The phytoconstituents and the comparative effects of aqueous extract of Irvingia gabonensis seeds and proviron on the biochemical parameters of male guinea pigs

Objective:To investigate the phytochemical screening and the effects of the aqueous extracts of the seeds of Irvingia gabonensis on the biochemical parameters of male guinea pigs.Methods: The biochemical parameters were assayed using Randox Diagnostic kits,Phenolphthalein method and colorimetric method.The phytochemical screening was carried out using standard procedures.Results:Phytochemical investigations revealed the presence of flavonoids,tannins, carbohydrate,alkaloids,terpenoids,steroids,volatile oils,saponins and cardiac glycosides.The aqueous extract of Irvingia gabonensis seeds(SO - 400 mg/kg) caused a statistically significant(P【 0.05 ANOVA) decrease in the levels of total cholesterol,urea,uric acid,total protein,prostatic, alkaline,and acid phosphatases.The highest reduction effect was obtained with uric acid at 400 mg/kg of Irvingia gabonensis extract while the least effect was observed in total cholesterol. These effects were dose- and time- dependent.Conclusions:This shows that the seeds of Irvingia gabonensis have hepatoprotective,nephroprotective and cardio protective properties.The study therefore,supports the claims on the use of the seeds of this plant by traditional medicine practitioners as a hepatoprotective and nephroprotective agent Although further studies need to be done to isolate,identify and characterize the active principles in the seeds of this plant.

A Review on Bioactive Compounds Isolated from Euphorbia hirta L.

Euphorbia hirta L. is an annual medicinal herb throughout many tropical continents used to cure various diseases. Several studies have isolated many bioactive compounds from E. hirta. This study aimed at providing a collection of bioactive constituents in E. hirta. This review summarizes the extraction solvent, the structures and the properties of 38 bioactive phytochemicals isolated from E. hirta. It could help to understand the relationship existing between phytochemicals and their activities.

Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities, Safety of Use and Spasmolytic Effects of Aqueous Decoction Extract of Diospyros mespiliformis Leaves Hochst. ex A. DC. (Ebenaceae) on the Isolated Duodenum of Rat

Diospyros mespiliformis Hochst. ex A. DC. (Ebenaceae) is a multi-use plant, including for therapeutic purposes. It is used in alternative medicine in Burkina Faso to treat conjunctivitis, menorrhagia, dysentery, and diarrhea. The aim of our study was to evaluate the chemical profile, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, safety of use and spasmolytic effects of the aqueous decoction of Diospyros mespiliformis leaves. Phytochemical screening by HPTLC and assay of compounds of interest were carried out. Four methods were used to assess antioxidant activity. Inhibitory activity against 15-lipoxygenase and phospholipase A2 was assessed. Acute oral toxicity of the extract was tested on female mice (NMRI). Following these tests, the extract contained bioactive compounds of interest such as flavonoids, tannins, sterols, triterpenes, and saponosides. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the aqueous decoctate were 70.59 ± 3.20 mg EAT/g and 31.57 ± 0.78 mg EQ/g respectively. The extract was less active than Trolox with inhibitory concentrations of 50% (IC50) for the ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, and LPO tests of 7.53 ± 0.08 μg/mL, 29.47 ± 0.06 μg/mL, 1128.83 ± 4.82 mol EAA/g, and 32.30 ± 1.60 μg/mL respectively. The extract has an anti-inflammatory effect with inhibition of phospholipase A2 compared to betamethasone. In addition, the aqueous extract produced an antispasmodic effect with Emax of 70% and 80% respectively during contractions induced by BaCl2 and ACh. Finally, this study provided basic scientific data and could justify the use of D. mespiliformis leaves in the treatment of diarrhea.

