scholarly journals Cnidoscolus aconitifolius: Nutritional, phytochemical composition and health benefits – A review

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 260
Author(s):  
Anil Panghal ◽  
Anjali Onakkaramadom Shaji ◽  
Kiran Nain ◽  
Mukesh Kumar Garg ◽  
Navnidhi Chhikara

Cnidoscolus aconitifolius belonging to Euphorbiaceae family is widely used as a folk medicine among South American countries such as Mexico and Brazil. C. aconitifolius can be considered as a potential green leafy vegetable, largely due to the presence of various secondary metabolites. The different bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids, Alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids etc. along with terpenoids with unique structure are exclusive for this genus. C. aconitifolius has numerous nutraceutical benefits proven with pharmacological studies such as anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, anti-microbial etc. The recent upsurge of consumer interest for health promoting products has opened up new vistas for C. aconitifolius application in food product research and development. Limited knowledge about this underutilized plant is representing an opportunity to explore the plant as novel ingredient with vast functional attributes. Keywords: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, phytochemicals, nutraceutical potential, biological activity, diabetes

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Javad Sharifi-Rad ◽  
Cristina Quispe ◽  
Seyed Abdulmajid Ayatollahi ◽  
Farzad Kobarfard ◽  
Mariola Staniak ◽  
...  

The Withania genus comes from the Solanaceae family and includes around 23 species, spread over some areas of the Mediterranean, Asia, and East Africa. Widely used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, these plants are rich in secondary metabolites, with special emphasis on steroidal lactones, named withanolides which are used as ingredients in numerous formulations for a plethora of diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, arthritis, impotence, amnesia, hypertension, anxiety, stress, cancer, neurodegenerative, and cardiovascular diseases, and many others. Among them, Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal is the most widely addressed species from a pharmacological and agroindustrial point of view. In this sense, this review provides an overview of the folk uses, phytochemical composition, and biological activity, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activity of W. somnifera, although more recently other species have also been increasingly investigated. In addition, their health-promoting effects, i.e., antistress, anxiolytic, adaptogenic, antirheumatoid arthritis, chemoprotective, and cardiorespiratory-enhancing abilities, along with safety and adverse effects are also discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 715-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-Yue Lan ◽  
Bin Zhao ◽  
Yu-Li Shen ◽  
Xiao-Qin Li ◽  
Su-Juan Wang ◽  
...  

Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng (M. cochinchinensis) is a deciduous vine that grows in Southeast Asia. It is known as gac in Vietnam and as Red Melon in English. Gac is reputed to be extremely benificial for health and has been widely used as food and folk medicine in Southeast Asia. In China, the seed of M. cochinchinensis (Chinese name: Mu biezi) is used as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of various diseases. More than 60 chemical constituents have been isolated from M. cochinchinensis. Modern pharmacological studies and clinical practice demonstrate that some chemical constituents of M. cochinchinensis possess wide pharmacological activities, such as anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, etc. This paper reviews the phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, toxicity, and clinical application of M. cochinchinensis, aiming to bring new insights into further research and application of this ancient herb.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 5128
Author(s):  
Karolina Lendzion ◽  
Agnieszka Gornowicz ◽  
Krzysztof Bielawski ◽  
Anna Bielawska

The genus Scorzonera comprises nearly 200 species, naturally occurring in Europe, Asia, and northern parts of Africa. Plants belonging to the Scorzonera genus have been a significant part of folk medicine in Asia, especially China, Mongolia, and Turkey for centuries. Therefore, they have become the subject of research regarding their phytochemical composition and biological activity. The aim of this review is to present and assess the phytochemical composition, and bioactive potential of species within the genus Scorzonera. Studies have shown the presence of many bioactive compounds like triterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, flavonoids, or caffeic acid and quinic acid derivatives in extracts obtained from aerial and subaerial parts of the plants. The antioxidant and cytotoxic properties have been evaluated, together with the mechanism of anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and hepatoprotective activity. Scorzonera species have also been investigated for their activity against several bacteria and fungi strains. Despite mild cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines in vitro, the bioactive properties in wound healing therapy and the treatment of microbial infections might, in perspective, be the starting point for the research on Scorzonera species as active agents in medical products designed for miscellaneous skin conditions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-112
Author(s):  
A. M Bronshteyn ◽  
N. G Kochergin ◽  
N. A Malyshev ◽  
V. Ya Lashin ◽  
S. V Burova ◽  
...  

