Icacinaceae Plant Family: A Recapitulation of the Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical, Pharmacological, and Biotechnological Aspects

Icacinaceae, an Angiospermic family comprising 35 genera and 212 accepted species, including trees, shrubs, and lianas with pantropical distribution, is one of the most outshining yet least explored plant families, which despite its vital role as a source of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals has received a meagre amount of attraction from the scientific community. Interestingly, Icacinaceae is considered a potential alternative resource for camptothecin and its derivatives, which are used in treating ovarian and metastatic colorectal cancer. However, the concept of this family has been revised many times, but further recognition is still needed. The prime objective of this review is to compile the available information on this family in order to popularize it in the scientific community and the general population and promote extensive exploration of these taxa. The phytochemical preparations or isolated compounds from the Icacinaceae family have been centrally amalgamated to draw diverse future prospects from this inclusive plant species. The ethnopharmacological activities and the associated endophytes and cell culture techniques are also depicted. Nevertheless, the methodical evaluation of the Icacinaceae family is the only means to preserve and corroborate the folkloristic remedial effects and provide scientific recognition of its potencies before they are lost under the blanket of modernization.

Convolvulus arvensis: Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Antifungal Properties of Chemically Profiled Essential Oils: An Approach against Nosocomial Infections

Convolvulus arvensis is a medicinal plant in the family Convolvulaceae, which is used in traditional phytotherapy. The objective of this work was conducted to valorize essential oils of Convolvulus arvensis (EOCA) in terms of chemical composition, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. To achieve this objective, the chemical composition was performed by the use of GC-SM. Antioxidant power was effectuated by the use of DPPH, FRAP, and TAC assays. Evaluation of the antimicrobial power was conducted against clinically important pathogenic bacteria (E. coli, K. pneumoniae, S. pneumoniae, and S. aureus) and fungi (A. niger, C. albicans, and A. flavus) by the use of disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) assays. The results showed that the yield of recovered EOs from Convolvulus arvensis was 0.34% of the total mass of leaves and mainly was rich in cuprenne (34%), thymol (20%), himachalene (16%), and longifolene (10%). Notably, EOCA exhibited important antioxidant effects, wherein IC₅₀ (DPPH) and EC₅₀ (FRAP) were determined to be 30 µg/mL and 120 µg/mL, respectively, while the total antioxidant power was determined to be 508.0 ± 6.0 µg EAA/mg. An important antibacterial effect was noted for EOCA as an excellent inhibition zone was recorded against all bacterial strains, particularly K. pneumoniae and S. aureus with 14.27 ± 0.42 and 21.35 ± 0.76 mm, respectively. Similarly, MICs of K. pneumoniae and S. aureus were 21.35 ± 0.76 mm and 28.62 ± 1.65 µg/mL, respectively. Noticeably, important antifungal activity was shown by EOCA against all fungal strains wherein the inhibition zone diameters against all fungal species ranged from 19.44 ± 1.10 to 20.41 ± 1.81 mm. Notably, MICs of EOCA against F. oxysporum and C. albicans were 18.65 ± 0.94 and 19.38 ± 0.58 g/mL, respectively. The outcome of the present work showed that EOs from Convolvulus arvensis can be used to conceptualize drugs to manage diseases relative to free radicals and infections.

Synthesis of 1-substituted phenazines as novel antichlamydial agents

A novel series of 1-substituted phenazines 4a-4l were designed and synthesized via Palladium-catalyzed reactions from 1-phenazine trifluoromethanesulfonate. These phenazines showed antichlamydial activity with IC₅₀ values from 1 to 10 μM. Among them, compounds 4c and 4i exhibited the best antichlamydial activity with IC₅₀ values from 2.06 to 2.74 μM without apparent cytotoxicity to host cells.

