Gendarussa Research Articles

Justidrusamides A-D, new 2-aminobenzyl alcohol derivatives from Justicia gendarussa.

Justidrusamides A-D (1-4), four new alkaloids containing 2-aminobenzyl alcohol, succinic acid, and 2,3-dihydroxy-2-(1-hydroxyethyl) butanoic acid skeletons have been isolated from leaves of Justicia gendarussa, and their structures were elucidated using 2D NMR data and chemical means. This is the first report of a 2,3-dihydroxy-2-(1-hydroxyethyl) butanoic acid derivative in nature.

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used by traditional health practitioners in Thanchi, Bandarban Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThere is very limited information regarding plants used by traditional healers in Bandarban Hill Tracts (BHT), Bangladesh for treating general as well as complex ailments. Current study provides significant ethnopharmacological information, both qualitative and quantitative on medical plants in BHT. Aim of the study This study aimed to collect, analyze and evaluate the rich ethnopharmacologic knowledge on medicinal plants in Thanchi, BHT and attempted to identify the important species used in traditional medicine. Further analysis was done by comparison of the traditional medicinal use of the plants with the available scientific literature data. Materials and methodsThe field survey was carried out in a period of several years in Thanchi upazilla of Bandarban districts, Bangladesh. A total of 53 Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) were interviewed through open-ended and semi structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. This ethnomedicinal knowledge was compared against the available scientific literature for reports of related uses and studies of phytochemical compounds responsible for respective ailments. ResultsA total of 84 species of plants, mostly herbs, belonging to 42 families were identified for the treatment of 70 types of ailments. These ailments were categorized into 16 categories. Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts and juice is the mode of preparation of major portions of the plant species. The most common mode of administration was oral ingestion and topical application. Informant consensus factor (Fic) values of the present study reflected the high agreement in the use of plants in the treatment of digestive system and respiratory system disorders among the informants. Diseases of the digestive system had highest use-reports and 3 species of plants, namely Centella asiatica (L.) Urban. (dysentery), Justicia gendarussa L. (asthma) and Ocimum tenuiflorum L. (coughing) had the highest fidelity level (FL) of 100%. Clerodendrum viscosum Vent., Achyranthes aspera L and Justicia gendarussa L. showed the highest relative importance (RI) value of 1.86. According to use value (UV) the most important species were Ocimum tenuiflorum L. (2.24) and Achyranthes aspera L. (2.15). ConclusionPriority should be given for further phytochemical investigation to plants that scored highest FL, Fic, UV or RI values, as such values could be considered as good indicator of prospective plants for discovering new drugs. Since knowledge regarding traditional medicine being vulnerable day by day so traditional medicine in school curricula should be incorporated so that younger people could appreciate its usefulness. Also counseling of THPs and gardening of medicinal plants should be taken into consideration immediately in order to smooth continuance and extension of traditional medical knowledge and practice for ensuring safe and effective therapy.

Cytotoxic Activities against Breast Cancer Cells of Local Justicia gendarussa Crude Extracts.

Justicia gendarussa methanolic leaf extracts from five different locations in the Southern region of Peninsular Malaysia and two flavonoids, kaempferol and naringenin, were tested for cytotoxic activity. Kaempferol and naringenin were two flavonoids detected in leaf extracts using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). The results indicated that highest concentrations of kaempferol and naringenin were detected in leaves extracted from Mersing with 1591.80 mg/kg and 444.35 mg/kg, respectively. Positive correlations were observed between kaempferol and naringenin concentrations in all leaf extracts analysed with the Pearson method. The effects of kaempferol and naringenin from leaf extracts were examined on breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468) using MTT assay. Leaf extract from Mersing showed high cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 with IC50 values of 23 μg/mL and 40 μg/mL, respectively, compared to other leaf extracts. Kaempferol possessed high cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 with IC50 values of 23 μg/mL and 34 μg/mL, respectively. These findings suggest that the presence of kaempferol in Mersing leaf extract contributed to high cytotoxicity of both MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cancer cell lines.

