Use Of Phytotherapy Research Articles

The use of phytotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma – a systematic review

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumours and the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The aim of this review is to identify whether phytotherapy has an effect over the treatment of HCC or if it is suitable as a combination with chemotherapy. A systematic review was performed in order to offer current information over the use of phytotherapy in HCC. We conducted an electronic search of articles published in English in peer reviewed journals between 2012-2022. After keywords were associated, 302 articles were found. After the exclusion of articles which did not meet the inclusion criteria, there were 77 articles eligible for abstract evaluation. The following were discarded: two case report, one systematic review, 36 in vitro studies and nine studies which discussed other pathologies or with no regard to phytotherapy. The remaining articles encompassed 27 in vivo studies of phytotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma and two randomized control trials. This selection process is illustrated in the Prisma Flow Diagram. Amongst the evaluated articles, two of them researched the effect of phytotherapy over human subjects in two randomized control trials, while the others illustrated the outcomes of phytotherapy over hepatocellular carcinoma cells and murine specimens. To sum up, phytotherapy has proven its usefulness in hepatocellular carcinoma, especially throughout the following mechanisms: anti-inflammatory effect, suppressing malignant cell proliferation, inhibiting angiogenesis, stimulating apoptosis, and even sensitizing cells to chemotherapy.

Introduction pages, NBHA-CN 51(1), 2023

The papers published in Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, Issue 1, Volume 51, 2023 represent new exciting research in different topics of life science, respectively in plant science, horticulture, agronomy, and crop science. Among the interesting articles we invite you to find news about: Climate change, its impact on crop production, challenges, and possible solutions; The use of phytotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma – a systematic review; Anticancer effects of Rhinacanthus nasutus and Acanthus ebracteatus extracts against human cervical cancer cells; Iodine application in Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ improve bioactive compounds and enzymatic activity in berries; Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi promote photosynthesis in Antirrhinum majus L. under low-temperature and weak-light conditions; Biocontrol of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita with Purporeocillum lilacinum and liquid bio-formulates in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum); Impacts of heat shock on productivity and quality of Triticum aestivum L. at different growth stages.

Experience in the use of phytotherapy in the treatment of bronchitis in children

Introduction. Cough is one of the most common symptoms faced by a pediatrician in clinical practice. The most common cause of acute cough in children is a viral infection. A growing amount of scientific data indicates that phytotherapy is an effective and safe form of auxiliary treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract, accompanied by cough and sputum formation (tracheitis, tracheobronchitis, bronchitis).Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness of the use of herbal medicinal product (extract combination of thyme herb and Hedera helix leaves) in acute bronchitis, including in children with bronchitis of atypical etiology.Materials and methods. A comparative prospective follow-up of 60 outpatient patients aged 3–12 years with a diagnosis of Acute bronchitis was carried out. The patients were divided into groups: group 1 (n = 28) – receiving the phytopreparation, of which 8 children with mycoplasma bronchitis – a combination of herbal medicinal product + clarithromycin; group 2 (n = 32) – receiving ambroxol, of which 10 patients with mycoplasma bronchitis – a combination of ambroxol + clarithromycin. Patients were included in the study for 2–3 days of the disease, control points of examinations – 6–7 days and 10–12 days. The time period of the study is 2019–2021.Results. Against the background of taking the drug herbal medicinal product, there was a faster decrease in cough episodes (from 85 to 10% of patients), the transfer of dry cough to wet, as well as normalization of daily activities (95%), compared with ambroxol. The maximum effect was achieved by the 10th day of observation. In atypical bronchitis, results were obtained confirming the effectiveness and safety of using the drug herbal medicinal product with an antibiotic.Conclusions. The results obtained indicate the expediency of using the drug herbal medicinal product in acute bronchitis, including in combination with an antibiotic for bronchitis of atypical etiology.

Bio-Guided Isolation of Compounds from Fraxinus excelsior Leaves with Anti-Inflammatory Activity.

