Rheum Emodi Research Articles

In- vitro Hepatoprotective Action of the Crude Extracts of Luffa amara (Whole Fruit) and Rheum emodi (Rhizomes) in CCl4 Intoxicated Rat Hepatocytes

Aim: The objective of this in-vitro study involves evaluating the protective action of the extracts of L. amara (LA) (whole fruits including seeds) and R. emodi (RE) (rhizomes) at various concentrations on isolated primary rat hepatocytes.
 Methods: The pulverised dried whole fruits of L. amara (LA) and rhizomes of R.emodi (RE) were extracted successively with petroleum ether (PE), ethanol (EE) and distilled water (AE) and vacuum dried. These extracts of LA petroleum ether (PE), ethanolic (EE) and aqueous (AE) extracts and RE obtained were subjected to in vitro studies at doses of 25, 75, 100, and 150 µg/ml and silymarin (250 µg/ml) in CCl4 (1%) intoxicated primary hepatocytes monolayer cultures the hepatoprotective action of all the extracts of both plants at different doses was carried out using isolated rat hepatocytes which were subjected to CCl4 intoxication followed by estimating/ measuring the changes in serum biochemical markers – SGPT, SGOT, ALP, Total proteins (TP), total bilirubin (TB), albumin (ALB) and triglycerides (TGL).
 Results: Hepatoprotective activity against CCl4 was demonstrated in the rat primary monolayer hepatocyte culture using MMT assay with the ethanolic extracts of both plants showing more hepatocyte protective action compared to the aqueous and petroleum ether extracts by reducing the elevated serum marker levels. Alcoholic and aqueous extracts were found to express more protective action towards CCl4 intoxicated isolated primary rat hepatocytes in a dose dependant manner.
 Conclusion: Based on the result, it is suggested that the extract with the most hepatocyte protective action at a dose of 150µg is LA ethanolic extract (viability=88.24%), followed by LA aqueous extract (viability=84.31%), RE ethanolic extract (viability=88.24%) and RE aqueous extract (viability=88.24%) - which are comparable to the reference silymarin with viability at 92.15%. the petroleum ether extracts of both plants showed least hepatic cell viability with LA pet ether extract at 49.02% and RE pet ether extract at 47.85%

Ecological assessment and environmental niche modelling of Himalayan rhubarb (Rheum webbianum Royle) in northwest Himalaya.

In an era of anthropocene, threatened and endemic species with small population sizes and habitat specialists experience a greater global conservation concern in view of being at higher risk of extinction. Predicting and plotting appropriate potential habitats for such species is a rational method for monitoring and restoring their dwindling populations in expected territories. Ecological niche modelling (ENM) coalesces species existence sites with environmental raster layers to construct models that describe possible distributions of plant species. The present study is aimed to study the potential distribution and cultivation hotspots for reintroducing the high value, vulnerable medicinal herb (Rheum webbianum) in the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh using population attributes and ecological niche modelling approach. Sixty-three populations inventoried from twenty-eight areas display a significant change in the phytosociological attributes on account of various anthropogenic threats. The current potential habitats coincide with actual distribution records and the mean value of Area Under Curve (AUC) was 0.98 and the line of predicted omission was almost adjacent to omission in training samples, thus validating a robustness of the model. The potential habitat suitability map based on the current climatic conditions predicted a total of 103760 km2 as suitable area for the growth of Rheum webbianum. Under the future climatic conditions, there is a significant reduction in the habitat suitability ranging from -78531.34 Km2 (RCP 4.5 for 2050) to -77325.81 (RCP 8.5 for 2070). Furthermore, there is a slight increase in the suitable habitats under future climatic conditions, ranging from +21.99 Km2 under RCP 8.5 (2050) to +3.14 Km2 under RCP 4.5 (2070). The Jackknife tests indicated Precipitation of Driest Month (BIO14) as the most contributing climatic variable in governing the distribution of R. webbianum. Therefore, scientifically sound management strategies are urgently needed to save whatever populations are left in-situ to protect this species from getting extinct. Present results can be used by conservationists for mitigating the biodiversity decline and exploring undocumented populations of R. webbianum on one hand and by policymakers in implementing the policy of conservation of species with specific habitat requirements by launching species recovery programmes in future on the other.

