Herbal Materials Research Articles

PKM Usaha Rumahan Pembuatan Jamu Tradisionil Sebagai Upaya Peningkatan Kualitas Produk

The home business of making traditional herbal medicine carried out by Mrs. Khasi'ah as a Community Service Partner whose address is Jalan Penjaringan 3 no.10 Rungkut Surabaya is a business that was founded 40 years ago. Mrs. Khasia'ah is an elderly widow aged 70 years who is able to live independently by making traditional herbal medicine (beras kencur, sinom, kunir asam, cabe puyang, suruh kunci, sambiloto, mengkudu laos) to be marketed around the village every day. The problem found based on observations from Wak Si''s traditional herbal medicine business was that the equipment for grinding ingredients (kunir, jahe, kunci, kencur, etc.) still used a mashing tool in the form of an ancient mortar which caused the process of making herbal medicine to take a long time. Apart from that, the process of making herbal medicine is that when it is finished boiling, it is placed in a bucket made of old plastic (not suitable from a health perspective). Problems also occur when selling around the village, namely the carts used to sell herbal medicine are rotten and the bottles used for herbal medicine are used mineral water bottles which should not be used again. The solutions offered to overcome Mitra's problems are: procuring a blender to mash the ingredients so that the process of making herbal medicine can be done in a shorter time, procuring an aluminum pan to hold the herbal medicine that has been boiled so that it is suitable from a health perspective, making a cart because the existing cart is already rotting, it's time to replace it. and providing drinking containers as a place for herbal medicine to replace used mineral water bottles so that they are suitable as drink containers. The results obtained from this community service program are that the process of refining herbal medicine raw materials can be done more quickly, the process of making herbal medicine is hygienic, adequate carts for herbal medicine and bottles for storing herbal medicine are suitable.

Case report: Herbal treatment of neutropenic enterocolitis after chemotherapy for breast cancer

Abstract In this case report, a 53-year-old woman was diagnosed with severe NE after receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer. The patient with breast cancer was treated with a single cycle of docetaxel (140 mg) + epirubicin (130 mg) + cyclophosphamide (0.9 g) chemotherapy. However, the woman presented with symptoms of fatigue and diarrhea 5 days later accompanied with severe neutropenia according to the routine blood test. The computed tomography examination displayed the thickening and swelling of the colorectal wall. After the diagnosis of NE, the woman received antibiotics and supportive treatment, but her symptoms were not improved. The Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) diagnostic pattern was then designed for the patient. The patient was administered with two CHM decoctions. One decoction contained 24 kinds of herbal materials, and the other one was called pure ginseng decoction. These two decoctions were administered to the patient 2 or 3 times per day to tonify the spleen, nourish Qi and blood, and remove phlegm and damp heat symptoms. After the CHM treatment lasting for 10 days, the symptoms of the patient were improved, and she was discharged. In conclusion, CHM treatment played an indispensable role in curing the woman with chemotherapy-induced NE.

Phenolic Diversity and Antioxidant Activity of Artemisia abrotanum L. and Artemisia absinthium L. during Vegetation Stages

Over the past ten years, particular attention has been paid to Artemisia L. genus plants and their chemical composition. Artemisia abrotanum L. and Artemisia absinthium L., which are traditional medicinal, aromatic plants with a strong digestive activity that is determined by the various phytochemicals. The research aim was to determine the variation in polyphenols in the samples of different vegetation stages of two Artemisia species and to evaluate the antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts in vitro. Phytochemical analysis of the Artemisia samples was carried out using spectrophotometric methods and HPLC-PDA techniques, while antioxidant activity was determined using DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC assays. Significant differences in the diversity of phenolic compounds were found among Artemisia species during vegetation stages. Chlorogenic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, and rutin were predominant among the phenolic compounds. The study provides valuable insights into the composition of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in Artemisia plants at different growth stages, shedding light on their potential pharmacological effects and antioxidant activities. These findings contribute to the knowledge of the quality and safety of herbal materials derived from Artemisia species.