The long road of functional recruitment-The evolution of a gene duplicate to pyrrolizidine alkaloid biosynthesis in the morning glories (Convolvulaceae)

In plants, homospermidine synthase (HSS) is a pathway-specific enzyme initiating the biosynthesis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which function as a chemical defense against herbivores. In PA-producing Convolvulaceae ("morning glories"), HSS originated from deoxyhypusine synthase at least >50 to 75 million years ago via a gene duplication event and subsequent functional diversification. To study the recruitment of this ancient gene duplicate to PA biosynthesis, the presence of putative hss gene copies in 11 Convolvulaceae species was analyzed. Additionally, various plant parts from seven of these species were screened for the presence of PAs. Although all of these species possess a putative hss copy, PAs could only be detected in roots of Ipomoea neei (Spreng.) O'Donell and Distimake quinquefolius (L.) A.R.Simões & Staples in this study. A precursor of PAs was detected in roots of Ipomoea alba L. Thus, despite sharing high sequence identities, the presence of an hss gene copy does not correlate with PA accumulation in particular species of Convolvulaceae. In vitro activity assays of the encoded enzymes revealed a broad spectrum of enzyme activity, further emphasizing a functional diversity of the hss gene copies. A recently identified HSS specific amino acid motif seems to be important for the loss of the ancestral protein function-the activation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF5A). Thus, the motif might be indicative for a change of function but allows not to predict the new function. This emphasizes the challenges in annotating functions for duplicates, even for duplicates from closely related species.

Chemistry and biological activity of resin glycosides from Convolvulaceae species

Carbohydrate-based drug discovery has gained more and more attention during the last few decades. Resin glycoside is a kind of novel and complex glycolipids mainly distributed in plants of the family Convolvulaceae. Over the last decade, a number of natural resin glycosides and derivatives have been isolated and identified, and exhibited a broad spectrum of biological activities, such as cytotoxic, multidrug-resistant reversal on both microbial pathogens and mammalian cancer cells, antivirus, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, sedative, vasorelaxant, laxative, and α-glucosidase inhibitory effects, indicating their potential as lead compounds for drug discovery. A systematic review of the literature studies was carried out to summarize the chemistry and biological activity of resin glycosides from Convolvulaceae species, based on various data sources such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google scholar. The keyword "Convolvulaceae" was paired with "resin glycoside," "glycosidic acid," "glycolipid," or "oligosaccharide," and the references published between 2009 and June 2021 were covered. In this article, we comprehensively reviewed the structures of 288 natural resin glycoside and derivatives newly reported in the last decade. Moreover, we summarized the biological activities and mechanisms of action of the resin glycosides with pharmaceutical potential. Taken together, great progress has been made on the chemistry and biological activity of resin glycosides from Convolvulaceae species, however, more exploratory research is still needed, especially on the mechanism of action of the biological activities.

Network Pharmacology- and Molecular Docking-Based Identification of Potential Phytocompounds from Argyreia capitiformis in the Treatment of Inflammation

The methanolic extract of Argyreia capitiformis stem was examined for anti-inflammatory activities following network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking study. Based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, 49 compounds were identified from the methanolic extract of A. capitiformis stem. A network pharmacology analysis was conducted against the identified compounds, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis and Gene Ontology analysis of biological processes and molecular functions were performed. Six proteins (IL1R1, IRAK4, MYD88, TIRAP, TLR4, and TRAF6) were identified from the KEGG pathway analysis and subjected to molecular docking study. Additionally, six best ligand efficiency compounds and positive control (aspirin) from each protein were evaluated for their stability using the molecular dynamics simulation study. Our study suggested that IL1R1, IRAK4, MYD88, TIRAP, TLR4, and TRAF6 proteins may be targeted by compounds in the methanolic extract of A. capitiformis stem to provide anti-inflammatory effects.

Phytochemical Investigation of the Roots of Ipomoea asarifolia and Antiproliferative Activity of the Isolated Compounds against Multiple Myeloma Cells

Ipomoea asarifolia is a herbaceous plant belonging to the family Convolvulaceae and is native to tropical regions of Africa, America, and Asia. A dichloromethane root extract showed antiproliferative activity against multiple myeloma cells (RPMI 8226). The phytochemical investigation led to the isolation of 15 compounds. Compounds 1-4, named (4S,8S)-1-(furan-3-yl)-9-hydroxy-4,8-dimethylnonane-1,6-dione, isoferulic acid hexadecyl ester, caffeic acid hexadecyl ester, and asarifolin I, respectively, are described for the first time. The structures of these molecules were established from their NMR, UV, IR spectroscopic, and MS data. 4-Hydroxycinnamic acid hexadecyl ester (5), 4-hydroxycinnamic acid octadecyl ester (6), 4-hydroxycinnamic acid eicosyl ester (7), caffeic acid octadecyl ester (8), pescapreins III, IV, XXI, XXIII, XXV, and XXVI (9-14), and stoloniferin III (15) were also isolated. All compounds were tested against a multiple myeloma cell line (RPMI 8226). When their IC₅₀ value was lower than 10 μM, the compounds were also tested against two other multiple myeloma cell lines, MM.1S and MM.1R. Compound 3 was the most potent, with an IC₅₀ value of 3.0 μM against RPMI 8226 cells.

