Metabolomics of Healthy Berry Fruits

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (37) ◽  
pp. 4888-4902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilda D'Urso ◽  
Sonia Piacente ◽  
Cosimo Pizza ◽  
Paola Montoro

The consumption of berry-type fruits has become very popular in recent years because of their positive effects on human health. Berries are in fact widely known for their health-promoting benefits, including prevention of chronic disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Berries are a rich source of bioactive metabolites, such as vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds, mainly anthocyanins. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies recognized the health effects of berries and their function as bioactive modulators of various cell functions associated with oxidative stress. Plants have one of the largest metabolome databases, with over 1200 papers on plant metabolomics published only in the last decade. Mass spectrometry (MS) and NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) are the most important analytical technologies on which the emerging ''omics'' approaches are based. They may provide detection and quantization of thousands of biologically active metabolites from a tissue, working in a ''global'' or ''targeted'' manner, down to ultra-trace levels. In the present review, we highlighted the use of MS and NMR-based strategies and Multivariate Data Analysis for the valorization of berries known for their biological activities, important as food and often used in the preparation of nutraceutical formulations.

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (02) ◽  
pp. 199-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zefeng Zhao ◽  
Xirui He ◽  
Qiang Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyang Wei ◽  
Linhong Huang ◽  
...  

Plants from the genus Sanguisorba have been treated as medicinal ingredients for over 2000 years. This paper reviews advances in the botanical, phytochemical and pharmacological studies of the genus. To date, more than 120 chemical constituents have been isolated and identified from these plants, especially from S. officinalis and S. minor. Among these compounds, triterpenoids, phenols and flavonoids are the primary biologically active constituents. Triterpenoids can be used as quality control markers to determine the quality of medicinal materials and their preparations. In vivo and in vitro studies have shown that plants from the genus Sanguisorba exhibit a wide range of pharmacological properties, including hemostatic, antibacterial, antitumor, neuroprotective and hypoglycemic activities. In Chinese medical practice, many drugs (e.g., tablets and powders) that contain S. officinalis roots have been used to treat leukopenia, hemorrhaging and burns. However, there is still a multitude of Sanguisorba species that have garnered little or no attention. Indeed, there are few reports concerning the clinical use and toxic effects of these plants. Further attention should be focused on the study of these species in order to gather information on their respective toxicology data, any relevant quality-control measures, and the clinical value of the crude extracts, active compounds, and bioactive metabolites from Genus Sanguisorba.


Author(s):  
Sonia Singh ◽  
Aman Kumar ◽  
Bhupesh C. Semwal

Introduction:: Herb, Zanthoxylum armatum DC., commonly called as Indian prickly ash, and Nepal pepper (family Rutaceae), that commonly utilized in the traditional medicinal system. Objective:: The current review provides a requisite data collecting descriptive information on the organoleptic, microscopical, ethnobotanical use, phytochemicals and pharmacological properties of Z. armatum; therefore, helps in forming a bridge between research gaps and the upcoming future findings for most of the researches. Materials and methods:: The systematic literature survey was conducted using the PRISMA methodology. The collective information was gathered from books, renowned journals, and electronic databases including Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed from 1966 to 2020. Results:: Most of the bioactive metabolites have been isolated and characterized till dates, such as monoterpenes in essential oil and lignan components are reported to present in the herb. Several in-vitro and in-vivo pharmacological bioassays revealed the potential of Z. armatum as antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, cardiovascular effects and so on. Conclusion:: Therefore, the current review will summarize the organoleptic, microscopy, phytochemistry and biological activities of Z. armatum providing more emphasis on in-vitro as well as in-vivo studies along with clinical research, helpful in exploring the potential efficacy of the plant.


Author(s):  
Kalaiseziyen Pavithra ◽  
Ganapathy Saravanan

Nature is an amazing source for food, shelter, clothing and medicine. An impressive number of modern drugs are isolated from many sources like plants, animals and microbes. The development of natural products from traditional medicines is of great importance to society. Modern concepts and methodologies with abundant clinical studies, unique diversity of chemical structures and biological activities aid the modern drug discovery process. Kedrostis foetidissima (Jacq.) Cogn., a traditional medicinal plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, is found in India, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and Western Malaysia. Almost all parts of the plant are used in traditional systems of medicines and reported having medicinal properties in both in vitro and in vivo studies. In the last few years, extensive research work had been carried out using extracts and isolated phytoconstituents from Kedrostis foetidissima to confirm its pharmacology and biological activities. Many scientific reports show that crude extracts and extensive numbers of phytochemical constituents isolated from Kedrostis foetidissima have activities like antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, gastroprotective, anti-inflammatory and various other important medicinal properties. The therapeutic properties of the plants are mainly attributed to the existence of phytoconstituents like phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids and steroids. This comprehensive review in various aspects gave a brief overview of phytoconstituents, nutritional values and medicinal property of the plant and might attract the researchers to explore its medicinal activity by discovering novel biologically active compounds that can serve as a lead compound in pharmaceutical and food industry.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taha Monadi ◽  
Mohammad Azadbakht ◽  
Amirhossein Ahmadi ◽  
Aroona Chabra

