Herbal Nutraceuticals Research Articles

Characterisation of Starch from Selected Curcuma Species of Kerala through Microscopy and CHNS Analysis

Starch isolated from different plant sources are regarded as vital in food industry, where the granule size and shape determine its function and uses. Native starches irrespective of their sources are not desirable for many applications. Many Indian tribals explored certain Curcuma species as source for starch and prepare various food items, mainly considering its medicinal importance. Presently, a range of highly priced starch powders are available in the market in the label of herbal nutraceuticals. Starch from the rhizomes of eight different native Curcuma species of Kerala and Maranta arundinacea (Arrow root) were extracted, characterised and compared. It was found that size, shape and CHNS data of starch is varying and could be useful in taxonomic identification of the species. The species specific features of the starch granules would also be useful to find its adulterants. The study also points out its edible value.

Trends in use, pharmacology, and clinical applications of emerging herbal nutraceuticals.

The nutraceuticals market is vast, encompassing many different products with inconsistent levels of evidence available to support their use. This overview represents a Western perspective of the nutraceuticals market, with a brief comparison with that in China, as an illustration of how individual health supplements increase and decrease in popularity in regional terms. Recent changes in sales patterns, mainly taken from the US market, are summarized and a selection of five newer products, which have not been subject to extensive recent review are profiled: astaxanthin, a carotenoid found in red algae, seafood, salmon and trout, as an antioxidant; cannabidiol, a non-euphoric marijuana ingredient used as mood enhancer and for painful/inflammatory conditions; modified extracts of ginseng used in new indications including dementia and space travel; monk fruit, a non-sugar high intensity sweetener and nigella seed, a popular food ingredient and Asian medicine, which has experienced an extraordinary rise in sales recently. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed section on The Pharmacology of Nutraceuticals. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v177.6/issuetoc.

Phytochemical and Nutraceutical Potentials of Beach Bean (Canavalia rosea SW.) DC Grown in Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria

Beach Bean is a species of flowering plant of the genus Canavalia in the pea family, Fabaceae that has a pantropical distribution. This study aims to determine the phytochemical and neutraceutical activities of Beach Bean grown in Anyigba area of Kogi State, Nigeria. Beach Bean (Canavalia rosea) leaf and seed were dried in the powder form, then the leaves and seeds of 200 grams each were extracted in 2000 ml of aqueous. The macerated for 48 hours and filtered using filter paper and filter pump. The sample was concentrated using a rotary evaporator and freeze-dried to powdered form. The filtrate obtained from each extraction was tested for alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, phenol, fat and oils, steroids, tannins and glycosides. The proximate analysis of the samples was carried out for moisture content, ash, fat, crude protein, crude fibre after drying the samples of Beach Bean at room temperature. Vitamins A, E, B and C were determined and the mineral elements were determined by the dry ash extraction. The phytochemical components of secondary metabolites of the extracts from the obtained result, anthraquinone and tannins (leaf) were not present in the extracts. The proximate composition of nutritive value of seed and leaves has a higher value of crude protein of amounting to 50.84% while the leaves have crude protein value of 30.59%, carbohydrates percentage of the leaves was higher (40.60%) while the seed has 26.98%. The percentage of ash content which is an indicator of the quality of mineral nutrients present has a value of 8.45% in leaves and 2.53% in the seed. By implication, the leaves are richer in mineral nutrients/elements than the seeds. This research classified a large number of nutraceuticals available from various sources and their significant uses in the treatment of various diseases such as Cardiovascular, Obesity, Diabetes, Cancer, Alzheimer, Parkinson, Inflammatory, and Allergy. These are cured by herbal nutraceuticals or food herb dietary condiment for phytotherapeutic purposes.

Herbal nutraceuticals: safe and potent therapeutics to battle tumor hypoxia.