A "Double-Locked" and Enzyme/pH-Activated Theranostic Agent for Accurate Tumor Imaging and Therapy

Theranostic agents for concurrent cancer therapy and diagnosis have begun attracting attention as a promising modality. However, accurate imaging and identification remains a great challenge for theranostic agents. Here, we designed and synthesized a novel theranostic agent H6M based on the "double-locked" strategy by introducing an electron-withdrawing nitro group into 1-position of a pH-responsive 3-amino-β-carboline and further covalently linking the hydroxamic acid group, a zinc-binding group (ZBG), to the 3-position of β-carboline to obtain histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitory effect for combined HDAC-targeted therapy. We found that H6M can be specifically reduced under overexpressed nitroreductase (NTR) to produce H6AQ, which emits bright fluorescence at low pH. Notably, H6M demonstrated a selective fluorescence imaging via successive reactions with NTR (first "key") and pH (second "key"), and precisely identified tumor margins with a high S/N ratio to guide tumor resection. Finally, H6M exerted robust HDAC1/cancer cell inhibitory activities compared with a known HDAC inhibitor SAHA. Therefore, the NTR/pH-activated theranostic agent provided a novel tool for precise diagnosis and efficient tumor therapy.

Involvement of opioidergic and GABAergic systems in the anti-nociceptive activity of the methanolic extract of Cuscuta Epithymum Murr. in mice

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Cuscuta epithymum Murr. (CE) is a parasitic plant used as a traditional medicine to treat various diseases such as muscle and joint pains and headache different parts of the world, Europe in the north, Asia in the east.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In this study, we aimed to investigate the anti-nociceptive effect of the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of CE and its probable mechanism(s) in mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The anti-nociceptive activity of different doses of CE methanolic extract (2.5, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) was assessed using tail flick, formalin and writhing tests. Morphine (5 mg/kg, s.c.) was used as positive control drug. The possible mechanisms were evaluated by using naloxone (4 mg/kg, i.p.), ondansetron (4 mg/kg, i.p.), picrotoxin (0.6 mg/kg, i.p.) and MK-801 (0.03 mg/kg, i.p.).

RESULTS

GC-MS analysis indicated that one of the main components of CE extract was terpenoid compounds. The CE extract (25-100 mg/kg), like morphine, reduced tail flick latency and nociceptive response in both phases of the formalin test. We also observed that the extract significantly decreased the number of abdominal contractions dose-dependently from 5 to 100 mg/kg. The results of tail flick and the first phase of formalin test proved that unlike ondansetron and MK-801, naloxone and picotroxin were able to reverse the anti-nociceptive effect of CE extract.

CONCLUSION

Our observations showed the anti-nociceptive potential of the CE extract, which may be mediated by opioidergic and GABAergic systems.

DNA methylation: from model plants to vegetable crops

As a subgroup of horticultural crops, vegetable food is a kind of indispensable energy source for human beings, providing necessary nutritional components including vitamins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and active substances such as carotenoids and flavonoids. The developmental process of vegetable crops is not only regulated by environmental stimulations, but also manipulated by both genetic and epigenetic modifications. Epigenetic modifications are composed by several regulatory mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNAs. Among these modifications, DNA methylation functions in multiple biological pathways ranging from fundamental development to environmental stimulations by mediating transcriptomic alterations, resulting in the activation or silencing of target genes. In recent years, intensive studies have revealed that DNA methylation is essential to fruit development and ripening, indicating that the epigenome of fruit crops could be dynamically modified according to the specific requirements in the commercial production. Firstly, this review will present the mechanisms of DNA methylation, and update the understanding on active DNA demethylation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Secondly, this review will summarize the recent progress on the function of DNA methylation in regulating fruit ripening. Moreover, the possible functions of DNA methylation on controlling the expansion of edible organs, senescence of leafy vegetables, and anthocyanin pigmentation in several important vegetable crops will be discussed. Finally, this review will highlight the intractable issues that need to be resolved in the application of epigenome in vegetable crops, and provide perspectives for the potential challenges in the further studies.

