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Nutrients May 2024L. () is an evergreen shrub (Anacardiaceae family) primarily found in the Mediterranean region. The plant has been thoroughly characterized, resulting in a high... (Review)
Review
L. () is an evergreen shrub (Anacardiaceae family) primarily found in the Mediterranean region. The plant has been thoroughly characterized, resulting in a high concentration of bioactive compounds as flavonoids and phenolics. Moreover, was revealed to possess a great nutritional and industrial importance because of its variety of biological activities, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic and antioxidant properties. Many of its beneficial health properties and applications date back to antiquity, and the European Medicines Agency officially acknowledged it as an herbal medicinal product. Indeed, it is widely employed in conventional medicine to treat several diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2D). On this basis, this review aims to summarize and describe the chemical composition of different parts of the plant and highlight the potential of , focusing on its antidiabetic activities. The plant kingdom is drawing increasing attention because of its complexity of natural molecules in the research of novel bioactive compounds for drug development. In this context, demonstrated several in vitro and in vivo antidiabetic effects, acting upon many therapeutic T2D targets. Therefore, the information available in this review highlighted the multitarget effects of and its great potential in T2D treatment.
Topics: Pistacia; Hypoglycemic Agents; Humans; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Plant Extracts; Phytochemicals; Phytotherapy; Animals
PubMed: 38892571
DOI: 10.3390/nu16111638 -
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology 2024(the family Thymelaeaceae) consists of medicinal plants which established great value in traditional medicines for many years. For instance, W. indica is always... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
(the family Thymelaeaceae) consists of medicinal plants which established great value in traditional medicines for many years. For instance, W. indica is always recommended for treatments of syphilis, arthritis, whooping cough, and cancer. No systematic review of bioactive compounds from this genus has been recorded to date.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of the current study is to review phytochemical investigations and pharmacological effects of plant extracts and isolates.
METHODS
By searching on the internet, the relevant data about medicinal plants were retrieved from internationally renowned scientific databases, such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, Sci-Finder, Pubmed, and so on.
RESULTS
More than 290 structurally diverse metabolites were separated and identified from this genus. They include terpenoids, lignans, flavonoids, coumarins, mono-phenols, diarylpentanoids, fatty acids, phytosterols, anthraquinones, and others. Pharmacological records indicated that plant crude extracts and their isolated compounds bring out various beneficial effects, such as anticancer, antiinflammatory, anti-aging, anti-viral, antimicrobacterial, antimalarial, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective activities.
CONCLUSION
has been regarded as a worthy genus with numerous phytochemicals and various pharmacological potentials. Modern pharmacological studies have successfully provided evidence for traditional uses. Nonetheless, their action mechanisms need to be further investigated. Although various secondary metabolites were identified from plants, the current pharmacological research mainly concentrated on terpenoids, lignans, flavonoids, and coumarins.
Topics: Humans; Wikstroemia; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts; Animals; Plants, Medicinal
PubMed: 37282648
DOI: 10.2174/1389201024666230606122116 -
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental... Sep 2023The aim of this study was to determine the phytochemical profile, antibacterial and antioxidant activities of crude aqueous leaf extracts of and . The predominant...
The aim of this study was to determine the phytochemical profile, antibacterial and antioxidant activities of crude aqueous leaf extracts of and . The predominant components present in these crude extracts of test plants identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis in both plant extracts were phytochemicals including flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, and phenols. The antibacterial activity of crude extracts of these plants against bacterial pathogens including sp., A and B, sp. , and were examined. Data demonstrated that the extracts of and exhibited significant antibacterial activity against and at the concentration of 50 mg/ml. aqueous extract displayed significant antioxidant activity on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazl (DPPH), fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and hydrogen peroxide (HO) free radicals at the concentration of 90 mg/ml. The antioxidant activity was significantly higher with than extract of . Evidence indicates that both plant extracts may possess significant pharmaceutical potential as antibacterial and antioxidant agents.
Topics: Antioxidants; Hydrogen Peroxide; Plant Extracts; Phytochemicals; Anti-Bacterial Agents
PubMed: 37395392
DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2023.2231484 -
PloS One 2023Pomegranate (Punica granatum) peels have shown numerous health benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. These health activities are...
