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Paramphistomosis is a pathogenic disease that occurs frequently in tropical and subtropical countries including Thailand. This disease is affected in the parasites causing severe gastrointestinal disorders and death in infected animals. In the present study, we examined the anthelmintic efficacy of albendazole (ABZ) and crude plant extracts from barks of Bombax ceiba L., Diospyros rhodocalyx Kurz. and Vitex glabrata R.Br., and leaves of Terminalia catappa L. and Cassia alata L. against Gastrothylax crumenifer. The hightest anthelmintic activity on the parasites after 24 h incubation was observed in the n-butanol extract of T. catappa leaf. In this study, fractionation bioassay of n-butanol extract of T. catappa leaf was conducted to both separation and discrimination of rutin served as a new efficient compound (LC 50 = 28.96; LC 90 = 88.75 μg/mL) against G. crumenifer. This compound was confirmed by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR), 13 C NMR, infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) spectra as well as mass spectra data. The rutin-treated parasites with all dosages showed swift decrease of the motility and the relative motility (RM) and survival index (SI) were decreased obviously from 3 h until flukes were killed after 12 h of incubation. When observed with light microscopy, the parasites showed the earliest change in a limited region of the tegument. When observed by scanning electron microscopy, the parasites' tegument exhibited similar sequences of surface changes after treatments with rutin and ABZ, but less severity in ABZ treatment. The sequences of changes comprised swelling of folds and ridges, formation of blebbing, rupturing of blebs, erosions, lesions and the tegument demolition. Hence, rutin could be considered as the potential anthelmintic agent for treatment of paramphistomosis., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Paramphistomosis is a disease caused by the rumen flukes which cause an acute gastroenteritis and anemia with high mortality particularly in young ruminants., Materials and Methods: In this study, we have investigated the anthelmintic effect of medicinal plant extracts from leaves and heartwoods of Cassia siamea L., roots of Plumbago zeylanica L. and Plumbago indica L., and leaves of Terminalia catappa L. against Carmyerius spatiosus., Results: The highest anthelminthic effect on the flukes after 24 h of exposure was found in heartwood ethyl acetate extract of C. siamea (LC 50  = 374.30; LC 90  = 749.03 ppm), root n-butanol extract of P. zeylanica (LC 50  = 1005.12; LC 90  = 2411.55 ppm), root hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol extract of P. indica (LC 50  = 34.38, 211.34, 506.92; LC 90  = 64.09, 496.05, 934.86 ppm), and leaf n-butanol and water extract of T. catappa (LC 50  = 487.17, 470.28; LC 90  = 913.27, 848.23 ppm). When observed by scanning electron microscopy, the tegument showed similar sequence of morphological changes after treatments with all plant extracts, comprising of swelling of ridges and folds, blebbing, rupturing of the blebs, erosion, lesion and disruption of the tegument., Conclusion: This study is the first report on the anthelmintic activity of plant extracts to C. spatiosus; therefore, these plant extracts are highly effective in the elimination of adult rumen flukes.

The pentacyclic triterpenoid compounds in Centella asiatica extract, mainly consisting of asiaticoside (AS), asiatic acid (AA), madecassoside (MS), and madecassic acid (MA), possess wound healing and anti-ulcer properties, but their low aqueous solubility and dissolution rate are disadvantageous for oral administration. In this study, pentacyclic triterpene-rich centella extract (PRE) was combined with Eudragit® EPO as a hydrophilic polymer using solvent evaporation to produce a solid dispersion (PRE-ESD). The optimum PRE/Eudragit ratio of 1:2 enhanced the solubility and dissolution of glycosides (AS > 3.5 folds, MS > 2 folds) and aglycones (AA > 65 folds and MA > 56 folds) in 0.1 N hydrochloric acid (pH 1.2). DSC, XRD, and FT-IR analysis showed that the four pentacyclic triterpenes in PRE existed in the amorphous state in the solid dispersion. Moreover, almost 100% of the compounds were released from the solid dispersion within 2 h. The effects of PRE-ESD on cell proliferation and wound healing in vitro were investigated in human gastric epithelial cell lines (AGS cells). Exposure to PRE-ESD (equivalent to PRE concentration of 10 μg/mL) promoted cell proliferation and enhanced 'wound closure' in the scratch assay of wound healing by 82% compared with non-treated groups. Unformulated MA and AA aglycones did not exhibit a wound healing effect. Moreover, PRE-ESD was found to accelerate wound closure compared with either AS or MS, indicating that the wound healing properties of PRE-ESD are conferred by the active compounds AS and MS that are presented in PRE.