Growing solid tumors mostly outstrip blood supply and become hypoxic (low oxygen supply). To survive under this pathological milieu, tumors overexpress a potent oncogenic factor, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). HIF-1α up-regulate HIF-1 signaling pathways and subsequently activate genes that promote cancer growth even under hypoxia. Also, HIF-1 pathway activation leads to aggressive tumor growth, metastasis, therapy resistance and ultimately poor patient prognosis as evidential by several clinical studies. Hence, targeting HIF-1 pathway is regarded as a promising strategy to treat cancer. To date, several synthetic HIF-1 pathway inhibitors have been developed to treat hypoxic tumors; however, they are clinically ineffective due to off-target effects, low potency and high toxicity. Hence, there is an urgent need to explore safe and promising drugs to combat hypoxic tumors. This article extensively reviews the therapeutic potential of various herbal nutraceuticals against wide varieties of hypoxic tumors. The inhibitory effects of each herbal nutraceutical on the pathological consequences of HIF-1 signaling pathway and also their ability to improve the response of hypoxic cancer cells to conventional cancer therapies are discussed. Furthermore, we have provided new directions to overcome challenges behind conducting in vivo and preclinical hypoxia research and developing herbal nutraceuticals into pharmaceuticals to treat cancer. The present review strongly suggests that herbal nutraceuticals are highly effective in combating the oncogenic effects of the HIF-1 pathway in wide varieties of tumors. However, more in vivo studies using zebrafish as a model system and extensive clinical studies in cancer patients with elevated tumor HIF-1α levels are highly warranted to ascertain the effective utilization of herbal nutraceuticals as adjunct/ alternative medicine in clinical practice to treat cancer.

TRADITIONAL USES, PHYTOCHEMISTRY, AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF AMLA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE OF UNANI MEDICINE - AN UPDATED REVIEW

Emblica officinalis, commonly known as Amla belongs to family Euphorbiaceae, is widely used for medicinal purposes in Indian traditional system of medicine (Unani, Ayurveda, and Siddha). It is well known that all parts of Amla are useful in the treatment of various diseases. Various studies on Amla suggest that it has antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal actions. It is one among those traditional plants, which have a long history of usage as a fruit and remedy. It is amazingly effective as natural antiaging drug. It is a very effectual plant in the treatment of acidity and peptic ulcer. According to Unani literature, it possesses nutritional as well as therapeutic values, and thus, it is one of the herbal nutraceuticals. Modern literature and research studies also prove its medicinal importance. Its fruit is used traditionally as an antioxidant, immunomodulator, antipyretic, analgesic, antitussive, anticancer, and gastroprotective. It is also useful in diarrhea, dysentery, diabetes, fever, headache, mouth ulcer, hair growth, scurvy, and constipation. Phytochemical studies on amla disclosed major chemical constituents including tannins, alkaloids, polyphenol, fatty acid, glycosides, phosphatides, vitamins, and minerals. Gallic acid, ellagic acid, phyllembein, and ascorbic acid are also found to be biologically effective. Various reports show the presence of catechol, β-carotene, flavonoids, pyrogallol, superoxide, and dismutase enzyme in Emblica fruit. In this review, an attempt is made to explore the complete information of E. officinalis including its phytochemistry and pharmacology.

Herbal Medication and Nutraceuticals for the Management of Anxiety and Depression

Herbal Medication and Nutraceuticals for the Management of Anxiety and Depression

Clinical Efficacy & Safety of Oral Polypodium Leucotomos Extract for Photoprotection: A Systematic Review

Background: Polypodium leucotomos extract (PLE) is a naturally derived compound from a fern native to South America. PLE has been shown to have antioxidant and photoprotective properties. Several different preparations of PLE are commercially available.Objective: To review the efficacy and safety of PLE for photoprotection in humans.Methods: A systematic review was conducted in 3 databases (Medline, Embase, and Cochrane) for studies that reported on the clinical efficacy and safety of PLE in humans. A data collection form was created for collecting study variables and risk of bias was assessed.Results: Eighteen studies with sample sizes ranging from n=5 to n-61 were included. The most common formulation of PLE studied was Fernblock® (Heliocare, Ferndale Healthcare, Ferndale, MI) in 18 studies. Most studies reported beneficial photoprotective effects of PLE as evidenced by increased MED. No serious adverse effects were reported.Conclusions: Multiple studies have shown the beneficial photoprotective effects and safety of the Fernblock® PLE formulation, but there is minimal evidence to support the safety and efficacy of other formulations. Given that the extraction methodology varies for herbal nutraceuticals and can affect its efficacy, these findings cannot be extrapolated to other formulations of PLE.

Revival of Complementary and Alternative Herbal Medicines

Herbal medicines, complementary or alternative medicines is a wide term for the therapies thatare not part of standard care but it has many theories regarding efficacy based on personal experiences, history and common knowledge. It has long been used since ancient times since the beginning of human civilization. Its use had caught much attention in the early 1800s, with the development in the science of chemistry, a new era in pharmacotherapeutics and the use of active chemical ingredients in plants which were known to produce favorable therapeutic effects, were explored, active compounds were extracted, purified and their structure was revealed. This advancement paved the way towards modern pharmaceutical therapy. The modern drugs are based on these herbal medicines, after extracting the active and pure chemical compounds. Pharmacokinetics and physicochemical properties of the active ingredients was explored. It lead to the better understanding of efficacy and safety profile of these drugs and first choice for treatment of various diseases. At the same time, the herbal medicines were considered as secondarily important.After approximately two centuries, the use of herbal medicines have seen a revival globally both indeveloping as well as developed countries. In the past few years, the practice of using herbal medicines as an alternative and complementary health medicine has gained more importance. Herbal medicines are common for treatment of various ailments including cancer, digestive disorders, pain related disorders, neuropathic ailments and cardiac arrhythmias etc. Even it has been used by pregnant females and mostly perceived as safe. Its use has gained more attraction due to its ‘natural’ approach and lesser side effects. Their use if often overlooked but physicians should pay attention to these medicines.There is lack of familiarity, standardization of the drug components, unproven therapeutic effectsin various diseases, unexplored toxicology, pharmacokinetics, drug-drug interactions, and compatibility in patients with varying medical, genetic and demographic history. There are serious concerns regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of herbal products and nutraceuticals. Accidental contamination and deliberate adulteration are assumed to be the main cause of the side effects.Much of the herbal medical knowledge is scattered in different regions of the world and mostlyavailable at family, community and local level and mostly in any native languages. There is need ofcoherent sources, knowledge, and exploration of these medicines across the world. The herbal medicine has varying diversity in different geological regions and they should be investigated. There should be a regional or national body to control and approve the herbal medicines. Proper documentations on these medicines and food supplements should also be done.

Effects of herbal nutraceuticals and/or zinc against Haemonchus contortus in lambs experimentally infected

BackgroundThe gastrointestinal parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus is a pathogenic organism resistant to several anthelmintics. This study assessed the efficacy of a medicinal herbal mixture (Herbmix) and organic zinc, as an essential trace element for the proper functioning of both unspecific and specific immune defensive mechanisms, against experimental infections with H. contortus in lambs. All lambs were infected orally with approximately 5000 third-stage larvae of a strain of H. contortus susceptible to anthelmintics (MHco1). Twenty-four female lambs 3–4 months of age were divided into four groups: unsupplemented animals (control), animals supplemented with Herbmix (Hmix), animals supplemented with organic zinc (Zn) and animals supplemented with Herbmix and organic zinc (Hmix+Zn). Eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces were quantified 20, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 62 and 70 d post-infection and mean abomasal worm counts were assessed 70 d post-infection. Samples of blood were collected from each animal 7, 35, 49 and 70 d post-infection.ResultsQuantitative analyses of the bioactive compounds in Herbmix identified three main groups: flavonoids (9964.7 μg/g), diterpenes (4886.1 μg/g) and phenolic acids (3549.2 μg/g). Egg counts in the lambs treated with Hmix, Zn and Hmix+Zn decreased after 49 d. The EPGs in the Zn and Hmix+Zn groups were significantly lower on day 56 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively), and the EPGs and mean worm counts were significantly lower on day 70 in all supplemented groups (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Hemograms of complete red blood cells of each animal identified clinical signs of haemonchosis after day 35. Serum calprotectin concentrations and IgA levels were significantly affected by treatment. The treatment influenced serum malondialdehyde concentrations (P < 0.05) and sulfhydryl groups (P < 0.01) of antioxidant status. The mineral status was unaltered in all lambs.ConclusionA direct anthelmintic impact on the viability of nematodes was not fully demonstrated, but the treatments with herbal nutraceuticals and zinc likely indirectly contributed to the increase in the resistance of the lambs to nematode infection.

Golden root: A wholesome treat of immunity

Rhodiola is native to the high altitude regions of Asia, Europe and Northern Hemisphere. It has a long history of use as a medicinal plant in various ailments, boosting immunity, increasing energy and mental capacity. It is also known as "Adaptogen" to help the body to adapt and resist stress. The part of the plant, which is used for medicinal values, is rhizome, which is an underground stem. The rhizome contains mainly salidroside, rosin, rosavin and p-tyrosol. There are many studies, which have reported the effects of Rhodiola spp. on different organs and health conditions. In this review, we have selected the articles from Pubmed and Google Scholar from year 1992-2016 to report the effects of Rhodiola spp. and their role in curtailing various diseases and stress. The present review emphasizes the medicinal and therapeutic applications of Rhodiola spp. on different experimental models. Overall conclusion is that Rhodiola spp. has immense therapeutic potential and hence, this review would give impetus to new research for the development of Rhodiola based herbal nutraceuticals as well as pharmaceuticals.