Lavender and dodder combined herbal syrup versus citalopram in major depressive disorder with anxious distress: A double-blind randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Major depressive disorder (MDD) accompanied by anxious distress is a chronic and disabling disorder. Its conventional drug therapies often have low patient compliance due to drug-related side effects. In Persian medicine, lavender-dodder syrup is one formula often recommended for such disorders.

OBJECTIVE

This study compares the effects of lavender-dodder syrup to the standard drug, citalopram, for treating MDD with anxious distress.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION

This six-week, double-blind, randomized, clinical trial was carried out in a psychiatric outpatient clinic. During the six-week intervention period, patients in citalopram group received citalopram tablets 20 mg/d plus 5 mL placebo syrup every 12 h; patients in group B received placebo tablets once daily plus 5 mL of lavender-dodder herbal syrup every 12 h.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Primary outcome measures, depression and anxiety, were evaluated using the Hamilton Depression/Anxiety Rating Scales, and were scored at the beginning of the study and at weeks three and six. Secondary outcome measures including response to treatment and remission rates were also compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Fifty-six participants with MDD and anxious distress were randomly assigned to two groups. Mean depression scores significantly decreased in citalopram and herbal groups at weeks three and six (time effect: P < 0.001), although the observed changes were not significantly different between the groups (intervention effect: P = 0.61). Mean anxiety scores were not significantly different between the two groups at week three (P = 0.75). However, at the end of week six, the observed decrease was significantly higher in the herbal syrup group than the citalopram group (intervention effect: P = 0.007).

CONCLUSION

The herbal syrup is an effective and tolerable supplement for treating MDD with anxious distress.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

IRCT2016102430459N1 on Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials.

Isolation of evolvulic acids B and C, two new components of crude resin glycoside fraction from Evolvulus alsinoides

Two new glycosidic acids, evolvulic acids B and C (1 and 2), along with a known one, evolvulic acid A (3), were isolated from the glycosidic acid fraction afforded by alkaline hydrolysis of crude resin glycosides from Evolvulus alsinoides whole plants. Their structures were characterized by the spectroscopic data and chemical evidences. Compounds 1 and 2 are both defined as tetrasaccharides, composed of D-fucose, D-glucose, L-rhamnose or D-galactose units. Their aglycones are identified to be a distinctive 3S,11R,14R-trihydroxyhexadecanoic acid, which is only discovered from E. alsinoides up to now. The cytotoxic and anti-migration activities of compounds 1-3 were also tested.

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome: Highlighting medicinal plants toward biomolecules discovery for upcoming drugs formulation

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) can be triggered by a various types of gynecological, gastrointestinal, urological, and musculoskeletal disorders. Recently, the role of the central nervous system has proven to be an integral part on the development of any chronic pain syndrome, including CPPS. However, owing to the complex and heterogeneous etiology and pathophysiology of CPPS, the establishment of effective therapeutic interventions remains challenging for both physicians and patients. Nonetheless, recent studies have pointed that medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites can be effectively used in CPPS therapy, besides contributing to restore the patients' quality of life and potentiate the conventional CPPS management. In this sense, this review aims to provide a careful overview on the biomedical data for the use of medicinal plants use and their secondary metabolites on CPPS management.

The genus Cuscuta (Convolvolaceac): An updated review on indigenous uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology

Cuscuta, commonly known as dodder, is a genus of family convolvolaceace. Approximately 170 species of Cuscuta are extensively distributed in temperate and subtropical areas of the world. Species of this genus are widely used as essential constituents in functional foods and traditional medicinal systems. Various parts of many members of Cuscuta have been found efficacious against a variety of diseases. Phytochemical investigations have confirmed presence of biologically active moieties such as flavonoids, alkaloids, lignans, saponines, phenolics, tannins, and fatty acids. Pharmacological studies and traditional uses of these plants have proved that they are effective antibacterial, antioxidant, antiostioporotic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antipyretic, antihypertensive, analgesic, anti hair fall, and antisteriogenic agents.