In vitro propagation and establishment of adventitious root cultures of Rheum emodi Wall. ex Meisn for quantification of emodin production

In vitro propagation and establishment of adventitious root cultures of Rheum emodi Wall. ex Meisn for quantification of emodin production

Cytotoxic potential of Rheum emodi capped silver nanoparticles and In silico study of human CDK-4/6 proteins with hydroxyanthraquinones

In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized via green route using Rheum emodi roots extract (RERE) and carried out a comparative anticancer potential analysis of pure RERE and RERE mediated AgNPs against DMBA and croton oil-induced skin carcinogenesis in mice and on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. It came out to be that RERE mediated AgNPs exhibited cubic crystallinity with Fm3¯m space group as confirmed by the XRD technique. The surface plasmon resonance effect has been observed in the UV–Visible spectra of AgNPs. Furthermore, FTIR was used to confirm the presence of hydroxyanthraquinones in RERE. The synthesized AgNPs displayed pseudo-spherical microstructure with an average particle diameter of ~30 ​nm. The in vitro cytotoxic potential of RERE and RERE mediated AgNPs against breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231) was also investigated. The in vivo anticancer potential of RERE and RERE mediated AgNPs was evaluated against DMBA and croton oil-induced skin carcinogenesis in mice using various morphological, biochemical and histopathological parameters. In summary, RERE and RERE mediated AgNPs showed vital cytotoxic potential to combat against cancer. The present study portrays in-depth study of computational interactions between the anticancer proteins (CDK4/6) with the ligands (hydroxyanthraquinones) by using In silico molecular docking. From this study we can understand the pharmacokinetic activities, which can be helpful in developing new drug in cost effective manner.

Dopamine‐polyethyleneimine co‐deposition of a capillary for α‐glucosidase immobilization and its application in enzyme inhibitor screening

An online method based on CE was established to screen α-glucosidase inhibitors from traditional Tibetan medicine extracts. First, the inner wall at the inlet of capillary column was simply and effectively functionalized by dopamine-polyethyleneimine co-deposition method, which combines the adhesion property of dopamine and easy cationization of polyethyleneimine. Then α-glucosidase was rapidly immobilized on the inner wall of the capillary column by electrostatic adsorption. The inter- and intraday repeatability of the peak area of the enzymatic reaction product (p-nitrophenol) in a capillary was evaluated, and RSD% (n = 3) was 0.94% and 1.09%, respectively. Good batch-to-batch reproducibility of the peak area between different capillaries (RSD = 2.1%, n = 5) shows that the preparation method has good reproducibility. The Michaelis-Menten constant of the immobilized α-glucosidase was measured to be 1.18mM, and the capillary column enzyme reactor retained 85.9% of initial activity after 30 cycles. Finally, it was applied to the screening of enzyme inhibitors in 20 traditional Tibetan medicine extracts. Sixteen medicines with inhibitory activity were screened out, and Rheum australe had the strongest inhibitory effect with an inhibitory rate of 83.3± 0.4%. These results showed that this method is effective to find potential enzyme inhibitors.

Ecological status of Alpine Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Western Himalaya

ABSTRACT The ecological status of medicinal and aromatic plants species (MAPs) in the alpine region of the Western Himalaya was assessed to identify the current threats on these MAPs. Of the 400 MAPs reported from the alpine region of Uttarakhand, 50 highly used and commercially exploited MAPs were prioritized for assessment. A semistructured questionnaire survey was used in the representative sites (50) of the alpine landscape based on the information, parts used, locality of occurrence, and socioeconomic status. Field surveys were conducted using Rapid Mapping Exercise (RME) (4 plots of 1 × 1 m at every 50 m distance, total 40 plots in one transect) along the elevation and habitat gradient to assess the population status of species. The intensity of threat was evaluated using a rapid threat assessment (RTA) approach using eight criteria viz., plant parts used, life forms, habitat, endemism, population size, use pattern, trade, and threat status. The recorded magnitude of threats revealed that Angelica glauca, Nardostachys jatamansi, Aconitum heterophyllum, and Rheum australe were the most vulnerable. Roots/rhizomes (68%) were the most frequently used plant parts of MAPs, followed by inflorescence/fruit (19%).

