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Biotechnological Studies of Medicinal Plants to Enhance Production of Secondary Metabolites under Environmental Pollution
Published in Azamal Husen, Environmental Pollution and Medicinal Plants, 2022
Several techniques such as particle bombardment, liposome fusion, electroporation, laser microbeam, and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation have been widely used for the genetic manipulation of plants. The choice of method for genetic manipulation depends on the plant species and its regeneration capacity in tissue culture as well as on the targeted genome (chloroplast, mitochondria, or nuclear genome) for insertion of the gene of interest. Out of all these techniques, the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method has emerged as an efficient transgenic technique to manipulate several pharmaceutically important medicinal plants, including Echinacea (Wang and To 2004),Digitalis (Pérez-Alonso et al. 2014), Artemisia (Chen et al. 2000), Taxus (Han et al. 1994), Scrophularia (Park et al. 2003), and Thalictrum (Samanani et al. 2002). The genes related to the content and composition of bioactive compounds are targeted for transformation, but for the overall development of plants, the basic agronomic characters associated with growth, development, and stability, uniformity, biotic and abiotic resistance have also to be improved. Phytosteroid diosgenin concentration in the transformed Trigonella foenum-gracium root was two times higher than in the non-transformed roots (Merkli et al. 1997). Also, the level of bioactive compound solasodine becomes 4.2 times higher in the hairy roots of transgenic Solanum aviculare (Argôlo et al. 2000).
Phytochemicals: Some Basics
Published in Scott Mendelson, Herbal Treatment of Major Depression, 2019
Animals also produce terpenes, and many, such as cholesterol and other steroids, are essential to life. This may explain how various steroid-like tri- and tetraterpenes of plant origin can affect human health, as they may mimic or block the effects of substances natural to the human body. Many of the so-called “adaptogen” herbs, such as ashwagandha and ginseng, contain triterpene sterols, saponins, and steroids, that buffer activity in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.10 Glycyrrhetic acid, a steroid triterpene from licorice, binds to mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors. It can act as an anti-inflammatory agent, but may also cause severe hypertension due to salt retention.11 Diosgenin, a triterpene phytosteroid extracted from wild yam, was once used as an inexpensive starting point in the manufacturing of contraceptive steroids.12
Phytosteroids and Related Compounds
Published in Amritpal Singh Saroya, Contemporary Phytomedicines, 2017
In higher plants, the first sterol was isolated by Hesse in 1878 from the Calabar beans (Phytostigma venenosum) which coined the term “phytosterine” (Cook 1958). This substance was later named stigmasterol by Windaus and Hault in 1906 from the plant genus (Cook 1958). The denomination “phytosterol” was proposed by Thomsin 1897 for all sterols of vegetal origin.The word phytosteroid originate from phyto-+steroid. It means any steroid of plant origin. In plants, steroids play an important role as constituents of cell membranes, insect deterrents, and growth hormones (Makin et al. 1995). Phytosteroids are natural hormones precursors.
Hecogenin and fluticasone combination attenuates TNBS-induced ulcerative colitis in rats via downregulation of pro-inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress
Published in Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, 2021
Deepa K. Ingawale, Satish K. Mandlik, Snehal S. Patel
The herbal medicine-isolated compounds serve as a substitute for plant extracts that have long been researched to find new, safer and more powerful topical anti-inflammatory drugs [16]. Therefore, it is of vital importance to look for less toxic plant-based steroidal drugs (phytosteroids) known for their anti-inflammatory effects [17]. Therefore, by combining FC with HG, the reasoning behind such research work was to reduce the dose of synthetic glucocorticoid. Our previous research study showed the anti-inflammatory effects of HG and its combination with FC on ear edema induced by croton oil in mice and granuloma induced by cotton pellets by inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-12 [18]. We have also researched the anti-inflammatory ability of HG and its combination with FC by controlling pro-inflammatory cytokines for arthritis, atopic dermatitis and airway hyperresponsiveness [12,13].
Hecogenin exhibits anti-arthritic activity in rats through suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in Complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced arthritis
Published in Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, 2018
Deepa K. Ingawale, Snehal S. Patel
The compounds isolated from herbal medicine serve as replacement for a plants extracts that have been studied for long time to establish newer, safer and more effective topical anti-inflammatory drug18. Hence, it is of utmost importance to search for less toxic steroidal drugs from plant origin (phytosteroids) that have been known for their anti-inflammatory effects19. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the anti-arthritic effect of HG alone and in combination with FC. Further efforts were also made to elucidate the potential mechanism of HG and HG + FC in adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats.
Sarsasapogenin and fluticasone combination improves DNFB induced atopic dermatitis lesions in BALB/c mice
Published in Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, 2021
Deepa S. Mandlik, Satish K. Mandlik, Snehal S. Patel
The study aimed to combine FC with the phytosteroid SG to reduce the side effects of FC. Based on a pilot study, the doses of SG (50 µg/mice) and SG + FC (25 µg/mice, each) were selected. The dose-finding research was carried out by choosing different doses of SG such as 50, 75, and 100 µg/mice and all doses showed significant anti-inflammatory potential in mice. Therefore, an SG dose of 50 µg/mice was preferred for an anti-AD study.