scholarly journals Myrica esculenta Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don: A Natural Source for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Plants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atul Kabra ◽  
Natália Martins ◽  
Rohit Sharma ◽  
Ruchika Kabra ◽  
Uttam Singh Baghel

Myrica esculenta (Myricaceae) is a popular medicinal plant most commonly found in the sub-tropical Himalayas. It is widely used in folk medicine to treat several ailments such as asthma, cough, chronic bronchitis, ulcers, inflammation, anemia, fever, diarrhea, and ear, nose, and throat disorders. Due to its multidimensional pharmacological and therapeutic effects, it is well recognized in the ayurvedic pharmacopeia. However, the recent upsurge in M. esculenta use and demand has led to illicit harvesting by the horticultural trade and habitat loss, pushing the plant to the brink of extinction. Thus, the present review aims to provide updated information on M. esculenta botany, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, toxicity, and conservation methods, as well as also highlight prospective for future research. Particular emphasis is also given to its antioxidant potential in health promotion. In-depth literature was probed by searching several sources via online databases, texts, websites, and thesis. About 57 compounds were isolated and identified from M. esculenta, and the available reports on physicochemical parameters, nutritional and high-performance thin-layer chromatography analysis of bioactive plant parts are portrayed in a comparative manner. Friendly holistic conservation approaches offered by plant biotechnology applications, such as micropropagation, germplasm preservation, synthetic seed production, and hairy root technologies are also discussed. Nonetheless, further studies are needed to propose the mechanistic role of crude extracts and other bioactives, and even to explore the structure–function relationship of active components.

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Peçanha de Miranda Coelho ◽  
João Paulo Viana Leite ◽  
Líria Granato Nunes ◽  
Marília Contin Ventrella

Bathysa cuspidata (A. St. Hil.) Hook. f. ex K. Schum. is a species native to the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil, with stem bark currently used in folk medicine. Uncontrolled bark collections cause problems of environmental sustainability, making it necessary to evaluate more abundant and renewable new sources of raw plant material, such as leaves. This work evaluated the anatomy, histochemistry and phytochemistry of leaves and stem bark of B. cuspidata, aiming to find similarities in the chemical composition between these plant parts and to provide anatomical data to supplement the quality control of this plant drug. Common light and scanning electron microscopy techniques were used in the anatomical and histochemical studies. Thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography were used for the phytochemistry analysis. The concentration of total phenolics was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteau method and the contents of proanthocyanidins using the vanillin reagent. The leaves and bark of B. cuspidata display morphoanatomical characters common to the family Rubiaceae. The histochemical and phytochemical results reveal similarities and differences between the leaves and bark of B. cuspidata, suggesting that the extracts of both parts should be considered and subjected to pharmacological studies in order to investigate the effectiveness of the therapeutic actions reported in folk medicine.


Fingerprint analysis by HPTLC is an effective and powerful tool for linking the bioactive components profile of the plants with botanical identity and for estimation of chemical biomarkers. Tephrosia apollinea has been used in folk medicine to treat inflammation and relieving pain, as well as for diarrhea and abdominal pain. A densitometric High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprinting method has been developed for the simultaneous determination and quantification of (-)-pseudosemiglabrin (SSG) and isoglabratephrin (IGP) in different parts of Tephrosia apollinea collected in summer and winter. The study revealed that SSG and IGP are the major components in T. apollinea and found in all parts of the plant at different amount. The proposed HPTLC method was found to be convenient for rapid screening of active components present in ethanol extracts of T. apollinea and can be used for analysis and routine quality control of the raw materials as well as formulations containing Tephrosia species


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-137
Author(s):  
Hui Jiang ◽  
Lianhao Fu ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Shaozhi Wang ◽  
Xiaoxu Zhang ◽  
...  

Background: Jingzhiguanxin (JZGX) tablet, a traditional Chinese prescription, is commonly used for treating coronary heart disease and angina pectoris in the clinic. There are six active components (Danshensu (DSS), Protocatechuic aldehyde (PD), Paeoniflorin (PF), Ferulic acid (FA), Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) and Tanshinone IIA (TA)) in JZGX tablet. </P><P> Objective: In this paper, a simple and reliable method was used for simultaneous determining the six active components by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Methods: These six active components were separated on an Agilent Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C18 column (150 mmx4.6 mm, 5 µm) at 30 °C. Acetonitrile (A), methanol (B) and 0.5% H3PO4 aqueous solution (C) were used as mobile phase for gradient elution. The flow rate was 1 mL/min and the detection wavelengths were set at 280 nm for DSS, PD and Sal B, 230 nm for PF, 320 nm for FA and 270 nm for TA, respectively. Results: All of the six components showed good linearity regressions (r2≥0.9997) in the detected concentration range. The recovery rates and coefficient of variation (CV) for all analytes were 98.66%- 100.18% and 0.75%-1.89%, respectively. This method was successfully applied to simultaneously determine the six components in JZGX tablet from different batches and manufacturers. Conclusion: The validated method can be used in routine quality control analysis of JZGX tablet without any interference.


