Verbena Officinalis Research Articles

Key ingredients in Verbena officinalis and determination of their anti-atherosclerotic effect using a computer-aided drug design approach.

Lipid metabolism disorders may considerably contribute to the formation and development of atherosclerosis (AS). Traditional Chinese medicine has received considerable attention in recent years owing to its ability to treat lipid metabolism disorders using multiple components and targets. Verbena officinalis (VO), a Chinese herbal medicine, exhibits anti-inflammatory, analgesic, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective effects. Evidence suggests that VO regulates lipid metabolism; however, its role in AS remains unclear. In the present study, an integrated network pharmacology approach, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) were applied to examine the mechanism of VO against AS. Analysis revealed 209 potential targets for the 11 main ingredients in VO. Further, 2698 mechanistic targets for AS were identified, including 147 intersection targets between VO and AS. Quercetin, luteolin, and kaempferol were considered key ingredients for the treatment of AS based on a potential ingredient target-AS target network. GO analysis revealed that biological processes were primarily associated with responses to xenobiotic stimuli, cellular responses to lipids, and responses to hormones. Cell components were predominantly focused on the membrane microdomain, membrane raft, and caveola nucleus. Molecular functions were mainly focused on DNA-binding transcription factor binding, RNA polymerase II-specific DNA-binding transcription factor binding, and transcription factor binding. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis identified pathways in cancer, fluid shear stress, and atherosclerosis, with lipid and atherosclerosis being the most significantly enriched pathways. Molecular docking revealed that three key ingredients in VO (i.e., quercetin, luteolin, and kaempferol) strongly interacted with three potential targets (i.e., AKT1, IL-6, and TNF-α). Further, MDS revealed that quercetin had a stronger binding affinity for AKT1. These findings suggest that VO has beneficial effects on AS via these potential targets that are closely related to the lipid and atherosclerosis pathways. Our study utilized a new computer-aided drug design to identify key ingredients, potential targets, various biological processes, and multiple pathways associated with the clinical roles of VO in AS, which provides a comprehensive and systemic pharmacological explanation for the anti-atherosclerotic activity of VO.

EVALUATION OF DOPAMINERGIC ACTIVITY OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE SUBSTANCES OF VERBENA HERB (VERBENA OFFICINALIS L.)

Relevance. The development of herbal medicines remains relevant today. Verbena officinalis L. has a spectrum of pharmacological activity, but our interest is manifested in its ability to treat amenorrhea and anovulation in hyperprolactinemia. The purpose of the work was to study the dopaminergic activity of the extract, fractions and dominant substances of the verbena officinalis herb. Materials and methods. The object of the study is the verbena officinalis herb, harvested experimentally in the field of the Botanical Garden of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution VILAR in 2019. Results. The dopaminergic activity of fractions of different polarity of herb verbena officinalis was assessed. The most active absorb ethyl acetate fraction, which includes: verbenalin and verbascoside. Verbenalin has been found to have a dopaminergic effect. Dopaminergic activity of the total ex-tract, ethyl acetate fraction and inflammation verbenalin. Conclusions. It is expedient to develop drugs for the treatment of amenorrhea and anovulation based on a total extract standardized for verbenalin.

Green synthesis of reduced graphene oxide and their use on column adsorption of phenol from olive mill wastewater

A novel reduced graphene oxide (RGO) synthesis using Verbena officinalis as a green, reducing agent was out-reaching. RGO was encapsulated in sodium alginate (SA) by cross-linking (SA-RGO beads). SA-RGO beads have been used to treat olive mill wastewater (OMWW). This effluent is rich in phenolic compounds that inhibit biological degradation and are toxic at high concentrations. The newly prepared SA-RGO beads were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM),energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), BET surface area analyzer, and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition, the organic compounds of Verbena officinalis were determined by HPLC to reveal the reduction mechanism of graphene oxide (GO). Finally, batch and fixed-bed column adsorption tests were performed to assess the performance of SA-RGO beads. The kinetics, isotherm models and adsorption thermodynamics show that the pseudo-second-order and Freundlich best present phenol adsorption and the endothermic reaction. Thomas and Yoon-Nelson's models satisfactorily described fixed-bed column adsorption. The optimized adsorption parameters were 3.68 g L−1 of adsorbent dosage, pH of 4.0, adsorption time of 135 min, and temperature of 25 °C. The reusability of SA-RGO beads and regeneration experiments with HCl (0.5 M) were performed in fixed-bed reactors. The results showed a phenol adsorption capacity of 994 mg g−1 for an initial concentration of 4000 mg L−1.

