Catalog of Herbs
James A. Duke in Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, 2018
Highly valued legume forage, alfalfa has been heralded as having the highest feeding value of all commonly grown hay crops. In parts of China and Russia tender alfalfa leaves serve as a vegetable. Sprouts are consumed in many countries. Alfalfa is grown as a cover crop to reduce soil erosion, often increasing yields of succeeding crops, as potatoes, rice, cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes (increased by 10 MT/ha), corn, apples, and oranges. Valued as a honey plant. Extracts produce antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Powdered alfalfa is used as a diluent to adjust strength of digitalis powder, and the root has been used as an adulterant of belladonna root. Seeds yield 8.5 to 11% of a drying oil suitable for making paints and varnish. Seeds contain a yellow dye. Alfalfa fiber has been used in manufacturing paper.40 Alfalfa extracts are used in baked goods, beverages, candy, frozen desserts, gelatins, liqueurs, meat, produce, and puddings. Alfalfa is one source of commercial chlorophyll42 and carotene.31
Antioxidant Effects of Peptides
Mesut Karahan in Synthetic Peptide Vaccine Models, 2021
Alfalfa leaf: Due to its high protein content and nutritional value, the Food and Agriculture Organization recommended it for human consumption as a potential protein source. Mice fed with the proteins of these leaves were observed to have an increase in GSH-Px and SOD enzymes and a decrease in the concentration of malonaldehyde (MDA). In the leaf, albumin was found to be the dominant protein, while gluten and globin were found in small amounts. It is found that cloverleaf peptides have a good antioxidant activity (Xie et al. 2008). In a study they have found that hydrolysate of carrot seed protein peptides can be promising oxidative damage scavengers in food. They have antioxidant activities (Ye et al. 2018). In another study, peptides were produced from pollen using the alcalase enzyme. It was purified by size-exclusion chromatography after enzymatic hydrolysis. Reverse-phase HPLC was used to lyse the antioxidant activity of pollen-derived peptides. The DPPH radical removal activity of the fractions obtained was 66.61% (Maqsoudlou et al. 2018) (Table 12.1).
Resources along the Silk Road in Central Asia: Lagochilus inebrians Bunge (Turkestan Mint) and Medicago sativa L. (Alfalfa)
Raymond Cooper, Jeffrey John Deakin in Natural Products of Silk Road Plants, 2020
Although alfalfa is generally known as a feed source for livestock, it is becoming more popular in many parts of the world for human consumption as it is a valuable source of protein which could contribute to sustainable food development in developed countries (Mielmann, 2013). Alfalfa sprouts are widely consumed by humans as a garnish. Concentrates of proteins from leaves and the dehydrated plant are components of many nutritional supplement products (Hatfield, 1990). Alfalfa has been used as food in parts of Russia, China, America, and South Africa. In the past, alfalfa meal was incorporated into a cereal mixture and used to nourish small children (Levy and Fox, 1935). Chinese farmers have also consumed it as a vegetable, and it has been utilized to increase the protein, dietary fiber, mineral, and vitamin content of wheat flour (Hao et al., 2008). Alfalfa is one of the most popular sprouts available and is often consumed raw or slightly cooked in salads and sandwiches or as decorative appetizers (Peñas et al., 2009). Alfalfa sometimes has a bitter taste due to its saponin content (Sen et al., 1998). Recent sensory tests conducted with human volunteers using saponins isolated from above-ground parts of alfalfa have shown that zahnic acid tredismoside is responsible for the taste (Oleszek, 2002). L-canavanine is a potentially toxic non-protein amino acid, antimetabolite of L-arginine that is stored by many leguminous plants. This compound has shown anticancer activity against a number of carcinomas and cancer cell lines. The occurrence of canavanine in alfalfa products has also stimulated considerable interest due to the correlation between high amounts of canavanine consumption and the onset of a systemic lupus erythematosus-like syndrome (Rosenthal and Nkomo, 2000). An investigation was conducted to determine the canavanine content in commercially available sprouts and in the seed of ten alfalfa cultivars. The sprouts contained canavanine ranging from 1.3% to 2.4% of the dry matter, depending on the source. Alfalfa seeds were also rich in canavanine with contents varying from 1.4% to 1.8% of the dry matter. On average, the tested seeds contained 1.5% ± 0.03% canavanine. Breeding cultivars of alfalfa with high protein and nutrient content and low canavanine will be important if human consumption of alfalfa is going to increase substantially.