Author(s):  
Rakshith K. R. ◽  
Shivakumar . ◽  
Kaushal Sinha ◽  
Vijeth Kumar L. A.

Yoga is an ancient practice with Eastern roots that involves both physical postures (Asanas) and breathing techniques (Pranayamas). Yoga therapy for male sexual problems can effectively be treated through Yoga therapy, particularly with the help of Yoga poses and breathing exercises, Yoga has proven itself highly very effective in the treatment of a number of incurable and sometimes terminable diseases. Then again, Yoga's therapeutic effects are just a spin-off and supplementary. Yoga which has proved to be very effective in the treatment of many impossible and incurable diseases, the therapeutic effect of Yoga is only a by product and incidental. Problems related to sex can very well be handled with Yoga as most often these problems are more related to the mind than body. Either they are caused by lack of confidence or stress or fatigue or fear and very few times some physical cause is there. There is also a cognitive component focusing on meditation and concentration, which aids in achieving the goal of union between the self and the spiritual. Although numerous empirical studies have found a beneficial effect of Yoga on different aspects of physical and psychological functioning, claims of Yoga's beneficial effects on sexuality derive from a rich but no empirical literature. The goal of this article is to review the philosophy and forms of Yoga, to review the no empirical and (limited) empirical literatures linking Yoga with enhanced sexuality, and to propose some future research avenues focusing on Yoga as a treatment for sexual disorder.


Coatings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 484
Author(s):  
Aprajita Tiwari Pandey ◽  
Ishan Pandey ◽  
Anurag Kanase ◽  
Amita Verma ◽  
Beatriz Garcia-Canibano ◽  
...  

Mushrooms produce a variety of bioactive compounds that are known to have anti-pathogenic properties with safer and effective therapeutic effects in human disease prognosis. The antibacterial activity of ethanol and methanol extracts of Pleurotus opuntiae were checked against pathogenic microorganisms viz. Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Proteus mirabilis NCIM 2300, Proteus vulgaris NCIM 5266, Serratia marcescens NCIM 2078, Shigella flexeneri NCIM 5265, Moraxella sp. NCIM 2795, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 by agar well diffusion method at different concentrations of the extracts. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of the extracts was determined by INT (Iodonitrotetrazolium chloride) colorimetric assay. Extracts were standardized by thin layer chromatography (TLC) in different solvent systems. The Retention factors (Rf) of different compounds were calculated by high performance TLC (HPTLC) fingerprinting at UV 254, 366, and 540 nm before and after derivatization. The ethanol and methanol extracts of P. opuntiae showed bactericidal activity against all the test pathogens at MIC values of 15.6 to 52.08 mg/mL and 20.81 to 52.08 mg/mL respectively. Whereas the MBC values for ethanol and methanol extract of P. opuntiae against all pathogens were recorded as 26.03 to 62.5 mg/mL and 125 mg/mL respectively. Preliminary mycochemical screening of both the extracts revealed high contents of bioactive compounds. Amongst all the solvent systems used in TLC, the best result was given by chloroform + hexane (8:2) which eluted out 5 different compounds (spots). HPTLC results revealed spots with different Rf values for all the 24 compounds present. Thus, it can be inferred from the present investigation that the mycoconstituents could be an alternative medication regimen and could play a role in new drug discoveries against different infections. Further, the antimicrobial components of these mushrooms can be transformed to bioengineered antimicrobial coatings for surfaces, drug and other hybrid systems for public health implications in combating persistent infections.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 791
Author(s):  
Su Jin Lee ◽  
Ji Eun Kim ◽  
Yun Ju Choi ◽  
Jeong Eun Gong ◽  
So Hae Park ◽  
...  