Solid State Characterization of &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Withania somnifera&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; (Ashwagandha) Root Extract After Treatment with Consciousness Energy Healing

Ashwagandha root extract is useful as an herbal medicine and nutraceuticals for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the influence of Consciousness Energy Healing Treatment (The Trivedi Effect®) on the physico-chemical, thermal and behavioral properties of ashwagandha root extract using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), particle size distribution analysis (PSD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry, UV-Vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Ashwagandha root extract was divided into two parts – one part was control without any Biofield Energy Treatment, and another part was treated with the Consciousness Energy Healing Treatment remotely by twenty renowned Biofield Energy Healers and defined as Biofield Energy Treated sample. The PXRD analysis concluded that both the control and treated samples were amorphous in nature. The particle size values at d10, d50, and d90 of the treated sample were significantly decreased by 36.78%, 15.18%, and 5.06%, respectively compared with the control sample. Likewise, the surface area of the treated sample was significantly increased by 85.14% compared to the control sample. FT-IR results showed a small impact of Consciousness Energy Healing Treatment on the phytoconstituents of ashwagandha root extract to reduce the force constant of O-H (str.) bond. UV-vis analysis revealed that the wavelength for the maximum absorbance (λmax) of both the samples was at 206.4 in methanol. TGA revealed the three steps of thermal degradation and the total weight loss was decreased by 0.73% in the treated sample compared to the control sample. Consequently, the maximum thermal degradation temperature was found at 272.53°C and 393.35°C for two broad peaks in the treated sample was increased by 0.05% and 0.08%, respectively compared to the control the sample (272.67°C and 393.66°C). The DSC analysis indicated that the evaporation temperature and latent heat of vaporization were lowered significantly by 4.98% and 35.67%, respectively in the treated sample compared with the control sample. The current outcomes suggested that the Energy of Consciousness Healing Treatment might have the amazing capacity to enhance the solubility, dissolution, absorption, bioavailability and thermal stability of ashwagandha root extract in the various form of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical formulation by modifying its particle size and surface area. Thus, the Biofield Energy Treated ashwagandha root extract might provide better therapeutic response against inflammatory diseases, immunological disorders, sexual disorders, arthritis, stress, cancer, ageing, diabetes, and other chronic infections.

A salute to, new to me, Nutrafoods readers

Dear esteemed reader, starting with this issue, as Editor-in-Chief, I assume with honour the task of taking Nutrafoods on a new, and hopefully long, adventure. Like any other adventure, it will be full of challenges and, unfortunately, the possibility of making mistakes. However, also like any other adventure, it will certainly include fun and satisfaction. Being Editor-in-Chief of Nutrafoods means primarily dealing with the science of nutraceuticals. These tools are now consolidated in the hands of researchers, nutritionists and physicians, and their use has proven to be advantageous, when the result of smart and appropriate choices, for users’ health. Despite this, there is always a huge need for further scientific studies, especially with regard to aspects of research and development of herbal ingredients and probiotics. While working with amino acids, vitamins, minerals and real food marketed as “nutraceuticals” may appear relatively simple, the same cannot be said of herbal nutraceuticals and probiotics. For the first, herbal nutraceuticals, there are still obvious problems: (1) the incorrect chemical characterisation (problems ranging from real in toto standardisation of the product to its titration in relation to what is considered to be an “active” fraction or simply a fraction “marker”) situation that inevitably leads to poor repeatability and/or to poor overlap of preparations identified with the same nomenclature; and (2) the problem of the poor oral absorption, typical of most herbal remedies, which leads to poor knowledge of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of many herbal preparations. For the latter, probiotics, there are obvious problems related to: (1) low stability in the finite forms; (2) modest phenotypic and genotypic typing concerning the strains used; and (3) a poor understanding of how much a failure in colonisation is actually a harbinger of the absence of measurable health effect. In this sense, Nutrafoods will make every effort to point out, whenever the situation so requires, the need to raise the profile of science of nutraceuticals. Being Editor-in-Chief of Nutrafoods also means trying to implement new publishing proposals; I applaud those who have preceded me—what they have already done is of obvious value. In future issues, there will be new features (commentary, letters, etc.) that I hope Nutrafoods readers will find useful. Finally, being Editor-in-Chief of Nutrafoods means trying to raise discussions on topics, which at least theoretically should be of interest to most readers, with the aim of creating scientific debates. These “provocations” will be published as editorials in each issue. So, let’s start with the first one in an attempt to raise debate on the following topic: Is there a logical application for nutraceuticals in the global scientific world’s fight against antibiotic resistance?