Medicago sativa ameliorated cyclophosphamide-induced thrombocytopenia and oxidative stress in rats
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2023
Zahra Gholamnezhad, Vajihe Rouki, Ramin Rezaee, Mohammad Hossein Boskabady
Medicago sativa (M. sativa) known as “alfalfa” is a herb that has been used as food, as an anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic agent and to cure digestive tract and nervous system disorders (Bora and Sharma 2011). This herb contains several secondary metabolites and nutritional constituents including phenolic compounds, flavonoids, saponins, coumarins, and phytosterols (Karimi et al.2013, Rafińska et al.2017). It is also rich in protein and vitamins including vitamin A, C, D, E, and K, and the whole family of B vitamins as well as many minerals such as calcium, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and potassium. Various pharmacological properties of M. sativa such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-anemic, antihyperlipidemic cardioprotective, neuroprotective, anxiolytic, hepatoprotective, and immune-protective effects, were described (Basch et al.2003). The modulatory effects of M. sativa on coagulation could be explained by mechanisms such as the presence of high levels of vitamin K, inhibition of ADP-induced platelet aggregation, and collagen and inhibition of thromboxane synthesis in platelets (Pierre et al.2005). However, to the best of our knowledge, the impact of M. sativa on thrombocytopenia has not been determined. Therefore, effects of M. sativa hydro-ethanolic extract on CP-induced thrombocytopenia, hematological and hepatic toxicity and oxidative stress, were evaluated in this study.
The potential of plant-made vaccines to fight picornavirus
Published in Expert Review of Vaccines, 2020
Omayra C. Bolaños-Martínez, Sergio Rosales-Mendoza
Dus Santos et al. (2005) generated alfalfa plants expressing P1, the 2A sequence, the first 61 amino acid residues of the N terminus of 2B, the complete sequence of 3B1, 3B2, 3B3, and 3 C; and the first 16 amino acid residues of the 3D N terminus of FMDV O1 C [34]. Transgenic plants were developed by A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation; generating empty capsids of FMDV. Mice were immunized i.p. four times with 150 μL of leaf extract obtained from 15 to 20 mg of fresh tissue; leading to the induction of humoral responses against the structural protein VP1 and purified FMDV particles. Mice were subsequently challenged with FMDV observing full protection against infection. This interesting work demonstrated the capability of the plant-made FMDV-P1 to induce a protective antibody response.
Chemical Utilization of Albizia lebbeck Leaves for Developing Protein Concentrates as a Dietary Supplement
Published in Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2018
Lutful Haque Khan, V. K. Varshney
Total carotene, another important component of leaf protein, is also a nutritionally important biochemical parameter. ALLPCL, ALLPCM, and ALLPCU had total carotene contents of 27.44, 27.38, and 27.41 mg/100 g LPC, respectively. Xanthophylls concentrations in the ALLPCL, ALLPCM, and ALLPCU were 0.54%, 0.54%, and 0.54%, respectively. These values were higher to those noted for alfalfa protein (0.05%–0.09%) (Grela and Pietrzak, 2014) and for LPC derived from Populus deltoides (0.21–0.22%) (Khan, Varshney & Naithani, 2014). Recently, dietary xanthophylls have acquired significant importance because of their potential to prevent cancers, diabetes, and inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases (Yuan et al., 2011). Statistical analysis of ALLPCL, ALLPCM, and ALLPCU showed insignificant differences in the contents of chlorophyll, total carotene, and xanthophylls (p > .05). Thus, ALLPC can be considered as a good source of pigments.
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