Development of Optimal Technology for Drying Herbal Medicinal Raw Materials from Autumn Wormwood (<i>Artemisia serotina</i> Bunge) Based on Comparative Analysis

Introduction. Choosing the optimal method for drying medicinal plants is an important aspect of obtaining herbal materials of pharmacopoeial quality. At the site of the pharmaceutical enterprise Fitoleum LLP (Esik, Kazakhstan), a technology for obtaining herbal materials from autumn wormwood (Artemisia serotina Bunge) was developed, within the framework of which the optimal drying method was studied using IR radiation, convective drying and shadow drying in natural conditions. In parallel with the experimental approach, a method for simulating drying conditions was implemented. The development of technology for the obtaining of herbal materials is implemented using the "Quality by Design" concept, one of the principles of which is the modeling of experiments (Design of experiments, DoE). The advantage of modeling when studying the processes is that this technique allows you to simultaneously analyze several input parameters and their impact on quality indicators, while significantly reducing the number of experiments.Aim. To choose the optimal method for drying autumn wormwood herb for further production of herbal medicine or herbal materials.Materials and methods. During the experiment, the following equipment was used: a manual harvester for collecting plants, pallets or racks with a mesh bottom, infrared substrates, a convective drying oven, racks with pallets under a canopy in natural conditions, a grass cutter, vibrating sieves. Also, the study was carried out in accordance with the principles of the "Quality by Design" concept using the Minitab Statistical Software 21 program, using a statistical tool – Design of experiments (DoE).Results and discussion. The results of studies of various drying methods have shown that the most optimal is drying with IR radiation, which allows to maintain the content of essential oils (the main group of biologically active substances) at the optimal level – about 1,7 % with a raw material moisture content of no more than 13 %. The data obtained by simulating the experiment in the Minitab program were comparable to the results of the classical experimental design. The optimal method and technological parameters for drying autumn wormwood have been established – the use of IR radiation, temperature of 35–45 °C and drying time of 14–17 hours. Comparable data on the studied technological parameters of three sequentially produced series were obtained and the validity of the technological process for drying autumn wormwood was confirmed.Conclusion. Comparative analysis of the methods of drying medicinal plants – IR radiation, convective and shadow drying in natural conditions – of autumn wormwood (Artemisia serotina Bunge) was carried out. It has been established that the maximum content of essential oils (as the main group of biologically active substances) in raw materials is observed when using drying using IR radiation at a temperature of 35–45 °C for 14– 17 hours. At the same time, the residual moisture content of the drug is no higher than 13 %, which corresponds to pharmacopoeial requirements. Conducted studies of predicting optimal drying parameters using the Minitab Statistical Software 21 program showed comparability with the experimental results. Based on the results obtained, an optimal method for drying autumn wormwood herb was proposed for use in production and obtaining pharmacopoeial quality medicinal products.

The study of gross beta-radioactivity of some medicinal plants in conditions of outdoor hydroponics and soil culture in Ararat Valley

