Advancement in Medicinal Plant Research

30-39

Authors: Minhajur Rahman and Mohammed Kamrul Huda

Ten Bangladeshi orchids were harvested and filed with 66 ethnomedicinal uses from Chittagong, Khagrachari, Bandarban, and Cox's Bazar, by the most frequent being rheumatism, paralysis, epilepsy, fever, and fracture. Phytochemical, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of plants were studied in greater depth. Plant alkaloids gave a positive response (+) in varying degrees (+ to 4+) when tested qualitatively with one or more types of reagents. Anthraquinone, coumarin, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, steroids, tannins, terpenoids, phlobatannins, and quinine were among the ten other secondary metabolites tested. Coumarin, flavonoids, glycosides, quinine, saponins, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids were found in each species, while anthraquinone and phlobatannins were found in seven and five species, respectively. Phytochemical screening revealed that Aerides odorata had the best profile. The IC50 values of different orchids ranged from 132.24 to 227.24 µg/ml. in the free radical scavenging assay, which was used to test antioxidant activity. As compared to the standard (Ascorbic acid: 73.05 µg/ml), the IC50 values of A. odorata (132.24 µg/ml), Bulbophyllum lilacinum (136.70 µg/ml), and Dendrobium tortile (138.59 µg/ml) in this bioassay were convincing. The highest scavenging ability was found in A. odorata. The heat-induced albumin denaturation bioassay was used to assess anti-inflammatory activity. Acetylsalicylic acid was used as a standard in this assay, with an IC50 value of 84.11 µg/ml. IC50 values ranged from 100.68 to 213.24 µg/ml during this experiment. Cymbidium aloifolium (100.68 µg/ml), Luisia zeylanica (111.35 µg/ml), and P. teres (121.10 µg/ml) have the lowest IC50 values in this bioassay as compared to the standard. C. aloifolium outperformed the other nine species in this bioassay. The phytochemical, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory profile of A. odorata defined in this study favoured its ethnomedicinal uses, instituting it as the most bioactive and therapeutic orchid.

1-10

Authors: Farjana Islam Liya, Mt. Farzana Yasmin, Nargis Sultana Chowdhury, Tasnia Khasru Charu and Ismat Benta Fatema

Plants have been used for thousands of years to treat, prevent, and control a variety of diseases throughout the world. The initial benefits of using plant-derived medicine are that they are relatively safer than artificial alternatives. Mirabilis jalapa Linn. (Nyctaginaceae) is one of the plants that used for health care and medicinal purposes for several thousands of years. It is a perennial bushy herb promulgate by flowers or leaves, a native of America and commonly known as ‘four-o-clock’. It has traditionally been used in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, muscle pain, abdominal colic, and diarrhea in ancient Mexico, Japan, China and Brazil. The literature review revealed that Mirabilis jalapa is widely used as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, cytotoxic, antinociceptive, and several other’s medicines. In aerial parts of the Mirabilis jalapa, triterpene and flavonoids are found. Flowers mostly contain anthocyanins and flavonoids. Carbohydrate, resin and alkaloids are found in roots. Tricosan-12-one, n-hexacosanal, β-sitosterol, and tetracosanoic were isolated from the leaves of the M. jalapa. Seeds contain β-sitosterol, β-amyrin and β-sitosterol-D-glucoside. The presence of various bioactive compounds validates the whole plant for different medicinal practitioners. It has been extensively used in almost all folklore remedies worldwide for treating a variety of conditions. It has also been used for reducing agents for the production of gold nanoparticles. The purpose of my review is to find out the areas of scope and to give the detail of the work done on M. jalapa Linn. The present review article focused on ethno-pharmacological and other essential aspects of M. jalapa Linn in an attempt to provide a direction to further research.

22-29

Authors: DAMERDJI Amina

An approach to the diversity of malacofauna associated with toothed lavender was carried out in three stations belonging to the coastal region of Ghazaouet (Wilaya de Tlemcen) from January to July 2013. The specific richness of gastropods is 14 species. Four species are accessories and ten others are accidental. The relative importance of snails varies by station and by month and season. Gastropods preferring certain humidity are easily collected in winter and spring. In April, the species richness is relatively important (6 species) in the 1st and 2nd stations respectively. Milax gagates has a frequency of 78.57% in the first station (Sidi-Aissa) and 57.14% in the 2nd station (Sidi- Amar). Helicella pyramidata has a frequency of 35.71% in station 3 (Bab Khroufa). Similarly, this Helicellinae has a density equal to 0.50 in the same station.

75-80

Authors: Kiconco Catherine, Muhumuza Allan and Kamatenesi Maud Mugisha

Tick management among cattle farmers in Western Uganda has become an outstanding problem based on the fact that there is increasing resistance to most of the synthetic acaricides. Several herbs have been mentioned for management of ticks in different parts of the world, and they have been tested for acaricidal properties. This (experimental) study evaluated the in vitro investigation of the efficacy of Phytolaca dodecandra L’Her, Azardirachta indica A. Juss., Vernonia amygdalina Del. and Tephrosia vogelii Hook. f. in the management of ticks in Western Uganda. Cold and hot extracts of these herbs were used in comparison with Duodip a synthetic acaricide commonly used by farmers in the management of ticks within the region. Results indicated that there was a significant difference in the effectiveness of the different herbal extracts with cold extracts showing better efficacy (p < 0.0001) than the hot extracts (p = 0.12) at highest concentration used of 75 mg/ml. The mortality rate of ticks when Duodip was used was 20% which was much lower than that of the medicinal extracts used which gave a mortality rate of 30 % and above for the different medicinal plants. The use of medicinal plants therefore could be a better option in the management of ticks if well concentrated. There is need for more in vivo studies to establish the possible dermatological effects on the animals if these herbs were to be used effectively as acaricides.

