Swertia Research Articles

An Insight View on the Role of Herbal Medicines in Infectious Diseases

Abstract:Nature always has enough spirit and resilience to transform our limited vision. Herbal medicines include products prepared from natural herbs which are employed to treat several diseases. In India, about 80% of drugs are of herbal origin. Nowadays, people are much more aware of the various side effects of synthetic drugs, which have molded their interest in herbal products and herbal remedies. In history, various infectious diseases or pandemic conditions have been treated or controlled with herbal medicines. Many herbal plants like Emblica officinalis (Euphorbiaceae), Withania somnifera (Solanaceae), Swertia chirata (Gentianaceae), Asparagus racemosus (Liliaceae), and Vinca rosea/Catharanthus roseus (Apocynaceae) have been reported to be of high medicinal values and preferred in the development of many newer drugs. The active component from plant extract is isolated, standardized, and undergoes safety trials for validation. Novel drug development from herbs is the amalgamation of practices of native systems of medicine and quite a lot of therapeutic experience of earlier generations. It is also believed that most herbal contents are safe, cheap, and easily available. Herbal drugs are useful in various diseased and pathogenic conditions like tuberculosis, cancer, diabetes, AIDS, jaundice, skin diseases, etc. Many countries with ancient cultures like India, Egypt, and America still use various herbal-based medications. Research for future herbal product development is increasing worldwide. Therefore, taking into consideration future perceptions of herbal remedies, this review deals with the present status and future exploration in the development of herbal drugs as modern beneficial agents for treating various infectious diseases and related pharmacological problems.

Biochemical Analysis and Human Aldose Reductase Inhibition Activity of Selected Medicinal Plants of Nepal

Aldose reductase has received extensive research as a key enzyme in the development of long-term problems linked to diabetes mellitus. Overexpression of this enzyme or with exceeded glucose concentration in the blood increases sorbitol on the retina leading to retinopathy, which is the adverse effect of type II diabetes. Approximately 100 million people are suffering from diabetic retinopathy globally. This research is focused on studying the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant potential, and aldose reductase inhibiting properties of selected medicinal plants such as Anacyclus pyrethrum, Bergenia ciliata, Rhododendron arboreum, and Swertia chirayita. In addition, ADMET analysis and molecular docking of seven previously identified compounds from the chosen medicinal plants were carried out against human aldose reductase (PDB ID: 4JIR). The ethanol extract of S. chirayita exhibited the highest TPC (4.63 ± 0.16 mg GAE/g) and TFC (0.90 ± 0.06 mg QE/g). Analysis of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-based antioxidant assay showed that IC50 of the ethanolic extract of B. cilata and R. arboreum showed a significant antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 0.05 mg/mL. The percentage inhibition of AR by extract of B. ciliata (94.74 ± 0.01%) was higher than other plant extracts. A molecular docking study showed that morin isolated from B. ciliata showed a good binding interaction with AR. This study showed that the extracts of A. pyrethrum, B. ciliata, and R. arboreum could be potential sources of inhibitors against AR to treat retinopathy.

A Review on Ayurvedic Bitter Herb - Kiratatikta (Swertia chirayita (Roxb.) H. Karst.)- A Plant of Immense Medicinal Value

Abstract: Kiratatikta (Swertia chirayita (Roxb.) H. Karst.) is a herb with diverse medicinal properties. Name of the plant itself signifies that it is more of bitter taste and this bitterness is due to presence of different active principles like Amarogentin, Swertiamarin and Mangiferin etc. By these active principles it has shown pharmacological activities like Anticancer, and CNS depressant Antiviral activity. Kiratatikta is popularly known for its traditional uses in Jwara, Raktapitta, pidaka and many more. As this herb is now endangered species, another herb called Kalamegha (Androghaphis paniculata) which is having similar properties like Kiratatiktha is being used as substitute. Some authors mention it as adulteran

Efficacy and Safety of Add-On Plant-Based Drugs for COVID-19 Patients: A Review of the Randomized Control Trials.

