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Arnica L. genus (Asteraceae) comprises perennial herbs native to the temperate and boreal parts of the northern hemisphere. Arnica montana is the main species. It shows different biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and antitumor effects. The Arnica formulations are mainly used for pain management. This systematic review is aimed at summarizing the studies focusing on the use of Arnica products on pain and inflammatory signs due to traumatic injuries related to sport and surgical interventions as well as to arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Both phytotherapeutic and homeopathic formulations are taken into account. This paper only includes manuscripts published in mainstream journals. A literature search from Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases has been carried out using a combination of the keywords "Arnica", "trauma", "sport", "injury", "injuries", and "pain". According to the search strategy and inclusion criteria for this study, 42 eligible papers, focusing on both Arnica alone and formulations containing a mixture of plant extracts, have been finally selected. This review critically discusses the in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies dealing with Arnica products, reporting both positive and negative outcomes, thus providing perspectives for future research on the plant pharmacological potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerial parts and roots from three Ranunculus species were extracted with 70% ethanol. The phytochemical composition was investigated using GC-MS and multivariate data analysis. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also assessed. The in vitro inhibitory properties were evaluated as nitrite concentration in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. All the samples induced concentration-dependent inhibitory effects, with R. sceleratus aerial parts extract being the most interesting sample (IC50 = 22.08 ± 1.32 µg/mL), even more active than the reference compound indomethacin. A very good activity was also observed for R. sardous and R. ficaria aerial parts extracts (IC50 = 51.61 ± 3.12 µg/mL and 84.55 ± 3.40 µg/mL). A lesser but noteworthy potential was also demonstrated for the root extracts. The results suggest that Ranunculus hydroalcoholic extracts are able to inhibit nitrite accumulation and may be useful in preventing inflammatory diseases mediated by excessive production of NO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Farmacia is the property of Societatea de Stiinte Farmaceutice Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Ranunculus species are poorly known as medicinal plants. They have potential toxicity given by the ranunculin and its enzymatic degradation compounds: protoanemonin and anemonin. This paper aims to evaluate the anemonin content of four species: R. bulbosus, R. ficaria, R. sardous and R. sceleratus. The evaluation was performed by TLC and HPLC. There were evaluated two types of extracts hydroalcoholic (HA) and glycerol-ethanol (GE). The most concentrated extract in anemonin was found to be the R. sardous aerial part HA extract: 2.66 mg/ml. The lowest anemonin content is in R. sceleratus: 0.13-0.19 mg/ml. In R. bulbosus aerial part the anemonin content is less than the used HPLC method detection limits (7.68 mg/ml). In all cases the GE extracts are less concentrated in anemonin, being more safely for human administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal methods have an important applicability in the pharmaceutical field, such as raw material control, purity determination, thermal stability determination, substance compatibility, qualitative and quantitative analysis of drugs, etc. Data on substance stability are obtained from the analysis of thermal decomposition determinations that occur both under isothermal conditions and under non-isothermal conditions. Thermogravimetry and derived thermogravimetry (TG / DTG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) that are used to study the compatibility of the active substances and excipients have become increasingly important, because identify possible interactions between these components of the drugs. These thermoanalytic techniques have been used to study the behavior of a Nigella sativa semen glycerin macerate. To obtain tinctures and glycerin macerates, the European Pharmacopoeia methodology was followed. The thermoanalytic curves were recorded in a dynamic atmosphere of nitrogen and air (20 ml / min). The sample heating rate was 10 ° C / min. Thermal TG / DTG and DSC methods were applied in the temperature range of 25-1000 ° C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ranunculus species are mostly known for their toxic effect due to the anemonine and protoanemonine content. This paper studies the polyphenols and the antioxidant activity of four different spontaneous species from Ranunculus genus (Ranunculaceae family) harvested from Western Romania's spontaneous flora. The polyphenols profile was established by TLC and UV-Vis spectrophotometric methods. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated by different in vitro methods: DPPH, TEAC, FRAP, CUPRAC and SNP. From the studied species were prepared two different extracts: hydroalcoholic extracts (HA) respectively glycerol-ethanol extracts (GE). The study indicates that the highest total flavonoid content is in R. ficaria herb HA extract (23 % mg/ml), while the total phenolic acids are the highest in R. bulbosus herb GE extract (14,88 % mg/ml). The most important antioxidant activity was observed at GE extracts obtained from herb of R. ficaria, R. sardous and R. bulbosus. With the less antioxidant effect are the R. sceleratus extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), a well-known medicinal and culinary herb, was studied to compare the terpenic profile of different extracts obtained from dry and fresh herb. There were studied the volatile oil extracted by hydro distillation from dry plant, the hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from fresh respectively dry plant and the glycerol macerate obtained from fresh plant, by GC-MS using headspace injection. The separated compounds were identified using a MS spectra library. The quantitative determination was performed by normalization respectively by calibration curve method for 1,8-cineole, alpha-pinene and D-limonene. The main separated compounds were alpha-pinene, 1,8- cineol, camphene, camphor, D-limonene and cymene. A significant difference was observed between the 4 samples volatile profiles. 