Background: Technogenic and natural radionuclides (RN) along the biogeochemical chains of agrocenoses may enter the human body through irrigation water- soil- plants- agricultural animals, likewise in hydroponic systems through nutrient solution substrate plants, leading to the development of dangerous diseases. Thus, control of herbal raw material’s gross β-radioactivity and obtaining radioactively safe medicinal raw material are priority issues. Since 1996 we have carried out radio monitoring research in the Ararat valley (where the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) is located) in water, soil, and plant systems in zones of the ANPP with a radius of 2-15, 20 (the territory of Ashtarak city), 30 km (Yerevan, territory of Institute of Hydroponics Problems) (IHP), as well as Dilijan Forest Experimental Station (DFES) (the zone of ANPP with 90 km radius). Studies have shown that in natural waters (artesian water, Hrazdan, Qasakh, Metsamor rivers), soils and in various crops (vegetables, fruit of trees, etc.) of Ararat Valley the content of technogenic RN 90Sr (T1/2=28.6 years) and 137Cs (T1/2=30.1 years) did not exceed maximum allowable concentrations (for drinking water MAC 90Sr=5.0 Bq/L, MAC 137Cs=11.0 Bq/L; for vegetables and fruits MAC 90Sr=50 Bq/L, MAC 137Cs=130 Bq/L). Based on these studies, a complex of practical recommendations in this region will give the opportunity of obtaining ecologically pure agricultural products.Objective: Considering that the accumulation of RN in medicinal plants poses a particularly great threat to obtaining radioecologically safe medicinal raw materials, during 2017-2022 we studied the specificities of gross β-radioactivity and accumulation of controlled technogenic RN (90Sr and 137Cs) in medicinal plants under hydroponics and soil conditions in the Ararat valley (the zone of ANPP with 30 km radius). This has a specific practical significance, as it will enable to obtain the most radio-ecologically safe plant material.Methods: Gross β-radioactivity and content of 90Sr and 137Cs of samples (artesian water (irrigation water), nutrient solution, soil layers with depth of 0 - 30 cm and number of medicinal plants) in it were defined with radio-chemical extraction methods through the radiometer UMF-1500 (made in Russia) with low background. 90Sr was determined by the oxalate method with 90Y. RN were determined in dry sediments of waters, nutrient solution, the ash of plants, and soils. The following chemical reagents were used for the analysis: C2H2O4, HNO3, HCl, CH3COOH, CsCl, Y2O3, YCl3, K2SO4, KI, Sr(NO3)2, CeCl3, Ni(NO3)2, SbCl3, K4[Fe(CN)6] 3H2O and others.Results: The radio-chemical studies showed that the gross β-radioactivity of herbs in hydroponics fluctuated between 250 – 740 Bq/kg, and in soil: 140 – 690 Bq/kg. Thus, the medicinal raw material from the medicinal plants cultivated in outdoor hydroponics and soil, is radioecologically safe, since its gross β-radioactivity does not exceed the threshold of 1.0 Bq/g. Medicinal plants grown in hydroponics and soil, with a slight deviation, show the same gross β-radioactivity decreasing pattern as follows: Peucedanum caucasicum (M.Bieb.) K. Koch. > Lycium barbarum > Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) > Teucrium polium = Humulus lupulus, variety “Crystal” > Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench > Humulus lupulus, variety “Chinook” > Humulus lupulus, variety “Newport” > Colchicum speciosum Stev. > Moringa oleifera Lam. Our studies have shown that the proportion of 90Sr and 137Cs together in gross β-radioactivity in different medicinal plants fluctuated between 1.0-7.4 % of dry mass in hydroponics and 1.7-10.1 % of dry mass in soil. In the gross β-radioactivity of medicinal plants the share of 90Sr and 137Cs in hydroponics was 1.2-3.0 and 1.3-2.3 times lower than that of soil plants.Conclusion: In artesian waters, gray soils and different medicinal plants grown in hydroponic settings and soil of Ararat Valley the content of controlled technogenic RN (90Sr and 137Cs) did not exceed MAC. Both medicinal raw materials grown in hydroponic settings and soil in Ararat Valley are radioecologically safe.Keywords: technogenic radionuclides, nutrient solution, herbal raw materials, 90Sr, 137Cs

Impact of Using Natural Herbal Materials for Acupoint Application Combined with an Evidence-Based Supervision Method on Improving Renal Function and Lifestyle Treatment in Hemodialysis Patients