COVID-19 caused by the infection of SARS-CoV-2 is still a global concern. WHO reported that from 13 March to 9 April 2023, there were 3 million new cases and approximately 23,000 deaths, mostly occurring in the South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean regions, which is predicted due to the new Omicron variant, Arcturus XBB.1.16. Many studies have reported the potency of medicinal plants in enhancing the function of the immune system to combat virus infection. The literature review aimed to describe the efficacy and safety of add-on plant-based drugs for COVID-19 patients. The articles were explored on the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases, and published during 2020-2023. Twenty-two varieties of plants were used as add-on therapy for COVID-19 patients. These plants were Andrographis paniculata, Viola odorata, Withania somnifera, Zingiber officinale, Curcuma longa, Ferula foetida, Centella asiatica, Thymus vulgaris, Citrus sinensis, Eugenia caryophyllus, Boswellia carterii, Elettaria cardamomum, Salvia rosmarinus, Piper nigrum, Alstonia scholaris, Picrorhiza kurroa, Swertia chirata, Caesalpinia crista, Cucurbita maxima, Tinospora cordifolia, Ocimum sanctum, and Allium sativum. The best efficacy of an add-on therapy for COVID-19 patients was found in A. paniculata herbs as a single component in pharmaceutical dosage form or in combination with other plants. The safety of the plant has been confirmed. A. paniculata does not show interaction with remdesivir or favipiravir, however, caution and therapy drug monitoring is needed if A. paniculata is used in combination with lopinavir or ritonavir because a strong noncompetitive inhibition of CYP3A4 may occur.

Physicochemical properties of green synthesised ZnO nanoparticles and utilisation for treatment of breast cancer

Metal oxide nanoparticles with unique properties have recently attracted much attention as a potential smart material for treatment of cancer. The inherent structural and ionic defects in ZnO nanoparticles allow the formation of intracellular superoxide and hydroxyl radicals after entering a cancer cell causing damage on DNA and preventing subsequent replication. However, the full extent of the DNA damage and the knock-on effect with respect to protein synthesis is not copiously comprehended. This study tries to tune the cytotoxic activity of ZnO nanoparticles in virtue of physicochemical property against human breast cancer cell (MCF-7) via reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced DNA damage leading to apoptosis. In order to produce an array of different size and shape of ZnO nanoparticles with varying structural defects, this study utilised the unique phytochemicals of Terminalia arjuna, Swertia chirayita, and Psidium guajava as the active reducing agents for the formation of the nanoparticle from the mineral salt. Variations in the created nanoparticle size and relative structural defects have caused a consequential surge in ROS production inside cancer cells resulting in enhanced effectiveness of ZnO nanoparticles for cancer treatment.

Hydroxy-xanthones as promising antiviral agents: Synthesis and biological evaluation against human coronavirus OC43

A number of synthetic hydroxy-xanthones related to isolates from the plant genus Swertia (family Gentianaceae) were prepared and their antiviral activity assessed against human coronavirus OC43. Overall, the results of the initial screening of the test compounds in BHK-21 cell lines show promising biological activity, with a significant reduction in viral infectivity (p ≤ 0.05). In general, the addition of functionality around the xanthone core increases the biological activity of the compounds compared to xanthone itself. More detailed studies are needed to determine mechanism of action, but favourable property predictions make them interesting lead compounds for further development as potential treatments for coronavirus infections.