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) peels have shown numerous health benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. These health activities are owed to the unique phytochemical components present in pomegranate peels. Variations in the pomegranate cultivar, geographical region, and extraction methods significantly affect the phytochemical composition and concentrations of pomegranate fruits and their peels, hence their health outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the phytochemical contents of pomegranate peels of Jordanian origin and their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Among the 6 extracts of pomegranate peels tested, the ethanol extract exhibited the highest total phenolic content (TPC = 297.70 ± 1.73 mg GAE/g DW), highest total flavonoids content (TFC = 116.08 ± 3.46 mg RE/g DW), highest hydrolyzable tannins (HT) contents (688.50 ± 3.54 mg TE/g DW). Whereas the highest condensed tannins (CT) content was found in both the ethanol (13.87 ± 0.58 mg CE/g DW) and methanol (13.84 ± 0.55 mg CE/g DW) extracts. For the antioxidant activities, the water extract of pomegranate peels displayed the highest inhibitory effect on DPPH radicals (9.43 ± 0.06 μmole TE/g DW), while for the ABTS+ assay the methanol and ethanol extracts exhibited the highest activities of 11.09 ± 0.02 and 11.09 ± 0.06 μmole TE/g DW, respectively. For the FRAP assay, the aqueous methanol extract exhibited the highest reducing activity (1.60 ± 0.09 mmole Fe (II)/g DW). As for the antimicrobial activities of various extracts of pomegranate peels, the highest antimicrobial activity against Micrococcus luteus was achieved by the ethanol extract (MIC = 6.25 mg/mL), whereas the lowest antimicrobial activity was observed against Candida krusei using the methanol extract (MIC = 100 mg/mL). These results indicate that pomegranate peels of Jordanian origin are rich in phytochemical content and exhibited strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities making these agroindustrial by-products potential candidates for various medical applications and possible safe sources for important bioactive components.
Topics: Antioxidants; Fruit; Pomegranate; Plant Extracts; Jordan; Methanol; Phytochemicals; Ethanol; Anti-Infective Agents
PubMed: 38032959
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295129 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease that causes pathological changes in articular cartilage, synovial membrane, or subchondral bone. Conventional treatments... (Review)
Review
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease that causes pathological changes in articular cartilage, synovial membrane, or subchondral bone. Conventional treatments for OA include surgical and non-surgical methods. Surgical treatment is suitable for patients in the terminal stage of OA. It is often the last choice because of the associated risks and high cost. Medication of OA mainly includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, hyaluronic acid, and cortico-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. However, these drugs often have severe side effects and cannot meet the needs of patients. Therefore, safe and clinically appropriate long-term treatments for OA are urgently needed. Apoptosis is programmed cell death, which is a kind of physiologic cell suicide determined by heredity and conserved by evolution. Inhibition of apoptosis-related pathways has been found to prevent and treat a variety of diseases. Excessive apoptosis can destroy cartilage homeostasis and aggravate the pathological process of OA. Therefore, inhibition of apoptosis-related factors or signaling pathways has become an effective means to treat OA. Phytochemicals are active ingredients from plants, and it has been found that phytochemicals can play an important role in the prevention and treatment of OA by inhibiting apoptosis. We summarize preclinical and clinical studies of phytochemicals for the treatment of OA by inhibiting apoptosis. The results show that phytochemicals can treat OA by targeting apoptosis-related pathways. On the basis of improving some phytochemicals with low bioavailability, poor water solubility, and high toxicity by nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, and at the same time undergoing strict clinical and pharmacological tests, phytochemicals can be used as a potential therapeutic drug for OA and may be applied in clinical settings.
Topics: Humans; Osteoarthritis; Phytochemicals; Apoptosis; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Biological Availability
PubMed: 38611766
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29071487 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2023Traditional medicinal plants have been used for decades in folk medicines in the treatment and management of several ailments and diseases including diabetes, pain,... (Review)
Review
Traditional medicinal plants have been used for decades in folk medicines in the treatment and management of several ailments and diseases including diabetes, pain, ulcers, cancers, and wounds, among others. This study focused on the phytochemical and antidiabetic activity of the commonly used antidiabetic medicinal species in Kenya. Phytochemical profiling of these species revealed flavonoids and terpenoids as the major chemical classes reported which have been linked with strong biological activities against the aforementioned diseases, among others. However, out of the selected twenty-two species, many of the natural product isolation studies have focused on only a few species, as highlighted in the study. All of the examined crude extracts from thirteen antidiabetic species demonstrated strong antidiabetic activities by inhibiting α-glucosidase and α-amylase among other mechanisms, while nine are yet to be evaluated for their antidiabetic activities. Isolated compounds S-Methylcysteine sulfoxide, quercetin, alliuocide G, 2-(3,4-Dihydroxybenzoyl)-2,4,6-trihydroxy-3 (2)-benzofuranone, Luteolin-7--D-glucopyranoside, quercetin, 1,3,11-Trihydroxy-9-(3,5,7-trihydroxy-4-1-benzopyran-7-on-2-yl)-5-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl)-5,6,11-hexahydro-5,6,11-trioxanaphthacene-12-one and [1,3,11-Trihydroxy-9-(3,5,7-trihydroxy-4-1-benzopyran-7-on-2-yl)-5-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl)-5,6,11-hexahydro-5,6,11-trioxanaphthacene-12-one]-4'--D-gluco-pyranoside from have been found to exhibit significant antidiabetic activities. With the huge number of adults living with diabetes in Kenya and the available treatment methods being expensive yet not so effective, this study highlights alternative remedies by documenting the commonly used antidiabetic medicinal plants. Further, the study supports the antidiabetic use of these plants with the existing pharmacological profiles and highlights research study gaps. Therefore, it is urgent to conduct natural products isolation work on the selected antidiabetic species commonly used in Kenya and evaluate their antidiabetic activities, both in vitro and in vivo, to validate their antidiabetic use and come up with new antidiabetic drugs.