Eco-friendly management of the citrus nematode Tylenchulus semipenetrans using some aromatic and medicinal plants

Tylenchulus semipenetrans is among the most damaging obligate plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) in citrus. The use of chemical nematicides has successfully been used to lower the population of T. semipenetrans, but the repetitive use of these compounds can be environmentally harmful requiring the implementation of ecological strategies. The present study aimed at assessing the biological control potential of Essential Oils (EOs) of seven aromatic and medicinal plants (AMP), Rosmarinus officinalis, Thymus vulgaris, Laurus nobilis, Verbena officinalis, Foeniculum vulgare, Moringa oleifera, and Chamaemelum nobile against the citrus nematode T. semipenetrans in terms of juvenile J2 mortality and eggs hatch inhibition. Obtained results showed that all EOs exhibited high toxicity against T. semipenetrans. Indeed, the juvenile J2 mortality (ranging between 4% and 23% after 24 h of incubation), and eggs hatch inhibition (varying between 0% and 69% after 48 h of incubation) increased with increasing EOs concentration and incubation period reaching 100% of mortality after 96 h and complete eggs hatch after 144 h of incubation at EOs concentration of 20 μl/ml. In addition, the efficiency of EOs varied significantly between the seven AMP species. Indeed, R. officinalis and T. vulgaris were highly active on T. semipenetrans inducing 100% of J2 mortality recorded after 72 h of incubation at 15 µl/ml, and complete eggs hatch inhibition regardless of the EOs concentration and incubation period. As a result of this study, EOs of the AMP studied, particularly R. officinalis and T. vulgaris, could be used as healthy nematicidal products that are highly effective against T. semipenetrans.

Biocidal Effect of Essential Oil of Verbena Officinalis on the Black Bean Aphis Fabae

The polyphagia and the great capacity of reproduction of the aphids, arouse the use of several control methods, among others, essential oils which constitute a good alternative to the fight chemical and one of the most explored pathways in the biological regulation of pests. The aim of the study is to estimate the insecticidal power of a bio product formulated from an oil bitter Verbena officinalis, on the reduction of fertility and population density of different biological forms of the black bean aphid Aphis fabae. The temporal effectiveness of the formulated bio product was estimated by evaluating the rates of residual populations Methods: The essential oil is extracted by hydrodistilation from Verbena officinalis leaves. After formulation, two doses were recommended (D=0.4g/l and DD=1g/l), and two treatment methods were used (foliar application and root absorption) on broad bean plants infested by Aphis fabae with the aim of highlight the insecticidal capacity of the essential oil of Verbena officinalis. The results showed that the two treatment modes have a very marked effect on the density of Aphis fabae where the dose parameter has little influence on the aphicidal activity of the essential oil of Verbena officinalis. On the other hand, the treatment by root absorption acts more on the residual populations and the fecundity of the black bean aphid compared to foliar application, the Biocidal potential of which is accentuated with increasing doses. The formulation has optimized the effectiveness of the essential oil of Verbena officinalis, which resulted in its high toxicity, the most effective root application of which.

Inhibitory effects of Ferula communis L and Verbena officinalis L. extract on the crystal growth of calcium oxalate monohydrate

Inhibitory effects of Ferula communis L and Verbena officinalis L. extract on the crystal growth of calcium oxalate monohydrate

Verbenalin Reduces Amyloid-Beta Peptide Generation in Cellular and Animal Models of Alzheimer's Disease.