Identification of a Rare Phytosteroid from Justicia gendarussa

Justicia gendarussa L. (Acanthaceae) is an evergreen, shade-loving, highly branched shrub. Traditionally, the plant is used in the treatment of rheumatism, dysuria, fever, carbuncles, jaundice, diarrhea, pains in the head, ear, paralysis, bruises, etc. [1, 2]. Previous reports on the pharmacological studies revealed the antioxidant, antiarthritic, antiinflammatory, analgesic, antinociceptive, antifertility, anticancer, hepatoprotective, and larvicidal properties of this plant [3–5]. Numerous chemical constituents such as sterols, flavonoids, alkaloids, reducing sugars, and O-methyl ethers of benzyl alcohol were reported from J. gendarussa leaf samples [6–8]. The present study led to the discovery of a new phytosteroid in the stem as well as callus sample of J. gendarussa. The stem samples of J. gendarussa were collected from natural forests of Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka, India and the voucher specimen (MU/AB/BN-01) was deposited at the Herbarium of Department of Applied Botany. The callus was initiated on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with -naphthalene acetic acid and benzyl amino purine (1.0 + 0.1 mg/L) from the sterilized stem explants, cultured in liquid medium and harvested on the 35th day [9]. The sample was dried, extracted in ether using a Soxhlet apparatus for 8–10 h, and concentrated to dryness at 40 C. The dried extract was separated in TLC (silica gel G 60 F 254, Merck, India) using acetic acid:chloroform as solvent system. The clear spot obtained on the chromatogram was separated from the silica gel, redissolved in ether, and dried. The amorphous powder obtained was used for spectroscopic analysis using UV, FTIR, 1H NMR, and LC-MS/MS. The LC-MS analysis was performed in a Thermo Finnigan Surveyor-Thermo LCQ Deca XP MAX system with a BDS Hypersil C18 column (250 mm 4.6 mm), 100% MeOH as eluent, at ambient temperature, nebulization gas helium, and electron spray ionization method with UV and PDA as detectors. The data obtained from the LC-MS/MS spectrum were compared and predicted using NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD), version 2.0a, 2002 software. Based on all the spectral data obtained, the colorless amorphous compound was predicted as a phytosteroid: 1 -carboethoxy-1 -cyano-1,2-dihydro-[1,2]cyclopropcholest-3-one (1) with an elemental composition of C32H49NO3, m/z 496 [M + H] + by ESI-MS/MS. 1 -Carboethoxy-1 -cyano-1,2-dihydro-[1,2]cycloprop-cholest-3-one (1) was isolated as a amorphous powder. The UV spectrum of the compound in ether showed absorption maxima ( max) at 282 nm, and the FTIR spectrum of the compound in KBr exhibited absorption at ( ) 1743 and 1653 cm–1 for the ester and free carbonyl groups (C=O), 2370 cm–1 for the N C group, 3450 cm–1 for -OH or -NH stretch, and 2924 cm–1 for C-H stretching. In the 1H NMR (400 MHz, MeOD, , ppm) the ethyl protons of the carboethoxy moiety appeared as a triplet and a quartet centered at 2.30 and 4.16, integrating for three and two protons, respectively. The signal due to the protons attached to the cyclopropane ring appeared as doublets at 2.05 and 2.32, integrating for one proton each. The signal due to the two methyl and the methyl groups of the isopropyl moiety overlapped with each other and appeared in the region of 0.9–1.3, integrating for 12 protons. However, the signal due to other protons overlapped with each other and appeared as multiplets in the region of 0.875–4.5. The ESI-MS/MS spectrum (ESI, 4.5 kV) showed the molecular ion peak [M + H]+ at m/z 496, consistent with the proposed molecular formula of the phytosteroid C32H49NO3. Spectroscopy was used for the detection of phytosterols in the callus tissue of Cissus quadrangularis [10], ursane type triterpenes in Olea europaea [11] and azadirachtin in cell suspension cultures of Azadirachta indica [12], triterpenoid glycosides in Justicia betonica [13], flavonoids in Punica granatum [14], and triterpenes and sesquiterpenes in Pinus densata

Cytotoxicity Activities in Local Justicia gendarussa Crude Extracts against Human Cancer Cell Lines

The present study was designed to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of Justicia gendarussa methanolic leaf extracts from five different locations in Johor and also two standards flavonoids (naringenin and kaempferol) as these two compounds were detected in the chromatogram. In this study, leaf extracts and compounds were tested against various human cancer cell lines (HT-29, HeLa and BxPC-3) by using MTT assay. The results showed that methanolic leaf extracts from Mersing and kaempferol were very toxic against BxPC-3 and HeLa cells with IC50 values of 16 µg/ml and 5 µg/ml, respectively. It is suggested that J. gendarussa leaf extracts from Mersing have potential cytotoxic activity on human cancer cell lines particularly BxPC-3 cells.

High Quality cDNA synthesis and Amplification of Chalcone Synthase Gene (CHS) from Justicia gendarussa Burm. F.

