Hepatoprotective effects of Quassia amara stem bark against cadmium-induced toxicity in male Wistar rats

Objectives The liver is one of the primary biorepositories of cadmium (Cd) and it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic diseases. Quassia amara stem bark has been reputed to have strong antimalarial, antimicrobial, antiulcerative and amoebicidal properties. This study aims to determine the effects of Q. amara on Cd-induced hepatotoxicity and lipid profile in male Wistar rats. Methods The animals were divided into three groups of five animals each. Group 1 served as control while group 2 received Cd (5 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. Prior to Cd treatment, group 3 was treated with Q. amara extract (200 mg/kg) for 2 weeks and received the Q. amara and Cd simultaneously for 4 weeks. Results Cadmium caused significant increase in serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) as well as increased hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) when compared with the control group. On the other hand, Cd caused a decrease in serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) when compared with control. However, treatment with Q. amara prevented Cd-induced changes in the lipid profile, augmented Cd-induced decline in SOD and also ameliorated the Cd-induced increase in MDA. Catalase level was however comparable across the groups. Conclusions Q. amara ameliorated the Cd-induced damage to liver by preventing dyslipidemia and oxidative damage in the hepatic tissue.

Keanekaragaman Tumbuhan Berkhasiat Obat di TWA Gunung Tampomas

Forests are biological natural resources that have provided development benefits in Indonesia during their specific “Orde Baru” government of the timber forest product sector, but the impact of high exploitation has had considerable damage. Therefore it is necessary to find alternative efforts in forest utilization. One such effort is to utilize plants that can be used as medicinal plants. Medicinal plants are an alternative use of forest products from the non-timber sector. One of the places that need to know the existence of medicinal plants is Taman Wisata Alam Gunung Tampomas. Lack of data from the types of medicinal plants in this area feared damaged and extinction.The results of this research found 21 species of medicinal plants consisting of 19 types of non-tree vegetation and 2 types of tree vegetation. Non-tree vegetation is dominated by the type of Eupatorium riparium with Relative Frequency of 8.60%. While the tree vegetation was dominated by Melia azedarach species with INP value in each strata of seedlings, piles, poles, and trees respectively 9.02%, 11.97%, 18.14% and 20.43%. Most of the medicinal plants have the benefit of fever, abdominal pain, urine, malaria, bleeding such as Imperata cyindrica, Melia azedarach, Ageratum conyzoides, Quassia amara, Angioptris evecta and Eupatorium ripariumBenefit from this research about existence of medicinal plants in the area of Blok Paseban and Blok Pasir Sabeulah TWA Gunung Tampomas, the community can make this area as a source of germplasm so that the existence of medicinal plants can be preserved sustainability. In addition, people around the area can cultivate medicinal plants outside the area of TWA Gunung Tampomas

Alternativas etnobotânicas para o tratamento da obesidade

A busca por novos medicamentos à base de plantas para tratamento de doenças tem aumentado, sendo que 3/4 da população mundial utilizam remédios tradicionais tornando importante a realização de estudos sobre as alternativas terapêuticas através de abordagens etnobotânicas e quimiotaxonômicas. Foram obtidos dados e informações de 54 informantes, vendedores de plantas para uso medicinal, entrevistados individualmente nas feiras e mercados de São Luis, Maranhão, Brasil. Os dados foram analisados utilizando a frequência relativa (RF) e o fator de consenso informativo (ICF), e 30,3% das espécies selecionadas tiveram amostras coletadas e identificadas no Herbário do MAR, pertencendo a 20 famílias botânicas, sendo que 11,1% pertencem à família Asteraceae e 11,1% à família Fabaceae. As espécies mais citadas pelos informantes foram Hibiscus sabdariffa L., Baccharis crispa Spreng., Senna alexandrina Mill., Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze, Quassia amara L., Annona muricata L., Equisetum arvense L., com valores de RF > 5 e ICF > 0,50. A parte vegetal mais utilizada nos fitoterápicos para o tratamento da obesidade é a folha (74,1%), tendo a infusão (92,6%) como modo de preparo mais recomendado. Nossos resultados revelam uma lista de espécies indicadas pelos informantes para o tratamento da obesidade, algumas com estudos biológicos existentes, outras ausentes de estudos pré-clínicos e clínicos. As abordagens são importantes para a validação destas plantas através de estudos experimentais, considerando a necessidade de tais estudos para garantia da função biológica, eficácia e segurança das alternativas terapêuticas propostas.

