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Frontiers in Bioscience (Scholar... Jun 2022L. is a plant of the Lamiaceae family known in numerous countries for its medicinal activities. This plant has been used since ancient times to treat different... (Review)
Review
L. is a plant of the Lamiaceae family known in numerous countries for its medicinal activities. This plant has been used since ancient times to treat different disorders, including gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neurological, psychological conditions. contains several phytochemicals such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and many others at the basis of its pharmacological activities. Indeed, the plant can have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, nephroprotective, antinociceptive effects. Given its consolidated use, has also been experimented with clinical settings, demonstrating interesting properties against different human diseases, such as anxiety, sleeping difficulties, palpitation, hypertension, depression, dementia, infantile colic, bruxism, metabolic problems, Alzheimer's disease, and sexual disorders. As for any natural compound, drug, or plant extract, also can have adverse effects, even though the reported events are very rare and the plant can be considered substantially safe. This review has been prepared with a specific research strategy, interrogating different databases with the keyword . Moreover, this work analyzes the properties of this plant updating currently available literature, with a special emphasis on human studies.
Topics: Antioxidants; Anxiety; Flavonoids; Humans; Melissa; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 35730441
DOI: 10.31083/j.fbs1402016 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2016This article presents highlights of the published literature regarding the anti-inflammatory activities of natural products. Many review articles were published in this... (Review)
Review
This article presents highlights of the published literature regarding the anti-inflammatory activities of natural products. Many review articles were published in this regard, however, most of them have presented this important issue from a regional, limited perspective. This paper summarizes the vast range of review and research articles that have reported on the anti-inflammatory effects of extracts and/or pure compounds derived from natural products. Moreover, this review pinpoints some interesting traditionally used medicinal plants that were not investigated yet.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Biological Products; Humans; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal
PubMed: 27706084
DOI: 10.3390/molecules21101321 -
Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science... Jan 2022Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is a plant from the Amazon region with cultural importance. Despite its early ancestral use by indigenous tribes, the first reports regarding... (Review)
Review
Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is a plant from the Amazon region with cultural importance. Despite its early ancestral use by indigenous tribes, the first reports regarding the benefits of guarana consumption for human health were published in the 19th century. Since then, the use of guarana seed in powder and extract forms has been studied for its diverse effects on human health, such as stimulating, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, hypocholesterolemic, and anti-obesity effects. These effects are attributed to the high content of bioactive compounds found in guarana seeds, especially methylxanthines and flavonoids. In fact, the Brazilian Food Supplement Law has officially acknowledged guarana as a source of bioactive compounds. The number and diversity of studies focused on guarana and human health are increasing; thus, organizing and describing the available evidence on guarana and its applications is necessary to provide a framework for future studies. In this narrative review, we have organized the available information regarding guarana and its potential effects on human health. Guarana produces unique fruits with great potential for human health applications. However, the available evidence lacks human studies and mechanistic investigations. Future studies should be designed considering its applicability to human health, including intake levels and toxicity studies.
Topics: Humans; Paullinia; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 34755935
DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12862 -
Journal of Infection in Developing... Nov 2021Development of bacterial resistance and antimicrobial side-effect has shifted the focus of research toward Ethnopharmacology. A biologically active compound derived from...
INTRODUCTION
Development of bacterial resistance and antimicrobial side-effect has shifted the focus of research toward Ethnopharmacology. A biologically active compound derived from the plants may increase the effectiveness of antibiotic when used in combination. The present study aims to determine the synergistic antibacterial effect of ethanolic extracts of Punica granatum (pericarp), Commiphora molmol, Azadirachta indica (bark) in combination with amoxicillin, metronidazole, tetracycline, and azithromycin on periodontopathic bacteria: Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans.
METHODOLOGY
Periodontopathic bacterial strains were isolated from the plaque sample that was collected from periodontitis patients and grown under favorable conditions. Susceptibility of bacteria to the antibiotics and extracts was determined by disc diffusion method by measuring the diameter of the inhibition zones. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of plant extracts were evaluated against each bacterium. Synergistic effect of plant extract in combination with antibiotics was tested against each bacterium by measuring the diameter of zone of inhibition (ZOI).
RESULTS
Findings revealed that all plant extracts exhibited an inhibitory effects on the proliferation and growth of periodontopathic bacteria. The maximum antibacterial effect was exhibited by C. molmol on P. gingivalis (ZOI = 20 ± 0.55 mm, MIC = 0.53 ± 0.24 mg/mL and MBC = 5.21 ± 1.81 mg/mL) (p < 0.05), meanwhile, no antibacterial activity was exhibited by P. granatum on T. forsythia. Synergistic antibacterial effect was recorded when plant extracts were used in combination with antibiotics. The best synergism was exhibited by P. granatum with amoxicillin against A. actinomycetemcomitans (24 ± 1.00 mm) (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The synergistic test showed significant antibacterial activity when plant extracts were combined with antibiotics against all the experimented bacteria.
