Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Formerly Current Medicinal Chemistry - Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents) - Volume 18, Issue 2, 2020

Plants play a vital role in the general wellbeing of an individual. Globally plants are habitually used by the people for the treatment and prevention of various ailments. There is an increased attempt made from ancient days to prevent the disease occurrence rather than to treat it. Through the development of modern scientific procedures, it is now identified that the usage of plants in different forms promotes the health of the patient. Oral and dental hygiene is the primary factor of a human being to lead a healthy life. Poor diet, nutrition and improper hygienic practices lead to teeth and gum diseases, dental cavities and plaque etc., Use of herbal extracts and their products in day-to-day life is a promising and interesting alternative to synthetic compounds to control oral diseases. The present review summarizes the usage of medicinal plants in the treatment and prevention of oral and dental diseases in different aspects.

Stevia rebaudiana of the Asteraceae family is a perennial shrub. It is a sweetener herb also known as sweet weed, sweet leaf, sweet herbs and honey leaf, native to Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. The leaves of stevia are sweeter than sucrose with zero calories. Steviol, a diterpenoid glycoside derivative identified from this plant, is sweeter than sucrose and is safe when used as a sweetening agent. Diabetic and obese people with hyperglycemia who are in a condition to follow a strict diet can use stevioside as an alternative sweetener. In addition to its hypoglycemic property, the plant also exhibits antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, antiseptic, diuretic, anti-fertility and cardiotonic properties. It has also been documented to show good effects on treating skin diseases such as dermatitis, acne, eczema etc. The leaves of stevia with enriched phytoconstituents could be an alternative natural sweetener for children, adults and old age persons who have a craze to drink beverages and eat sweetened food products in their habitual life.

Toddalia asiatica L. is used for a long period against various chronic diseases. The main objective of the present review is to search the literature for the folklore uses, phytochemicals isolated and their pharmacological properties of Toddalia asiatica L. The individual plant parts possess many phytoconstituents with therapeutic actions. The root bark of the plant is antimalarial, antipyretic and carminative. Plant leaves and stems have bitter taste and analgesic in nature. Leaf essential oil is used in relieving rheumatic arthritis, sprains, contusions, intercostal neuralgia, cough, malaria, dysentery and gastralgia. This compiled data may be helpful for the researchers to focus on the areas of research yet to be discovered. Complete information about the plant has been collected from various books, journals etc.

Background and Objectives: The present investigation is intended to prepare a Poly Herbal Formulation (PHF) with Piper nigrum (fruits), Terminalia paniculata (bark) and Bauhinia purpurea (bark) and assess their antioxidant and glucose-lowering effects utilizing in vitro models. Methods: The individual plant methanolic extracts and PHF are exposed to phytochemical examination and to distinguish the bioactive factors by GC-MS. We assessed the antioxidant properties of individual plant extracts and the PHF by using the DPPH scavenging method, H2O2 scavenging assay, TBARS assay and total antioxidant estimation. Likewise, the anti-diabetic activity was assessed by α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition and glucose diffusion inhibitory techniques. Results: We found that PHF contains a high measure of total phenolics, total flavonoids and tannin compared to individual plant extracts. The GC-MS identified the bioactive components. We also found that PHF had significantly higher antioxidant and glucose-lowering effects than the individual plant concentrates. Conclusion: In conclusion, it could be reasoned that due to the nearness of antioxidant components, the PHF has good potential in the administration of hyperglycemia, diabetes and the related state of oxidative stress. This study shows that PHF is superior to individual plant extracts, supporting the conventional PHF concept.

Objective: The aim of the present study is to isolate and characterize the bioactive compounds from Pleurotus djamor against human breast cancer (MDA-MD-231) and mouse T cell lymphoma (EL4) cell lines. Materials and Methods: Sequential fractionization and column chromatography methods were involved in compound isolation. The structures of the isolated compound were determined by NMR, GC/MS, and X-ray crystallography studies. Results: The isolated compounds 1- 4 [D-mannitol (C1), ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3β-ol (C2), 5,8- epidioxy-ergosta-6-22-dien-3β-ol (C3), and palmitic acid (C4)] are white crystal and amorphous powder in nature. All these compounds were isolated from this mushroom for the first time. In vitro lipid peroxidation activities of isolated compounds were determined by ferric thiocyanate (FTC) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method. The sterol derivatives C2 and C3 compounds displayed strong antioxidant activity and were not significantly different (p<0.05) to α-tocopherol. This finding elaborates on the isolation of a cytotoxic compound C2 and C3 from P. djamor via a rapid elution method. Conclusion: The compound C3 has exhibited better cytotoxic activity against MDA-MD-231 and EL4 cells. The present finding and data might provide new insights into the possible therapeutic and pharmaceutical use for the design of anti-cancer drugs from this edible mushroom.

Cryptogenic stroke and its relation to the Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is a long-debated topic. Recent clinical trials have unequivocally established the relationship between cryptogenic strokes and paradoxical embolism across the PFO. This slit-like communication exists in everyone before birth, but most often closes shortly after birth. PFO may persist as a narrow channel of communication between the right and left atria in approximately 25-27% of adults. In this review, we examine the clinical relevance of the PFO with analysis of the latest trials evaluating catheter-based closure of PFO’s for cryptogenic stroke. We also review the current evidence examining the use of antiplatelet medications versus anticoagulants for stroke prevention in those patients with PFO who do not qualify for closure per current guidelines.

Background: p-Cymene (p-CYM) is a common chemical used in air fresheners. Objective: The study was designed to investigate the molecular effect of p-CYM on macrophages. Materials and Methods: Macrophages (RAW 264.7) were treated with p-CYM (50 uM/L, 150 uM/L and 250 uM/L) for 6 hours, and 24 hours). Gene involved in inflammation, such as the Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), and the Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) and other genes known for their antioxidant activity such as the Paraoxonase 1 (PON-1) were analyzed. Results: Cells treated with p-CYM have shown 30% up-regulation of MCP-1 after 24 hour of exposure; and also a differential up-regulation of TNF-α. However, treatment with p-CYM has resulted in a considerable (37%) dose-dependent downregulation of PON-1 after 24 hours of exposure. PON-1 is known for its antioxidant properties protecting High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL) from oxidation. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that exposure to p-CYM over time promotes oxidative stress by downregulating antioxidants genes as shown in PON-1 and also stimulates inflammation, a key process during the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis.