Medicinal Food Plants Research Articles

Mulberry leaf polyphenols alleviated high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice.

Mulberry leaf is an important medicinal food plant, which is rich in polyphenol compounds. Mulberry leaf polyphenols (MLP) possess significant lipid-lowering and antioxidant effects, and healthcare functions. In this study, the polyphenol content of mulberry leaf ethanol extract was measured using HPLC. The analysis of mulberry leaf extract resulted in the identification of 14 compounds, of which Chlorogenic acid and Quercitrin were the highest. A high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mouse model was developed and treated with MLP for 12 weeks to explore their effect on lipid metabolism in HFD-induced obese mice. The results showed that the MLP could inhibit the weight gain and fat cell volume increase in the HFD-induced obese mice in a dose-dependent manner. Further analysis revealed that the MLP decelerated the fatty acid composition in the adipose tissues of HFD-induced obese mice, and significantly increased the polyunsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid (PUFA/SFA) ratio. The real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) results indicated that the MLP significantly inhibited the down regulation of uncoupling protein (UCP) 1 (UCP1), UCP3, and PR domain zinc finger protein 16 (PRDM16) caused by the HFD. These beneficial effects of MLP on HFD-induced obese mice might be attributed to their ability to change the fatty acid composition of adipose tissue and increase the expression of thermogenesis genes. Overall, the study results suggested that the MLP could serve as potential lipid-lowering and weight-loss functional food and healthcare products.

Mogroside-Rich Extract From Siraitia grosvenorii Fruits Ameliorates High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity Associated With the Modulation of Gut Microbiota in Mice.

Siraitia grosvenorii is a kind of medicinal food plant. The mogroside-rich extract (MGE) of its fruits can effectively ameliorate obesity, but the underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. In this study, we aimed to determine whether MGE can ameliorate obesity by protecting against the divergences of gut microbiota. Mice were challenged with a high-fat diet (HFD) and treated with MGE by oral gavage. Then, the characteristics of the gut microbiota were determined by 16S rDNA analysis. Our findings showed that MGE could significantly reduce body weight gain and fat tissue weight of the mice fed with HFD. Moreover, MGE markedly attenuated fatty liver, and improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. We further found that the gut microbiota structures were disturbed by HFD feeding. In particular, the abundance of Firmicutes was increased and the abundance of Bacteroidetes was decreased, resulting in an increased proportion of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B), which contributes to obesity. Interestingly, the abnormal proportion of F/B of HFD feeding mice was restored to the level of control mice by MGE treatment. Additionally, the abundances of obesogenic microbiota, such as Ruminiclostridium and Oscillibacter were also decreased after MGE treatment. In summary, our findings demonstrate that MGE can modulate gut microbiota in obese mice and shed new light on how it alleviates obesity.

An Extensive Pharmacological Evaluation of New Anti-Cancer Triterpenoid (Nummularic Acid) from Ipomoea batatas through In Vitro, In Silico, and In Vivo Studies.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in men, accounting for approximately 10% of all new cases in the United States. Plant-derived bioactive compounds, such as pentacyclic triterpenoids (PTs), have the ability to inhibit PCa cell proliferation. We isolated and characterized nummularic acid (NA), a potent PT, as a major chemical constituent of Ipomoea batatas, a medicinal food plant used in ethnomedicine for centuries. In the current study, in vitro antiproliferative potential against PCa cells (DU145 and PC3) via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay; Western blot protein expression analysis; absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME); pharmacokinetic prediction studies; and bisphenol A (BPA)-induced prostate inhibition in Sprague Dawley rats were conducted to gauge the anti-cancer ability of NA. Significant (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) time- and dose-dependent reductions in proliferation of PCa cells, reduced migration, invasion, and increased apoptotic cell population were recorded after NA treatment (3–50 µM). After 72 h of treatment, NA displayed significant IC50 of 21.18 ± 3.43 µM against DU145 and 24.21 ± 3.38 µM against PC3 cells in comparison to the controls cabazitaxel (9.56 ± 1.45 µM and 12.78 ± 2.67 µM) and doxorubicin (10.98 ± 2.71 µM and 15.97 ± 2.77 µM). Further deep mechanistic studies reveal that NA treatment considerably increased the cleavage of caspases and downstream PARP, upregulated BAX and P53, and downregulated BCL-2 and NF-κB, inducing apoptosis in PCa cells. Pharmacokinetic and ADME characterization indicate that NA has a favorable physicochemical nature, with high gastrointestinal absorption, low blood–brain barrier permeability, no hepatotoxicity, and cytochrome inhibition. BPA-induced perturbations of prostate glands in Sprague Dawley rats show a potential increase (0.478 ± 0.28 g) in prostate weight compared to the control (0.385 ± 0.13 g). Multi-dose treatment with NA (10 mg/kg) significantly reduced the prostate size (0.409 ± 0.21 g) in comparison to the control. NA-treated groups exhibited substantial restoration of hematological and histological parameters, reinstatement of serum hormones, and suppression of inflammatory markers. This multifaceted analysis suggests that NA, as a novel small molecule with a strong pharmacokinetic and pharmacological profile, has the potential to induce apoptosis and death in PCa cells.

