Comparative analysis of analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of bark and leaves of Acacia ferruginea DC

Pharmacognostic standardization and evaluation of antiulcer potential of Olax psittacorum leaf extract

The modern medicine has received many plants as a gift from ethnobotany. It is an efficient method of discovering new medicines. The leaves of Olax psittacorum (Lam.) Vahl. were extracted with ethanol, and the phytoconstituents present in the leaf extract were identified using Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis (GC-MS), followed by determination of physico-chemical parameters and anti-ulcer properties. The leaf ethanolic extract (LEE) yield was observed to be 43.2%. The quantitative surface microscopy analysis revealed a stomatal index of 30 and 22 epidermal cells and qualitatively confirms presence of quinone, flavonoid, phenol, carbohydrate, tannin, saponin and absence of alkaloids using various screening techniques. The LEE confirms its anti-ulcer potency by inhibiting ulceration by 58% and 75% respectively, thus proving the hypothesis. These identified parameters may be helpful in developing some botanical standards for the standardisation and identification of O. psittacorum leaves with anti-ulcer properties.

Special Bioactivities of Phenolics from Acacia dealbata L. with Potential for Dementia, Diabetes and Antimicrobial Treatments

Some diseases still need better therapeutic approaches, including the prevention of development. Natural resources are investigated with this purpose; among them, we decided to use an invasive plant as a main strategy. This will help in two ways: screening new compounds in flowers prevents the plant from causing widespread damage by controlling the dissemination and also obtains crude material for further applications. In the present study, flower extracts from Acacia dealbata Link harvested in Portugal were studied during three stages of flowering. Phenolic compounds were evaluated using HPLC/DAD and the total phenolics as the total flavonoids content was determined. The bioactivities screened were antioxidant potential, inhibitory activities of some enzymes (acetylcholinesterase, lipase and α-glucosidase) and, to complete the screening, the inhibition of microbial growth was determined against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, as well as for yeasts. The data obtained suggested that the hydroethanolic extracts gave good results for all these biological activities and varied according to the maturation status of the flowers, with the early stage being the most active, which can be related to the chalcones content. This new approach will lead to the possible control of the invasive plant and also future perspective research for therapeutic purposes.

Exploring the phyto- and physicochemical evaluation, fluorescence characteristics, and antioxidant activities of Acacia ferruginea Dc: an endangered medicinal plant

Background

Herbal plants are potent in curing various ailments of ancient times as they have comparatively lesser side effects. The demands for natural drugs, mostly from plant sources, are increasing over the past few decades. Because of their potent antioxidant activity, Acacia species are used to treat a variety of diseases. One of the species Acacia ferruginea, an endangered medicinal plant, is widely used in the traditional medicine system, and it is considered that standardization would be beneficial. The present study investigates the physicochemical parameters, preliminary phytochemical screening, trace metals by SEM–EDS, and fluorescence properties of various extracts (non-polar to polar) of leaf and bark parts. Standard spectrophotometric methods (UV–Vis, FT-IR, fluorescence spectroscopy) are employed to analyze the functional groups, and the DPPH and total antioxidant methods are used to assess antioxidant potential.

Results

The ethyl acetate extract of leaves and ethanol extract of the bark are found to be the highest in yield, 16.32% and 2.54%. Results reveal that the total ash percentage and moisture content are of bark and the water-soluble ash of leaves is higher (10.3 ± 0.85, 7.6 ± 0.34, 3.22 ± 0.24%). The bark polar extract contained more macro-elements such as Na, K, Mg, Ca, S, and Cl. Phytochemical analysis reveals the polar extracts of leaves and bark show saponins, flavonoids, steroids, phenolic compounds, and non-polar extracts show mild positive. The total alkaloids, phenolics, and terpenoids (1.58 ± 0.08%; 0.56 ± 0.11; 0.75 ± 0.15) are found to be higher in A. ferruginea leaves. The FT-IR result shows the presence of alkanes, alkenes, aromatic compounds, aldehydes, phenolics and does not contain any toxic substances since there is no peak observed in the region between 2220 and 2260 cm−1. The in vitro antioxidant activity of the species demonstrated that both the leaf and bark parts have prominent antioxidant properties.

Conclusions

The results obtained from the preliminary standardization of A. ferruginea are very helpful in the determination of the quality and purity of the crude drug. The refurbished findings of A. ferruginea are promising, and further research is important to identify the bioactive compounds, thereby developing nutritional supplements and medications through therapeutic compound isolation.

Graphical Abstract

A Systematic Review of Traditionally Used Herbs and Animal-Derived Products as Potential Analgesics

Pain is a distressing but fundamental manifestation that prepares the body for potentially detrimental stimuli while ensuring its protection. Plant and animal products have traditionally been used to relieve pain for centuries. However, no attempt has been made to compile a single report of plant and animal products possessing analgesic properties. This review enadeavours to recover data from published articles to establish a collective literature review on folk remedies from plant and animal sources used as analgesics and in the treatment of pain-related conditions, identifying gaps in existing knowledge and future works. Relevant information was systematically retrieved using the PRISMA method. In this review, in total, 209 plants were found to be either used raw or prepared by decoctions or maceration. Administration was either oral or topical, and they were predominantly used in Asian countries. In vivo studies of plants with analgesic properties, which were tested using different methods including acetic-induced writhing test, hotplate test, tail-flick test, and formalin-induced pain test, were compiled. Animal products with analgesic properties were obtained mainly from compounds present in venom; their bioactive compounds were also identified. In the literature search, certain gaps were noted, which could be reviewed in future studies. For instance, there was a disparity of information regarding the traditional uses of medicinal plants. In this review, an attempt was made to critically assess and describe the pharmacological properties and bioactive composition of indigenous plants, some animal species, and animal venom by scrutinizing databases and looking for published articles. Therefore, it can be concluded that the compounds obtained from these sources can serve as important ingredients in therapeutic agents to alleviate pain once their limitations are assessed and improved upon. In the literature search, certain gaps were noted, which could be reviewed in future studies.