Folk Medicinal Plant Research Articles

Anatomy and microscopy of Piper caldense, a folk medicinal plant from Brazil

Piper caldense C. DC., Piperaceae, commonly known as “pimenta-d’água”, “pimenta-darda” or “paguarandy” in Brazil, is a shrub that grows mainly in humid and shaded habitats. The present study investigates the anatomy of the leaves and stems of P. caldense by light and scanning electron microscopy in order to provide supporting data for correct identification of the species. The leaves are hypostomatic, have a 2-layered hypodermis, and posses pearl glands. The midrib shows a ‘U’-shaped stele comprised of about ten collateral vascular bundles. The main anatomical marker of the stem is the presence of a continuous sclerenchymatous sheath in the pith. Two forms of calcium oxalate crystals, namely crystal sand and raphides, are observed in this species.

Folk medicinal plant mixtures: Establishing a protocol for further studies

Ethnopharmacological relevanceMost ethnobotanical research bases its analyses on individual taxa catalogues and their uses, rather than on mixtures. However, mixtures constitute an important chapter of our different lines of research and they represent a large volume of information. The relevance of these data in folk medicine could be explained as a response to the cure of multicausal etiology diseases or by a possible polyvalent effect of the mixture as opposed to the effect of each taxon alone. Aims of the studyThe main goals are: i) to perform qualitative and quantitative analyses of these mixtures; ii) to carry out a comparison among the mixtures in two Catalan territories and their floristic composition; iii) to assess the worth of families association; and, iv) to evaluate whether the plants claimed to be used in mixtures have contraindications or possible negative interactions according to phytopharmaceutical literature. The ultimate goal is to test a protocol that can be implemented in similar studies. Materials and methodsWe have used data on medicinal plant mixtures obtained from two extensive ethnobotanical field studies carried out in two Catalan districts, Alt Empordà and Ripollès. The quantitative analyses by means of descriptive statistics were carried out with Excel. New contributions like the implementation of the Shannon index to quantify the diversity of families in plant combinations, the creation of a new index to calculate the taxon importance in mixtures, or the use of a social network analysis to study the connection between botanical families have been employed in this work. ResultsIn total, a set of 484 mixtures from Alt Empordà and Ripollès (Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula) have been analysed: 462 for human use and 22 for veterinary. Thymus vulgaris and Rosmarinus officinalis are among the most commonly used species in mixtures. The aerial part of the plant is the most used, and the anticatarrhal usage is the most frequent in both territories. A wide diversity of families has been observed in mixtures and reflects a strong bond between the number of taxa and the number of families in each mixture, being almost equal to one. The Shannon diversity index applied to mixtures has the maximum value at 0.86. No exclusive plants are used in mixtures, as reflected on the index of taxon usefulness in mixtures (ITUM), proposed in the present work. The association of families is strong between Lamiaceae (12.12%) and Asteraceae with Lamiaceae (11.69%). Finally, the informant consensus factor (0.85) reflects the strong consistency of data reported by the interviewees. ConclusionsThe present analysis has confirmed that it is possible to study the data of plants in mixtures as thoroughly as when they are considered in isolation in an ethnofloristic catalogue, and maybe this kind of ethnobotanical investigation could be a first step for future pharmacological studies that may result in a relevant complement to the current phytotherapy market.

Mutagenicity evaluation of Anastatica hierochuntica L. aqueous extract in vitro and in vivo.

Anastatica hierochuntica L. ( A. hierochuntica), a folk medicinal plant, was evaluated for mutagenic potential via in vitro and in vivo assays. The in vitro assay was conducted according to modified Ames test, while the in vivo study was performed according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development guideline for mammalian erythrocyte micronucleus assay. Four groups ( n= 5 males and 5 females per group) Sprague Dawley rats were randomly chosen as the negative control, positive control (received a single intramuscular injection of cyclophosphamide 50 mg/kg), 1000 and, 2000 mg/kg A. hierochuntica aqueous extracts. All groups except the positive control were treated orally for three days. Findings of the in vitro assay showed mutagenic potential of AHAE at 0.04 and 0.2 mg/ml. However, no mutagenic effect was demonstrated in the in vivo study up to 2000 mg/kg. No significant reduction in the polychromatic and normochromatic erythrocytes ratio was noted in any of the groups. Meanwhile, high micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes frequency was seen in cyclophosphamide-treated group only. These findings could perhaps be due to insufficient dosage of A. hierochuntica aqueous extracts to cause genetic damage on the bone marrow target cells. Further acute and chronic in vivo toxicity studies may be required to draw pertinent conclusion on the safety aspect of A. hierochuntica aqueous extracts consumption. Impact statement In this paper, we report on the mutagenicity evaluation of Anastatica hierochuntica aqueous extract. This is a significant research in view of the popularity of this herb consumption by the people across the globe despite of limited scientific evidence on its toxicity potential. This study is intended to encourage more extensive related research in order to provide sufficient evidence and guidance for determining its safe dosage.