The No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level (NOAEL) of Baby Aloe Powder (BAP) for Nutraceutical Application Based Upon Toxicological Evaluation

Aloe has been used in versatile herbal medications and nutraceuticals throughout history. Aloe is widely considered to be generally safe for humans and used globally. The effectiveness and pharmacological properties of aloe are dependent upon when the plant is collected. However, little is known about the toxicology of whole-body aloe collected within less than 1 yr. Based upon widespread exposure to aloe, it is important to determine a daily intake level of this chemical to ensure its safety for humans. To determine the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of baby aloe powder (BAP) for clinical application, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were treated orally for 4 wk with 4 different concentrations: 0, 0.125, 0.5, and 2 g/kg body weight (bw). In this study, no significant or dose-dependent toxicological effects of BAP were observed in biochemical or hematological parameters, urinalysis, clinical signs, body weight, and food and water consumption. There were changes in some biomarkers in certain treated groups compared to controls; however, all values were within their reference ranges and not dose-dependent. Based on these results, the NOAEL of BAP was estimated to be greater than 2 g/kg bw in male and 2 g/kg bw in female SD rats. Collectively, these data suggest that BAP used in this study did not produce any marked subacute toxic effects up to a maximum concentration of 2 g/kg bw, and thus use in nutraceuticals and in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications at a concentration of >2 g/kg is warranted.

Measurement of Antioxidant Activity in Selected Food Products and Nutraceuticals

Measurement of antioxidant activity using in vitro assays is paramount in the evaluation of various food products and nutraceuticals for determining antioxidant benefits. This relates to the fact that increased antioxidant levels can protect the human body from free radical damage. The objective of this study was to quantify the antioxidant activity of selected food products and nutraceuticals using a spectrophotometric assay. Using Efferdent tablets and isotonic saline diluent, antioxidant levels could be determined by the amount of FD & C Blue No. 2 remaining after incubation at 37°C for 25 minutes. The antioxidant activity of a 500 mg quantity of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) was used as standard. The results obtained indicated that agave nectar syrup and xylitol sweetener (in descending order) exhibited higher antioxidant properties than all the other commercial sweeteners tested. Grapefruit was found to have the highest antioxidant activity of those common citrus fruits tested. Popular contemporary antioxidant beverages, such as strawberry-kiwi blend tend to have very high antioxidant activity since they contain d-alpha tocopheryl acetate (a form of vitamin E). Among the herbal nutraceuticals tested, spirulina and red yeast rice exhibited abundant antioxidant activities, whereas graviola was found to have absolutely no antioxidant properties. Thieves’ oil was observed to have high antioxidant properties due to the synergism of the five oils in the preparation. Test results indicated a variable degree of antioxidant activity in foods and nutraceuticals compared to a standard antioxidant of 500 mg of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Citrus fruits occupy the highest level of antioxidant activity overall, followed by antioxidant containing beverages and selected herbal products.

Supercritical Fluid Technology- An Unlimited Frontier in Herbal Research

Supercritical fluid technology is a process using a supercritical fluid as a solvent. When a fluid is taken above its critical temperature (Tc) and critical pressure (Pc), it exists in a condition called the supercritical fluid state. The physico-chemical properties of a fluid in the supercritical state are in between those of a typical gas and liquid. Due to increasingly stringent environmental regulations, supercritical fluid technology (SFT) has gained wide acceptance in recent years as an alternative to conventional solvent extraction for herbal compounds as well as in many analytical and industrial processes. This article presents the practical aspects of SFT applications in selection of modifiers, on-line offline coupling techniques. SFT can also be used to clean up pesticides from herbal medicines. Carbon dioxide is most commonly used Supercritical Fluid (SF) as it is safe, inexpensive, non-toxic, non-inflammable and inert to most of the materials as well as its solvating strength is adjusted by modifier (methanol). SFT processes can be modeled to acquire useful information for better understanding of the extraction, mechanisms and optimization of the extraction procedures. In recent years, Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) has emerged as a highly promising technology for production of herbal medicines and nutraceuticals with high potency of active ingredients.