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Total Saponins from Aralia taibaiensis: Process Optimization, Phytochemical Characterization, and Mechanism of α-Glucosidase Inhibition.

PurposeAralia taibaiensis, a medicinal food plant, and total saponins from its root bark extract inhibit α-glucosidase activity, which is associated with type 2 diabetes; however, the inhibitory mechanism is unknown. Furthermore, a green extraction technique superior to conventional hot reflux extraction (HRE) is needed for the rapid and easy extraction of A. taibaiensis total saponins (TSAT) to exploit and utilize this resource. Our aim was to develop a green extraction method for obtaining TSAT and to investigate the mechanism by which TSAT inhibits α-glucosidase.Materials and MethodsIn this study, the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) process was optimized using a Box–Behnken design, and the extraction mechanism was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for qualitative and quantitative analyses of TSAT. In vitro glycosylation assays, enzyme kinetics, fluorescence spectroscopy measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and molecular docking techniques were used to investigate the mechanism by which the A. taibaiensis active ingredients inhibit α-glucosidase.ResultsThe optimal parameters for the extraction yield were obtained as an ethanol concentration of 73%, ultrasound time of 34 min, ultrasound temperature of 61 °C and solid–liquid ratio of 16 g/mL, which were better than HRE. The SEM analysis showed that UAE effectively disrupted plant cells, thus increasing the TSAT yield. In vitro α-glucosidase inhibition experiments showed that both TSAT and its active ingredient, araloside A, inhibited α-glucosidase activity by binding to α-glucosidase, thereby changing the conformation and microenvironment of α-glucosidase to subsequently inhibit enzyme activity.ConclusionThe optimal extraction conditions identified here established a basis for future scale-up of ultrasound extraction parameters with the potential for obtaining maximum yields. In vitro enzyme inhibition experiments investigated the mechanism of the TSAT interaction with α-glucosidase and further explored whether araloside A may be the main contributor to the good inhibition of α-glucosidase activity by TSAT.

Potential medicinal, nutritive and antiviral food plants: Africa’s plausible answer to the low Covid-19 mortality

The surge in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has put the scientific community on overdrive to come up with a cure and/or possible vaccine to curtail the menace this virus has caused. Considering the morbidity rate from the Coronavirus and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for healthy living, this review examined and documented the possible options of plant-based immune boosters for attaining wellness and protect against infections caused by viruses. This review documented 106 plants consumed largely in Africa as food or medicine after assessing over 172 articles from notable search engines. These plants were reported for antiviral activities and immune boosters for attaining wellness and immunomodulation, a key protective feature against infections caused by viruses. The documented plants contain several immune-modulating compounds like vitamins, flavonoids, phenols, macro, and micronutrients, which might be the possible reason for the current leverage on the mortality rate associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in the African continent. The study, therefore, concluded that medicinal/food plants are able to enhance healthy living and medicinal plants are a significant source of phytomedicinal content for the management of viral-induced diseases such as COVID-19.

Nutraceutical Study on Maianthemum atropurpureum, a Wild Medicinal Food Plant in Northwest Yunnan, China.

