Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. ex Schult.): focus on nutraceutical aspects

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amirhossein Nazhand ◽  
Alessandra Durazzo ◽  
Massimo Lucarini ◽  
Amelia M. Silva ◽  
Selma B. Souto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Uncaria Tomentosa ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Microbial Infections ◽  
Health Promoting

: Medicinal plants have been globally exploiting as an alternative to chemical drugs in the treatment of several diseases due to low unwanted side effects, environmentally friendly nature and low production costs, therefore, it is important to analyze the therapeutic properties of various medicinal plants to understand their potential bioactivity. Uncaria tomentosa is one of these medicinal plants with many health-promoting effects. Although the geographical resources of cat's claw go back to the remote tropics of the Amazon, industrialized countries use the plant extensively in trade. Various parts of the plants such as flowers, leaves, Stem, hook, and seed are mainly used medicinally to treat inflammation, asthma, allergies, skin impurities, microbial infections, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, cirrhosis, gastrointestinal disorders, arthritis, heart disease, rheumatism, and fever. The end point of this review article is to prospectively scrutinize in vitro and in vivo the therapeutic potential of this plant, especially in terms of its nutritional applications and health beneficial effects.

scholarly journals Phytochemical Constituents, Biological Activities, and Health-Promoting Effects of the Melissa officinalis

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Javad Sharifi-Rad ◽  
Cristina Quispe ◽  
Jesús Herrera-Bravo ◽  
Muhammad Akram ◽  
Wafa Abbaass ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Phenolic Antioxidants ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Melissa Officinalis ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Health Promoting

Medicinal plants are being used worldwide for centuries for their beneficial properties. Some of the most popular medicinal plants belong to the Melissa genus, and different health beneficial effects have already been identified for this genus. Among these species, in particular, the Melissa officinalis L. has been reported as having many biological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumour, antiviral, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, and also flatulence inhibiting effects. The beneficial properties of the Melissa officinalis, also known as “lemon balm herb”, can be related to the bioactive compounds such as terpenoids, alcohols, rosmarinic acid, and phenolic antioxidants which are present in the plant. In this updated review, the botanical, geographical, nutritional, phytochemical, and traditional medical aspects of M. officinalis have been considered as well as in vitro and in vivo and clinically proven therapeutic properties have been reviewed with a special focus on health-promoting effects and possible perspective nutraceutical applications. To evidence the relevance of this plant in the research and completely assess the context, a literature quantitative research analysis has been performed indicating the great interest towards this plant for its beneficial properties.

scholarly journals Vitex agnus-castus L.: Main Features and Nutraceutical Perspectives

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 761
Author(s):  
Eliana B. Souto ◽  
Alessandra Durazzo ◽  
Amirhossein Nazhand ◽  
Massimo Lucarini ◽  
Massimo Zaccardelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Agnus Castus ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Therapeutic Properties

Medicinal plants are used worldwide due to their lower risk of side effects and eco-friendly, cost-effective production when compared to chemical drugs, encouraging researchers to further exploit the therapeutic potential of the former. One of the most popular medicinal plants is Vitex agnus-castus L., grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions, to which different health benefits have already been attributed. In this perspective article, the in vitro and in vivo therapeutic properties of V. agnus-castus L. have been analyzed and reviewed with a special focus on its health-promoting effects and potential nutraceutical applications.

Medicinal Plants and Bioactive Compounds for Diabetes Management: Important Advances for Drug Discovery

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kondeti Ramudu Shanmugam ◽  
Bhasha Shanmugam ◽  
Gangigunta Venkatasubbaiah ◽  
Sahukari Ravi ◽  
Kesireddy Sathyavelu Reddy
Keyword(s):  
Herbal Medicine ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Diabetes Management ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Major Public Health Problem