Topics: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Therapy, Combination; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Periodontitis; Plant Extracts; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Tannerella forsythia
PubMed: 34898497
DOI: 10.3855/jidc.14904 -
Advances in Biochemical... 2018The integration of nanotechnology in medicine has had a tremendous impact in the past few decades. The discovery of synthesis of nanomaterials (NMs) and their functions...
The integration of nanotechnology in medicine has had a tremendous impact in the past few decades. The discovery of synthesis of nanomaterials (NMs) and their functions as versatile tools promoted various applications in nano-biotechnology and nanomedicine. Although the physical and chemical methods are still considered as commonly used methods, they introduce several drawbacks such as the use of toxic chemicals (solvent, reducing, and capping agents) and poor control of size, size distribution, and morphology, respectively. Additionally, the NMs synthesized in organic solvents and hydrophobic surfactants rapidly aggregate in aqueous solutions or under physiologic conditions, limiting their applications in medicine. Many of the phase-transfer strategies were developed and applied for the transfer of NMs into aqueous solutions. Although great efforts have been put into phase transfers, they mostly include expensive, time-consuming, intensive labor work, multi steps, and complicated procedures.Use of plant extracts in the biological synthesis method offers stark advantages over other biomolecules (protein, enzyme, peptide, and DNA). Plant extracts have been commonly used for food, medicine, NM synthesis, and biosensing. There are many viable techniques developed for the production of plant extracts with various contents based on their simplicity, cost, and the type of extract content. In this chapter, we conduct a comparative study for extract preparation techniques, the use of extracts for metallic single and hybrid nanoparticle (NP) synthesis, and their antimicrobial properties against pathogenic and plant-based bacteria. Graphical Abstract.
Topics: Bacteria; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Plant Extracts; Plants
PubMed: 29464309
DOI: 10.1007/10_2017_53 -
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Mar 2017The advancement of phytochemical and phytopharmacological sciences has enabled elucidation of the composition and biological activities of several medicinal plant... (Review)
Review
The advancement of phytochemical and phytopharmacological sciences has enabled elucidation of the composition and biological activities of several medicinal plant products including plant extract and essential oils. These products have been widely used around the world since ancient times for the treatment of various disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, peptic ulcer disease, microbial infection, sexual disorder and many more. Its popularity in the modern system of medicine is mainly due to their availability and fewer adverse reactions compared to synthetic drugs. Various scientifific investigations have been conducted to look for the potential of the extract from the plant or isolated compounds for the continued use of these products in the treatment and prevention of various kinds of human diseases. It is evident from the available literature and scientifific investigations that many plant species possess potential for use as a benefificial therapeutic remedy with multiple pharmacological actions such as analgesic, anti-inflflammatory, antipyretic, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, antimicrobial, antiulcer and anticonvulsant activities. The present review aims to provide relevant updated information about certain plant products, its composition, preparation and its fungicidal or fungistatic effects on different species of fungus as evaluated by studies done in the past. It introduces six medicinal plants that have been studied for their antifungal property and are found to be effective. The overall objective is to provide comprehensive information about the use of plant extract and essential oil for treating fungal infections and to explore the evidence supporting its effectiveness in treating fungal diseases without causing any serious adverse reactions.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Plant Extracts; Plant Oils
PubMed: 27590142
DOI: 10.1007/s11655-016-2524-z -
Biotechnology and Bioengineering Sep 2022Nanotechnology has attracted the attention of researchers from different scientific fields because of the escalated properties of nanomaterials (NMs) compared with the... (Review)
Review
Nanotechnology has attracted the attention of researchers from different scientific fields because of the escalated properties of nanomaterials (NMs) compared with the properties of macromolecules. NMs can be prepared through different approaches involving physical and chemical methods. The development of NMs through plant-based green chemistry approaches is more advantageous than other methods from the perspectives of environmental safety, animal, and human health. The biomolecules and metabolites of plants act as reducing and capping agents for the synthesis of metallic green NMs. Plant-based synthesis is a preferred approach as it is not only cost-effective, easy, safe, clean, and eco-friendly but also provides pure NMs in high yield. Since NMs have antimicrobial and antioxidant potential, green NMs synthesized from plants can be used for a variety of biomedical and environmental remediation applications. Past studies have focused mainly on the overall biogenic synthesis of individual or combinations of metallic NMs and their oxides from different biological sources, including microorganisms and biomolecules. Moreover, from the viewpoint of biomedical applications, the literature is mainly focusing on synthetic NMs. Herein, we discuss the extraction of green molecules and recent developments in the synthesis of different plant-based metallic NMs, including silver, gold, platinum, palladium, copper, zinc, iron, and carbon. Apart from the biomedical applications of metallic NMs, including antimicrobial, anticancer, diagnostic, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine applications, their environmental remediation potential is also discussed. Furthermore, safety concerns and safety regulations pertaining to green NMs are also discussed.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Green Chemistry Technology; Humans; Metal Nanoparticles; Nanostructures; Plant Extracts; Plants