Inflammation is the first physiological defence mechanism against external and internal stimuli. The prolonged or inappropriate response of the immune system may lead to the persistent inflammatory response that can potentially become a basis for chronic diseases e.g., asthma, type II diabetes or cancer. An important role in the alleviation of inflammatory processes, as an adjunct to traditional pharmacological therapy, is attributed to phytotherapy, especially to raw materials with a long tradition of use, e.g., ash leaves. Despite their long-term use in phytotherapy, the specific mechanisms of action have not been confirmed in a sufficient number of biological or clinical studies. The aim of the study is a detailed phytochemical analysis of infusion and its fractions, isolation of pure compounds from the leaves of Fraxinus excelsior and evaluation of their effect on the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) and IL-10 receptor expression in an in vitro model of monocyte/macrophage cells isolated from peripheral blood. Methods: Phytochemical analysis was carried out by the UHPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS method. Monocytes/macrophages were isolated from human peripheral blood using density gradient centrifugation on Pancoll. After 24 h incubation with tested fractions/subfractions and pure compounds, cells or their supernatants were studied, respectively, on IL-10 receptor expression by flow cytometry and IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β secretion by the ELISA test. Results were presented with respect to Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) control and positive control with dexamethasone. Results: The infusion, 20% and 50% methanolic fractions and their subfractions, as well as their dominating compounds, e.g., ligstroside, formoside and oleoacteoside isolated from the leaves, show the ability to increase the IL-10 receptor expression on the surface of monocyte/macrophage cells, stimulated by LPS, and to decrease the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, e.g., TNF-α, IL-6.

Physiological and immunological responses of Nile tilapia fed dietary supplementation of sweet basil ethanolic and aqueous extracts

The use of phytotherapy in aquaculture is rapidly increasing for more environmentally sustainable measures. The present work aimed to investigate the effects of different dietary levels of sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, leaves ethanol (BEE) or aqueous (BAE) extracts (0, 200, 300, and 500 mg/kg) on Oreochromis niloticus growth, digestive enzyme activities, hemato-biochemical profile, antioxidant status, immune responses, and resistance against Streptococcus agalactiae. Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings (40.00 ± 1.00 g/fish, n = 210) were randomly divided into seven triplicated groups (control, BEE200, BEE300, BEE500, BAE200, BAE300, and BAE500) and fed the experimental diets for 8 weeks. The results revealed that dietary inclusion of BEE and BAE significantly improved final weight, weight gain, survival, and digestive enzyme activities. The growth response revealed a dose-dependent in favor of fish fed BEE. The hemato-biochemical biomarkers showed a significant improvement in RBCs, WBCs, hemoglobin, and lymphocyte, and a significant decrease in aminotransferases, creatinine, and cholesterol levels with dietary basil extracts. The cellular and humoral immune responses (phagocytic activity, phagocytic index, lysozyme activity, immunoglobulin) were significantly improved with increasing BEE and BAE in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of IL-1β and TNF-α genes were increased, while TGF-β was decreased in a dose-dependent manner and BEE500 have the highest expression. The antioxidant balance was improved with increasing basil extracts supplementation, and the BEE500 group showed the best antioxidant status. Dietary BEE and BAE increased Nile tilapia resistance to S. agalactiae. In conclusion, the dietary supplementation of both ethanolic and aqueous extracts could improve the growth performance and physiological, and immune-antioxidant status of Nile tilapia.

ПСИХОГЕННАЯ ДЕПРЕССИЯ В ПЕДИАТРИЧЕСКОЙ ПРАКТИКЕ

The purpose of the research was to clarify the clinical and pathogenetic features of psychogenic affective (depressive) disorders and their role in the pathogenesis of a number of somatic disorders in children and adolescents treated in a pediatric hospital. Materials and methods of the research: 1164 patients with various psychosomatic disorders (mainly gastroenterological, dermatological, motor, endocrine and algic) aged from 1 year and 9 months till 17 years old were observed using the clinical and psychopathological method with the determination of the nature and severity of mental disorders. Additionally, the anamnestic, clinical, paraclinical (ECG, EchoCG, CIG, EEG, EchoEG, REG, Doppler) and clinical-psychological - psychometric (Hamilton depression scale and Spielberger-Khanin test for situational and personal anxiety), as well as mathematical and statistical methods were used. Results: based on the observation, a higher incidence of psychogenic depression (71.2%) in children and adolescents with psychosomatic disorders was found, as well as a greater number of psychosocial and slightly less biological risk factors that determine the occurrence and development of depressive and somatic disorders. There was a predominance of mild depression in the form of repetitive short-term negative emotional reactions that make it difficult to diagnose depressive conditions with more frequent anxiety-asthenic and anxiety symptoms and rare anxiety-dreary, asthenic and melancholy vymi manifestations against the background of the prevailing manifestations of sanguine temperament. Anxiety and depressive disorders were diagnosed rather frequently. Conclusion: the data obtained contribute to the optimization of both psychopharmaco- and somatotherapy of this group of patients with the possibility of the use of phytotherapy at early age stages.