Verbenalin, among the major constituents of Verbena officinalis, has been reported to exhibit sleep-promoting and antioxidant activities. This study demonstrates the effects of verbenalin on amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide generation in Swedish mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP)-overexpressing Neuro2a cells (SweAPP/N2a) and in Alzheimer's disease (AD) animal models. We further performed molecular biological analyses of these in vitro and in vivo models of AD. The effects of verbenalin were assessed based on the expression of factors related to Aβ peptide production using Western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The intracellular expression and release of APP protein were both decreased by verbenalin treatment in SweAPP/N2a cells. Thus, the production of Aβ peptides was decreased. Compared to those in AD transgenic (Tg) mice, IHC revealed that verbenalin-treated animals showed decreased Aβ and tau expression levels in the hippocampus. In addition, verbenalin restored the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of AD animal models. These findings suggest that verbenalin may decrease Aβ formation both in vitro and in vivo. Verbenalin may also help improve the pathological hallmarks of AD.

Hastatoside attenuatescarbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis by targeting glycogen synthase kinase-3β

BackgroundHastatoside is an iridoid glycoside extracted from the herb, Verbena officinalis, that exerts various pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, sleep-promoting, and analgesic effects. However, only a few studies have reported the efficacy of hastatoside in liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis is a pathophysiological process, and its persistence can seriously affect the quality of life and well-being of the patients. Hypothesis/purposeThis study aimed to investigate the role of hastatoside on liver fibrosis and its possible underlying mechanisms. MethodsC57BL/6 J mice with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic fibrosis were used as the in vivo models. Histological features of the liver were observed using Masson's trichrome and hematoxylin–eosin staining. Alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels and the hepatic fibrosis indices (type 3 procollagen, laminin, and hyaluronic acid) were measured using corresponding assay kits. LX-2 human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) stimulated with the transforming growth factor β1 were used as the vitro models. Transfection of the glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β small interfering RNA (siRNA) and β-catenin plasmids was also performed in vitro. Protein levels of GSK-3β, phospho-GSK-3β (Ser 9), α-smooth muscle actin, collagen type I alpha 1, c-Myc, cyclin D1, and β-catenin were determined via western blotting. Moreover, the p-GSK-3β:GSK-3β ratio was calculated to determine the GSK-3β activity. ResultsHastatoside prevented CCl4-induced liver injury and histological damage. It inhibited the upregulation of α-SMA and Col1α1 levels in a CCl4-induced mouse hepatic fibrosis model. In vitro, hastatoside inhibited the proliferation and activation of HSCs by decreasing the expression levels of cyclin D1 and c-Myc and the proportion of LX-2 cells activated in the G0/G1 phase. Molecular docking results showed that hastatoside bound to GSK-3β. Hastatoside significantly increased the GSK-3β activity and inhibited the downstream effector expression of β-catenin. ConclusionThese findings suggest that hastatoside can bind to GSK-3β and promote its activity, while inhibiting the GSK-3β downstream effector expression of β-catenin, thereby inhibiting the activation and proliferation of HSCs, which further prevents the development of liver fibrosis. These results provide innovative insights into the underlying liver fibrosis. Moreover, hastatoside is a potential anti-fibrosis monomer that can potentially be used for the treatment of liver fibrosis.

The Evaluation of the Acute Toxicity and Safety of Verbenalin in ICR Mice

Background: Verbenalin is an iridoid glucoside, which is among the active components of some medicinal herbs such as Verbena officinalis Linn, and Cornus officinalis Siebold and Zucc. Previous studies have confirmed the antioxidant activity and neuroprotective potential of verbenalin. To confirm the safety of verbenalin, an approximate lethal dose was determined based on a single oral dose toxicity study.Methods: Institute of Cancer Research mice were randomly assigned to three verbenalin exposure groups (250, 500, and 1,000 mg/kg) and a control group (5% methylcellulose solution). There were (5 male and 5 female mice per group). Mortality, clinical signs, and body weight were monitored for 14 days, and necropsies were conducted.Results: No mortalities were observed in the control group or the verbenalin 250 mg/kg group, whereas mortalities were observed in the 500 mg/kg and 1,000 mg/kg verbenalin groups. During the observation period, stool abnormalities such as mucous stools were observed. Clinical signs such as loss of locomotor activity were observed in the 500 mg/kg and 1,000 mg/kg verbenalin groups. During the study period, significant changes in body weight were observed in the 500 mg/kg and 1,000 mg/kg verbenalin groups; however, no gross abnormalities were observed at necropsy. Overall, no toxicity was found in the 250 mg/kg group.Conclusion: The approximate lethal dose of verbenalin was estimated to be 500 mg/kg. For a more accurate assessment of the safety of verbenalin, other types of studies such as repeated-dose toxicity studies should also be conducted.