Natural herbal materials are commonly derived from plants, minerals, and animals, and compared to synthetic drugs, are closer to natural resources. Here, we analyzed the impact of using evidence-based supervision in combination with natural herbal materials for acupoint application on renal function and lifestyle treatment in hemodialysis patients, with the aim to provide evidence for clinical practice. We selected 80 patients who underwent hemodialysis treatment in our hospital between September 2021 and December 2022 as the research subjects. All of the research subjects were randomly divided into observation and control groups, with 40 cases in each group. The control group received conventional nursing interventions, while the observation group received interventions using acupuncture point application of natural Traditional Chinese medicine herbal materials combined with evidence-based supervision. The main endpoints were to compare the nursing intervention effects between the two groups, including patients’ renal function indicators and quality of life. The natural Chinese medicinal herb Atractylodes macrocephala contains eucalyptol-type sesquiterpene lactones, which exhibit various activities, especially in anti-inflammatory aspects, with a definite effect on the prevention and treatment of renal fibrosis in hemodialysis patients. Clinical studies have shown that the levels of serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, while the GQOLI-74 scores of the observation group were higher than those of the control group (all P >0.05). Natural Chinese medicines are natural biobased materials that are often described as compound drugs in practical clinical applications, containing multiple components that can work synergistically to produce comprehensive therapeutic effects. Among them, Atractylodes macrocephala has a definite effect on the prevention and treatment of renal fibrosis in hemodialysis patients. The use of natural Chinese medicinal materials in acupoint application combined with evidence-based supervisory methods has shown precise clinical effects in hemodialysis patients, not only by improving renal function but also significantly enhancing their quality of life.

Application of the herbal chemical marker ranking system (Herb MaRS) to the standardization of herbal raw materials: a case study

IntroductionPhytochemical standardization of herbal materials involves establishing consistent levels of one or more active ingredients or markers. It ensures the authenticity and quality of herbal materials, extracts, and their products. This research aimed to apply the herbal chemical marker ranking system (Herb MaRS) originally proposed for quality assurance of complex herbal products to establish markers for controlling the quality of herbal raw materials.MethodsThe assessment of compounds for suitability as markers was based on the Herb MaRS, with minor modifications as follows: for more objective scoring, evidence of biological activity of the potential marker compound(s) was determined at three levels based on the number of symptoms of the disease condition a compound can treat or alleviate: (i) one symptom (1 point), two symptoms (2 points), and 3 or more symptoms (3 points). The reported concentrations of the compounds were also scored as follows: concentration not determined (0 points), concentration ≥ 5 ppm (1 point), concentration ≥ 50 ppm (2 points) and availability of analytical standards (1 point). Finally, the compounds were scored for the availability of an analytical method (1 point). The compounds were scored from 0 to 8, where 8 indicated the most suitable chemical marker.ResultsThe selected markers were as follows: aromadendrine, α-terpineol, globulol, and 1,8-cineol (in Eucalyptus globulus Labill. ); aloin, aloe emodin, acemannan (in Aloe barbadensis (L.) Burm.f. ), lupeol, lupenone, betulinic acid, betulin, and catechin (in Albizia coriaria Oliv.); mangiferin, catechin, quercetin, and gallic acid (in Mangifera indica L.); polygodial (in Warburgia ugandensis Sprague); azadirachtin, nimbin, nimbidin (in Azadirachta indica A. Juss. ); and 6,8,10-gingerols, and 6-shogaol (in Zingiber officinalis Roscoe).ConclusionsHerb MaRS can be efficiently applied to select marker compounds for quality control of herbal materials. However, for herbs whose phytochemicals have not been sufficiently researched, it is difficult to establish evidence of activity, and there are no analytical standards and/or methods; this is the case for plants exclusively used in Africa. The markers identified should be incorporated into chromatographic fingerprints, their quantitative methods developed, and evaluated for applicability at the various stages of the production chain of herbal medicines; then, they can be included in future local plant monographs. There is also a need to build local capacity to isolate marker compounds, particularly those that are not sold by current vendors.

Quality, Safety and Biological Studies on Campylanthus glaber Aerial Parts.