Two cases of New World cutaneous leishmaniasis acquired by Russian tourists in Peru and possibly in Bolivia are presented. L. viannia ( L.braziliensis complex) was identified in Liverpool School of Tropical medicine in the patient travelled to Bolivia. The present study aimed to investigate Balsamum peruvianum one of the product of folk medicine of Indians of Amazon region against local species of Leishmania resulted in healing the ulcers. Leishmaniasis is a major public health problem, and the alarming spread of parasite resistance has increased the importance of discovering new therapeutic products.


2022 ◽  
pp. 698-710
Author(s):  
Neha Mishra ◽  
Rashmi Srivastava

Cinnamon has been used as a spice, condiment, and aromatic plant since centuries ago. Cinnamon is a small evergreen tree belonging to the genus Cinnamomum in the family Lauraceae. There are more than 250 species of cinnamon worldwide. In India, Cinnamomum verum and Cinnamomum cassia are the most common species grown in the Himalaya region. They have been used as folk medicine for the treatment of nausea, flatulent dyspepsia, coughs, diarrhea, malaria, gastric disorder, and to alleviate pain and inflammation in rheumatic arthritis. Therapeutic properties of cinnamon are due to the presence of bioactive constituents such as p-coumaric, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and eugenol. Cinnamaldehyde and eugenol are the major active constituents responsible for its characteristic flavor, aroma, and therapeutic properties. Pharmacological studies found that it could be a promising candidate with potential for designing new drugs. This review is aimed to summarize the ethanomedicinal importance, phytochemistry, and wide spectrum of pharmacological and therapeutic applications of cinnamon.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Q. Ferreira ◽  
Thamara O. Ferraz ◽  
Raquel S. Araújo ◽  
Rodrigo Alves Souza Cruz ◽  
Caio Pinho Fernandes ◽  
...  

The plant species Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) LP Queiroz var. ferrea basionym of Caesalpinia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) is used in various regions of Brazil in folk medicine in the treatment of several health problems, especially in acute and chronic inflammatory processes. Most of the preparations employed are alcoholic. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity of the hydroethanolic extract of fruits of Libidibia ferrea (EHEFLf) in zebrafish, emphasizing the possible changes in the organic-cellular level of the gills, liver, kidneys, and intestine and on embryos. The result obtained by LC-M/MS from EHEFLf indicated a high concentration of possible polyhydroxylated substances. EHEFLf, at a dose of 2 g/kg orally, produced non-significant alterations of the analyzed organs. However, for embryos, the treatment with different concentrations demonstrated heart toxicity that was concentration-dependent. There is no evidence of a correlation of the observed effects with the phytochemical composition, and considering the species of animal used, it can be suggested that the oral use of L. ferrea hydroethanolic extract has an acceptable degree of safety for use as an oral medicinal product. and embryo results have shown significant affinity to the heart; however, it is perceived to be related to the concentrations used.


Antioxidants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 340
Author(s):  
Sara Hurtado-Barroso ◽  
Paola Quifer-Rada ◽  
María Marhuenda-Muñoz ◽  
Jose Fernando Rinaldi de Alvarenga ◽  
Anna Tresserra-Rimbau ◽  
...  

Consumption of organic products is increasing yearly due to perceived health-promoting qualities. Several studies have shown higher amounts of phytochemicals such as polyphenols and carotenoids in foods produced by this type of agriculture than in conventional foods, but whether this increase has an impact on humans still needs to be assessed. A randomized, controlled and crossover study was carried out in nineteen healthy subjects aged 18–40 years, who all followed an organic and conventional healthy diet, both for a 4-week period. Analysis of biological samples revealed a significant increase on the excretion of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA), a phenolic metabolite with biological activity, after the organic intervention. However, no changes were observed in the other variables analyzed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1601100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Generalić Mekinić ◽  
Danijela Skroza ◽  
Ivica Ljubenkov ◽  
Višnja Katalinić

Over the last years, great interest has arisen concerning plant stilbenes, especially resveratrol, which has a whole spectrum of positive biological activities. In this study, we investigated the presence of resveratrol monomers (trans- and cis- form) and naturally occurring derivatives of fraas-resveratrol (piceid, astringin and isorhapontin) in phenolic extracts of twenty medicinal plants traditionally used in Croatian folk medicine. The investigated compounds were present in the samples, in free form or as glucosides, and the highest share was found in immortelle, common yarrow and Lamiaceae plants. The obtained results indicate that biological activity of selected medicinal plants can be related to the presence of this valuable group of phytochemicals.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document