1,8-cineole was found major component of the essential oil (VO-21.39%) and glycerol macerate (GM- 35.60%), while and α-pinene was detected as the main constituent of the two tinctures (T-46.05%; MT-31.93%). The highest 1,8-cineol content, determined by calibration curve method, was found in the volatile oil, while the fresh plant hydroalcoholic extract was richer in α-pinene and D-limonene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Farmacia is the property of Societatea de Stiinte Farmaceutice Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this study is to embed the active ingredients of the hydroalcoholic extract from the aristolochia (Aristolochia clematitis) into a new semisolid preparation and a viscoelastic methylcellulose based hydrogel in order to broaden the topical applicability of the palette’s range. The methylcellulose based hydroalcoholic gel formulation, preparation and quality evaluation was realized by continuously measuring the product’s physico-chemical parameters. The evaluated physico-chemical parameters: the swelling degree, the equilibrium swelling degree, the swelling rate and the swelling fraction, the swelling rate parameter, the swelling kinetics order, the speed constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lamellar lyotropic liquid crystal genistein-based formulation (LLC-Gen) was prepared in order to increase the aqueous solubility of the lipophilic phytocompound genistein. The formulation was applied locally, in a murine model of melanoma, with or without electroporation. The results demonstrated that, when the formulation was applied by electroporation, the tumors appeared later. During the 21 days of the experiment, the LLC-Gen formulation decreased the tumor volume, the amount of melanin and the degree of erythema, but when electroporation was applied, all these parameters indicated a better prognosis even (lower tumor volume, amount of melanin and degree of erythema). Although hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining confirmed the above events, application of the LLC-Gen formulation by electroporation did not lead to a significant effect in terms of the serum concentrations of the protein S100B and serum neuron specific enolase (NSE), or the tissue expression of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor ß (PDGFRß) antibody. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cynara scolymus L. has been used for many years as natural remedy for liver and biliary tract diseases. Romanian spontaneous flora also includes Cynara scolymus L. The aim of this study was to evaluate the polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of Cynara scolymus L. mother tincture. Using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and spectrophotometric methods was demonstrated that Cynara scolymus L. mother tincture has a relative high concentration in polyphenols, such as caffeoylquinic acids and flavonoids which are responsible of the significant antioxidant activity and detoxifying effects. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of complex chronic inflammatory conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract. It is linked to a number of genetic and environmental factors able to perturb the immune-microbiome axis. Diet is the most investigated variable both for its role in the etiology of IBD and for its beneficial potential in the treatment of the symptoms. Dietary products may influence intestinal inflammation through different mechanisms of action, such as the modulation of inflammatory mediators, the alteration of gene expression, changes in gut permeability, and modifications in enteric flora composition. A consisting number of studies deal with the link between nutrition and microbial community, and particular attention is paid to plant-based foods. The effects of the dietary intake of different fruits have been investigated so far. This review aims to present the most recent studies concerning the beneficial potential of fruit consumption on human gut microbiota. Investigated plant species are described, and obtained results are presented and discussed in order to provide an overview of both in vitro and in vivo effects of fruits, their juices, and freeze-dried powders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Betulin is a triterpene with an important therapeutic activity even on tumour treatment. It is very low soluble in water and biological environment. The increasing of its solubility by cyclodextrin complexation could lead to an improvement in the biological activity. Materials and methods used betulin and 6-O-maltosyl-beta-cyclodextrin and a simple kneading procedure. The compound and final product were evaluated by SEM pictures, in vitro tests on A431 cell line and on an embryonated egg model. Results and discussions indicated the important activity of betulin as antitumor agent and an antiangiogenic activity. The mixture with the ramified cyclodextrin seems to be a complex formation because of the shape of compounds changes. The complexes had a better biological activity. The main conclusion is that betulin is an important antitumor compound and increasing of its solubility could improve the biological activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a