Effect of Elevated CO2 Conditions on Medicinal Plants
Azamal Husen in Environmental Pollution and Medicinal Plants, 2022
Due to anticancerous, antiviral, and diuretic properties, Catharanthus roseus is an important medicinal plant. In an experiment in which the Catharanthus plant was treated with higher carbon dioxide levels, there was an elevation in most secondary metabolites in the plant, including phenolics, alkaloids, flavonoids, and tannin (Yang et al. 2018). It was studied that, with e[CO2], Zingiber officinale showed enhancement in flavonoid and phenolic content (Ghasemzadeh et al. 2018). In Quercus ilicifolia, elevated carbon dioxide increased flavonoid and phenolic contents (Kumar et al. 2017). It was reported that enhanced content of phenols and flavonoids subsequently incremented to phenylalanine (primary metabolite), which acts as a metabolic precursor in the formation of many secondary metabolites. Other studies carried out on Labisia pumila by Ibrahim et al. (2014) also showed elevated levels of flavonoids and phenols under higher carbon dioxide levels. In addition, in the medicinal plant Pseudotsuga manziesii, there was a sudden decline in monoterpenes under e[CO2] conditions (Snow et al. 2003).
Anti-Hyperglycemic Property Of Medicinal Plants
Amit Baran Sharangi, K. V. Peter in Medicinal Plants, 2023
Vinca rosea or Catharanthus roseus, common name Madagascar periwinkle, is a fellow of Apocynaceae family, and indigenous to Madagascar and widely grown in India, Pakistan, Australia, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. In an in vivo study, aqueous extract of V. rosea was orally given to AI hyperglycemic rats for one week at a dosage of 0.4 g/kg. It was observed that the extract resulted in a noteworthy lowering in blood glucose level and the results were in par with glibenclamide, 0.01 g/kg (Raja et al., 2008). In another study, methanolic extract was fed to AI hyperglycemic rats for 14 days. It was observed that 0.5 g/kg dose was more efficient than 0.3 g/kg dose in hypoglycemic activity. This extract also ameliorated lipid profile, body weight and regeneration of β islet cells (Ahmed et al., 2010). To explore and elucidate the mechanism of action of anti-hyperglycemic activity, a study with ethanolic extract of Madagascar periwinkle was conducted. It was found that anti hyperglycemic effect was due to the complex mechanism of GLUT gene mRNA expression or amplification (Al-Shaqha et al., 2015).
Global environmental change and health
Kevin McCracken, David R. Phillips in Global Health, 2017
Unthinking destruction of rainforest areas and associated loss of biodiversity are almost certainly costing humanity valuable medicinal resources. Many vital modern pharmaceuticals come from compounds derived from forest plants. Some major examples include: Taxol: for treatment of breast and ovarian cancer. Derived from the Pacific yew tree – Taxus brevifolia.Topotecan and Irinotecan: for treatment of breast, thyroid, small cell lung, colon and ovarian cancer, malignant melanoma, lymphomas and leukaemias, as well as AIDS. Derived from Camptotheca acuminata (popularly known as the ‘Cancer Tree’ or ‘Happy Tree’), native to China.Vinblastine and Vincristine: for treatment of leukaemia and lymphoma and several other cancers. Derived from the rosy periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), native to Madagascar.Prostratin: for treating HIV. Derived from the mamala tree (Homolanthus nutans), found in Samoa.
In vitro antimicrobial and anti-proliferative activities of plant extracts from Spathodea campanulata, Ficus bubu, and Carica papaya
Published in Pharmaceutical Biology, 2016
Jean Emmanuel Mbosso Teinkela, Jules Clément Assob Nguedia, Franck Meyer, Erik Vouffo Donfack, Bruno Lenta Ndjakou, Silvère Ngouela, Etienne Tsamo, Dieudonné Adiogo, Anatole Guy Blaise Azebaze, René Wintjens
Overcoming antibiotic resistance as well as managing drug toxicity and side effects are some of the major challenges to be faced us in the next decades. Despite extensive progress in scientific knowledge and medical technology, infectious diseases remain a leading cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality (Moellering et al. 2007). They are responsible for considerable burden in developing countries. Many studies have been dedicated to the evaluation of antimicrobial properties of plants, some of which have lead to the development of drugs for further application in phytomedicine such as Cephaelis ipecacuanha Rich. (Apocynaceae), Cinchona tree, Catharanthus roseus G. Don. (syn. Vinca rosea Linn.) (Apocynaceae) (Iwu et al. 1999; Nascimento et al. 2000). However, several plants are still used in the form of crude extracts, infusions, or plasters to treat common infections without any scientific evidence of their efficacy (Noumi & Yomi 2001).
Stable antibacterial silver nanoparticles produced with seed-derived callus extract of Catharanthus roseus
Published in Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 2018
Dandy Ahamefula Osibe, Nneka Virginia Chiejina, Kazuyoshi Ogawa, Hideki Aoyagi
The Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), a tropical perennial plant, is a source of several important indole alkaloids with medicinal value [20]. Owing to its pharmaceutical importance, it has been regarded as an important model for plant secondary metabolism studies [21]. To the best of our knowledge, we herein for the first time describe a green route that uses seed-derived callus extract of C. roseus in the synthesis of stable, well-dispersed and functional Ag NPs. Various characterization techniques were employed to reveal the intrinsic physicochemical characteristics of the obtained Ag NPs. The colloidal stability of the synthesized Ag NPs in aqueous dispersions was systematically studied by measuring the changes in UV–Vis absorbance spectra and zeta potential. The potential for the application of the synthesized Ag NPs as efficient antimicrobial agents was evaluated using Escherichia coli (E. coli) as the model organism. In addition, the long-term antibacterial activity of the synthesized Ag NPs was assessed using the agar well diffusion assay.
Synthesis, characterization and anticancer activity of vincristine loaded folic acid-chitosan conjugated nanoparticles on NCI-H460 non-small cell lung cancer cell line
Published in Egyptian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 2018
Naresh Kumar, Raj Kumar Salar, Minakshi Prasad, Koushlesh Ranjan
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is major type of lung cancer that bears almost 85% of major lung cancer types. Only 17.3% of the people who develop NSCLC survive for 5 years. NSCLC is an aggressive neoplasm, responsible for more lung cancer related deaths every year in the United States than colon, breast, pancreas, and prostate cancers combined together [1]. The major types of NSCLC are – adenocarcinoma (nearly 40%), squamous cell carcinoma (nearly 25–30%) and large cell carcinoma (nearly 10–15%) [2]. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery have been used to treat NSCLC but have serious side effects. Vincristine is used in clinical practice since the early 1960s [3,4] . Vincristine is used to treat different types of cancers, which include acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, neuroblastoma and lung cancer [5]. It is a vinca alkaloid and obtained from the Madagascar periwinkle Catharanthus roseus [6]. However, multidrug resistance, unwanted side effects on healthy cells and poor availability to cancer cells limit its utilization in medicine. In a few years, anticancer drugs loaded natural and artificial polymers have been tested against cancer cell lines to bypass the p-glycoprotein receptors, the main cause of drug resistance.