International Journal of Plant Based Pharmaceuticals

Exploring the phytochemistry and pharmacology of Mangifera indica L. (Mango) leaves: A review

2024-01-03T09:43:54+03:00

Mangifera indica L. (Mango), a member of the Anacardiaceae family, is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Leaves of M. indica exhibit pharmacological potential as a panacea. The current study aimed to systematically review the phytochemistry and biological effects of M. indica leaves (MILs). Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were used to review the relevant literature. MILs are reported to possess remarkable medicinal properties owing to a plethora of phytochemicals, namely, minerals, vitamins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenes, benzophenones, tannins, saponins, and alkaloids. MILs have been investigated for numerous therapeutic effects, including anticancer, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, antidiarrheal, antiulcer, gastrointestinal, anti-obesity, cardio-protection, hypotensive, analgesic, and hepato-protection. In this review, phytochemistry, pharmacology as well as toxicology of MILs have been critically discussed. Considering their phytochemical profile and pharmacological benefits, MILs can be used for the development of valuable pharmaceutical products. However, more comprehensive clinical trials are needed to be conducted for further evaluation of its effectiveness.

Myanmar traditional medicine formulations and their antioxidant, antiglycation and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activities: Potentials for antidiabetes complications

2023-12-25T12:23:24+03:00

Myanmar Traditional Medicine (MTM) has been used since ancient times to treat life-threatening diseases like diabetes. In this study, various in vitro assays were used to prove that four MTM formulations were effective at treating diabetes. Antioxidant activities were determined using in vitro DPPH, nitric oxide (NO), and superoxide (SO) radical scavenging assays. The Folin-Ciocalteu method was used to quantify the total phenolic content, while the BSA-fluorescent antiglycation and α-glucosidase inhibitory assays were utilized to determine the antidiabetic activity of MTMs. Among the tested samples, MTM3 showed the best activities for almost all the biological assays tested in this experiment with the % inhibition of 82.89 ± 1.64 for NO and 65.02 ± 2.82 for SO radical scavenging activity, 92.12 ± 1.18 for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and IC₅₀ of 180.29 ± 1.6 µg/ml for the antiglycation activity. It also possessed the highest total phenolic content of 149.41 ± 3.7 mg GAE/g of extract/l among the tested samples. Therefore, the findings suggested that MTM could help diabetic patients improve their quality of life through antioxidant activity against several free radicals and their antiglycation and α-glucosidase inhibitory characteristics.

A North Cameroonian cultivar of Hibiscus sabdariffa (Malvaceae) with calyces enriched in anthocyanins

2024-03-12T12:16:06+03:00

Folere (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is a traditional plant cultivated in the north of Cameroon near the city of Yagoua. Calyces are used to prepare beverages while the leaves are incorporated into meals. This Cameroonian roselle is characterized by a higher intensity of red color than that found in conspecific samples from Egypt, and it was of interest to us to evaluate its beneficial activities in comparison with European pharmacopoeia standards. The samples were first subjected to phylogenetic analyses. Five samples including samples from Egypt and a white flower variety were subsequently examined according to the European pharmacopeia criteria i.e. (i) taxonomic identification, (ii) sample preparation and characterization (desiccation, TLC, coloring power, presence of foreign matter), and (iii) determination of the acidity index. Anthocyanins and anthocyanidins were quantified in three extracts from methanolic maceration, infusion, and boiling in water. Taken together, the results confirmed that the Cameroonian variety indeed belongs to H. sabdariffa and meets European Pharmacopoeia standards. All extracts contained common anthocyanins (delphinidin-3-sambioside, delphinidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-sambioside, cyanidin-3-glucoside), and delphinidin and cyanidin aglycones were also found in the organic extracts. As a result of anthocyanin quantification by HPLC in Cameroon samples, it was determined that they showed a high concentration of delphinidin type anthocyanins and a concentration 10 times higher than the Egyptian variety. This variety appears to be a very promising candidate for inclusion in industrial preparations, thanks to its high anthocyanin qualitative and quantitative properties, and also maintains economic interest for local populations.

