Search

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.

The genus Zingiber consists of about 85 species and many of these species are used as food, spices, and medicines. One of the species, Zingiber montanum (J. Koenig) Link ex A. Dietr. is native to Southeast Asia and has been extensively used as traditional medicines and food. The aim of this review was to collect and critically analyze the scientific information about the bioactive compounds and pharmacological activities of Z. montanum with focus on one of the main components, zerumbone (ZER). Various studies have reported the analysis of volatile constituents of the essential oils from Z. montanum. Similarly, many phenylbutanoids, flavonoids and terpenes were also isolated from rhizomes. These essential oils, extracts and compounds showed potent antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities among others. Zerumbone has been studied widely for its anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and other pharmacological activities. Future studies should focus on the exploration of various pharmacological activities of other compounds including phenylbutanoids and flavonoids. Bioassay guided isolation may result in the separation of other active components from the extracts. Z. montanum could be a promising source for the development of pharmaceutical products and functional foods.

Background:Cocculus hirsutus (L.) W.Theob. (Menispermaceae) is a perennial climber distributed mostly in tropical and subtropical areas. The main aim of this article is to collect and analyze the scientific information related to traditional uses, bioactive chemical constituents and pharmacological activities. Methods: Scientific information on C. hirsutus was retrieved from the online bibliographic databases (e.g. MEDLINE/PubMed, SciFinder, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus). Information regarding traditional uses was also acquired from secondary resources including books and proceedings. Results: Different plant parts of C. hirsutus were reported to be used for the treatment of fever, skin diseases, stomach disorders and urinary diseases. Alkaloids such as jasminitine, hirsutine, cohirsitine and their derivatives along with a few flavonoids, triterpene derivatives and volatile compounds were reported from whole plant or different plant parts. Extracts were evaluated for their antimicrobial, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective activities among others. Conclusion: Although widely used in traditional medicines, only a few studies have been performed related to chemical constituents. Most of the biological activity evaluations were carried out using in vitro evaluation methods and only a few studies were carried out in animal models. In the future, properly designed in vivo and clinical studies are necessary to evaluate the pharmacological activities of C. hirsutus along with bioassay-guided studies to isolate and identify the active constituents.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Blepharis is an Afro-Asiatic genus belonging to the family Acanthaceae. It comprises about 126 species that occur in arid and semi-arid habitats. Some species of Blepharis are used in traditional medicines in different countries mainly for their anti-inflammatory, wound healing activities along with treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and bone fractures. Aim of the review The present review aims to collate and analyze the available data and information on distribution, traditional uses, chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Blepharis. Methods Scientific information of genus Blepharis was retrieved from the online bibliographic databases such as MEDLINE/PubMed, SciFinder, Web of Science and Google Scholar and secondary resources including books and proceedings. Results Seven species of Blepharis were found to be reported frequently as useful in folklore in African and Asian countries. B. maderaspatensis was found to be widely used in Indian traditional medicines whereas the B. ciliaris and B. edulis were common in folklore of Egypt, Jordan, and Arabia. Active phytochemicals of Blepharis are flavonoids from B. ciliaris, alkaloids from B. sindica, phenolic acid derivatives, and phytosterols, and derivatives of hydroxamic acids from B. edulis resulted in possessing diverse biological properties such as anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer. Conclusions Various species of Blepharis were found to be used in traditional medicine systems in African and Asian countries. Few of these species were studied for their bioactive chemical constituents however the activity guided isolation studies are not performed. Similarly, detailed pharmacological studies in animal models to explore their mechanism of action are also not reported. Future studies should focus on these aspects related to the medicinally used species of Blepharis. The detailed and comprehensive comparative analysis presented here gives valuable information of the currently used Blepharis species and pave the way to investigate other useful species of Blepharis pertaining to ethnobotany, phytochemistry and discovery of new drugs.

The flowering buds of Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry. (synonym: Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.; family: Myrtaceae), commonly known as clove, are widely used as a spice all over the world for the strong aromatic smell. Clove oil is a popular remedy for toothache due to its potent antiseptic and analgesic activity. It also has strong antioxidant and antiviral activities. Eugenol is the main component of clove oil. The lipid profiles, the contents of tocols, and total phenolics in cold pressed clove oil are well documented. Cold pressed clove oil was reported to possess stronger radical scavenging and antimicrobial activity compared to virgin oil. Similarly, the cold pressed clove oil was also reported to possess hepatoprotective activity in experimental animals along with other biological activities. This chapter covers the chemical and biological properties of cold pressed clove oil. Future studies should focus on the comparison of the activities of cold pressed oil with other oils using advanced methods, and the relationship between their activity and the chemical composition should be studied in detail.

The hydroalcoholic extract of leaves and twigs of Lindera neesiana (Wall. ex Nees) Kurz (Lauraceae) was subjected to various column chromatographic methods that isolated five kaempferol glycosides: kaempferol 3-O-&beta, glucopyranosyl(1&rarr, 2)-[&alpha, rhamnopyranosyl-(1&rarr, 6)]-&beta, glucopyranoside-7-O-&alpha, rhamnopyranoside (1), kaempferol 3-O-&beta, glucopyranosyl-(1&rarr, rhamnopyranosyl (1&rarr, glucopyranoside (2), 2)- &alpha, rhamnopyranoside-7-O-&alpha, rhamnopyranoside (3), kaempferol 3-O-sophoroside (4), and kaempferol 3-O-&alpha, rhamnopyranoside (5). The extract showed moderate free radical scavenging activity and potent pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity.