Maianthemum atropurpureum (Franch) LaFrankie (Asparagaceae), called nibai in Tibetan or dongka in Drung or zhu-ye-cai in local Chinese, is a wild vegetable consumed by the Tibetan people and other ethnic groups in Northwest Yunnan, China. It is also a traditional medicinal plant used by different linguistic groups for antimicrobial purposes. However the nutritional and phytochemical compositions of this important medicinal food plant have not been well studied previously. In this study, the nutrient content for nibai was determined by the China National Standards (GB) methods, and the phytochemical analysis involved multiple chromatographic and spectral methods including LC-TOF-MS analysis. Dried nibai is a rich source of protein (ca. 24.6%), with 18 of the 21 common amino acids. The amino acid content of nibai can reach up to 17.9/100 g, with the essential amino acids as major contributors, corresponding to 42.3% of the total amino acids. Nibai contains rich mineral elements, dietary fiber, vitamins, β-carotene, carbohydrates, and lipids. The phytochemical content of nibai was examined by conventional isolation strategies, as well as HR-ESI-TOF-MS to detect and identify 16 compounds including nine steroid saponins and seven flavonoids. Among these compounds, uridine, adenosine, guanosine, and β-methyl-6-methyl-d-glucopyranoside were found from the genus Maianthemum for the first time. These results help to demonstrate that the local people’s practice of consuming Maianthemum atropurpureum is reasonable due to its high levels of vitamins, minerals, essential amino-acids, and phytochemicals. Nibai may be further developed in Tibet and surrounding regions, and beyond as a health food, nutraceutical, and/or dietary supplement product.

AN OVERVIEW ON ROLE OF ETHNOMEDICINE IN BOOSTING HUMAN IMMUNITY TO COMBAT VARIOUS VIRAL DISEASES

Some of the medicinal plants valued in Ayurvedic Rasayana for their therapeutic potential have seen scientifically investigated with promising results. Several plant-based principles have been isolated with a potential immunomod- ulatory activity that can explain and justify their use in traditional medicine in the past and can form the basis for further research in the future as well. Hence, the present review of the literature study was planned to document common and easily accessible functional food plants that can modulate the immune system and are biologically active against several medical problems arising from respiratory tract infections and in addition this review will serve as a guideline to the general public to include important medicinal food plants in their daily diet for strength- ening and improving their immune system and overall health. Based on the knowledge from this review of the literature study we hypothesize that plants may help individuals to overcome the infection by (i) modulating the body's immune system (ii) generating antiviral activity against the infection (iii) reducing other respiratory prob- lems. A substantial number of plant extracts and phytochemicals have been explored for their antiviral property. Herbal preparations owing to their holistic approach strengthen the body's immune system, which in turn may help the body fight against invading infectious viruses. In this review of the literature study, we documented twenty functional food plants with immunomodulatory and antiviral properties that have been reported to induce the im- mune system in several ways. These mainly include liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.), garlic (Allium sativum L.), tea (Camellia sinensis [L.] Kuntze), ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and several others. Thus, the practice of ethnomedicine plays a pivotal role in boosting human humanity to combat various viral diseases and will also help human beings to protect against the current Covid-19 like pandemic situation. Keywords: Ethnomedicine, Immunomodulatory, Antiviral, Onion, turmeric, Zinger, Garlic, Tea, Black pepper.

Investigation into the biological properties, secondary metabolites composition, and toxicity of aerial and root parts of Capparis spinosa L.: An important medicinal food plant

Capparis spinose L. also known as Caper is of great significance as a traditional medicinal food plant. The present work was targeted on the determination of chemical composition, pharmacological properties, and in-vitro toxicity of methanol and dichloromethane (DCM) extracts of different parts of C. spinosa. Chemical composition was established by determining total bioactive contents and via UHPLC-MS secondary metabolites profiling. For determination of biological activities, antioxidant capacity was determined through DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelating assays while enzyme inhibition against cholinesterase, tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase were also tested. All the extracts were also tested for toxicity against two breast cell lines. The methanolic extracts were found to contain highest total phenolic and flavonoids which is correlated with their significant radical scavenging, cholinesterase, tyrosinase and glucosidase inhibition potential. Whereas DCM extracts showed significant activity for reducing power, phosphomolybdenum, metal chelation, tyrosinase, and α-amylase inhibition activities. The secondary metabolites profiling of both methanolic extracts exposed the presence of 21 different secondary metabolites belonging to glucosinolate, alkaloid, flavonoid, phenol, triterpene, and alkaloid derivatives. The present results tend to validate folklore uses of C. spinose and indicate this plant to be used as a potent source of designing novel bioactive compounds.

