Advancement in Medicinal Plant Research

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.

116-121

Authors: Mohamed I. Garbi, Mahmmoud S. Saleh, Ali M. Badri, Ibrahim T. Ibrahim, Suha F. Mohammed, Muddathir S. Alhassan, Ahmed A. Elshikh and Ahmed S. Kabbashi

The purpose of the paper was to investigate the in-vitro antibacterial activity, preliminary phytochemical screening and cytotoxicity [3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide-MTT assay] of methanol extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (calyxes). The methanol extract of H. sabdariffa was tested against 11 clinical isolates bacteria and 3 standard bacteria, that is: 5 Gram positive bacteria (Corynebacterium diphtheria, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus), 9 Gram negative bacteria (Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Klebsiella pneumonia and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 70063) using the cup-plate agar diffusion method, preliminary phytochemical screening and cytotoxicity (MTT assay) was also performed with different concentrations (500, 250 and 125 µg/ml) and compared to the reference control Triton-x100. The methanol extract of H. sabdariffa (calyxes) exhibited inhibitory effects against most of the tested organisms with the zone of inhibition ranging from 14 to 36 mm in length. The largest inhibition zone was obtained for the Gram-positive against bacteria L. monocytogenes (36 mm), E. faecalis (33 mm), B. cereus (28 mm), C. diphtheriae (26 mm) and S. aureus (24 mm) while in case of Gram negative highest inhibition was observed against P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) (28 mm), K. pneumoniae (ATCC 70063) (25 mm), P. aeruginosa (23 mm), E. coli (20 mm), E. coli (ATCC 25922) and P. vulgaris (19 mm), K. pneumonia (18 mm), S. marcescens (17 mm) and P. mirabilis (14 mm). Preliminary phytochemical screening investigation for the methanolic extracts showed the presences of alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, sterols triterpens and phenols, while saponins was absent. In addition cytotoxicity (MTT-assay) verified the safety of the examined extract with an IC50 less than 100 μg/ml. The study concluded that H. sabdariffa (calyxes) proved to have potent activities against antibacterial activity in vitro with verified safety evidence for use.

129-134

Authors: Saleh Alqasoumi

Garlic (Allium sativum L.), renowned for its pleiotropic medicinal value in traditional medicine, is a popular culinary item consumed worldwide. The present study aimed to justify the use of garlic in Arab traditional medicine for the treatment of acute gastric ulcer. The plethora of its beneficial effects has been ascribed to its multiple bioactive constituents including organosulfur compounds. Nutraceutical products containing garlic-derived compounds are known to possess a myriad of pharmacological effects such as hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, cardioprotective, hypolipidemic, anti-microbial, anti-tumor effects. Studies in animal models and humans have shown a beneficial effect of garlic on the gastrointestinal system. Herein, using a rat model of gastric mucosal injury, simulating gastric ulcer disease of humans, we show that garlic suspension (250 and 500 mg/kg) dose-dependently mitigates gastric ulceration (evaluated as ulcer index) triggered by hypothermic restraint, pyloric ligation (Shay rats), indomethacin and necrotizing agents (80% ethanol, 0.2 mol/L NaOH and 25% NaCl). The results of this study show that the acute administration of garlic suspension significantly thwarted gastric acid secretion in pylorus-ligated rats and enhanced mucus secretion following the administration of 80% ethanol. Mechanistically, rats pretreated with garlic suspension showed a slight alteration in non-protein sulfhydryl and malondealdehyde levels of gastric tissue following treatment with 80% ethanol; this data points to a subtle antioxidant activity of the suspension. Taken together, these findings unravel gastroprotective effects of garlic suspension in rats subjected to multiple stress conditions. Dietary consumption of garlic and garlic-based supplements may have a beneficial impact on digestive health by alleviating the development and/or progression of gastric mucosal damage.

83-93

Authors: Raphael M Singh, Emanuel Cummings, Munira Patel, Karishma Jeeboo and Jaipaul Singh

Cancer is a major global disease where abnormal cells rapidly proliferate having the ability to migrate to different parts of the human body via a process called metastasis. Cancer is also one of the leading causes of death worldwide and is a burden financially and on the quality of human lives in both well-developed and less-developed countries, especially as the population is increasing. For centuries, Ayurveda culture has recommended the use medicinal plants to treat a variety of diseases maintaining health prior to the advent of modern medicine. Over time, much information and knowledge have been gathered about the properties of medicinal plants by personal experimentation, local custom, anecdote and folk traditions leading to the formation of several traditional medicine systems and therapies. One such plant is Momordica charantia, which acts as a functional food to prevent and to treat diabetes mellitus and associated complications as well as cancers. Research in the last few decades, utilizing modern techniques, has revealed anti-cancer activities of M. charantia. Several groups of investigators have reported that treatment of number on cancer cell lines with M. charantia-related extracts and compounds have been very successful. These agents exert their anti-cancer effects by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis without adversely affecting normal healthy cell growth. This review focuses on recent advancements in anti-cancer effectiveness and chemo-preventive ability of M. charantia and its active constituents with special emphasis on cucurbitane-type glycosides, ribosome–inactivating inhibitors and conjugated fatty acids Keywords: Momordica charantia, cell proliferation, cucurbitane, conjugated fatty acids, antitumor.

99-105

Authors: Anastasia Stefîrţă, V. Botnari, Lilia Brânză, I. Bulhac and A. L.Chilinciuc

The paper presents results of studying the effect of garlic plant (Allium sativum L.) foliar treatment with gibberellins and potassium selenate on the yield, selenium content and antioxidant protection capacity of the leaves and bulbs. It has been found that biological fortification of the garlic plant by treating the leaves with the solution of potassium selenate increases the selenium content in leaves and bulbs, the capacity of the antioxidant protection of cells, the content of the proline, pigment assimilation and, reduces lipid peroxidation. Potassium selenate amplifies the adaptive potential of plants, reduces the negative impact of moisture deficit, enhances the accumulation of the substances that increase the water retention capacity in the leaves, and optimizes the processes of growth and productivity. Keywords: Allium sativum L., antioxidant properties, selenium content, chlorophyll, carotenoids, productivity.