Variation in the Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils from Cultivars of Lavandula angustifolia and L. × intermedia

The antimicrobial properties of essential oil from Lavandula sp. raise hopes related to its use in phytotherapy. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of essential oils from cultivars of L. angustifolia (‘Hidcote Blue Strain’, ‘Hidcote Blue’) and L. × intermedia (‘Phenomenal’, ‘Grosso’) grown in central-eastern Poland, that is, at the border of the northern lavender cultivation range. The chemical composition of the essential oils was determined by GC/MS. Essential oil concentrations (20, 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.6, 0.3, 0.16, 0.08, and 0.04 mg/mL) were tested to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) or minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) towards ten strains of Gram-positive bacteria, five Gram-negative bacteria, and eight yeasts in vitro culture. Essential oils from the Lavendula cultivars showed antimicrobial activity against all microorganisms analysed. The yeasts were characterised by higher sensitivity to lavender oil compared to bacteria, while Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive than Gram-negative bacteria. The lowest MIC values for bacteria and fungi were obtained for ‘Grosso’. Furthermore, the ‘Grosso’ oil showed the highest fungicidal activity, while the highest bactericidal activity was found in ‘Hidcote Blue’ and ‘Grosso’. Using Staphylococcus aureus as an example, it was shown that different bacterial strains of the same species show varying sensitivity to the essential oil. A higher oil content was noted for the cultivars L. × intermedia, especially for the ‘Phenomenal’. Linalyl acetate and linalool were the main components of the essential oil in all cultivars. However, in the ‘Grosso’ oil, a high content of terpinen-4-ol (18.08%) was also recorded. An analysis of the relationships between the content of the main components in the analysed essential oils and the antimicrobial activity of essential oils suggested that linalool and terpinen-4-ol were compounds potentially responsible for antimicrobial activity. The obtained results allow us to conclude that essential oil with significant antimicrobial activity can be obtained from Lavandula sp. plants harvested in the northern part of the cultivation range.

Experience in the phytotherapy use for rehabilitation of adolescents with recurrent respiratory diseases

Introduction. The state of modern Russian adolescents health is characterized by negative trends such as high level of morbidity, largely due to recurrent acute respiratory diseases (ARI). Recurrent acute respiratory infections negatively affect the health of adolescents, contributing to the development of chronic infection foci, having a negative impact on their physical development and psychoemotional status. Many approaches have been proposed for the rehabilitation of adolescents with recurrent acute respiratory infections, but in recent years phytotherapy has attracted the attention of researchers.Aim. The study is to analyze the experience of using phytotherapy in the rehabilitation of adolescents with recurrent respiratory diseases.Materials and methods. 124 adolescents aged 13–18 years with recurrent acute respiratory infections were examined. The control group consisted of 50 conditionally healthy adolescents. The artificial colonization of buccal epithelial cells, anti-adhesive activity of saliva and level of psychic adaptation were determined. In addition to the generally accepted measures, the herbal medicine was included in the rehabilitation complex for 51 adolescents. Statistical processing of the obtained data was carried out using the SPSS 12.0 program.Results. A decrease in oral mucosa adaptive stability in adolescents with recurrent respiratory diseases during the period of clinical well-being was found – such as decrease of anti-adhesive activity of saliva, increase artificial colonization of buccal epithelial cells index. The prevalence of persons with psychic desadaptation among adolescents with recurrent acute respiratory infections was revealed. The positive clinical effect of the herbal medicine in improving the health of adolescents with recurrent respiratory infections, manifested by the end of the course of therapy by an increase in the adaptive resistance of the oral mucosa in the most of patients, and at the follow-up period of 6 months – an increase in the immune resistance and psychic adaptation.Conclusions. The use of herbal medicine effectively restores the reserves of oral cavity mucosal protection, psychic adaptation and reduces the number of acute respiratory infections. The drug has good tolerability and can be recommended for use in a complex of recreational activities for adolescents with recurrent respiratory diseases.