Crop diversity in jhum cultivation: A case study of Upper Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Crop diversity is a source of food, medicines, and fodder; it provides a proximate composition including carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins, fats, essential elements, and nutraceuticals for healthy growth and development of a body. Jhum cultivation is a source of multiple crops and study on multiple sources of nutrients help in the dept understanding of diet and also framing of food policy; Present work was carried out to study the multiple cropping in Jhum agriculture field of the Upper Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh. To fulfill the objectives, field visit, open-end questionnaires and purposive samplings methods were used. A total of forty-three (43) crops were recorded to be cultivated in the Jhum field. Crops varieties of the study site could be classified into leafy vegetable crops, cereal crops, oil crops, pulses, spices crops, fruit crops, medicinal food plants, tuber crops and fiber crops.

The Role of Wild Food Plants of Himachal Pradesh in Boosting Immunity to Combat COVID-19

Purpose: The study aimed to document wild food plants usefulness in boosting immunity, fighting COVID-19 and other related viruses. The study also examined the diversity, distribution, parts used and season of availability of wild food plants that can be useful in boosting immunity to fight COVID-19. Subjects and Methods: The study was conducted in Himachal Pradesh (300 22' 40" to 330 12' 40" N Latitudes and 750 45' 55" to 790 04' 20" E Longitudes) northwest Himalaya from March 2020 to April 2021 by survey, sampling and interviewing knowledgeable persons through a questionnaire for the plants which are traditionally used as tonic and medicine to cure cough, cold and fever. Plants rich in antioxidant, Vitamin A,C and Zn were documented for their potential to boost immunity. Results: Ninety-five wild edible plants have been documented in this study belonging to forty families and seventy-seven genera. Family Asteraceae is found dominant, represented by 8 species followed by Lamiaceae (7 sp), Rutaceae and Brassicaceae (represented by 6 species each). Among genus, Ficus is found dominant represented by 4 species followed by Amaranthus, Oxalis, Rumex and Citrus (represented by 3 species each). These plants have been documented based on their medicinal and nutritive value like the richness in antioxidants, their ability to act as a body cleanser, cure common cold, cough and fever (Symptom similar to COVID-19) as revealed by a discussion with locals and literature reviews. These plants can be incorporated in our day-to-day life as a food, flavoring agent, or food supplement to boost immunity, fight COVID-19 or future challenges like COVID-19. Traditional knowledge of using these plants is on a sharp decline and their acceptability as a medicinal herb, food plants, or food supplement is the need of the hour to combat present and future challenges of pandemic COVID-19. Conclusion: Revitalization of our traditional health care and herbal healing with the use of nutritionally important medicinal wild food plants will be helpful to boost immunity and face ongoing and future challenges of pollution, stress, depression and pandemic like COVID-19. This can be done by the addition of documented plants as food and food supplements with some modern twist to our food plate.

Phytoconstituents and Proximate Composition of Clerodendrum Colebrookianum Walp.: A Widely Used Anti High Blood Pressure Medicinal Food Plant in Eastern Himalayas

Clerodendrum colebrookianum Walp.is a medicinal food plant widely used in the North East India. The herb is used as vegetable as well as medicine to control high blood pressure. Minerals and Proximate compositions in a food is vital for the proper growth and development of a healthy body and secondary metabolites included in diet act as a nutraceuticals thus help in fighting various health problems. The present study was carried out to discourse the Phytoconstituents, Proximate composition and Minerals of the nutraceutical herb, Clerodendrum colebrookianum. Methanol extract of sample was subjected to GCMS to profile the Phyoconstituents while Standard methods including AOAC was followed to study proximate and minerals of the sample under studied. Moisture content was 77.90%, carbohydrate 4.28%, 2.36% crude protein, 4.21% crude fibre and 0.35% crude fat respectively. The minerals concentrations are 0.215mg of Fe/g, 0.105mg/g of Mn, 0.0425mg of Cu/g, 0.056mg Zn/g, 2.55mg of Mangnesium/g, 4.3mg of Na/g and 24.5mg of K per gram of sample. A total of eleven compounds are recorded to be useful for high blood pressure problem and as many as other twenty useful phytoconstutuents were recorded from the sample including antioxidant, anti-uric acid formation, anti-tumour, bioabiability of zinc etc. The present study advocates the traditional knowledge on the use of Clerodendrum colebrookianum as a remedy for high blood pressure problem.