Background & Objective: Several randomized controlled trials have investigated Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less. for smoking cessation but there remains no critical summary of overall findings. This study uses systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the efficacy and safety of V. cinerea., Methods: Nine databases were searched through November 2017. Randomized controlled trials that reported the smoking cessation effect of V. cinerea were included. Data were extracted by two independent researchers. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias and JADAD score. The estimates of pooled effects were calculated as relative risk (RR) with 95% CI using a random-effects model., Results: Five trials with 347 smokers were included. V. cinerea treatment group was significantly associated with cessation rate higher than that in the control group with no evidence of heterogeneity for both continuous abstinence rate (CAR) at week 8 with risk ratio (RR): 1.69, 95% CI [1.00, 2.86]; week 12 RR: 2.18, 95% CI [1.17, 4.04]) and 7-day point prevalence abstinence rate (PAR) (week 8 RR: 1.51, 95% CI [1.01, 2.27]; week 12 RR: 1.93, 95% CI [1.24, 2.99]) at week 8 and 12, respectively. There was no significant difference of all adverse events between the treatment and the control groups., Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that V. cinerea has potential efficacy for smoking cessation. Further well-design RCTs of standardized V. cinerea compared with standard treatment should be conducted to strengthen this evidence., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

At present, there are no medicinal plant extracts currently available for treatment and control of fasciolosis. The present work could provide, for the first study, conclusions on the in vitro fasciolicidal properties of the ethanol extract of Terminalia catappa L. (TcCE) leaves against adult Fasciola gigantica after incubation with RPMI-1640 medium containing the TcCE at various concentrations and times when compared with triclabendazole (TCZ). The relative motility and survival index values of the TcCE-treated flukes decreased at a more rapid rate than the TCZ-treated flukes. The death of the parasites was observed after exposed to TcCE at 3 h incubation with 400, 800 and 1000 µg mL-1, and at 6 h incubation in 100 and 200 µg mL-1. Vacuolization, blebbings and partial disruption on the parasites' tegument were observed by light microscopy. When examined by scanning electron microscopy, TcCE caused similar tegumental alterations in the parasites as those observed in TCZ treatment but with larger damage at comparative incubation periods, consisting of swelling, blebbing, disrupted blebs, loss of spines, leading to the erosion, lesion and eventual disruption of the total tegument. Therefore, the TcCE may exert its fasciolicidal effect against F. gigantica by initially causing the tegumental alteration.