Background : Diabetes is a major public health problem in the world. It affects each and every part of the human body and also leads to organ failure. Hence, great progress made in the field of herbal medicine and diabetic research. Objectives: Our review will focus on the effect of bioactive compounds of medicinal plants which are used to treat diabetes in India and other countries. Methods: Information regarding diabetes, oxidative stress, medicinal plants and bioactive compounds were collected from different search engines like Science direct, Springer, Wiley online library, Taylor and francis, Bentham Science, Pubmed and Google scholar. Data was analyzed and summarized in the review. Results and Conclusion: Anti-diabetic drugs that are in use have many side effects on vital organs like heart, liver, kidney and brain. There is an urgent need for alternative medicine to treat diabetes and their disorders. In India and other countries herbal medicine was used to treat diabetes. Many herbal plants have antidiabetic effects. The plants like ginger, phyllanthus, curcumin, aswagandha, aloe, hibiscus and curcuma showed significant anti-hyperglycemic activities in experimental models and humans. The bioactive compounds like Allicin, azadirachtin, cajanin, curcumin, querceitin, gingerol possesses anti-diabetic, antioxidant and other pharmacological properties. This review focuses on the role of bioactive compounds of medicinal plants in prevention and management of diabetes. Conclusion: Moreover, our review suggests that bioactive compounds have the potential therapeutic potential against diabetes. However, further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to validate these findings.

scholarly journals Targeting necroptosis as therapeutic potential in chronic myocardial infarction

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chanon Piamsiri ◽  
Chayodom Maneechote ◽  
Natthaphat Siri-Angkul ◽  
Siriporn C. Chattipakorn ◽  
Nipon Chattipakorn
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Coronary Perfusion ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Cell Death Pathways ◽  
Threatening Condition ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Novel Therapeutic Strategies

AbstractCardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are considered the predominant cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Of these, myocardial infarction (MI) is the most common cause of CVD mortality. MI is a life-threatening condition which occurs when coronary perfusion is interrupted leading to cardiomyocyte death. Subsequent to MI, consequences include adverse cardiac remodeling and cardiac dysfunction mainly contribute to the development of heart failure (HF). It has been shown that loss of functional cardiomyocytes in MI-induced HF are associated with several cell death pathways, in particular necroptosis. Although the entire mechanism underlying necroptosis in MI progression is still not widely recognized, some recent studies have reported beneficial effects of necroptosis inhibitors on cell viability and cardiac function in chronic MI models. Therefore, extensive investigation into the necroptosis signaling pathway is indicated for further study. This article comprehensively reviews the context of the underlying mechanisms of necroptosis in chronic MI-induced HF in in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies. These findings could inform ways of developing novel therapeutic strategies to improve the clinical outcomes in MI patients from this point forward.

Reduction of chronic allograft nephropathy by inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 signaling

2008 ◽  
Vol 295 (3) ◽  
pp. F672-F679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuang Wang ◽  
Jifu Jiang ◽  
Qiunong Guan ◽  
Hao Wang ◽  
Christopher Y. C. Nguan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Mek Inhibitor ◽  
Treated Group ◽  
Chronic Allograft Nephropathy ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Extracellular Signal ◽  
Vehicle Treated Group

Chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN), the most common cause of late kidney allograft failure, is not effectively prevented by immunosuppressive regimens. Activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) via MEK mediates actions of various growth factors, including transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, which plays a key role in CAN. Hence, we tested the therapeutic potential of MEK-ERK1/2 signaling disruption to prevent CAN. Kidneys from C57BL/6J (H-2b) mice were transplanted to bilaterally nephrectomized BALB/c (H-2d) mice. At 14 days after transplantation, the recipients were subjected to 28 days of treatment with the MEK inhibitor CI-1040. All six CI-1040-treated allografts survived, while two of seven grafts in the vehicle-treated group were lost. At the end of the experiment, the function and structure of grafts in the CI-1040-treated group were significantly preserved, as indicated by lower levels of serum creatinine or blood urea nitrogen than in the vehicle-treated group [30 ± 6 vs. 94 ± 39 μM creatinine ( P = 0.0015) and 22 ± 8 vs. 56 ± 25 mM BUN ( P = 0.0054)] and reduced CAN in the CI-1040-treated group compared with vehicle controls (CAN score = 4.2 vs. 10.3, P = 0.0119). The beneficial effects induced by CI-1040 were associated with reduction of ERK1/2 phosphorylation and TGFβ1 levels in grafts. Also, CI-1040 potently suppressed not only TGFβ biosynthesis in kidney cell cultures but also antiallograft immune responses in vitro and in vivo. Our data suggest that interference of MEK-ERK1/2 signaling with a pharmacological agent (e.g., CI-1040) has therapeutic potential to prevent CAN in kidney transplantation.

