Ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity of the genus Nymphaea L.: A review.

Background: Plants from the genus Nymphaea L. have been used for decades to treat various diseases, including dysentery, diarrhea, uterine cancer, gonorrhea, inflammation conditions, among others. The present study aims to critically analyze comprehensive literature on ethnopharmacological uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity of Nymphaea L. Methods: The available information on Nymphaea L. was obtained from textbooks, theses, as well as published articles through libraries, and electronic databases. Results: More than 150 compounds, including flavonoids, phenolics, alkaloids, miscellaneous compounds, etc. were identified from Nymphaea L. extracts and pure molecules from Nymphaea L. exhibited a wide range of pharmacological activities, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, cytotoxic, among others. Conclusion: Referring to in vitro and in vivo studies, Nymphaea sp. are very promising medicinal plants, however, more in vivo experiments, cytotoxicity tests, and detailed mechanisms of action of their extracts, and compounds are recommended to confirm their ethnomedicinal claims into scientific rationale-based information.

Preliminary sub-acute toxicological assessment of methanol leaves extract of Culcasia angolensis (Araceae) in Wistar rats

Background The plant Culcasia angolensis (Araceae) has diverse ethnomedicinal uses, including the management of rheumatic pain, healing of cuts, dislocations, and bruises. Despite its potential therapeutic uses, the toxicity profile of Culcasia angolensis has not been evaluated. This study assessed the sub-acute toxicity effects of Culcasia angolensis leaves extract (CAE). The phytochemical determination of the CAE was conducted as per the standard protocols. The median lethal dose (LD50) was determined using the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 423 guideline. Besides, the sub-acute toxic effects of the CAE (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg) were investigated following administration of the CAE daily for 28 consecutive days as per the OECD 407 guideline. The weekly body weights were recorded. The animals were euthanized on the 29th day, and blood samples were obtained for haematological and biochemical investigations. The heart, kidney, liver, and lungs were collected for histological examinations. Besides, the relative organ weights (ROW) were determined. Results The CAE contains cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, and terpenoids. The oral LD50 was above 5 g/kg. There was a remarkable decline in the weekly body weight at all the CAE doses. The CAE increased the lymphocytes, aspartate transaminase, and urea. However, the levels of alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase were elevated remarkably. The histological studies did not reveal any serious organs abnormalities. Conclusion The CAE is relatively safe on acute administration. However, it may be slightly toxic on sub-acute administration, especially to the liver and kidney.

Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (Asteraceae): Ethnomedicinal Uses, Chemical Constituents, and Biological Activities

Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (Syn.: Eclipta alba (L.) Hassak, Family: Asteraceae) is an important medicinal plant in the tropical and subtropical regions. It is widely used in treating various diseases of skin, liver and stomach in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and other countries. The main aim of this review was to collect and analyze the available information on traditional uses, phytoconstituents, and biological activities of E. prostrata. The scientific information was collected from the online bibliographic databases such as Scopus, MEDLINE/PubMed, Google Scholar, SciFinder, etc. and books and proceedings. The active phytochemicals were coumestan derivatives, phenolic acid derivatives, flavonoids, triterpenoid and steroid saponins, substituted thiophenes, etc. Various extracts and isolated compounds of E. prostrata showed a wide range of biological activities such as antimicrobial, anticancer, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective and hair growth promoting activities. Relatively a few studies have been performed to reveal the exact phytoconstituents responsible for their corresponding pharmacological activities. Future studies should focus on detailed mechanism based studies using animal models and clinical studies.

Critical review of the Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal: ethnobotany, pharmacological efficacy, and commercialization significance in Africa

Background Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (W. somnifera) is a herb commonly known by its English name as Winter Cherry. Africa is indigenous to many medicinal plants and natural products. However, there is inadequate documentation of medicinal plants, including W. somnifera, in Africa. There is, therefore, a need for a comprehensive compilation of research outcomes of this reviewed plant as used in traditional medicine in different regions of Africa. Methodology Scientific articles and publications were scooped and sourced from high-impact factor journals and filtered with relevant keywords on W. somnifera. Scientific databases, including GBIF, PubMed, NCBI, Google Scholar, Research Gate, Science Direct, SciFinder, and Web of Science, were accessed to identify the most influential articles and recent breakthroughs published on the contexts of ethnography, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and commercialization of W. somnifera. Results This critical review covers the W. somnifera ethnography, phytochemistry, and ethnomedicinal usage to demonstrate the use of the plant in Africa and elsewhere to prevent or alleviate several pathophysiological conditions, including cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, reproductive impotence, as well as other chronic diseases. Conclusion W. somnifera is reportedly safe for administration in ethnomedicine as several research outcomes confirmed its safety status. The significance of commercializing this plant in Africa for drug development is herein thoroughly covered to provide the much-needed highlights towards its cultivations economic benefit to Africa.

Kaempferia galanga L.: Progresses in Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Ethnomedicinal Uses

K. galanga is an aromatic medicinal herb. It is locally to India and distributed in China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. K. galanga is a Traditional Chinese Herb Medicine (TCHM), which has been applied to treat cold, dry cough, toothaches, rheumatism, hypertension and so on. In addition, it has been used widely as spices since its highly aromas. The aim of this review is to compile and update the current progresses of ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of K. galanga. All the data on K. galanga were based on different classical literary works, multiple electronic databases including SciFinder, Web of Science, PubMed, etc. The results showed that ninety-seven compounds have been identified from rhizome of K. galanga, including terpenoids, phenolics, cyclic dipeptides, flavonoids, diarylheptanoids, fatty acids and esters. Modern pharmacology studies revealed that extracts or secondary metabolites of the herb possessed anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-tumorous, anti-bacterial, and anti-angiogenesis effects, which were closely related to its abundant ethnomedicinal uses. In conclusion, although previous research works have provided various information of K. galanga, more in-depth studies are still necessary to systemically evaluate phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, toxicity and quality control of this herb.

Research Progression of the Genus Merremia: A Comprehensive Review on the Nutritional Value, Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicity

The genus Merremia Dennst. ex Endl. (Convolvulaceae) is a rich source of structurally diverse phytochemicals with therapeutic relevance. This review presents the first comprehensive, up-to-date information and research progression on the nutritional value, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and toxicity of the genus Merremia. Using the key search term “Merremia”, relevant documents and information were retrieved from electronic databases. Relevant documents were uploaded in RStudio with installed bibliometric software packages and used for data retrieval, tabulation, and network visualization. Bibliometric analysis revealed that ca. 55% of the studies related to Merremia were published in the last decade, which can be grouped into four thematic areas: (i) drug formulation, (ii) taxonomy, (iii) chemical analysis, and (iv) treatment of diseases. Ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and biological activities studies showed that species in the genus are promising medicinal plants with various pharmaceutical potentials. However, clinical studies to validate the efficacy of the reported bioactivities and the mechanisms underlying the various activities are lacking and should constitute a future research focus. Additionally, reports on the nutritional and antinutritional constituents of Merremia species revealed that the species meet high nutritional quality criteria for animals and are therefore suitable for inclusion in livestock diets. The few available investigations on toxicity indicated that most Merremia species are safe for human and animal use but not with prolonged chronic administration.

Comparative study of Ethnomedicinal uses for the Treatment of Cold, Cough and Fever in Odisha, India

The present paper deals with 112 ethnomedicinal plants used for the treatment of cold cough and fever by major tribal groups and many non-tribal communities of Odisha. These ethnomedicinal uses were compared and cross-checked with the data mentioned in well-known standard Indian ethnomedicinal as well as medicinal literatures and found that most of the medicinal uses of the referred 83 plants have been reported earlier also. 29 plants are being reported here for the first time for the treatment of these diseases. These plant species are arranged in alphabetical order followed by family in bracket, local name(s) along with ethnomedicinal uses and cross check report with well recognized standard Indian literature.

Chemical constituents, ethnomedicinal uses, pharmacology, and toxicity of Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants, formerly Chenopodium ambrosioides L.

Background: Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants is an aromatic herb native to South America, but also distributed widely throughout Africa and Europe. This plant is traditionally used to treat various ailments including, pain and swellings, flu, parasitic diseases, and as analgesic, antipyretic, and wound healing. Phytochemical analyses of D. ambrosioides revealed the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, coumarins, fatty acids and miscellaneous compounds among others, which might be responsible for its modern pharmacological actions. Objective: The present work summarizes recent developments on phytochemistry, ethnomedicinal use, pharmacology, and toxicity of D. ambrosioides. A critical assessment of the literature information of D. ambrosioides is also presented. Methods: The available information on D. ambrosioides was collected through libraries and electronic databases [Scifinder, ACS, Scielo, Science direct, Pubmed (National Library of Medicine), Wiley, Springer, PROTA, Web of Science, Google Web, Yahoo search and Google scholar] from respective inception until january 2021. Results: More than 150 compounds, including terpenoids, flavonoids, coumarins, fatty acids, and miscellaneous compounds etc.. were identified from D. ambrosioides. D. ambrosioides exhibited a wide range of pharmacological activities, including antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, anticancer, insecticidal, antigiardial, among others. Metal nanoparticles synthesized from D. ambrosioides extracts presented enhanced pharmacological activities as compared to the crude plant extracts counterparts. Conclusion: D. ambrosioides is a promising medicinal plant, however, more in vivo experiments, cytotoxicity tests, and mechanisms of actions of its extracts and compounds are recommended to transubstantiate the ethnomedicinal claims of this plant into scientific rationale-based information.

Laurus nobilis L., (Habb-ul-Ghar), A Review on Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Ethnomedicinal Uses

Habb-ul-Ghar (Laurus nobilis L., fruit) is used in the Unani and other traditional systems of medicine since ancient times. It has been also used in culinary and pharmaceutical industries. Various phytoconstituents were isolated from laurel fruit, like monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, fatty acids, flavonoids, phenolic acid, and some minerals. Many pharmacological studies have been carried out to explore its anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, antiproliferative, antinociceptive, and anti-inflammatory activities. This review will provide a comprehensive overview only about fruit of Laurus nobilis with special reference to Unani medicine. Keywords: Habb ul Ghar; Laurus nobilis; Laurel fruit; Unani medicine

The Ethnobotany and Chemistry of South African Meliaceae: A Review

Meliaceae are widely distributed across the world in tropical or subtropical climates and are of considerable ethnobotanical importance as sources of traditional medicine and cosmetics. This comprehensive review summarizes the ethnobotanical uses and chemistry of 12 South African species, belonging to six genera: Ekebergia, Nymania, Entandrophragma, Pseudobersama, Trichilia, and Turraea. Eight of the species have ethnomedicinal records, classified into 17 major disease categories. The ethnomedicinal uses comprise 85 ailments dominated by gastrointestinal complaints, followed by gynaecological and obstetrics related problems. Chemical records were found for 10 species, which describe nine classes of compounds. In nearly all South African Meliaceae, limonoids are the predominant constituents while triterpenes, sterols, and coumarins are also common. The widest range of use-records and medicinal applications are found with the two most chemically diverse species, Ekebergiacapensis and Trichiliaemetica. Of the chemical compounds identified in the various plant organs of the 10 species of South African Meliaceae for which data are available, 42% was found in bark and 17% in seeds. Roots represent 35% and bark 33% of the organs that are used medicinally, and they are typically prepared as decoctions or infusions. Root and bark harvesting are destructive so that it may be important to examine the chemistry of plant parts such as wild-crafted leaves and fruits.