Hydrolyzable Tannins in the Management of Th1, Th2 and Th17 Inflammatory-Related Diseases

Plants rich in hydrolyzable tannins were traditionally used all over the world for a variety of chronic inflammatory disorders, including arthritis, colitis, and dermatitis. However, the knowledge of their immunological targets is still limited though fundamental for their rational use in phytotherapy. The recent advances regarding the pathogenesis of inflammatory-based diseases represent an opportunity to elucidate the pharmacological mechanism of plant-derived metabolites with immunomodulatory activity. This review collects recent articles regarding the role of hydrolyzable tannins and their gut metabolites in Th1, Th2, and Th17 inflammatory responses. In line with the traditional use, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), psoriasis, atopic dermatitis (AD), and asthma were the most investigated diseases. A substantial body of in vivo studies suggests that, beside innate response, hydrolyzable tannins may reduce the levels of Th-derived cytokines, including IFN-γ, IL-17, and IL-4, following oral administration. The mode of action is multitarget and may involve the impairment of inflammatory transcription factors (NF-κB, NFAT, STAT), enzymes (MAPKs, COX-2, iNOS), and ion channels. However, their potential impact on pathways with renewed interest for inflammation, such as JAK/STAT, or the modulation of the gut microbiota demands dedicate studies.

Effective use of Phytotherapy in the Management of Diabetes by Plant-based Medicine: A Review

>Objective: Herb-based restorative items have been recognized since prehistoric times, and a few therapeutic herbs and their active constituents were utilized for controlling diabetes in numerous people around the world. However, minimal toxicological data exist concerning conventional anti-diabetic plants. Several synthetic oral hypoglycemic agents are the essential treatment types for diabetes. As it may, apparent symptoms of similar medicament are the primary explanation behind an extended number of individuals looking for voluntary remedies that may have less severe or no reactions. This paper attempted to list the herbs with anti-diabetic and associated advantageous impacts from various parts of the world and polyherbal extractions. These herb’s impacts can defer diabetic difficulties and give a more basis of antioxidants they are acknowledged for preventing/postponing diverse ailing states. The literature review was carried out in a scientific database using diabetes, anti-diabetic agents, and phytotherapy to manage diabetes by plant-based medicine as the keywords. To overcome the research gap, optimizing phytotherapy in the management of diabetes by plant-based medicine is regarded as a good target for anti-diabetic agents to design the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Diabetes is the world’s quick aborning emergent, and this disorder’s information will increase similar additional acceptable therapies. Traditional plant medicines are used throughout the world for diabetes. Therefore, studying such drugs will provide the natural key to unlocking a scientist in the future.The review focused on alternative medicine to cure kinds of diabetes problems using herbal preparation.

Review of phytomedicine, phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology, toxicology, and pharmacological activities of Cymbopogon genus.

The Cymbopogon genus belongs to the Andropoganeae family of the family Poaceae, which is famous for its high essential oil concentration. Cymbopogon possesses a diverse set of characteristics that supports its applications in cosmetic, pharmaceuticals and phytotherapy. The purpose of this review is to summarize and connect the evidence supporting the use of phytotherapy, phytomedicine, phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology, toxicology, pharmacological activities, and quality control of the Cymbopogon species and their extracts. To ensure the successful completion of this review, data and studies relating to this review were strategically searched and obtained from scientific databases like PubMed, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, and Elsevier. Approximately 120 acceptable reviews, original research articles, and other observational studies were included and incorporated for further analysis. Studies showed that the genus Cymbopogon mainly contained flavonoids and phenolic compounds, which were the pivotal pharmacological active ingredients. When combined with the complex β-cyclodextrin, phytochemicals such as citronellal have been shown to have their own mechanism of action in inhibiting the descending pain pathway. Another mechanism of action described in this review is that of geraniol and citral phytochemicals, which have rose and lemon-like scents and can be exploited in soaps, detergents, mouthwash, cosmetics, and other products. Many other pharmacological effects, such as anti-protozoal, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer have been discussed sequentially, along with how and which phytochemicals are responsible for the observed effect. Cymbopogon species have proven to be extremely valuable, with many applications. Its phytotherapy is proven to be due to its rich phytochemicals, obtained from different parts of the plant like leaves, roots, aerial parts, rhizomes, and even its essential oils. For herbs of Cymbopogon genus as a characteristic plant therapy, significant research is required to ensure their efficacy and safety for a variety of ailments.

