What is known about the medicinal potential of bamboo?

Ethnomedical knowledge of plants used in alternative medicine to treat hemorrhoidal diseases in Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga province, Southern Democratic Republic of Congo

BACKGROUND

A variety of medicinal plants are used in traditional medicine in Lubumbashi for the management of hemorrhoidal diseases. However, no investigation has been conducted to gather the knowledge required for this type of management in the region. The present study was conducted to inventory the plants used in Lubumbashi to treat hemorrhoidal diseases and to relate their ethnomedical characteristics.

METHODS

This study was conducted between March 2022 and February 2023 by interviews using semi-structured questionnaire with households (n = 1520), herbalists (n = 25), and traditional healers: THs (n = 59).

RESULTS

The 1,604 respondents (sex ratio M/F = 0.9; mean age: 56 ± 3 years; experience: 12 ± 3 years) provided information on 100 taxa, 84 of which are used against internal hemorrhoids, Phyllanthus amarus being the most cited (Citation Index, CI: 0.76). Most of them are trees (38%) or shrubs (32%), belonging to 90 genera and 45 families dominated by the Fabaceae (10%) and Asteraceae (9%). They are indicated in 76 other pathologies, dominated by gastrointestinal disorders (GID), wounds and sexually transmitted infections (CI > 0.57). From these 100 taxa, 117 anti-hemorrhoidal formulations were derived, 11 of which combined more than one plant. In all these recipes, the leaf is the most commonly used part (> 60%) and the liniment (> 45%) is the most popular form of application. For the first time, this study reports 14 taxa as plants used in the treatment of hemorrhoids. Among these taxa, Ficus stuhlmannii, Ficus laurifolia, and Ocimum centraliafricanum are listed as medicinal plants for the first time. Khaya nyasica, and Syzygium cordatum, each with 11 uses, have the highest traditional medicinal value.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study indicate that a significant number of medicinal plants are used in traditional medicine in Lubumbashi for the treatment of hemorrhoidal diseases. Some of these plants are endemic to the biodiversity area, while others are shared with other cultures and regions. A series of pharmacological studies is currently underway with the objective of validating the anti-hemorrhoidal properties of these plants and in order to identify phytochemical compounds responsible of this activity.

Metabolomic Profiling of Guadua Species and Its Correlation with Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities

Bamboo plants are widely used in Asian traditional medicine for various health issues and exhibit therapeutic potential. Guadua species are renowned bamboos for their high phenolic compound content, including flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, and possess noteworthy biological properties. Despite this, there is a notable scarcity of research on the chemical and biological aspects of Latin American bamboo leaf extracts (BLEs), especially concerning the Guadua genus. This study aimed to employ a metabolomics approach to integrate the phytochemical and activity profiles of BLEs to identify potential bioactive markers. We determined the metabolic fingerprints of 30 BLEs through HPTLC, HPLC-DAD, UHPLC-QTOF-MS, and 1H-NMR analyses and screened for antioxidant and cytotoxic activities using ABTS, DPPH, and MTT methods. Ultimately, correlation analyses were performed by using chemometric methods and molecular networking. Our findings present a comprehensive chemical characterization, encompassing 40 flavonoids and 9 cinnamic acid derivatives. Notably, most of these compounds have been reported for the first time within the genus, signifying novel discoveries. Additionally, certain compounds identified in other species of the subfamily Bambusoideae provide valuable comparative insights. These compounds demonstrated a significant correlation with antioxidant potential, with values exceeding 100 and 30 μmol of TE/g of extract for ABTS and DPPH, respectively, in the samples. Extracts from G. incana and G. angustifolia exhibited potent cytotoxic effects with IC50 values of 1.23 and 4.73 μg/mL against HCT-116 colon cancer cells, respectively. Notably, glycosylated flavones showed a strong correlation with cytotoxicity. These new findings significantly contribute to our understanding of the chemical composition and biological properties of these often overlooked bamboo species, providing them with important added value and alternative use.

Bioeconomy and ethnopharmacology - Translational perspective and sustainability of the bioresources of northeast region of India

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The ecological environment of Northeast region of India (NER), with its high humidity, has resulted in greater speciation and genetic diversity of plant, animal, and microbial species. This region is not only rich in ethnic and cultural diversity, but it is also a major biodiversity hotspot. The sustainable use of these bioresources can contribute to the region's bioeconomic development.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The review aimed to deliver various perspectives on the development of bioeconomy from NER bioresources under the tenets of sustainable utilization and socioeconomic expansion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant information related to prospects of the approaches and techniques pertaining to the sustainable use of ethnomedicine resources for the growth of the bioeconomy were retrieved from PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Springer from 1984 to 2023. All the appropriate abstracts, full-text articles and various book chapters on bioeconomy and ethnopharmacology were conferred.

