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Preclinical Antidepressant-Like Effects of Terpenes, Polyphenolics, and Other Non-Flavonoid Phytochemicals
Published in Scott Mendelson, Herbal Treatment of Major Depression, 2019
Both oral and intraperitoneal administrations of amyrin decreased immobility of mice in the forced swim test. Amyrin also had anxiolytic-like effects, as demonstrated by the open-field and elevatedplus-maze tests. Those effects were reversed with flumazenil, suggesting mediation by benzodiazepine receptors.15 Others have observed such anxiolytic effects.16 A derivative molecule, beta-amyrin palmitate, isolated from leaves of Lobelia inflata, produced similar antidepressant effects in mice. It decreased immobility in the forced swim test. It reversed the immobility induced by storage depletion agent, tetrabenazine, but not that induced by the norepinephrine synthesis inhibitor, alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine. Those results suggested that amyrin acted in part by increasing norepinephrine activity by releasing the neurotransmitter from newly synthesized pools.17 Interestingly, extracts of the herb Couroupita guianensis, which is rich in alpha and beta-amyrin and other structurally similar triterpenoids, has been found to have antidepressant-like effects in mice.18
Biogenic Nanoparticles Based Drugs Derived from Medicinal Plants
Published in Richard L. K. Glover, Daniel Nyanganyura, Rofhiwa Bridget Mulaudzi, Maluta Steven Mufamadi, Green Synthesis in Nanomedicine and Human Health, 2021
Charles Oluwaseun Adetunji, Olugbenga Samuel Michael, Wilson Nwankwo, Osikemekha Anthony Anani, Juliana Bunmi Adetunji, Akinola Samson Olayinka, Muhammad Akram
Similarly, antiplasmodial activity of Couroupita guianensis synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was demonstrated by Subramaniam et al. (2016). Malaria control is a daunting task due to the increasing number of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium and pesticide-resistant Anopheles vectors. Therefore, newer, cheaper and safer alternative control means are necessary. Couroupita guianensis (Lecythidaceae), also known as a cannonball tree, is commonly utilized for the treatment of a wide spectrum of diseases in Indian traditional medicine, due to the fact that it possesses antibiotic, antifungal (Al-Dhabi et al., 2012), antidepressant (Kulkarni et al., 2011), antiseptic and analgesic (Geetha et al., 2004) effects. It is important to note that the extract of C. guianensis was toxic against larval instars (I–IV) and pupae of A. stephensi. Likewise, the green-synthesized AuNPs were highly effective against A. stephensi larvae and pupae, suggesting the larvicidal and pupicidal potentials of the plant extract and AuNPs. The increased mosquitocidal action of AuNPs when compared with the flower extract alone may be due to the fact that these poly-dispersed AuNPs are stable in water for some weeks, and this allows them to go through the insect cuticle and even into individual cells, where they interfere with moulting and other physiological processes (Benelli, 2016). In addition, both the C. guianensis flower extract and C. guianensis synthesized AuNPs showed enhanced antiplasmodial activity against P. falciparum when compared to chloroquine. Therefore, C. guianensis synthesized AuNPs showed significant antimalarial effects through its larvicidal and antiplasmodial effects and it may be proposed as newer and safer tools in the fight against chloroquine-resistant strain of P. falciparum.