Phytotherapy known and applied by head-neck cancer patients and medical students to treat oral discomfort in Germany: an observational study

BackgroundPlant remedies are often used next to conventional standard of care by cancer patients. However, user rates are often underestimated and physicians usually feel not equipped to counsel patients. Hence, routinely recording the use of phytotherapy and sufficient knowledge on herbal medicine of the medical staff are required to improve the situation. Appraising the current state of knowledge of medical students may offer insight if education on herbals needs improvement. Here, we propose a simple anamnesis tool to assess knowledge and usage pattern of medical plants and demonstrate how to extrapolate symptom cluster participants associated with plants investigated in this study focussing on the common symptom of oral discomfort.MethodsBy screening German literature (popular science, specialist’s literature, books for the interested layman) on medical plants used for treating oral discomfort, we were able to deviate a list of plants most often recommended for treating oral discomfort and to develop an anamnesis tool to assess knowledge and usage of 16 different plants. A group of 120 head-neck cancer patients (under surveillance, after receiving treatment) and 168 medical students were questioned at a collaborating out-patient clinic and via an online survey, respectively, in 2020. Students were additionally asked to write down indications of the plants they used in daily life. Knowledge and usage pattern were compared between both groups. Primary component analysis and heat-map analysis were used to visualize common and distinguishing features. Network analysis and VENN diagrams were used to extrapolate data of the medical students’ cohort.ResultsHead-neck cancer patients and students show similar knowledge. However, students used significantly more plants in daily life than patients (p < 0.001). Overall, the user rate of patients and students were 82.50 and 93.94%, respectively. The top five most commonly known plants were similar in both groups (Marticaria recutita L., Zingiber offinicale ROSCOE, Taraxacum Wigg. Calendula officinalis L.) with the exception of Salvia officinalis L. (patients’ cohort) and Carum carvi/Cuminum cyminum L. (students’ cohort). Despite this slight difference, usage pattern of the top five most commonly used plants was the same between the groups. Students’ indications were compared to indications found in the literature, unmasking several differences between commonly practiced and written knowledge on German phytotherapy. Network analysis revealed, that students associated certain plants with corresponding symptom clusters (e.g., coughing, oral mucositis).ConclusionThe majority of surveyed cancer patients as well as medical students use phytotherapy for treating oral discomfort. Both groups know and use similar plants. However, indications of written folk medicine differ from the lived and practiced tradition.

Phytotherapy in urological benign disease: A systematic review

AbstractWhat is the state of knowledge on the use of phytotherapy in the following urological benign diseases: prostatic hyperplasia, erectile dysfunction, male infertility, urolithiasis and low‐urinary tract symptoms? Supplements derived from natural products are used in medicine alone or in combination with drugs. In urology, there are many products used for symptom management in benign conditions. The aim of this review was to investigate the use of herbal medicines to treat benign urological diseases. A systematic review was conducted using the PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase and Scopus (2010–2021) databases. The inclusion criteria were studies describing the use of phytotherapeutic strategies to treat adult patients with urological diseases. Quality assessments were performed using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Nineteen studies were included in this systematic review: 13 randomized controlled trials, 3 pilot studies, 1 quasi‐experimental study, 1 retrospective observational study and 1 post hoc analysis. Phytotherapeutic agents used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia included royal jelly, Viola odorata, Echium amoenum, Physalis alkekengi, soy isoflavones, Serenoa repens, Trigonella foenum‐graecum, lycopene and selenium. Tribulus terrestris is widely used to treat erectile dysfunction and male infertility. Lycopene, Korean ginseng berries, Indian ginseng and Curcuma improve sperm characteristics and motility. Lupeol therapy reduces kidney stone size, improving urolithiasis symptoms and accelerating the expulsion of small stones. No standard of care has been established for the use of phytotherapeutic agents to manage patients with symptomatic urological disorders. Although randomized controlled trials were the most common study type in our review, the sample sizes were limited, and the study duration and follow‐up periods were often very short.