Exercise Training and Verbena officinalis L. Affect Pre-Clinical and Histological Parameters.

Verbena officinalis L. or vervain is an herbal medicine and dietary supplement used worldwide. It is used for antidepressant and anticonvulsant purposes, as well as to treat inflammatory disorders, skin burns, abrasions, and gastric diseases, among others. Here, we investigated the biochemical, antioxidant, and histopathological effects of vervain against chronic physical stress. Male Wistar rats were submitted to chronic physical training and oral administration of 200 mg/kg of extract for 7 weeks. Control animals were not treated with either stress or vervain. Body weight was monitored during the study. Liver, kidney, spleen, testis, epididymis, heart, skeletal muscle, and brain samples were collected. Blood cholesterol, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), bilirubin, and creatinine kinase (CREA), among others, were studied. Glutathione peroxidase (GPox) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) antioxidant activity was analyzed in the blood, liver, and kidney. Testosterone measurements were also performed on whole testis extracts. We found significant weight ratios differences in the epididymis, brain, and heart. Animals submitted to training showed hemorrhagic livers. Kidney histology was affected by both stress and vervain. Cell disruption and vacuolization were observed in the testes and epididymis of animals submitted to stress. Hematological and biochemical markers as CREA, LDH, TP, CKI, URCA, γGT, and glucose revealed statistically significantly differences. Additionally, the activity of glutathione peroxide (GPox) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the blood was also impacted. Both stress and vervain have significant in vivo effects. Infusions of vervain include phenylpropanoids, iridoids, verbenalin, hastatoside, and flavonoids, amongst others, which interact synergistically to produce the preclinical effects reported here.

Cornin protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by preventing autophagy via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway

BackgroundIschemia stroke is the leading cause of disability, which is a consequence of vascular occlusion. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of cornin which is isolated from the fruit of Verbena officinalis L, against astrocytes autophagy induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) injury in vitro and in vivo and its potential mechanism.MethodsCornin at dose of 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg were intravenously injected to MCAO rats at 15 min after reperfusion. The infarction volume, blood–brain barrier (BBB), neurological severity score (mNSS), and autophagy related protein were used to evaluated the protective effects and potential mechanism of cornin in autophagy with or without phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)inhibitor LY294002 and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) small interfering RNA (siRNA) at 24 h after CI/R injury. The potential protective effects and mechanism of cornin at concention of 10 ~ 1000 nM were also evaluated in oxygen glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) in U87 cells.ResultsThe results suggest that cornin at dose of 5 or 10 mg/kg significantly reduce the cerebral infarction volume and blood–brain barrier (BBB) leakage, and improve neurological recovery in MCAO rats. Cleaved caspase-3 and Bax levels were significantly decreased, while B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and the apoptosis regulator ratio (Bcl-2/Bax) were markedly increased when treated with 2.5–10 mg/kg cornin. The obvious decreased expressions of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), myosin-like BCL2 interacting protein (Beclin-1) and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 II (LC3-II) and increased of neuronal nuclei (NeuN), sequestosome-1 (p62), phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR), and phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) were observed in MCAO rats treated with 10 mg/kg cornin, which was counteracted by LY294002. The expression of autophagy-related proteins with or without LY294002 and mTOR siRNA presented the similar results as in vitro in OGD/R in U87 cells.ConclusionsThese results indicate that cornin improved neurological recovery after cerebral ischemia injury by preventing astrocytes autophagy induced by CI/R via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Metabolic Profiling by GC-MS, In Vitro Biological Potential, and In Silico Molecular Docking Studies of Verbena officinalis.

