scholarly journals Review of Medicinal uses, Phytochemistry and Biological Activities of Antidesma laciniatum and A. membranaceum -

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 257-263
Author(s):  
Alfred Maroyi

Antidesma laciniatum and A. membranaceum are small trees used as traditional medicines in tropical Africa. This extensive literature review synthesizes the information currently available on the medicinal uses, phytochemistry and biological activities of A. laciniatum and A. membranaceum. The university library and electronic search engines such as Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and PubMed were searched for pertinent information on the medicinal uses, phytochemistry, and biological activities of A. laciniatum and A. membranaceum. Traditionally, the species have been used as aphrodisiac, and traditional medicine for cough, kwashiorkor, mouth ulcers, pneumonia, prevent miscarriage, snakebites, stomachache and wounds. Various phytochemicals such as essential oils, isoflavonoid glycosides, phytosterols, benzopyranones, lignin glucosides, megastigmane, phenolics, steroids, squalene, terpenoids, triterpenoids, and tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids have been isolated from A. laciniatum and A. membranaceum. In vitro studies have confirmed the biological activities of A. laciniatum and A. membranaceum which, include antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, antitrypanosomal, leishmanicidal, molluscicidal and cytotoxicity activities. More pharmacological studies including phytochemical, toxicological, in vitro and in vivo experiments are needed to provide evidence for the clinical effectiveness of remedies prepared from the species.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 5985-5993
Author(s):  
Alfred Maroyi

Markhamia zanzibarica (Bojer ex DC.) K. Schum.has been used in herbal medicine in tropical Africa since ancient times. Markhamia zanzibarica is indigenous to central, eastern and southern Africa. This extensive literature review synthesizes the information currently available on the medicinal uses, phytochemistry and biological activities of M. zanzibarica. The University library and electronic search engines Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect and PubMed were searched for pertinent information on the medicinal uses, phytochemistry and biological activities of M. zanzibarica. Traditionally, the species has been used as anthelmintic, and traditional medicine for backache, female reproductive problems, sexually transmitted infections, respiratory infections and gastro-intestinal problems. In vitro studies have confirmed the biological activities of M. zanzibarica which include antibacterial, antimycobacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxicity. Various phytochemicals such as alkaloids, anthraquinones, fatty acids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenolics, saponins, sterols, tannins and triterpenes have been isolated from M. zanzibarica. Documentation of the medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of M. zanzibarica is essential as this information provides baseline data required for future research and development of health-promoting and pharmaceutical products. However, further pharmacological studies including phytochemical, toxicological, in vitro and in vivo experiments are needed to provide evidence for the clinical effectiveness of remedies prepared from the species.


Author(s):  
ALFRED MAROYI

Drimia elata is an important and well-known medicinal plant in tropical Africa. This study critically reviewed the medicinal applications, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of D. elata. Literature on medicinal applications, phytochemical, and pharmacological activities of D. elata was collected from multiple internet sources including Elsevier, Google Scholar, SciFinder, Web of Science, PubMed, BMC, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Complementary information was gathered from pre-electronic sources such as books, book chapters, theses, scientific reports, and journal articles obtained from the university library. This study showed that D. elata is used for treating several medical conditions, particularly general ailments, blood and cardiovascular system, reproductive system and sexual health, urinary system, infections and infestations, digestive system, respiratory system, and muscular-skeletal system disorders. Phytochemical compounds identified from the species include bufadienolides, alkaloids, aromatic acids, flavonoids, phlobatannins, saponins, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids. Ethnopharmacological research revealed that D. elata extracts have acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitory, antibacterial, antifungal, antimycobaceterial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hemagglutinating, and cytotoxicity activities. D. elata should be subjected to extensive in vivo experiments and also future studies should focus on how potential toxic components of the species can be managed when it is used as herbal medicine.