The Mandragora genus (Solanaceae) is well known for its association with myths and has been used in herbal medicine since ancient times. This extensive literature review synthesizes the information currently available on the ethnobotany, Persian medicine (PM), traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity profile of Mandragora spp. The electronic search engines Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect were searched using keywords such as Mandragora, mandrake, phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology, Persian medicine, ethnobotany, and toxicity. Pertinent information was also extracted from books on PM, ethnomedicine, and dissertations. Mandragora species are found throughout the Mediterranean basin, Europe, Northern Africa, and the Himalayan regions. Traditionally, the species have been used to treat insomnia, dysuria, hemorrhoids, rheumatic pain, toothache, melancholia, and depression, among many others. In vitro studies have confirmed the biological properties of Mandragora spp. crude extracts, such as antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and enzyme-inhibiting effects. Various phytochemicals, such as alkaloids (e.g., atropine and scopolamine), coumarins (e.g., umbelliferone and scopoletin), withanolides (e.g., salpichrolide C), and lipid-like compounds (e.g., beta-sitosterol), have been isolated from Mandragora spp. Some of the pure compounds composing this plant are highlighted for their biologically active effects, including anticholinergic, antidepressant, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. Modern identifications of biological activities of the compounds isolated from Mandragora, especially alkaloids, support its traditional uses (e.g., for their narcotic effects). More in vivo studies are required to further understanding and most effectively utilize this genus, and extensive toxicological studies are required to validate its safety in clinical use.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 498
Author(s):  
Mariaevelina Alfieri ◽  
Antonietta Leone ◽  
Alfredo Ambrosone

Plants produce different types of nano and micro-sized vesicles. Observed for the first time in the 60s, plant nano and microvesicles (PDVs) and their biological role have been inexplicably under investigated for a long time. Proteomic and metabolomic approaches revealed that PDVs carry numerous proteins with antifungal and antimicrobial activity, as well as bioactive metabolites with high pharmaceutical interest. PDVs have also been shown to be also involved in the intercellular transfer of small non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs, suggesting fascinating mechanisms of long-distance gene regulation and horizontal transfer of regulatory RNAs and inter-kingdom communications. High loading capacity, intrinsic biological activities, biocompatibility, and easy permeabilization in cell compartments make plant-derived vesicles excellent natural or bioengineered nanotools for biomedical applications. Growing evidence indicates that PDVs may exert anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anticancer activities in different in vitro and in vivo models. In addition, clinical trials are currently in progress to test the effectiveness of plant EVs in reducing insulin resistance and in preventing side effects of chemotherapy treatments. In this review, we concisely introduce PDVs, discuss shortly their most important biological and physiological roles in plants and provide clues on the use and the bioengineering of plant nano and microvesicles to develop innovative therapeutic tools in nanomedicine, able to encompass the current drawbacks in the delivery systems in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical technology. Finally, we predict that the advent of intense research efforts on PDVs may disclose new frontiers in plant biotechnology applied to nanomedicine.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 952
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Chrząszcz ◽  
Barbara Krzemińska ◽  
Rafał Celiński ◽  
Katarzyna Szewczyk

The genus Cephalaria, belonging to the Caprifoliaceae family, is a rich source of interesting secondary metabolites, including mainly saponins which display a variety of biological activities, such as immunomodulatory, antimicrobial and hemolytic effects. Besides these compounds, flavonoids and phenolic acids were identified in Cephalaria species. Cephalaria is employed in traditional medicine e.g., to cure cardiac and lung diseases, rheumatism, and regulate menstruation. In this review we focus on the phenolic compound composition and antioxidative activity of Cephalaria species. The antioxidant effect can be explained by flavonoids present in all parts of these plants. However, future efforts should concentrate more on in vitro and in vivo studies and also on clinical trials in order to confirm the possibility of using these plants as natural antioxidants for the pharmacology, food or cosmetic industries.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3207
Author(s):  
Kumaresan Sakthiabirami ◽  
Vaiyapuri Soundharrajan ◽  
Jin-Ho Kang ◽  
Yunzhi Peter Yang ◽  
Sang-Won Park