The ethnobotanical notes from Nizip (Gaziantep-Turkey)

This paper reports folk medicinal and food plants of Nizip (Gaziantep) located in the south part of Turkey. The purpose of the study is to gather, determine, and record the plants that are used as source of food and medicine by local people. The information was obtained from participants in face to face interviews; furthermore, the specimens of the plants were collected. Voucher specimens were deposited at the Herbarium of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Marmara University. Totally, twenty-seven plants are recorded as used as traditional folk medicine for the region, and thirteen of these are also used as a source of food. Among them, 20 taxa were wild and 7 taxa were cultivated plants. According to the majority of the plants which have similar usage, the plants are mostly used for gastrointestinal, respiratory system diseases and diabetes. 

In vivo antitumor potential of extracts from different parts of Bauhinia variegata linn. Against b16f10 melanoma tumour model in c57bl/6 mice

BackgroundMelanoma is a metastatic type of skin cancer that is difficult to treat and the majority of efforts are directed to the design of new drugs. Medicinal Plants have been the primary source of medicines since life on earth; more than 50% of existing cancer treatments is derived from plants. Bauhinia variegata is well-known medicinal plant used from the ancient era to till date for their medicinal values. Scientific literatures have not documented any evidence of the antitumour potential of Bauhinia variegata against B16F10 melanoma tumor model in C57BL mice. The present investigation was undertaken to explore the antitumour activity of Leaf, stem bark and flower extract of Bauhinia variegata against B16F10 melanoma tumour model in C57BL mice.MethodsHydro-methanolic extract prepared from the leaf, stem bark and flower of Bauhinia variegata were assessed for their antitumor activity. The extracts at doses of 500 and 750 mg/kg b.wt. were given orally along with cyclophosphamide (chemotherapeutic drug) for 40 days for exploring antitumor activity against melanoma tumor (B16F10) in C57BL mice. Inhibition of tumor growth, increase in survival time of animal with treatment, histopathological studies and antioxidant parameter were determined.ResultsThe Present investigation showed significant effect of the B. variegata L. in preventing melanoma tumor by B16F10 cell line in C57BL/6 mice. As compared with the tumour control group, the remarkable results especially in the group which received B. variegata extract and cyclophosphamide together were obtained for all of the measured parameters. Dose dependent response was observed in tumor volume, inhibition rate, life span time and antioxidant parameter of extracts. Combination treatment of cyclophosphamide and B. variegata extracts showed more pronounced effect.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that B. variegata hydromethanolic extract may contain bioactive compounds of potential therapeutic significance which are relatively safe from toxic effects, and can compromise the medicinal use of this plant in folk medicine.

Expression and Functional Analysis of a Transgenic Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase in Pueraria mirifica

Isoflavonoids are the main compound in White Kwao Krua (Pueraria mirifica), which is an effective folk medicinal plant endemic to Thailand. It has been widely used for improving human physical and treating diseases. There are substances with estrogenic activities have been isolated from P. mirifica, such as puerarin, daidzein and genistein. Isoflavone synthase (IFS) is one of the key enzymes in Leguminous plants to convert liquiritigenin, liquiritigenin C-glucoside and naringenin chalcone to isoflavonoids. The aim of this research was to enhance the production of isoflavonoids by metabolic engineering. Transgenic plants were constructed by introducing P450 gene (EgP450) which is similar to IFS from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), into P. mirifica by a biolistic method. After the transgenic plants had proved successfully, isoflavonoids of each group plants were determined by HPLC. The contents of daidzein and genistein in transgenic plants were higher than the control plants.

Effect of phenolic extracts of Algerian medicinal plants on the bacterial growth and adherence of Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus pathogens responsible of food poisoning.

