The discovery of penicillin nearly 90 years ago revolutionized the treatment of bacterial disease. Since that time, numerous other antibiotics have been discovered from bacteria and fungi, or ...developed by chemical synthesis and have become effective chemotherapeutic options. However, the misuse of antibiotics has lessened the efficacy of many commonly used antibiotics. The emergence of resistant strains of bacteria has seriously limited our ability to treat bacterial illness, and new antibiotics are desperately needed. Since the discovery of penicillin, most antibiotic development has focused on the discovery of new antibiotics derived from microbial sources, or on the synthesis of new compounds using existing antibiotic scaffolds to the detriment of other lines of discovery. Both of these methods have been fruitful. However, for a number of reasons discussed in this review, these strategies are unlikely to provide the same wealth of new antibiotics in the future. Indeed, the number of newly developed antibiotics has decreased dramatically in recent years. Instead, a reexamination of traditional medicines has become more common and has already provided several new antibiotics. Traditional medicine plants are likely to provide further new antibiotics in the future. However, the use of plant extracts or pure natural compounds in combination with conventional antibiotics may hold greater promise for rapidly providing affordable treatment options. Indeed, some combinational antibiotic therapies are already clinically available. This study reviews the recent literature on combinational antibiotic therapies to highlight their potential and to guide future research in this field.
Based on their high antioxidant capacity and noteworthy phytochemistry,
Terminalia ferdinandiana
fruit and leaves have attracted considerable recent interest for their therapeutic potential. Whilst ...those studies have reported a variety of therapeutic properties for the fruit, the anti-inflammatory potential of
T. ferdinandiana
has been largely neglected and the leaves have been almost completely ignored. This study investigated the immune-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties of
T. ferdinandiana
fruit and leaf extracts by evaluating their inhibition of multiple pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines secretion in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated and unstimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages using multiplex bead immunoassays and ELISA assays. The methanolic extracts were particularly good immune-modulators, significantly inhibiting the secretion of all the cytokines and chemokines tested. Indeed, the methanolic extracts completely inhibited IL-10, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, MCP-1, and MIP-2a secretion, and almost completely inhibited the secretion of TNF-α. In addition, the methanolic
T. ferdinandiana
extracts also significantly inhibited cytosolic COX-2 levels (by 87–95%) and the synthesis of the PGE
2
(by ~ 98%). In contrast, the methanolic extracts stimulated LTB
4
secretion by ~ 60–90%, whilst the aqueous extracts significantly inhibited LTB
4
secretion (by ~ 27% each). Exposure of RAW 264.7 cells to the methanolic
T. ferdinandiana
extracts also significantly down-regulated the cytosolic levels of NF-κB by 33–44%, indicating that the immune-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties of the extracts may be regulated via a decrease in NF-κB transcription pathways. Taken together, these results demonstrate potent anti-inflammatory properties for the extracts and provide insights into their anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
Inflammation is a serious global concern due to its debilitating symptoms, resulting in considerable suffering and lost productivity. Chronic and auto-immune inflammatory diseases are of particular ...concern. Several pharmaceutical therapies are already available. However, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) is accompanied by harmful and toxic side effects. Hence, the search for safer alternative therapeutics with limited side effects is imperative. The use of medicinal plants is common practice amongst the southern African population and may provide targets for drug development.
This study aims to review and document the medicinal uses and pharmacological properties of southern African medicinal plants used for inflammation and pain-related ailments.
An extensive literature review was undertaken to identify southern African plants used traditionally to treat inflammation. A variety of ethnobotanical books and grey literature, as well as ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Scopus search engines were used as sources of information.
This review identified 555 medicinal plants from 118 families which were traditionally used in southern Africa to treat inflammation and pain. Fabaceae was the most prominent family with 63 species, followed by Asteraceae (54 species) and Apocynaceae (33 species). The top category of ailments indicated include non-specific inflammation with 150 species, followed by inflammatory pain (148 species), headache (114 species) and toothache (114 species).
Despite a large number of southern African medicinal plants used to treat inflammation and pain, relatively few have been screened for their anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, biologically active plant extracts have been tested against relatively few inflammatory markers and considerable further work is required.
