Native Medicinal Plants Research Articles

First Report of Powdery Mildew Caused by Podosphaera erigerontis-canadensis on Erigeron bonariensis in Pakistan

Erigeron bonariensis L. (Asteraceae), known as flaxleaf fleabane, is a perennial native medicinal plant (Bukhari et al. 2013). In October 2018, powdery mildew symptoms were observed on leaves and stems of flaxleaf fleabane in the Upper Dir, Pakistan. White, thick mycelium appeared in effuse patches on leaves and stems. Conidiophores were erect, straight, arising from the top of hyphal mother cells, usually toward one end of the cell, 58.5 to 158 × 11.07 to 18.50 µm. Foot cells were long, straight or sometime curved at the base, 10.1 to 47.5 × 8.5 to 11.7 µm, constricted at the basal septum, followed by one to four shorter cells, producing catenescent conidia, mostly two to four conidia per chain. Conidia were broadly ellipsoid–ovoid and 25 to 37.7 × 14.2 to 18.8 µm. Germ tubes were terminal or short, tips slightly swollen. Chasmothecia were epiphyllous, scattered to loosely aggregated, globose to subglobose, light to dark brown, and 65.6 to 95.6 µm in diameter. Peridium cells were not very conspicuous, irregularly polygonal, and 15.42 to 20.3 µm in diameter. Appendages were few, mostly less than 10, mycelioid, irregularly branched, septate, thin-walled, brown or rarely hyaline, and 23.8 to 93 × 5.9 to 8.5 µm; one to three asci, ellipsoid–ovoid or subglobose, 60.4 to 72 × 52.2 to 59.3 µm, stalked and two- to six-spored. Ascospores were globose–ellipsoid or ovoid, 15.3 to 20.2 × 12.4 to 15.4 µm, and colorless. The morphology of the asexual and sexual morphs of the powdery mildew samples agrees well with the description of Podosphaera erigerontis-canadensis (Braun and Cook 2012). To confirm the identification, genomic DNA was extracted, and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was amplified, sequenced, and analyzed using the methods described before (Cunnington et al. 2003; Hall 1999; Kumar et al. 2016). NCBI BLASTn analysis showed that our ITS 669-bp sequences (GenBank no. MN332238) closely matched the sequence of P. erigerontis-canadensis (KY678231) and showed 97.6% sequence identity. Pathogenicity was confirmed through inoculation by dusting conidia and chasmothecia onto leaves and stems of six healthy E. bonariensis plants potted in greenhouse conditions. Another six noninoculated plants were treated as the controls. Powdery mildew symptoms appeared on the leaves and stems after 7 days, and the fungal morphology was similar to that originally observed on diseased plants, whereas no symptoms appeared on the control plants. Worldwide, one Erysiphe spp., two Podosphaera spp., and three anamorphic species have been reported on C. bonariensis (Braun and Cook 2012; Farr and Rossman 2019). In Pakistan, powdery mildew caused by Leveillula taurica (Lev.) G. Arnaud has been reported on Conyza aegyptiaca (L.) Aiton previously. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. erigerontis-canadensis causing powdery mildew on E. bonariensis in Pakistan.

Comparative analysis of four medicinal floras: Phylogenetic methods to identify cross‐cultural patterns

Societal Impact StatementPlants are living repositories of pharmacologically active chemicals and help to meet society's health care needs directly, or by providing natural products for drug development. We describe phylogenetic approaches to compare medicinal floras from different cultures in distinct regions of the world, and consider how these findings can improve knowledge of how plants have been selected for medical purposes. Greater insight into how people have selected plants for medicinal use will benefit healthcare and drug discovery strategies, and ultimately contribute to the future health and well‐being of society.Summary Four medicinal floras were compared using phylogenetic methods, to test whether there are shared patterns in medical plant use at the level of the whole medicinal floras, or for specific therapeutic applications. Checklists of the native plants and medicinal plants of Oman were compiled, and analyzed alongside existing checklists for Nepal, the Cape of South Africa and New Zealand. We reconstructed a plant phylogeny at generic level for Oman, and a new, more inclusive phylogeny to represent the genera found in all four local floras. Methods from community phylogenetics were used to identify clustering and overdispersion of the plants used. The impacts of using local or more inclusive phylogenies and different null model selections were explored. We found that Omani medicinal plant use emphasizes the same deep lineages of flowering plants as the other three medicinal floras, most strongly when comparing Omani and Nepalese medicinal plants. Drivers of this similarity might be floristic composition, opportunity for exchange of knowledge and shared beliefs in the causation of illness. Phylogenetic patterns among therapeutic applications are cross‐predictive within and between cultures, and must be interpreted with care since inappropriate use of null models can result in spurious similarity. High levels of cross‐predictivity suggest that targeting plants used for specific therapeutic applications to identify specific bioactives may have limited value. We outline the questions that might be addressed using a global phylogeny and medicinal plant checklists, suggest the best methods for future studies and propose how findings might be interpreted.