scholarly journals Pharmacological and Therapeutic Potential of Myristicin: A Literature Review

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (19) ◽  
pp. 5914
Author(s):  
Elisa Frederico Seneme ◽  
Daiane Carla dos Santos ◽  
Evelyn Marcela Rodrigues Silva ◽  
Yollanda Edwirges Moreira Franco ◽  
Giovanna Barbarini Longato
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Review Article ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Asian Continent ◽  
Natural Origin ◽  
Beneficial Effects

Natural products have been used by humanity for many centuries to treat various illnesses and with the advancement of technology, it became possible to isolate the substances responsible for the beneficial effects of these products, as well as to understand their mechanisms. In this context, myristicin, a substance of natural origin, has shown several promising activities in a large number of in vitro and in vivo studies carried out. This molecule is found in plants such as nutmeg, parsley, carrots, peppers, and several species endemic to the Asian continent. The purpose of this review article is to discuss data published in the last 10 years at Pubmed, Lilacs and Scielo databases, reporting beneficial effects, toxicity and promising data of myristicin for its future use in medicine. From 94 articles found in the literature, 68 were included. Exclusion criteria took into account articles whose tested extracts did not have myristicin as one of the major compounds.

Nano-soldiers Ameliorate Silibinin Delivery: A Review Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milad Ashrafizadeh ◽  
Zahra Ahmadi ◽  
Reza Mohammadinejad ◽  
Tahereh Farkhondeh ◽  
Saeed Samarghandian
Keyword(s):  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Bioactive Component ◽  
Daily Diet ◽  
Clinical Disorders ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Therapeutic Activities ◽  
Significant Attention

: Flavonoids are a large group of naturally occurring compounds, which are of interest due to their great pharmacological effects and health-promoting impacts. These properties have led to their extensive application in a variety of pathological conditions, particularly cancer. Flavonoids are used in large quantities in a human's daily diet and a high amount of flavonoids are found in the intestine after oral usage. However, flavonoid concentrations in tissue/plasma are low because of their low bioavailability, the leading to the low efficacy of flavonoids in different clinical disorders. For this reason, nanotechnology application for delivering flavonoids to tumor sites has recently received significant attention. Silibinin is a key member of flavonoids and a bioactive component of silymarin, which is widely isolated from Silybum marianum. This plant-derived chemical has a number of valuable biological and therapeutic activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-tumor, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective and anti-diabetic. These beneficial effects have been demonstrated in in vivo and in vitro experiments. However, it seems that silibinin has a variety of limitations and poor bioavailability is the most important factor restricting its wide application. Hence, there have been attempts to improve the bioavailability of silibinin and it has been suggested that nano-soldiers are potential candidates for this aim. In the present review, we describe the different drug delivery systems for improving the bioavailability of silibinin.

scholarly journals An in-vitro investigation on the effect of chilling and reheating different starchy meals on resistant starch content

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulrahman Alzaabi ◽  
Barbara Fielding ◽  
Denise Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Resistant Starch ◽  
Starch Content ◽  
Plasma Lipid ◽  
Gut Health ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
In Vitro Investigation ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Future Work