Cissus quadrangularis L. (Cissus) is a medicinal plant commonly used for centuries for various conditions, but lacks critical appraisal of its clinical effects. This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of Cissus in all conditions. Publications from 12 electronic databases were searched from inception through November 2016. A total of nine studies with 1108 patients were included. Each outcome was pooled using a random effects model. Effects of Cissus on hemorrhoid symptoms were not different from any comparators but had significant effects on bone pain. Effects of Cissus combination products on body weight reduction, low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and fasting blood sugar were superior to placebo, with weighted mean difference of -5.19 kg (-8.82, -1.55), -14.43 mg/dl (-20.06, -8.80), -37.50 mg/dl (-48.71, -26.29), -50.50 mg/dl (-70.97, -30.04), and -10.39 mg/dl (-14.60, -6.18), respectively. No serious adverse effects were reported. Quality of evidence based on Grades of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) indicated low (bone fractures) to high quality (hemorrhoids, body weight reduction).In conclusion, Cissus had benefit for bone fractures, but not for hemorrhoids. For obesity/overweight, only combination products are pooled and show benefit. However, high-quality studies remain needed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth. has been used as active ingredient in Thai traditional medicine recipes for pain treatment. Dry stem powder and ethanolic extract also recommended in Thailand National List of Essential Medicines (NLEMs) for musculoskeletal pain treatment as herbal medicine. However, no summarization of clinical effect and safety has been evaluated., Objective: Our study aimed to determine the clinical effects and safety of D. scandens for musculoskeletal pain treatment compared with standard regimen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)., Methods: International and Thai databases were searched from inception through August 2015. Comparative randomized controlled trials investigating oral D. scandens for musculoskeletal pain were included. Outcomes of interest included level of pain and adverse event. Mean changes of the outcomes from baseline were compared between D. scandens and NSAIDs by calculating mean difference., Results: From 42 articles identified, 4 studies involving a total of 414 patients were included for efficacy analysis. The effects of oral D. scandens on reducing pain score were no different from those of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at any time points (3, 7, 14 days and overall). The overall pain reduction in the D. scandens group was not inferior to treatment with NSAIDs (weighted mean difference 0.06; 95% CI: -0.20, 0.31) without evident of heterogeneity (I 2 =0.00%, p=0.768). When compared, the adverse events (AEs) of D. scandens showed no different relative risk with NSAIDs. The major adverse events were gastrointestinal symptoms., Conclusion: D. scandens may be considered as an alternative for musculoskeletal pain reduction., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Presently, no effective anthelmintic drugs have been used to treat and control paramphistomosis, a severe disease of ruminants. In this study, we have investigated the in vitro anthelmintic effect of the leaves of Terminalia catappa L. crude extract (TcCE) and albendazole (ABZ) on adult Fischoederius cobboldi after incubating the flukes in RPMI-1640 medium containing the TcCE at various doses and times. The TcCE-treated flukes at all dosages exhibited rapid decrease of motility, and the relative motility (RM) values were decreased sharply from start to 3 h. Worms were killed after 6 and 12 h of treatment with 1000, 1500 and 2000 µg mL(-1) as well as 500 µg mL(-1) of TcCE, respectively. By light microscopy examination, the flukes exhibited the earliest alteration in a limited area of the tegument. At scanning electron microscopy level, the flukes' tegument showed similar sequence of morphological alterations after treatment with ABZ and TcCE that consisted of swelling of ridges and folds, followed by blebbing and rupturing of the blebs, leading to the erosion, lesion and disruption of the tegument. Hence, in vivo studies should be performed to examine whether the TcCE may serve as a powerful anthelmintic drug for treatment of paramphistomosis.

Context: Pentacyclic triterpenes, mainly, asiatic acid, madecassic acid, asiaticoside, and madecassoside are the active constituents of Centella asitica (L.) Urban. (Apiaceae). These compounds possess various pharmacological activities that have been shown to assist with wound healing and brain enrichment., Objective: Determination of these active pentacyclic triterpenes in extracts from the various parts of C. asiatica plants harvested at different times of the year and grown in different environments., Materials and Methods: The separate plant parts selected were leaves, stolons, petioles, flowers, fruits, and nodes with roots. Dried powder from each part was extracted with ethanol by microwave-assisted extraction and subjected to determination of their content of the four pentacyclic triterpenes using a HPLC method. The effects of the places of cultivation as well as harvesting periods on the content of the four pentacyclic triterpenes in the extracts were also determined., Results and Discussion: Among the various parts of C. asiatica, the leaves contained the highest amount of pentacyclic triterpenes with a total content of pentacyclic triterpenes of 19.5 mg/g dry powder. However, the contents of the pentacyclic triterpenes in C. asiatica varied according to the place of cultivation and the harvesting period. C. asiatica collected from Trang, Thailand gave the highest content of total pentacyclic triterpenes (37.2 mg/g dry powder) when harvested in March, while those collected from Songkhla, Thailand gave the highest value (37.4 mg/g dry powder) when collected in December. C. asiatica collected from Nakornsrithammarat and Ratchaburi, Thailand gave the lowest content of total pentacyclic triterpenes in all experimental harvesting periods.