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The development of multiple-drug-resistant pathogens has prompted medical research toward the development of new and effective antimicrobial therapies. Much research into novel antibiotics has ...focused on bacterial and fungal compounds, and on chemical modification of existing compounds to increase their efficacy or reactivate their antimicrobial properties. In contrast, cyanobacteria have been relatively overlooked for antibiotic discovery, and much more work is required. This may be because some cyanobacterial species produce environmental toxins, leading to concerns about the safety of cyanobacterial compounds in therapy. Despite this, several cyanobacterial-derived compounds have been identified with noteworthy inhibitory activity against bacterial, fungal and protozoal growth, as well as viral replication. Additionally, many of these compounds have relatively low toxicity and are therefore relevant targets for drug development. Of particular note, several linear and heterocyclic peptides and depsipeptides with potent activity and good safety indexes have been identified and are undergoing development as antimicrobial chemotherapies. However, substantial further studies are required to identify and screen the myriad other cyanobacterial-derived compounds to evaluate their therapeutic potential. This study reviews the known phytochemistry of cyanobacteria, and where relevant, the effects of those compounds against bacterial, fungal, protozoal and viral pathogens, with the aim of highlighting gaps in the literature and focusing future studies in this field.
Terminalia spp. are characterized by their high antioxidant contents and several species have anticancer activity. This study examined T. ferdinandiana fruit and leaf extracts for antiproliferative ...and apoptotic activities against a panel of human carcinoma cell lines. All extracts inhibited Caco2, HeLa, Jeg-3, JAR, MC3T3-E1, and MG63 proliferation. The leaf ethyl acetate extract was the most potent inhibitor of proliferation (MC3T3-E1 IC
= of 6 µg/ml; Caco2 IC
= 102 µg/ml). Furthermore, IC
's < 500 µg/ml were determined against all cell lines tested against that extract. The methanolic leaf extract was also a potent inhibitor of cell proliferation (Jeg-3 IC
= 147 µg/ml; MC3T3-E1 IC
= 40 µg/ml). The fruit extracts were also good inhibitors of carcinoma cell proliferation. Cell imaging studies detected morphological features consistent with apoptosis in Caco2 cells exposed to the ethyl acetate, methanolic, and aqueous extracts. Caspase 3 activity was significantly elevated in Caco2 cells exposed to these extracts, indicating that apoptosis was induced. The leaf ethyl acetate extract contained a high diversity and relative abundance of tannins and flavonoids. All T. ferdinandiana fruit and leaf extracts displayed either no toxic or low toxicity in the Artemia franciscana bioassay and in a HDF viability assay.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Viral respiratory infections are amongst the most common infections globally, with most of the world's population contracting at least one infection annually. Numerous plant species are used in ...traditional southern African healing systems to treat these diseases and to alleviate the symptoms. Despite this, the therapeutic potential of these plants against viral respiratory diseases remains poorly explored.
The aim of this study was to document the southern African plant species used in traditional medicine to treat viral respiratory infections. We also examined the extent of scientific evaluations of southern African plant species against the respiratory-infective viruses, with the aim of stimulating interest in this area and focusing on future studies.
We undertook an extensive review of ethnobotanical books, reviews and primary scientific studies to identify southern African plants which are used in traditional southern African medicine to treat viral respiratory diseases. This information was used to identify gaps in the current research that require further study.
Two hundred and fifty-seven southern African plant species were identified as traditional therapies for viral respiratory diseases. Surprisingly, only one of those species (as well as twenty-one other species not recorded for these purposes) has been evaluated for the ability to block respiratory virus production. Furthermore, most of these studies screened against a single viral strain and none of those studies examined the mechanism of action of the plant preparations.
Despite well documented records of the use of southern African plants to treat respiratory viral diseases, the field is poorly explored. Nearly all of the plant species used in traditional healing systems to treat these diseases are yet to be tested. Substantial further work is required to verify the efficacy of these traditional medicines.
The agricultural industry utilizes antibiotic growth promoters to promote livestock growth and health. However, the World Health Organization has raised concerns over the ongoing spread of antibiotic ...resistance transmission in the populace, leading to its subsequent ban in several countries, especially in the European Union. These restrictions have translated into an increase in pathogenic outbreaks in the agricultural industry, highlighting the need for an economically viable, non-toxic, and renewable alternative to antibiotics in livestock. Probiotics inhibit pathogen growth, promote a beneficial microbiota, regulate the immune response of its host, enhance feed conversion to nutrients, and form biofilms that block further infection. Commonly used lactic acid bacteria probiotics are vulnerable to the harsh conditions of the upper gastrointestinal system, leading to novel research using spore-forming bacteria from the genus
. However, the exact mechanisms behind
probiotics remain unexplored. This review tackles this issue, by reporting antimicrobial compounds produced from
strains, their proposed mechanisms of action, and any gaps in the mechanism studies of these compounds. Lastly, this paper explores omics approaches to clarify the mechanisms behind
probiotics.