Standardization of some plants of the Cucurbitaceae family by a validated high-performance thin-layer chromatography method

Medicinal plants of the Cucurbitaceae family are widely consumed as foods in human diet. In the present study, a simple, rapid, quantitative, and validated high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method has been developed for the estimation of chlorogenic acid (CA) in the hydroalcoholic fruit extracts of Luffa acutangula (sponge gourd), Sechium edule (chayote squash), Trichosanthes cucumerina (snake gourd) and Trichosanthes dioica (pointed gourd) belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. Densitometric analysis of CA was carried out in the absorbance mode at 254 nm. The method gave spot at RF = 0.55 ± 0.04, corresponding to CA in different samples. The limit of detection and limit of quantification per spot were confirmed with the mobile phase ethyl acetate‒chloroform‒formic acid (6:4:0.5, V/V). Linear regression analysis data for the calibration plot for CA showed a good linear relationship with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9997 in the concentration range of 200–1000 ng per spot. The method was validated for sensitivity, linearity, accuracy, precision and specificity as per the international conference on harmonization guidelines. The proposed validated HPTLC method provides a novel approach for the quality control and standardization of some selected medicinal food plants of the Cucurbitaceae family.

Pharmacognostic study of Clerodendrum colebrookianum Walp. plant used for medicinal food by Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Clerodendrum colebrookianum Walp.is used as a medicinal food plant among tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh, India. The shoot of the herb is used as vegetable as well as a medicine to control high blood pressure. This herb is one of the widely used and well-known medicinal food plants in North East India. The present study was carried out to discourse the Pharmacognostic characters of the Clerodendrum colebrookianum shoot. The anatomical discourse revealed up the main vascular bundle and lateral vascular bundle with well developed central pith, secondary xylem, and conspicuous endodermis with the outer surface covered by numerous multicellular trichomes. The fluorescence study of powder shows dull green to brownish in daylight and ash colour to dark brown under UV light. The plant sample contains total ash of 11.15%, the acid in-soluble ash is 1.7% and water-soluble ash is 8%. Methanol gave the highest extractive value with 12.56% while petroleum ether gave the lowest extract of 1.40%. Alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponin, glycosides, carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, fixed oils and fats were found positive but volatile oil was not recorded in all six different solvents used in the phytochemical screening. The present study characterises the diagnostic Pharmacognosy features of C. Colebrookianum, and would give useful data to differentiate the authentic drug sample from the adulterated sample.

Therapeutic propensities, phytochemical composition, and toxicological evaluation of Anagallis arvensis (L.): A wild edible medicinal food plant

Anagallis arvensis (L.) is a wild edible food plant that has been used in folklore as a natural remedy for treating common ailments. This study aimed to explore the biochemical properties and toxicity of methanol (MeOH) and dichloromethane (DCM) extracts of A. arvensis (aerial and root parts). Bioactive contents were assessed spectrophotometrically, and the secondary metabolites were identified by UHPLC-MS analysis. DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, CUPRAC, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelating assays were employed to assess antioxidant activity. Inhibitory potential against key enzymes (α-glucosidase, urease, lipoxygenase (LOX), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE)) were also assessed. MTT assay was employed to test toxicity against SW-480, MDA-MB-231, CaSki, MCF-7, and DU-145 cancer cell lines. Methanolic extracts showed highest phenolic (aerial-MeOH: 27.5 mg GAE/g extract; root-MeOH: 21.17 mg GAE/g extract) and flavonoid (aerial-MeOH: 26.15 mg QE/g extract; root-MeOH: 19.07 mg QE/g extract) contents, and potent antioxidant activities. The aerial-MeOH extract was most potent for DPPH (IC50: 231 ug/mL), ABTS (131.12 mg TE/g extract), FRAP (82.97 mg TE/g extract), and CUPRAC (137.15 mg TE/g extract) antioxidant assays. All extracts were cytotoxic towards tested cancer cells with IC50 values ranging from 12.57 to 294.5 µg/mL and conferred a comparatively strong inhibition against α-glucosidase (aerial-DCM extract showed the highest inhibition against α-glucosidase with IC50 value of 20.97 µg /mL), while aerial extracts were also considerably active against BChE (aerial-MeOH IC50: 224.63 µg /mL), LOX (aerial-DCM IC50: 385.7 µg /mL). Likewise, aerial-MeOH extract was most active against urease enzyme (IC50: 129.72 µg /mL). UHPLC-MS investigation of methanolic extracts showed the existence of important phenolics, flavonoids, and saponins, including methyl gallte, quercetin, lanceoletin, and balanitesin, amongst others. Moreover, principal component analysis (PCA) highlighted the correlation amongst bioactive contents and observed biological activities. A. arvensis extracts could be regarded as a natural source of bioactive antioxidants, enzyme inhibitors and anticancer agents and can be further investigated as a lead source for food and pharmaceutical products. However, further studies to isolate, purify, and to characterize its bioactive phytochemicals are needed.

Food as medicine: A possible preventive measure against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The recent and ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) is a huge global challenge. The outbreak, which first occurred in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and then rapidly spread to other provinces and to more than 200 countries abroad, has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. Those with compromised immune systems and/or existing respiratory, metabolic or cardiac problems are more susceptible to the infection and are at higher risk of serious illness or even death. The present review was designed to report important functional food plants with immunomodulatory and anti‐viral properties. Data on medicinal food plants were retrieved and downloaded from English‐language journals using online search engines. The functional food plants herein documented might not only enhance the immune system and cure respiratory tract infections but can also greatly impact the overall health of the general public. As many people in the world are now confined to their homes, inclusion of these easily accessible plants in the daily diet may help to strengthen the immune system and guard against infection by SARS‐CoV‐2. This might reduce the risk of COVID‐19 and initiate a rapid recovery in cases of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.

Identifying the regulation mechanism of phytochemicals on triple negative breast cancer's biological network

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer that does not have an estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal receptor 2 (HER2). This makes it more difficult to treat because most hormone therapies target one of the three receptors. Modern therapy is the use of alternative natural sources such as medicinal plants, food plants, and fruits for cancer treatment and prevention. However, phytochemicals' action mechanisms remain ambiguous for TNBC. This study aimed to investigate the potential target proteins and the mechanisms of phytochemicals in the treatment of TNBC. In this study, a network clustering approach is used to identify potential targets and mechanisms of phytochemicals in the treatment of TNBC. A network of selected phytochemicals against TNBC was constructed and clustered to provide new reference information for the development and the use of phytochemicals in TNBC treatment. A web-based system displaying results of the present work is setup for investigators posing queries at http://sit.mfu.ac.th/tnbc/.

Survey Of Wild Edible Plants Of Dhanakarkulam Panchayath, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, India

The present study was carried out in the Dhanakarkulam panchayath to document the diversity, indigenous uses and availability status of wild edible plants. The inhabitants of the region are dependent up to a large extent on wild resources for their food and other daily needs.. The study revealed a total of 51 species, 42 genera and 27 families of wild edible plants were recorded in the study area. The total number of plant species recorded as medicinal and wild food plants indicated that the study area has substantial amount of useful plants and diverse source of medicinal and wild food plants. The diversity of these medicinal andwild edible of these medicinal and wild edible plants might be due to the suitability of environmental condition for different types of plant species. This finding is a good indicator for the presence of a considerable diversity of plant species is the study area. The study will be helpful in developing a comprehensive data base on wild plant resources, strengthening the food security in area and in conserving the traditional knowledge for the prosperity of the remote areas.

