Pharmacognostic and phytochemical studies as an invaluable approach for correct identification of medicinal plants:The case of Artemisia vulgaris L.substituted for Artemisia annua L.in Western Uganda

Background:Different parts of Artemisia vulgaris L.(A.vulgaris)are ethno-medicinally used as an emmenagogue and for the treatment of ailments such as malaria fever,ulcers,and cancer.However,anecdotal evidence shows that the plant is often substituted for Artemisia annua L.(A.annua)by herbalists in Western Uganda due to similarities in their morphology.Misidentification of medicinal plants and mislabelling of herbal products have been incriminated in toxicity and adverse health outcomes in traditional medicine practise.Because safety continues to be a major issue with the use of herbal remedies,it becomes imperative therefore that medicinal plants should be correctly identified.Methods:This study focused on investigating the macroscopic,microscopic,physicochemical characteristics and phytochemical composition of A.vulgaris leaves compared to A.annua to ease its correct identification.Results:The results showed that there are some colour differences between the leaves of the two species,with a close arrangement of microscopic features but different leaf constants.The leaves of the two Artemisia species had similar tastes,but their shapes and colours(greenish-yellow for A.annua and dark green for A.vulgaris)can be used by the local community to distinguish between them.The artemisinin content was higher in A.vulgaris leaves(1.72%)than in A.annua(1.43%),but the reverse was observed for the total flavonoid content.Conclusion:This observation could justify the change in the use of A.vulgaris by the indigenous community in western Uganda.Further studies should consider the pharmacognostic comparison of A.annua with other species in the genus Artemisia and the use of molecular techniques such as DNA barcoding.

Cancer treatment with biosimilar drugs:A review

Biosimilars are biological drugs created from living organisms or that contain living components.They share an identical amino-acid sequence and immunogenicity.These drugs are considered to be cost-effective and are utilized in the treatment of cancer and other endocrine disorders.The primary aim of biosimilars is to predict biosimilarity,efficacy,and treatment costs;they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration(FDA)and have no clinical implications.They involve analytical studies to understand the similarities and dissimilarities.A biosimilar manufacturer sets up FDA-approved reference products to evaluate biosimilarity.The contribution of next-generation sequencing is evolving to study the organ tumor and its progression with its impactful therapeutic approach on cancer patients to showcase and target rare mutations.The study shall help to understand the future perspectives of biosimilars for use in gastro-entero-logic diseases,colorectal cancer,and thyroid cancer.They also help target specific organs with essential mutational categories and drug prototypes in clinical practices with blood and liquid biopsy,cell treatment,gene therapy,recombinant therapeutic proteins,and personalized medications.Biosimilar derivatives such as monoclonal antibodies like trastuzumab and rituximab are common drugs used in cancer therapy.Escherichia coli produces more than six antibodies or antibody-derived proteins to treat cancer such as filgrastim,epoetin alfa,and so on.

Plants Used as Antihypertensive

Hypertension is a critical health problem and worse other cardiovascular diseases.It is mainly of two types:Primary or essential hypertension and Secondary hypertension.Hypertension is the primary possibility feature for coronary heart disease,stroke and renal vascular disease.Herbal medicines have been used for millions of years for the management and treatment of hypertension with minimum side effects.Over aim to write this review is to collect information on the anti-hypertensive effects of natural herbs in animal studies and human involvement as well as to recapitulate the underlying mechanisms,from the bottom of cell culture and ex-vivo tissue data.According to WHO,natural herbs/shrubs are widely used in increasing order to treat almost all the ailments of the human body.Plants are the regular industrial units for the invention of chemical constituents,they used as immunity booster to enhance the natural capacity of the body to fight against different health prob-lems as well as herbal medicines and food products also.Eighty percent population of the world(around 5.6 billion people)consume medicines from natural plants for major health concerns.This review provides a bird’s eye analysis primarily on the traditional utilization,phytochemical constituents and pharmacological values of medicinal herbs used to normalize hypertension i.e.Hibiscus sabdariffa,Allium sativum,Andrographis paniculata,Apium graveolens,Bidenspilosa,Camel-lia sinensis,Coptis chinensis,Coriandrum sativum,Crataegus spp.,Crocus sativus,Cymbopogon citrates,Nigella sativa,Panax ginseng,Salviaemiltiorrhizae,Zingiber officinale,Tribulus terrestris,Rauwolfiaserpentina,Terminalia arjuna etc.

Concept of dushi visha(latent poison)a review in ayurveda

A poison,which is having fewer properties,which means less thanit’s own ten classical properties or the poison which is having lesser potency of all ten properties,attains a accumulative or hidden stage in the body is called Dushi Visha(latent poison).Low potency of all the ten qualities of poison are said to be responsible for the delayed action and cumulative toxicity on the body.A much detailed description about DushiVisha is not seen in Ayurvedic classics.The concept of DushiVisha is still an enigma.To understand Dushi Visha,it is important to understand that what are theoriginating factors can be considered under DushiVisha,how it remains in the body without undergoing elimination,how does it causes cumulative toxicity,which factors will aggravate DushiVisha,how the clinical features of DushiVisha will be presented in the body.To get proper answer to all these practical queries,it is necessary to go through it’spathology.Here an attempt is made to review the concept of DushiVisha in detail.

Applied aspect of ayurvedic fumigation (Dhupana Karma) in epidemic era: a conceptual review

Ayurveda has attached great importance to preventive medicine and has described several methods for disinfection.Today we are living in a world where we are constantly facing new diseases and surrounded by various types of pathogenic microorganisms in our daily lives,which make us their prey as soon as they get a chance.Some of these microorganisms are the ones that give rise to terrible types of infectious diseases,which have the potential to influence a large section of the population.The Epidemic is the occurrence of more cases of a disease than would be expected in a community or region during a time of period,a severe outbreak of a disease such as SARS.Epidemiological diseases have been described in Ayurveda regarding Janpadodhwansa.Vayu(Air),Desha(Land),Kala(Season),and Jala(Water)are the four factors that are contaminated during the epidemic,according to Ayurveda.Dhupana(fumigation)is the act by which considerable success can be achieved in the field of disinfecting contaminated air and surface.Therefore,because of the present circumstances,this article is an attempt by which to show the importance of Dhupana Karma(fumigation)for the process of disinfection.

Targeting colorectal cancer using dietary flavonols

Colorectal cancer is among the well-known forms of cancer and a prominent cause of cancer demises worldwide.In vitro experiments reinforced by animal studies,as well as epidemiological studies of human colorectal cancer propose that the growth of this disease can be moderated by eating aspects.Dietary intake including green vegetables and fruits may result in the reduction of colon cancer chances.The finding suggests that the combinations of dietary nutrients may deliver additive or synergistic effects and might be a powerful method to avoid or eradicate colon cancer beginning and/or development.Flavonols are one of the most widespread dietary nutrients of the polyphenols-flavonoids and major constituent of Allium and Brassicaceae vegetables.Flavonols present in vegetables of Allium and Brassicaceae family are kaempferol,myricetin,quercetin,and isorhamnetin.These flavonols are claimed to have antiproliferative activity in vivo and in vitro against colorectal cancer.The objective of this review is to summarize the role of flavonols obtained from dietary sources in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.

Plants’Steroidal Saponins‑A Review on Its Pharmacology Properties and Analytical Techniques

The plant is a rich repository of useful secondary metabolites with profound medicinal potential.Saponins,one type of bioactive compound,are amphitheatric glycosides with one and more hydrophilic sugar and hydrophobic steroidal and terpenoid part.The former is known as steroidal saponin,and the latter is called terpenoid saponins.Steroidal saponin is mostly distributed among monocotyledon families such as Asparagaceae,Amaryllidaceae,Dioscoreaceae,Smilacaceae,and Liliaceae.Even though it is unusual,it could also be detected to some extent by dicotyledonous angiosperms,such as Plantaginaceae,Zygophyllaceae,Fabaceae,Asteraceae,and Solanaceae.It exhibits diverse pharmacological ability including antimicrobic,anti‑inflammatory,cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitory,antiadipogenic,bactericide,cardioprotective,antitumor,antidiabetic,cytotoxic activity,antifungal,antiviral,antioxidant,and hepatoprotective.Steroidal saponin timosaponin AIII from Anemarrhena asphodeloides has been found to possess antitumor activity.Diosgenin,another steroidal sapogenin,has the potential of preventing neurological diseases by affecting different signaling pathways,increasing bone formation,and increasing antithrombotic activity.Spicatoside A from Liriope platyphylla possesses anti‑inflammatory,antiasthma,and antiosteoclastogenic activities.TTB2 from Trillium tschonoskii exhibits anticancer potential.The cell cycle arrest and ROS‑dependent autophagy are induced by polyphyllin I.These diverse biological activities of steroidal saponins are attributed to the variability of their structural features.Analysis of steroidal saponins in plant materials mainly utilizes classically and advances thin layer chromatography(TLC)on normal and reverses‑phase(high‑performance thin‑layer chromatography,densitometric TLC),gas chromatography,LC,UPLC,ultra‑high‑performance liquid chromatography(HPLC),supercritical fluid chromatography,and HPLC coupled to ultraviolet detector and diode array detector.HPLC coupled with MS and Nuclear magnetic resonance is used for online identification of separated saponins.The present review aims to furnish a comprehensive account of the recent advances in analytical methods of determination and medicinal applications of steroidal saponins.