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Byline: A. Batool, K. Ashiq, M. Khalid, A. Munir, J. Akbar and A. Ahmed Keywords: Lawsonia inermis, Henna, Medicinal plants, Traditional Medicine, Pharmacological activities INTRODUCTION The maintenance and improvement of [...]

HPTLC is a widely used tool in standardization of herbs because of its ability to estimate the presence of active components in samples. HPTLC-bioautography is a technique for isolating active phytoconstituents on chromatograms based on their target. A large number of bioactive compounds with therapeutic and nutritional relevance can be found in medicinal plants. It allows the quick, simple detection and isolation of bioactive compounds. It is a novel approach for evaluating these bioactive compounds having pharmacological effects. The technique is hyphenated with NMR/MS or Raman spectroscopy to determine the structural properties of compounds. This review summarizes and highlights the importance of this technique in today's lifestyle, existing bioautographic technologies, and their application for detecting various pharmacological and other biological activities in plants. It also explains the current state and prospects of HPTLC-bioautography as well as its potential applications., Author(s): Santosh S. Bhujbal [sup.1], Bhushankumar G. Chawale [sup.1], Mayuri A. Kale [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) Dr. D.Y. Patil Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research Pimpri, , 411018, Pune, Maharashtra, [...]

ABSTRACT Background: Rotaviruses can cause life-threatening health disorders, such as severe dehydrating gastroenteritis and diarrhea in children. Vaccination is the main preventive strategy to reduce rotavirus diarrhea and the severity [...]

The objective of the current study was to systematically review papers discussing the efficacy of medicinal herbs against Toxoplasma gondii. Data were systematically collected from published papers about the efficacy of herbs used against T. gondii globally from 1988 to 2015, from PubMed, Google Scholar, ISI Web of Science, EBSCO, Science Direct, and Scopus. Forty-nine papers were included in the current systematic review reporting the evaluation of medicinal plants against T. gondii globally, both in vitro and in vivo. Sixty-one plants were evaluated. Most of the studies were carried out on Artemisia annua. The second highest number of studies were carried out on Glycyrrhiza glabra extracts. RH and ME49 were the predominant parasite strains used. Additionally, Swiss-Webster and BALB/c mice were the major animal models used. Alcoholic and aqueous extracts were used more than other types of extracts. Natural compounds mentioned here may be developed as novel and more effective therapeutic agents that improve the treatment of toxoplasmosis due to their lower side effects, higher availability, and better cultural acceptance compared with those of the chemical drugs that are currently being used. Key words: systematic review, Toxoplasma gondii, toxoplasmosis, medicinal herbs, plant extracts, in vitro, in vivo. L'objectif de la presente etude etait de realiser une synthese des publications discutant de l'efficacite des plantes medicinales contre Toxoplasma gondii. A l'aide des bases de donnees PubMed, de Google Scholar, d'ISI Web of Science, d'EBSCO, de Science Direct et de Scopus, nous avons recueilli de maniere systematique les donnees de l'ensemble des articles portant sur l'efficacite de plantes contre T. gondii, qui ont ete publies universellement de 1988 a 2015. La presente synthese systematique comprend 49 articles rapportant l'evaluation de plantes medicinales contre T. gondii a l'echelle mondiale, tant in vitro qu'in vivo. Nous avons evalue 61 plantes. La plupart des etudes ont porte sur Artemisia annua. En second lieu, les etudes ont porte sur des extraits de Glycyrrhiza glabra. Les souches RH et ME49 etaient les parasites utilises de maniere predominante. En outre, les souris Swiss-Webster et BALB/c constituaient les modeles animaux les plus utilises. Les extraits alcooliques et aqueux etaient plus utilises que d'autres types d'extraits. Les substances naturelles mentionnees ici pourraient etre developpees en tant qu'agents therapeutiques nouveaux et plus efficaces en vue d'ameliorer le traitement de la toxoplasmose : ils ont moins d'effets indesirables, ils sont plus faciles a obtenir et ils jouissent d'une meilleure acceptabilite culturelle que les medicaments synthetiques couramment utilises. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: synthese systematique, Toxoplasma gondii, toxoplasmose, plantes medicinales, extraits de plantes, in vitro, in vivo., Introduction Toxoplasmosis is a widespread infection in all warm-blooded vertebrates and humans, caused by the ubiquitous intracellular protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii (Dubey and Jones 2008). This parasite is one of [...]

Liver fibrosis is a worldwide problem with a significant morbidity and mortality. Cryptolepis sanguinolenta (family Periplocaceae) is widely used in West African countries for the treatment of malaria, as well as for some other diseases. However, the role of C. sanguinolenta in hepatic fibrosis is still unknown. It has been reported that Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) had a high expression in liver fibrosis and played a central role in its pathobiology. Interestingly, we found that a cryptolepine derivative (HZ-6h) could inhibit liver fibrosis by reducing MeCP2 expression, as evidenced by the dramatic downregulation of a-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and type I collagen alpha-1 (Col1α1) in protein levels in vitro. Meanwhile, we also found that HZ-6h could reduce the cell viability and promote apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) treated with transforming growth factor beta l(TGF-β1). Then, we investigated the potential molecular mechanisms and found that HZ-6h blocked Shh signaling in HSC-T6 cells, resulting in the decreased protein expression of Patched-1 (PTCH-1), Sonic hedgehog (Shh), and glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (GLI1). In short, these results indicate that HZ-6h inhibits liver fibrosis by downregulating MeCP2 through the Shh pathway in TGF-β1-induced HSC-T6 cells. Key words: cryptolepine, liver fibrosis, Shh signaling, MeCP2. La fibrose hepatique est un probleme mondial qui s'accompagne d'une morbidite et d'une mortalite importantes. Cryptolepsis sanguinolenta (famille des Periplocaceae) est largement utilisee dans les pays de l'Afrique de l'ouest dans le traitement de la malaria ainsi que de quelques autres maladies. Cependant, le role de Cryptolepsis sanguinolenta dans la fibrose hepatique est encore inconnu. Il a ete rapporte qu'une proteine liant le methyl-CpG, la MeCP2, etait fortement exprimee dans la fibrose hepatique et qu'elle jouait un role central dans sa pathobiologie. Fait interessant, les auteurs ont trouve qu'un derive de la cryptolepine (HZ-6h) pouvait inhiber la fibrose hepatique en reduisant l'expression de MeCP2, tel que montre par la regulation a la baisse marquee de l'a-actine du muscle lisse (α-SMA) et du collagene alpha-1 de type I (Collai) au niveau proteique in vitro. En meme temps, les auteurs ont aussi trouve que HZ-6h pouvait reduire la viabilite cellulaire et promouvoir l'apoptose des cellules de Kupffer (CK) traitees au facteur de croissance transformant beta 1 (TGF-β1). Ils ont alors examine les mecanismes moleculaires potentiels et trouve que HZ-6h bloquait la signalisation de Shh dans les cellules HSC-T6, resultant en une diminution de l'expression proteique de Patched-1 (PTCH-1), de Sonic hedgehog (Shh) et du glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (GLI1). En bref, ces resultats indiquent que HZ-6h inhibe la fibrose hepatique en regulant a la baisse MeCP2 par l'intermediaire de Shh chez les cellules HSC-T6 induites au TGF-β1. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: cryptolepine, fibrose hepatique, signalisation de Shh, MeCP2., Introduction Hepatic fibrosis, a chronic scarring process that is a response to prolonged liver injury induced by hepatitis virus, drugs, toxins, ethanol, autoimmune disorders and so on, is a worldwide [...]