Characterization of phytochemical composition and bioactivity assessment of Pseudotrachydium kotschyi essential oils

Pseudotrachydium kotschyi is a native medicinal plant used as a local medicine from Lorestan province of western Iran having numerous biological properties. After GC−MS analysis of Pseudotrachydium kotschyi essential oils (PKEOs), some biological activities were investigated. Additionally, TNF-α and TGF-β1 were studied in Leishmania-infected macrophages (in vitro) and Carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats. Finally, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing potential of PKEOs were investigated in vivo in mice. Total components identified by GC−MS contained 53 molecules, among which Z-α-trans-Bergamotol (23.25%), Durylaldehyde (16.07%), and α-Bergamotene (10.48%) existed in the highest amount in PKEOs. Antimicrobial assay of PKEOs showed maximum growth inhibition against Listeria monocytogenes and Kluyveromyces marxianus at the dose of 625 μg/ml. PKEOs exhibited a high cytotoxicity on lung cancer cell line A549 at a dose of 4 mg/ml. Anti-Leishmania activity of PKEOs showed concentration of 5000 µg/ml that had similar potency of glucantime at 125 µg/ml. The highest anti-inflammatory effect of PKEOs for Carrageenan-induced paw edema was observed at 100 concentrations, with paw inflammation reduced by 83.70% after using PKEO ointment. The present study reports broad-spectrum biological functions for essential oil from P. kotschyi. However, these biological activities, including anti-proliferative, anti-Leishmania, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and wound-healing potential, were not studied in detail. Therefore, it may be attractive for investigating the detailed mechanistic and molecular aspects of biological activities of PKEOs. Considering that the present study is the first to report the biological activity of P. kotschyi, further studies on their metabolites are needed to replicate the present findings.

Chemical characterization of polysaccharides from Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC. infusion and its hepatoprotective effects

Baccharis trimera is a native medicinal plant from South America popularly known as “carqueja”. Its infusion is traditionally ingested for the treatment and prevention of hepatic disorders. Up to now, only the crude aqueous extract or hydroethanolic fractions, containing the secondary metabolites, have been studied and correlated with their biological action on the liver. Here we report that an inulin type fructan is present in the B. trimera infusion and contributes to the hepatoprotective effect of the species. In vitro, inulin at 300 μg/mL, was able to scavenger 97% of the DPPH radicals. In vivo experiments showed that it protected the liver against CCl4-induced injuries. The administration of inulin at low dose of 1 mg/kg significantly reduced the blood levels of ALT, AST and ALP, reduced the lipid peroxidation and increased the catalase activity and the levels of reduced glutathione in the liver of CCl4-treated mice. Moreover, the administration of inulin at 100 mg/kg increased GSH levels in the liver of Naïve mice. No signs of toxicity were observed. Thus, inulin present in B. trimera infusion protects the liver from the oxidative stress caused by CCl4 administration and can corroborate with the hepatoprotective effects presented by the species infusion.

Biodiversity and antifungal potential of endophytic fungi from the medicinal plant Cornus officinalis

Endophytic fungi are not only ubiquitous in plants, but also play an important role in the balancing of plant microecosystems. Numerous studies have shown that plant species and environment have a significant influence on the richness of endophytic fungi, and endophytic fungi often provide different forms of fitness benefits to their associated host plants. The present work aimed to isolate and identify endophytic fungi harboured in the tissues of the native medicinal plant Cornus officinalis and screen beneficial fungi to inhibit cornel pathogens. A total of 208 strains were recovered from 720 tissue segments. The overall colonisation and isolation rates of endophytic fungi were 33.89% and 28.89%, with triennial twigs (53.33%, 55%) and fruits (6.67%, 3.33%) having the highest and lowest rates, respectively. On the basis of morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis, 183 isolates were classified into 13 genera. Amongst them, Alternaria, Botryosphaeria and Talaromyces were dominant communities, and their relative abundances were 31.25%, 26.92% and 10.10%, respectively. A detailed calculation of the Shannon diversity (H′ = 1.65) and Margalef’s richness indices (Dmg = 2.30) revealed that the overall biodiversity of fungal endophytes in C. officinalis was relatively high, with the stems harbouring the highest diversity. The antagonism assay of 75 representative endophytes on the four main fungal pathogens of C. officinalis indicated that nine strains with antibiosis and eight strains with inhibition rate of more than 50% were obtained by the dual culture. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that investigated the distribution and antifungal activity of endophytic fungi from the medicinal plant C. officinalis.

Traditional usage of native medicinal plants of Cheshmeh Gandou region in Sepidan Township (Fars Province)

Traditional usage of native medicinal plants of Cheshmeh Gandou region in Sepidan Township (Fars Province)

Seed dispersal by ungulates in the point calimere wildlife sanctuary: A scientific and perspective analysis.

Exotic woody weed plants are a very serious threat to seed dispersed by ungulate in the tropical forest of Asia. The ungulates in Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary (PCWS) are a significant role in native indigenous seed dispersal. The exotic woody weed tree Prosopis juliflora prevalence distributed in the PCWS and they might potentially alter the native medicinal plant species. In the present investigation, we have assessed the seed dispersal by ungulates in PCWS from January to March 2017. Four different ungulate species were selected to understand their seed dispersal rate of different plant species in selected sanctuary. This investigation was planned to confirm the seed dispersal by ungulates of blackbuck, spotted deer, wild boar and feral horse. Among the four different ungulates tested, the maximum numbers of pellets collected from blackbuck and no seed found in their pellets. The low quantities of pellets were collected from wild boar and this study has recorded medium-sized ungulates which dispersed variety of plant. However, the dispersal of the seed of medicinal plants were not considerably high and relatively moderate percentage of seeds dispersal occurred in medium-sized ungulates like wild boar and spotted deer. P. juliflora had 100% seed germination rate were observed from the faecal samples of wild boar and feral horse. The control seed achieved maximum seedling rate than the ungulates seeds.

Technical and economic evaluation of cultivation and obtaining of Varronia curassavica Jacq. essential oil

Varronia curassavica Jacq. is a native medicinal plant from Brazil, its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and healing properties are mainly due to the presence of α-humulene and β-cariophyllene on the essential oil extracted from the leaves. The study aimed to evaluate parameters related to the production, harvest and extraction and their effects on the quality/quantity of the V. curassavica essential oil under field conditions. For the drying experiment it was used natural drying in greenhouse and an artificial one with forced ventilation using the temperature of 40 °C until constant weight with six replications per treatment. For the harvest daytime experiment, five harvest different times were evaluated (6 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m.) with five replications per treatment. In both experiments it was used the completely randomized design. The effect of two natural elicitors on the sesquiterpene content of V. curassavica was also evaluated, where field grown plants received the application of acibenzolar-S-methyl (500 mg/L), 1,6 β-d-glucan obtained from Lasiodiplodia theobromae (50 mg/L) and distilled water as a control, where gas exchange rate, terpene enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, superoxide dismutase, guaiacol peroxidase and catalase activity and essential oil content in leaves were measured. The exhaustion time for the extraction of the V. curassavica essential oil by hydrodistillation was determined for whole and ground leaves. To evaluate and compare the extraction techniques performance, it was used a conventional and a green technology, it was evaluated the essential oil yield and α-humulene content in the volatile oil. Finally, a study of economic viability of the implantation of an agroindustry to obtain V. curassavica essential oil was performed using Expanded Multi-index Methodology (EMIM). The essential oil yielding was determined through hydrodistillation, using a Clevenger device, and the essential oil quality was measure by Gas Chromatography. There was not statistical difference between the drying methods tested regarding the essential oil production but the highest values of α-humulene and β-caryophyllene were obtained when artificial drying at 40 °C was adopted. It is possible to indicate a harvesting daytime around 11–12 a.m., resulting not only in higher yield of essential oil but also a higher content of the desired anti-inflammatory compounds. The acibenzolar-S-methyl reduced significantly the net carbon assimilation rate and the intercellular CO2 concentration, while1,6 β-d-glucan reduced significantly only the intercellular CO2 concentration. The essential oil analysis reveals that elicitation was not efficient to increase the yield of V. curassavica essential oil or to change relative rate among the oil chemical constituents, especially α-humulene and β-caryophyllene. The determined exhaustion time was 1.5 h for both treatments, and the conventional extraction technology (steam distillation) is the best option for extraction of the essential oil. At last, according to the economic study, it is recommended the implementation of the investment project.