Phytocompounds of Rheum emodi, Thymus serpyllum, and Artemisia annua Inhibit Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Binding to ACE2 Receptor: In Silico Approach.

COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, has been declared as a global pandemic. Traditional medicinal plants have long history to treat viral infections. Our in silico approach suggested that unique phytocompounds such as emodin, thymol and carvacrol, and artemisinin could physically bind SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins (6VXX and 6VYB), SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 South Africa variant of Spike glycoprotein (7NXA), and even with ACE2 and prevent the SARS-CoV-2 binding to the host ACE2, TMPRSS2 and neutrapilin-1 receptors. Since Chloroquine has been looked as potential therapy against COVID-19, we also compared the binding of chloroquine and artemisinin for its interaction with spike proteins (6VXX, 6VYB) and its variant 7NXA, respectively. Molecular docking study of phytocompounds and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was performed by using AutoDock/Vina software. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was performed for 50ns. Among all the phytocompounds, molecular docking studies revealed lowest binding energy of artemisinin with 6VXX and 6VYB, with Etotal −10.5 KJ mol−1 and −10.3 KJ mol−1 respectively. Emodin showed the best binding affinity with 6VYB with Etotal −8.8 KJ mol−1and SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 variant (7NXA) with binding energy of −6.4KJ mol−1. Emodin showed best interactions with TMPRSS 2 and ACE2 with Etotal of −7.1 and −7.3 KJ mol−1 respectively, whereas artemisinin interacts with TMPRSS 2 and ACE2 with Etotal of −6.9 and −7.4 KJ mol−1 respectively. All the phytocompounds were non-toxic and non-carcinogenic. MD simulation showed that artemisinin has more stable interaction with 6VYB as compared to 6VXX, and hence proposed as potential phytochemical to prevent SARS-CoV-2 interaction with ACE-2 receptor.Graphical abstract Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40495-021-00259-4.

English

Rheum emodi Wall. ex Meissn is a popular medicinal herb having wide application in traditional medicine for treating of several diseases. The present study was aimed to identify and isolate phytochemicals present in ethyl acetate extract fraction of R. emodi and to evaluate the anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities of water/organic solvent fractions and isolated compounds of R. emodi rhizome extracts. Based on the structure, flavonoid compound i.e., Myricitrin (sym. Myricetin 3- rhamnoside), myricetin 3-galloylrhamnoside and myricetin were identified to be present in ethyl acetate extract. The molecular weight of compound 1 cannot be identified; while compound 5 remained unknown as there was not enough evidence to propose its structure. The isolated compounds and different solvent fractions were tested for their anticancer and antiinflammatory activities. Among Myricetins derivatives, particularly unknown compounds significantly induced the apoptosis and restrained the proliferation of cancer cell lines (A549 and MCF-7) and inhibited the LPS induced NO production (proinflammatory mediator), IL-6 activity, IL-1β and TNF-α (cytokines) activity in RAW 264.7 macrophages in a dose dependent manner and was effective even at lower concentration (50 µg/mL). Similarly, the higher concentration of aqueous and solvent fractions exhibited strong cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities. However, water and dichloromethane fractions were most effective in inhibiting the anticancer activities in A549 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, respectively. At lower concentration (50 and 100 µg/mL), highest inhibition activity for NO, IL-6 and IL-1β was noted with ethyl acetate fractions and n-Hexane fractions; while water and n-Butanol (fractions) strongly inhibited the TNF-α activity at lower (100 µg/mL) and high (200 µg/mL) concentration, respectively. In conclusion, the isolated compounds from R. emodi rhizome extracts and its rhizome solvent fractions exhibit strong anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities and can be used to develop chemotherapeutics and anti-inflammation drugs. © 2021 Friends Science Publishers

Acute Toxicological and Histopathological Elucidation of Rheum emodi Rhizome Extract to Demonstrate Antidiabetic Activity in Alloxan-induced Diabetic Rats