<p>Artemisia, one of the larger genera in the family Asteraceae, comprises from 200 to more than 500 taxa at the specific or subspecific level. Artemisia herba-alba Asso (Shih) is grown in North Africa and certain parts of Asia and Middle East. It is one of the most widely used plants in the Algerian folk medicine. The antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of the methanolic extracted materials were tested together with their antibacterial effects against isolated bacterial strains causing food poisoning. In summary, <em>A. herba-alba</em> Asso represent a good phenolic and flavonoid content (161, 64 mg/g and 16,83mg/g, respectively) in comparison with <em>T. capitatus</em> L which represent a phenolic content of 131, 48 mg/g and 14, 96 of flavonoid content. The results shows also that the methanolic extracts of the two plants possess a strong antioxidant (DPPH, FRAP assays) and antibacterial activities, which supports their ethnopharmacological use and <em>A. herba alba</em> represent the highest values (IC 50: 2, 35 mg/ml and OD 1, 13 at 700nm). Our results show the interest of <em>A. herba-alba</em> Asso and <em>T. capitatus</em> L, among other medicinal plants, in search of new chemo-preventive agents against biofilm and planktonic growth of food spoilage pathogens. Further studies are envisaged to target the most interesting molecules responsible for these activities. It is concluded that organic extracts from <em>Artemisia herba alba</em> Asso, exert strong antioxidant activities which are related to their polyphenol contents. </p>

Identification of Polar Constituents in the Decoction of Juglans mandshurica and in the Medicated Egg Prepared with the Decoction by HPLC-Q-TOF MS².

As a folk medicinal plant, Juglans mandshurica has been used for the treatment of cancer in China and Korea. Traditionally, J. mandshurica is decocted together with chicken eggs. Both the decoction and medicated eggs possess anti-tumor properties. Clarifying the constituents of the decoction and absorbed by the medicated eggs is essential for the investigation of the active principles of J. mandshurica. Herein, the medicated eggs were prepared by decocting raw chicken eggs, having unbroken shells, with the decoction of J. mandshurica. A systematic investigation of the chemical profile of the J. mandshurica decoction and the medicated egg extraction was conducted by HPLC-Q-TOF-MS2. In total, 93 peaks, including 45 tannins, 14 naphthalene derivatives, 17 organic acids, 3 diarylheptanoids, 4 lignans, 3 anthraquinones, 1 flavonoid glycoside, 3 amino acids, and 3 nitrogenous compounds, were tentatively identified in the decoction. In the medicated egg extraction, 44 peaks including 11 organic acids, 3 amino acids, 3 nitrogenous compounds, 8 naphthalene derivatives, 3 diarylheptanoids, 15 tannins, and 1 lignan were tentatively identified. The chemical profile presented provided a detailed overview of the polar chemical constituents in J. mandshurica and useful information for the research of bioactive compounds of this plant.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemical constituents of Ptychopetalum olacoides Benth

Ptychopetalum olacoides is a folk medicinal plant for health care in market, especially in Brazil. Fourteen known compounds were isolated from P. olacoides and their chemical structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data, including 1D NMR, 2D NMR, UV, IR and HR-ESI-MS. The 14 known compounds were identified as N-trans-feruloyl-3,5-dihydroxyindolin-2-one (1), magnoflorine (2), menisperine (3), 4-coumaroylserotonin (4), moschamine (5), luteolin (6), 4′-methoxyluteolin (7), 3-methoxyluteolin (8), 3, 7-dimethoxyluteolin (9), caffeic acid (10), ferulic acid (11), vanillic acid (12), syringic acid (13) and ginsenoside Re (14). To our knowledge, compounds (1–6, 13–14) were isolated from the plant for the first time. Additionally, quantitative analysis results indicated that calibration equations of compounds (1–3, 6, 9, 11–13) exhibited good linear regressions within the test ranges (R2 ≥ 0.9990) and magnoflorine and menisperine were the major constituents in the barks of P. olacoides. The contents of magnoflorine and menisperine accounted for 75.96% of all analytes. However, the content of phenolic components was smaller and the highest content was no more than 1.04 mg/g. Collectively, these results suggested that alkaloids are the dominant substances in P. olacoides, which can make a difference for the quality control and further use of P. olacoides.