AbstractFood processing has been shown to influence starch digestibility, due to the formation of indigestible starches known as resistant starch (RS). RS has been shown to have similar health promoting properties to those of insoluble dietary fibre. These beneficial effects include lower glycaemic response, improved insulin sensitivity, enhanced overall gut health, and better plasma lipid profile. Additionally, the presence of other nutrients such as proteins or lipids may also impact the amount of RS formed.The present work aimed to measure the effect of cooking and /or additional meal ingredients on the RS content of 5 different starchy meals, 3 made with pasta (one of which had cheese added) and 2 made with potato, using the Megazyme RS kit (K-RSTAR). The cooked meals were tested either freshly cooked, chilled overnight, or chilled overnight and reheated. Moreover, different amounts of fat were used in the test meals (10 g fat per 100 g pasta, 30 g fat per 100 g pasta, 5 g fat per 100 g potato and 10 g fat per 100 g potato) in order to examine the effect of the amount of fat on RS formation. The total number of meals tested was 15.The amount of RS in the 2 pasta meals without cheese were 40% and 44% higher in the chilled and reheated meals compared to the same meals freshly cooked for the 10 g and 30 g of fat meals, respectively. The chilled overnight meals were not different from the freshly cooked meals for both fat amounts. Moreover, the potato meals showed a more substantial difference between the meals for the two fat amounts. The chilled and reheated potato meals were 73% and 85% higher in RS content than the freshly cooked identical meal, in the 5 g and 10 g of fat, respectively. Additionally, the chilled potato meals had higher RS contents compared to freshly cooked potato meals (68% and 83%, respectively). Furthermore, the presence of protein reduced the total amount of digested starch and RS in all pasta meals when compared to the meals without cheese. The findings of this in-vitro investigation suggests that chilling and reheating starchy meals significantly increases their content of RS. Future work will determine if these in vitro findings will translate to health benefits in vivo.

scholarly journals Rosehip (Rosa canina) as a Beneficial Dietary Feed in Poultry Nutrition: Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-15
Author(s):  
Alexandru P. Vlaicu ◽  
Raluca P. Turcu ◽  
Dumitra T. Panaite
Keyword(s):  
Essential Fatty Acids ◽  
Storage Conditions ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Rosa Canina ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Nutrition Review ◽  
Cultivation Practice

AbstractToday the aromatic and medicinal plants have gained more recognition as dietary supplements because they are characterized as natural, safe, eco-friendly, and possess many health-promoting properties, making their ongoing usage part of an emerging field at the cutting edge of science. Rosehip (Rosa canina), a medicinal plant, is widely known as a valuable source of various nutrients and biologically active substances, mostly polyphenols and vitamin C. The chemical composition differs depending on the climate, growing region, cultivation practice, maturity, soil type, harvesting and storage conditions. Over the years, significant variations in vitamins (106-967 mg/100 g), minerals (Fe 59.40-72.90 ppm; Zn 3.69-4.51 ppm; Ca 133.30-146.70 ppm), essential fatty acids (33.8% - 49.7% α-linolenic), phenols (9982 GAE - mg/100 g), antioxidants (lutein, zeaxanthin) among other bioactive components and nutrients have been reported by various researchers. Both in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that rosehip used at an appropriate dose in broilers and laying hens dietary feed, could have some beneficial effects.

scholarly journals Antioxidant Effects of Protocatechuic Acid and Protocatechuic Aldehyde: Old Wine in a New Bottle

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Shijun Zhang ◽  
Zhibo Gai ◽  
Ting Gui ◽  
Juanli Chen ◽  
Qingfa Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phenolic Compounds ◽  
Protocatechuic Acid ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Antioxidant Property ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Structural Variations ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Protocatechuic Aldehyde

Phenolic compounds are naturally present as secondary metabolites in plant-based sources such as fruits, vegetables, and spices. They have received considerable attention for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties for protection against many chronic disorders such as neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. They are categorized into various groups based on their chemical structure and include phenolic acids, flavonoids, curcumins, tannins, and quinolones. Their structural variations contribute to their specific beneficial effects on human health. The antioxidant property of phenolic compounds protects against oxidative stress by up-regulation of endogenous antioxidants, scavenging free radicals, and anti-apoptotic activity. Protocatechuic acid (PCA; 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid) and protocatechuic aldehyde (PAL; 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde) are naturally occurring polyphenols found in vegetables, fruits, and herbs. PCA and PAL are the primary metabolites of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, which have been shown to possess pharmacological actions including antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo. This review aims to explore the therapeutic potential of PCA and PAL by comprehensively summarizing their pharmacological properties reported to date, with an emphasis on their mechanisms of action and biological properties.

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