In Cabo Verde, several endemic species are used in traditional medicine. However, no scientific studies have been conducted on the quality, efficacy, and safety of most of these plants. This study focused on establishing the botanical and chemical identification parameters required for a quality monograph of Campylanthus glaber Benth. aerial parts, a medicinal plant of Cabo Verde traditionally used to treat fever and muscular pain. In addition, in vitro antioxidant and antihyperglycemic activity, cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity were assessed for this medicinal plant. Optical microscopy, LC/UV-DAD-ESI/MS, and colorimetric assays were used for botanical, chemical, and biological studies, respectively. Cytotoxicity was assessed by the MTT assay with HepG2 cells, and genotoxicity by the Ames test. Microscopically, the xeromorphic leaf of C. glaber presents a thick cuticle (13.6-25.5 µm), thick-walled epidermal cells, anomocytic-type stomata, glandular trichomes (stalk length = 49.4-120.8 µm), and idioblasts containing calcium oxalate microcrystals. The chemical screening of aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts of this medicinal plant revealed the presence of organic acids, iridoids, phenylethanoids, and flavonoids as the main classes of marker compounds, with malic acid, citric acid, and verbascoside being the main marker compounds identified. Both extracts showed similar LC/UV-DAD/ESI-MS qualitative profiles and DPPH radical scavenger activity (IC50 = 130.9 ± 1.4; 134.3 ± 3.1 µg/mL). The hydroethanolic extract inhibited both α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes in a dose-dependent manner. Both extracts showed no cytotoxicity (up to 1000 µg/mL) by the MTT assay and no genotoxic potential with or without metabolic activation up to 5 mg /plate. The results obtained are an important contribution to the monographic quality assessment of C. glaber aerial parts and suggest that this medicinal plant may be safe and potentially used as an herbal drug raw material for pharmaceutical purposes.

Towards the development of analytical monograph specifications for the quality assessment of the medicinal plant Phyllanthus urinaria

Many people in developing countries rely on herbal remedies for their primary healthcare needs. The challenge however is that several of these products lack proper documentation of quality and safety. To ensure consistent quality, validated methods are needed to establish and control quality attributes associated with identity, purity, and levels of bioactive constituents of the respective herbal materials. The present study focused on Phyllanthus urinaria (PU), a widely used medicinal plant in Ghana and West Africa that lacks the necessary quality control standards. The study aimed to develop an HPTLC identification method, which together with UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis established the identity of PU samples and differentiated PU from other closely related Phyllanthus species. Quantitative UPLC and HPTLC methods were developed to assess the contents of selected active markers in the PU samples, which invariably led to the proposal of acceptance criteria for the active markers. Prior to the content analyses, the sample extraction procedure was optimized through the use of Design of Experiment method. The effects of harvest time and geographic origin on the content of active compounds were demonstrated in the investigations. PU samples were also found to be contaminated with higher levels of pesticides like chlorpyrifos and folpet. Essentially, this study provides analytical protocols, insights into the quality status of PU samples in Ghana, and analytical specifications contained in a drafted monograph for future consideration in regional and subregional African pharmacopoeias.

Cannabis profiling of seized samples: An intra-location variability study using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry profiles and multivariate data analysis.

Yearly, cannabis belongs to the most seized drugs worldwide. During judicial investigations, illicit cannabis profiling can be performed to compare seized herbal material. However, comparison is challenging because of the natural heterogeneity of the psychoactive crop. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiles, consisting of eight cannabinoids, were used to study the intra-location (within) and inter-location (between) variabilities. Decision thresholds were derived from the 95% and 99% confidence limits, applying Pearson correlation coefficients for the intra-location samples. The false negatives and false positives (FPs) determined the discriminative power of different pretreatments applied to obtain the lowest FP error rate possible. Initially, a 97 samples data set was used and with log transformation as pretreatment, a decrease in FPs from 38% and 45% FPs to 17% and 22%, for both confidence limits, respectively, was seen relative to internal standard normalization that was used as reference. An additional intra-plantation variability study with 130 samples verified whether the initial model contained sufficient within-location information, but this was not the case. Hence, a combined data matrix was constructed with all seized samples. Log transformation provided the best FP results for both limits, that is, an improvement from 58% and 64% to 21% and 26%, respectively, was seen. The representativeness of these 'linked' thresholds was demonstrated using both cross-validation and an external set, for which similar FP results as for the calibration set were obtained. By applying data pretreatment, a significant improvement was observed to distinguish seized samples. However, the FP rate is still not at an acceptable level to defend in court.