Background: Rheum emodi has been used traditionally to treat diabetes in India. The study was designed to elucidate the effect of 75% ethanolic extract of R. emodi (rhizome) (EE-ReR) and its isolated compounds like emodin and chrysophanol on alloxan-induced diabetic rats, and to check its antidiabetic efficacy. Acute toxicological and histopathological studies were also assessed. Methods: Experimental rats were divided into six groups, with each group consisting of 6 rats. EEReR and its compounds emodin and chrysophanol were given orally for 30 days. Results: The experimental rats were sacrificed after 30 days by cervical dislocation. The renal profile and lipid parameters were determined. Histopathological changes in liver, kidney and pancreas were examined in EE-ReR treated group. EE-ReR was fed orally to diabetic rats, which resulted in a decline in the fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, free fatty acids, creatinine, urea levels, and a rise in the insulin levels was observed almost in the normal range, in the rats which were fed with the extract. Histopathological studies of pancreas, kidney, and liver in diabetic rats revealed that the treated group of rats showed normal regeneration of islets cells. Acute toxicological studies revealed that the extract is safe up to 2000 mg/kg body weight of extract fed orally. Conclusion: These findings are suggestive of a possible protective and prevent damage to the internal organs played by the R. emodi and its compounds like emodin and chrysophanol compounds and elevate insulin production during high blood glucose levels without any acute toxicologically effect.

Antioxidant Activity in Rheum emodi Wall (Himalayan Rhubarb).

Using natural products as antioxidant agents has been beneficial to replace synthetic products. Efforts have been made to profile the antioxidant capacities of natural resources, such as medicinal plants. The polyphenol content of Himalayan rhubarb, Rheum emodi wall, was measured and the antioxidant activity was determined using DPPH and ABTS+ assay, and the oxidative stress was assessed using SOD enzymatic assay. Five different solvent fractions, n-hexane, n-butanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and water, were used for screening the antioxidant capacity in effort to determine the optimum extraction solvent. The total phenolic contents for R. emodi fractions ranged from 27.76 to 209.21 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g of dry weight. DPPH and ABTS+ assay results are presented into IC50 values, ranged from 21.52 to 2448.79 μg/mL and 90.25 to 1718.05 μg/mL, respectively. The ethyl acetate fraction had the highest antioxidant activity among other fractions. Also, n-butanol and water fractions showed significantly lower IC50 values than the positive control in DPPH radical scavenging activity. The IC50 values of SOD assay of fractions ranged from 2.31 to 64.78 μg/mL. A similar result was observed with ethyl acetate fraction showing the highest SOD radical scavenging activity. The study suggests that the ethyl acetate fraction of R. emodi possess the strongest antioxidant activity, thus the most efficient in extracting antioxidant contents. Moreover, a highly significant correlation was shown between total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity screening assays. The compounds related to the antioxidant activity of R. emodi were identified to myricitrin, myricetin 3-galloyl rhamnoside, and myricetin, which have not been reported in studies about R. emodi before.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of Rheum australe, an endangered medicinal herb, growing in its natural habitat and those grown in controlled growth chambers

Rheum australe is an endangered medicinal herb of high altitude alpine region of Himalayas and is known to possess anti-cancerous properties. Unlike many herbs of the region, R. australe has broad leaves. The species thrives well under the environmental extremes in its niche habitat, therefore an understanding of transcriptome of R. australe to environmental cues was of significance. Since, temperature is one of the major environmental variables in the niche of R. australe, transcriptome was studied in the species growing in natural habitat and those grown in growth chambers maintained at 4 °C and 25 °C to understand genes associated with different temperatures. A total of 39,136 primarily assembled transcripts were obtained from 10,17,74,336 clean read, and 21,303 unigenes could match to public databases. An analysis of transcriptome by fragments per kilobase of transcript per million, followed by validation through qRT-PCR showed 22.4% up- and 22.5% down-regulated common differentially expressed genes in the species growing under natural habitat and at 4 °C as compared to those at 25 °C. These genes largely belonged to signaling pathway, transporters, secondary metabolites, phytohormones, and those associated with cellular protection, suggesting their importance in imparting adaptive advantage to R. australe in its niche.