Chalcone synthase (CHS) (EC 2.3.1.74) catalyzes the first committed step of flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. It combines 4-coumaroyl-CoA with three C2 units from malonyl-CoA to produce naringenin chalcone which transforms to various numbers of flavonoids. In this work, we attempt to isolate the CHS gene from Gendarusa, which could serve as a preliminary study to elucidate the CHS gene regulation in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway of Malaysian medicinal plants generally, and in Justicia gendarussa Burm. F. species specifically. The total RNA was isolated from the mature leaves of Justicia gendarussa Burm. F. using the modified CTAB method. Extracted RNA, treated with RQ1 RNase-free DNasekit and cDNA synthesis in order to prepare the rich template of DNA for PCR by using M-MLV Reverse Transcriptase kit. High concentration of cDNA and A260/280 ratio reversely transcribed cDNAs guarantee the quality and quantity of synthesized cDNA. The CHS gene was amplified using the Phusion DNA Polymeraseand showed the same size of the previously amplified CHS gene from Melastoma, 1100bp.

Screening of ten medicinal plants of Bangladesh for analgesic activity on Swiss-albino mice

Bangladesh is a good repository of medicinal plants, which contribute a lot to the healthcare management of the local people. In order to explore the pain-relieving potentiality of some indigenous plants of Bangladesh, ten plants were selected initially and screened out for analgesic activity. For this case, plants were extracted with 95 % methanol and then assayed by acetic acid-induced writhing and tail immersion methods for peripheral analgesic action and by formalin-induced pain method for central analgesic action in Swiss-albino mice model. Plant extracts were orally administered to the mice at 400 mg/kg body weight for this evaluation. In this study, Justicia gendarussa, Musaenda philippica, Steudnera virosa, Trewia polycarpa, Hydnocarpus kurzii and Nymphaea nouchali might be considered as promising analgesic candidate among the tested plants.

Evaluation of Anti-anxiety Activity of Justicia gendarussa Burm

Evaluation of Anti-anxiety Activity of Justicia gendarussa Burm

Potential of Tissue Cultured Medicinal Plants in Malaysia

Medicinal plants possess many secondary products that exhibit biological activities such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti microbial. Scientific findings have demonstrated that tissue culture techniques could be an alternative tool to propagate plant in vitro and manipulate secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. This review aims to give an update on the various plant regeneration of some locally used medicinal plants in Malaysia such as Eurycome longifolia Jack, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Centella asiatica L., Justicia gendarussa Burm. f, Kaempferia galanga L. and Orthosiphon stamineus Benth. Different type of cultures including organ, callus and cell cultures is also discussed.

Biosynthesis of Elixir of Life (Gold Nanoparticles) from Plants

Biosynthesis of gold nano particles (GNPs) is considered to be a novel, effective and eco-friendly method. Biosynthesis of GNPs from Benincasa hispida , Justicia gendarussa & Ocimum basilicum. Biosynthesis of stable and nearly spherical GNPs using the extract of Benincasa hispida seeds as reducing and capping agents. The particle size could be easily tuned by the reaction conditions including quantity of extract, temperature and pH. GNP shaving different sizes in the range from10-30nm could be obtained by controlling the synthesis parameters. Justicia gendarussa leaf extract mediated synthesis of GNPs by the reduction of gold ions. Three different phytochemical fractions were prepared from methanolic leaf extract by liquid-liquid extraction method using immiscible solvents. The size of the GNPs ranged from 20-42nm and 62-88nm with spherical, triangle, truncated triangle and hexagonal shapes. Ocimum basilicum (Thai Tulsi) leaf extract worked as a potential substrate for bioreduction of HAuCl 4 into GNPs within 10 minutes of reaction time. It was also observed that GNPs synthesized were crystalline and uniformly spherical in shape with size range 5–40 nm which were stable even after 3 months of reaction. The gold nanoparticles were characterised by UV-Visible Spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS).

Biomass production and antibacterial activity of Justicia gendarussa Burm. f. - A valuable Medicinal plant

Rooting and biomass production of Justicia gendarussa has been achieved through a hydroponic system of cultivation. The obtained biomass of leaves, stem and root were examined for antibacterial activity against various human pathogenic organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Shigella sp., Pseudomonas sp. and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Methanolic extract of J. gendarussa root responded against E. coli. The growth of Shigella sp., Pseudomonas sp. and K. pneumonia were inhibited by leaf extract. The maximum inhibition zone against S. aureus was observed in stem extract treatment.

