Advancement in Medicinal Plant Research

51-62

Authors: Farhana Tasleem, Saad Bin Zafar Mahmood, Iqbal Azhar, Rubina Gulzar, Faheem Ahmed and Zafar Alam Mahmood

The aim of this research work was to investigate the less toxic and more specific hepatoprotective and anti-oxidant effects of hexane, ethanol extracts along with pure compound β-sitosterol glucoside isolated from leaves of Adenanthera pavonina in carbon tetra chloride (CCl4) induced liver damage in rat. The anti-oxidant effect was assessed in different concentrations of 100, 250, 500 and 1000 µg/ml by in-vitro model system of ferric cyanide reducing power assay using, ascorbic acid as a standard drug. Ethanol and hexane extracts of A. pavonina 75, 150 and 250 mg/kg body weight along with pure compound β-sitosterol glucoside 25, 75 and 100 mg/kg body weight were administered orally for six days to CCl4 (1.5 ml/kg body weight in equal volume of olive oil (1:1)) treated rats and the hepatoprotective activity was assessed in prophylactic and therapeutic model using biochemical parameters aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine biochemical parameters like aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphate (ALP), total bilirubin (TB) and direct bilirubin (DB) along with histopathological studies of liver tissues. The results were compared with standard hepatoprotective drug containing (BetaineGlucuronate + Diethanol amine Glucuronate + Nicotinamide Ascorbate). Five-days treatment of tested samples showed dose dependent reduction of CCl4 induced elevated activity of serum enzymes and total and direct bilirubin indicating the recovery of hepatic enzymes both in prophylactic and therapeutic model. However oral administration of β-sitosterol glucoside can significantly reduce the activity of ALP 183.40 IU/L, ᵞ-GT 0.60 IU/L, DB 0.04 mg/dl and ALT 30.20 IU/L, TB 0.14 mg/dl at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight in prophylactic and therapeutic model respectively. This hepatoprotective effect was comparable to that of the standard drug. Histopathological study of animals showed intact bile duct and portal vein without any cellular necrosis and fatty infiltration. The ferric cyanide reducing power assay showed that A. pavonina possessed magnificent anti-oxidant potential in concentration dependent manner but less than standard drug ascorbic acid and among all tested samples β-sitosterol glucoside indicated highest reducing power 0.279. Results of the present study indicated presence of anti-oxidant phytochemicals in A. pavonina leaves and exhibited substantial reducing power of free radicals, responsible for promising hepatoprotective effect.

68-74

Authors: Anibal PC, Barbosa JP, Oliveira TR and Höfling JF

Faced with increasing cases of antimicrobial resistance, new compounds from natural products have been scientifically investigated for their antibacterial and antifungalaction. Ethnopharmacological studies have shown that many plants extracts have been a source of new bioactive compounds acting against several types of diseases, attracting attention to researchers, aimed at their application in medicine. Studies were carried out with extracts from Punica granatum L. and its compounds have showed antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects for the treatment of oral diseases, skin diseases, diarrhea, helminth infections, microbial infections and respiratory diseases among others. Its antimicrobial activity has been investigated recently, and may be present in various parts of the plant such as flowers, leaves, stems and bark. It was found high activity of the P. granatum methanolic extracts against strains of Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans and other species. Candida yeast is an opportunistic pathogen and its virulence factors may contribute to its invasion and pathogenicity. These considerations served as a basis of the studies carried out in this review work, aiming to evaluate the use of extracts obtained from different parts of the P. granatum L. fruits as antimicrobial agents, associated to researches of components with bioactive potential present in these structures, determined by mass spectrometry.

41-46

Authors: Aubin Nestor Loumouamou, Kévin Bikindou, Hermeline Ntalani, Thomas Silou, Pierre Chalard, Ombeline Danton, Laeticia Delort, Caroline Decombat, Florence Caldefie-Chezet, Cathérine Rubat-Coudert and Gilles Figueredo

Elionurus hensii is usually used by peasant populations as a théiforme drink to relieve aches. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antalgic activity (AA) and antiproliferative activity (ATA) of essential oil of Elionurus hensii (VEH). Essential oils from the aerial parts and roots was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. AA was examined by using test cramps. This method consists in inducing cramps in the mouse by intraperitoneal injection of 0.6% acetic acid solution and to determine any inhibition of these cramps by the compounds contained in the VEH. Cytotoxicity of the essential oil was evaluated in order to assess their ATA on cancer cells MCF-7 using resazurin test. The study was carried out by considering 6 samples of VEH whose contents of major compounds vary. The major constituents are p-menthadienol isomers and limonene for samples from the aerial part, aristolone and limonene for samples from the roots. The most significant AA (inhibition percentage = 56.41%) was observed with a VEH containing p-menthadienol isomers (40.25%) and limonene (15.85%). The VEH containing limonene (20.21%) and aristolone (15.16%) also inhibit cramps with a percent inhibition of 48%. The pure aristolone extract of the essential oil inhibits to 36%. These first results confirm the traditional use of Elionurus hensii by peasant populations. The results of the resazurin test showed that the ATA is dose-dependent. VEH from roots, exhibited better anti-proliferative activity compared to the VEH from the aerial part. However, this activity is low.

29-36

Authors: Chalerm Saiin and Busaban Sirithunyalug

Picrasma javanica Bl. is a critical natural source to develop the new antimalarial drugs having novel mode of action. It was found that fourteen indole alkaloids were purified from P. javanica that was growing in Indonesia, New Guinea and Thailand. However, only two purified compound of Thai P. javanica, 4-methoxy-1-vinyl--carboline (dehydrocrenatine) and 6-hydroxy-4-methoxy-1-vinyl--carboline, were tested for antimalarial activities. In addition, crenatine (1-ethyl-4-methoxy--carboline) and dehydrocrenatine were synthesized and evaluated for antimalarial activity and selective toxicity. Therefore, it is valuable to study the structure-activity relationship of these fourteen indole alkaloids of P. javanica as the potential antimalarial drugs. Importantly, Thai P. javanica shall be reserved as medicinal plant for malaria disease treatment.

5-10

Authors: Hassan AM, Abutalib AA, Almagboul AZ and Kabbashi AS

The antimicrobial activity of the rhizome essential oil of Zingiber officinale (family: Zingiberaceae) was tested against six standard bacteria: Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and against two standard fungi namely Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans using the cup plate agar diffusion method. The rhizome essential oil of Z. officinale dissolved in methanol (1:10), showed high activity against the Gram positive S. aureus (23 mm), B. subtilis (20 mm), Gram negative E. coli (21 mm), P. vulgaris (20 mm) and P. aeruginosa (27 mm). It also showed moderate activity against the Gram negative K. pneumoniae (15 mm), C. albicans (16 mm) and no activity against Aspergillus niger. The rhizome oil was also tested against sixty clinical isolates, collected randomly from Khartoum and Soba Hospitals. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the essential oil against standard bacteria were determined using the agar diffusion method. The antimicrobial activity of the reference drugs were determined against the standard organisms and compared with the antimicrobial activity of the tested oil. The obtained results showed variable sensitivity against the organisms tested and confirmed its folkloric uses.