89-100

Authors: Bilkisu A. Adedoyin, Oluremi I. Adeniran, Aminu B. Muhammed, Sani M. Dangoggo, Lutfun Nahar, George P. Sharples and Satyajit D. Sarker

Cassia singueana L. is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments. The present work was set to investigate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of this plant and its secondary metabolites. Three bioactive compounds, lupeol, eugenol and octadecadienoic acid methyl ester, were isolated from the root extract of the plant using bioactivity-guided normal phase column chromatography. The antioxidant effect was studied using the in vitro assays, e.g., 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), superoxide anion and metal chelation methods. The compounds were screened for their antimicrobial activity against four bacteria, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumonia and a fungus, Candida albicans using the agar diffusion method. The MIC/MBC of the extracts were determined by the micro-dilution method. Chemical structures of the isolated compounds were determined using FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. Whilst all three compounds showed certain levels of antioxidant activity, the most prominent antimicrobial activity was observed only against S. aureus. In general, results from the work provided some evidence to support the traditional medicinal uses of C. singueana.

43-52

Authors: Kévin Bikindou, Ernest Bitemou, Ghislaine Boungou-Tsona, Houzel-Mampouty Bounkosso, Aubin Nestor Loumouamou, Pierre Chalard and Gilles Figueredo

This research aims to determine the chemical profile of the essential oil of Curcuma mangga (C. mangga). Samples of the essential oils, obtained by steam distillation of the harvested plant material (leaves and rhizomes) at four sites and during three years, were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The physicochemical characteristics of the volatile extracts, such as the relative density, the acid index, the ester index and the rotary power, were determined according to AFNOR standards. Analysis of the chemical composition shows that the essential oil of the leaves contains mainly ar-curcumene (14.42 to 32.08%), ᾳ-zingiberene (3.5 to 16, 79%), β-sesquiphellandrene (5.48 to 14.07%), 1,8-cineole (traces-23.46%) and, to a lesser extent, β-bisabolene (3.25 to 9.11%). The rhizomes are rich in ᾳ-zingiberene (11.56 to 33.28%), in β-sesquiphellandrene (14.24 to 20.85%), in curzerenone (traces-12.65%) and in camphor (0.61 to 16.44%). It appears that the chemical profiles with predominant of ar-curcumene for the leaves and predominant of ᾳ-zingiberene and β-sesquiphellandrene for the rhizomes, are different from those identified in other countries.

60-72

Authors: Alexandra Špaldoňová, Martina Havelcová, Vladimír Machovič and Ladislav Lapčák

The molecular composition of resins from tree trunk, female cone, and needles (from its extract and a raw material) originating from two taxodiaceous varieties Taxodium ascendens growing in the Okefenokee Swamp located in the southeastern corner of Georgia (USA) and Taxodium distichum growing in the Průhonice Park located in the southeast of Prague (Czech Republic) were analyzed to determine chemical processes involved in the responses of plants to their environment. Despite expectation, any differences in terpenoids production in response to completely different geographic regions and climatic conditions were not found out using spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. Obtained data confirmed the very high degree of terpenoids composition similarity between T. ascendens and T. distichum. Chromatographic spectra of female cone and needle extracts were dominated by monoterpenoids, while diterpenoids predominated in the resin from the tree trunk. Using derivatization with BF3 and TMAH during pyrolysis, the same diterpenoids with various abietane structures were revealed in both varieties. In this study, spectral data of the original unseparated resin from female cone exudates were described for the first time, and an overview of aliphatic and aromatic structures, and the oxygen functional groups such as hydroxyl groups, carboxyl groups, esters and highly conjugated carbonyls was given. Studying variation in the amount and composition of terpenoids in needle extracts of T. distichum showed that some variability in terpenoids quality and quantity was related to the season and maturity of the needles.

24-34

Authors: Mateus Cardoso Oliveira, João Pedro Cotrim Maia, Patrícia Baier Krepsky, Angélica Maria Lucchese, Rafael Nóbrega Stipp, Felipe Joia, Marcelo Fabiano Gomes Boriollo and Isabel Celeste Caíres Pereira Gusmão

Biofilms comprise of a complex structure of accumulated microorganisms, especially Streptococcus mutans, and are a major factor in the development of caries. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial action of Lippia thymoides and Lippia origanoides essential oils against S. mutans UA159 by measuring minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) in biofilms. Cell viability was observed using scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The MIC values were 35 μg/ml for L. thymoides and 40 μg/ml for L. origanoides, suggesting that the oils had antimicrobial effects on S. mutans strains and indicated a bactericidal action. These antimicrobial activity tests showed that S. mutans in the biofilm was significantly eliminated, with results better than the action of 0.2% chlorhexidine. These results confirm the antimicrobial activity of these essential oils and provide a promising means for the effective reduction of S. mutans biofilms.