Topics: Plants, Medicinal; Hypoglycemic Agents; Quercetin; Kenya; Plant Extracts; Diabetes Mellitus; Benzopyrans; Phytochemicals
PubMed: 37894680
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28207202 -
Chemistry & Biodiversity Nov 2023Mikania micrantha is utilized as a therapeutic for the treatment of various human ailments including insect bites, rashes and itches of skin, chicken pox, healing of... (Review)
Review
Mikania micrantha is utilized as a therapeutic for the treatment of various human ailments including insect bites, rashes and itches of skin, chicken pox, healing of sores and wounds, colds and fever, nausea, jaundice, rheumatism, and respiratory ailments. This study aimed at summarizing the traditional uses, phytochemical profile, and biological activities of M. micrantha based on obtainable information screened from different databases. An up-to-date search was performed on M. micrantha in PubMed, Science Direct, clinicaltrials.gov, and Google Scholar databases with specific keywords. No language restrictions were imposed. Published articles, theses, seminar/conference papers, abstracts, and books on ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacological evidence were considered. Based on the inclusion criteria, this study includes 53 published records from the above-mentioned databases. The results suggest that fresh leaves and whole plant are frequently used in folk medicine. The plant contains more than 150 different phytochemicals under the following groups: essential oils, phenolics and flavonoids, terpenes, terpene lactones, glycosides, and sulfated flavonoids. It contains carbohydrates and micronutrients including vitamins and major and trace minerals. M. micrantha possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-dermatophytic, anti-protozoal, anthelmintic, cytotoxic, anxiolytic, anti-diabetic, lipid-lowering and antidiabetic, spasmolytic, memory-enhancing, wound-healing, anti-aging, and thrombolytic activities. No clinical studies have been reported to date. M. micrantha might be one of the potential sources of phytotherapeutic compounds against diverse ailments in humans. Studies are required to confirm its safety profile in experimental animals prior to initiating clinical trials. Moreover, adequate investigation is also crucial to clarify exact mechanism of action for each biological effect.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Plants, Medicinal; Phytotherapy; Mikania; Ethnopharmacology; Ethnobotany; Phytochemicals; Flavonoids; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 37715705
DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202300392 -
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies Dec 2023The plant kingdom has long been considered a valuable source for therapeutic agents, however, some plant species still untapped and need to be phytochemically and...
BACKGROUND
The plant kingdom has long been considered a valuable source for therapeutic agents, however, some plant species still untapped and need to be phytochemically and biologically explored. Although several Atriplex species have been investigated in depth, A. leucoclada, a halophytic plant native to Saudi Arabian desert, remains to be explored for its phytochemical content and biological potentials. Herein, the current study investigated the metabolic content and the anti-inflammatory potential of A. leucoclada.
METHODS
Powdered aerial parts of the plant were defatted with n-hexane then the defatted powder was extracted with 80% methanol. n-Hexane extract (ATH) was analyzed using GC-MS, while the defatted extract (ATD) was subjected to different chromatographic methods to isolate the major phytoconstituents. The structures of the purified compounds were elucidated using different spectroscopic methods including advanced NMR techniques. Anti-inflammatory activity of both extracts against COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes were examined in vitro. Molecular docking of the identified compounds into the active sites of COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes was conducted using pdb entries 6Y3C and 5IKV, respectively.