Plantlet regeneration through indirect shoot organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis in Justicia gendarussa Burm. f., a medicinal plant

A protocol for the regeneration of a large number of plantlets via indirect shoot organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis has been developed from the stem and leaf explants of Justicia gendarussa Burm. f. The callus was efficiently induced from the explants using Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with α-Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) + Benzyl amino purine (BAP) (1.0 + 0.1 mg/l). The highest number of plantlets through indirect shoot organogenesis was obtained when the callus was subcultured to MS medium with BAP + NAA (0.1 + 1.0 mg/l). The maximum number of plantlets via somatic embryos was obtained in the medium with BAP + NAA (1.0 + 0.1 mg/l) for stem derived calli and Kinetin (Kn) + NAA (2.0 + 0.1 mg/l) for leaf derived calli. The in vitro developed shoots were rooted well in half strength MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l of Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The in vitro regenerated plantlets were hardened using a mixture of sterile sand:soil:manure (1:1:1). The present study is the first report on the regeneration of plants through somatic embryogenesis from stem and leaf derived calli of J. gendarussa.

PHARMACOGNOSTICAL EVALUATION OF JUSTICIA GENDARUSSA BURM.

Justicia gendarussa (JG) is a shade-loving, quick-growing, evergreen shrub mostly found in moist areas,which grows along the beds of streams in the Himalayas. In Indian and Chinese traditional medicine,the leaf of the plant is recommended to treat ailments such as fever, hemiplegia, rheumatism, arthritis, headache, earache, muscle pain, respiratory disorders and digestive trouble. The physicochemical and pharmacognostical evaluation was carried out according to the official methods mentioned in The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. The parameters such as foreign matter, ash value, moisture content were determined. Qualitative analysis of different phytochemicals present in the plant was done and powder microscopical characters were recorded. The microscopical feature of leaf of Justicia gendarussais reported. In the study, an attempt is made to fix the standards for Justicia gendarussa, which can be utilised in identification and authentification of purity of the plant.

Evaluation of in vitro anthelmintic activities of leaf and stem extracts of Justicia gendarussa

This present study explored the anthelmintic activities of crude methanolic extract of dried leaves and stems of Justicia gendarussa, an evergreen plant belonging to the family Acanthaceae. This plant is commonly known as Bishjarul in Bangladesh. Five concentrations (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 mg/mL) of each extract were studied in the bioassay to determine the paralysis time and death time of the worm, Pheretima posthuma. Methanolic extract of leaves (50 mg/mL) caused paralysis of the worms at 35.33 min and death at 70.67 min while methanolic extract of stem of J. gendarussa caused paralysis at 41.33 min and death at 89.33 min. Albendazole (positive control) paralyzed and killed the worms at 17 min and 48 min, respectively. The study confirms the significant anthelmintic activities of leaves and stems extract of J. gendarussa and therefore demands the isolation of active principles thorough bioassay. This is the first report of anthelmintic activities of J. gendarussa.

Heavy metal uptake and translocation by Justicia gendarussa Burm F. from textile sludge contaminated soil

Heavy metals are dangerous environmental pollutants that can be transferred and accumulated in human and animal bodies causing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage and carcinogenic effects. A glass house experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of Justicia gendarussa Burm F. to absorb heavy metals from textile industry sludge. Justicia gendarussa seedlings were planted on six different growth media (soil+sludge) comprising: 100% soil, 100% sludge, 80% sludge+20% soil, 60% sludge+40% soil, 40% sludge+60% soil and 20% sludge+80% soil. The maximum height increment and number of leaves were found in 20% sludge+80% soil while the highest basal diameter increment was recorded in the 100% sludge. Copper and iron were highly concentrated in the roots, zinc in the leaves, while aluminium was concentrated in both leaves and stems. Justicia gendarussa seems to have a high potential to absorb high amounts of Al and Fe in the leaves and roots. This species showed high translocation (TF) and low bioconcentration factor (BCF) in the contaminated soil. Justicia gendarussa was able to tolerate and accumulate a high concentration of heavy metals. Therefore, this species can be considered as a potential phytoremediator.