Emerging Technologies for the Production of In Vitro Raised Quality Rich Swertia chirayita by Using LED Lights

The major bioactive compounds in S. chirayita are amarogentin (most bitter compound) and mangiferin, which contribute to its medicinal value due to its antidiabetic, anticancer, antimicrobial and antimalarial properties. In this study, we developed a light emitting diode (LED)–based culture setup as an alternative to the existing white fluorescent lamps (WFL) used as a light source in the tissue culture conditions of the plants. The in-vitro raised plants of S. chirayita cultivated under LED lights showed a higher accumulation of shoot biomass and secondary metabolites as compared with plants growing under WFL. In the LED lights experiment, red LED accounted forthe maximum biomass accumulation (3.56 ± 0.04 g L−1), and blue LED accounted for the accumulated maximum content of amarogentin (8.025 ± 0.04 µg mg−1 DW), total phenolics (22.33 ± 1.05 mg GA g−1 DW), total flavonoids (29 ± 1.03 mg QE g−1 DW) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (50.40 ± 0.16%) in comparison with other light conditions. From the findings, we propose LED lightning as a more sustainable, eco-friendly and reliable source for the enormous production of quality rich secondary metabolites in shoot cultures of S. chirayita than the traditionally used fluorescent lights.

Antibacterial Activity of Economically Important Medicinal Plants in Pakistan Against Different Bacterial Strains.

The emergence of medication resistance and unfavorable side effects from existing antibiotics has prompted the quest for novel antimicrobial agents over the last 2 decades. Plant extracts have been shown to have antibacterial effects in numerous studies. The objective of this study was the evaluation of the antibacterial effect of economically important medicinal plants found in Pakistan. Onosma bracteatum (flowers and leaves), Viola odorata (flowers and leaves), Cuscuta reflexa (whole plant), Swertia chirata (whole plant), and Fagonia arabica (whole plant) were used against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Water and ethanol extracts were obtained from different parts of the plants. To evaluate the antibacterial effect of these plants, qualitative assay agar well diffusion method was performed. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by the broth micro dilution method. Results revealed that the highest inhibition zone (18 mm) was shown by ethanol extract of V odorata flower against P aeruginosa. Ethanol extract of C reflexa plants is best for all 3 tested microbes (P aeruginosa, B subtilis, and E coli). The results concluded that all these plants have abilities to fight against these tested bacteria. Ethanol extract of V odorata flower has the highest activity against P aeruginosa.

Exploration, collection and conservation of genetic resources of Swertia Chirayita in Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas

Exploration, collection and conservation of genetic resources of Swertia Chirayita in Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas

Identification of fungal diseases of Swertia chirayita of Sankhuwasabha district

Swertia chirayita is one of the important medicinal and highly traded plant for commercial purpose. However, its production has significantly declined in recent days due to incidence of various diseases. Unfortunately, the knowledge on disease and its causative agent is insufficient. Therefore, the present study focuses on incidence and severity of disease and identification of causative agents. The disease incidence of plant of study cultivated field of Sankhuwasabha district was 53.20% and the disease severity was 23.87%. Leaf spot disease caused by Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinera and Bipolaris sorokiniana, leaf blight caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Fusarium wilt by Fusarium oxysporum and rot disease caused by Trichoderma harzianium were identified in Swertia chirayita.

EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF VARIOUS EXTRACTS OF Swertia chirata ON ANTIMICROBIAL-RESISTANT STRAINS OF PATHOGENS

In several Asian nations, as well as other regions of the world, the plant Swertia chirata is commonly utilized as a herbal remedy. The current study aimed to assess Swertia chirata's impact on a range of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. To achieve this, the plant's leaves and stems were extracted using ethanol and methanol. Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) were used as test organisms. The agar well diffusion method was utilized to determine the antibacterial activity and calculate the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). Using the broth dilution procedure, MIC was determined. Bacterial sp. demonstrated a significant zone of inhibition against all extracts out of all the strains. Methanol and ethanol were employed as controls. The results indicated that the ethanol extract of the stem and leaves was superior to the methanol extract in terms of its ability to the methanol extract

Metabolite Profiling of Swertia cincta Extract in Rats and Pharmacokinetics Study of Three Bioactive Compounds Using UHPLC-MS/MS.