The design of zirconia-based scaffolds using conventional techniques for bone-regeneration applications has been studied extensively. Similar to dental applications, the use of three-dimensional (3D) zirconia-based ceramics for bone tissue engineering (BTE) has recently attracted considerable attention because of their high mechanical strength and biocompatibility. However, techniques to fabricate zirconia-based scaffolds for bone regeneration are in a stage of infancy. Hence, the biological activities of zirconia-based ceramics for bone-regeneration applications have not been fully investigated, in contrast to the well-established calcium phosphate-based ceramics for bone-regeneration applications. This paper outlines recent research developments and challenges concerning numerous three-dimensional (3D) zirconia-based scaffolds and reviews the associated fundamental fabrication techniques, key 3D fabrication developments and practical encounters to identify the optimal 3D fabrication technique for obtaining 3D zirconia-based scaffolds suitable for real-world applications. This review mainly summarized the articles that focused on in vitro and in vivo studies along with the fundamental mechanical characterizations on the 3D zirconia-based scaffolds.


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. e67649
Author(s):  
Marta Sánchez ◽  
Elena González-Burgos ◽  
Irene Iglesias ◽  
M. Pilar Gómez-Serranillos Cuadrado

Valeriana officinalis L. (Caprifoliaceae family) has been traditionally used to treat mild nervous tension and sleep problems. The basis of these activities are mainly attributed to valerenic acid through the modulation of the GABA receptor. Moreover, V. officinalis is claimed to have other biological activities such as cardiovascular benefits, anticancer, antimicrobial and spasmolytic.  The current review aims to update the biological and pharmacological studies (in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials) of V. officinalis and its major secondary metabolites in order to guide future research. Databases PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus were used for literature search including original papers written in English and published between 2014 and 2020. There have been identified 33 articles which met inclusion criteria. Most of these works were performed with V. officinalis extracts and only a few papers (in vitro and in vivo studies) evaluated the activity of isolated compounds (valerenic acid and volvalerenal acid K). In vitro studies focused on studying antioxidant and neuroprotective activity. In vivo studies and clinical trials mainly investigated activities on the nervous system (anticonvulsant activity, antidepressant, cognitive problems, anxiety and sleep disorders). Just few studies were focused on other different activities, highlight effects on symptoms of premenstrual and postmenopausal syndromes. Valeriana officinalis continues to be one of the medicinal plants most used by today's society for its therapeutic properties and whose biological and pharmacological activities continue to arouse great scientific interest as evidenced in recent publications. This review shows scientific evidence on traditional uses of V. officinalis on nervous system.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 818-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Seki ◽  
Takaharu Sasaki ◽  
Tomomi Ueda ◽  
Makoto Arita

Inflammation is the first response of the immune system to infection or injury, but excessive or inappropriate inflammatory responses contribute to a range of acute and chronic human diseases. Clinical assessment of dietary supplementation of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (i.e., eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) indicate that they have beneficial impact on these diseases, although the mechanisms are poorly understood at the molecular level. In this decade, it has been revealed that EPA and DHA are enzymatically converted to bioactive metabolites in the course of acute inflammation and resolution. These metabolites were shown to regulate immune cell functions and to display potent anti-inflammatory actions bothin vitroandin vivo. Because of their ability to resolve an acute inflammatory response, they are referred to as proresolving mediators, or resolvins. In this review, we provide an overview of the formation and actions of these lipid mediators.


Planta Medica ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (03) ◽  
pp. 139-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dao Tam ◽  
Duy Truong ◽  
Thi Nguyen ◽  
Le Quynh ◽  
Linh Tran ◽  
...  

AbstractGinsenoside Rh1 is one of major bioactive compounds extracted from red ginseng, which has been increasingly used for enhancing cognition and physical health worldwide. The objective of this study was to review the pharmacological effects of ginsenoside Rh1 in a systematic manner. We performed searches on eight electronic databases including MEDLINE (Pubmed), Scopus, Google Scholar, POPLINE, Global Health Library, Virtual Health Library, the System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe, and the New York Academy of Medicine Grey Literature Report to select the original research publications reporting the biological and pharmacological effects of ginsenoside Rh1 from in vitro and in vivo studies regardless of publication language and study design. Upon applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we included a total of 57 studies for our systemic review. Ginsenoside Rh1 exhibited the potent characteristics of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory effects, and positive effects on the nervous system. The cytotoxic effects of ginsenoside Rh1 were dependent on different types of cell lines. Other pharmacological effects including estrogenic, enzymatic, anti-microorganism activities, and cardiovascular effects have been mentioned, but the results were considerably diverged. A higher quality of evidence on clinical trial studies is highly recommended to confirm the consistent efficacy of ginsenoside Rh1.


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