In vitro and in silico molecular docking studies of Rheum emodi-derived diamagnetic SnO2 nanoparticles and their cytotoxic effects against breast cancer

Green-route-bioengineered nanoparticles have received significant attention for diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the medical technology era due to their non-toxic nature, cost-friendliness, and energy efficiency.

PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF ANTHRAQUINONES OF RHEUM AUSTRALE D. DON

Anthraquinones are phenolic compounds known best for their laxative activity. Rheum australe D. Don (Indian rhubarb, Polygonaceae) is a prominent medicinal plant with anthraquinones as the bioactive compounds, among a few others. The online literature search was carried out to collect data on the phytochemistry and pharmacological activity of anthraquinones, particularly those isolated from R. australe. Anthraquinones are commonly found in the genera of Rheum, Senna, Aloe, Frangula, and Rubia, which can be quantitatively and qualitatively determined using both conventional and advanced analytical methods. The anthraquinones of R. australe were found in free and glycosidic forms, which were best extracted by the microwave-assisted extraction method. Various chromatographic techniques were commonly conducted to isolate the pure compounds. In addition to its laxative activity, anthraquinones of R. australe also showed potential antibacterial, cytotoxic, and antioxidant properties.

Molecular docking studies of phytocompounds of Rheum emodi Wall with proteins responsible for antibiotic resistance in bacterial and fungal pathogens: in silico approach to enhance the bio-availability of antibiotics

Rheum emodi Wall. (Himalayan rhubarb) has many pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer and wound healing. The present study was aimed to understand if major phytocompounds of Rheum emodi could bind proteins responsible for antibiotic resistance in bacterial and fungal pathogens and enhance the potency of antibiotics. The major phytocompounds of R. emodi (emodin, rhein-13c6 and chrysophenol dimethy ether) were retrieved from the Pubchem and target proteins were retrieved from RCSB protein data bank. The docking study was performed by using AutoDock vina software and Molinspiration, swiss ADME servers were used for the determination of Lipinski rule of 5, drug-likeness prediction respectively, whereas, admetSAR and Protox-II tools were used for toxicity prediction. To study the docking accuracy of protein-ligand complexes, MD simulation for 100 ns was done by using Desmond program version 2.0 (Academic version). Among all the selected phytocompounds, emodin showed the best binding affinity against bacterial (Penicillin binding protein 3, 3VSL and fungal target (cytochrome P450 14 alpha-sterol demethylase 1EA1) with binding energy −8.2 and −8.0 Kcal mol−1 respectively. Similarly, rhein-13C6 showed the best binding affinity against fungal target (n-myristoyl transferase 1IYL) with binding energy −8.0 Kcal mol−1 which is higher than antibacterial and antifungal antibiotics. All the selected phytocompounds also fulfill Lipinski rule, non-carcinogenic and non-cytotoxic in nature. These compounds also showed high LD50 value showing non-toxicity of these phytocompounds. MD simulation studies of phytocompounds (emodin and rhein-13C6) define the stability of protein-ligand complexes with in 100 ns time scale. Communicated by Freddie R. Salsbury

Identification and quantification of target metabolites combined with transcriptome of two rheum species focused on anthraquinone and flavonoids biosynthesis

Rheum emodi is a perennial herb and an important medicinal plant, with anthraquinones and flavonoids as its main bioactive compounds. However, there is little knowledge about the biosynthetic pathway of anthraquinones in rhubarbs. In this study, we qualitatively and quantitatively assessed 62 pharmacological metabolites in rhubarb using dynamic multiple reaction monitoring (dMRM) of triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (QqQ-MS), including 21 anthraquinones, 17 flavonoids, 6 stilbenes, 12 gallate esters, 3 tannins, and 3 others. Besides, the metabolomics results showed significant differences among all the 60 metabolites, except for gallic acid and piceatannol-O-β-glucoside. The combined transcriptome data of R. palmatum L. (RPL) and R. officinale Baill. (ROB) showed that 21,691 unigenes were annotated in the metabolic pathways. Taken together, 17 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated with the anthraquinone biosynthetic pathway. Additionally, a significant correlation between anthraquinone peak intensity and DEG expression level existed, validating that DEGs contribute to the anthraquinone biosynthetic pathway. RT-qPCR results showed that the cluster-14354.38156 gene may catalyze the O-methylation of emodin to produce physcion. This study provides a useful resource for further studies on secondary metabolism in rhubarb and the combination analysis of transcriptome and metabolome, which can help with the discovery of enzyme genes involved in metabolite biosynthesis.