Verbena officinalis L. is a traditionally important medicinal herb that has a rich source of bioactive phytoconstituents with biological benefits. The objective of this study was to assess the metabolic profile and in vitro biological potential of V. officinalis. The bioactive phytoconstituents were evaluated by preliminary phytochemical studies, estimation of polyphenolic contents, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of all fractions (crude methanolic, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol) of V. officinalis. The biological investigation was performed by different assays including antioxidant assays (DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, and FRAP), enzyme inhibition assays (urease and α-glucosidase), and hemolytic activity. The ethyl acetate extract had the maximum concentration of total phenolic and total flavonoid contents (394.30 ± 1.09 mg GAE·g−1 DE and 137.35 ± 0.94 mg QE·g−1 DE, respectively). Significant antioxidant potential was observed in all fractions by all four antioxidant methods. Maximum urease inhibitory activity in terms of IC50 value was shown by ethyl acetate fraction (10 ± 1.60 µg mL−1) in comparison to standard hydroxy urea (9.8 ± 1.20 µg·mL−1). The n-hexane extract showed good α-glucosidase inhibitory efficacy (420 ± 20 µg·mL−1) as compared to other extract/fractions. Minimum hemolytic activity was found in crude methanolic fraction (6.5 ± 0.94%) in comparison to positive standard Triton X-100 (93.5 ± 0.48%). The GC-MS analysis of all extract/fractions of V. officinalis including crude methanolic, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol fractions, resulted in the identification of 24, 56, 25, and 9 bioactive compounds, respectively, with 80% quality index. Furthermore, the bioactive compounds identified by GC-MS were analyzed using in silico molecular docking studies to determine the binding affinity between ligands and enzymes (urease and α-glucosidase). In conclusion, V. officinalis possesses multiple therapeutical potentials, and further research is needed to explore its use in the treatment of chronic diseases.

Antioxidant Activity and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Scavenging Mechanism of Eriodictyon californium, an Edible Herb of North America

Modern life associated with processed food, exposure to a wide range of pollutants, physical inactivity, unprecedented time, excessive involvement of technology in our lives, and so on give rise to oxidative stress which threatens our physical and mental health. Because of rising healthcare costs and mistrust of conventional medicine, mankind is looking for alternatives to over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs, which is driving the demand for nutraceuticals across the globe. Antioxidant-rich plant-based natural products could be an important source of nutraceuticals to boost endogenous antioxidant levels. In this research, we uncovered the antioxidant potential of Eriodictyon californicum, an herb used by Native Americans for centuries to treat a wide range of ailments. The ethanolic leaf extract of E. californicum was studied for its phytochemical constituents, antioxidant potential, and free radical scavenging activity. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, phenols, tannins, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, and steroids. The abundance of total phenol (78.58 ± 0.016 μg GAE/mg) and flavonoid content (6.76 ± 0.003 μg QE/mg) and the strong reducing activity in the FRAP assay indicated the antioxidant potential of the leaves. Free radical scavenging activity was confirmed by a dose-dependent response on the DPPH assay (IC50 0.071 mg/mL). Since reactive oxygen species are the main culprits for causing oxidative stress in our body, studying the effect of plant extracts on superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals found that it has the ability to neutralize all three. IC50 was found to be 0.083 mg/mL for superoxide radicals, 0.033 mg/mL for hydrogen peroxide, and 0.080 mg/mL for hydroxyl radicals. Herein, we report that E. californicum is a potential source of bioactive components with strong radical scavenging activity. This holy herb could serve as a healing agent against oxidative stress and holds promise for the development of nutraceuticals.

In Vitro Antimelanoma Properties of Verbena officinalis Fractions.

Verbena officinalis is commonly used in traditional medicine to treat many ailments. Extracts of this plant are therapeutic agents for the potential treatment of different diseases, including colorectal and liver cancers, but have not been explored for their anti-melanoma potential so far. The goal of the current work was to prepare a methanolic extract and fractionate it using hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and acetone to get semi-purified products. These semi-purified fractions were studied for their potency against melanoma cell lines. The three potent fractions (HA, VO79, and EA3) demonstrated 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) values as low as 2.85 µg/mL against the LOX IMVI cell line. All three fractions showed similar potency in inhibiting the growth of the B16 cells, a murine melanoma cell line. Based on high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) data, for the first time, we report on lupulone A from this plant. LC-MS data also indicated the presence of hedergonic acid, serjanic acid, and other compounds in V. officinalis extracts.

MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS WITH TRADITIONAL AYURVEDIC HERBS: A REVIEW

Ayurvedic herbs have been used as a source of medicine since the dawn of humanity. There are over 21,000 herb speciesin India, and thousands of them have been claimed to have therapeutic characteristics. Ayurvedic herbs referenced inancient literature or used historically for diabetes have been found to have anti-diabetic properties in studies undertakenin the last several decades. The current research examines ten such herbs that have been utilized in traditional medicineand have shown anti-diabetic effects in both experimental and clinical studies. The herbs mentioned in this review areCeratonia silliqua, Syzygium aromaticum, Verbena officinalis, Abelmoschus esculentus, Allium cepa, Coriandrum sativum, Lepidiumsativum, Rosmarinus officinalis, Zingiber officinale, Eupatorium sp, Mangifera indica, Swertia chirayta, Ocimum sanctum,Azadirachta indica and Ablemoschus moschatus. All these important ayurvedic plants have shown good responses againstdiabetes mellitus.

Integrating transcriptome and chemical analyses to reveal the anti-Alzheimer's disease components in Verbena officinalis Linn.

Verbena officinalis Linn. is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, which has a long history of application and shows good effects on neuroprotection. Therefore, we consider that V. officinalis may be a potential drug for treating Alzheimer’s disease (AD). First, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) pointed out that the main chemical components in V. officinalis were iridoid glycosides, phenylethanoid glycosides, and flavonoids. These compounds were used for molecular docking and the results showed that these compounds had good anti-AD activity. To explore the biosynthetic pathway of anti-AD components in V. officinalis, UPLC and ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry were used for contents determination and the result was leaf > stem > root. At the same time, 92,867 unigenes were annotated in V. officinalis transcriptome; 206, 229, 115 related unigenes were, respectively, annotated in iridoid glycoside, phenylethanoid glycoside, and flavonoid pathway, of which 61, 73, and 35 were differential expression genes. The components had relatively high expression in leaves, which was consistent with the quantitative results. In addition, the tissue distribution particularity of verbenalin may be related to the branching of pathways. Meanwhile transcription factors VoWRKY6 and VoWRKY7 may be involved in the regulation of iridoid glycoside biosynthesis. Further, VoWRKY3, VoWRKY9, and VoWRKY12 may be related to flavonoid biosynthesis. The above research is helpful to explore the biosynthetic pathway of anti-AD components and the regulation mechanism of active components and to further explore the anti-AD effect of V. officinalis.

Verbena officinalis (Verbenaceae): Pharmacology, Toxicology and role in female health

Verbena officinalis Linn (Verbenaceae), the common verbena or vervain, a traditional herb with immense cultural and medicinal significance in the European, Greek, American, Roman and Egyptian countries. Phytochemical analysis suggests the presence of iridoid glycosides, secoiridoid glycosides, phenylethanoid glycosides, flavones, pentacyclic triterpenoids, monoterpenes, sterols and their derivatives. Owing to the presence of these phytochemicals, wide range of pharmacological activities such as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antidiarrheal, antitumour, antidepressant, anxiolytic, gastroprotective and hepatoprotective, etc are reported. Literature survey highlights the distinct role of Verbena officinalis in treating dysmenorrhoea, vaginitis, endometriosis, premenopausal night sweating, herbal tonic for pregnant women and lactating mothers and its use as emmenagogue. The review aims to promote studies on Verbena officinalis for its therapeutic role in female reproductive health and other ailments. The scientific databases used for compilation of the data were Google scholar, Pubmed the data made available specifically from 2010 to 2022.

Chemical profiling of Verbena officinalis and assessment of its anti-cryptosporidial activity in experimentally infected immunocompromised mice