Evaluation of the Clinical Effects of an Antiviral, Immunostimulant and Antioxidant Phytotherapy in Patients Suffering from COVID-19 Infection: An Observational Pilot Study

Background: In the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread all over the world, affecting millions of people. The same infection can manifest in different clinical conditions, ranging from mild situations to severe patient impairment, up to their death. The COVID-19 infection can activate innate and adaptive immune systems and cause massive inflammatory responses that is important to treat as soon as possible. Methods: In the initial phase of the pandemic, a group of 240 unvaccinated subjects with COVID-19 disease was administered phytotherapy with immunostimulant and antioxidant property to evaluate the role of this phytotherapeutic preparation in counteracting the progression of the COVID-19 disease both in duration and complexity. Results: 161 patients were treated with phytotherapy alone and the prevailing symptoms in the acute phase were rhinitis, fever, cough, osteo-muscular pains; the other 79 patients were given a therapy with NSAIDs, symptomatic drugs, monoclonal antibodies, corticosteroids, antibiotics, and/or heparin. The coexistence of comorbidity (such as diabetes, hypertension, gastro-intestinal disease) was recorded in 74 out of 240 subjects, more frequently in the older subjects; there was no statistically significant correlation between the presence of comorbidity and the duration of disease. Hospitalization rate in this population was 1.6% and lethality rate was 0%. Conclusion: The use of phytotherapy can represent a valid weapon against COVID-19, since it showed no side effects and can also be used in association with other pharmacological therapies to reduce the massive inflammatory responses of this infection.

The effects of aqueous leaf extract of Portulaca oleracea on haemato-biochemical and histopathological changes induced by sub-chronic aluminium toxicity in male wistar rats

BackgroundPurslane has wide acceptability as a potherb in Central Europe, Asia, and Mediterranean region, it is very used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat fever, dysentery, diarrhea, carbuncles, eczema, and to remove toxic substances. Our study aimed to investigate the impact of purslan on physiological and biochemical alterations induced by AlCl3 intoxication in rats. MethodologyFifteen males albino Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 5); healthy rats (Control), AlCl3 (200 mg/kg b.w) treated rats and AlCl3 (200 mg/kg b.w) rats treated with aqueous extract of P. oleracea (400 mg/kg b.w). AlCl3 treatments were given to rats orally for 70 days and purslan extract for 21 days. Various parameters as hematological, biochemical, oxidative stress markers and liver histopathology were estimated. In-vitro study of plant, some quantitative parameters was analyzed using standard protocols. ResultsIn vitro phytochemical test results revealed that purslane contains most of the principal active molecules, especially flavonoids and phenolic compounds. In vivo results, the AlCl3 group showed an alteration in the antioxidant defend system by increasing the MDA level and decreasing the GSH levels, GST and SOD activities compared to control. Furthermore, the hematological parameters revealed that AlCl3 induce an inflammation in rats by significant raise (P<0.01) of WBC, Monocyte, LYM and platelet (P<0.001) levels with a significant perturbation in lipid profile and biochemical parameters. In the other hand, histopathological analysis recorded a deep modification in liver tissues of AlCl3 rats group compared to control. However, the treatment of AlCl3 rats by purslan ensured a partial amelioration and correction of the previous parameters. ConclusionWe conclude that the use of purslane seems to be the powerful limited of AlCl3 toxicity development, which opening the new horizons for the use of phytotherapy in medical approach.