Structural and physicochemical properties of Rheum emodi mediated Mg(OH)2 nanoparticles and their antibacterial and cytotoxic potential.

In the present investigation, Rheum emodi roots extract mediated magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles [Mg(OH)2 NPs] through the bio-inspired experimental technique were synthesised. Mg(OH)2 NPs were characterised by using various characterisation techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The formation of Mg(OH)2 NPs was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The structural analysis confirmed the hexagonal crystal symmetry of Mg(OH)2 NPs with space group P-3m1 and space group no. 164 using the Rietveld refinement technique. TEM micrographs illustrated the nano-size formation of Mg(OH)2 NPs of spherical shape and size ∼14.86 nm. With the aid of FTIR data, plant metabolites such as anthraquinones have been identified as a stabilising and reducing agent for the synthesis of biogenic Mg(OH)2 NPs. The synthesised Mg(OH)2 NPs showed antimicrobial and cytotoxic potential against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria such as Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell lines.

In silico screening of hundred phytocompounds of ten medicinal plants as potential inhibitors of nucleocapsid phosphoprotein of COVID-19: an approach to prevent virus assembly

Currently, there is no specific treatment to cure COVID-19. Many medicinal plants have antiviral, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, wound healing etc. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to screen for potent inhibitors of N-terminal domain (NTD) of nucleocapsid phosphoprotein of SARS-CoV-2. The structure of NTD of RNA binding domain of nucleocapsid phosphoprotein of SARS coronavirus 2 was retrieved from the Protein Data Bank (PDB 6VYO) and the structures of 100 different phytocompounds were retrieved from Pubchem. The receptor protein and ligands were prepared using Schrodinger’s Protein Preparation Wizard. Molecular docking was done by using the Schrodinger’s maestro 12.0 software. Drug likeness and toxicity of active phytocompounds was predicted by using Swiss adme, admetSAR and protox II online servers. Molecular dynamic simulation of the best three protein- ligand complexes (alizarin, aloe-emodin and anthrarufin) was performed to study the interaction stability. We have identified three potential active sites (named as A, B, C) on receptor protein for efficient binding of the phytocompounds. We found that, among 100 phytocompounds, emodin, aloe-emodin, anthrarufin, alizarine, and dantron of Rheum emodi showed good binding affinity at all the three active sites of RNA binding domain of nucleocapsid phosphoprotein of COVID-19.The binding energies of emodin, aloe-emodin, anthrarufin, alizarine, and dantron were −8.299, −8.508, −8.456, −8.441, and −8.322 Kcal mol−1 respectively (site A), −7.714, −6.433, −6.354, −6.598, and −6.99 Kcal mol−1 respectively (site B), and −8.299, 8.508, 8.538, 8.841, and 8.322 Kcal mol−1 respectively (site C). All the active phytocompounds follows the drug likeness properties, non-carcinogenic, and non-toxic. Theses phytocompounds (alone or in combination) could be developed into effective therapy against COVID-19. From MD simulation data, we found that all three complexes of 6VYO with alizarin, aloe-emodin and anthrarufin were stable up to 50 ns. These phytocompounds can be tested further for in vitro or in vivo and used as a potential drug to cure SARS-CoV-2 infection. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Rhubarb (Rheum emodi) Improves Some Immunity Markers and Blood Glucose in Rats Exposed to Glucocorticoids

