Overcompensation in response to simulated herbivory in the perennial herb Sedum maximum

Background: Momordica balsamina L. is a monoecious climbing vine and perennial herb native to the tropical regions of Asia, Arabia and the Caribbean, and with prominent presence in Nigeria, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Southern African provinces. While evidence of its anecdotal usage as medicine exist, scientific reports complementing the claims are still emerging or at their infancy. Objective: This review appraised the morphology, therapeutic and biotechnological significance of M. balsamina. Method: Online resources such as Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect and MeSH were utilized for literature search and included relevant information from inception till May 2020 to streamline sought outcomes for in-depth discussion. Results: The data gathered and considered worthy of inclusion in this study revealed that M. balsamina is rich in phytonutrients of medicinal significance with cucurbitane-type triterpenoids, balsamin and momordins well characterized and fully elucidated. These compounds and other novel bioactive agents in M. balsamina have found remarkable pharmacological relevance and could further be harnessed for use against several debilitating human disorders. Conclusion: The potential applications of M. balsamina as nutraceutical and pharmaceutical agent should not be undermined. Also, with the inadequate toxicological data on this wild species, its consumption should be with caution and translational studies that could advance scientific knowledge and aid better understanding of both its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics without sidelining its potent biotechnological applications are highly encouraged. It is hoped that this paper will provide baseline information that could serve as a guide and inspiration for further studies on the prospects of M. balsamina.

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Zingiber zerumbet(L.) Smith: A Review of Its Ethnomedicinal, Chemical, and Pharmacological Uses

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2011/543216 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 80

Author(s):

N. J. Yob ◽

S. Mohd. Jofrry ◽

M. M. R. Meor. Mohd. Affandi ◽

L. K. Teh ◽

M. Z. Salleh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plant ◽

Traditional Medicine ◽

Biological Evaluation ◽

Perennial Herb ◽

Zingiber Zerumbet ◽

Tropical Countries ◽

Traditional Uses ◽

Worm Infestation

Zingiber zerumbetSm., locally known to the Malay as “Lempoyang,” is a perennial herb found in many tropical countries, including Malaysia. The rhizomes ofZ. zerumbet, particularly, have been regularly used as food flavouring and appetizer in various Malays' cuisines while the rhizomes extracts have been used in Malay traditional medicine to treat various types of ailments (e.g., inflammatory- and pain-mediated diseases, worm infestation and diarrhea). Research carried out using differentin vitroandin vivoassays of biological evaluation support most of these claims. The active pharmacological component ofZ. zerumbetrhizomes most widely studied is zerumbone. This paper presents the botany, traditional uses, chemistry, and pharmacology of this medicinal plant.

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Botanical Control of Citrus Green Mold and Peach Brown Rot on Fruits Assays Using a Persicaria acuminata Phytochemically Characterized Extract

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10030425 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 425

Author(s):

Melina G. Di Liberto ◽

Gisela M. Seimandi ◽

Laura N. Fernández ◽

Verónica E. Ruiz ◽

Laura A. Svetaz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecological Model ◽

Fungal Infections ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Central Area ◽

Brown Rot ◽

Phytopathogenic Fungi ◽

Perennial Herb ◽

Huh7 Cells ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy

Persicaria acuminata (Polygonaceae) is a perennial herb that grows in the central area of Argentina and it is commonly used by native populations to heal infected wounds and other conditions related to fungal infections. In this article, we explored the in vitro antifungal activity of its ethyl acetate extract against a panel of three fruit phytopathogenic fungi including: Penicillium digitatum, P. italicum, and Monilinia fructicola. The sesquiterpenes isolated from the extract were also evaluated against these strains, demonstrating that the dialdehyde polygodial was the responsible for this activity. In order to encourage the use of the extract rather than the pure compound, we displayed ex vivo assays using fresh oranges and peaches inoculated with P. digitatum and M. fructicola, respectively, and subsequently treated by immersion with an extract solution of 250 and 62.5 µg/mL, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between the treatments with commercial fungicides and the extract over the control of both fruit rots. The concentration of the active compound present in the extract used on fruit experiments was determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy. Finally, cytotoxicity evaluation against Huh7 cells showed that P. acuminata extract was less cytotoxic than the commercial fungicides at the assayed concentrations. After these findings we could conclude that a chemically characterized extract of P. acuminata should be further developed to treat fungal diseases in fruits from an agro-ecological model.

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Severe simulated herbivory constrains Sclerocarya birrea saplings regardless of resource availability

Austral Ecology ◽

10.1111/aec.12983 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 46 (3) ◽

pp. 475-485

Author(s):

Peter F. Scogings ◽

An De Fortier

Keyword(s):

Resource Availability ◽

Simulated Herbivory ◽

Sclerocarya Birrea

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Oenothera laciniata Hill Extracts Exhibits Antioxidant Effects and Attenuates Melanogenesis in B16-F10 Cells via Downregulating CREB/MITF/Tyrosinase and Upregulating p-ERK and p-JNK

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10040727 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 727

Author(s):

Horng-Huey Ko ◽

Yeo-Tzu Chang ◽

Yueh-Hsiung Kuo ◽

Chia-Hsuan Lin ◽

Yih-Fung Chen

Keyword(s):

Total Phenolic Content ◽

Phenolic Content ◽

Antioxidant Activities ◽

Radical Scavenging Activity ◽

Radical Scavenging ◽

Tyrosinase Activity ◽

Perennial Herb ◽

In Vitro Assays ◽

Total Phenolic ◽

Protective Agent

Oenothera laciniata Hill is a perennial herb traditionally used to alleviate inflammatory complications. This study investigated the antioxidant and anti-melanogenic activities of O. laciniata. The methanolic extract (OLM) of O. laciniata and its different fractions, including ethyl acetate (OLEF), n-butanol (OLBF), and water (OLWF) fractions, were prepared. Antioxidant activities were evaluated by total phenolic content, the radical-scavenging effect on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS+•), and superoxide anion (O2−•), reducing capacity, and metal chelating ability. OLM and its fractions exhibited potent antioxidant activity in these in vitro assays, with a correlation between radical-scavenging activity and total phenolic content. OLM and its fractions inhibited the mushroom tyrosinase activity superior to the reference control, ascorbic acid. In B16-F10 melanoma cells, OLM and its fractions significantly decreased melanin production and tyrosinase activity. Mechanistic investigations revealed that OLM and its fractions inhibited tyrosinase and TRP-2 expressions via downregulating MITF and phosphorylated CREB and differentially inducing ERK or JNK phosphorylation. Additionally, OLM and its fractions caused no significant cytotoxicity towards B16-F10 or skin fibroblast cells at concentrations used in these cellular assays. These findings demonstrated the potential of O. laciniata extracts as the ideal skin protective agent with dual antioxidant and anti-melanogenic activities.

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