Research Journal of Pharmacognosy
Volume:8 Issue: 4, Autumn 2021

The genus Nepeta is used in traditional medicine for the antiseptic and astringent properties in cutaneous eruptions and snake bites. Nepeta racemosa was investigated here due to the rich source of phytochemical compounds in the Nepeta genus and the lack of any phytochemical studies.

The aerial parts were extracted successively using n-hexane, chloroform, and methanol (MeOH) by maceration method, respectively. The MeOH extract was exposed to C18 Sep-Pak fractionation by a step gradient of MeOH-H2O. Further purification of the fractions by preparative reversed-phase HPLC yielded three compounds. The chemical ingredients of essential oil were determined by GC-MS. Free-radical scavenging activity of the extracts, fractions, as well as their total flavonoid and phenolics contents, were assessed using the DPPH method, AlCl3, and Folin-Ciocalteu reagents, respectively.

Phytochemical study of 20% and 40% solid phase extraction fractions of MeOH extract yielded one iridoid (8,9-epi-7-deoxy-loganic acid) and two phenylethanoids (forsythoside B and verbascoside), correspondingly. The 4aα,7α,7aα-nepetalactone (31.70 %), germacrene D (7.39 %), n-hexadecanoic acid (6.47 %), were the main compounds of essentials oil. The MeOH extract demonstrated high activity in terms of antioxidant activity, total phenolics content along with total flavonoids content (0.09 ± 0.01 mg/mL, 1581.80 ± 10.28 mg/100g and 33.01 ± 0.02 mg/100g) as well as 40% SPE fraction (0.01 ± 0.00 mg/mL, 659.20 ± 40.32 mg/100g and 22.5 ± 0.37 mg/100g), respectively.  

The presence of phenylethanoid derivatives as phenolic compounds appears to be an important antioxidant compound in Nepeta racemosa.

Despite clinical use, the efficacy of methotrexate is often limited by some adverse effects, mainly nephrotoxicity. The most common mechanism of methotrexate-induced kidney damages is oxidative stress. Harmine as a plant-derived compound has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of harmine, against methotrexate -induced nephrotoxicity.

The mice were divided into six groups: control (saline only); 20 mg/kg methotrexate; 20 mg/kg harmine, and 20 mg/kg methotrexate + harmine at three doses of 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg. Administrations were intraperitoneally and the treatment period was a 14-days. After this time, the sera and kidneys were collected from each group for the following analyses. Samples were analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, qRT-PCR, and biochemical assays.

The mice that received methotrexate showed significant increase in creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels, and 10, or 20 mg/kg harmine mitigated these results. The number and diameter of glomeruli were improved by harmine in methotrexate -treated groups. Moreover, malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels showed significant increase in the kidney of the mice that received methotrexate, while total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase were diminished. Harmine treatment suppressed oxidative stress markers and also enhanced antioxidant defense parameters. Harmine inhibited methotrexate-induced oxidative stress as shown by the decreased expression of Nqo1, Ho-1, Trx1 and Nrf2 at mRNA level. Harmine also ameliorated histological alterations induced by methotrexate.

Our results suggested that harmine has the potential to protect against methotrexate-induced nephrotoxicity.

Uvaria scheffleri Diels (Annonaceae), Zanthoxylum chalybeum Engl. (Rutaceae), and Vepris dainelli (Pichi-Serm.) Kokwaro (Rutaceae) are medicinal plants traditionally used in Ethiopia against pathogenic infections. In the present study, the chemical composition, larvicidal activity, and cytotoxic effect of essential oils were investigated.

Hydrodistillation technique was used to extract essential oils. In vitro larvicidal activity against Anisakis L3 larvae was tested in marinated solutions. MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity.

The yields (v/w) of essential oils obtained from U. scheffleri roots, Z. chalybeum, and V. dainelli fruits were 0.5, 2.7, and 2.0 %, respectively. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of essential oils revealed a total of 58, 18, and 20 chemical constituents, representing 97.6, 99.6, and 98.8 % of the oil contents, respectively. Tricyclo [5.3.0.0(3, 9)] decane was identified to be the principal constituent in the essential oils of Z. chalybeum (82.8%) and V. dainelli (69.8%), reported herein for the first time. Essential oils of Z. chalybeum, U. scheffleri, and V. dainelli displayed a dose-dependent larvicidal activity with LT100 values of 3 h, 5 h, and 5 h for 5% concentrations, respectively. The cytotoxicity study of essential oils on VERO cells showed moderate toxicity with IC50 values of 65.46 µg/mL, 83.88 µg/mL, and 96.82 µg/mL, respectively.

The results obtained revealed that the studied essential oils could serve as larvicidal agents in treating human anisakidosis. The observed weak cytotoxicity at low concentrations points out the possibility of developing effective and safe botanical larvicides.