PubMed: 35635495
DOI: 10.1002/bit.28148 -
Phytotherapy Research : PTR Apr 2017Wound healing/cicatrization is a complex series of intricate processes that involve renewal of skin/epidermis after injury. A large number of ethno-medicinal... (Review)
Review
Wound healing/cicatrization is a complex series of intricate processes that involve renewal of skin/epidermis after injury. A large number of ethno-medicinal plants/plant extracts are used by tribal and folklore traditions in developing world for the treatment of wounds, burns and cuts in distinct appearances. Moreover, plants/plant extracts have a significant history and successful clinical track record as indigenous drugs in wound repair systems. This review provides detailed information on molecular and cellular mechanism of plant/plant extracts on wound healing applications and further analyses the opportunities and scope with its future openings and prospects owing to the multifaceted challenges attached with neo-tissue regeneration. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Topics: Medicine, Traditional; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Skin; Wound Healing
PubMed: 28198058
DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5786 -
Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery Aug 2016Plants are a natural source of various products with diverse biological activities offering treatment for several diseases. Plant extract is a complex mixture of... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Plants are a natural source of various products with diverse biological activities offering treatment for several diseases. Plant extract is a complex mixture of compounds, which can have antioxidant, antibiotic, antiviral, anticancer, antiparasitic, antifungal, hypoglycemic, anti-hypertensive and insecticide properties. The extraction of these extracts requires the use of organic solvents, which not only complicates the formulations but also makes it difficult to directly use the extracts for humans. To overcome these problems, recent research has been focused on developing new ways to formulate the plant extracts and delivering them safely with enhanced therapeutic efficacy.
AREAS COVERED
This review focuses on the research done in the development and use of polymeric nanoparticles for the encapsulation and administration of plant extracts. It describes in detail, the different encapsulation techniques, main physicochemical characteristics of the nanoparticles, toxicity tests and results obtained from in vivo or in vitro assays.
EXPERT OPINION
Major obstacles associated with the use of plant extracts for clinical applications include their complex composition, toxicity risks and extract instability. It is observed that encapsulation can be successfully used to decrease plant extracts toxicity, to provide targeted drug delivery and to solve stability related problems.
Topics: Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; Nanoparticles; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 27139509
DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2016.1182487 -
Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 2020Endotoxin is an unintentional contaminant that has numerous activities and can affect various biological experiments using cells. In this study, we measured the...
Endotoxin is an unintentional contaminant that has numerous activities and can affect various biological experiments using cells. In this study, we measured the endotoxin activity of samples from a plant extract library (PEL) and determined their degrees of contamination. Endotoxin was detected in approx. 48% (n = 139) and approx. 4% (n = 5) of field-collected and crude drug samples, respectively, and in concentrations >5.0 EU/mL in some samples. The concentrations of endotoxin that affect cells in vitro vary depending on the target cell type. Although the degree of contamination varied in the present study, it was considered to have little effect on the cell experiments. More than 150 PEL samples had problems with reaction courses or recovery rates of Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) tests. In the LAL tests, using three plant extracts [Sanguisorba officinalis L. (Rosaceae), Oenothera biennis L. (Onagraceae), and Lythrum salicaria L. (Lythraceae)], the polyphenolic compounds in the plant extracts affected LAL test and their effects differed depending on the plant species. When the 16 single polyphenol compounds were added to the LAL tests, the compounds with caffeoyl and pyrogallol moieties were found to affect the LAL reaction course and recovery rate. Furthermore, none of the compounds had any effects at concentrations of 1 µM. Because the plant extracts contained analogs of various polyphenolic compounds, they were presumed to actually act synergistically. Our findings demonstrated that attention must be paid to the recovery rate and reaction process of LAL tests with samples containing polyphenolic compounds.
Topics: Animals; Drug Contamination; Endotoxins; Limulus Test; Lythrum; Oenothera biennis; Plant Extracts; Polyphenols; Sanguisorba
PubMed: 33132322
DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b20-00489