Author(s):  
ALFRED MAROYI

Helichrysum longifolium and Helichrysum pedunculatum have a long history of medicinal use, particularly managing wounds acquired during male circumcision rites in South Africa. There is a need to evaluate the existence of any correlation between the ethnomedicinal applications, the phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of the species. Therefore, in this review, analyses of the botanical, medicinal, and chemical and biological activities of H. longifolium and H. pedunculatum are presented as well as exploring the potential of the two species as important sources of health and pharmaceutical products. Information on the botany, medicinal uses, and phytochemistry and biological activities of H. longifolium and H. pedunculatum was assembled from several internet sources which included Scopus, Google Scholar, Elsevier, Science Direct, Web of Science, PubMed, SciFinder, and BMC. Additional information was sourced from journal articles, scientific reports, theses, books, and book chapters obtained from the University library. This study showed that alkaloids, flavonoids, linoleic acid, oleic acid, phenol, proanthocyanidin, saponins, and tannins have been identified from the leaves of H. longifolium and H. pedunculatum. The pharmacological research showed that H. longifolium and H. pedunculatum extracts and compounds isolated from the species have antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, antiprotozoal, and cytotoxicity activities. For local communities to use H. longifolium and H. pedunculatum extracts with confidence as herbal medicines, there is a need for extensive phytochemical and pharmacological studies. Further research is required to establish the safety profiles of different H. longifolium and H. pedunculatum preparations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Silva-Carvalho ◽  
Fátima Baltazar ◽  
Cristina Almeida-Aguiar

The health industry has always used natural products as a rich, promising, and alternative source of drugs that are used in the health system. Propolis, a natural resinous product known for centuries, is a complex product obtained by honey bees from substances collected from parts of different plants, buds, and exudates in different geographic areas. Propolis has been attracting scientific attention since it has many biological and pharmacological properties, which are related to its chemical composition. Severalin vitroandin vivostudies have been performed to characterize and understand the diverse bioactivities of propolis and its isolated compounds, as well as to evaluate and validate its potential. Yet, there is a lack of information concerning clinical effectiveness. The goal of this review is to discuss the potential of propolis for the development of new drugs by presenting published data concerning the chemical composition and the biological properties of this natural compound from different geographic origins.


Dose-Response ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 155932582110421
Author(s):  
Huapeng Sun ◽  
Na Zhang ◽  
Yiqiang Jin ◽  
Haisheng Xu

Cardamonin (CAR), a flavone existing in the Alpinia plant, has been found to modulate multiple biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. Nevertheless, the influence of CAR on pancreatic cancer (PC) is less understood. Here, we conducted in vitro and in vivo experiments to explore the functions of CAR on PC cells’ proliferation, apoptosis and chemosensitivity to gemcitabine (GEM). The growth of PC cells (including PANC-1 and SW1990) was evaluated by the cell counting kit-8 assay, colony formation assay and xenograft tumor experiment. Besides, the apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and western blot (WB). Moreover, the FOXO3a-FOXM1 pathway expression was tested by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and WB. Our data suggested that CAR restrained cell proliferation, growth and expedited apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, CAR sensitized PC cells to GEM. Mechanistically, CAR heightened FOXO3a while repressed FOXM1. Further loss-of-function assays revealed that down-regulating FOXO3a markedly dampened the anti-tumor effect induced by CAR and accelerated the FOXM1 expression. Our data confirmed that CAR exerted an anti-tumor function in PC dependently by modulating the FOXO3a-FOXM1 axis.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (17) ◽  
pp. 5250
Author(s):  
Hae-Jin Lee ◽  
Hae-Lim Kim ◽  
Dong-Ryung Lee ◽  
Bong-Keun Choi ◽  
Seung-Hwan Yang

Scrophulariae Radix (SR) has an important role as a medicinal plant, the roots of which are recorded used to cure fever, swelling, constipation, pharyngitis, laryngitis, neuritis, sore throat, rheumatism, and arthritis in Asia for more than two thousand years. In this paper, the studies published on Scrophularia buergeriana (SB) and Scrophularia ningpoensis (SN) in the latest 20 years were reviewed, and the biological activities of SB and SN were evaluated based on in vitro and in vivo studies. SB presented anti-inflammatory activities, immune-enhancing effects, bone disorder prevention activity, neuroprotective effect, anti-amnesic effect, and anti-allergic effect; SN showed a neuroprotective effect, anti-apoptotic effect, anti-amnesic effect, and anti-depressant effect; and SR exhibited an immune-enhancing effect and cardioprotective effects through in vitro and in vivo experiments. SB and SN are both known to exert neuroprotective and anti-amensice effects. This review investigated their applicability in the nutraceutical, functional foods, and pharmaceutical industries. Further studies, such as toxicological studies and clinical trials, on the efficacy and safety of SR, including SB and SN, need to be conducted.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1913 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahare Salehi ◽  
Lorene Armstrong ◽  
Antonio Rescigno ◽  
Balakyz Yeskaliyeva ◽  
Gulnaz Seitimova ◽  
...  