Rhubarb (Rheum emodi) commonly known as Rhubarb belongs to family Polygonaceae. Traditionally plant is widely used as tonic, diuretic, laxative, and to treat ulcers, diarrhea, fever, cough and indigestion. The main target of this study is to investigate the possible protective effect of rhubarb as phytoestrogens source on some Immunity markers and blood glucose in exposed rats to corticosteroids. The alleviating roles of this plant on some other side effects of glucocorticoid therapy were also studied. Fifty albino rats (Sprague Dawley strain) weighing 150±10 g were used and were divided randomly into five equal groups. The first group was fed on basal diet as a negative control, while other groups were fed on basal diets containing 100 mg of prednisone as a glucocorticoid/ kg diet (GCD). The positive control group was kept feeding on GCD alone, while others were fed on GCD containing 10, 20, and 30 g. of rhubarb powder /kg diet. The experiment lasted for 8 weeks. Feed intake, body weight gain and feed efficiency ratio were finally calculated. Besides, the complete blood count (CBC), IGg, IGm as Immunity markers, blood glucose was also determined. Results indicated that feeding GCD resulted in a significant decline in CBC. Feed intake, body weight gains and hence feed efficiency ratio were also reduced significantly. Conversely, blood glucose increased significantly. Supplementation of GCD with rhubarb alleviated the marked lesion noticed in the complete blood count (CBC) and Immunity markers. Blood glucose was decreased. Feed intake, body weight gains and hence feed efficiency ratio were improved in rhubarb –fed groups. Finally, dietary supplementation with rhubarb powder is recommended to prevent glucocorticoid side effects. The supplementation was more potent in elevating Immunity markers يحسن الراوند بعض دلالات المناعة وجلوکوز الدم في الجرذان المعرضة للجلوکوکورتيکويد. ينتمي Rheum emodi المعروف باسم الراوند إلى عائلة Polygonaceae ، يستخدم النبات على نطاق واسع کمقوي ومدر للبول وملين ، لعلاج القرحة والإسهال والحمى والسعال وعسر الهضم .الهدف الرئيسي من هذه الدراسة هو التحقق من التأثير الوقائي المحتمل للراوند کمصدر للاستيروجينات النباتية على بعض دلالات المناعة وجلوکوز الدم في الجرذان المعرضة للکورتيکوستيرويدات. کما تمت دراسة تأثيره في التخفيف من بعض الآثار الجانبية الأخرى للعلاج بالجلوکوکورتيکويد. تم استخدام خمسين جرذان ألبينو (سلالة سبراجيوداولي) تزن 150 ± 10 جرام وقسمت عشوائيا إلى خمس مجموعات متساوية. تم تغذية المجموعة الأولى على الغذاء القياسي کمجموعة ضابطة سالبة ، بينما تم تغذية المجموعات الأخرى على الغذاء القياسي المحتوي على 100 ملجم من البريدنيزون (کأحد عقاقير الجلوکوکورتيکويد) / کجم من الغذاء( GCD)، تم الاحتفاظ بمجموعة ضابطة موجبة تتغذى على GCD ، بينما تم تغذية المجموعات الأخرى على GCD يحتوي على 10، 20، 30 جم. من مسحوق الراوند / کجم من الغذاء. استمرت التجربة لمدة 8 أسابيع في نهايتها تم حساب المأخوذ من الغذاء و وزن الجسم المکتسب ومعدل کفاءة الغذاء. کما تم تقديرصورة الدم الکاملة (CBC) ، وجلوبيولينات المناعة IGg ، IGm کدلالات للمناعة ، جلوکوزالدم. أشارت النتائج إلى أن تناول الغذاء المحتوي على البريدنيزون أدى إلى انخفاض کبير في صورة الدم الکاملة کما انخفض بشکل ملحوظ استهلاک الغذاء، وزيادة وزن الجسم ، وبالتالي معدل کفاءة الغذاء في حين ارتفع جلوکوز الدم بشکل ملحوظ. نتج عن تدعيم GCD بالراوند تحسن في صورة الدم الکاملة ودلالات المناعة وانخفض سکر الدم. کما تحسن الغذاء المتناول ، وزيادة وزن الجسم ، وبالتالي معدل کفاءة الغذاء في المجموعات التي تغذيتها على الراوند. وأخيرا ، توصي الدراسة بتدعيم غذاء متعاطي عقاقير الجلوکوکورتيکويد بمسحوق راوند لمنع الآثار الجانبية للجلوکوکورتيکويد. حيث أثبت فعالية في تحسين دلالات المناعة. الکلمات المفتاحية: الراوند – الجلوکوکورتيکويد - دلالات المناعة – سکر الدم

Comparative Fingerprint Profiling of Unani Polyherbomineral (Safoof-e-Pathar Phori) Formulation by HPTLC, HPLC, and GC-MS.