To investigate the therapeutic effects of methanol extracts of Dipterocarpus tuberculatus Roxb. (MED) against UV-induced photoaging, we assessed for alterations in the antioxidant activity, anti-apoptotic effects, ECM modulation, skin appearances, and anti-inflammatory response in normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cells and nude mice orally treated with MED. High levels of tannin content and high free radical scavenging activity to DPPH were determined in MED, while seven active components, namely, gallic acid, bergenin, ellagic acid, ε-viniferin, asiatic acid, oleanolic acid, and 2α-hydroxyursolic acid, were identified using LC–MS analyses. UV-induced alterations in the NO concentration, SOD activity, and Nrf2 expression were remarkably recovered in MED-treated NHDF cells. Moreover, the decreased number of apoptotic cells and G2/M phase arrest were observed in the UV + MED-treated groups. Similar recoveries were detected for β-galactosidase, MMP-2/9 expression, and intracellular elastase activity. Furthermore, MED treatment induced suppression of the COX-2-induced iNOS mediated pathway, expression of inflammatory cytokines, and inflammasome activation in UV-radiated NHDF cells. The anti-photoaging effects observed in NHDF cells were subsequently evaluated and validated in UV + MED-treated nude mice through skin phenotypes and histopathological structure analyses. Taken together, these results indicate that MED exerts therapeutic effects against UV-induced photoaging and has the potential for future development as a treatment for photoaging.


Author(s):  
Elena Panagiotopoulou ◽  
Celeste Peiris ◽  
Daniel Hayes

Abstract Despite the high prevalence of self-harm among young people, as well as their extensive use of mobile apps for seeking support with their mental healthcare, it is unclear whether the design of mobile apps aimed at targeting self-harm is underpinned by behavior change techniques (BCTs). To systematically analyze and identify (a) what BCTs and (b) what theories are present in self-harm apps for young people in an attempt to understand their active components. Systematic searches in Apple store, followed by thorough screening, were conducted to identify free mobile apps targeting self-harm in young people. Five apps met the inclusion criteria and were used by trained researchers, who coded identified features against the BCT Taxonomy V1. Despite the majority of apps being underpinned by principles of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), no other information is available about specific theories underpinning these apps. Nineteen of the 93 BCTs were identified across the five apps. The most frequently used BCT was “Distraction” (54.2%), offering ideas for activities to distract users from self-harming. Other techniques that were used often were “Social Support (unspecified)” (27.0%) and “Behavior Substitution” (10.6%). This study provides the first analysis of BCTs present in mental health apps which are designed to target the reduction of self-harm in young people. Future research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the apps, as well as assess the effectiveness of the BCTs present.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-515
Author(s):  
Rajib Kumar Biswas ◽  
Farabi Bin Ahmed ◽  
Md. Ehsanul Haque ◽  
Afra Anam Provasha ◽  
Zahid Hasan ◽  
...  

Steel fibers and their aspect ratios are important parameters that have significant influence on the mechanical properties of ultrahigh-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC). Steel fiber dosage also significantly contributes to the initial manufacturing cost of UHPFRC. This study presents a comprehensive literature review of the effects of steel fiber percentages and aspect ratios on the setting time, workability, and mechanical properties of UHPFRC. It was evident that (1) an increase in steel fiber dosage and aspect ratio negatively impacted workability, owing to the interlocking between fibers; (2) compressive strength was positively influenced by the steel fiber dosage and aspect ratio; and (3) a faster loading rate significantly improved the mechanical properties. There were also some shortcomings in the measurement method for setting time. Lastly, this research highlights current issues for future research. The findings of the study are useful for practicing engineers to understand the distinctive characteristics of UHPFRC.


Machines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Yuhang Yang ◽  
Zhiqiao Dong ◽  
Yuquan Meng ◽  
Chenhui Shao

High-fidelity characterization and effective monitoring of spatial and spatiotemporal processes are crucial for high-performance quality control of many manufacturing processes and systems in the era of smart manufacturing. Although the recent development in measurement technologies has made it possible to acquire high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) surface measurement data, it is generally expensive and time-consuming to use such technologies in real-world production settings. Data-driven approaches that stem from statistics and machine learning can potentially enable intelligent, cost-effective surface measurement and thus allow manufacturers to use high-resolution surface data for better decision-making without introducing substantial production cost induced by data acquisition. Among these methods, spatial and spatiotemporal interpolation techniques can draw inferences about unmeasured locations on a surface using the measurement of other locations, thus decreasing the measurement cost and time. However, interpolation methods are very sensitive to the availability of measurement data, and their performances largely depend on the measurement scheme or the sampling design, i.e., how to allocate measurement efforts. As such, sampling design is considered to be another important field that enables intelligent surface measurement. This paper reviews and summarizes the state-of-the-art research in interpolation and sampling design for surface measurement in varied manufacturing applications. Research gaps and future research directions are also identified and can serve as a fundamental guideline to industrial practitioners and researchers for future studies in these areas.


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