Acute Oral Toxicity and Vasorelaxant Effects of Hydroethanolic Extract from Lannea microcarpa Engl. & K. Krause (Anacardiaceae) Trunk Barks in Mice Aortas: Possible Involvement of Intracellular Ca 2+ Mobilization

Lannea microcrapa Engl. & K. Krause (Anacardiaceae) is a fruit and medicinal plant widely used in Burkina Faso. This plant is traditionally used in the treatment of hypertension. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the vasorelaxant effects of the hydroethanolic extract from Lannea microcarpa trunk barks (HE_ELM) on the aorta isolated from NMRI mice. Phytochemical screening by HPTLC, assay of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, assessment of antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and LPO), and myography of HE_ELM (1 - 2000 μg/mL) on mice thoracic aortas in the presence and absence of endothelium were carried out. Endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independant vasodilation were assessed by cumulative addition of Ach (1 nM - 10 μM) on aortic rings precontracted with the thromboxane analogue A2 agonist, 9,11-dideoxy9α,11α-methanoepoxy PGF2α (U46619). L-NAME was used to verify the involvement of NO production in the relaxation mechanism of the extract. Acute oral toxicity of HE_ELM was also evaluated. A phytochemical study revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, sterols and triterpenes, saponosides, and high levels of total phenolics and flavonoids. These compounds are thought to be responsible for the extract’s antioxidant and vasorelaxant properties. HE_ELM demonstrated significant antioxidant potential and induced aortic relaxation. Indeed, pharmacological parameters gave EC50 values ranging from 596.45 ± 95.82 μg/mL to 749.48 ± 133.40 μg/mL and Emax values from 85.51% ± 9.59% to 96.81% ± 8.60% for the three conditions of vasodilation of the extract (p > 0.05). A complete antagonism of the contractile effect of U46619 was noted with 1 mg/mL HE_ELM. These results suggest that HE_ELM induces aortic relaxation through a concentration-dependent, endothelium-independent mechanism, possibly involving intracellular calcium mobilization of vascular cells. Acute oral toxicity tests of HE_ELM (2000 mg/kg) showed no mortality or adverse effects, suggesting the extract’s safety and potential as a therapeutic agent for hypertension. This discovery scientifically validates the use of the plant in alternative medicine to treat hypertension.

Phytochemical Analysis and Contractile Effects of Aqueous and Hydroethanolic Extracts of Anastatica hierochuntica L. (Brassicaceae) on the Isolated Uterus of Mice

Background: Anastatica hierochuntica L. (Brassicaceae) has been claimed to treat various conditions, including complicated childbirth. The principal objective of this research was to provide scientific evidence on the contractile effect of the aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts of the whole plant from A. hierochuntica during labor. Method: Qualitative and quantitative methods helped identify and quantify the phytoconstituents in both extracts. The antioxidant activity was studied using four standard methods (ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, and LPO). Results: The inhibitory power of the extracts on pro-inflammatory enzymes such as 15-lipoxygenase and phospholipase A2 was determined. The contractile effects of the extracts were evaluated using isolated pregnant mice uteri. Steroids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, and reduced compounds were identified in both extracts. The hydroethanolic extract exhibited higher content of hydrolyzable tannins (15.07 ± 0.24 mg tannic acid equivalent/g) than the aqueous decoction (11.8 ± 0.69 mg TAE/g). The extracts demonstrated the ability to scavenge DPPH and ABTS radicals, reduce ferric ions, and inhibit especially lipid peroxidation. No significant difference was noted in the phospholipase inhibition between the extracts and betamethasone. The hydroethanolic extract displayed the most significant anti-lipoxygenase activity with an IC50 value of 55.82 ± 1.15 μg/mL. The lethal dose (LD50) of extracts was estimated to be superior to 2000 mg/kg body weight (bw). The ability of the samples to produce one cm amplitude of contraction at 50% effective concentrations (EC50) was 5.33 × 10−8 ± 0.32 mg/mL for oxytocin, 1.51 ± 0.08 mg/mL for aqueous extract and 3.57 ± 0.61 mg/mL for hydroethanolic extract. Conclusion: These findings could provide evidence for using Anastatica hierochuntica to facilitate childbirth.

Diabetes mellitus:An overview on its pharmacological aspects and reported medicinal plants having antidiabetic activity

Diabetes mellitus is not a single disease but is a group of metabolic disorders affecting a huge numlier of population in the world.It is mainly characterized by chronic hyperglycemia,resulting from defects in insulin secretion or insulin action.It is predicated that the number of diabetes person in the world could reach upto 366 million by the year 2030.Even though the cases of diabetes are increasing day by day,except insulin and oral hypoglycemic drugs no other way of treatment has been successfully developed so far.Thus,the objective of the present review is to provide an insight over the pathophysiological and etiological aspects of diabetes mellitus along with the remedies available for this metabolic disorder.The review also contains brief idea about diabetes mellitus and the experimental screening model with their relevant mechanism and significance mainly used nowadays.Alloxan and streptozotocin are mainly used for evaluating the antidiabetic activity of a particular drug.This review contain list of medicinal plants which have been tested for their antidiabetic activity in the alloxan induced diabetic rat model.From the available data in the literature,it was found that plant having antidiabetic activity is mainly due to the presence of the secondary metabolite.Thus,the information provided in this review will help the researchers for the development of an alternative methods rather than insidin and oral hypoglycemic agents for the treatment of diabetes niellitus,which will minimize the complication associated with the diabetes and related disorder.

An overview on antidiabetic medicinal plants having insulin mimetic property

Diabetes mellitus is one of the common metabolic disorders acquiring around 2.8%of the world's population and is anticipated to cross 5.4%by the year 2025.Since long back herbal medicines have been the highly esteemed source of medicine therefore,they have become a growing part of modern,high-tech medicine.In view of the above aspects the present review provides profiles of plants(65 species) with hypoglycaemic properties,available through literature source from various database with proper categorization according to the parts used,mode of reduction in blood glucose(insulinomimetic or insulin secretagugues activity) and active phyloconsliluents having insulin mimetics activity.From the review it was suggested that,plant showing hypoglycemic potential mainly belongs to the family Leguminoseae,Lamiaceae,Liliaceae,Cucurbitaceae, Asteraceae,Moraceae,Rosaceae and Araliaceae.The most active plants are Allium sativum. Gymnema sylvestre,Citrullus colocynthis,Trigonella foenum greacum,Momordica charantia and Ficuts bengalensis.The review describes some new bioactive drugs and isolated compounds from plants such as roseoside,epigallocatechin gallate,beta-pyrazol-1-ylalanine,cinchonain Ib,leucocyandin 3-O-beta-d-galactosyl cellobioside,leucopelargonidin-3- O-alpha-L rhamuoside,glycyrrhetinic acid,dehydrotrametenolic acid,strictinin,isostrictinin,pedunculagin, epicatechin and christinin-A showing significant insulinomimetic and antidiabetic activity with more efficacy than conventional hypoglycaemic agents.Thus,from the review majorly,the antidiabetic activity of medicinal plants is attributed to the presence of polyphenols,flavonoida, terpenoids,coumarins and other constituents which show reduction in blood glucose levels.The review also discusses the management aspect of diabetes mellitus using these plants and their active principles.

Screening and antibacterial efficacy of selected Indian medicinal plants

Objective: To evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of five Indian medicinal plants such as Acalypha indica L.(A. indica), Aerva lanata(L.) Juss. ex Schult.(A. lanata), Clerodendrum inerme(L.) Gaertn., Pergularia daemia(Forsk.) Chiov. and Solanum surattense Burm. f. against opportunistic bacterial pathogens isolated from HIV infected patients for the potential phytoconstituents in plant extracts.Methods: The opportunistic bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli(E. coli),Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi and Serratia marcescens from Gramnegative group and Staphylococcus aureus from Gram-positive group were isolated from HIV infected patients. The antibacterial efficacy of ethanolic extracts of selected medicinal plants was carried out by disc diffusion method. The potential phytoconstituents of medicinal plant extracts were identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry(GC–MS) analysis.Results: Among the five medicinal plants tested, A. indica and A. lanata showed the significant antibacterial activity. A. indica showed potential activity against Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. A. lanata significantly exhibited antibacterial activity against E. coli, Salmonella typhi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A total of 19 phytoconstituents were identified in the ethanolic extract of A. indica and A. lanata by GC–MS analysis respectively.Conclusions: The results of the present investigation revealed that A. indica and A. lanata, possessed significant antibacterial activity when compared with the other plant extracts tested. The presence of 3-O-methyl-D-glucose by GC–MS analysis in both A. indica and A. lanata extracts has not been reported elsewhere in the literature and the findings in this study could be the first one to report.

Phytochemical screening and evaluation of cytotoxic and hypoglycemic properties of Mangifera indica peels

Objective: To investigate the presence of different phytoconstituents in Mangifera indica(M. indica) peel and evaluate its cytotoxicity to Artemia salina and hypoglycemic potential in Swiss albino mice.Methods: The methanolic extract of M. indica peel was used to determine the presence of phytoconstituents. Brine shrimp lethality bioassay method was followed to determine the cytotoxic potential of plant extract. In the case of hypoglycemic activity, oral administration of extract at 200 and 400 mg/kg and standard glibenclamide at 10 mg/kg was done, followed by determining the percentage of reduction of plasma glucose from the initial level.Results: The methanolic extract of M. indica peel showed the presence of flavonoid,saponin, steroid, tannins, terpenoids, glycosides and alkaloids. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the LC_(50) of the extract and standard vincristine sulfate was found to be 2.04 and0.41 mg/mL, respectively. After 90 and 150 min, the methanolic extract at 200 and 400 mg/kg showed prominent plasma glucose reduction of 13.95%, 22.48% and 14.16%,26.18% respectively compared to standard glibenclamide showing 14.90% and 20.67% plasma glucose reduction.Conclusions: This current research affirms prominent cytotoxic and moderate hypoglycemic potential of M. indica peel. Further bioactivity guided isolation of phytoconstituents and investigation on higher animals can lead to development of new drug molecules.

Evolving spectrum of diabetic wound: Mechanistic insights and therapeutic targets

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder resulting in an increased blood glucose level and prolonged hyperglycemia,causes long term health consequences.Chronic wound is frequently occurring in diabetes patients due to compromised wound healing capability.Management of wounds in diabetic patients remains a clinical challenge despite many advancements in the field of science and technology.Increasing evidence indicates that alteration of the biochemical milieu resulting from alteration in inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinase,decrease in fibroblast and keratinocyte functioning,neuropathy,altered leukocyte functioning,infection,etc.,plays a significant role in impaired wound healing in diabetic people.Apart from the current pharmacotherapy,different other approaches like the use of conventional drugs,antidiabetic medication,antibiotics,debridement,offloading,platelet-rich plasma,growth factor,oxygen therapy,negative pressure wound therapy,low-level laser,extracorporeal shock wave bioengineered substitute can be considered in the management of diabetic wounds.Drugs/therapeutic strategy that induce angiogenesis and collagen synthesis,inhibition of MMPs,reduction of oxidative stress,controlling hyperglycemia,increase growth factors,regulate inflammatory cytokines,cause NO induction,induce fibroblast and keratinocyte proliferation,control microbial infections are considered important in controlling diabetic wound.Further,medicinal plants and/or phytoconstituents also offer a viable alternative in the treatment of diabetic wound.The focus of the present review is to highlight the molecular and cellular mechanisms,and discuss the drug targets and treatment strategies involved in the diabetic wound.

Evaluation of extraction protocols for anti-diabetic phytochemical substances from medicinal plants

AIM To examine the efficacy of three extraction techniques: Soxhlet-extraction(SE), cold-maceration(CM) and microwave-assisted-extraction(MAE) using 80% methanol as solvent. METHODS The study was performed on each of 50 g of Vernonia amygdalina(VA) and Occimum gratissimum(OG) leaves respectively. The percentage yield, duration of extraction, volume of solvent used, qualitative and quantitative phytoconstituents present was compared. The biological activities(hypoglycemic effect) were investigated using albino wistar rat model of diabetes mellitus(n = 36) with a combined dose(1:1) of the two plants leaf extracts(250 mg/kg b.w.) from the three methods. Theextracts were administered orally, once daily for 21 d.RESULTS In this report, the percentage VA extract yield from MAE was highest(20.9% ± 1.05%) within 39 min using 250 m L of solvent, when compared to the CM(14.35% ± 0.28%) within 4320 min using 900 m L of solvent and SE(15.75% ± 0.71%) within 265 min using 500 m L of solvent. The percentage differences in OG extract yield between: MAE vs SE was 41.05%; MAE vs CM was 46.81% and SE vs CM was 9.77%. The qualitative chemical analysis of the two plants showed no difference in the various phytoconstituents tested, but differs quantitatively in the amount of the individual phytoconstituents, as MAE had significantly high yield(P > 0.05) on phenolics, saponins and tannins. SE technique gave significantly high yield(P > 0.05) on alkaloid, while CM gave significant high yield on flavonoids. The extracts from CM exhibited a significantly(P > 0.05) better hypoglycemic activity within the first 14-d of treatment(43.3% ± 3.62%) when compared to MAE(36.5% ± 0.08%) and SE methods(33.3% ± 1.60%). However, the percentage hypoglycemic activity, 21 d post-treatment with 250 mg/kg b.w. extract from MAE was 72.6% ± 1.03% and it was more comparable to 10 mg/kg b.w. glibenclamide treated group(75.0% ± 0.73%), unlike the SE(69.5% ± 0.71%) and CM(69.1% ± 1.03%). CONCLUSION CM technique produces extract with better hypoglycemic activity, whereas; MAE is a better option for high yield of phytoconstituents using less solvent within a short time.

Phytopharmacological potential of the natural gift Moringa oleifera Lam and its therapeutic application: An overview

Traditionally,medicinal plants of family Moringaceae have been well-recognized due to their multipurpose utilization in various fields such as treatment of several diseases for they have a broad range of pharmacological activities,in wastewater treatment as well as food source.Fractionation of this medicinal plants and its bioactivity study discloses the presence of several phytoconstituents and secondary metabolites like terpenes,flavonoids,steroids,phenolic compounds,tannins,carohydrates,flavonoids,vitamins and minerals.The results of bioactivity study results revealed that different extracts such as aqueous,methanolic and ethanolic of Moringa oleifera showed notable therapeutic activities.Our present review explore and focus on the phytochemical composition and various pharmacological activities like immunomodulator,antidiabetic,antiulcer,anthelmintic,anti-inflammatory,antipyretic,analgesic,antiepileptic,cardioprotective,lipid lowering,antihypertensive,hepatoprotective,anti-nephrotoxicity and anti-microbial activities to arouse public consciousness about the nutritional and medicinal value of this"miracle tree-Moringa oleifera"in favor of humanity.

Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis of selected mosses with different alcoholic solvents

This study was conducted to investigate the qualitative and quantitative phytochemical content of the crude extracts of Archidium ohioense,Pelekium gratum,and Hyophila involuta with different alcoholic solvents(ethanol,methanol,Seaman's Schnapps,fresh oil-palm wine,and fresh Raffia-palm wine).The mosses were collected from their natural populations on the central campus of the Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile-Ife,Nigeria.The yield of the extracts was weighed for all the solvents,and the qualitative and quantitative evaluations of the extracts were carried out using standard methods.The results of phytochemical analysis of the crude extracts from the mosses showed the presence of saponins,cardiac glycosides,triterpenes,alkaloids,flavonoids,and steroids.The quantitative phytochemical analysis of the crude extracts showed that ethanolic extracts of Hyophila involuta had the highest flavonoid content(288.37±0.10 mg RE/g),and Raffiapalm-wine extracts of Hyophila involuta had the highest saponin content(224.70±0.02 mg/g),while the methanolic extract of Archidium ohioense had the highest cardiac glycosides content(63.71±0.14 mg/g),and the Raffia-palm wine extract of Hyophila involuta had the highest alkaloids content(102.50±0.12 mg/g).Raffia-and oil-palm wines were observed to be the most effective solvents for all the mosses studied,followed by Seaman's Schnapp,while methanol and ethanol were less effective.The study concluded that the extracts of the mosses studied contain pharmacologically active constituents that can be used for therapeutic purposes.

Identification of Anxiolytic Potential of Niranthin:In-vivo and Computational Investigations

Anxiety is an unpleasant state,which can critically decrease the quality of life is often accompanied by nervous behaviour and rumination.Niranthin is a lignan isolated from various Phyllanthus sources.The literature survey on niranthin highlights wide ranges of the therapeutic potentials.In a present study,based on our previous investigations,we evaluated pure,isolated and characterized niranthin as an anxiolytic agent.The niranthin[6-[(2R,3R)-3-[(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)methyl]-4-methoxy-2-(methoxymethyl)butyl]-4-methoxy-1,3-benzodioxole]was purchased from commercial source and further subjected for assessment of its anxiolytic potentials using popular animal models including Elevated plus-maze model/test(EPM)and Light&Dark Exploration test(L&D).GABA-A receptor mediation was evaluated by pretreating the mice with the GABA-A receptor antagonist Flumazenil before the EPM task.Molecular docking simulation studies(pdb id:4COF)carried out by Vlife QSAR software showed that niranthin(docking score:−62.1714 kcal/mol)have shown comparatively best docking score compared to the standard drug Diazepam(docking score:−63.1568 kcal/mol).To conclude,Niranthin has probable potential in the management of anxiety disorder.Our in-silico and in-vivo analysis(indirectly)indicated the plausible role of GABA mediation for anxiolytic activity.Although,these studies are preliminary,future in depth experimental explorations will be required to use Niranthin as anti-anxiety drug in near future.

Exploring the Anti-Hypertensive Properties of Medicinal Plants and Their Bioactive Metabolites: An Extensive Review

Medicinal plants are extensively used in traditional folk medicine. High blood pressure is associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and many other serious health complications resulting from it as a major concern of morbidity and mortality in health sector. Use of diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, beta adrenergic receptor antagonists (beta blockers), alpha adrenergic receptor antagonists (alpha blockers), calcium channel blockers (CCBs) etc. are not efficient enough to cure hypertension. Side effects regarding these medications lead to intolerance, impaired control of the disease, and also mismanagement of therapy. So, approach regarding quenching new potent therapeutic compounds from medicinal plants draws attention nowadays. For example, as a first-line therapeutic agent, an alkaloid is highly effective in lowering systolic blood pressure which is isolated from root extract of the plant of Rauwolfia serpentina species, namely reserpine. This article comes up with a list of 63 plant species from 37 families, compiling information related to plant parts used for making extracts, types of extract and animals used in these studies, antihypertensive effect of the extracts etc. It also refers to 74 chemically defined molecules, with in vitro and in vivo anti-hypertensive potential, isolated from these extracts along with their dosage and mechanism of action by using electronic searches of published articles from various databases and reference books. Our present work would be beneficial for researchers to investigate and invent novel antihypertensive therapy to treat hypertension.

In <i>Vitro</i>Anthelmintic Activity of Leaf Extracts of <i>Celosia</i>laxa Schum. &Thonn

Background: Celosia laxa (Amaranthaceae) is mainly a west African plant species used in Traditional Medicine as an anthelmintic, anticancer, antibacterial and analgesic agent. The seeming prevalence of worm infection in Gwandu community of Gwandu Local Government Area of Kebbi State-Nigeria prompted this study. Methods: Whole plant of C. laxa extracts obtained through maceration in aqueous (AE), methanol (ME) and hexane (HE) solvents were investigated for their anthelmintic activity against Indian earthworms (Pheretima posthuman) at four different (gradient) concentrations of 10, 20, 40 and 80 (mg/ml) for each extract. The study involved the determination of time of paralysis (P) and time of death (D) of the worms. Results: Both the aqueous and ethanolic extracts exhibited significant anthelmintic activity at the highest concentration of 80 mg/ml as compared to the standard drug, praziquantel (10 mg/ml). Consequently, the aqueous extract showed a higher activity at 80 mg/ml compared to standard praziquantel at 10 mg/ml (with no significant value of p < 0.05). The time of paralysis and death observed for AE was 13.0 ± 1.8 and 16.8 ± 1.5 while the ME was less bioactive with 15.7 ± 0.5 and 23.0 ± 0.0 respectively. However, on the other hand, the hexane extract recorded no-activity on all the test sample concentrations, compared to the standard drug (with a significant difference of p-value, p > 0.05). Conclusion: It was concluded that the leaves of C. laxa are likely to yield a potent anthelminthic drug owing to soluble phytoconstituent which are largely hydrophilicity extracted by the polar solvents. Also, considering that the plants’ mode of preparation for use by the locals was aqueous decoction before administration, the folkloric therapeutic claims can be said to have been justified.