Syzygium cumini in Ayurveda and Other Traditional Medicare Systems in India
Published in K. N. Nair, The Genus Syzygium, 2017
S. Rajasekharan, Vinodkumar T. G. Nair
An indigenous seed germination technique of S. cumini has been mentioned in Vrikshayurvedic literature, along with other medicinal plant species, like Artocarpus heterophyllus, Mangifera indica, Flacourtia montana, and Artocarpus hirsutus. The technique involves the following steps. Seeds are soaked in cow’s milk and dried properly. This is to be smeared with the paste prepared from cow dung, powder of Embelia ribes, and clarified butter. Subsequently, seeds are sown in the soil for producing saplings. S. cumini is considered one of the auspicious trees described in Vrikshayurveda. Preference has to be given to plant such trees. Big trees should not be planted very close to houses. It is also included in a group of five trees known as panchapallavam, which possess high therapeutic value. Other trees are Mangifera indica, Flacourtia montana, Citrus limon, and Aegle marmelos. A liquid biomanure is prepared from the mixture of curd, the watery portion of curd, and one-day-old rice-washed water. An alcoholic beverage is obtained from rice powder, Ziziphus mauritiana, Sesamum orientale, and Trigonella foenum-graecum. Kunapajalam, a liquid biofertilizer prepared from herbs and the fat of animals, fishes, and so forth; an alcoholic beverage prepared from Saccharum officinarum and milk is considered one of the most effective liquid biomanures for enhancing the aroma of the flowers of S. cumini, Neolamarckia cadamba, and Mesua ferrea. A polyherbal mixture consisting of bark of S. cumini and six other ingredients, along with clarified butter, is poured to the bottom of the Magnolia champaca and Couroupita guianensis for healthy growth. It is believed that planting S. cumini within the vicinity of residences will be auspicious and bring prosperity to the family (Sastri 1945).
Phytosterol-loaded CD44 receptor-targeted PEGylated nano-hybrid phyto-liposomes for synergistic chemotherapy
Published in Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 2020
Milan Gautam, Raj Kumar Thapa, Biki Gupta, Zar Chi Soe, Wenquan Ou, Kishwor Poudel, Sung Giu Jin, Han-Gon Choi, Chul Soon Yong, Jong Oh Kim
STS, a plant-derived phytosterol, differs structurally from cholesterol (CHO), β-sitosterol, and campesterol, with an additional double bond at the C22-23position [20]. Phytosterols have an inhibitory effect on lung, stomach, breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancers mediated via multiple mechanisms, including modification of cell membrane structure and function, as well as increase the cancer cell apoptosis by lowering blood cholesterol levels [21,22]. Biochemical and molecular effects of plant sterol also make them strong candidates for breast cancer therapy [23]. STS derivatives, including 5,6-epoxystigmasta-22,23-diol(epoxydiol), stigmasta-5,22-diene-3β,7β-diol (7β-OH), (22R,23R)-stigmast-5-ene-3β,22,23-triol (22R,23R-triol), and 5,6,22,23-diepoxystigmastane (diepoxide) have been shown to be highly cytotoxic [24]. In addition, methanolic extracts of STS and quercetin isolated from flowers of Couroupita guianensis have shown a significant cytotoxic effect toward NIH 3T3, HepG2, and HeLa cancer cells [25]. Hence, STS has potential as a chemotherapeutic candidate along with other chemotherapeutic agents. DOX, a well-known anthracycline anticancer drug, encapsulated with soybean-derived sterylglucoside mixture (β-sitosterol 3-β-D-glucoside 49.9%, campesterol 29.1%, stigmasterol 13.8% and brassicasterol 7.2%) have shown higher antitumor activity over free DOX and suppresses cancer metastasis after intravenous administration [26]. STS alone has little effect; however, when combined with different biological and cytotoxic agents via active targeting systems, the effects of STS are promising.
Green approach for synthesis of gold nanoparticles from Nigella arvensis leaf extract and evaluation of their antibacterial, antioxidant, cytotoxicity and catalytic activities
Published in Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 2018
Azam Chahardoli, Naser Karimi, Fatemeh Sadeghi, Ali Fattahi
The phytochemical tests revealed that plant extract of N. arvensis contained 212 μg/ml total flavonoids and 145 μg/ml total phenolic compounds at highest concentration of extract (500 μg/ml), while phenolic and flavonoid contents of biosynthesized NA-GNPs were 68 μg/ml and 189 μg/ml at concentration of 500 μg/ml, respectively (Figure 5(a,b)). These obtained results showed the role of polyphenolic antioxidant compounds in functionalization and reduction of HAuCl4 to GNPs by transferring π-electrons to Au3+ ions [25,26]. Similar results reported in green synthesized AuNPs and AgNPs using extracts of Couroupita guianensis, Bergenia ciliate and Fagopyrum esculentum [25,27,28].