further analysis of the active principles, you have to know the histoanatomic organ structure of the Melampyrum species. The Melampyrum cristatum L. and Melampyrum bihariense Kern species are plants belonging to the Romanian spontaneous flora. After comparative analyses made on the sepals and petals of the two Melampyrum species, there have been found the following: tector hairs, glandular hairs and a few stomata on the tracta epidermis, glandular hairs and tector hairs in the sepal elevation, and in the petal elevation the analysis indicates the presence of conic papilla and glandular hairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Betulin is an important triterpenic compound obtained from natural sources such as birch bark. It has antiinflammatory and antitumor activity. The birch bark ointment and betulin added in specific topical formulations are very active in actinic keratosis, pathology with damaged keratinocytes correlated from the histological point of view a squamos carcinoma. The aim of present study was to test the biological activity of a topical formulation with 5% betulin on chemical damaged mouse skin. Materials and methods used betulin, a composed cream with the next active agents: 2-propanol, transcutol, isopropyl myristate, labrasol and PEG 4000 and C57BL/6J type mice. The tumoral applied substances were DMBA (7,12- dimethylbenz[a]anthracene) and croton oil. The mexametric measurements were performed using a mexameter MX18 (Courage&Khazaka Electronics, Cologne, Germany). The protocol followed the observations on melanin evolution and haemoglobin status (pigmentation and erythema). Results and discussions indicated that the substances applied as carcinogens determined the apparition of skin pigmentation and lesions as it is mentioned in literature protocol. The cream applied on the skin had adequate rheological properties and a composition that determined a good delivery of active substance. Our investigations confirm the activity on betulin in reducing skin lesions and irritation by significantly decreasing erythema (haemoglobin) indices. The main conclusion of present study is that betulin could be applied as prophylactic and therapeutic compound in skin pathology more important in skin lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of heavy metals in the roots, aerial parts and flowers of three Senecio species (S. jacobaea, S. vernalis, and S. vulgaris) has been performed. The mean levels of heavy metals in vegetal dried samples were in normal limits. The results indicate that there is not any real danger by utilization of galenic forms of Senecionis herba. Differences between the species depend on the presence of organic compounds with ligand character and on the environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trigonella foenum-graecum is an annual, herbal specie, that grows spontaneously on cereals crops and is also known as fenugreek. As powder, the drogue can be identified through chromatography, in the following experiment conditions. Test solution: 1,0g drogue powder mixed with 0.5 ml methanol for 5 minutes in the water bath, heated at 65°C, afterwards chilled and filtrated. Reference solution: 3,0 mg hydrochloric trigonelin dissolved in 1,0 ml methanol. Load: 20 μl test solution and 10 μl reference solution correspond to 2 cm of GF 254 silica gel tape. Solvent system: water - methanol (30 - 70) and migration distance: 10 cm; detection and evaluation: within UV light, with λ=254 nm wavelength. The fenugreek has in its chemical composition 45-60% carbohydrates, especially mucilages located in the call walls; in the endosperm two types of galactomanans are predominant: 1,4-β-glicosil-manose which alternates with α-glicosil-manoze, both connected with a small proportion of xilose. Also, starch and oligo-sacharide fibres are present. As conclusion, even if at least 11 vegetal products were identified, with hypo-cholesterol potential, the proofs remain limited. Along the cholesterol reduction property, some of these plants may have positive aspects for cardio-vascular disorders, by increasing the HDL level and inhibiting the lipid oxidation. The adverse effects of these cures are almost insignificant. Nevertheless, new researches are necessary to establish the therapeutic value of these plants in the hyper-cholesterolemy treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foliar buds form a new category of vegetal product, being used in modern phytotherapy, also known as gemmotherapy. Rheumatoid arthritis, often called RA, is a chronic (long-standing) disease that damages and eventually destroys the joints of the body. It has been used three types of bud extracts (Ribes nigrum, Buxus sempervirens, Vitis vinifera) with proved antirheumatic effects, during a period of 3 months. The success of treatment is checked by regular physical examinations and interviews. In all the patients we observed a clinical amelioration, permitting a slight reduction of the dose of the NSAIDs and the DMARDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: Nigella damascena L. (Ranunculaceae) originates from Magreb's countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt) and from the Middle Orient (Syria). In these countries the seeds are venerated by all the Muslim people and thus they are quoted in the Koran for their therapeutic effects., Materials and Methods: We evaluated the effects of different extracts isolated from Nigellae damascenae semen and Nigellae damascenae herba on three types of cells: THP1 cells (human monocytes which were used for evaluating the toxicity of the extracts) and two different forms of Leishmania infatum: promastigote cells and amastigote cells., Results: Dichlormethanic extracts isolated from Nigellae damascenae semen and Nigellae damascenae herba were active on Leishmania promastigotes., Conclusions: Dichlormethanic extracts could be an alternative to the therapy based on pentamidine and amphotericin B.