Medicinal plants have been used from ancient times for human healthcare as in the form of traditional medicines, spices, and other food components. Garlic (
L.) is an aromatic herbaceous plant that ...is consumed worldwide as food and traditional remedy for various diseases. It has been reported to possess several biological properties including anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, antidiabetic, renoprotective, anti-atherosclerotic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antihypertensive activities in traditional medicines.
is rich in several sulfur-containing phytoconstituents such as alliin, allicin, ajoenes, vinyldithiins, and flavonoids such as quercetin. Extracts and isolated compounds of
have been evaluated for various biological activities including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities among others. This review examines the phytochemical composition, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacological activities of
extracts as well as its main active constituent, allicin.
Traditional herbal remedies have been attracting attention as prospective alternative resources of therapy for diverse diseases across many nations. In recent decades, medicinal plants have been ...gaining wider acceptance due to the perception that these plants, as natural products, have fewer side effects and improved efficacy compared to their synthetic counterparts.
L. (Licorice) is a small perennial herb that has been traditionally used to treat many diseases, such as respiratory disorders, hyperdipsia, epilepsy, fever, sexual debility, paralysis, stomach ulcers, rheumatism, skin diseases, hemorrhagic diseases, and jaundice. Moreover, chemical analysis of the
extracts revealed the presence of several organic acids, liquirtin, rhamnoliquirilin, liquiritigenin, prenyllicoflavone A, glucoliquiritin apioside, 1-metho-xyphaseolin, shinpterocarpin, shinflavanone, licopyranocoumarin, glisoflavone, licoarylcoumarin, glycyrrhizin, isoangustone A, semilicoisoflavone B, licoriphenone, and 1-methoxyficifolinol, kanzonol R and several volatile components. Pharmacological activities of
have been evaluated against various microorganisms and parasites, including pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and Plasmodium falciparum, and completely eradicated P. yoelii parasites. Additionally, it shows antioxidant, antifungal, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activities. The current review examined the phytochemical composition, pharmacological activities, pharmacokinetics, and toxic activities of
extracts as well as its phytoconstituents.
Citrus maxima (Burm). Merr. (family Rutaceae), commonly known as Pomelo, is an ethnomedicinally, pharmacologically, and phytochemically valued species. Various ethnomedicinal reports have revealed ...the use of C. maxima for cough, fever, asthma, diarrhea, ulcer, and diabetes and as a sedative. Numerous phytochemicals have been reported from C. maxima such as polyphenols, terpenoids, sterols, carotenoids, vitamins, and amino acids. The plant possesses significant bioactivities like antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-Alzheimer’s disease, insecticidal, anxiolytic, hepatoprotective, antimalarial, and antiobesity. Extensive research is necessary to explore the detailed mechanism of action of extracts and compounds to design effective medicines, herbal products, and functional foods.
(L.) L. (Syn.:
(L.) Hassak, Family: Asteraceae) is an important medicinal plant in the tropical and subtropical regions. It is widely used in treating various diseases of skin, liver and stomach in ...India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and other countries. The main aim of this review was to collect and analyze the available information on traditional uses, phytoconstituents, and biological activities of
. The scientific information was collected from the online bibliographic databases such as Scopus, MEDLINE/PubMed, Google Scholar, SciFinder, etc. and books and proceedings. The active phytochemicals were coumestan derivatives, phenolic acid derivatives, flavonoids, triterpenoid and steroid saponins, substituted thiophenes, etc. Various extracts and isolated compounds of
showed a wide range of biological activities such as antimicrobial, anticancer, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective and hair growth promoting activities. Relatively a few studies have been performed to reveal the exact phytoconstituents responsible for their corresponding pharmacological activities. Future studies should focus on detailed mechanism based studies using animal models and clinical studies.
Zerumbone is a multifunctional compound which shows various biological activities, such as antitumor activity, anti-inflammatory activity, antiulcer activity, etc. However, to use Zerumbone as ...functional foods or medicines, its pharmaceutical properties such as solubility should be improved. In the present study, we prepared its inclusion complexes with various cyclodextrin (CyD) derivatives, and evaluated their solubility, release profile of the drug and cytotoxic activity. Among 11 CyDs, sulfobutylether (SBE)-β-CyD showed the highest solubilizing effect for Zerumbone. Phase solubility diagrams of SBE-β-CyD/Zerumbone in 10% methanol solution showed AL type, and the stability constant was 756 M−1. SBE-β-CyD also formed the solid complex with Zerumbone by kneading for 90 min. Importantly, the dissolution rate of Zerumbone was improved by complexation with SBE-β- and hydroxypropyl (HP)-β-CyDs, and its supersaturation was maintained for several hours. The solubilizing effects by SBE-β-CyD was greater than that of HP-β-CyD. Moreover, SBE-β-CyD/Zerumbone complex also retained the cytotoxic activity of Zerumbone. These results suggest that CyDs, especially SBE-β-CyD, were useful to improve the solubility of Zerumbone.
