Exploring Buchanania lanzan: A Comprehensive Review of Phytoconstituents, Medicinal Properties, and Nanoformulations

Semecarpus anacardium is known as Bhallataka. It is an old Indian medicinal plant known as the AyurvedicArdaVaidya, leading to “half the doctors”. This plant includes significant importance in indigenous medicine. Semecarpus anacardium is a widely ued. Plant parts have medicinal benefits such as anticancer, asthma, antiarithritis, myocardial infraction, antidiabetic, piles, anti-helminthiasis, etc. This article examines a plant's pharmacological activity, covering its botanical characteristics, geographical distribution, and traditional uses. It discusses the plant’s morphology, growth conditions, and common names, as well as its native and cultivated regions. Its medicinal properties are due to presence of various bioactive constituents such as flavonoids, amino acids, phenolic compounds, minerals and vitamins amino acids in its nuts. The diverse phytochemical composition of Semecarpus anacardium underlines its importance in herbal medicine. The phytochemicals present, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids, are emphasized, along with extraction methods for consistency and efficacy. It also examines the plant’s pharmacological activities, such asanticancer, antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammatory activity, and antioxidant effect. It focuses on the plant's role in traditional medicine and modern therapeutic applications in clinical settings and alternative medicine. The plant parts (roots, stem, leaves, fruits, and seeds) of Semecarpus anacardium were subjected to various extraction methods, including Soxhlet extraction and solvent partitioning.

Buchanania lanzan Spreng plant is well known for its medicinal and therapeutic values in Indian folk medicine. However, to be clinically useful, more scientific data are needed. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of root of Buchanania lanzan. Tribal people of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh are using Buchanania lanzan Spreng. Mainly for wound healing, anti-diarrhoeal, analgesic and antiulcer activity apart from in other conditions, but no scientific study has been carried out regarding its pharmacological activities. Traditional indigenous knowledge reveals the immense value of almost all parts of the plant i.e. roots, leaves, fruits, seeds and gum for various medicinal uses. Buchanania lanzan, being a vulnerable medicinal plant, is included in the Red Data Book published by International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This species has high socioeconomic value providing livelihood to tribal population of the area and has high potential as commercial horticulture species. The present review discusses the need and emphasizes the importance of pharmacognostic study of Buchanania lanzan Spreng.

Essential oils are lipophilic secondary metabolites produced in various parts of aromatic plants and stored in specialized secretory structures. They play a vital role in plant defense, offering protection against microorganisms and herbivores. These oils are known for a wide range of biological activities, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, analgesic, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects. Given the increasing interest in natural alternatives to synthetic drugs, this review explored the therapeutic relevance of Pinus-derived essential oils as promising candidates in modern phytotherapy. Species of the genus Pinus have been widely investigated for their phytochemical composition and biological potential, with a focus on their medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. This review aimed to assess the biological properties of Pinus species commonly used in traditional medicine. In this paper, thorough insight into the chemical composition, as well as into the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of essential oils obtained from the different parts of Pinus species, was given. Although recognized for their antimicrobial activity against a wide range of bacterial strains, including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, the practical application of Pinus essential oils is often limited by their physicochemical instability and volatility. Therefore, this review highlighted the advances in formulation strategies, particularly encapsulation techniques, as the possible direction of future research concerning essential oils.

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the essential oil extracted from the aerial parts of Teucrium viscidum Blume, a perennial herb belonging to the Lamiaceae family, collected in Vietnam. The focus was on determining the essential oil's chemical composition and evaluating its antimicrobial and mosquito larvicidal activities. Methods The essential oil of T. viscidum was analyzed using GC–FID/MS to identify its chemical constituents. The antimicrobial activity was assessed against seven microorganisms using the broth microdilution method to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values. The larvicidal activity was evaluated against Culex quinquefasciatus larvae, with lethal concentration (LC50 and LC90) values calculated after 24 and 48 h of exposure. Results Chemical analysis revealed that the essential oil of T. viscidum was predominantly composed of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, with ( E)-caryophyllene (47.91%) and germacrene D (19.17%) as the major constituents. The essential oil exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against three Gram-positive bacteria ( Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus), one Gram-negative bacterium ( Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and one yeast ( Candida albicans), with MIC values ranging from 32 to 64 μg/mL and IC50 values ranging from 9.56 to 24.07 μg/mL. The mosquito larvicidal activity of the essential oil showed strong efficacy against C. quinquefasciatus larvae, with LC50 values of 23.07 μg/mL after 24 h and 19.67 μg/mL after 48 h, and LC90 values of 32.90 μg/mL at 24 h and 29.99 μg/mL at 48 h, indicating increased effectiveness with prolonged exposure. Conclusion This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the chemical composition and biological activities of T. viscidum essential oil. The findings highlight its potent antimicrobial and mosquito larvicidal properties, suggesting it as a promising natural alternative to synthetic antimicrobial agents and insecticides. Further research is warranted to explore its mechanisms of action and potential applications in pharmaceuticals and pest control.