RESULT

As the population grows, so does the demand for basic necessities such as food, health, and energy resources, where insufficient resource utilization and unsustainable pattern of material consumption cause impediments to economic development. On the other hand, the bioeconomy concept leads to "the production of renewable biological resources and the conversion of these resources and waste streams into value-added products.

CONCLUSIONS

In this context, major emphasis should be placed on strengthening the economy's backbone in order to ensure sustainable use of these resources and livelihood security; in other words, it can boost the bio-economy by empowering the local people in general.

Uncovering Metabolic Alterations in HCT-116 Colon Cancer Cells upon Exposure to Bamboo Leaf Extract Obtained from Guadua incana Londoño

Metabolic alterations are increasingly recognized as important aspects of colorectal cancer (CRC), offering potential avenues for identifying therapeutic targets. Previous studies have demonstrated the cytotoxic potential of bamboo leaf extract obtained from Guadua incana (BLEGI) against HCT-116 colon cancer cells. However, the altered metabolic pathways in these tumor cells remain unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to employ an untargeted metabolomic approach to reveal the metabolic alterations of the endometabolome and exometabolome of HCT-116 cells upon exposure to BLEGI treatment. First, a chemical characterization of the BLEGI was conducted through liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Next, we assessed cell viability via MTT and morphological analysis using an immunofluorescence assay against colon cancer cells, and anti-inflammatory activity using an LPS-stimulated macrophage model. Subsequently, we employed LC-MS and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) to investigate intra- and extracellular changes. Chemical characterization primarily revealed the presence of compounds with a flavone glycoside scaffold. Immunofluorescence analysis showed condensed chromatin and subsequent formation of apoptotic bodies, suggesting cell death by apoptosis. The results of the metabolomic analysis showed 98 differential metabolites, involved in glutathione, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and lipoic acid metabolism, among others. Additionally, BLEGI demonstrated significant nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory capacity in macrophage cells. This study enhances our understanding of BLEGI's possible mechanism of action and provides fresh insights into therapeutic targets for treating this disease.

Antimicrobial potential of extracts from leaves and culms of an Amazonian native bamboo

Antibiotics have shown less efficiency against resistance of pathogenic microorganisms. As a result, research centers have sought therapeutic alternatives against multidrug resistance of bacteria to antibiotics, one of which is using plant extracts. Bamboo extracts are used for several medicinal purposes. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial potential of hydroalcoholic extracts of culms and leaves of the species Guadua aff. lynnclarkiae on strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. We evaluated the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Only the leaves of G. aff. lynnclarkiae showed a bactericidal effect for all tested strains with MBC ranging from 1.55 mg ml-1 to 25 mg ml-1. The culms had bacteriostatic action with MIC ranging from 1.55 mg ml-1 to 6.25 mg ml-1, and bactericidal action at the concentration of 6.25 mg ml-1 only for S. aureus. This study provides bases for the use of this Amazonian native bamboo in bioprospecting.

Untargeted metabolomics approach and molecular networking analysis reveal changes in chemical composition under the influence of altitudinal variation in bamboo species

Bamboo species have traditionally been used as building material and potential source of bioactive substances, as they produce a wide variety of phenolic compounds, including flavonoids and cinnamic acid derivatives that are considered biologically active. However, the effects of growth conditions such as location, altitude, climate, and soil on the metabolome of these species still need to be fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate variations in chemical composition induced by altitudinal gradient (0-3000 m) by utilizing an untargeted metabolomics approach and mapping chemical space using molecular networking analysis. We analyzed 111 samples from 12 bamboo species collected from different altitudinal ranges using liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). We used multivariate and univariate statistical analyses to identify the metabolites that showed significant differences in the altitude environments. Additionally, we used the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) web platform to perform chemical mapping by comparing the metabolome among the studied species and the reference spectra from its database. The results showed 89 differential metabolites between the altitudinal ranges investigated, wherein high altitude environments significantly increased the profile of flavonoids. While, low altitude environments significantly boosted the profile of cinnamic acid derivatives, particularly caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs). MolNetEnhancer networks confirmed the same differential molecular families already found, revealing metabolic diversity. Overall, this study provides the first report of variations induced by altitude in the chemical profile of bamboo species. The findings may possess fascinating active biological properties, thus offering an alternative use for bamboo.

Novel Hyperspectral Analysis of Thin-Layer Chromatographic Plates-An Application to Fingerprinting of 70 Polish Grasses

The advantages of hyperspectral imaging in videodensitometry are presented and discussed with the example of extracts from 70 Polish grasses. An inexpensive microscope camera was modified to cover the infrared spectrum range, and then 11 combinations of illumination (254 nm, 366 nm, white light), together with various filters (no filter, IRCut, UV, cobalt glass, IR pass), were used to register RGB HDR images of the same plate. It was revealed that the resulting 33 channels of information could be compressed into 5-6 principal components and then visualized separately as grayscale images. We also propose a new approach called principal component artificial coloring of images (PCACI). It allows easy classification of chromatographic spots by presenting three PC components as RGB channels, providing vivid spots with artificial colors and visualizing six principal components on two color images. The infrared region brings additional information to the registered data, orthogonal to the other channels and not redundant with photos in the visible region. This is the first published attempt to use a hyperspectral camera in TLC and it can be clearly concluded that such an approach deserves routine use and further attention.