Effects of the phenological stage, type of cutting and plant growth regulators on the propagation by stem cutting of Poiretia latifolia Vogel, a brazilian native medicinal plant

Poiretia latifolia Vogel has bioactive potential that includes antibiotic properties for human uses. The aim of this research was to develop an efficient method for vegetative propagation of P. latifolia by using cuttings as an aid to the selection and multiplication of interesting genotypes. In the first experiment, the cuttings were collected in vegetative and reproductive stages and treated with six plant growth regulators and distilled water. In the second experiment, the treatments consisted of cuttings from the apical, median, and basal branch segments. The treatment with the immersion of cuttings in 4,000 mg L-1 of IBA provided greater number and length of the roots, while high dilution of Calcarea phosphorica at 20CH produced longer branches. The cuttings of the middle and basal part of the branch were found to be more viable. It was achieved 79.17% of cuttings rooting using Calcarea phosphorica 20CH. The vegetative propagation employed in this work is a feasible option for the domestication, preservation, and cultivation of Poiretia latifolia.

PRANGOS PLATYCHLAENA BOISS ESSENTIAL OILS: A NOVEL STUDY ON ITS TOXICITY, ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS EFFECT ON BURN RATS

The Prangos platychlaena Boiss belonged to the family of Apiaceae is a native medicinal plant of Kurdistan-Iraq. The stem, leaves and flowers of the plant were collected in the mountain of Halgurd of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and hydrodistilated to obtain the volatile compounds, using both Gas Chromatography ( GC ) and Gas chromatography/ Mass spectroscopy (GC/MS). The results showed that the P. platychlaena Boiss essential oils containing several compounds such as Sylvestrene, α-Pinene oxide, (Z)-Epoxy-ocimene, Borneol, epi-Longipinanol, Germacrene D-4-ol, epi-α-Cadinol, 3-Thujanol acetate and Acorenone with different amount which were not found in any other Prangos species, and all showed antibacterial activity. This experiment was concducted to reveal the toxicity of flowers essentail oils of the P.platychlaena Boiss on skin burns of the rat. The results revealed that the base cream which contains 1% of the essentail oils showd less time in healing wounds in comparing with the other groups. Histological examination of the treated ones showed significantly the formation of new epiderm in those rats which were receiving the base cream containg 1% essentail oils. These finding sugested that the essentail oils of this plant can be used as a surface treatment agent for the human burns.

Comparison of conventional extraction technique with ultrasound assisted extraction on recovery of phenolic compounds from lemon scented tea tree (Leptospermum petersonii) leaves

Leptospermum petersonii is a native Australian medicinal and aromatic plant. This study was designed to evaluate the influence of solvents and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) parameters including time, temperature, and sonication power on the yield of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity from lemon scented tea tree leaves. Extraction efficiency of the optimal UAE conditions were compared with that of shaking water bath technique. The results show that extraction solvents significantly affect extraction yield of phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties, and 50% acetone in water was found to be the most suitable solvent. The UAE optimal conditions were 60 min, 50 °C and sonication power of 200 W. Under these optimal conditions the yields of total phenolics, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins were 98.91 ± 1.20 (mg GAE/g DW), 76.12 ± 0.79 (mg CE/g DW), 117.71 ± 2.18 (mg CE/g DW), respectively. Antioxidant properties from four assays including FRAP, CUPRAC, ABTS and DPPH were 581.29 ± 14.23, 5534.87 ± 19.56, 1636.18 ± 4.11, and 889.29 ± 20.68 (mM TE/g DW) respectively. The UAE extraction technique was found to be more efficient in extraction of total phenolics and antioxidant capacity in comparison with conventional shaking water bath extraction. This study also observed a strong correlation between phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacities. All three phenolic compound groups (TPC, TFC, and Pro.A) were contributed to both free radical scavenging and ion reducing properties in the lemon scented tea tree leaves extract. However, the order of the phenolic groups was TPC > Pro.A > TFC for antioxidant properties.

