Back to Search Start Over

Himalayan Nettle Girardinia diversifolia as a Candidate Ingredient for Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Applications—Phytochemical Analysis and In Vitro Bioassays

Authors :
Shyam Sharan Shrestha
Stefania Sut
Irene Ferrarese
Serena Barbon Di Marco
Gokhan Zengin
Michele De Franco
Deepak Raj Pant
Mohamad Fawzi Mahomoodally
Nicola Ferri
Noemi Biancorosso
Filippo Maggi
Stefano Dall Acqua
Sangeeta Rajbhandary
Source :
Molecules, Vol 25, Iss 7, p 1563 (2020)
Publication Year :
2020
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2020.

Abstract

Girardinia diversifolia, also known as Himalayan nettle, is a perennial herb used in Nepal to make fiber as well as in traditional medicine for the treatment of several diseases. To date, phytochemical studies and biological assays on this plant are scarce. Thus, in the present work, the G. diversifolia extracts have been evaluated for their potential pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutraceutical uses. For this purpose, detailed phytochemical analyses were performed, evidencing the presence of phytosterols, fatty acids, carotenoids, polyphenols and saponins. The most abundant secondary metabolites were β- and γ-sitosterol (11 and 9% dw, respectively), and trans syringin (0.5 mg/g) was the most abundant phenolic. Fatty acids with an abundant portion of unsaturated derivatives (linoleic and linolenic acid at 22.0 and 9.7 mg/g respectively), vitamin C (2.9 mg/g) and vitamin B2 (0.12 mg/g) were also present. The antioxidant activity was moderate while a significant ability to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrilcholinesterase (BuChE), tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase was observed. A cytotoxic effect was observed on human ovarian, pancreatic and hepatic cancer cell lines. The effect in hepatocarcinoma cells was associated to a downregulation of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), a pivotal regulator of cellular cholesterol homeostasis. These data show the potential usefulness of this species for possible applications in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and cosmetics.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
14203049
Volume :
25
Issue :
7
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Molecules
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.0e1939606aad4376becd4826bc9e7707
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25071563