Health Benefits of Quassin from Quassia amara: A Comprehensive Review of their Ethnopharmacological Importance, Pharmacology, Phytochemistry and Analytical Aspects

: Medicinal plants have been indispensable to human life as they are used in food, cosmetics, medicines, nutraceuticals, perfumery, beverages and many more sectors. The medicinal plant contains various important classes of phytochemicals and broadly they are categorized into either primary or secondary metabolite. A large number of modern medicines are mainly derived from plant and other natural sources. Medicinal properties of plants are mainly due to the presence of their secondary metabolite and good examples are salicylic acid, morphine, quinine, vincristin and vinblastine. In spite of the great discovery of allopathic medicine, plant pure phytoconstituents play an important role in the modern medicine. Various plant based medicine are available in the market and people are using it on the basis of the belief that it is safer compared to the allopathic medicine. Furthermore, based on these believes, people use most of the traditional medicines in their routine life for the treatment of numerous disorders and this is called self-medication. Quassia amara plant belongs to Simaroubaceae family which is one of the best examples of the self-medicated plant. Traditionally Quassia amara has antimalarial, stomachic, antianaemic, antibiotics, cytotoxic and antiamoebic activity. Its reproductive, insecticidal, larvicidal and vermifuge properties have been also reported in the literature. Quassinoids are the important phytoconstituents of this plant and are the main bitter principles of Quassia amara too. Quassin is a white crystalline substance and is widely used in Chinese herbal medicine for their bitter taste. The purpose of this review is to gain an understanding of the Quassin and Quassia amara and to present information and knowledge regarding this phytoconstituent. Medicinal uses, pharmacological importance and various bioanalytical methods of Quassin and Quassia amara have been presented in this review. The benefit of this review is to get better understanding and ideas of Quassin and Quassia amara research findings in various disciplines. Furthermore, there is a need to perform more scientific investigation to explore the other beneficial properties of Quassia amara and Quassin.

Effects of Aqueous Quassia amara L. (Korales) Leaf Extract on the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Functions of Male Sprague-Dawley Rats

Objective. To To evaluate potential effects of the aqueous extract of Quassia amara L. leaves on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of adult male Sprague- Dawley rats. Methods. The cardiovascular and respiratory effects of the Quassia amara L. leaf extract on adult male SpragueDawley rats were assessed using non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) determination and head-out plethysmography, respectively, in a randomized, parallel group study. Mean observations of blood pressure and heart rate were recorded at different time periods after dosing. Respiratory flow and irritation effects were evaluated using mean observations of respiratory rate (RR), tidal volume (TV), mid-expiratory flow rate (EF50), time of inspiration (TI) and expiration (TE), and time of break (TB) and pause (TP). Results. There were no significant differences among the control and the treatment groups in SBP, DBP and HR parameters. The extract showed statistically significant effect on mean RR by time period (F=2.45, p=0.0234), trends over time of TV among the dose groups (F=2.00, p=0.0202), and EF50 among dose groups ((F=3.11, p=0.0422). However, these did not correlate with the changes in the time of break (TB) and time of pause (TP) which are more sensitive and specific tests for respiratory irritation. Conclusion. Aqueous leaf extract of Quassia appeared to have no significant effects on SBP, DPB, Pulse pressure, and HR. There are no conclusive dose-related respiratory flow or pulmonary irritation effects.

L’affaire du Quassia amara

Au début des années 2000, des études avaient été conduites en Guyane française par l’Institut de recherche pour le développement pour répertorier les pratiques thérapeutiques traditionnelles contre le paludisme et identifier les plantes utilisées. En janvier 2016, la Fondation France Libertés dénonçait le brevet posé sur une molécule active extraite du Quassia amara au motif que son « exploitation serait caractéristique d’actes de biopiraterie ». Cet article s’attache à la controverse qui s’est développée autour de cette imputation de biopiraterie, controverse qui permet de souligner les enjeux sociaux et politiques de cette mise en accusation portée sur la base des principes qui trouvent leur force dans les institutions internationales (Convention sur la diversité biologique et Protocole de Nagoya). En passant du global au local, on n’a pas seulement changé d’échelle, on a aussi transformé la nature même du débat : cette affaire a mobilisé l’État, les acteurs politiques locaux et les autochtones autour de stratégies qui visent avant tout à accorder ou à refuser une reconnaissance aux groupes amérindiens en tant que collectifs détenteurs d’un savoir.