Topical gel containing phenolic-rich extract from Ipomoea pes-capre leaf (Convolvulaceae) has anti-inflammatory, wound healing, and antiophidic properties

The growing use of phytotherapy in clinical practice arouses interest in studies using medicinal plants as active ingredients for new medicines. Ipomoea pes-caprae has a wide medicinal use in the treatment of inflammatory disorders, skin wounds, stings, and painful rheumatic processes. Assayed in this study are the physicochemical characterization of a gel developed with this extract and the evaluation of its anti-inflammatory and healing efficacy, in addition to its antiedematogenic action on Bothrops snake envenoming in mice. The qualitative and quantitative analyses of the hydroethanolic extract by mass spectrometry showed 18 phenolic compounds, highlighting a high content of chlorogenic acid (0.92 µg/g), neochlorogenic acid (6.07 µg/g), and isochlorogenic acid (0.80 µg/g) compounds. The formulation was stable in relation to the physical-chemical characteristics during the time of analysis and was considered safe for topical treatment in animals, causing no skin irritation. Although the results have shown an absence of activity in the model of ear edema induced by croton oil (acute inflammation), the herbal gel efficiently inhibited carrageenan paw edema and chronic ear edema induced by multiple applications of croton oil, which may indicate the possible performance under the kinin pathway such as bradykinin, histamine, and serotonin. Wound healing in the group treated with the I. pes-caprae gel was accelerated compared with the placebo group, also confirmed through histological data. Edema induced by Bothrops erythromelas snake venom was efficiently reduced in the treatment with I. pes-caprae gel associated with the antibothropic-crotalic serum, whereas the antivenom alone was not effective. This approach presents a promising formulation based on I. pes-caprae with potential therapeutic use for inflammatory disorders.

Piptadenia gonoacantha-based natural dermocosmetic: a clinical trial

The use of phytotherapy expands the possibility of therapeutic resources for the population, often offering reduced costs when compared to the pharmaceutical industry. In this perspective, the JACBIO® dermocosmetic ointment revealed, in non-clinical trials, its antibacterial and healing potential, with a great stimulating effect in increasing the production of images. This work aimed to carry out the clinical phase study on dermal toxicity, in serious humans, by applying JACBIO®, based on extracts from the leaves of Piptadenia gonoacantha (Pau Jacaré). The phase I randomized clinical trial was carried out with 28 clinically healthy patients at a public university in Minas Gerais, with no period from August to December 2018. The toxicological trial was developed with the intervention group that received a JACBIO® dermatological ointment and the Placebo group. From the experimental protocol, participants were followed for four weeks. An analysis between the ointment and placebo groups, without reference to anticholinergic and cardiovascular events, showed no statistically significant difference. Likewise, there was no difference in laboratory results performed before and after treatment, both for the placebo group and for the intervention group. A low toxicity of the product indicates that this adjustment is safe and serves as a basis for phase II clinical trials in patients with lesions.

Use of phytotherapy in pediatric respiratory diseases

Herbal medicine is a mild and well-tolerated alternative treatment method that could be used to treat pediatric respiratory ailments. Medicinal plants such as captalan, geranium, turmeric or echinacea have been shown in numerous studies to have the ability to significantly improve the respiratory function of pediatric patients and may thus be a viable alternative to conventional treatments in acute and chronic respiratory diseases.

ОПРЕДЕЛЕНИЕ СОДЕРЖАНИЯ СУММЫ ФЛАВОНОИДНЫХ ГЛИКОЗИДОВ В ЛИСТЬЯХ ГИНКГО ДВУЛОПАСТНОГО (GINKGO BILOBA L.)

