Chrysopogon zizanioides-a review on its pharmacognosy, chemical composition and pharmacological activities

Is aromatic plants environmental health engineering (APEHE) a leverage point of the earth system?

It is important to note that every ecological niche in an ecosystem is significant. This study aims to assess the importance of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) in the ecosystem from multiple perspectives. A primary model of Aromatic Plants Environmental Health Engineering (APEHE) has been designed and constructed. The APEHE system was used to collect aerosol compounds, and it was experimentally verified that these compounds have the potential to impact human health by binding to AKT1 as the primary target, and MMP9 and TLR4 as secondary targets. These compounds may indirectly affect human immunity by reversing drug resistance in drug-resistant bacteria in the nasal cavity. This is mainly achieved through combined mutations in sdhA, scrA, and PEP. Our findings are based on Network pharmacology and molecular binding, drug-resistance rescue experiments, as well as combined transcriptomics and metabolomics experiments. It is suggested that APEHE may have direct or indirect effects on human health. We demonstrate APEHE's numerous potential benefits, such as attenuation and elimination of airborne microorganisms in the environment, enhancing carbon and nitrogen storage in terrestrial ecosystems, promoting the formation of low-level clouds and strengthening the virtuous cycle of Earth's ecosystems. APEHE also supports the development of transdisciplinary technologies, including terpene energy production. It facilitates the creation of a sustainable circular economy and provides additional economic advantages through urban optimisation, as well as fresh insights into areas such as the habitability of other planets. APEHE has the potential to serve as a leverage point for the Earth system. We have created a new research direction.

Vetiver aerial parts and roots ameliorate rheumatoid arthritis in complete Freund's adjuvant rat model, a phytochemical profiling and mechanistic study

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides) is indigenous to India where it is traditionally used to relief rheumatisms, lumbagos and sprains. Vetiver anti-inflammatory activity has not been previously investigated, and its specific interactions with body inflammation cascade remain largely unknown.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present work was performed to validate the ethnobotanical use of the plant and compare the anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanolic extracts of the most traditionally used part (aerial part) to that of the root. Furthermore, we attempt to reveal the molecular mechanism of this anti-inflammatory activity in correlation to the chemical composition of C. zizanioides aerial (CA) and root parts (CR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC/HRMS) was used for comprehensive analysis of both CA and CR. The anti-inflammatory effect of both extracts was evaluated in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced RA model in Wistar rats.

RESULTS

Phenolic metabolites were predominant in CA and 42 were identified for the first time, while only 13 were identified in CR. Meanwhile, triterpenes and sesquiterpenes were confined to the root extract. In CFA arthritis model, CA showed better anti-inflammatory activity than CR marked by an increase in serum level of IL-10 with simultaneous decrease in pro-inflammatory markers; IL-6, ACPA and TNF-α and was evident in histopathological examination. This anti-inflammatory effect was accompanied by down-regulation of JAK2/STAT3/SOCs3, ERK1/ERK2, TRAF6/c-FOS/NFATC1, TRAF6/NF-κB/NFATC1 and RANKL pathways which were all upregulated after CFA injection. These pathways were modulated to larger extent by CA, except for ERK1/ERK2 which was downregulated more effectively by CR. This differential effect between CA and CR can be explained by the variability in their phytoconstituents profile.

CONCLUSION

In agreement with the ethnobotanical preference, CA extract was more effective than CR extract in reducing the symptoms of RA probably due to its enrichment with flavonoids, lignans, and flavolignans. Both CA and CR reduced the production of inflammatory cytokines through modulating various biological signaling pathways. These findings support the traditional use of vetiver leaves as a remedy for RA and suggest that the use of the whole plant may offer advantage by synergistically affecting more inflammatory pathways.

Exploration of Cytotoxic Potential of Longifolene/Junipene Isolated from Chrysopogon zizanioides

Since ancient times, Chrysopogon zizanioides has been utilized as a traditional medicinal plant for the treatment of numerous ailments, but neither its plant extract form nor its phytoconstituents have been fully explored. With this in mind, the present research was designed to isolate and structurally characterize one of its chemical constituents and evaluate its cytotoxic potential. Therefore, an ethanolic extract of roots was prepared and subjected to column chromatography using solvents of varying polarities. The obtained pure compound was characterized using various chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), carbon and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) and identified as longifolene. This compound was evaluated for its cytotoxic potential using an MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay on the prostate (DU-145), oral (SCC-29B) cancer cell line and normal kidney cell line (Vero cells), taking doxorubicin as a standard drug. The obtained outcomes revealed that longifolene possesses cytotoxic potential against both prostate (IC50 = 78.64 µg/mL) as well as oral (IC50 = 88.92 µg/mL) cancer cell lines with the least toxicity in healthy Vero cells (IC50 = 246.3 µg/mL) when compared to doxorubicin. Hence, this primary exploratory study of longifolene exhibited its cytotoxic potency along with wide safety margins in healthy cell lines, giving an idea that the compounds possess some ability to differentiate between cancerous cells and healthy cells.

Evaluation of Vetiver Volatile Compound Production under Aeroponic-Grown Conditions for the Perfume Industry

Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty) is a major tropical perfume crop. Access to its essential oil (EO)-filled roots is nevertheless cumbersome and land-damaging. This study, therefore, evaluated the potential of vetiver cultivation under soilless high-pressure aeroponics (HPA) for volatile organic compound (VOC) production. The VOC accumulation in the roots was investigated by transmission electron microscopy, and the composition of these VOCs was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) after sampling by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME). The HPA-grown plants were compared to plants that had been grown in potting soil and under axenic conditions. The HPA-grown plants were stunted, demonstrating less root biomass than the plants that had been grown in potting soil. The roots were slender, thinner, more tapered, and lacked the typical vetiver fragrance. HPA cultivation massively impaired the accumulation of the less-volatile hydrocarbon and oxygenated sesquiterpenes that normally form most of the VOCs. The axenic, tissue-cultured plants followed a similar and more exacerbated trend. Ultrastructural analyses revealed that the HPA conditions altered root ontogeny, whereby the roots contained fewer EO-accumulating cells and hosted fewer and more immature intracellular EO droplets. These preliminary results allowed to conclude that HPA-cultivated vetiver suffers from altered development and root ontology disorders that prevent EO accumulation.