The first contribution to the ethnobotany of inland Dalmatia: medicinal and wild food plants of the Knin area, Croatia

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the Knin area (northern Dalmatia, Croatia) with the aim of recording traditional plant use by the local (native) people and contributing to the knowledge of plant biodiversity in the investigated area. Ethnobotanical data were collected by interviewing 40 local people at 17 locations. Data on 123 plant taxa (on average 21 taxa per interview) and 122 unique medicinal and 18 food uses in the local community were recorded. Prevalent medicinal uses of the recorded taxa were the treatment of digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular disorders, and injuries. The most commonly used plant parts gathered were leaves (35%) and flowers (20%). The most commonly collected plants in the investigated area were: &lt;em&gt;Urtica dioica&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Thymus longicaulis&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Sambucus nigra&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;Hypericum perforatum&lt;/em&gt;.

Hazard assessment of Maerua subcordata (Gilg) DeWolf. for selected endpoints using a battery of in vitro tests

Ethnopharmacological relevanceMaerua subcordata (Gilg) DeWolf is a medicinal and wild food plant growing mainly in east Africa. Especially its root tuber is widely used in traditional medicine to treat several infectious and chronic diseases but also in some toxicity implications like use as abortifacient. Aim of the studythe present study applied in silico and in vitro tests to identify possible hazards of M. subcordata (fruit, leaf, root, seed) methanol extracts focussing on developmental toxicity. Materials and methodsAmes test, estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) assay, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) assay, embryonic stem cell test (EST), and zebrafish embryotoxicity test (ZET) were employed. Besides, a Derek Nexus toxicity prediction was performed on candidate structures obtained from metabolomics profiling of the extracts using liquid chromatography coupled to multistage mass spectroscopy (LC/MSn) and a MAGMa software based structural annotation. ResultsGlucosinolates, which degrade to isothiocyanates, and biogenic amines were among the candidate molecules identified in the extracts by LC/MSn - MAGMa software structural annotation. Isothiocyanates and some other candidate molecules suggested a positive mutagenicity alert in Derek toxicity predictions. All the extracts showed negative mutagenicity in the Ames test. However, the Derek predictions also identified endocrine and developmental toxicity as possible endpoints of concern. This was further assessed using in vitro tests. Results obtained reveal that leaf extract shows AhR and ERα agonist activities, inhibited differentiation of ES-D3 stem cells into contracting cardiomyocytes in the EST (p < 0.001) as well as inhibited hatching (p < 0.01) and showed acute toxicity (p < 0.01) in the ZET. Also, the fruit extract showed toxicity (p < 0.05) towards zebrafish embryos and both fruit and seed extracts showed AhR agonist activities while root extract was devoid of activity in all in vitro assays. ConclusionThe leaf extract tests positive in in vitro tests that may point towards a developmental toxicity hazard. The current evaluations did not raise concerns of genotoxicity or developmental toxicity for the fruit, seed and root extracts. This is important given the use of especially these parts of M. subcordata, in traditional medicine and/or as (famine) food.

Ascophyllum nodosum extract improves phenolic compound content and antioxidant activity of medicinal and functional food plant Achillea millefolium L.

Genetic, biochemical and physiological parameters can be changed by applying seaweed extract-based products. However, there is scarce information about the influence of seaweed extract on yarrow performance (Achillea millefolium L.), which is widely used in the folk medicine. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of Ascophyllum nodosum extract on plant development (leaf and root biomass, and leaf area), physiological indexes (leaf weight ratio, and root: leaf ratio), secondary metabolite (phenolic compounds) content and antioxidant activity of yarrow. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments (seaweed extract concentrations 0, 3, 6 and 9 mL L-1) and 10 replications. The higher concentration of seaweed extract caused higher total dry weight of plants (from 17.8 to 19%), especially due to increases in the root biomass (up to 28.5%). Only plants that received the highest concentration of seaweed-based product presented increments in the number of leaves when compared to the control plants (18.3 %). Furthermore, the use of A. nodosum extract 9 mL L-1 provided increases in the antioxidant activity and content of phenolic compounds in leaves (up to 30.44%). In conclusion, application of A. nodosum is a potential tool strategy to improve the quality of raw material from yarrow plants, since it increased the phenolic compound content and antioxidant activity in leaves, which are the plant organs commonly used in folk medicine.