It is known that preparations of plant origin occupy a special place and are characterized by a unique chemical composition, a wide spectrum of action, effectiveness in prolonged use, lack of toxicity and side effects, availability according to the criteria of resource supply and renewable. The issue of the phytochemical study of medicinal vegetal raw materials and the production of a complex of biologically active substances from it for further introduction into pharmaceutical practice remains relevant. From these positions, the Ginkgo biloba L. plant is of scientific interest as the richest source of biologically active compounds that have a polyfunctional effect on the body. The Ginkgo biloba L. relict plant is a promising raw material for use in phytotherapy. Most biologically active substances are concentrated in leaves. Unique chemical composition of Ginkgo leaves determines a wide range of its pharmacological and physiological properties. Bioflavonoids are known among biologically active Ginkgo bioflavonoids – quercetin, isoramnetin, kempferol, flavonoid glycosides – ginkgetin, bilobetin, myricetin, triterpene lactones gingcolide and bilobalide, organic acids, amino acids (thymine, asparagine), essential oils. However, information on the quantitative content of biologically active compounds in Ginkgo leaves is not enough. In this regard, it is of scientific interest to study the sum of flavonoids in the extract of dried leaves of the Ginkgo biloba L. plant. The purpose of this work was to quantify the content of the sum of flavonoid glycosides in the dried leaves of Ginkgo biloba L., which grows in the Krasnodar Territory Russian Federation. To identify the content of flavonoids in water-alcohol extracts (with a different ratio of water to ethyl alcohol) of Ginkgo biloba leaves, a method was used to quantify the sum of flavonoid glycosides in plant raw materials. In the course of the study, in order to establish optimal (technological) conditions for the quantitative determination (quantitative identification) of the sum of flavonoids in the Ginkgo biloba L. raw material, a series of experiments were carried out to extract air-dried, ground leaves of this plant with ethyl alcohol (an aqueous solution of ethyl alcohol), as an extractant of various concentrations. In the course of comparative analysis of the sum of flavonoids extracted from Ginkgo biloba leaves in water-alcohol extracts with different concentration of ethyl alcohol (40 %, 60 %, 70 % and 80 % solutions), it was revealed that the highest yield of the sum of flavonoids is observed under the action of extractant – 60 % aqueous ethanol solution. The obtained experimental data of the flavonoid composition indicate a significant content of flavonoids in the leaves of Ginkgo biloba, which determines a wide range of physiological and pharmacological activity of the plant. The studied plant source is a promising raw material for further development of new effective dosage forms. Ginkgo biloba L. plant is a depot of valuable biologically active components, which is the basis for further studies on the identification of other biologically active substances and the subsequent assessment of their physiological and pharmacological activity with the aim of developing new phytodetic agents based on it.

Current research opportunities for potential phytotherapeutic agents for the treatment of pathologies of the female reproductive system

Introduction and aim. Herbal medicine is prescribed for various disorders of the menstrual cycle (uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea), for the treatment of premenstrual and climacteric syndromes, inflammatory diseases of the genital organs, mastopathy and mastalgia and other pathological conditions. The aim of the study is to analysis and generalization of data from professional literature and own experience in the treatment of patients with pathologies of the female reproductive system by phytotherapeutic methods, taking into account the influence of medicinal plants on various links in the pathogenesis of the disease, as well as making recommendations for improvement and prospects for the use of phytotherapy in the treatment of this pathology. Material and methods. To make an analysis of literary sources of domestic and foreign authors about usage of medicinal plants for the treatment of pathologies of the female reproductive system. Analysis of the literature. In the treatment of primary (spasmodic) dysmenorrhea, herbal remedies with an antispasmodic, analgesic, hormone-mimetic effects are prescribed. It can be Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.), Achillea millefolium, commonly known as yarrow, Viburnum, Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), Greater celandine, Atropa belladonna, Hyoscyamus niger, commonly known as henbane, black henbane, or stinking nightshade and Abraham’s tree. Many plants have bactericidal activity, and this property is used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the mucous membranes and skin. Such properties are possessed by flowers of Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.), Calendula officinalis, infusion of Medicinal sage (Salvia officinalis L.). For the treatment of functional hyperprolactinemia phytopreparations are also successfully used. It is known that the medicinal plant Vitex agnus castus has dopaminergic properties, selectively blocking prolactin synthesis, and reduces follicle stimulating hormone levels. Strychnos ignatia, Caulophyllum thalictroides, European cyclamen, Lilium tigrinum, Iris versicolor provide a complex effect on the female body, effectively reduces the level of prolactin and the severity of mastalgia, which is confirmed not only by clinical data, but also by mammography data in fibrocystic breast disease. For the treatment of climacteric syndrome, a large number of medicinal plants are used, in particular, the most popular is the Cimicifuga racemose. Conclusion. The effectiveness of phytotherapeutic drugs has been verified by many clinical trials. Modern phytotherapy is becoming more widespread in clinical practice, as an alternative to drug treatment.