Swertia cincta, a plant of the genus Swertia in Gentianceae, has "heat-clearing" and detoxifying effects that normalize the gallbladder function in the treatment of jaundice. Although numerous studies on Swertia cincta have been performed, the absorption and pharmacokinetic behaviors remain unclear. In this study, the compounds of Swertia cincta in serum, bile, feces, and urine of rats were analyzed using a ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 9 prototype components and 48 metabolites were detected in biological samples. Furthermore, we determined the main components absorbed in the blood of Swertia cincta and established a method for simultaneously determining these components (sweroside, swertiamarin, and gentiopicroside) in positive ionization mode within 6 min. The quantitative method was successfully applied for the multiple-component pharmacokinetic study of Swertia cincta.

A CRITICAL REVIEW ON SUDARSHAN CHURNA

Sudarshan Churna is one of the valuable polyherbal Ayurvedic formulations used to treat all kinds of acute and chronic fevers, fever of unknown aetiology, malaria, typhoid, loss of appetite, jaundice, respiratory infections, cough, debility and breathing difficulties linked with fever. Sudarshan Churna helps to ameliorate digestion and appetite; eliminates harmful toxins from the blood; improves immunity and preserves the body against various infections; promotes diaphoresis and urination. In Sudarshan Churna, Swertia chirayita (Roxb. ex Flem.) Karst. is 50% of the total quantity of the remaining other ingredients. It is an esteemed Ayurvedic preparation well known for its antipyretic, antimalarial, antiviral and antidiabetic activity. Various renowned Acharyas have mentioned it in their different classical texts. Acharyas have mentioned its other therapeutic uses, but mainly it has been used in curing different types of Jwara Vikara (fever). Various pharmacological studies have proved antipyretic activity, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, antihistamine activity, analgesic activity and docking study against the SARS CoV-2 of Sudarshan Churna. This article compile review of Ayurvedic literature, an analytical study and pharmacological study of Sudarshan Churna.

Enhancement of mangiferin by fungal endophytes isolated from Salacia chinensis L. and Salacia oblonga Wall.

Microbes residing in the internal tissues of a plant are called endophytes, and are known for producing phytochemicals such as taxol, podophyllotoxin, azadirachtin and vinca alkaloids. In this study, out of five isolates from Salacia species, two fungi Penicillium capsulatum and Aspergillus fumigatus have been evaluated and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification for their endophytic action to produce mangiferin. Mangiferin has been reported to possess protective properties, including antioxidant, antidiabetic and immunomodulatory. It has been reported that the content of mangiferin is 7-9% in Mangifera indica , and is also present in other plants like Swertia chirata , Salacia chinensis , and Hypericum aucheri . Therefore, an attempt was made to explore the biotechnological approach and regulation studies to increase the production of mangiferin in S. chinensis and S. oblonga . Endophytes were isolated, screened, and analyzed, to evaluate the mangiferin in fungal extracts in comparison with crude plant extracts. An HPLC analysis was used to determine the mangiferin content present in the fungal extract of S. chinensis stem (74.74 g/mL), followed by fungi extracts of S. oblonga root (33.75 g/mL) and S. chinensis root (30.50 g/mL), compared with the plant extracts. These results were confirmed by FTIR analyses.

Effect of pH and gelling agents in nutrient medium on in vitro shoot multiplication of Swertia chirata Buch.-Ham ex Wall: An endangered medicinal herb

Swertia chirata is a medicinal plant indigenous to the Himalaya, and widely known for its curative properties against chronic fever, blood, lung, skin, liver and many other disorders. The plant is very popular in medicinal preparations in domestic and international markets. However, unscientific collection practices, poor seed germination, loss of habitat, etc. have caused the plant to become critically endangered. Biotechnological applications like tissue culture technology hold potential for mass propagation and germplasm conservation. While propagating the species through tissue culture, several factors need to be standardized to enable optimal plantlet production under laboratory conditions. The present study was conducted to examine the role of pH in the nutrient medium and media type on in vitro propagation of S. chirata. MS medium with BAP, IAA and Ads were used to test the efficiency of pH in a range of 2.8–7.8 and of media type (liquid or semisolid; and varying concentrations of gelling agents). pH 5.8 and agarified media were most favourable for in vitro axillary shoot proliferation. The shoot number, shoot length and health of in vitro-grown shoots were found to vary significantly with alterations in these factors. The standardized conditions encourage the growth of robust shoots, which will aid in the development of roots and survival of tissue-culture-grown plantlets following transplanting in the field.