Moutan cortex (MC) is a traditional Chinese medicine with diverse biological effects. The present study was performed to investigate the effects of MC on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in rats and to explore its possible mechanisms. Sprague-Dawley rats were administered MC extract (1.98 g/kg, i.g.) for 14 days and underwent a subsequent open-chest procedure involving 30 min of myocardial ischemia and 60 min of reperfusion. The cardioprotective effect of MC was demonstrated by reduced infarct size and marked improvement in the histopathological examination. The increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) as well as the reduction of malondialdehyde (MDA) indicated that MC effectively promoted the anti-oxidative defense system. Increased anti-oxidative defense was accompanied by decreased release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK). The reduction in TUNEL-positive myocytes demonstrated that MC decreased myocardial apoptosis. The mRNA expression of B cell leukemia-2 (Bcl-2) was upregulated by MC and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) mRNA expression was increased. MC pretreatment decreased the mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The data from this study suggest that MC exerted protective effects on acute myocardial I/R injury via anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic activities. Key words: Moutan cortex, ischemia/reperfusion, cardioprotective, anti- oxidative, anti-apoptotic. Le Cortex Moutan (CM) est un medicament traditionnel chinois qui exerce divers effets biologiques. L'etude presente a ete realisee afin d'examiner les effets de CM sur l'ischemie/reperfusion (I/R) chez le rat et d'explorer ses mecanismes d'action possibles. Des rats Sprague- Dawley ont recu un extrait de CM (1.98 g/kg, i.g.) pendant 14 jours et ils ont ete soumis a une intervention a thorax ouvert comportant une ischemie de 30 minutes et une reperfusion de 60 minutes. L'effet cardioprotecteur du CM a ete demontre par la reduction de la taille de l'infarctus et l'amelioration marquee de l'histopathologie. L'augmentation de l'activite de la superoxyde dismutase (SOD) et du glutathion (GSH) de meme que la reduction du malonaldehyde (MDA) indiquaient que le CM favorisait efficacement le systeme de defense antioxydant. L'augmentation de la defense antioxydante etait accompagnee d'une diminution de la liberation de lactate deshydrogenase (LDH) et de creatine kinase (CK). La reduction de myocytes positifs a la coloration TUNEL demontrait que le CM diminuait l'apoptose dans le myocarde. L'expression de l'ARNm de Bcl-2 etait regulee a la hausse par le CM et le rapport de l'expression des ARNm Bcl-2/Bax etait accru. Le pretraitement au CM diminuait l'expression de l'ARNm de la synthase d'oxyde nitrique inductible (iNOS). Les donnees de cette etude suggerent que le CM exerce des effets protecteurs envers le dommage d'I/R aigu dans le myocarde par ses activites antioxydantes et anti-apoptose. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: cortex Moutan, ischemie/reperfusion, cardioprotecteur, antioxydant, anti-apoptose., Introduction The World Health Organization estimates that heart failure initiated by coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction is one of the leading causes of death worldwide (Venugopal et al. 2012). [...]

ABSTRACT Background: Zuccagnia punctata Cav. (Fabaceae) and Larrea nitida Cav. (Zygophyliaceae) are indistinctly or jointly used in traditional medicine for the treatment of fungal-related infections. Although their dichloromethane (DCM) extract [...]

ABSTRACT Background: Oral mucositis is a common adverse effect of antineoplastic chemotherapy limiting sufficient dose of chemoregimen. Numerous attempts to mitigate chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis have failed to identify an appropriate [...]

ABSTRACT Background: It is well known that Cymbopogon (lemon grass) essential oil exhibits antimicrobial activity while the efficacy of silver ions as a disinfectant is equally well reported. Hypothesis: The [...]

ABSTRACT Background: The bark of Machilus thunbergii (Lauraceae) has been used as a folk medicine to treat abdominal pain and distension, and leg edema in Korea. Machilin A (MA), a [...]

ABSTRACT Background: There is growing evidence that natural products, mostly plant-derived polyphenols, are important in the relationship between nutrients and health in humans. Purpose: We aimed to investigate if verbascoside [...]

ABSTRACT Background: The root of Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr. has been utilized as mucoregulators and expectorants for controlling the airway inflammatory diseases in folk medicine. Hypothesis/purpose: We investigated whether dioscin [...]