Standardization of Unani formulations is essential to assess the quality and safety of drugs to establish their acceptance internationally as well as in nationally. Safoof-e-Pathar phori is a polyherbomineral formulation that contains six different plant and mineral constituents: Didymocarpus pedicellata, Dolichos biflorus, Rheum emodi, Raphanus sativus, potassium carbonate, and potassium nitrate. The objective of the study is to develop and establish the quality of Safoof-e-Pathar phori, used for antilithiatic activity using chromatographic analysis. This study involves comparative fingerprint profiling of an Unani polyherbomineral formulation with its plant constituents by high-performance TLC (HPTLC), HPLC, and GC-MS. The authenticity of the Unani polyherbomineral formulation using comparative HPLC and GC-MS fingerprint profiling was achieved by comparing the retention time of peaks matching with plant drugs. In HPTLC, comparative fingerprinting was done on the basis of retardation factor values of compounds separated on HPTLC plates of the formulation and the single drugs. The relative retention times of the characteristic peaks in the HPLC fingerprinting were established for identification of the Unani poly-herbo-mineral formulation, whereas GC-MS was used for comparative fingerprint profiling of different compounds present in single drugs and in formulation through the National Institute of Standards and Technology and Wiley libraries using mass by charge ration (m/z) of detected compounds. The fingerprint analysis approach is the most potent tool for quality control of polyherbal medicines because of its accuracy and reliability, and it also helps in identification and authentication and prevents adulteration. The developed chromatographic methods enable the quality and safety profile of the products.

Bioassay guided fractionation of rhizome extract of Rheum emodi wall as bio-availability enhancer of antibiotics against bacterial and fungal pathogens

Ethnopharmacological relevanceRheum emodi Wall., is an important medicinal plant extensively used in Ayurvedic and Unani systems of traditional medicine. It is known to possess antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, wound healing and immune enhancing activities. Aim of the studyThe aim of the current study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity and synergistic potential of different solvent fractions and phytocompounds of Rheum emodi rhizome against bacterial and fungal pathogens. Material and methodsThe antimicrobial and synergistic potential of the crude methanolic extract, different solvent fractions (n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and residual aqueous) and isolated phytocompounds of the rhizome of Rheum emodi were assayed by broth microdilution method. The bioactive phytocompounds were isolated through silica TLC and quantified using HPTLC and HPLC. The bioactive phytocompounds were identified by LC-MS analysis. ResultsPhytochemical analysis of the sub-fractions showed that the TPC (417.94 ± 1.2 mg g-1 GAE) and TFC (187.40 ± 0.5 mg g-1 RE) were highest in residual aqueous extracts. The chloroform sub-fraction possessed the highest antimicrobial activity against bacterial (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and fungal strains (Candida albicans MTCC 277 and ATCC 90028). The MIC of chloroform sub-fraction against S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, E. coli, C. albicans was 1.95, 3.91, 15.62 and 62.5 μg ml-1, respectively. TLC and LC-MS analysis of chloroform sub-fraction identified phytocompounds namely emodin D4 (m/z 274.262), rhein13c6 (m/z 290.176), chrysophanol dimethyl ether (m/z 282.291), and resveratrol (m/z 340.456). Quantification of emodin content showed that the chloroform sub-fraction (101.4543 μg mg-1, 194.8037 μg mg-1 measured through HPTLC and HPLC, respectively), and its TLC fraction (II) (75.18 μg mg-1, 232.384 μg mg-1 measured through HPTLC and HPLC, respectively) are rich in emodin. Furthermore, chloroform sub-fraction, its TLC fractions and emodin showed profound synergistic activity in combination with antibacterial and antifungal antibiotics and lowered the dosage of antibiotics by 4–257 folds. ConclusionsThe bioassay guided fractionation of R. emodi rhizome methanolic extract identified phytocompounds (emodin, rhein13c6, chrysophanol dimethyl ether and resveratrol) that act as bioavailability enhancers of antibacterial and antifungal antibiotics, hence revealing their potential in treating multidrug resistance.