A new type of laboratory microdevice for distillation of lavender and herb raw materials

Abstract. Bulgaria is known for its essential oils and medicinal plants, which occupy increasing parts in the agricultural areas. In recent years, the boom in lavender production has made our country the largest producer of lavender oil in the world. This intensified the scientific work with it and led to the creation of new lavender varieties and lines that are used in production. All research and tests on an industrial scale go through the laboratory distillation of small amounts of plant material to determine the quantity and quality of essential oil. In laboratory practice, micro-apparatus for water distillation is widely used, which does not reflect the real results for the yield and quality of the product. This necessitated the creation of a new laboratory device for determining the content of essential oil in raw materials with labile (rich in esters) oil by the application of steam distillation. The design of this apparatus mirrors industrial installations, thus the results it produces accurately simulate those of industrial production. Tests with herbal raw materials, like Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Salva sclarea L. and Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don showed that the model is effective and applicable. The oils obtained by the new apparatus retained an ester content of 40.2%, 75.0% and 4.8%, respectively; these figures represent a significant improvement over previous methods.

Selection of the optimal extraction conditions of the polyphenolics from Lavandula angustifolia herbal raw materials

Selection of the optimal extraction conditions of the polyphenolics from Lavandula angustifolia herbal raw materials

Examination of Elemental Composition of Herbal Medicinal Raw Materials of Voronezh Region

Introduction. The available information on the elemental composition of medicinal plant raw materials of the Voronezh region showed that studies are carried out mainly on several elements, which does not allow determining the complete mineral complex of medicinal plants and describing the specifics of the accumulation of individual elements in them.Aim. The purpose of the study is to study the macro- and microelement composition of medicinal plant raw materials of the Voronezh region on the example of a protected area.Materials and methods. Pharmacopoeic types of medicinal vegetal raw materials were used as subjects of investigation: nettle leaves dioecious (Urtica dioica L.), plantain leaves large (Plantago major L.), common pajma flowers (Tanacetum vulgare L.), heart-shaped linden flowers (Tilia cordata Mill.), herb of five-lobed dumplings (Leonurus quinquelobatus Gilib.), grass of bitter wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.), common millennium grass (Achillea millefolium L.), bird mountain grass (Polygonum aviculare L.), roots of the common bladder (Arctium lappa L.), roots of the dandelion drug (Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg). Raw material harvesting was carried out in accordance with pharmacopoeic rules in natural thickets in the Voronezh State Natural Biosphere Reserve named after V. M. Peskov in the Ramonsky district. The microelement composition of the samples was studied mass-spectroscopically on an ELAN DRC device (PerkinElmer Instruments, USA) after acid-microwave decomposition.Results and discussion. In each plant sample, 59 elements were quantified. The content of the total elemental complex in the studied types of LRs varies from 1.91 to 7.68 % in terms of dry raw materials. The studied raw materials accumulate macroelements to the greatest extent (more than 84 %). Essential trace elements accumulate most in dioecious nettle leaves (more than 9 mg/g). Of the essential trace elements, silicon and iron accumulate most of all the studied raw materials. Content of regulated toxic trace elements does not exceed requirements of pharmacopoeia.Conclusion. The results of the study showed a complex macro- and microelement composition of the studied medicinal vegetal raw materials, which can be used in the medical and pharmaceutical practice of creating phytopreparations and biologically active additives for correcting physiological norms of the content of elements in the human body. The most quantitatively rich elemental composition is noted for the grass of five-lobed dumplings, nettle leaves of dioecious and large plantain (more than 50 mg/g).