Arvensic acids K and L, components of resin glycoside fraction from Convolvulus arvensis

Alkaline hydrolysis of the resin glycoside fraction of the whole plants of Convolvulus arvensis gave two new glycosidic acids, named arvensic acids K and L (1 and 2). Their structures were characterized on the basis of spectroscopic data as well as chemical evidence. They possessed a same pentasaccharide chain, composed of one D-fucose, three D-glucose and one L-rhamnose units. The aglycone of compound 1 was identified to be rarely existing 11S-hydroxyheptadecanoic acid, while compound 2 possessed 11S-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid as the aglycone. Their cytotoxic and anti-migration activities were also evaluated.

Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives of β-Carboline/Hydroxycinnamic Acid Hybrids Inducing Apoptosis and Autophagy through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathways

Naturally occurring β-carbolines are known to have antitumor activities but with limited effectiveness. In order to improve their efficacy, a series of new hydroxamic-acid-containing β-carbolines connected via a hydroxycinnamic acid moitey (12a-f) were developed to incorporate histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition for possible synergistic effects. When evaluated in in vitro assays, most of the analogues showed significant antitumor activities against four human cancer cells. In particular, 12b showed the highest cytotoxic potency of the series, including drug-resistant Bel7402 cells, but had minimal effect on normal hepatic LO2 cells. These compounds also showed excellent inhibitory effects against HDAC1/6, which appear to contribute greatly to their antiproliferative properties. Compound 12b enhanced the acetylation levels of histone H3 and α-tubulin and induced greater cancer cell apoptosis than the FDA-approved HDAC inhibitor SAHA by regulating expression of apoptotic proteins Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase 3. Importantly, 12b also induced a significant amount of autophagic flux activity in Bel7402 cells by increasing the expression of Beclin-1 and LC3-II proteins and decreasing that of LC3-I and p62. Finally, 12b significantly inhibited PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling, an important cell-growth-promoting pathway aberrantly activated in many cancers. Together, the results suggest that these hydroxamic-acid-containing β-carboline derivatives may be new leads for the discovery of agents for the treatment of human carcinoma cancers.

Glycosidic Acids with Unusual Aglycone Units from Convolvulus arvensis

Six new glycosidic acids, arvensic acids E-J (1-6), were obtained from a glycosidic acid fraction afforded by alkaline hydrolysis of the crude resin glycosides from Convolvulus arvensis whole plants. Their structures were established from the spectroscopic data obtained and by chemical evidence. They were defined as heptasaccharides or hexasaccharides, comprising d-fucose, d-glucose, and l-rhamnose units. Compounds 1, 3, and 5 were assigned the 11 S-hydroxyheptadecanoic acid as the aglycone, while compounds 2, 4, and 6 were found to possess 11 S-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid as the aglycone. Compounds 1, 3, and 5 are the first representatives of resin glycosides with 11 S-hydroxyheptadecanoic acid as the aglycone.

Medicinally Important Herbal Flowers in Sri Lanka

Background

The plant kingdom is rich with a numerous number of plants with various medical properties which can be used to treat various medical issues. Sri Lanka is a country full of biodiversity which is gifted with many plant resources. It has a rich history of traditional medicine systems consisting of Ayurveda, Unani, and Deshiya Chikitsa, where these plant resources are used as remedies for the diseases. In the traditional medicine system, various plant parts such as leaves, roots, fruits, flowers, and bark are used to treat disease conditions. Although less attention is paid to the medicinal importance of the flowers, some of them have been used to treat many diseases from the ancient time. Some properties of the flowers may differ from the properties of the other plant parts. For example, Sesbania grandiflora (Katuru murunga) flowers have shown anticancer properties against various cell models whereas some flowers have shown antispermatogenic properties. Flowers of Woodfordia floribunda (Militta) are added as fermenting agents in the preparation of Arishtas in Ayurveda. Also the most popular Clove oil is obtained from the flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum (Karabu-neti) which is used to treat toothaches since it has antibiotic and antiseptic properties. This article gives an overview of herbal flowers used in the traditional medicine system of Sri Lanka and their pharmacological importance.