Antibiofilm activity of Vetiveria zizanioides root extract against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a leading human pathogen responsible for causing chronic clinical manifestation worldwide. In addition to antibiotic resistance genes viz. mecA and vanA, biofilm formation plays a prominent role in the pathogenicity of S.aureus by enhancing its resistance to existing antibiotics. Considering the role of folk medicinal plants in the betterment of human health from the waves of multidrug resistant bacterial infections, the present study was intended to explore the effect of Vetiveria zizanioides root on the biofilm formation of MRSA and its clinical counterparts. V.zizanioides root extract (VREX) showed a concentration-dependent reduction in biofilm formation without hampering the cellular viability of the tested strains. Micrographs of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) portrayed the devastating impact of VREX on biofilm formation. In addition to antibiofilm activity, VREX suppresses the production of biofilm related phenotypes such as exopolysaccharide, slime and α-hemolysin toxin. Furthermore, variation in FT-IR spectra evidenced the difference in cellular factors of untreated and VREX treated samples. Result of mature biofilm disruption assay and down regulation of genes like fnbA, fnbB, clfA suggested that VREX targets these adhesin genes responsible for initial adherence. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of sesquiterpenes as a major constituent in VREX. Thus, the data of present study strengthen the ethnobotanical value of V.zizanioides and concludes that VREX contain bioactive molecules that have beneficial effect over the biofilm formation of MRSA and its clinical isolates.

Cardioprotective effect of the xanthones from Gentianella acuta against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in isolated rat heart

Gentianella acuta (Michx.) Hulten is widely used for the treatment of arrhythmia and coronary heart disease in Ewenki Folk Medicinal Plants and Mongolian Medicine, popularly known as “Wenxincao” in China. To investigate the potential protective role of the xanthones from G. acuta against myocardial I/R injury in isolated rat heart and its possible related mechanism. The protective role of xanthones on myocardial I/R injury was studied on Langendorff apparatus. The hemodynamic parameters including the left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), the maximum rate of up/down left intraventricular pressure (±dp/dtmax), coronary flow (CF) and heart rate (HR) were recorded during the perfusion. The results demonstrated that the xanthones from G. acuta treatment significantly improved myocardial function (LVDP, ±dp/dtmax and CF), increased the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), ATP and the ratio of glutathione and glutathione disulfide (GSH/GSSG), whereas suppressed the levels of Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, the xanthones upregulate the level of Bcl-2 protein and downregulate the level of Bax protein. These results indicated that xanthones from G. acuta exhibited cardioprotective effects on myocardial I/R injury through its activities of anti-oxidative effect and anti-apoptosis effect.

North African Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used in Cancer Therapy.

Background: Cancer is a major cause of mortality worldwide with increasing numbers by the years. In North Africa, the number of cancer patients is alarming. Also shocking is that a huge number of cancer patients only have access to traditional medicines due to several factors, e.g., economic difficulties. In fact, medicinal plants are widely used for the treatment of several pathologies, including cancer. Truthfully, herbalists and botanists in North African countries prescribe several plants for cancer treatment. Despite the popularity and the potential of medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer, scientific evidence on their anticancer effects are still scarce for most of the described plants.Objective: Bearing in mind the lack of comprehensive and systematic studies, the aim of this review is to give an overview of studies, namely ethnobotanical surveys and experimental evidence of anticancer effects regarding medicinal plants used in North Africa for cancer therapy.Method: The research was conducted on several popular search engines including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science. The research focused primarily on English written papers published between the years 2000 and 2016.Results: This review on plants traditionally used by herbalists in North Africa highlights that Morocco and Algeria are the countries with most surveys on the use of medicinal plants in folk medicine. Among the plethora of plants used, Nigella sativa and Trigonella foenum-graecum are the most referred ones by herbalists for the treatment of cancer. Moreover, a plethora of scientific evidence qualifies them as candidates for further drug development. Furthermore, we report on the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms.Conclusion: Overall, this review highlights the therapeutic potential of some medicinal plants as anticancer agents. The North African flora offers a rich source of medicinal plants for a wide array of diseases, including cancer. The elucidation of their modes of action represents an indispensable condition for the rational development of new drugs for cancer treatment. Furthermore, testing the anticancer activity in vivo and in clinical trials are warranted to explore the full therapeutic potential of North African plants for cancer therapy.

An ethnobotanical survey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad district, Punjab-Pakistan.