Determination of Antioxidant and Anti quorum Sensing Activity of Aegle marmelos Picrorrhiza kurroa and Swertia chirayita

From the ancient period, humans have been fighting pathogenic microorganisms for survivalpurposes and in this context, man has developed antibiotics as a powerful weapon to treat various infections caused by pathogens. Nevertheless, the need to discover new antimicrobial agents is increasing at an alarming rate. This is because the microorganisms have developed various mechanisms to resist the action of antibiotics. One such mechanism is the production of biofilm. Infections caused by biofilm-forming pathogenic microorganisms are very difficult to treat, even using potent antibiotics. However, in folk medicine, many plants are found to be helpful to treat certain infectious diseases. This is because of the synthesis of a variety of bioactive compounds by plants with high medicinal value. Hence, in the present study, three different plants were used viz Aegle marmelos, Picrorrhiza kurroa, and Swertia chirayita to determine their antioxidant and anti-quorum sensing activities. According to the literature, antioxidants delay the oxidation process and nullify the effect of free radicals that cause damage and accelerate aging. Quorum sensing is the chemical way of communication between biofilm-forming microorganisms. Among the alcoholic extracts, the methanolic extract of P. kurroa showed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity of 82.11%. All the plant extracts under investigation exhibited anti-quorum sensing activity against the standard culture of Chromobacterium violaceum MTCC 2656; however, the plant extracts of A. marmelos were found to be more potent as compared to P. kurroa and S. chirayita. Plant extracts P. kurroa and S. chirayita showed almost similar anti-quorum sensing activity. This confirms the pharmaceutical importance of plant materials of interest, which might prove to be useful to treat damage caused by free radicals and biofilm-related infections, after due consideration of clinical trials for safety issues.

Optimizing nutrient media conditions for continuous production of shoot biomass enriched in major medicinal constituents, amarogentin and mangiferin of endangered medicinal herb, Swertia chirayita.

Biosynthesis and accumulation of Amarogentin and Mangiferin from shoot culture of endangered herb Swertia chirayita helped in rescuing its natural population along with continuous production of quality rich herbal material. Although, presence of Amarogentin and Mangiferin had already been reported, but such studies did not elaborate the significant developmental stages at two varying temperature (15 ± 1 °C and 25 ± 1 °C) in shoot cultures of S. chirayita. Different developmental stages involved throughout from callus induction to complete regeneration of plant by using shoot cultures of S. chirayita, reveal different amounts of significant medicinal compounds having high pharmacological importance like bearing anti-diabetic and anti-cancerous properties. So in the present study, different developmental stages i.e. plant segment as leaf disc explants, initiation of callus formation, callus mass development, shoots primordial, manifold shoot formation and shoot elongation with complete growth were explored for accumulation of Amarogentin and Mangiferin. The Amarogentin content was 4.72 µg/mg at 15 ± 1 °C and 4.41 µg/mg at 25 ± 1 °C whereas Mangiferin content was 15.54 µg/mg at 15 ± 1 °C and 9.70 µg/mg at 25 ± 1 °C in leaf discs provided with the medium MS + 2,4D = 1 mg/L, 6BAP = 0.5 mg/L, TDZ = 0.5 mg/L, respectively. The accumulation of Amarogentin and Mangiferin started from callus cultures differentiating into shoots and reached to the detectable amount equivalent to actual leaf explants in fully grown shoots with content of 5.79 µg/mg at 15 ± 1 °C and 5.35 µg/mg at 25 ± 1 °C whereas 15.56 µg/mg at 15 ± 1 °C and 13.15 µg/mg at 25 ± 1 °C provided with the medium MS + IBA = 3 mg/L, KN = 1 mg/L, respectively. Maximum accumulation of bioactive compounds was observed in ≈3 months old in-vitro grown shoots at 15 ± 1˚ C wherein, the content of Amarogentin was ≈8.51 folds higher and Mangiferin was ≈4.09 folds higher than the ≈3 months old green house grown shoots. So, the in-vitro raised shoots of S. chirayita enriched with marker medicinal compounds would be utilized as ready to use raw material for pharmaceutical industries for herbal drug formulations and can be utilized to transfer under natural habitats for conserving its diminishing population.