Method

A comprehensive literature survey was done on the medicinally important flowers in Sri Lanka. Data was collected from Libraries of Ayurveda in Sri Lanka and from scientific databases.

Results

According to the survey many flowers are used as astringent, cardiac tonic, and febrifuge. Also some flowers are used to treat dysentery, diarrhoea, and indigestion. Some flowers are useful in the treatment of bleeding piles while some are useful in the treatment of asthma and bronchitis.

Conclusion

It was revealed that there are many flowers with valuable therapeutic effects. Traditional medicine systems prevailing in Sri Lanka have made use of these flowers with therapeutic effects to cure so many diseases. The review of medicinally important herbal flowers provides knowledge and pharmacological leads which will help for the wellbeing of the human beings. Although there are phytochemical studies done to identify the chemical compounds on some flowers, chemical composition of many flowers remains unrevealed. So further studies need to be done to identify the chemical composition of these flowers.

Bioassay-guided isolation of anti-seizure principles from Semen Pharbitidis using a zebrafish pentylenetetrazol seizure model

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Semen Pharbitidis, the seeds of Pharbitis nil (Linn.) Choisy (Convolvulaceae) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal plant used for treating helminthiasis and epilepsy in China.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to identify the anti-seizure components from Semen Pharbitidis.

METHODS

A bioassay-guided isolation of anti-seizure compounds from Semen Pharbitidis was performed using a zebrafish pentylenetetrazol seizure model. The structures of active compounds were elucidated by high resolution mass spectrometry. The fragments of active compounds were tested for anti-seizure activity as well.

RESULTS

The bioassay-guided isolation of ethanol extract of Semen Pharbitidis led to a group of resin glucosides, namely pharbitin. One of the fragments of pharbitin, 2-methylbutyric acid, also showed anti-seizure activity.

CONCLUSIONS

We provided further experimental scientific evidence to support the traditional use of Semen Pharbitidis for the treatment of epilepsy. Pharbitin was identified to be the main anti-seizure component in Semen Pharbitidis.

Excellent antitumor and antimetastatic activities based on novel coumarin/pyrazole oxime hybrids

A series of hybrids 10a-v based on coumarin/pyrazole oxime have been synthesized, and exhibit good to excellent antitumor activities. Compound 10n has shown remarkable anticancer effect on SMMC-7721 cells (IC₅₀ = 2.08 μM), which is considerably lower than 5-FU (IC₅₀ = 37.8 μM) and similar to ADM (IC₅₀ = 2.67 μM), with little effect on normal hepatic cells LO2. Notably, the suppression experiments of metastatic activities reveal that 10n also displays significant anti-metastasis effects through inhibiting cell migration and invasion in highly metastatic SMMC-7721 cell line, and dose-dependently reverses TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) procedure better than ADM. Finally, 10n also possesses low acute toxicity and potent tumor growth inhibitory property against SMMC-7721 cell lines in vivo. Our findings suggest that novel coumarin/pyrazole oxime hybrids are promising therapeutic agent candidates for further research.

Pharmacological evaluation of Convolvulus pluricaulis as hypolipidaemic agent in Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidaemia in rats

Objective

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of Convolvulus pluricaulis (CP; C. pluricaulis) methanolic extract on Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidaemia in rats.

Methods

The study comprised of six groups namely normal control, experimental control and treatment groups (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg of C. pluricaulis, and 65 mg/kg of Fenofibrate). Hyperlipidaemia was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of Triton WR-1339 400 mg/kg in rats. Parameters such as lipid profile, oxidative stress, histological analysis and atherogenic index were evaluated. The plant extract was further studied by HPLC and LCMS, for analyses of active phytochemicals.

Key findings

The result of the study showed that C. pluricaulis significantly decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-c, MDA levels and atherogenic index while the levels of HDL-c and GSH were found to be raised. Plant extract at the dose of 400 mg had a consistent effect on all lipid profile parameters. Lower doses (100 and 200 mg) did not produce a statistically significant reduction in LDL-c. In addition, the protective effect of C. pluricaulis was confirmed by histological analysis. Further, the findings of the study were found to be comparable with fenofibrate.

Conclusions

Therefore, the present study suggests that C. pluricaulis has the potential for the treatment of hyperlipidaemia.