Wallflower oil is made from the flowers of Erysimum cheiri (L.) Crantz which is a herb rich in cardenolide compounds. Wallflower oil was traditionally indicated for analgesic, anti-inflammatory, hair tonic, and wound healing purposes. In this paper, wallflower oil was prepared based on the method cited in Persian medicine resources.

To prepare the oil, 250 g dried flower was soaked in 5000 g distilled water for 20 h. Then, it was boiled for 2 h till half of the water volume evaporated. The obtained decoction was filtered and boiled in 2500 g sesame oil until all the aqueous part evaporated. The quality control tests were performed.

Acid, peroxide, iodine, and saponification values were determined as 0.72±0.02 (oleic acid%), 7.16±0.10 (meq/kg oil), 104.73±0.71 (g of I2/100 g oil), and 242.85±0.29 (mg KOH/g oil), respectively. HPTLC analysis revealed the presence of cardenolide compounds in wallflower oil, decoction, maceration, and flower samples. GC-FID results recognized linoleic acid (42.91%), oleic acid (41.22%), and palmitic acid (9.76%) as major fatty acids of wallflower oil. In addition, GC-MS study identified 11 volatile compounds among which, thymol (28.13%), carvacrol (21.63%), and dodecane (11.50%) were recognized as the main components.

Thymol and carvacrol could be used for evaluation and determination of wallflower oil. On the other hand, presence of cardenolides in wallflower oil and consequent probable cardiac actions should be considered during clinical administrations. This paper recommends further in vitro and in vivo studies as well as clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of wallflower oil.

Matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) is a proteolytic enzyme playing an important role in the activation of the MMP cascade, which seems to be vital in both bone metabolism and homeostasis. However, the up-regulation of MMP-13 is involved in developing several human disorders such as aggressive tumors, tooth decay, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, skin ageing, and Alzheimer's disease. We performed a molecular docking analysis to discover the potential MMP-13 inhibitors in a total of 21 anthraquinone derivatives. The binding affinity of the tested compounds to the MMP-13 catalytic site was estimated by the Autodock 4.0 software. Moreover, the stability of the docked pose of the top-ranked compounds were examined using molecular dynamics simulations. Pulmatin, sennidin A, emodin-8-glucoside, emodin, rhodoptilometrin, chrysophanol, knipholone, sennidin B, aloe emodin 8-glucoside, and aloe-emodin demonstrated considerable binding affinity to the MMP-13 active site. However, the molecular dynamics simulations showed that the docked poses of sennidin A and sennidin B were not considerably stable. The present study suggested that pulmatin, emodin-8-glucoside, emodin, rhodoptilometrin, chrysophanol, knipholone, aloe emodin 8-glucoside, and aloe-emodin may be considered as drug candidates for therapeutic applications in many human diseases. However, the validation of this finding is needed in the future.

Anecdotal evidence shows that plant remedies used by rural folks to repel snakes and those used during snake envenomation are sometimes effective and offer an appreciable survival rate among victims of snake bites. This study focused on documenting plants that repel snakes from homesteads and those administered as interventions during snake bites among indigenes of Ejisu-Juabeng District, Ghana. Personal interviews with indigenes was carried out. Information about the plants including scientific names, families, local names, growth habit, the used part, method of preparation and administration were recorded. Herbarium vouchers were used to identifying the plants at species level. The frequency of citation (FC) and relative frequency of citation index (RFC) for each species was determined. Twenty-three medicinal plants were documented; 17 plants belonging to 15 genera from 13 families were reported to be used as antidote for snakebite poisoning while ten species belonging to nine genera from nine families were reported as snake repellents. Plants belonging to the family Apocynaceae were the most predominant (12.5%). The anti-venin plants mostly mentioned were herbs (48%) and trees (39%). Leaves (58.8%) and roots (29.4%) were frequently used in antivenin formulations and were mostly applied topically (78.5%) as poultices or orally (21.4%) as infusions/decoctions. For snake repelling plants the strong odour from plants was mostly responsible for the repellent effect. The most commonly named plants were Nicotiana tobacum (Relative frequency of citation=0.26), Allium sativum (RFC=0.14), Rauwolfia serpentine (RFC=0.18) and Allium cepa (RFC=0.18). This study has revealed the importance of herbal medicine used in the prevention and treatment of snakebites among indigenes of Ejisu-Juabeng District.

The anticancer properties of extracts from Quercus infectoria galls have been demonstrated in a range of cancer cells, including human cervical cancer cells. This study aimed to elucidate the cell death mechanisms of Q. infectoria aqueous and supercritical fluid extracts on cervical cancer cells, HeLa.

In vitro cytotoxicity was assessed using the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] assay, whereas apoptosis induction was assessed using acridine orange/propidium iodide staining. Flow cytometry was used to analyse phosphatidylserine externalization, cell cycle distribution, and caspase activity. Meanwhile, anti-Bax, anti-Bcl-2, and anti-p53 antibody were used to examine the expression of p53, Bax, and Bcl-2.

