China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Impact of UV Radiation on the Growth and Pharmaceutical Properties of Medicinal Plants
Published in Azamal Husen, Environmental Pollution and Medicinal Plants, 2022
Deepti, Archana (Joshi) Bachheti, Kiran Chauhan, Rakesh Kumar Bachheti, Azamal Husen
Phenolics are positively associated with various health-promoting characteristics, such as antioxidative or anticarcinogenic. These chemicals invade the redox status which helps in amending the oxidative stress (Kumari et al., 2009b). Phenolics also work as UV protectors as their absorption range is between 270 and 290 nm. Eichholz et al. (2011) in blueberries and Kumari et al. (2009b) in the sweet flag have reported the enhancement of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity under UV-B stress. Flavonoids are the major UV-B-regulated phenylpropanoid derivatives, rapidly induced by UV-B exposure. Flavonoids stabilize and protect the lipid phase of the thylakoid membrane, and are quenchers of the excited triplet state of chlorophyll and singlet oxygen generated under excessive stress (Agrawal and Rathore, 2007). Psoralens are absorbed under the ultraviolet (200–320 nm) band, which is naturally occurring furocoumarins, as furocoumarins and coumarins are induced by UV radiations. This photosensitizing property of furocoumarins and coumarins is responsible for their medical importance in the treatment of many dermatological diseases, such as leprosy and psoriasis, leukoderma, vitiligo, and melanocytes formation, i.e., re-pigmentation.
Plantago ovata (Isabgol) and Rauvolfia serpentina (Indian Snakeroot)
Published in Azamal Husen, Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees of Potential Medicinal Benefits, 2022
Ankur Anavkar, Nimisha Patel, Ahmad Ali, Hina Alim
Phenols, a secondary metabolite are mostly toxic to pests and pathogens. Thus, it is used as an antimicrobial agent. Antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, and antimicrobial properties of R. serpentina extract are due to the phenolic compounds present in high amounts. Saponins have been identified in more than 70 families of plants. These are basically triterpenes or sterols having a glycosidic bond. Saponins have cholesterol-binding ability, help in forming foams, and hemolytic activity. Due to the blood-coagulating properties of saponins, R. Serpentina is used to stop bleeding and treat wounds (Bunkar, 2017; Shah et al., 2020).
Perspectives of Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) in a Pharmacotherapeutic Context
Published in P. Mereena Luke, K. R. Dhanya, Didier Rouxel, Nandakumar Kalarikkal, Sabu Thomas, Advanced Studies in Experimental and Clinical Medicine, 2021
Tomy Muringayil Joseph, Debarshi Kar Mahapatra, P. Mereena Luke, Józef T. Haponiuk, Sabu Thomas
CNSL may be a weak promoter of carcinogenesis but no mutagenic or carcinogenic activity has been reported. Epidemiological studies suggested that CNSL may contribute to oral sub-mucous fibrosis. In addition, its phenolic components exerted several biological activities, including antioxidative properties, inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, and membrane perturbation. There is no direct evidence regarding the toxicity of CNSL or its major phenolic components [23]. However, the effluent generated during the processing of the cashew nut could be considered potentially harmful to the environment due to its high phenol content. The hazardous effects of phenolic compounds have been extensively studied. A concentration above 1 mg/l can affect aquatic life, while recognizes deleterious effects at concentrations as low as 1 μg/ml. As previously mentioned, data on the chemical composition of the cashew nut industry effluent are scarce, but preliminary analysis showed high phenol content due to the cardol, cardanol, and anacardic acid of CNSL. The high toxicity observed for the isolated nols (cardol and cardanol) potentially contribute to the toxicity of the cashew nut industry effluent [24].
Animal models in intrauterine adhesion research
Published in Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2022
Shanshan Liang, Yanlan Huang, Yanfen Xia, Shuang Liang, Qiaoling Wu, Zhifu Zhi
Phenol is a chemical burn agent that is highly corrosive and was widely used for female sterilisation. Therefore, Wang et al. (2017) used this method for reference to establish an IUA model by slowly injecting approximately 0.04 mL of phenol mucilage into the uterine cavity of rats (Wang et al. 2017). Ten days after modelling, significant pathological changes could be observed upon haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining: In the model group, the uterine cavity became smaller, the structure of normal endometrium disappeared, the endometrial tissue was full of proliferative tissues, and a large number of fibroblasts replaced macrophages and plasma cells. Masson staining showed that collagen fibres infiltrated the cavity and disarranged and severe fibrosis occurred in the endometrium. In addition, they also found the expression of elevated in the endometrium of rat model of Ashman syndrome. A diminution in the number of implanted embryos was also found, which can be used as experimental evidence of pregnancy failure caused by uterine adhesion. Thus, phenol mucilage can be used to establish an appropriate animal model of intrauterine adhesion. Although the trigger mechanism is not consistent with clinical practice, the pathological results after modelling are consistent with those for women with IUA.
Effects of an Olive By-Product Called Pâté on Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2021
Monica Dinu, Giuditta Pagliai, Francesca Scavone, Maria Bellumori, Lorenzo Cecchi, Chiara Nediani, Niccolò Maggini, Francesco Sofi, Lisa Giovannelli, Nadia Mulinacci
In recent years, our research group has characterized the phenolic profile of an OlP directly recovered during the milling process with a two-phase centrifugal system that completely removes kernel residues (6). The main phenolic compounds of this pâté were tyrosol, HT, and Ole derivatives. These bioactive components have shown to have beneficial effects on pathophysiological processes related to several human chronic non-communicable diseases, as recently reported (2, 20), including cancer (21, 22). In this study, the choice of HT content to be administered per day was defined using the reference dose reported by the European Food and Safety Agency and applying a five-fold increase. Indeed, one gram of OlP was able to provide a daily intake of phenols comparable to that derived from 200 g of an extra virgin olive oil containing 200 mg/kg of total phenols. Moreover, dried OlP was characterized by a high fiber content (25–30% of the dried material), remained stable for several months, and was therefore suitable for human consumption. In cultured human fibroblasts, a hydroalcoholic extract of pâté showed anti-aging effects, comparable to pure HT (6).
Ameliorative effect of a standardized polyherbal combination in methotrexate-induced nephrotoxicity in the rat
Published in Pharmaceutical Biology, 2020
Sanchit Sharma, Sanjula Baboota, Saima Amin, Showkat R. Mir
Phenols are essential plant constituents. A direct connection exists between complete phenolic content and plant species' antioxidant activity. It is mainly attributed to the scavenging ability of their phenolic hydroxyl groups that are reported to be effective hydrogen donors, making them excellent antioxidants (Vinson et al. 2001). Thus, it was rational and valuable to determine the total phenolic content of the selected plant extracts. These selected plant extracts showed good antioxidant activity and proved to also have higher phenol content. The results indicated that there was a positive and parallel relationship between phenol content and antioxidant activity. Several studies have shown that phenolic compounds in herbs, vegetables and fruits are a significant antioxidant component, and their antioxidant activity and complete phenolic content are directly related. Cai et al. (2004) also found a linear correlation between the content of total phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of several plant species. Phenolic compounds, including phenolic acid and flavonoids, can be enriched in aqueous extract (Dudonne et al. 2009). The extracts and their combinations showed potent DPPH scavanging potential. However, the extract may contain other metabolites also, and these can also contribute to antioxidant activity (Belyagoubi-Benhammou et al. 2019). The antioxidant activity of herbal extract could also be associated to its flavonoid content.