Croton zehntneri is an aromatic plant native to Northeast Brazil and employed by local people to treat various diseases. The leaves of this plant have a rich content of essential oil. The essential oil of C. zehntneri samples, with anethole as the major constituent and anethole itself, have been reported to have several pharmacological activities such as antispasmodic, cardiovascular, and gastroprotective effects and inducing the blockade of neuromuscular transmission and antinociception. Since several works have demonstrated that essential oils and their constituents block cell excitability and in view of the multiple effects of C. zehntneri essential oil and anethole on biological tissues, we undertook this investigation aiming to characterize and compare the effects of this essential oil and its major constituent on nerve excitability. Sciatic nerves of Wistar rats were used. They were mounted in a moist chamber, and evoked compound action potentials were recorded. Nerves were exposed in vitro to the essential oil of C. zehntneri and anethole (0.1-1 mg/mL) up to 180 min, and alterations in excitability (rheobase and chronaxie) and conductibility (peak-to-peak amplitude and conduction velocity) parameters of the compound action potentials were evaluated. The essential oil of C. zehntneri and anethole blocked, in a concentration-dependent manner with similar pharmacological potencies (IC50: 0.32 ± 0.07 and 0.22 ± 0.11 mg/mL, respectively), rat sciatic nerve compound action potentials. Strength-duration curves for both agents were shifted upward and to the right compared to the control curve, and the rheobase and chronaxie were increased following essential oil and anethole exposure. The time courses of the essential oil of C. zehntneri and anethole effects on peak-to-peak amplitude of compound action potentials followed an exponential decay and reached a steady state. The essential oil of C. zehntneri and anethole caused a similar reduction in conduction velocities of the compound action potential waves investigated. In conclusion, we demonstrated here that the essential oil of C. zehntneri blocks neuronal excitability and that this effect, which can be predominantly attributable to its major constituent, anethole, is important since these agents have several pharmacological effects likely related to the alteration of excitability. This finding is relevant due to the use of essential oils in aromatherapy and the low acute toxicity of this agent, which exhibits other effects of potential therapeutic usefulness.

Eugenia brasiliensis L. is a species of flowering plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It has a worldwide, although highly uneven distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. The fruit, which is consumed as food and beverages, provides a good source of vitamins and minerals, while the leaves and stems have many medicinal properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition of the essential oils of leaves collected from summer and winter; different parts of E. brasiliensis (flowers, leaves, stems, and green fruit), and fruits of four ripen stages (green, yellow, red, and purple). The results were used to determine the optimum harvesting time for the different parts of E. brasiliensis in order to obtain the highest oil yield. It was found that the extraction rate of summer leaves and winter leaves were 8.9 mg and 22 mg of oil from 100 g of leaves, respectively. In the different parts of plants (flowers, leaves, stems and green fruit) were 11.0 mg, 91.7 mg, 7.5 mg and 73.6 mg of oil from 100 g of flowers, leaves, stems and green fruit, respectively. Finally, fruits at green, yellow, red and purple color stages were 60.9 mg, 36.4 mg, 16.5 mg and 4.3 mg of oil per 100 g of fruits, respectively. The major components of the essential oils extracted from summer and winter leaves were spathulenol, τ-cadina, and α-cadinol. The leaves oils from both seasons had dry, woody, fresh, sweet, floral-citrusy and spicy odor. Major components of the essential oil extracted from different parts of the plant were spathulenol, τ-cadina, and α-cadinol, except fruit. Oils from flower, leaves, and stem had dry, woody, resinous-piney, resinous, pine and spicy odor. Major components of essential oils extracted from fruits at different ripen stages were limonene and phenol. Nonadecane was found from fruits in green, red, and purple color stages, but it was not found in fruits at yellow color stage. Oils from fruits at their different ripen stages had fresh, sweet, and sweet cherry-like flavor. It was found that the best season for harvesting and acquiring the highest quantity and quality of compound of essential oil was winter. Moreover, essential oil extracted from leaves was found to have the highest yield. In brief, it was shown that the chemical composition of the essential oils vary from different parts of plant and the season of collection. Although most of these compounds are well documented as essential oil components in various plant species, to our knowledge, this is the first report of their presence in the essential oil of Eugenia brasiliensis L. in Taiwan. Moreover, several factors can affect the chamical composition and yield of the essential oil. In some instances it is difficult to segregate these factors from each other, since many are interdependent. These variables may include seasonal and maturity variation, geographical origin, genetic variation, growth stages, and parts of plant.