This work is an updated snapshot of Lamium plants and their biological activities. The main features of the plant are described and the components of its essential oils are summarized. The traditional medicinal uses of Lamium plants has been reported. The presence of these chemicals i.e., hydroxycinnamic acids, iridoids, secoiridoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenylpropanoids, phytoecdysteroids, benzoxazinoids, betaine can provide biological activities. After the discussion of antioxidant properties documented for Lamium plants, the biological activities, studied using in vitro models, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive activity, and pain therapy and cytotoxicity and cytoprotective activity are here described and discussed. Finally, targeted examples of in vivo studies are reported.


2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ascari ◽  
J.A. Takahashi ◽  
M.A.D. Boaventura

The Caryocaraceae family is constituted of 25 species distributed in two genera (Caryocar and Anthodiscus). Plants of this family have been used in several phytochemical studies for isolation and characterization of chemical compounds. Some of these studies evaluated in vitro and in vivo biological activities of extracts and pure substances isolated from plants of this family. Nine species of Anthodiscus genus have been described, while no phytochemical study related to them has been reported. On the other hand, Caryocar genus presents 16 species with several medicinal uses like for the treatment of colds and bronchitis, in the prevention of tumours, as a regulating agent of the menstrual flow, to treat ophthalmological problems and for the cure of hematomas and bruises. Some species of this genus were targeted by phytochemical studies and presented, in their composition, the following classes of secondary metabolites: triterpenes, fatty acids, tannins, carotenoids, triterpenic saponins, phenolic coumarins, phenolic glycosides, and others. The fruits of Caryocar species are very nutritive, containing in their composition fibers, proteins, carbohydrates and minerals. Seeds have been widely used as oil source with nutritional and cosmetic value. The biological evaluation of some species was carried out by using relevant biological assays such as: antioxidant, allelopathic and antifungal activities against Biomphalaria glabrata and toxicity on Artemia salina.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 223-229
Author(s):  
Alfred Maroyi

Brachylaena elliptica and B. ilicifolia are shrubs or small trees widely used as traditional medicines in southern Africa. There is need to evaluate the existence of any correlation between the medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of the two species. Therefore, in this review, analyses of the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and biological activities of B. elliptica and B. ilicifolia are presented. Results of the current study are based on data derived from several online databases such as Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed and Science Direct, and pre-electronic sources such as scientific publications, books, dissertations, book chapters and journal articles. The articles published between 1941 and 2020 were used in this study. The leaves and roots of B. elliptica and B. ilicifolia are mainly used as a mouthwash and ethnoveterinary medicines, and traditional medicines for backache, hysteria, ulcers of the mouth, diabetes, gastro-intestinal and respiratory problems. This study showed that sesquiterpene lactones, alkaloids, essential oils, flavonoids, flavonols, phenols, proanthocyanidins, saponins and tannins have been identified from aerial parts and leaves of B. elliptica and B. ilicifolia. The leaf extracts and compounds isolated from the species exhibited antibacterial, antidiabetic, antioxidant and cytotoxicity activities. There is a need for extensive phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological studies of crude extracts and compounds isolated from B. elliptica and B. ilicifolia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 280-286
Author(s):  
Alfred Maroyi

Adenia gummifera (Harv.) Harms is a climber or liane widely used as traditional medicine throughout its distributional range in tropical Africa. Adenia gummifera occurs naturally in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This study is aimed at providing a critical review of the medicinal uses, phytochemistry and biological activities of A. gummifera. Documented information on the medicinal uses, phytochemistry and biological activities of A. gummifera was collected from several online sources, which included Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed and Science Direct. Additional information was gathered from pre-electronic sources such as book chapters, books, journal articles and scientific publications sourced from the university library. This study showed that the species is widely used as an emetic and a protective charm, and, as traditional medicine for infertility, sexually transmitted infections, gastro-intestinal infections, leprosy, respiratory infections, malaria and menstrual problems. Phytochemical compounds identified from the species include polyacetylenic diepoxide, alkaloids, flavonoids, flavonol, modeccin, proanthocyanidins, tetraphyllin, phenolics, polyphenol and tannins. Pharmacological research revealed that A. gummifera extracts and compounds isolated from the species have antibacterial, antifungal, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory (AChEI), anaesthetic, antioxidant, antiplasmodial and cytotoxicity activities. Future research on A. gummifera should focus on detailed phytochemical evaluations including toxicological, in vivo and clinical studies to corroborate the traditional medical applications of the species.


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