Efficacies of bactericidal Justicia gendarussa extract inhibiting protein synthesis against methicilin resistant staphylococcus aureus

Efficacies of bactericidal Justicia gendarussa extract inhibiting protein synthesis against methicilin resistant staphylococcus aureus

Observation of antioxidant activity of leaves, callus and suspension culture of Justicia gendarusa

Antioxidant activity and phenolic compound was found in Justicia gendarussa via total phenolic content (TPC) and ,-diphenyl--pycrilhydrazil hydrate (DPPH) radical scavenging assays. The assays were applied on aqueous and methanolic extracts of leaves, callus culture and cell suspension culture of J. gendarussa . Callus was induced from green and matured leaves of J. gendarussa c ultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with different concentrations of 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) or 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and benzylaminopurine (BAP). Callus induced on NAA showed higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity as compared to the one induced on 2,4-D. The highest total phenolic content (88 mg GAE/g) was observed in callus culture induced with NAA and BAP, while the highest antioxidant activity (lowest IC 50 ; 8.46 × 10 -3 mg/ml) was observed in the cell suspension. Key words: Anti-oxidant, callus, Justicia gendarusa , suspension culture.

Anti-inflammatory potential of an ethyl acetate fraction isolated from Justicia gendarussa roots through inhibition of iNOS and COX-2 expression via NF-κB pathway

Justicia gendarussa Burm.f. ( J. gendarussa) is a plant used as traditional medicine in different parts of India and China to treat inflammatory disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. But its mechanism of anti-inflammatory action is still unclear. Hence in this context, the objective of our study is to reveal the mechanism of anti-inflammatory activity of J. gendarussa which would form an additional proof to the traditional knowledge of this plant. The anti-inflammatory function and mechanism(s) of action was studied in an ethyl acetate fraction isolated from methanolic extract of J. gendarussa roots (EJG). Anti-inflammatory studies were conducted on rats using partitioned fractions isolated from methanolic extract of J. gendarussa roots. In carrageenan-induced rat paw edema, ethyl acetate fraction brought about 80% and 93% edema inhibition at 3rd and 5th hour at a dose of 50 mg/kg, when compared to other extracts and Voveran. We investigated whether EJG inhibits the release of cycloxygenase (COX), 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in LPS stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs). Results shows that EJG dose dependently inhibited LPS-activated COX, 5-LOX, IL-6, and NF-κB in hPBMCs. EJG also reduced LPS induced levels of iNOS and COX-2 mRNA expression in hPBMCs. This study provides an insight into the probable mechanism(s) underlying the anti-inflammatory activity of EJG and therefore, we report the first confirmation of the anti-inflammatory potential of this traditionally employed herbal medicine in vitro.

ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT FROM Justicia gendarussa Burm. LEAVES ON DECREASING THE URIC ACID PLASMA

The effect of Justicia gendarussa leaves extract has been investigated using oxonate-induced hyperuricemic male albino rats. In this experiment thirty five male albino rats were divided randomly into seven groups. There were three group doses variations of J. gendarussa extract that were 1.3 g/kg bw, 2.6 g/kg bw and 5.2 g/kg bw; two comparison groups that were allopurinol 0.68 g/kg bw and herbal “X” 0.85 g/kg bw; and two control groups that were induced control potassium oxonate 0.25 mg/kg bw and normal control CMC 0,5 %. Intraperitoneal administration of potassium oxonate 0.25 mg/kg bw was given one hour before administration of test drugs in eight day and plasma uric acid was measured in rats after two hours. Plasma uric acid was measured by spectrophotometric on 520 nm with enzymatic method. The results showed that all extracts could reduced uric acid level of rats. The decreasing potency of uric acid level was equal to doses increase, so the best result that can reduce uric acid level was J. gandarussa extract at a dose 5.2 g/ kg bw. This results indicated that J. gendarussa leaves extract may be effective for the prevention and the treatment of hyperuricemia. Keywords: enzymatics, hyperuricemia, Justicia gendarussa Burm, spectrophotometric

A Rapid, High Frequency Regeneration of <i>Justicia gendarussa</i> Burm.f.

An efficient plant regeneration protocol was developed for Justicia gendarussa Burm.f. (Acanthaceae), an important medicinal shrub. Nodal segments grown on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 1.0 mg/l Benzyl adenine (BAP) with 10 % coconut milk showed better growth response and produced 10.5 ± 0.6 shoots per explant with an average length of 4.4 ± 0.3 cm after 35 days. Rooting of shoots was achieved on growth regulator free half strength MS medium produced 5.3 ± 0.25 cm roots with an average height of 4.8 ± 0.2 cm after 30 days. The rooted plantlets were transferred for hardening, 80 % of plants were successfully established in the field. Key words: Justicia gendarussa; Nodal segments; Regeneration; Coconut milk. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjsir.v46i2.4388 Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 46(2), 201-204, 2011