ridax procumbens, commonly known as coat buttons, is a perennial herb belonging to the (Asteraceae) family, native to Central and South America. It has a rich history of traditional use, particularly in Ayurveda, where it is valued for its therapeutic properties. Its broad pharmacological spectrum T. procumbens exhibits notable antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and wound-healing activities. This review emphasizes the therapeutic value of T. procumbens, particularly its essential oils, which contain various terpenes with potent bioactivity. While the plant’s traditional applications are well-documented, there is still a need for more in-depth research to fully elucidate the mechanisms of action and clinical efficacy of its bioactive compounds. With growing scientific evidence supporting its medicinal properties, T. procumbens holds significant promise as a natural remedy that could be integrated into modern healthcare. Further clinical studies and exploration of its pharmaceutical applications are essential to unlock its full potential for widespread therapeutic use

Pharmacological and toxicological activities of α-humulene and its isomers: A systematic review

Portulacaria afra, is indigenous to South Africa and has been identified to have several medicinal properties according to traditional knowledge and few studies. The drive around this research is to evaluate the medicinal properties of the leaves, stems and for the first time the roots extracts of Portulacaria afra, using four solvents with different polarities. The aqueous (60°C), methanol, n-hexane and ethyl acetate whole plant extracts of P. afra were investigated for their phytochemical properties, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The phytochemical screening revealed that the methanolic and aqueous extracts of the leaves displayed high presence of secondary metabolites compared to n-hexane and ethyl acetate extracts. The methanolic leaves extracts showed strong presence of quinones, phenols, steroid and coumarins while the aqueous leaves extracts contained a moderate presence of saponins, terpenoids, quinones and coumarins. Ethyl acetate leaves extracts revealed a strong presence of tannins, moderate presence of phytosteroids and a low presence of volatile oil. Meanwhile, the leaves extracts with n-hexane showed a considerable amount of saponins with a moderate presence, and a low presence of tannins, volatile oils and terpenoids. The methanolic stems extracts displayed the most significant presence of secondary metabolites, showing a high presence of terpenoids, steroids, phenols and coumarins. The aqueous stems extracts showed a strong presence of glycosides with a moderate presence of saponins. However, ethyl acetate and n-hexane stems extracts displayed a few secondary metabolites with their concentration ranging from medium to low. The ethyl acetate roots extracts displayed a significant elevated amount of quinones with a strong presence. n-hexane roots extracts showed a moderate presence of volatile oil and a low presence of tannins and steroids. Methanolic roots extracts showed a moderate presence of coumarins and glycosides while aqueous roots extracts showed a low presence of glycosides. The overall highest total phenolics contents (TPCs) and total flavonoids contents (TFCs) in all the plant parts, were found to be in the methanol stems extracts and aqueous roots extracts respectively. Next to the methanol leaves and aqueous leaves extracts respectively. However, in the root’s extracts, the aqueous extracts showed the highest total phenolics content while the water extracts had the highest total flavonoids contents. The antimicrobial activities of P. afra whole plant extracts with the various four solvents were tested against three microorganisms Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptomyces griseus using agar-well diffusion method. The Antimicrobial activity of the n-hexane extracts of the leaves, stems and roots of P. afra presented a wide range of inhibition against all the test microorganisms, ethyl acetate leaves extract showed a considerable effect against Staphylococcus aureus while the methanolic extracts were not active. Aqueous roots extracts demonstrated a strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus while the other extracts were not active. The zones of inhibition ranged from 13 to 24 mm for the plant extracts. The antioxidant activity potential of the aqueous, methanol, n-hexane and ethyl acetate extracts of P. afra leaves, stems and roots extracts were observed through a 2, 2 diphenylpicryhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical assay, hydrogen peroxide scavenging (H₂O₂) and metal chelating activity assay. Ethyl acetate roots extracts exhibited the strongest hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity compared to the other extracts. Meanwhile, aqueous stems extracts showed the highest antioxidant activity against DPPH radical. Aqueous and n-hexane roots extracts displayed the strongest metal chelating ability. These findings reveal the efficacy of the use of several solvents with different polarities for effective and more accurate extraction of various compounds and indicate that the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of P. afra parts are dependent on the solvent extracts.

Objective: The present study aims to investigate the organ-specific distribution of essential oil components, phenolic acids, and flavonoid compounds in Ferula lycia Boiss., an endemic and increasingly endangered plant species of the Eastern Mediterranean region. By performing separate phytochemical analyses on different plant parts namely ripe and unripe fruits, leaves, stems, roots, and flowers the study seeks to (i) identify variations in metabolite composition and yield across organs, (ii) determine which organs accumulate pharmacologically valuable compounds, and (iii) provide a scientific foundation for more sustainable and targeted use of F. lycia in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Materials and Methods: F. lycia was collected from its natural environment and separated into plant parts such as flower, leaf, root, stem, mature and immature fruit. Essential oil analyses were obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus. For phenolic acid and flavonoid analyses, plant organs were extracted with methanol and the resulting extracts were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system. Quantification of compounds was performed using external standards ranging from 1–200 μg/mL, and results were expressed as μg/mL. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, and chemical differences between organs were determined using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results: The analysis results indicated significant chemical differences among the organs of F. lycia. Leaves and flowers were found to have the highest essential oil yields and were rich in oxygenated monoterpenes such as verbenone and α-phellandrene. Immature fruits contained high levels of α-pinene and β-pinene. In terms of phenolic and flavonoid content, leaves showed the widest diversity and highest concentrations of key compounds such as quercetin, gallic acid, and p-coumaric acid. Conclusion: The study showed that the essential oil and polyphenol profiles of F. lycia differed according to the plant organs. Leaves and flowers showed the highest bioactive content. These results indicated that the aerial organs have a higher pharmaceutical potential than the underground organs.

ABSTRACTPepper (Piper nigrum L.) is a spice plant that contains bioactive compounds, including essential oils, with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The study intended to determine the composition of essential oil in the pepper plant's seeds, stems, as well as leaves and whether these materials had any potential antioxidant activity, and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. GC–MS (Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry) was utilized to investigate the components of pepper oil, and the inhibition diameter was used to determine the antibacterial activity. The findings revealed that 19, 19, and 29 compounds were found in pepper seed, leaf and stem essential oils, respectively. The three most important contents of seed essential oil were δ‐3‐carene (11.49%), limonene (13.35%), and β‐caryophyllene (37.42%). Leaf essential oil contained δ‐elemene (3.73%), δ‐3‐carene (19.03%), and β‐caryophyllene (50.50%), while stem essential oil was dominated by α‐selinene (11.93%), β‐caryophyllene (12.83%), and δ‐elemene (19.73%). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed clear compositional differences among the three essential oils. Antibacterial assays showed variable activity, with inhibition zones against E. coli measuring 1.5 mm, 6.83 mm, and 4.83 mm, for seed, leaf, and stem oils, respectively, and against S. aureus measuring 8.89 mm, 8.06 mm, and 13.00 mm. Antioxidant activity, evaluated by the DPPH assay demonstrated that stem essential oil exhibited the strongest radical scavenging effect (IC50 255.10 ppm; TEAC 8.39 μmol TE/g), followed by leaf oil (IC50 358.62 ppm; TEAC 5.98 μmol TE/g) and seed oil (IC50 485.98 ppm; TEAC 4.41 μmol TE/g), though all were considered weak antioxidants. These results indicate that P. nigrum essential oils vary significantly in chemical composition and bioactivity across plant parts. The findings confirm their antibacterial and antioxidant potential and underscore the value of seeds, leaves, and stems as alternative sources of bioactive essential oils for prospective applications in food preservation, pharmaceuticals, and natural health products.