Multiple plant species were used traditionally in southern Africa to treat bacterial respiratory diseases. This review summarises this usage and highlights plant species that are yet to be verified ...for these activities.
This manuscript reviews the traditional usage of southern African plant species to treat bacterial respiratory diseases with the aim of highlighting gaps in the literature and focusing future studies.
An extensive review of ethnobotanical books, reviews and primary scientific studies was undertaken to identify southern African plants which are used in traditional southern African medicine to treat bacterial respiratory diseases. We also searched for southern African plants whose inhibitory activity against bacterial respiratory pathogens has been conmfirmed, to highlight gaps in the literature and focus future studies.
One hundred and eighty-seven southern African plant species are recorded as traditional therapies for bacterial respiratory infections. Scientific evaluations of 178 plant species were recorded, although only 42 of these were selected for screening on the basis of their ethnobotanical uses. Therefore, the potential of 146 species used teraditionally to treat bacterial respiratory diseases are yet to be verified.
The inhibitory properties of southern African medicinal plants against bacterial respiratory pathogens is relatively poorly explored and the antibacterial activity of most plant species remains to be verified.
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Antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) suppress the growth of infectious pathogens. These pathogens negatively impact agricultural production worldwide and often cause health problems if left untreated. ...Here, we evaluate six
strains (BPR-11, BPR-12, BPR-13, BPR-14, BPR-16 and BPR-17), which are known for their ability to survive harsh environmental conditions, as AGP replacements in animal feed. Four of these
strains (BPR-11, BPR-14, BPR-16 and BPR-17) showed antimicrobial activity against the pathogenic strains
and
at 25 μg/mL, with BPR-16 and BPR-17 also able to inhibit
and
at 100 μg/mL. Further chemical investigation of BPR-17 led to the identification of eight metabolites, namely C16, C15, C14 and C13 surfactin C (1-4), maculosin (5), maculosine 2 (6), genistein (7) and daidzein (8). Purified compounds (1-4) were able to inhibit all the tested pathogens with MIC values ranging from 6.25 to 50 μg/mL. Maculosin (5) and maculosine 2 (6) inhibited
,
and
with an MIC of 25 μg/mL while genistein (7) and daidzein (8) showed no activity. An animal trial involving feeding BPR-11, BPR-16 and BPR-17 to a laboratory poultry model led to an increase in animal growth, and a decrease in feed conversion ratio and mortality. The presence of surfactin C analogues (3-4) in the gut following feeding with probiotics was confirmed using an LC-MS analysis. The investigation of these
probiotics, their metabolites, their impacts on animal performance indicators and their presence in the gastrointestinal system illustrates that these probiotics are effective alternatives to AGPs.
Cape aloe bitters – past and present Brendler, Thomas; Cock, Ian E
South African journal of botany,
July 2022, 2022-07-00, Letnik:
147
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
•Cape Aloe has a complicated taxonomic history.•Cape Aloe becomes a commodity and included in pharmacopoeias in the 18th century.•Cape Aloe retains is popularity as a laxative into current ...times.•Cape Aloe belongs to the group of drugs containing anthraquinone glycosides which have been scrutinized over safety concerns.•Regulatory measures restrict the use of Cape Aloe as a laxative.•New markets and applications need to be found for Cape Aloe.
Aloe and Aloe products have at a long history of use dating back to antiquity. Use and trade were originally dominated by Barbados or Curaçao (A. vera), and Socotra aloe (A. perryi). Commercialization of Cape Aloe was initiated by the Dutch East India Company (VOC), likely to add to their existing aloe trade, and Cape Aloe was brought back to Europe as early as 1761. Albeit aloes’ early official history was marred by taxonomic confusion, Cape Aloe made its way into the world's pharmacopoeias as early as the late 18th century and its popularity has held steady into the 20th century. While it is still an ingredient in established phytomedicines with standard monographs and multiple of products in the marketplace, it has lately become the subject of a safety concern, along with other anthraquinone-yielding plant species, and its ban for use in food products by the European Commission is imminent. In the following study we review the history of Cape Aloe products establishing themselves in world markets, alongside the milestones of pre-clinical and clinical research into the safety and efficacy of these products.
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