Study of fungal diseases on Swertia chirayita from cultivated fields of Dolakha district, central Nepal

Swertia chirayita is a medicinally and economically important herb of the family Gentinaceae. It is one of the highly traded, traditionally important medicinal plants. Fungal Pathogens corrupt the quality and amount of Swertia chirayita development, and production and cause terrible well-being of plants as well as monetary problem to the traders. This study was carried out to identify some diseases associated with S. chirayita cultivated fields in Bigu, Khartal, and Boch regions of Dolakha district. The samples were collected from selected sites and cultured on Potato Dextrose Agar media for fungal pathogens. During the investigation, five species of fungal pathogens were identified. Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum gleosporioides and Curvularia sp. were isolated from leaf. They caused Alternaria leaf spot, Colletotrichum leaf blight, and Curvularia leaf spot. Similarly, stem possesses canker disease and root had root canker, Fusarium oxysporum causing Fusarium wilt, Rhizoctonia sp. causing Rhizoctonia root rot. The presence of illnesses in S. chirayita shows the need for proper plant care.

An Analytical Study of Kalmegh (Andrographis Paniculata) and Kiratikta (Swertia Chirayita): An Economic Substitution for Metro Cities in Global Pandemic with Healthcare 4.0

An Analytical Study of Kalmegh (Andrographis Paniculata) and Kiratikta (Swertia Chirayita): An Economic Substitution for Metro Cities in Global Pandemic with Healthcare 4.0

Plastome structure, phylogenomics and evolution of plastid genes in Swertia (Gentianaceae) in the Qing-Tibetan Plateau

BackgroundThe genus Swertia is of great medicinal importance and one of the most taxonomically challenging taxa within Gentianaceae, largely due to the morphological similarities of species within this genus and with its closely related genera. Previous molecular studies confirmed its polyphyly but suffered from low phylogenetic resolutions because only limited sequence loci were used. Thus, we conducted the structural, gene evolutionary, and phylogenetic analyses of 11 newly obtained plastomes of Swertia. Our result greatly improved the phylogenetic resolutions in Swertia, shed new light on the plastome evolution and phylogenetic relationships of this genus.ResultsThe 11 Swertia plastomes together with the published seven species proved highly similar in overall size, structure, gene order, and content, but revealed some structural variations caused by the expansion and contraction of the IRb region into the LSC region, due to the heterogeneous length of the ψycf1. The gene rps16 was found to be in a state flux with pseudogenes or completely lost. Similar situation was also documented in other genera of Gentianaceae. This might imply loss of the gene in the common ancestor of Gentianaceae. The distribution plot of ENC vs. GC3 showed all these plastomes arranging very close in the Wright line with an expected ENC value (49–52%), suggesting the codon usage of Swertia was mainly constrained by a GC mutation bias. Most of the genes remained under the purifying selection, however, the cemA was identified under positive selection, possibly reflecting an adaptive response to low CO2 atmospheric conditions during the Late Miocene. Our phylogenomic analyses, based on 74 protein-coding genes (CDS), supported the polyphyly of Swertia with its close allies in the subtribe Swertiinae, presumably due to recent rapid radiation. The topology inferred from our phylogenetic analyses partly supported the current taxonomic treatment. Finally, several highly variable loci were identified, which can be used in future phylogenetic studies and accurate identification of medicinal genuineness of Swertia.ConclusionsOur study confirmed the polyphyly of Swertia and demonstrated the power of plastome phylogenomics in improvement of phylogenetic resolution, thus contributing to a better understanding of the evolutionary history of Swertia.