Fruits of Terminalia chebula Retz. (Combretaceae) are widely used as crude drugs in various traditional medicine systems. The aim of this article is to review the available scientific information ...regarding the traditional uses, bioactive chemical constituents and the pharmacological activities of T. chebula. Numerous researches conducted on T. chebula have confirmed the presence of wide range of the phytochemicals such as flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids and other bioactive compounds. T. chebula is also widely studied regarding its pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, cytotoxic, antidiabetic, anti‐inflammatory activities among others. However, more in vivo and clinical studies for mechanism‐based pharmacological evaluation should be conducted in future to provide stronger scientific evidences for their traditional uses.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) cause the largest mortality worldwide, and much attention has been focused to unravel the mechanisms and optimize the treatment regimens. Curcumin is an important ...bioactive component of turmeric that has been widely applied as traditional medicine to prevent and treat various diseases in some countries. Recent studies have demonstrated its potent activities in modulating multiple signaling pathways associated with cellular growth, proliferation, survival, inflammation and oxidative stress. The cardiovascular protective properties of curcumin in CVDs have been fully illustrated in numerous studies. In this review, we first briefly introduce the medicinal history of curcumin. Secondly, we systematically analyze the preclinical studies of curcumin in CVDs such as cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, drug-induced cardiotoxicity, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, stroke and diabetic cardiovascular complications. The potential molecular targets of curcumin are also summarized. Thirdly, the clinical trials of curcumin in CVDs are overviewed and discussed. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic utility of derivatives of curcumin, and highlight existing problems of curcumin as an effective drug lead in treating CVDs.
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•Goldenseal is widely used as a traditional medicinal herb and food supplement.•Goldenseal alkaloids including berberine showed numerous of therapeutic effects.•Critically evaluated ...the pharmacological and toxicological effects of goldenseal and berberine.•Also evaluated the pharmacokinetic profile and food safety efficacy of goldenseal.•Further detailed research is necessary to provide scientific evidences for unelucidated mechanisms.
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) is a medicinal plant widely used in various traditional systems of medicine and as a food supplement. It has been traditionally used by Native Americans as a coloring agent and as medicinal remedy for common diseases and conditions like wounds, digestive disorders, ulcers, skin and eye ailments, and cancer. Over the years, goldenseal has become a popular food supplement in the USA and other regions. The rhizome of this plant has been used for the treatment of a variety of diseases including, gastrointestinal disorders, ulcers, muscular debility, nervous prostration, constipation, skin and eye infections, cancer, among others. Berberine is one of the most bioactive alkaloid that has been identified in different parts of goldenseal. The goldenseal extract containing berberine showed numerous therapeutic effects such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, neuroprotective (anti-Alzheimer’s disease), cardioprotective, and gastrointestinal protective. Various research finding suggest the health promoting effects of goldenseal components and their extracts. However, few studies have also suggested the possible neurotoxic, hepatotoxic and phototoxic activities of goldenseal extract and its alkaloids. Thus, large randomized, double-blind clinical studies need to be conducted on goldenseal supplements and their main alkaloids to provide more evidence on the mechanisms responsible for the pharmaceutical activity, clinical efficacy and safety of these products. Thus, it is very important to review the scientific information about goldenseal to understand about the current scenario.
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Osteoarthritis (OA) is a well-known degenerative joint disease recognized by the deterioration of cartilage in the joints, leading to pain and reduced mobility. Traditional treatments ...for OA include pain management, physical therapy, and in severe cases, joint replacement surgery. In recent years, there has been growing interest in exploring the potential of phytoconstituents and nanomedicines combined for treating OA. Furthermore, with the increasing amount of study in this field, now is the opportune time for the widespread use of plant-derived medications as complementary and alternative medical therapies to be acknowledged and used for more efficient treatment of human ailments like OA. Combining phytoconstituents with nanomedicine technology (phyto-nanomedicine) can potentially enhance their effectiveness in treating OA. The phyto-nanomedicines has many advantages, including enhanced permeability, increased bioavailability, and sustained/controlled drug release at the joint site, decreased adverse effects, and possible use in combination treatment. It’s important to note that while there is promising preclinical and some clinical evidence regarding the effectiveness of phyto-nanomedicine in OA treatment, further research is needed to establish their safety and efficacy conclusively. In this review, the effectiveness of phytoconstituents to treat OA and the potential of combining phytomedicines with nanoparticulate drug delivery to enhance the former therapeutic effectiveness is discussed in detail. Furthermore, we have also described briefly on the application of organ-on-chip and/or joint on-chip models to accelerate the identification of novel phytoconstituents and evaluate the potency of phyto-nanomedicines to treat OA.
Chemical isolation and bioactivity studies were conducted on the stamens of Mesua ferrea L., which are being used in a traditional skincare formulation in Myanmar. Rhusflavanone and mesuaferrone B ...were obtained as the main biflavonoids together with lupeol, five common flavonoids, and five phenolic compounds. After being identified by NMR and other spectroscopic analyses, these compounds were evaluated for their 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-radical scavenging, human leukocyte elastase inhibitory, and mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activities. The two biflavonoids exhibited strong inhibitory activities against elastase and tyrosinase, but low DPPH-radical scavenging activities. The contents of rhusflavanone and mesuaferrone B in the stamens were 0.35 ± 0.04% and 0.55 ± 0.06%, respectively. Moreover, lupeol was considered to be a cosmetically important component of the stamens because of its high content and strong elastase inhibitory activity. Rhusflavanone was reported to be isolated from M. ferrea for the first time.