MTT assay revealed the cytotoxic effects of the aqueous and supercritical fluid extracts on HeLa cells with IC50 values of 12.33±0.35 µg/mL and 14.33±0.67 µg/mL respectively. Acridine orange/propidium iodide analysis revealed morphological changes with apoptotic features in the treated cells. Cell population increase in sub G0 phase showed induction of apoptosis in the treated HeLa cells. Moreover, the activation of caspases in the treated cells revealed the execution of apoptosis. In addition, the expression of p53 and Bax proteins in the treated cells were observed whereas there was no difference in the expression of Bcl-2 in the treated cells compared to untreated control cells.

Both aqueous and supercritical fluid extracts inhibited the growth of HeLa cells through induction of cell apoptosis by activation of caspases-8 and caspase-9.

There is growing interest in introducing safe and bioactive natural red pigments to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. This study was designed to determine the phytochemical content and potential cytotoxicity of red pigment from Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Skeels (syn. Melaleuca citrina (Curtis) Dum.Cours.) flowers.

The flowers’ anthocyanin rich pigment was extracted with ethanol (70%, v/v) containing 0.5% formic acid. This extract was fractionated by a three-step process through a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge with water, ethyl acetate, and methanol, respectively. The anthocyanin and coumarin content of the red pigment was identified based on a reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS/MS). The MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity of red pigment evaluated on normal human foreskin fibroblasts as well as two malignant cell lines: human breast cancer (MCF-7) and human fibrosarcoma cells (HT1080) at 24, 48 and 72 hours.

The anthocyanin compounds in the red pigment fraction were cyanidin (1), cyanidin 3,5-O-diglucoside (2), cyanidin 3-O-glucoside (3), and cyanidin 3-O-glucoside-8-ethyl-catechin (4). Flowers’ pigment also contained two furanocoumarins, including 8-(but-2-en-2-yl)-8,9-dihydro-2H-furo[2,3-h] chromen-2-one (or 15-methyl angenomallin, (5)) and 9-methyl-7H-furo[3,2-g] chromen-7-one (or 8-methylpsoralen, (6)). According to the MTT assays, the highest cytotoxic effect was observed on human foreskin fibroblasts with an IC50 values of <12.5 (µg/ mL, 24 h) and 85.2 (µg/ mL, 48 h).

It might be assumed that application of the red pigment of C. citrinus in topical formulations and cosmetics should be done with caution due to the observed cytotoxicity on dermal fibroblasts.

Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, is an autoimmune digestive disorder in genetically susceptible individuals. Currently, a totally gluten free diet is considered as the only treatment for celiac disease, which means cutting out foods containing gluten protein from the diet completely. Strict adherence to this regimen can be challenging as several processed foods contain hidden gluten, added as flavor enhancer or texture modifier. In addition, the high cost and unavailability of gluten-free foods have led to patient's dissatisfaction. Moreover, there are celiac disease patients who have persistent symptoms despite dietary compliance. Emerging research have focused on discovering alternative non-dietary treatments for this disorder. There are herbal medicines and other natural resources with anti-inflammatory activity and valuable therapeutic effects in preventing or treating inflammatory diseases. As these are effective and affordable, several studies have focused on treating different diseases using these agents. However, there are few studies evaluating the effects and potential role of naturally derived compounds in celiac disease treatment. In this review, we gathered current information in this regard; hoping our article can serve as catalysts for researchers to pay more attention to natural therapies for celiac disease.

Today, complementary and alternative treatment strategies, including massage therapy, and aromatherapy, are extensively applied to reduce and manage anxiety in the patients with various diseases. Aromatherapy as one of the main therapeutic strategies has gained significant attention in most countries compared to other complementary treatments for surgery-related anxiety treatment. Here, we decided to conduct a systematic review and report the results about the effects of aromatherapy with lavender (Lavandula angustifolia L.) in patients undergoing various types of surgery. Five English databases including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were used to find published clinical papers related to the effects of aromatherapy with lavender in patients undergoing various types of surgery without time limitation. All searches were based on the 06- PRISMA guideline and registered in the CAMARADES-NC3Rs Preclinical Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Facility (SyRF) database. Out of 3974 papers, 20 papers from the year 2000 up to April 2021, met the inclusion criteria for discussion in this systematic review with the data extracted. The most studies were carried out on the effect of aromatherapy with lavender on the anxiety of patients with coronary artery bypass surgery (8 papers, 40%). Based on the results of the articles reviewed, it can be suggested that aromatherapy management particularly with lavender, has the potential to be used as a complementary therapy to reduce anxiety and stress in patients undergoing various types of surgery. However, more studies are required to confirm the accurate mechanisms and side effects of the complementary treatment.