• Verbena officinalis is an intrinsic supplier for biologically active metabolites comprising flavonoids, phenolic acids, organic acids, phenylethanoids, and coumarins. • Verbena officinalis n -butanol extract was proved to have an effective anti-cryptosporidial activity in the infected immunocompromised mice exceeding the gold standard drug nitazoxanide. • Verbena officinalis n -butanol extract was reported to have a promising anti-inflammatory effect, alleviating pathological changes in the small intestine and the liver of infected immunocompromised mice, exceeding the gold standard drug nitazoxanide. • The combination of Verbena officinalis n -butanol extract, and nitazoxanide gave the best results. Cryptosporidiosis is a global zoonotic infection that causes water-borne epidemics of diarrhea. Nevertheless, there are few available therapies for cryptosporidiosis. However, the gold standard drug nitazoxanide (NTZ) has limited efficacy in malnourished and immunocompromised patients. Furthermore, Verbena officinalis L. is a herbal plant widely used in traditional medicine to cure several health disorders and is recognized to possess numerous therapeutic applications. In the present study, the phytochemical composition of aerial part extract from Verbena officinalis was investigated via LC-ESI-MS/MS. Furthermore, the anti-cryptosporidial activity was also performed using an animal model. Fifty mice were divided into 5 groups; GI: non-infected (Negative control), GII: infected non treated (positive control), GIII: infected, treated with NTZ, GIV: infected, treated with V. officinalis n -butanol extract , GV: infected, treated with a combination of NTZ and V. officinalis. Parasitological examination revealed a highly significant difference ( P -value < 0.001) between GIII, GIV, and GV compared to GII regarding the mean number of Cryptosporidium spp. oocyst in the stool. Moreover, GV showed the best efficacy with a percentage of 87%. Also, histopathological examination showed variable degrees of improvement in the villous broadening, and the inflammatory infiltrates in the small intestine with a reduction of hepatocyte degeneration and mononuclear infiltration in GIII, GIV, and GV compared to GII, with the best results seen in GV. Additionally, the chemical profiling of n -butanol extract identified 16 secondary metabolites comprising flavonoids, phenolic acids, phenylethanoids, and coumarins. In conclusion, V. officinalis is an intrinsic supplier of biologically active metabolites with outstanding anti-parasitic and possible anti-inflammatory effects.

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Plant Extracts Films: Preparation, Surface Characterization and Antibacterial Studies against Gram Positive and Gram Negative Bacteria.

In this study, we aim to obtain biomaterials with antibacterial properties by combining poly(vinyl alcohol) with the extracts obtained from various selected plants from Romania. Natural herbal extracts of freshly picked flowers of the lavender plant (Lavandula angustifolia) and leaves of the peppermint plant (Mentha piperita), hemp plant (Cannabis sativa L.), verbena plant (Verbena officinalis) and sage plant (Salvia officinalis folium) were selected after an intensive analyzing of diverse medicinal plants often used as antibacterial and healing agents from the country flora. The plant extracts were characterized by different methods such as totals of phenols and flavonoids content and UV-is spectroscopy. The highest amounts of the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, respectively, were recorded for Salvia officinalis. Moreover, the obtained films of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) loaded with plant extracts were studied concerning the surface properties and their antibacterial or cytotoxicity activity. The Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared analysis described the successfully incorporation of each plant extract in the poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix, while the profilometry demonstrated the enhanced surface properties. The results showed that the plant extracts conferred significant antibacterial effects to films toward Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and are not toxic against fibroblastic cells from the rabbit.

Phenylpropanoid Glycoside and Phenolic Acid Profiles and Biological Activities of Biomass Extracts from Different Types of Verbena officinalis Microshoot Cultures and Soil-Grown Plant.

Different types of microshoot cultures (agar, stationary liquid, agitated, and bioreactors) of Verbena officinalis were optimized for biomass growth and the production of phenylpropanoid glycosides and phenolic acids. Using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry, the presence of verbascoside, isoverbascoside, leucoseptoside A/isomers, and cistanoside D/isomer was confirmed in the methanolic extracts obtained from all types of in vitro cultures. The compound’s content was determined by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. The main metabolites in biomass extracts were verbascoside and isoverbascoside (maximum 4881.61 and 451.80 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)). In the soil-grown plant extract, verbascoside was also dominated (1728.97 mg/100 g DW). The content of phenolic acids in the analyzed extracts was below 24 mg/100 g DW. The highest radical scavenging activity was found in the biomass extract from agitated cultures, the most effective reducing power in agar culture extract, and the highest chelating activity in extract from bioreactor cultures. The extracts showed significantly stronger bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity against Gram-positive bacteria (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.3–2.2 mg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 0.6–9 mg/mL) than against Gram-negative bacteria (MIC 0.6–9 mg/mL, MBC of 0.6–18 mg/mL). The biomass extract from liquid stationary culture showed the strongest antibacterial activity, while the extract from soil-grown herb had the lowest.