Nagarmotha: A Useful Medicinal Plant and its Synergistic Ophthalmic Formulations

Abstract: The basic objective of this review is to furnish extensive confirmation on the bioactive chemical compounds and pharmacological aspects of Nagarmotha, i.e., Cyperus scariosus of the family Cyperaceae and some others plants used to treat various diseases of eyes as mentioned in Ayurveda, Charaka Samhita, and Sushrut Samhita. Nagarmotha showed an extensive ethnomedicinal record and constituted a phytonutrient pool of heuristic medicinal value. Various observations on pharmacological affirmation have illustrated the potential of plants as antioxidant, hypotensive, stimulant of the central nervous system, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, analgesic, ophthalmic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, and antimicrobial actions which aid its conventional benefits. Nagarmotha remained to be an important part of various prescriptions used in nearly all indigenous systems of medicines to cure a variety of ailments. Various investigations on bioactive chemical compounds revealed that Cyperus scariosus has countless essential components like essential oils, terpenoids, sesquiterpenes, hydrocarbons, steroidal saponins, ketones, cyperene, cyperol, cyprotene, flavonoids, and various polyphenolic compounds. In the present work, more emphasis is on the bioactive chemical compounds, enlistment of bioactive chemical compounds responsible for therapeutic values, conventional benefits, and their detailed reported pharmacological properties. Some of the available marketed ayurvedic preparations were also mentioned in this review. Overall, researchers may get assisted and synchronized for impending potency, profitability, and effectiveness of Nagarmotha especially, and other medicinal plants generally. The demand for herbal products is expanding immensely all around the world and several biopharmaceutical regions are nowadays managing substantial research on herbal materials for their promising medicative value. Further curative usefulness of various phytochemicals obtained from Cyperus scariosus may be validated and corroborated.

Assessing Adoption of DNA Barcoding in Herbal Value Chain: A Multistakeholder Analysis

Abstract: Due to its accuracy and expert-authenticated validation mechanism, DNA barcoding technology is advocated to be superior to existing methods of species identification. While DNA barcoding is generally viewed as valuable innovation in herbal materials authentication, the acceptability and accessibility issues pose a barrier to its uptake into the global herbal regulatory framework. We explore the current status of DNA barcoding technology for quality assurance of herbal materials/ products (HM/P) and the challenges of its formal adoption into multi-level policy. We discuss the adulteration problem in the HM/P value chain, provide an overview of DNA barcoding technology features, and highlight the current use of DNA barcoding from the perspective of four key stakeholders, i.e., epistemic group, international bodies, governments, and market agents, practicing DNA barcoding technology in the HM/P value chain. The discussion also includes the status of DNA barcoding in the control system of HM/P in the US, EU, and China, and provides some recommendations on how the application of DNA barcoding as quality control/assurance can be deployed in the HM/P value chain.

TRANSFORMATION OF HOME-BASED TRADITIONAL JAMU MARKETING FROM CONVENTIONAL TO ONLINE SYSTEMS WITHIN THE MSME MARKET

This study aims to explain the process of transforming the business of selling processed herbal medicine from a conventional system to an online system and to explain the opportunities and challenges of this business going forward. The research method in writing this thesis is descriptive and uses 5 key informants as traditional herbal medicine business actors, herbs and pharmacies. The increasing consumption of herbal medicine by the community is influenced by various factors, such as personal factors, marketing factors, socio-cultural factors, psychological factors and price factors. These various factors have an impact on the level of consumer/customer acceptance of herbal medicine from conventional trading businesses to online trading businesses. The determining factor in the process of converting a conventional herbal medicine business into an online herbal medicine trading business is the legality factor in the circulation and use of herbal medicine . It is necessary to conduct further investigations regarding alternative traditional herbal medicine, the availability of herbal basic ingredients / herbal raw materials so that the herbal medicine manufacturing process can continue

Instant Detection of Synthetic Cannabinoids on Physical Matrices, Implemented on a Low-Cost, Ultraportable Device.