RESULTS
Phytochemical investigation of ATD extract led to purification and identification of nine compounds. Interestingly, all the compounds, except for 20-hydroxy ecdysone (1), are reported for the first time from A. leucoclada, also luteolin (6) and pallidol (8) are isolated for the first time from genus Atriplex. Inhibitory activity of ATD and ATH extracts against COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes revealed concentration dependent activity of both fractions with IC 41.22, 14.40 μg/ml for ATD and 16.74 and 5.96 μg/ml for ATH against COX-1 and COX-2, respectively. Both extracts displayed selectivity indices of 2.86 and 2.80, respectively as compared to 2.56 for Ibuprofen indicating a promising selectivity towards COX-2. Molecular docking study supported in vitro testing results, where purified metabolites showed binding affinity scores ranged from -9 to -6.4 and -8.5 to -6.6 kcal/mol for COX-1 and 2, respectively, in addition the binding energies of GC-MS detected compounds ranged from -8.9 to -5.5 and -8.3 to -5.1 kcal/mol for COX-1 and 2, respectively as compared to Ibuprofen (-6.9 and -7.5 kcal/mol, respectively), indicating high binding affinities of most of the compounds. Analysis of the binding orientations revealed variable binding patterns depending on the nature of the compounds. Our study suggested A. leucoclada as a generous source for anti-inflammatory agents.
Topics: Atriplex; Plant Extracts; Molecular Docking Simulation; Cyclooxygenase 2; Ibuprofen; Saudi Arabia; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Phytochemicals
PubMed: 38104070
DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04281-5 -
Natural Product Research Jul 2023This study investigated the content and biological activity of three solvent extracts of Franch (AR), which contains 12 types of phytochemicals. The overall yield and...
This study investigated the content and biological activity of three solvent extracts of Franch (AR), which contains 12 types of phytochemicals. The overall yield and total protein content of the aqueous extract were the highest, and it exhibited the highest hydroxyl and superoxide radical-scavenging abilities, copper chelating abilities, and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity. Ethanol extract had the highest total phenolic, flavonoid, and carbohydrate contents, and it showed the highest iron chelating activity, and HClO- and nitrite-scavenging abilities. Methanol AR extract contained the highest total steroid and tannin contents; it also demonstrated high radical- and reactive oxygen species-scavenging abilities and had the best ferric reducing antioxidant power, which allowed it to effectively prevent -carotene bleaching. Methanol extract also showed good stability and low toxicity. All tested solvent extracts of AR exhibited weak enzyme-inhibitory activities for four enzymes (α-glucosidase, α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase). Overall, AR can serve as a natural antioxidant.
Topics: Antioxidants; Adonis; Plant Extracts; Butyrylcholinesterase; Methanol; Acetylcholinesterase; Solvents; Phytochemicals
PubMed: 35045779
DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2027937 -
Brain Research Dec 2023Anxiety is a mental disorder characterized by excessive concern about possible future threats that, if prolonged, becomes a pathology that must be controlled through... (Review)
Review
Anxiety is a mental disorder characterized by excessive concern about possible future threats that, if prolonged, becomes a pathology that must be controlled through psychotherapy and medication. Currently, the pharmacological treatment for anxiety involves the use of antidepressants and benzodiazepines; however, these treatments often come with adverse effects. Thus, there is a need to seek natural compounds that can help alleviate anxiety and reduce these side effects. On the other hand, pomegranate (PG) fruit is known to have important health benefits, which have been compiled in several reviews. However, its anxiolytic effect has not been thoroughly studied, and clinical research on this topic is lacking. The aim of this work was to conduct a systematic review of studies exploring the anxiolytic-like effect of PG and its phytochemicals. Databases such as Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Springer link, Google scholar, Worldwide science, and Web of science were searched for articles using predetermined terms. Inclusion criteria were established, and original articles that met these criteria were selected. The data collected included information on PG part and variety, species, sample size, anxiety model, dose, route and time of administration, reference drug, main results, and the mechanisms of action. Fifty-nine studies were found that reported the anxiolytic-like effect of PG and its phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, flavonoids, tannins, organic acids, and xanthonoids. The literature suggests that the mechanisms of action behind this effect involved the inhibition of the GABAergic receptor, NMDA, CaMKII/CREB pathway; the reduction of oxidative stress, inhibiting TLR4 and nNOS; modulation of cytokines and the expression of NFkB, GAD67, and iNOS, as well as the activation of Nrf2 and AMPK. PG and some of its phytochemicals could be considered as a novel alternative for the treatment of pathological anxiety. This review is the first to document the anxiolytic-like effect of PG.
Topics: Humans; Pomegranate; Fruit; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Lythraceae; Anthocyanins; Phytochemicals
PubMed: 37640097
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148554