the alternative way for Taxol production is to apply in vitro culture method which was implemented at the current study. Here, for the first time, the effect of amino acid complex as elicitor along with chitosan in cell suspension culture ofT. baccata for enhancing Taxol production was studied.

Young leaves of T. baccata as explants were cultured in different callus induction treatments. At the next step, the calli from the best callus induction treatment were transferred to cell suspension cultures containing chitosan and amino acid complex alone or in combination with each other. Taxol content in treatments were measured by HPLC.

MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D at 2 mg/L and NAA at 1 mg/L proved to be the best treatment of callus induction (100 %), fresh weight (495 mg) and dry weight (272 mg) of calli. Also, HPLC analysis confirmed the maximum production of Taxol (1.96 mg/g) in MS medium having 2 ml/L amino acids complex with 10 mg/L chitosan.

Applying amino acid complex as elicitor with chitosan is suggested for enhancing Taxol production in cell suspension culture of T. baccata.