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Phytotherapeutic Agents in Epilepsy
Published in Vikas Kumar, Addepalli Veeranjaneyulu, Herbs for Diabetes and Neurological Disease Management, 2018
α,β-epoxy-carvone is a monocyclic monoterpene which has been found to be effective against convulsions induced chemically by PTZ, PIC and against the tonic convulsions induced by MES. It has been isolated from essential oils of plants such as C. carvi (Fennel; cumin) (Fam. Apiaceae), Kaempferia galanga (Fam. Zingiberaceae)79 and others. Further, the anticonvulsant effect is not affected by pretreatment with FLU, a selective antagonist of BZD site of GABAA receptor suggesting the non-involvement of the GABA-BZD receptor system and the action could be possibly associated with the reduction of isolated nerve excitability, possibly involving a voltage-gated Na+ channel blockade.59 Recently, the four stereoisomers of epoxycarvone (EC), namely (+)-cis-EC, (−)-cis-EC, (+)-trans-EC, and (−)-trans-EC, have been comparatively evaluated for anticonvulsant activity against the PTZ-induced and MES-induced seizures.80 All the four stereoisomers have shown promise as anticonvulsants but they display varying profiles in different models of epilepsy.
Research progress on antiviral constituents in traditional Chinese medicines and their mechanisms of action
Published in Pharmaceutical Biology, 2022
With complex, varied structural types, flavonoids are a series of compounds whose basic structure is 2-phenylchromone and they are divided into several classes such as flavonols, flavanones, isoflavones, flavones and anthocyanidins (Lalani and Poh 2020). They are widely used in TCM and have a variety of biological functions (Kumar and Pandey 2013). The pharmacological properties of flavonoids include anticancer, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory functions (Bian et al. 2020). Flavonoids are the main active constituents of common antiviral traditional Chinese medicines such as Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. (Labiatae) root (Huangqin), Jinyinhua and Kaempferia galanga Linn. (Zingiberaceae) rhizome (Shannai) and they have a wide range of antiviral effects on SARS-Cov, RSV, ADV, HCV, ZIKV, EBV, HSV-1, etc. (Shimizu et al. 2017; Chen, Zhang, et al. 2019; Jo et al. 2020; Wang, Cai, et al. 2020). Flavonoids have been studied against a variety of DNA and RNA viruses. They prevent the virus from entering the cell, interfere with various stages of viral replication or translation and multi-protein processing, and prevent the release of the virus from infecting other cells. Researchers found that different flavonoids inhibit the spread of the virus through different mechanisms. Table 1 summarizes the structure-activity relationship and mechanism of action of flavonoids against influenza virus.
Kaempferol alleviates LPS-ATP mediated inflammatory injury in splenic lymphocytes via regulation of the pyroptosis pathway in mice
Published in Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, 2019
Changliang He, Jia Yang, Xiaolin Jiang, Xiaoxia Liang, Lizi Yin, Zhongqiong Yin, Yi Geng, Zhijun Zhong, Xu Song, Yuanfeng Zou, Lixia Li, Wei Zhang, Cheng Lv
Kaempferol (kae, Figure 1), the major biologically active component, is a type of flavonoid derived from Kaempferia galanga L. The structure of kaempferol is determined as 3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one (C15H10O6; MW = 286.23). Kaempferol has been found to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-cancerous, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, and antidiabetic properties [26,27]. Ample evidence suggests that flavonoids induce apoptosis in cancer cells while alleviating the death of normal cells, which implies that kaempferol has a positive effect in non-cancerous cells. For instance, kaempferol was shown to inhibit hepatocyte apoptosis in mice, protecting them from liver failure by regulating the ER stress-Grp78-CHOP signaling pathway [28]. Kaempferol was also shown to alleviate ox-LDL-induced apoptosis by up-regulation of autophagy via inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in human endothelial cells [29]. However, there has been limited research about the anti-pyroptosis effect of kaempferol.
Evaluation of Pistia stratiotes fractions as effective larvicide against Anopheles mosquitoes
Published in Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 2019
Jincai Ma, Yunusa Adamu Ugya, Asma’u Isiyaku, Xiuyi Hua, Tijjani Sabiu Imam
Malaria is a very rampant and devastating disease in the tropical regions of the world. Numerous efforts have been made in the past to control its morbidity and mortality [1]. Treatment of the vector at the various developmental stages with insecticides has received wide acceptability, though these synthetic products suffer from major disadvantages of resistance and environmental pollution [2,3]. Plants are rich source of alternative agents for control of mosquitoes, because they possess bioactive chemicals, which act against limited number of species including specific target-insects and are eco-friendly [4]. Several secondary metabolites present in plants serve as a defence mechanism against insect attacks. These bioactive compounds may act as insecticides, antifeedants, moulting hormones, oviposition deterrents, repellents, juvenile hormone mimics, growth inhibitors, antimoulting hormones as well as attractants. Important also will be the identification of any toxic element or injurious fractions whose use should be actively discouraged [5]. Plant based pesticides are less toxic, delay the development of resistance because of its new structure and easily biodegradable [6–8]. Plant extracts or oils in general have been recognized as an important natural resource for the control of parasites and pest of public health importance [9]. Many researchers have reported the effectiveness of plant extract against mosquito larvae [10–12]. Insecticidal activities of different plant essential oils have been reported against different mosquito species. For example, [13] reported the larvicidal activity of essential oils of 11 plants grown in the Himalayan region against Aedes aegypti larvae. Likewise [14], screened the larvicidal effects of ten plant species and found three plant essential oils (Kaempferia galanga, Illicium verum and Spilanthes acmella) to have larvicidal properties against Culex quinquefasciatus. Phytochemicals are secondary metabolites which are natural insecticides derived from plants. Applications of phytochemicals in mosquito control were in use since the 1920s [12] but the discovery of synthetic insecticides such as DDT in 1939 side tracked the application of phytochemicals in mosquito control programme. Several groups of phytochemicals such as alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, essential oils and phenolics from different plants have been reported previously for their insecticidal activities [15–17]. Pistia stratiotes, referred to as the tropical duck weed, is one of the most dominant aquatic weeds in fresh water, polluted water and streams of Nigeria. The plant is raised in fishponds as a shelter for certain edible shrimp species. Its usage as salad in swine feeds as well as its preference as foliage by buffalos has been reported. However, it has been reported to exert a poisonous effect on rabbits [17–19]. This study is aimed at evaluating the larvicidal activity of P. stratiotes fractions on Anopheles mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) (Figure 1).