Efficacy and Mechanism of Action of Aloe Vera, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, Curcuma Longa, Garcinia Cambogia, and Garcinia Mangostana Extracts in Lowering Body Weight in Obesity: A Literature Review

The habits of today's society, which are influenced by economic growth and globalization have brought new lifestyles, especially those related to diet, resulting in minimal physical activity accompanied by a high calorie intake. This energy imbalance can lead to the metabolic syndrome, including obesity, which is still a burden on the world today. Some plants in Indonesia are believed to help lose weight, such as Aloe vera, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Curcuma longa, Garcinia cambogia, and Garcinia mangostana. This literature review was conducted to determine the effects of Aloe vera, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Curcuma longa, Garcinia cambogia, and Garcinia mangostana on weight loss and preventing obesity. The review of twelve relevant articles concluded that Aloe vera, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Curcuma longa, Garcinia cambogia, and Garcinia mangostana have the potential to prevent and treat obesity but further research is required.

Anti-Staphylococcal Activity of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Essential Oil against Planktonic and Biofilm Cells Isolated from Canine Otological Infections

The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical profile of Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oil (CZEO) and their antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against Staphylococcus strains isolated from canine otitis. First, the CZEO chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (CG-MS). External otitis samples collected from dogs were submitted to staphylococcal isolation, followed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry identification. The antimicrobial action was tested against the isolates using the disk-diffusion and microdilution methods. The antibiofilm activity was evaluated by CZEO-based concentrations, subMIC for biofilm formation and supraMIC against preformed biofilm, quantified by crystal violet (CV) staining and CFU counting. The chemical analysis revealed that (E)-cinnamaldehyde, eugenol and (E)-cinnamyl acetate were the main compounds in the CZEO, representing 77.42, 8.17 and 4.50%, respectively. Two strains of three different species, S. saprophyticus, S. schleiferi and S. pseudintermedius, were identified. The disk-diffusion test showed an inhibitory zone diameter, ranging from 34.0 to 49.5 mm, while the MIC and MBC values were around 500 and 1000 µg/mL. SubMIC demonstrated an inhibition on biofilm formation against 4 out the 6 strains tested. On mature biofilm, the CZEO-based supraMIC groups had slightly change on biomass, however, the biofilm cell viability decreased the CFU in 3 magnitude orders.

A Review on Medicinal Uses of Cinnamomum verum (Cinnamon)

Cinnamomum verum is a spice plant that is well-known for its medicinal and pharmacological qualities. The old botanical synonym for this tree, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, is derived from Sri Lanka's former name, Ceylon. Since ancient times, Cinnamomum zeylanicum has been frequently used as a medicinal condiment. It's native to Sri Lanka and India's southern states. Cinnamomum verum belongs to the Lauraceae family and is also known by the synonym Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume. It's a dried bark that's been stripped of its outer cork and underlying parenchyma. Cinnamomum verum is a popular medicinal herb with a wide range of applications It has long been used to flavour food and in pharmaceutical preparations to treat a variety of ailments. For commercial purposes, it is commonly used as candies, chewing gums, mouthwash, and toothpaste in the current period. Many volatile oils, primarily cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and cinnamate, are abundant in the plant. Eugenol is the active principal ingredient linked to a variety of biological functions. This herb is found in almost every pharmacological system on the planet. Each of these features is essential for human health development. Antimicrobial, wound healing, antidiabetic, anti-HIV, anti-anxiety, and anti-are Parkinson's among of the plant's key medical characteristics. The major components of the Cinnamomum verum plant include eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, copane, and camphor. The pharmacological effects of cinnamon aldehyde have been extensively researched. Every aspect of the plant was thoroughly examined in this study, from its morphological description to its phytochemical profile and therapeutic action. In this review, we've attempted to compile a comprehensive list of its medical and pharmacological qualities. Keywords: Cinnamomum verum, Dalchini, Medicinal Properties, volatile oils, Antimicrobial, Anti-HIV, antidiabetic

Evaluation of the binding and disintegrating properties of gum obtained from the stem bark of Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Excipients are the various ingredients, apart from the active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are added to pharmaceutical formulations. Excipients obtained from natural sources are preferred over those from synthetic sources because they are cheap, biocompatible and readily available. Gums are made up of carbohydrate units which are linked by glycosidic bonds. This study was aimed at evaluating the potential binding and disintegrating properties of gum obtained from the bark of Cinnamomum zeylanicum, which was obtained from Effiduase in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The gum was extracted using 96% ethanol and the moisture content, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra, water holding capacity, swelling index and flow properties of the gum were determined. The gum was used to formulate tablets at different concentrations (10% w/v, 15% w/v and 20% w/v) as binder with acacia as the standard. The gum was also used to formulate tablets at different concentrations (5% w/v, 7.5% w/v and 10% w/v) as disintegrant with starch as the standard. Quality control tests were then conducted on all formulated tablets. The gum exhibited good flow and physicochemical properties. All formulated tablets passed the uniformity of weight test, friability test, disintegration test, hardness test, uniformity of dimensions test and drug content. All batches of tablets, except Batch 7, passed the dissolution test. Based on the study carried out, C. zeylanicum gum can be used as an alternative excipient to acacia and starch as a binder and a disintegrant, respectively.

Profiling of Antifungal Activities and In Silico Studies of Natural Polyphenols from Some Plants

A worldwide increase in the incidence of fungal infections, emergence of new fungal strains, and antifungal resistance to commercially available antibiotics indicate the need to investigate new treatment options for fungal diseases. Therefore, the interest in exploring the antifungal activity of medicinal plants has now been increased to discover phyto-therapeutics in replacement to conventional antifungal drugs. The study was conducted to explore and identify the mechanism of action of antifungal agents of edible plants, including Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cinnamomum tamala, Amomum subulatum, Trigonella foenumgraecum, Mentha piperita, Coriandrum sativum, Lactuca sativa, and Brassica oleraceae var. italica. The antifungal potential was assessed via the disc diffusion method and, subsequently, the extracts were assessed for phytochemicals and total antioxidant activity. Potent polyphenols were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and antifungal mechanism of action was evaluated in silico. Cinnamomum zeylanicum exhibited antifungal activity against all the tested strains while all plant extracts showed antifungal activity against Fusarium solani. Rutin, kaempferol, and quercetin were identified as common polyphenols. In silico studies showed that rutin displayed the greatest affinity with binding pocket of fungal 14-alpha demethylase and nucleoside diphosphokinase with the binding affinity (Kd, −9.4 and −8.9, respectively), as compared to terbinafine. Results indicated that Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Cinnamomum tamala exert their antifungal effect possibly due to kaempferol and rutin, respectively, or possibly by inhibition of nucleoside diphosphokinase (NDK) and 14-alpha demethylase (CYP51), while Amomum subulatum and Trigonella foenum graecum might exhibit antifungal potential due to quercetin. Overall, the study demonstrates that plant-derived products have a high potential to control fungal infections.

Development of Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) Nut Starch Films Containing Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) Leaf Essential Oil

There have been many studies on the development biodegradable films using starch isolated from various food sources as a substitute for synthetic plastic packaging films. In this study, starch was extracted from ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) nuts, which were mainly discarded and considered an environment hazard. The prepared starch (GBS) was then used for the preparation of antioxidant films by incorporating various amounts of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) essential oil (CZEO), which provides antioxidant activity. The prepared GBS films with CZEO were characterized by measuring physical, optical, and thermal properties, along with antioxidant activity (ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP) measurements. With the increasing amount of CZEO, the flexibility and antioxidant activities of the GBS films increased proportionally, whereas the tensile strength of the films decreased. The added CZEO also increased the water vapor permeability of the GBS films, and the microstructure of the GBS films was homogeneous overall. Therefore, the obtained results indicate that the developed GBS films containing CZEO are applicable as antioxidant food packaging.

التحري عن وجود بعض المعادن الثقيلة والميكروبات في التوابل

تضمنت الدراسة جمع 11 نوعاَ من التوابل التي تباع في الاسواق المحلية لمدينة تكريت (الكزبرة Coriandrum sativum L,والكاري، والكركمCurcuma Longa, والزنجبيل Zingiber officinale, والفلفل الاسود Piper nigrum, وبهارات الطرشي, وبهارات البرياني, وحبة البركة Nigella sativa, والقرفة cinnamomum zeylanicum, والسماق R. coriaria L, والكمون Cuminum Cyminum) للتحري عن وجود بعض أنواع العناصر الثقيلة وتشخيص الأحياء المجهرية الملوثة لها . اظهرت النتائج أن تركيز بعض العناصر الثقيلة ضمن الحدود المسموح بها وفق المواصفة القياسية التي وضعتها World Health Organization (WHO) و Food and Agriculture Organization ((FAOالى خلو التوابل من العنصرين الكادميوم والرصاص في حين وجد الزنك والنيكل والكوبلت بتراكيز مختلفة في الانواع المختلفة الاخرى من التوابل. وكان تركيز النيكل اعلى من الحد المسموح في عينات الفلفل الاسود والدارسين (القرفة) والكركم حيث بلغ (4.959, 3.850, 2.740) ppm على التوالي في حين كان تركيز النيكل في باقي العينات اقل من 0.05 ppm وهي اقل من الحد المسموح به, وكذلك كان تركيز الكوبلت اعلى من الحد المسموح في عينات الفلفل الاسود والكاري حيث بلغت (4.930 و3.732ppm ( على التوالي اما باقي العينات من التوابل فكان اقل من الحد المسموح به .في حين وجد ان محتوى عينات التوابل من الزنك في جميع عينات التوابل هو تحت الحد المسموح به (100) pmm حسب ((FAO و( WHO) تراوحت القيم بين ppm 0.392 –1.794 ppm , بلغ العدد الكلي البكتيري في التوابل بين (5 ×510 ) و ( 95× 510) وحدة تكوين المستعمرة/غم في حين لوحظ وجود Escherichia coli في النماذج المفحوصة بأجمعها بأعداد تراوحت بين (93×510 _ 35× 510) وحدة تكوين المستعمرة/غم في حين تراوح عدد بكتيريا Staphylococcus aureus ) 1×510 الى 17 ×10 5 ) وحدة تكوين المستعمرة/غم , مع ملاحظة ظهور الخمائر والاعفان في كل من الكزبرة، الزنجبيل, وبهارات برياني والدارسين (القرفة) وبهارات الطرشي والكمون والفلفل الأسود والكاري والكركم وبأعداد بلغت ( 12×105 ,10×105, 12×105, 6×105, 14×105, 5×105, 2×105, 7×105 و6×510) وحدة تكوين المستعمرة/غم على التوالي. في حين وجد ان محتوى عينات التوابل من الزنك في جميع عينات التوابل هو تحت الحد المسموح به (100) pmm حسب ((FAO و ( WHO) وكانت القيم بين ppm 0.392 –1.794 ppm .و بلغ العدد الكلي البكتيري في التوابل بين (5 ×510 ) و ( 95× 510 ) و.ت.م./غم في حين لوحظ تواجد E.coli في النماذج المفحوصة بأجمعها بأعداد تراوحت بين ( 93×510 _ 35× 510) و.ت.م/غم في حين تراوح عدد بكتيريا ) Staphylococcus aureus, 1×510 الى 17 ×10 5 ) و.ت.م/غم .