Bamboo leaf: A review of traditional medicinal property, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and purification technology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Bamboos are perennial evergreen plants that belong to the subfamily Bambusoideae of the true grass family Poaceae, with more than thousands of species distributed around the world. They are used as a traditional medicine with demonstrated effects of anti-oxidation, free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory, liver protection and ameliorating cognitive deficits. Bamboo leaf is mainly used for the treatment of atherosclerotic, diabetic and nervous system diseases.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This review aims to provide up-to-date information on the traditional medicinal properties, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and purification technologies of bamboo leaf.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant information on bamboo leaf was obtained by an online search of worldwide accepted scientific databases (Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Elsevier, SpringerLink, ACS Publications, Wiley Online Library and CNKI).

RESULTS

More than 100 chemical compounds, including flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides, volatile components, phenolic acids, polysaccharide, coenzyme Q10, phenylpropanoid and amino acids have been reported to be present. These compounds were usually extracted by column chromatography and membrane separation technologies. Preparative high performance liquid chromatography (PHPLC), high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC), simulated moving bed chromatography (SMB) and dynamic axial compression chromatography (DAC) were the advanced separation technologies have been used to isolate C-glycosides from bamboo leaf flavonoid, the main bioactive ingredient of bamboo leaf. Currently, bamboo leaf is mainly used for the treatment of atherosclerotic, diabetic, hepatic diseases and nervous system related symptoms, which are attributed to the presence of bioactive components of bamboo leaf.

CONCLUSIONS

Phytochemical and pharmacological analyses of bamboo leaf have been revealed in recent studies. However, most of the pharmacological studies on bamboo leaf have focused on bamboo leaf flavonoids. Further studies need to pay more attention to other phytochemical components of bamboo leaf. In addition, there is lack of sufficient clinical data and toxicity studies on bamboo leaf. Therefore, more clinical and toxicity researches on this plant and constituents are recommended.

Duplication, Loss, and Evolutionary Features of Specific UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase Genes in Carnivora (Mammalia, Laurasiatheria)

UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are one of the most important enzymes for xenobiotic metabolism or detoxification. Through duplication and loss of genes, mammals evolved the species-specific variety of UGT isoforms. Among mammals, Carnivora is one of the orders that includes various carnivorous species, yet there is huge variation of food habitat. Recently, lower activity of UGT1A and 2B were shown in Felidae and pinnipeds, suggesting evolutional loss of these isoforms. However, comprehensive analysis for genetic or evolutional features are still missing. This study was conducted to reveal evolutional history of UGTs in Carnivoran species. We found specific gene expansion of UGT1As in Canidae, brown bear and black bear. We also found similar genetic duplication in UGT2Bs in Canidae, and some Mustelidae and Ursidae. In addition, we discovered contraction or complete loss of UGT1A7-12 in phocids, some otariids, felids, and some Mustelids. These studies indicate that even closely related species have completely different evolution of UGTs and further imply the difficulty of extrapolation of the pharmacokinetics and toxicokinetic result of experimental animals into wildlife carnivorans.

Adaptation of gut microbiome and host metabolic systems to lignocellulosic degradation in bamboo rats

Bamboo rats (Rhizomys pruinosus) are among the few mammals that lives on a bamboo-based diet which is mainly composed of lignocellulose. However, the mechanisms of adaptation of their gut microbiome and metabolic systems in the degradation of lignocellulose are largely unknown. Here, we conducted a multi-omics analysis on bamboo rats to investigate the interaction between their gut microbiomes and metabolic systems in the pre- and post-weaning periods, and observed significant relationships between dietary types, gut microbiome, serum metabolome and host gene expression. For comparison, published gut microbial data from the famous bamboo-eating giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) were also used for analysis. We found that the adaptation of the gut microbiome of the bamboo rat to a lignocellulose diet is related to a member switch in the order Bacteroidales from family Bacteroidaceae to family Muribaculaceae, while for the famous bamboo-eating giant panda, several aerobes and facultative anaerobes increase after weaning. The conversion of bacteria with an increased relative abundance in bamboo rats after weaning enriched diverse carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) associated with lignocellulose degradation and functionally enhanced the biosynthesis of amino acids and B vitamins. Meanwhile, the circulating concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) derived metabolites and the metabolic capacity of linoleic acid in the host were significantly elevated. Our findings suggest that fatty acid metabolism, including linoleic acid and SCFAs, are the main energy sources for bamboo rats in response to the low-nutrient bamboo diet.