Rhinacanthins-rich Rhinacanthus nasutus (RRn) extract was prepared and standardized to contain total rhinacantins not less than 70% w/w. In this study, antimicrobial activities of the RRn extract as well as rhinacanthin-C against Streptococcus mutans, Propionibacterium acnes, Helicobacter pylori, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis and Candida albicans were evaluated by microdilution assay. It was found that the RRn extract exhibited potent bactericidal activity against S. mutans with MIC and MBC of 4 microg/ml, and potent bacteriostatic activity against S. epidermidis, P. acnes and S. aureus with the MICs of 8-16 microg/ml. However, the RRn extract was not active against C. albicans at concentration up to 2000 microg/ml. The antimicrobial activities of the RRn extract was almost equal to those of rhinacanthin-C. Stability evaluations of the RRn extract through a period of 4 months found that the RRn extracts were stable when kept in a well-closed container protected from light and stored either under 4+/-2 degrees C or 30+/-2 degrees C. The RRn extracts that were exposed to light were not stable after 1 week of storage. Under accelerated conditions at 45 degrees C with 75% relative humidity, the RRn extracts were not stable after 8 weeks of storage. Study on the effect of pH on the stability of the aqueous methanolic solution of the RRn extract found that the solutions were not stable at pH 5.5, pH 7.0, and pH 8.0. However, the rhinacanthin solution at pH 5.5 was more stable than those at pH 7.0 and pH 8.0., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Phosphorus (P) levels alter the allelopathic activity of rice seedlings against lettuce seeds. In this study, we investigated the effect of P deficiency on the allelopathic potential of non-pigmented and pigmented rice varieties. Rice seedlings of the white variety Khao Dawk Mali (KDML105, non-pigmented) and the black varieties Jao Hom Nin (JHN, pigmented) and Riceberry (RB, pigmented) were cultivated under high P (HP) and low P (LP) conditions. Morphological and metabolic responses to P deficiency were investigated. P deficiency inhibited shoot growth but promoted root growth of rice seedlings in all three varieties. Moreover, P deficiency led to decreased cytosolic phosphate (Pi) and total P concentrations in both shoot and root tissues. The subsequent reduction in internal P concentration enhanced the accumulation of phenolic compounds in both shoot and root tissues of the seedlings. Subsequently, allelopathy-based inter- and intra-specific interactions were assessed using water extracts from seedlings of the three varieties grown under HP and LP conditions. These extracts were tested on seeds of lettuce, the weed Dactyloctenium aegyptium , and the same rice variety. The shoot and root extracts from P-deficient seedlings reduced the germination of all recipient plants. Specifically, the shoot extract from P-deficient KDML105 seedlings reduced the germination index (GI) of lettuce seeds to 1%, while those from P-deficient RB and JHN seedlings produced GIs of 32% and 42%, respectively. However, when rice seeds were exposed to their own LP shoot and root extracts, their GIs increased up to 4-fold, compared with the HP extracts. Additionally, the shoot extracts from P-deficient plants also stimulated the germination of D. aegyptium by about 2–3-fold, whereas the root extracts did not have this effect. Therefore, P starvation led to the accumulation and exudation of phenolics in the shoots and roots of rice seedlings, altering their allelopathic activities. To adapt to P deficiency, rice seedlings potentially release signaling chemicals to suppress nearby competing species while simultaneously promoting their own germination and growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]