Litsea pungens is a plant with medicinal and edible properties, where the fruits are edible and the leaves have medicinal properties. However, there is limited research on the chemical and pharmacological activities of the plant. In this study, essential oils were extracted by steam distillation and their antioxidant and antibacterial activities were further evaluated. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to identify the chemical components of L. pungens fresh fruit essential oil (FREO) and L. pungens fresh flower essential oil (FLEO), rapeseed oil (RO) and commercial Litsea oil (CEO). The results showed that 12 chemical components were identified in FREO. Twelve chemical components were identified from FLEO, four chemical components were identified from CEO, and thirteen chemical components were identified from RO. Except for RO, the other three oils were mainly composed of terpenes, among which limonene is the main chemical component. In terms of antioxidant activity, FREO, FLEO, CEO and RO have antioxidant capacity, mainly reflected in the scavenging DPPH free radicals and the iron ion chelating ability, and the antioxidant activity shows a certain dose effect, but the antioxidant activity of FLEO is the weakest among the four oils. Meanwhile, under the stress of hydrogen peroxide, CEO demonstrated a significant antioxidant protective effect on cells. It is worth mentioning that compared with the positive control, the FREO exhibited a better antibacterial rate. When the concentration of essential oil is 20 mg/mL, the bacteriostatic rate can reach 100%. Therefore, it could be a promising candidate among medicinal and edible plants.

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Juniper galbuli essential oil constituents eluted at different times

Essential oils (EOs) are natural products composed of a mixture of volatile and aromatic compounds extracted from different parts of plants that have shown antimicrobial activities against pathogens. In this study, EOs extracted from Pimenta dioica (Myrtaceae) and Rosmarinus officinalis (Lamiaceae) were assessed for their antimicrobial activities using a panel of pathogenic Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and fungal strains. The antimicrobial activity was measured by the minimal inhibitory concentration required for the growth inhibition of the microorganisms. The cytotoxicity of the EOs was tested ex vivo using the model of human-derived macrophage THP-1 cells. In addition, an inflammatory response was evaluated using the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α. Results showed that both EOs had antimicrobial activity and different pathogens were exposed to concentrations ranging between 600 and 2000 μg/mL. In addition, the EOs showed no inflammatory activity when exposed to human macrophages, but a potent anti-inflammatory activity was measured when the oil from Rosmarinus officinalis was exposed to macrophages. This study demonstrates that the use of EOs is an effective alternative for pathogenic bacterial and fungal control, alone or in combination with antibiotic therapy. Moreover, the oil extracted from Rosmarinus officinalis could be used as potent anti-inflammatory agent.

The genus Hibiscus belongs to the mallow family, Malvaceae comprising of about 275 species growing in tropical and sub tropical areas. The various species of genus Hibiscus have been used as traditional medicine all over the world. There are numerous reports of their traditional medicinal uses in various countries like India, Nigeria, China, and Srilanka etc. to cure various ailments such as hypertension, cardiac diseases, stomach-ache, urine problems, skin diseases and many more. Based on the historical knowledge, various pharmacological and phytochemical studies on some species of the genus Hibiscus have been done. Nevertheless, there are no up-to-date articles published which can provide an overview of pharmacological effects of the genus Hibiscus. Therefore, the main objective of the review article is to provide a systematic comprehensive summary of traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of the genus Hibiscus and to build up a correlation between its traditional ethano-botanical uses and pharmacological activities so as to find some advanced research opportunities in this field. The given information on the ethano-botanical uses, phytoconstituents and various medicinal properties of the genus Hibiscus was gathered from the online scientific databases through search in Google, Google Scholar, Science Direct, NCBI, Pubmed, Springer Link, Research Gate by using some keywords as. Besides these websites other published literature and unpublished Ph.D. thesis and M.Sc. dissertation were also consulted. Previously conducted research revealed that the genus contains good amount of phytoconstituents such as antioxidants, phytosterols, saponins, lignin, essential oils, glycosides, and anthocyanins etc. Presence of these bioactive compounds in the crude extracts of the plants make it suitable for various medicinal properties like anti inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-proliferative, anti-ulcer, hypersensitive, hypolipidemic, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective and many more. Additionally, this review article showed that mainly two species of the genus i.e. H. rosa-sinensis and H. sabdariffa have been explored for their pharmacological activities. There are few reports on some other species like H. tiliaceous, H. microanthus, H. asper, H. acetosella. This review highlights the medicinal potential of the plant Hibiscus due to its unique blend of phytochemicals. These phytoconstituents can be further assessed and subjected to clinical trials for their proper validations. Although large amount of the data regarding pharmacological effects has already been added to the existing reservoir but still potential of certain species like H. radiatus, H. hirtus, H. moschetous, H. trionum and many more is not yet unveiled and can be considered as future prospects that need to be worked out. Graphical Abstract: