Natural Products Journal, The - Volume 9, Issue 1, 2019

Date palm (Pheonix dactylifera L.) has long been known for its medical benefits. In this review, the therapeutic properties of P. dactylifera are presented in light of the analysis of huge past reviews that reported the bioactivities of both flesh and seed of this fruit. The reported bioactivities of P. dactylifera included antioxidants, anti-cancer, aphrodisiac, antimicrobial, and anti-diabetic properties. This review additionally highlights the extraction technologies (Soxhlet, maceration, heat under reflux, Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) and microwave assisted extraction) that were utilized as part of the extraction of P. dactylifera. This is because the quality and amount of the extraction yield depend on the extraction technology used. Accordingly, this review aims for underlining the potentials of P. dactylifera by compiling available data on the bioactivities and extraction technologies used to set the directions for the improvement of future research of this fruit.

Background: The golden era of antibiotic discovery from Actinomycetes peaked in the middle of the 20th century and then got abandoned. Efforts to do a screening of synthetic compounds libraries and rational target-based drug design were not successful and only a few new classes of antibiotics have been described over the past 60 years. Objective: This review summarizes the newest knowledge about two untapped sources of antibacterial natural products - microorganisms and plants. Methods: Research and review papers of the last decades were analyzed and the data were summarizes to present the potential sources and mechanisms of natural products, which have the potential to cope with staphylococcal infections. Results: By using modern molecular biological methods, metagenomics and sequencing, it was found out that Actinomycetes harbor many more operons coding for secondary metabolites with antimicrobial potential than we can account for. Methods to grow uncultured microorganisms have been developed and the uncultured microorganisms show promising potential for new antimicrobials. The inhibition of pathogenicity of microorganisms via Quorum sensing inhibition, inhibition of virulence factor production or biofilm formation by plant extracts offers new ways to control antibiotic- resistant pathogens. Plant extracts with resistance modifying activity, e.g. efflux pumps inhibitors used as antibiotic adjuvants have the potential to restore the therapeutic activity of drugs. Conclusion: The findings from this review article confirm that new strategies, based on secondary metabolites of Actinomycetes, uncultured microorganisms and plants may open new ways to overcome the post-antibiotic era.

Lotus leaves are the main medicinal parts of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn, which is widely distributed in East Asia, especially in China. It contains a variety of chemical activation components. Among them, alkaloids are considered to be the most relevant ingredient for its bioactivity. This article mainly introduces the structure of alkaloids isolated from Lotus leaves and their pharmacological activities, such as anti-obesity, antioxidant, antiviral, anticancer, anti-diabetic activities.

Background: Tribulus terrestris Linn. (TT) is reported for its ability to improve male sexual performance, and protodioscin is responsible for the activity. This study was designed to correlate and compare various extracts of Indian TT with Bulgarian TT, and also the effect of protodioscin content on the activity. Methods: Bulgarian TT extract (BT) and prepared solvent extracts [aqueous (WIT), supercritical fluid (SIT) and methanol (MIT)] of Indian TT were standardized and compared using UV spectrophotometric method. Forty male rats were randomized into 5 groups of 8 each. Group I served as untreated control and group II to V were treated with 100 mg/Kg b.wt. of MIT, WIT, BT and SIT, respectively. The groups received the respective treatment for fourteen days. Sexual behavior of the rats was observed on Day-1&14. Serum testosterone was estimated after the last observation. Results: It was found that there was a statistically significant difference between the treatment groups. However, based on the mean values/ranking analysis of all the parameters, the order of potency was WIT > SIT ≥ BT > MIT. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the aqueous extract of Indian TT which contains lesser protodioscin showed comparatively better sex stimulant activity in comparison to the other tested extracts.

Background: There are effective pharmaceutical agents to treat seasonal allergic rhinitis, but more and more individuals resort to alternative forms of treatment. One possible alternative candidate is essential oils. Recently, an inhaler specifically designed to deliver essential oil scents has proven very effective in treating various medical parameters (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol, blood oxygenation, or pain). Objective: This work investigates whether an inhaler (AromaStick® ‘Nasal Fresh’) designed to clear the nasal passageway and reduce congestion has beneficial effects in individuals suffering from seasonal allergic rhinitis. Methods: A two-armed, randomized, controlled, double-blind effectiveness trial involving individuals with medium to strong symptoms was conducted to investigate the inhaler’s specific treatment effects. Results: Over a period of two weeks, the odor inhaler strongly reduced allergic symptoms for both overall AR symptomatology (d = 1.2) and individual symptomatic allergic rhinitis burden (d = 1.7). Conclusion: The inhaler produced strong symptom relief. Effects were largest in individuals suffering primarily from nasal symptoms.

Background: Medicinal plants are having immense potential to cure various health ailments and used as drugs and remedies for the treatment of various diseases since civilization. Medicinal property of these plants lies in their secondary metabolites which covered various classes like phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, etc. Besides this, these secondary metabolites serve as a prototype to synthesize the new synthetic drugs. Objective: The present study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of leaves extracts of Calotropis procera and Calotropis gigantea and characterization of their bioactive metabolites by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). Methods: Methanol, petroleum ether and water were used for the extract preparation using cold percolation method. Antibacterial activity was assessed by agar well diffusion assay. The antioxidant activity of both the plants of Calotropis species was carried out by using different assay. Phytochemical analysis was carried out by using FTIR spectroscopy and GC-MS analysis. Results: Methanol extract of both the plants was found to possess highest antioxidant potential in comparison to other extracts. Methanol extract of C. gigantea and aqueous extract of C. procera showed the maximum antibacterial activity against the tested bacterial strains. FTIR analysis of plants extracts indicates the presence of phenolic compounds, alkanes, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, aliphatic and aromatic amines, allene, sulfoxides, phenyl ester nitrocompounds and imines. GC-MS analysis of C. procera aqueous extract showed the presence of R-limonene, mannosamine, tridecane, 1-bromo-, 2-propenoic acid, tridecyl ester, pentatriacontane and 1-hexacosene as major phytochemicals. C. gigantea methanol extract indicated the presence of hentriacontane, eicosane, 3,3- dimethylnonadecane, pentacosane, 1-hexacosene, pentatriacontane and clocortolone as major phytochemicals. Conclusion: This study provides a systematic base for isolation of the novel bioactive phytochemicals from the Calotropis plant species and to evaluate their efficacy especially for antioxidant and antibacterial activities.

Background: Naringenin belongs to the class flavanones, and chemically it is known as 5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) chroman-4-one. It is one of the dietary poly-phenolic constituents of the citrus fruits and vegetables. Naringenin possesses excellent antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. These activities promote wound healing activity. Naringenin has been incorporated in the gel base to be applied on the wounded skin. The wound healing property of naringenin gel has not been studied extensively in the literature to date. Objective: The present study aims to unveil the wound healing property of naringenin gel formulation on excision and incision model. Materials and Methods: 0.5% and 1% naringenin was incorporated in a carbopol gel base formulation and evaluated for physicochemical parameters. Incision and excision wound models were used to study wound contraction, tensile strength, healing index, the period of epithelization and histopathological parameters. Antimicrobial activity was performed using agar plate method. Results: Naringenin (0.5% and 1%) treatment shows a significant increase in the percentage of wound contraction, good healing index and shorter epithelization period. Histopathology of naringenin gel treated wound tissue showed more fibroblasts, less macrophage infiltration, and wellformed collagen fibers as compared to control. In incision wound model, the animals were treated with 0.5% and 1% naringenin gel for nine days and showed a significant increase in the tensile strength. Naringenin exerts antimicrobial activity against fungus and E. coli. Conclusion: The present study explored potent wound healing activity of naringenin gels.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of a polyherbal formulation (PHF) on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of metformin in rats. Methods: The present study was conducted to determine the beneficial outcomes of PHF along with metformin by studying herb-drug interactions. PHF was prepared by five indigenous herbs, Those are being used traditionally as antidiabetic in India. PHF doses (100 mg/kg/day) were administered to Sprague-Dawley rats by an oral route of different groups for multiple weeks except for control. Metformin (100 mg/kg) was orally administered at 7th and 30th day to control and PHF pretreated rats for pharmacokinetics study while pharmacodynamics study was conducted in PHF treated and untreated diabetic rats. No more significant difference was found in the pharmacokinetic parameters in PHF treated at 7th day while a significant increase was found in AUC at the 30th day. Results: The hypoglycemic effect was observed with a combination of metformin and PHF, significantly more compared to control. Metformin decreased the blood glucose 1.51 fold at 7th day and 1.7 fold at 30th day respectively, compared to control. Conclusion: Thus, this finding indicates that PHF increased the AUC of metformin. It might increase bioavailability through drug-herb interaction thereby affecting the therapeutic effect. This formulation can be considered as an adjunct to metformin in the management of diabetes mellitus.