Present paper offers considerable information on traditional uses of medicinal plants by the inhabitants of Hafizabad district, Punjab-Pakistan. This is the first quantitative ethnobotanical study from the area comprising popularity level of medicinal plant species intendedby using relative popularity level (RPL) and rank order priority (ROP) indices.Ethnobotanical data were collected by interviewing 166 local informants and 35 traditional health practioners (THPs) from different localities of Hafizabad district. Demographic features of informants; life form, part used, methods of preparation, modes of application and ethnomedicinal uses were documented. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using quantitative tools, i.e. Relative frequency citation (RFC), use value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF) fidelity level (FL), RPL and ROP indices. A total of 85 species belonging to 71 genera and 34 families were documented along with ethnomedicinal uses. Solanum surattense, Withania somnifera, Cyperus rotundus, Solanum nigrum and Melia azedarach were the most utilized medicinal plant species with highest used value. The reported ailments were classified into 11 disease categories based on ICF values and highest number of plant species was reported to treat dermatological and gastrointestinal disorders. Withania somnifera and Ranunculus sceleratus with maximum FL (100%), were used against gastrointestinal and urinary disorders, respectively. The RPL and ROP values were calculated to recognize the folk medicinal plant wealth; six out of 32 plant species (19%) were found popular, based on citation by more than half of the maximum number of informant viz. 26. Consequently, the ROP value for these species was more than 75. The comparative assessment with reported literature revealed 15% resemblance and 6% variation to previous data;however79% uses of the reported species were recorded for the first time. The diversity of medicinal plant species and associated traditional knowledge is significant in primary health care system. Medicinal plant species with high RPL values should be screened for comprehensive phytochemical and pharmacological studies. This could be useful in novel drug discovery and to validate the ethomendicinal knowledge.

PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND IMMUNO-MODULATORY EFFECT OF MORINGA OLEIFERA FLOWERS

Objective: This study evaluates the anti-inflammatory activities of different solvent extracts of Moringa oleifera flowers using carrageenan-induced mice paw edema.Methods: Soxhlet extraction method was employed in this study to extract the crude phytochemicals. Phytochemical analysis testing of Moringa oleifera extracts was performed to identify the presence of various phytoconstituents based on the standard procedures. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using acute inflammatory model carrageenan-induced paw edema. Three different flower extracts (petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol) of Moringa oleifera at the dose level of 500 mg/kg body weight. The anti-inflammatory activity on the different extracts of Moringa oleifera was determined through the α-carrageenan induced left hind paw oedema method in albino mice. 0.05 ml of 1% w/v carrageenan suspension was reconstituted with normal saline (0.9% NaCl) to give a homogenous solution which then be injected into the subplantar tissue of the left hind paw of each mice to induce acute inflammation.Results: Treatment with three different solvent extracts showed significant (p<0.05) inhibition in carrageenan-induced paw edema. Petroleum ether and chloroform extracts were found to be less effective than methanolic extracts when compared to (Indomethacin) reference standard at the dose of 10 mg/kg body weight. The phytochemical results obtained indicates that anti-edematous action of Moringa oleifera flowers exhibited in this study is due to the presence of potent anti-inflammatory phytoconstituents (flavonoid, alkaloid, tannin) in impeding arachidonic acid metabolism and production of reactive free radicals. A significant (p<0.05) increase of left hind paw thickness after the drug injection was noticed in the negative control mice group as time persisted. It showed the highest paw thickness at the fifth hour with 4.72 mm±0.07. Whereas the indomethacin treated group showed the highest percent oedema inhibition amongst all experimental group with 38.60% at the fifth-hour post-carrageenan induction. It exhibited a significant inhibition of 29.02% against the oedema after the third hour of carrageenan injection.Conclusion: The methanolic extract of Moringa oleifera flowers extract has anti-inflammatory activity. This activity was related to the dose and these results collaborate the potential traditional use of the plant in folk medicine.