XANTHINE OXIDASE INHIBITORY ACTIVITY OF METHANOL EXTRACT FRACTIONS OF VARIOUS INDONESIAN ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL PLANTS

Objective: Hyperuricemia involves an increase in serum uric acid levels, resulting in kidney damage, increased mortality, and reduced quality of life.Inhibitors of xanthine oxidase, which catalyzes the last step in uric acid synthesis, are targets for therapeutic intervention.Methods: An ethnopharmacological approach, screening four native Indonesian herbal medicinal plants with reported activity against hyperuricemia,was used for preliminary studies, fractionating methanolic extracts by solvent partitioning. Fractions were then tested in vitro for xanthine oxidaseinhibitory activity, and the most active fraction was then subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening.Results: The target tissue of the four herbal medicinal plants investigated was Indian bay leaf (Syzygium polyanthum Wight.), God’s crown fruit(Phaleria macrocarpa Boerl.), snake fruit peel (Salacca edulis Reinw.), and Job’s tears tuber (Cyperus rotundus Linn.). Each sample was extracted bymaceration with 80% methanol. The concentrated extract was then fractionated by the liquid-liquid partition method (1:1 v/v) using n-hexane, ethylacetate, butanol, and methanol sequentially as solvents. The results revealed that the ethyl acetate fraction was the most active fraction. S. polyanthumleaf and C. rotundus tuber showed the greatest potential in inhibiting xanthine oxidase, with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations of 18.43 and10.50 μg/ml, respectively. Enzyme kinetics analysis shows that each plant fraction works as a competitive inhibitor of xanthine oxidase.Conclusion: Preliminary screening identified the ethyl acetate fractions of two native Indonesian herbal medicinal plants as showing potential foranti-hyperuricemia activity.

Transcriptomic Response in Pseudomonas aeruginosa towards Treatment with a Kaempferol Isolated from Melastoma malabathricum Linn Leaves.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the main causes of nosocomial infections and is frequently associated with opportunistic infections among hospitalized patients. Kaempferol-3-O-(2′,6′-di-O-trans-p-coumaroyl)-β-D glucopyranoside (KF) is an antipseudomonal compound isolated from the leaves of the native medicinal plant Melastoma malabathricum. Herein, an RNA-seq transcriptomic approach was employed to study the effect of KF treatment on P. aeruginosa and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the response to KF at two time points (6 h and 24 h incubation). Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed for four genes (uvrD, sodM, fumC1, and rpsL) to assess the reliability of the RNA-seq results. The RNA-seq transcriptomic analysis revealed that KF increases the expression of genes involved in the electron transport chain (NADH-I), resulting in the induction of ATP synthesis. Furthermore, KF also increased the expression of genes associated with ATP-binding cassette transporters, flagella, type III secretion system proteins, and DNA replication and repair, which may further influence nutrient uptake, motility, and growth. The results also revealed that KF decreased the expression of a broad range of virulence factors associated with LPS biosynthesis, iron homeostasis, cytotoxic pigment pyocyanin production, and motility and adhesion that are representative of an acute P. aeruginosa infection profile. In addition, P. aeruginosa pathways for amino acid synthesis and membrane lipid composition were modified to adapt to KF treatment. Overall, the present research provides a detailed view of P. aeruginosa adaptation and behaviour in response to KF and highlights the possible therapeutic approach of using plants to combat P. aeruginosa infections.

Community Structure, Diversity and Potential of Endophytic Bacteria in the Primitive New Zealand Medicinal Plant Pseudowintera colorata.

Although the importance of the plant microbiome in commercial plant health has been well established, there are limited studies in native medicinal plants. Pseudowintera colorata (horopito) is a native New Zealand medicinal plant recognized for its antimicrobial properties. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and Illumina MiSeq analysis of P. colorata plants from ten sites across New Zealand showed that tissue type strongly influenced the diversity and richness of endophytic bacteria (PERMANOVA, P < 0.05). In addition, two OTUs belonging to the genus Pseudomonas (Greengenes ID: 646549 and 138914) were found to be present in >75% of all P. colorata leaf, stem and root samples and were identified as the members of the P. colorata “core endomicrobiome”. Culture-independent analysis was complemented by the recovery of 405 endophytic bacteria from the tissues of P. colorata. Some of these cultured endophytic bacteria (n = 10) showed high antagonism against four different phytopathogenic fungi tested. The influence of endophytic bacteria on plant growth was assessed by inoculating P. colorata seedlings. The mean shoot height of seedlings treated with Bacillus sp. TP1LA1B were longer (1.83×), had higher shoot dry weight (1.8×) and produced more internodes (1.8×) compared to the control.

Volatile Compositions and Antifungal Activities of Native American Medicinal Plants: Focus on the Asteraceae.

In the past, Native Americans of North America had an abundant traditional herbal legacy for treating illnesses, disorders, and wounds. Unfortunately, much of the ethnopharmacological knowledge of North American Indians has been lost due to population destruction and displacement from their native lands by European-based settlers. However, there are some sources of Native American ethnobotany remaining. In this work, we have consulted the ethnobotanical literature for members of the Asteraceae used in Cherokee and other Native American traditional medicines that are native to the southeastern United States. The aerial parts of Eupatorium serotinum, Eurybia macrophylla, Eutrochium purpureum, Polymnia canadensis, Rudbeckia laciniata, Silphium integrifolium, Smallanthus uvedalia, Solidago altissima, and Xanthium strumarium were collected from wild-growing plants in north Alabama. The plants were hydrodistilled to obtain the essential oils and the chemical compositions of the essential oils were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The essential oils were tested for in-vitro antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans. The essential oil of E. serotinum showed noteworthy activity against C. neoformans with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 78 μg/mL, which can be attributed to the high concentration of cyclocolorenone in the essential oil.

Saponins from the rhizomes of Chamaecostus subsessilis and their cytotoxic activity against HL60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells

Context: Species of the Costaceae family have been traditionally used for the treatment of infections, tumors and inflammatory diseases. Chamaecostus subsessilis (Nees &amp; Mart.) C. D. Specht &amp; D.W. Stev. (Costaceae) is a native medicinal plant with distribution in the Cerrado forest ecosystem of Central Brazil. In our previous work, the antitumor potential of the chloroform fraction (CHCl3 Fr) from rhizomes ethanol extract (REEX) of C. subsessilis was determined against a series of tumor cell lines (HL60, Jurkat, MDA-MB231, MCF-7, HTC-116 and THP-1) using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetric assay. Aims: To isolate and identify the cytotoxic compounds present in CHCl3 Fr from REEX of C. subsessilis. Methods: The bio-guided chromatographic fractionation of the CHCl3 Fr was performed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and preparative Thin Layer Chromatography (prep-TLC). The cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds was evaluated against human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL60) and human embryonic renal non-tumor cell lineage (HEK-293) by MTT assay. Results: Dioscin and gracillin were identified as active compounds from CHCl3 Fr from REEX of C. subsessilis. They showed IC50 values of 5.3 µM and 14.0 µM, respectively, against HL60 cells, but they did not demonstrate selectivity compared to HEK-293 cells. Conclusions: These results corroborate with the popular use of species of the Costaceae family as a source of antitumor agents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that these saponins are isolated from this species.

Extract of common mallow (Malvae sylvestris) enhances growth, immunity, and resistance of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fingerlings against Yersinia ruckeri infection

The dietary effects of a native medicinal plant from Iran, common mallow (Malvae sylvestris), was evaluated on growth performance, innate immune parameters, mucosal immune parameters, and resistance of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) against Yersinia ruckeri. Therefore, 360 fish (initial weight 10.42 ± 0.09 g) were randomly distributed into 12 fiberglass tanks. Experimental diets supplemented with 0 (as control- C), 1% (M1), 3% (M2) and 5% (M3) levels of M. sylvestris flowers extract were fed to the fish based on 3% of body weight for 8 weeks. At the terminal sampling, growth performance, liver and digestive enzymes activities, blood and mucosal immune responses were determined. Results showed that M2 and M3 had greater final weight, weight gain, SGR, survival rate and lower FCR; higher levels of total protein, albumin, globulin, and lower cortisol levels in comparison to control; 5% extract also lowered cholesterol and glucose levels as well as Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. We reported higher values of hematocrit, hemoglobin, Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), White Blood Cell (WBC), Red Blood Cell (RBC) and lymphocytes for treated groups. Innate immune responses (Alternative complement activity (ACH50) in M2 and M3 group, total Immunoglobulin (Ig) and lysozyme in M3), mucosal immune parameters (ACH50, total Ig for M2 and M3 group and lysozyme in all treated groups) were enhanced. Activities of digestive enzymes (protease in all treated groups, amylase for 3 and 5%, while lipase only for 5%) and lower activity of liver ALT enzyme in individuals treated with highest dose was observed. Overall results indicated that the extract can positively affect growth performance and immune responses of rainbow trout.