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) make up a class of novel psychoactive substances (NPS), used predominantly in prisons and homeless communities in the U.K. SCs can have severe side effects, including psychosis, stroke, and seizures, with numerous reported deaths associated with their use. The chemical diversity of SCs presents the major challenge to their detection since approaches relying on specific molecular recognition become outdated almost immediately. Ideally one would have a generic approach to detecting SCs in portable settings. The problem of SC detection is more challenging still because the majority of SCs enter the prison estate adsorbed onto physical matrices such as paper, fabric, or herb materials. That is, regardless of the detection modality used, the necessary extraction step reduces the effectiveness and ability to rapidly screen materials on-site. Herein, we demonstrate a truly instant generic test for SCs, tested against real-world drug seizures. The test is based on two advances. First, we identify a spectrally silent region in the emission spectrum of most physical matrices. Second, the finding that background signals (including from autofluorescence) can be accurately predicted is based on tracking the fraction of absorbed light from the irradiation source. Finally, we demonstrate that the intrinsic fluorescence of a large range of physical substrates can be leveraged to track the presence of other drugs of interest, including the most recent iterations of benzodiazepines and opioids. We demonstrate the implementation of our presumptive test in a portable, pocket-sized device that will find immediate utility in prisons and law enforcement agencies around the world.

Main Molecular Factors and Pathways in the Anti-cancer Act of Crocin

One of the herbal materials with several anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics is crocin, an effective component derived from saffron, which can be applied to cure a range of diseases. It has been demonstrated that crocin has an important impact on controlling pathological situations such as inflammation, oxidative stress, neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic disorders, and cancer. Notch, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and cyclic-AMP response element-connecting factor pathways may all be involved in crocin's neuroprotective properties. With its inhibitory effect on toll-like receptors, crocin also preserves the cardiovascular system. Treatment of metabolic problems may be performed by crocin's regulatory influence on the PI3K pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinases, and peroxisome proliferator-stimulated receptor pathways. This letter has investigated effective molecular factors in the anticancer act of crocin.

Smartphone-based electrochemical sensor for cost-effective, rapid and on site detection of chlorogenic acid in herbs using biomass-derived hierarchically porous carbon synthesized by a soft-hard dual template method

To achieve excellent germplasm resource screening and ensure the quality control of herbal tea raw material, it is important to establish a cost-effective, rapid, and on site quantitative detection method for their bioactive constituents. We developed a smartphone-operated sensor for electrochemical detection of chlorogenic acid (CGA) using hierarchically porous carbon (DSiFPC), synthesized through a soft-hard dual template strategy with tannin acid as a carbon source, silica colloid as a hard template, and Pluronic F127 as a soft template. The DSiFPC modified glassy carbon electrode sensor showed excellent electrocatalytic ability towards CGA, with a wide linear range of 0.03–1 μM and a low limit of detection of 6.2 nM. It was successfully applied for detecting CGA in dried flowers of Lonicera japonica. Furthermore, a portable sensor utilizing a DSiFPC modified screen-printed electrode was employed for on site detection of CGA in fresh Eucommia ulmoides leaves, yielding satisfactory recoveries.

Quantitative determination of total flavonoids in Glycyrrhiza Glabra L. herbs

Licorice herb (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) is a promising herbal raw material, which can be comprehensively used to develop drugs with an anti-inflammatory action.The aim of the article was to development a quantitative determination method of total flavonoids in Glycyrrhiza glabra L. herbs.Materials and methods. The subjects of research were 5 samples of licorice herb harvested in summer in various places of growing and cultivation. Pinostrobin was used as a standard sample. The registration of the electronic spectra was carried out with a spectrophotometer (Analytik Jena AG, Germany) by differential spectrophotometry, 96% ethanol was used as a solvent.Results. The methods for quantitative determination of total flavonoids in Glycyrrhiza glabra L. was carried out at an analytical wavelength of 310 nm equivalent to pinocembrin. The optimum parameters for the extraction of total flavonoids from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. were as follows: the extractant – 90% ethanol; the «raw material-extractant» ratio was 1:50; the extraction time was 60 min; the degree of atomization was 2 mm. The content of total flavonoids for the Glyccyrhiza glabra L. herb has been determined, it varies from 0.39±0.002 to 3.41±0.015% with the humidity of the vegetative raw material from 9.97±0.003 to 10.03±0.003% depending on the place of the vegetation, cultivation and year of the raw material collection. The error of the single determination with a 95% confidence level was ±0.73%.Conclusion. The developed methods for the quantitative determination of total flavonoids in Glycyrrhiza glabra L. herbs can be used to solve the issues of standardization of these medicinal plant raw materials.