Natural Products Journal, The - Volume 14, Issue 2, 2024

Central nervous system disorders are expected to profoundly impact the global healthcare needs of the human community in this era. Senile decay of neurons is (Alzheimers Disease) AD. The hallmark of the pathophysiology of AD disease has two pivotal features: extracellular beta-amyloid deposition and intracellular tau hyperphosphorylation. New medicine-based psychoactive treatments have met with modest effectiveness due to the multifactorial nature of these diseases. As a result, there is an increasing need for new products that can address various receptors and enhance behavioral abilities independently or in tandem with traditional medications. Herbal products focused on conventional expertise have recently been widely popular in developed and developing countries. Ayurveda is a medical science that deals with the treatment of diseases using naturally occurring plant products. Ayurveda claims to have a large number of neuroprotective herbs. This review discusses the pharmacological effects and therapeutic properties of In vivo, In vitro, In silico and human clinical trials of (Bacopa monnieri) BM against AD.

Background: Echinoderms are a unique source of amazing secondary metabolites with a wide spectrum of biological activities. Several species of sea urchins contain various toxins and biologically active metabolites. One of the most attractive approaches to treat Alzheimer's disease is searching for effective marine natural products with cholinesterase inhibitory activities. Objective: The current study is designed to investigate the in vitro and in silico acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of the Persian Gulf echinoderm sea urchin Echinometra mathaei venom and related chemical compounds. Methods: The experiments for LD50, total protein, protein bands, in vitro cholinesterase inhibitory activities, the identity of secondary metabolites, and the in silico evaluations, respectively, were performed by Spearman-Karber, Lowry, SDS-PAGE, Ellman's spectroscopic, GC-MS, and docking methods. Results: The LD50 (IV rat) of the spine, gonad, and coelomic fluid from sea urchin samples were 2.231 ± 0.09, 1.03 ± 0.05, and 1.12 ± 0.13 mg/ml, respectively. The SDS-PAGE and total protein studies showed that at least a portion of the venom is protein in nature. GC-MS analysis of the identified samples revealed 12, 23, and 21 compounds with different chemical types, including alkaloids, terpenes, and steroids, respectively. According to the results, all samples act as significant inhibitors of both enzymes. In silico data for the identified compounds also confirmed the experimental results. Conclusion: The alkaloid compound 6H-Indolo[3,2,1-de] [1,5] naphthyridine-6-one,1,2,3a,4,5- hexahydro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl (C7 ) had the highest affinity for both enzymes. Further research is needed to determine whether C7 could be a therapeutic candidate for Alzheimer's disease.

Background: In terms of death rates, occurrence, costs, and prevalence, respiratory tract diseases, which include minor issues like the common cold and life-threatening ones like bacterial pneumonia, lung cancers, and tuberculosis, are extremely significant. People have been worried about their health for a long time because of respiratory diseases. Old-style medication has tended to these diseases; however, the accumulation of information produced by elective methodologies, among which medication assumes a significant role, is insignificant. Phytotherapy has consistently given proficient solutions for constant and moderate wellbeing inconveniences and, occasionally, for intense and serious problems. Alleviating the aggravated nasal sections and aviation routes was a shared need in antiquated societies. In this study, we conducted a systematic literature review to gain evidence about herbal products and their phytoconstituents that play a role in respiratory illness. We also predicted the physicochemical properties of various phytoconstituents from therapeutic plants employed to cure respiratory ailments (such as asthma, COPD, cough, tuberculosis, etc.). Objectives: The main objective of this critical study is to explore phytotherapy-based molecules for respiratory illnesses. The physicochemical properties of already isolated compounds have been evaluated to screen for the drug-like behavior of phytoconstituents. Methodology: A wide variety of literature has been collected from PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline, and other scientific databases. After an exhaustive review, the chemical structures of phytoconstituents responsible for curing respiratory illness were sketched in ChemDraw Ultra 8.0, and these structures have been taken for further analysis of the physicochemical properties of these phytoconstituents. The crucial parameters of phytoconstituents' physicochemical properties were analyzed using the pkCSM webserver. Result: The results suggest that a variety of phytoconstituents have the potential to treat respiratory illnesses, and the physicochemical parameters reveal that 65 compounds out of 130 screened compounds exhibit Lipinski's rule of five and Veber's rule, while others don't obey these rules. Compounds with optimal physicochemical properties could be promising candidates for emerging respiratory illness treatments. Conclusion: This critical review highlights the possible therapeutic potential of plant-based medicine to cure respiratory illnesses. The finding shows that a wide range of alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids, and flavonoids isolated from different herbs may be able to treat respiratory problems. More research is needed to find out the IC50 and MIC values of these compounds against respiratory pathogens like S. pneumoniae and M. tuberculosis.

Introduction: An increase in obesity-related diseases is becoming an alarming worldwide problem. Therefore, new therapeutic methods are constantly sought to prevent, treat, and alleviate symptoms of the diseases associated with obesity. Method: This study investigates the effects of two natural compounds (indole-3-carbinol, I3C, a bioactive indolic compound found in cruciferous vegetables; cannabidiol, CBD, the active ingredient derived from the hemp plant) on the fatty acid accumulation in the human liver cell line HepaRG, a well-established model for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and in human pre-adipocytes (adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells, MSC). Results: EC50s of each compound were in the high μM range (approximately 30 mg/L), showing the low toxicity of these compounds. Determination of the selected compounds in cell media showed no significant differences during the exposure, suggesting that no significant metabolism or degradation happened during the exposure time. Quantification of the bioaccumulation of lipid droplets on exposed HepaRG revealed a significant reduction and mitigation of fatty acid accumulation when exposed to 1 nM of I3C and 100 nM of CBD.). On MSC cells a significant inhibition of lipogenesis and adipocyte differentiation was observed in cells exposed to 0.1 nM of I3C and 1 nM of CBD. Conclusion: This study provides a significant contribution to advancing the understanding of preventative dietary strategies that target adipocyte differentiation and NAFLD.

Introduction and Aim: Pain is a common problem that can negatively affect patients' daily life and impair the quality of life of patients. This systematic review evaluates ginger's analgesic effects and underlying mechanisms in postoperative pain. Methods: An extensive search was undertaken in various databases, including Cochrane Library, Pub- Med, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus. After considering the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria, 12 records were retrieved. The raw data were extracted and entered into an Excel form, and the study outcomes were analyzed. A PRISMA 2020 flow diagram illustrates the direct search approach used for this systematic review. Results: The reviewed studies mainly examined ginger's analgesic effects and other chemical analgesics, such as ibuprofen. Ginger and its bioactive compounds, such as gingerols and shogaols, can reduce postoperative pain by relieving nociceptive, mechanical, and neuropathic pain inflammatory pain by activating the various descendent inhibitory pathways of pain. Ginger induces its postoperative analgesic effects by involving and changing thinly myelinated A-delta, unmyelinated C-fibers, and myelinated A-beta-fibers, Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), and inhibiting inflammatory process and oxidant activities. Conclusion: Ginger is emerging as promising analgesic effects through various nociceptive pathways on postoperative pain in patients. Additional rigorous clinical trials are warranted to investigate these results further.

Background: Polyphenols are micronutrients and an important class of secondary metabolites that are naturally present in various types of plants and their derived byproducts. Humans obtain polyphenols and phytochemicals from different vegetables, fruits, spices, and teas. More than 8,000 different types of polyphenols have been isolated from different natural sources. Polyphenols play an important role in the plants’ resistance against pests and diseases. Plants from citrus class contain flavonoids, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid. Eriocitrin is a flavanone glycoside present in lemon juice and other citrus plants. Methods: Scientific research data on eriocitrin have been collected from Google, Google Scholar, Pub- Med, and Scopus databases, and analyzed in the present paper to determine the biological importance of eriocitrin in medicine. The medicinal importance and therapeutic benefit of eriocitrin in medicine have been investigated through literature data analysis of various research works. Pharmacological activity data have been thoroughly collected in the present work and analyzed in order to assess the health-beneficial aspects of eriocitrin against human disorders. Results: Scientific database analysis has revealed the medicinal importance and therapeutic benefit of eriocitrin in medicine. Scientific data analysis has revealed the anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive, and anti-obesity activities of eriocitrin. Further scientific data analysis has revealed the biological effect of eriocitrin on osteoarthritis, hepatocellular carcinoma, oral carcinogenesis, hepatic steatosis, oxidative damage, and different types of enzymes. In addition, eriocitrin has also been reported to exert potent antioxidant and suppressive effects on oxidative stress. Scientific data analysis has also revealed the significance of analytical techniques for the separation, isolation, and identification of eriocitrin. Conclusion: The present work indicates the biological importance of eriocitrin in medicine and other allied health sectors.

Background: Valerian officinalis is a variant of herbaceous flowering plants in the Caprifoliaceae family, members of which can be generally called valerians. Valerian is derived from Valerius, the Latin term “valere”, which means health or well-being. It is used as a sedative and anxiolytic in many countries. The beneficial effects of valerian have always been controversial due to inconsistent clinical trial results. Valerian contains more than 150 chemical constituents. Valerian exhibits sedative, anxiolytic, and antispasmodic activities, and is used to treat various diseases. Objective: The main aim of this study was to gather knowledge on this herbal plant, its chemical constituents, and how they can be used to treat the most common diseases, such as depression, anxiety, headache, insomnia, etc. Result: Studies show that valerian is used to treat cardiac arrhythmia, sleep disorders, depression, and headaches, as this plant possesses sedative, anxiolytic, and antispasmodic activities. Conclusion: This review has explored the different types of studies conducted on valerian, and with their help, we can learn more about its activities and medicinal uses. Additionally, this review paper includes the recent patents on this herbal plant.

Introduction: Morus nigra L. has industrial relevance due to the presence of specialized metabolites, which possess pharmaceutical potential in various parts and preparations. This review presents updated information on traditional, phytochemical, and pharmacological applications, as well as toxicity data, pertaining to different parts of Morus nigra L. Method: Phytochemical research and ethnobotanical studies were conducted using reviewed databases. Mulberry leaves have demonstrated several biological activities, attributed to the presence of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and fatty acids. Stems and roots contain additional compounds such as stilbenes and benzofurans. Morus nigra L. exhibits various biological activities, including hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, hypoglycemic, skin whitening, cytotoxic, antiatherosclerotic, and antiobesity effects. The choice of extraction technique and plant part is crucial to obtain a diverse range of compounds necessary for specific indications. Result: Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) has proven to be the most advantageous method compared to supercritical fluid maceration and extraction (SFE), yielding a wide variety of compounds. Conclusion: Overall, this review aims to provide scientists and companies interested in Morus nigra L. with opportunities and challenges for innovation in this field.