The ethanol extract of Leonurus sibiricus L. induces antioxidant, antinociceptive and topical anti-inflammatory effects

Ethnopharmacological relevanceLeonurus sibiricus L. (Lamiaceae), popularly known as motherwort, or “erva-de-macaé” or “rubim” in Brazil, is a plant used for the treatment of inflammatory conditions, but few studies have evaluated this anti-inflammatory activity or other activities that may be relevant. Aim of the studyThis study was undertaken to investigate the antioxidant, antinociceptive and topical anti-inflammatory effects of the ethanol extract of L. sibiricus (EELs). Materials and methodsChromatographic analysis, determination of total phenolic and flavonoid contents and in vitro antioxidant assays were performed, while the formalin test and ear inflammation induced by 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) were performed in mice. ResultsWe observed that total phenolic and flavonoids content in EELs were respectively 60.1mg of gallic acid equivalent/g of extract and 15.4mg of catechin equivalent/g of extract. Chlorogenic, caffeic, p-coumaric and ferulic acids, as well as quercetin were identified in EELs. This extract also led to the consumption of the radicals 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) and nitric oxide, increased the ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) and inhibited the spontaneous or FeSO4-induced in vitro lipid peroxidation. In the formalin test, oral pretreatment with EELs (400mg/kg) reduced (p<0.001) the licking/biting time in the second phase, but not in the first phase. In the ear inflammation induced by TPA, the concomitant topical administration of EELs (0.3–3mg/ear) significantly reduced the edema, myeloperoxidase activity, levels of tumoral necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β and lipoperoxidation, as well as increased FRAP in ear tissue when compared to vehicle-treated ears. ConclusionsThese results indicate that EELs has antioxidant, antinociceptive and topical anti-inflammatory activities, supporting the use of this plant in folk medicine.

Indigenous Wisdom and Folk Healing Practices among Urban Oromo of the Gibe Region in Ethiopia: A Case Study of Jimma and Agaro Towns

This folkloric study was aimed at documenting and exploring the utilization, spiritual and philosophical aspect and preparation of folk medicinal plants among the urban Oromo of the Gibe region with reference to Jimma and Agaro town. A total of 14 informants within the age group of 43 to 79 were interviewed several times on different folk medicinal plants. About 25 folk medicinal plants species were classified across 10 types, based on part of the plant used for medicinal purpose, have been documented with their scientific names in the study. The study indicate that folk medicinal plants used by the urban Oromo’s are under serious risk due to external and internal influences. Modernization and acculturation have contributed a lot in making the younger generation unwilling to practice, utilize and preserve traditional knowledge in general and folk medicine in particular. Thus, attention should be given for the preservation of these plants and folk healer’s wisdom.

Evaluation of antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of different extracts of folk medicinal plant Hapllophyllum tuberculatum

Hapllophyllum tuberculatum (H. tuberculatum) is a folk medicine used traditionally in Oman for the treatment of arthritis, nausea, fever, gastric pains, intestinal worms and malaria. The design of this study is to prepare different polarity extracts of H. tuberculatum and to evaluate antioxidant and cytotoxic activities by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and brine shrimp lethality (BSL) methods. The coarse leave samples were extracted with methanol by using a Soxhlet method and the obtained methanol extract was defatted and fractionated by different polarity of solvents with increasing polarity to give hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water extracts, respectively. The high antioxidant activity was obtained in the ethyl acetate extract and the lowest was in the methanol extract and the order of activity was ethyl acetate>butanol>water>chloroform>hexane>methanol extract. The cytotoxic activity results showed that the hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts have killed all the shrimp larvae at the concentration of 500μg/ml. The highest IC50 was found in the chloroform extract and the lowest IC50 was found in the butanol extract and the order of activity was chloroform>ethyl acetate>hexane>water>methanol>butanol extract. Significant antioxidant and cytotoxic activities results were found first time of Omani H. tuberculatum species which is traditionally used as folk medicine all over the world, including Oman. Therefore, the highest activity ethyl acetate extract could be used as a natural antioxidant. The present study is the first report on the evaluation of antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of different polarity extracts of Omani H. tuberculatum species.

Anticancer efficacy of the ethyl acetate extract from the traditional Chinese medicine herb Celastrus orbiculatus against human gastric cancer

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herb Celastrus orbiculatus is an important folk medicinal plant in China that has been used as an anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and analgesic in various diseases. The ethyl acetate extract of C. orbiculatus (C. orbiculatus extract, COE) was reported to show significant antitumor effects. However, no study in China or abroad has reported the effect and mechanism of COE in triggering apoptosis of gastric cancer (GC) cells. Aim of studyTo further uncover the molecular mechanism underlying COE's apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects and lay a foundation for the development of novel, effective antitumor TCM agents. Materials and methodsThe effect of COE on AGS and BGC-823 GC cell viability was examined using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Apoptosis of AGS and BGC-823 cells induced by COE was analyzed using flow cytometry and a mitochondrial membrane potential assay kit (JC-1). The proliferating GC cells were identified and examined using a 5-bromo-2ʹ-deoxyuridine (BrdU) staining kit and flow cytometric analysis. A western blot assay was used to detect the effect of COE on apoptosis-related proteins, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-extra-large (Bcl-xL), Bcl-2-like protein 12 (Bcl-L12), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), and caspase as well as proliferation-related proteins, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR)/p70s6k. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and an animal imaging technique were used to evaluate the microstructure of apoptotic GC cells and the effect of COE on tumor cell growth in vivo, respectively. ResultsThe results indicate that COE significantly inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of GC AGS and BGC-823 cell lines both in vivo and in vitro. COE significantly decreased the cell mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, COE downregulated the levels of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70s6k while those of Bax and caspase were upregulated. More interestingly, COE altered the microstructure of the mitochondria. ConclusionAll these data collectively indicate that COE not only has significant antiproliferative effects but also has both in vivo and in vitro apoptotic effects. In addition, COE altered the structure and function of the mitochondria, which is another potential pathway for the antitumor activity of COE. These findings may provide a basis for the development of new anticancer TCM candidates.

Antioxidant and anticancer activities of Plectranthus stocksii Hook. f. leaf and stem extracts

The properties of Plectranthus stocksii—a well-known folk medicinal plant—were investigated. The plant extracts were successively extracted and tested for phytochemicals using high performance liquid chromatography, while antioxidant and anticancerous properties were assessed using MCF-7, Caco-2 and RAW 264.7 cancerous cell line models. The methanolic extract of leaves showed higher concentrations of total phenolics (415.41 mg gallic acid equivalents/g extract) and tannins (177.53 mg gallic acid equivalents/g extract) contents than other studied extracts. In the case of flavonoids, ethyl acetate extract of leaf (LEA) showed a higher concentration (777.11 mg rutin equivalents/g extract) and was also found to have better antioxidant activity against stable radical 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (3.46 μg/mL), 2,2′azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiozoline-6-sulfonic acid) disodium salt radical (27.41 mM Trolox equivalent/g extract) and superoxide (24.16 μg/mL) radicals and showed better IC50 (the concentration of the sample at which the inhibition rate reaches 50%) values on MCF-7 (48.874 μg/mL) and Caco-2 (36.088 μg/mL) cancerous cell line models. The immense anti-oxidant potential of P. stocksii leaf and stem extracts could be utilized as a good source of natural, anti-oxidant supplement in food to defend against oxidative-stress-related disorders and more generally in the food safety industry.

Evaluating the wound healing ability of Melicope pteleifolia (Champ. Ex Benth.) T.g. Hartley

Melicope pteleifolia (Champ. ex benth.) T.g. Hartley, a folk medicinal plant, is used by ethnic minorities in Bidoup–Nui Ba National Park, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam to treat effectively wound, inflammation and skin ulcer. To scientifically prove the claimed utilization and understand the mechanism of action of the plant, the in vitro and in vivo healing properties of the extract and fractions of the plant were investigated. The ethanol 70 % extract (50 – 400 mg/mL), aqueous (200 mg/mL), ethyl acetate (100 mg/mL) and petroleum ether (50 mg/mL) fractions were used to evaluate the antibacterial activities by using agar diffusion method. The healing properties were in vitro investigated through fibroblasts and keratinocytes proliferation and migration (7.8 g/mL to 250 g/mL in accordance with each extract and fraction). Besides, the macrophage-induced inhibition of the nitric oxide (NO) production was examined (15.6 – 62.5 g/mL). In addition, the excision wound model was used to test the wound healing activity on mice model. We found that the ethanol extract and the ethyl acetate fraction showed potent activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus feacalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The extract and fractions stimulated fibroblasts and keratinocytes proliferation in a concentration-dependent way. They also inhibited macrophage produce NO. In addition, mice treated by the extract formed scabs on wound excision of mice model faster than the control group. The wound healing efficiency seems to involve antibacterial, stimulating fibroblasts and keratinocytes proliferation, inhibition of macrophages produce NO.