<i>In Vivo</i>Sedative and Anxiolytic Activities of <i>Thunbergia erecta</i>(Acanthaceae) Leaves Activate Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Mediated Hyperpolarization in Swiss Albino Mice

Background: Thunbergia erecta (Acanthaceae) is the most abundant medicinal plant in different parts of Bangladesh where it is known as “nilghonta”. It has been used as traditional medicine for insomnia, depression and anxiety management. However, no scientific evidence of T. erecta belonging to neuropharmacological activity has been reported. The aim of present study was to investigate in vivo sedative and anxiolytic activities of methanol extract from the leaves of T. erecta in Swiss Albino mice. Methods: Sedative activity of METE was investigated using open field, hole cross and thiopental sodium-induced sleeping time test model whereas anxiolytic activity was screened by elevated-plus maze, light-dark box, hole-board and marble-burying test method in mice at 200 and 400 mg/kg doses. The acute toxicity study and phytochemical analysis of METE also carried out. Diazepam used as the positive control for the following behavioral pharmacology test. Results: METE exhibited significant (p Conclusion: The experimental result indicates T. erecta contains phytoconstituents that possess sedative and anxiolytic activity which traditionally used in insomnia, depression and anxiety management.

Advances in chemistry and bioactivity of the genus Erythroxylum

Erythroxylum P.Browne is the largest and most representative genus of Erythroxylaceae family.It contains approxi-mately 230 species that are mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions.Some species in this genus,such as E.monogynum and E.coca,have been used as folk medicines in India or South America for a long history.It is well known that Erythroxylum plants are rich in tropane alkaloids,and the representative member cocaine shows remarka-ble activity in human central nervous system.However,many other types of active compounds have also been found in Erythroxylum along with the broadening and deepening of phytochemical research.To date,a total of 383 com-pounds from Erythroxylum have been reported,among which only 186 tropane alkaloids have been reviewed in 2010.In this review,we summarized all remained 197 compounds characterized from 53 Erythroxylum species from 1960 to 2021,which include diterpenes,triterpenes,alkaloids,flavonoids,and other derivates,providing a comprehensive overview of phytoconstituents profile of Erythroxylum plants.In addition,the biological activities of representative phytochemicals and crude extracts were also highlighted.

Therapeutic Trials of Nigella sativa

Nigella sativa (NS)(Ranunculaceae family) is generally utilized as a therapeutic plant all over the world. The seeds of the plant have a long history of use in different frameworks of medicines and food. N. sativa seeds reveal a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities including immunopotentiation and antihistaminic, antiseptic, antiallergic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. It is known as a source of thymoquinone (TQ), thymohydroquinone, dithymoquinone, p-cymene, carvacrol, 4-terpineol, t-anethol, sesquiterpene longifolene, nigellicimine and nigellicimine-N-oxide,α-pinene and thymol etc. Additionally, this is uncovered that the majority of therapeutic properties of this plant are due to the presence of thymoquinone which is a major bioactive component of the essential oil. The incalculable medicinal properties and therapeutic uses of N. sativa prove its importance as a valuable medicinal plant. The aim of this review is to summarize some important pharmacological studies and phytochemical investigations on N. sativa and isolated principles which can be investigated further to get novel molecules in the search of novel herbal drugs.

Pharmacological potential of Manilkara zapota(L.)P.Royen(Sapodilla):a narrative review

Herbal medicine is safe and effective in treating various diseases.Traditional herbal medicine plays a tremendous role in treatment of various diseases and accompanying complications,hence herbal medicine requires remarkable attention in further research for the development of numerous active formulations for treatment of health troubles.The plant needs special consideration for development and research of unidentified compound and characterization of novel active molecules that overcome multiple pathological abnormalities.The genus Manilkara contains 135 plants around the world.This overview discusses all the virtues of most important and commonly used plant Manilkara zapota(L.)P.Royen(M.zapota),also known as Sapodilla.M.zapota has various traditional beneficial effects in treatment of various diseases and disorders dating back to prehistoric times and used in ancient traditional system of herbal medicine.