Background : The leaves and twigs of Lindera sericea (Seibold et Zucc.) Blume var. sericea (Lauraceae) are used as traditional medicines for treating indigestion, stomachache, anxiety, etc. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in these plant materials as a source of healthy drinks and functional foods. The main aim of this study was to characterize the major phenolic compounds from the leaves and twigs and to evaluate their free radical scavenging and α -glucosidase inhibitory activities. Methods : The dried leaves and twigs were extracted with 70% methanol. The dried extract was then subjected to repeated column chromatography to isolate eight flavonoids. The compounds were then evaluated for their 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity and α -glucosidase inhibitory activity. Results : The isolated compounds were identified as (-)-epicatechin ( 1 ), taxifolin 3- O -glucoside ( 2 ), quercetin ( 3 ), quercitrin ( 4 ), quercetin 3- O -neohesperidoside ( 5 ), pinocembrin ( 6 ), pinostrobin ( 7 ) and pinostrobin chalcone ( 8 ) based on their nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), spectroscopic data and comparison with literature values. All these compounds were isolated for the first time from this plant. All flavonoids except pinocembrin ( 6 ), pinostrobin ( 7 ) and pinostrobin chalcone ( 8 ) showed potent free radical scavenging activity. In α -glucosidase inhibitory activity assay, quercetin ( 4 ), quercitrin ( 5 ) and taxifolin 3- O -glucoside ( 2 ) showed potent activity. Conclusions: Eight flavonoids were reported for the first time from the leaves and twigs of the title plant. Some of these compounds showed potent free radical scavenging and α -glucosidase inhibitory activities. Keywords: Lindera sericea var. sericea ; Lauraceae; Kekuromoji; free radical; α-glucosidase

Foodborne diseases are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality, especially in low-income countries with poor sanitation and inadequate healthcare facilities. The foremost bacterial pathogens responsible for global outbreaks include Salmonella species, Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Shigella sp., Vibrio, Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridium botulinum. Among the viral and parasitic pathogens, norovirus, hepatitis A virus, Giardia lamblia, Trichinella spiralis, Toxoplasma and Entamoeba histolytica are commonly associated with foodborne diseases. The toxins produced by S. aureus, B. cereus and C. perfringens also elicit these infections. The currently available therapies for these infections are associated with various limited efficacy, high cost and side-effects. There is an urgent need for effective alternative therapies for the prevention and treatment of foodborne diseases. Several plant extracts and phytochemicals were found to be highly effective to control the growth of these pathogens causing foodborne infections in in vitro systems. The present review attempts to provide comprehensive scientific information on major foodborne pathogens and the potential role of phytochemicals in the prevention and treatment of these infections. Further detailed studies are necessary to evaluate the activities of these extracts and phytochemicals along with their mechanism of action using in vivo models.

Diploknema butyracea (Roxburgh) H. J. Lam, belonging to family Sapotaceae, is distributed throughout the Himalayan belt including Nepal, India, and Bhutan at an altitude of about 300–1500 m. The butter extracted from the seeds known as “Chyuri butter” or “Phulwara butter” is the most widely used product from the plant. The main chemical constituents of the butter are triglycerides (TG) and the fatty acids in these triglycerides are mainly composed of palmitic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid and linoleic acid. Although the butter is used as vegetable fat and as medicine by ethnic people, there are not many studies on the product development and commercialization of the Chyuri butter. In this chapter, we summarize the studies regarding Chyuri butter, its chemical composition and the future potential in pharmaceuticals and cosmetic industries.

Flowers of Citrus plants are used as mild sedatives and for the treatment of insomnia in traditional medicines. In Japan, tea made from the flowers of Satsuma mandarin is consumed as healthy drink. Hesperidin (1), hesperetin (2), rutin (3), quercetin (4), nicotiflorin (5), eriocitrin (6), narirutin (7), phenylethyl glucoside (8) and unshuoside A (9) were isolated from the MeOH extract of fresh flowers. Structure elucidation of these compounds was performed on the basis of NMR spectroscopic data. Among them, rutin (3), quercetin (4) and eriocitrin (6) showed potent free radical scavenging activity, whereas hesperetin (2) and quercetin (4) showed potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity.

Guiera senegalensis J.F. Gmel. (Combretaceae) is commonly used as a traditional medicine in Africa. In our previous study, the hydro-alcoholic extracts of the leaves of G. senegalensis showed potent free radical scavenging and enzyme inhibitory activities. Detailed chemical analysis of the 70% ethanol extract afforded 8 phenolic compounds including myricetin (1), myricitrin (2), quercetin (3), (-)-gallocatechin (4), 1,3,4,5-tetra- O-galloylquinic acid (5), gallic acid (6), methyl gallate (7), and ethyl gallate (8). Structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of NMR spectroscopic data. Among these compounds, 1,3,4,5-tetra- O-galloylquinic acid (5) (IC50= 7.21 ±0.21 µM), quercetin (3) (IC50 = 7.71 ± 0.17 µM), and myricitrin (2) (0.25 ± 0.03 µM) showed the most potent free radical scavenging, α-glucosidase inhibitory and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities, respectively.