Examination of Antigout Activity of Apiumgraveolens in Three Different Solvent Extract

Herbal plants are an important source of natural active products that are different based on the mechanism and biological properties of the plant. Celery (Apiumgraveolens) is considered as a native medicinal plant of Europe. This medicinal herbal plant is used as a medicine for the treatment of various ailments. Apiumgraveolens is a plant from the family apiaceae has been undergone study by several scientists. Apiumgraveolens involves in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, lowering blood glucose, Lowering blood pressure, strengthening the cardio system, antifungal, anti-inflammatory &amp; anticoagulant activity. Apiumgraveolens leads to an increased amount of calcium and decreased amount of potassium in the cardiac tissue. The essential oil of Celery has an antibacterial effect as well. The current finding illuminates the importance of Xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of Apiumgraveolens Linn in three different solvents Ethanol, Ethyl acetate &amp; Hexane which acts against the disease state called Gout.The review strongly proves that the Apiumgraveolens has been as a good source of medicine in treating various diseases. There is also a consideration to identify the bioactive phytochemicals present in the plant Celery (Apiumgraveolens Linn)

Patterns and reasons for kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) use among current and former opioid poly-drug users.

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a native medicinal plant of Southeast Asia widely reported to be used to reduce opioid dependence and mitigate withdrawal symptoms. There is also evidence to suggest that opioid poly-drug users were using kratom to abstain from opioids. To determine the patterns and reasons for kratom use among current and former opioid poly-drug users in Malaysia. A total of 204 opioid poly-drug users (142 current users vs. 62 former users) with current kratom use history were enrolled into this cross-sectional study. A validated UPLC-MS/MS method was used to evaluate the alkaloid content of a kratom street sample. Results from Chi-square analysis showed that there were no significant differences in demographic characteristics between current and former opioid poly-drug users except with respect to marital status. Current users had higher odds of being single (OR: 2.2: 95%CI: 1.21-4.11; p<0.009). Similarly, there were no significant differences in the duration (OR: 1.1: 0.62-2.03; p<0.708), daily quantity (OR: 1.5: 0.85-2.82; p<0.154) or frequency of kratom use between current and former opioid poly-drug users (OR: 1.1: 0.62-2.06; p<0.680). While both current and former opioid users reported using kratom to ameliorate opioid withdrawal, current users had significantly higher likelihood of using kratom for that purpose (OR: 5.4: 95%CI: 2.81-10.18; p<0.0001). In contrast, former opioid users were more likely to be using kratom for its euphoric (mood elevating) effects (OR: 1.9: 95%CI: 1.04-3.50; p<0.035). Results from the UPLC-MS/MS analysis indicated the major alkaloids present in the representative kratom street sample (of approximately 300mL of brewed kratom) were mitragynine, followed by paynantheine, speciociliatine and speciogynine, as well as low levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine. Both current and former opioid poly-drug users regularly used kratom (three glasses or about 900mL daily or the equivalent of 170.19mg of mitragynine) to overcome opioid poly-drug use problems.

Phytochemical screening, Sun Protection Factor (SPF) and sugar analysis of jatobá fruits (Hymenaea martiana Hayne): A native medicinal plant from the San Francisco Valley

Abstract Hymenaea martiana is a native medicinal plant from the Caatinga, but biochemical studies of the fruit have not yet been reported. Thus, this study aimed to determine sugars and secondary metabolites, as well as assess the sunscreen potential of H. martiana fruits. The fruits were collected in Petrolina and separated into pulp and seeds. The sugar analysis investigated the presence of glucose, xylose, cellobiose, arabinose and xylitol. The determination of secondary metabolites was made through phytochemical screening and sunscreen activity was assessed with the spectrophotometric method. In the fruit pulp, carbohydrates with a great biotechnological potential were identified. The substances found in the phytochemical screening showed great antioxidant, photoprotective and medicinal potential. With the pulp extract, the sun protection factor values obtained were not significant and for the extract from the seeds, the values were 4.54 ± 0.11. Although the values found are below the recommended, the fruit extracts of H. martiana could be used in future development of sunscreen products providing several benefits to the formulation.