Unveiling the antimalarial properties of Terminalia ivorensis (A. Chev) stem bark aqueous extract: In vivo efficacy testing and in silico predictions

2024-04-03T19:46:18+03:00

Due to the spreading resistance to antimalarial drugs, new therapeutics are urgently needed, preferably with novel modes of action. Extracts from Terminalia ivorensis have previously been shown to possess activity in vitro against multidrug-resistant and drug-sensitive strains of Plasmodium falciparum. However, to the best of our knowledge, no scientific study has been published describing the antimalarial potential of these extracts through in vivo efficacy testing. This study aimed to determine the safety and antimalarial efficacy of the T. ivorensis stem bark aqueous extract (TiH₂O) in a mouse model using the OECD 423 protocol and the suppressive and curative murine malaria models, and to predict in silico the pharmacokinetic properties and drug-likeness of two major phytochemical constituents. The in vivo antimalarial efficacy was assessed using the P. berghei NK65-infected mice. The TiH₂O treatment impact on biochemical parameters was measured using established standard procedures. The pharmacokinetics prediction was achieved through the pkCSM predictor and Swiss ADME. The TiH₂O extract was nontoxic in BALB/c mice at a lethal dose of 50 (LD₅₀) > 2000 mg/kg. The TiH₂O extract displayed strong antimalarial efficacy with 100% parasitemia suppression at 200 mg/kg b.w. after 4 days of treatment while its oral administration at 400 mg/kg b.w. in the curative model significantly decreased P. berghei parasitemia by 94.07% with a median efficacy dose (ED₅₀) of 96.80 mg/kg. The administration of TiH₂O extract restored the histological parameters disrupted by P. berghei, and the transaminase (ALT and AST) activity, creatinine, and bilirubin levels significantly decreased compared to the negative control mice. In silico explorations showed that the main constituents leucodelphidin (leucodelphinidin) and ellagic acid of the TiH₂O extract have drug-like properties, thus indicating that T. ivorensis might constitute a promising source of antimalarial chemical entities with good pharmacokinetics and drug-like properties. The results obtained further corroborated the preliminary in vitro antiplasmodial studies of T. ivorensis stem bark aqueous extract. The metabolome of TiH₂O extract should be further profiled in the prospects of characterizing novel natural product scaffolds to support antimalarial drug discovery.

Organ-dependent variability in mineral composition, phytochemicals and antioxidant potentials in Polygonum equisetiforme parts

2024-04-07T13:20:14+03:00

Polygonum equisetiforme is a perennial herbaceous plant thriving in the arid regions of Tunisia and widely used in health care and self-medication. The objective of the current study was to investigate the distribution of minerals, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant potentials in various plant parts including the fruit, stem, leaf, and root. The mineral composition was determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The phenolic content of the samples was investigated using colorimetric assays and identified and quantified using HPLC-ESI/MS. The study found that the different parts of P. equisetiforme contain significant amounts of essential minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, and iron. The leaf and root extracts had high amounts of polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins. Through LC-ESI-MS analysis, eleven flavonoids and eight phenolic acids were characterized. The most abundant compounds were gallic acid, quinic acid, catechin (+), and hyperoside. The findings suggest that different parts of P. equisetiforme are valuable sources of essential minerals and phenolic compounds, which can have potential health benefits.

Toxicity study and ameliorative effects of the aqueous leaf extract of Lecanoidiscus cupanioides Planch (ex. Benth) on the stress-induced ulcer

2024-04-22T16:08:34+03:00

Lecaniodiscus cupanioides Planch (ex. Benth) is effective in treating burns, fevers, and inflammatory conditions. This study investigates the toxicity effects of the aqueous leaf extract (ALE) of L. cupanioides and its effect on stress-induced ulcers in animal models. The plant was collected and a 1:30 (g/ml) plant powder/solvent ratio was extracted using an ultrasonic bath at 50 °C for 45 min. Up-and-down procedure was used for acute toxicity. During subacute toxicity testing, a total of 20 mice were divided into four groups of five animals each. While group 1 served as control, groups 2, 3, and 4 received 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg of the extract daily for 21 days. On day 22^nd, animals were sacrificed and samples were collected for hematology, biochemical, and histological analyses. In the stress-induced ulcer activity, male albino mice were randomly separated into 5 groups of 5 animals, treated with the test drug, and then dissected after being stressed using the water immersion model. LD₅₀ was > 5000 mg/kg, and in biochemical examination, there was a significant decrease in the ALP level at medium and high doses (p value < 0.05) and non-significant alterations in the values of urea, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), body weight and hematology parameters (p > 0.05). The histology results showed no evidence of liver and kidney toxicity. In conclusion, aqueous leaf extract of L. cupanioides was safe following a single dose (at 5000 mg/kg) and following repeated doses for 21 days (at 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg). This study demonstrated that the extract had a significant effect on stress-induced ulcers at various dose levels when compared to the control (native, negative control, and omeprazole). The animals treated with 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg of the extract showed a significant increase in ulcer score, ulcer index, ulcer severity, and total acidity (p < 0.05). The ulcer protection ability of the aqueous plant extract was dose-dependent.