The recent use of Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq. as antidiabetes type 2 phytomedicine: A systematic review

Using pollen DNA metabarcoding to trace the geographical and botanical origin of honey from Karangasem, Indonesia

The unique floral fingerprint embedded within honey holds valuable clues to its geographical and botanical origin, playing a crucial role in ensuring authenticity and detecting adulteration. Honey from native Apis cerana and Heterotrigona itama bees in Karangasem, Indonesia, was examined utilizing pollen DNA metabarcoding for honey source identification. In this study, we used ITS2 amplicon sequencing to identify floral DNA in honey samples. The finding reveals distinct pollen signatures for each bee species. Results analysis showed A. cerana honey generated 179,267 sequence reads, assembled into Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) with a total size of 485,932 bp and an average GC content of 59 %. H. itama honey generated 177,864 sequence reads, assembled into ASVs with a total size of 350,604 bp and an average GC content of 57 %. A. cerana honey exhibited a rich tapestry of pollen from eleven diverse genera, with Schleichera genus dominating at an impressive relative read abundance of 72.8 %. In contrast, H. itama honey displayed a remarkable mono-dominance of the Syzygium genus, accounting for a staggering 99.95 % of its pollen composition or relative read abundance, highlighting their distinct foraging preferences and floral resource utilization. Notably, all identified pollen taxa were indigenous to Karangasem, solidifying the geographical link between honey and its origin. This study demonstrates pollen DNA metabarcoding may identify honey floral sources. By using pollen profiles from different bee species and their foraging patterns, we may protect consumers against honey adulteration and promote sustainable beekeeping in Karangasem district. Future research could explore expanding the database of reference pollen sequences and investigating the influence of environmental factors on pollen composition in honey. Investigating this technology's economic and social effects on beekeepers and consumers may help promote fair trade and sustainable beekeeping worldwide.

Putative Identification of New Phragmaline-Type Limonoids from the Leaves of Swietenia macrophylla King: A Case Study Using Mass Spectrometry-Based Molecular Networking

Swietenia macrophylla King is a plant commonly known as Brazilian mahogany. The wood from its stem is highly prized for its exceptional quality, while its leaves are valued for their high content of phragmalin-type limonoids, a subclass of compounds known for their significant biological activities, including antimalarial, antitumor, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. In this context, twelve isolated limonoids from S. macrophylla leaves were employed as standards in mass spectrometry-based molecular networking to unveil new potential mass spectrometry signatures for phragmalin-type limonoids. Consequently, ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry was utilized for data acquisition. Subsequently, the obtained data were analyzed using the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking platform based on spectral similarity. In summary, this study identified 24 new putative phragmalin-type limonoids for the first time in S. macrophylla. These compounds may prove valuable in guiding future drug development efforts, leveraging the already established biological activities associated with limonoids.

Natural swietenine attenuates diabetic nephropathy by regulating the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathways: In vivo and in vitro study

Swietenine (Swi), isolated from Swietenia macrophylla King ameliorates inflammation and oxidative stress, and diabetic nephropathy has a close connection with them. So the effects of Swi on diabetic nephropathy and its mechanism of action was explored. We divided human mesangial cells into five groups and determined the expression of NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasomes in each group. The levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-18 were also measured. To explore the relationship between NF-κB and NLRP3, we added PDTC, a specific NF-κB inhibitor, and LPS, and divided the experimental groups into seven groups. We measured the expressions of NF-κB and NLRP3, and then added MCC950, a specific inhibitor of NLRP3 and LPS, the expression of NLRP3, Caspase-1, and IL-1β and IL-18 were measured. Animals divided into four groups and administered over 8 weeks. Protein excretion, creatinine, urea nitrogen, and uric acid were measured. Swi down regulated the expression of NF-κB, NLRP3, and Caspase-1. It reduced the levels of IL-1β and IL-18. PDTC decreased the expression of NF-κB and NLRP3. Compared with the HG + PDTC group, the expression of NF-κB and NLRP3 in the HG + Swi + PDTC group decreased significantly. After adding lipopolysaccharide, the expression of NF-κB and NLRP3 increased, but this situation was reversed after adding Swi. After adding LPS, the expression of NLRP3 and Caspase-1 increased, and the levels of IL-1β and IL-18 also increased, but this situation was reversed after the addition of Swi. Swi significantly improved the renal function of mice with diabetic nephropathy and inhibited the activation of NF-κB and the NLRP3 inflammasome and reduced inflammation by regulating the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway, thereby improving diabetic nephropathy.

Chemical characterization, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic potentials of Swietenia mahagoni

Infectious diseases are the most important cause of death worldwide. Many of these diseases show great resistance to drugs and antibiotics with long-term use. Extracts of some medicinal plants have antimicrobial properties, which can treat and overcome these diseases. Meliaceae is a family of timber trees used extensively in treating many bacterial and fungal diseases, especially Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq. In this study, phytochemical screening, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis, and antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antitumor activities of the methanolic extract of S. mahagoni (L.) leaves were performed. Phytochemical screening exhibited the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenols, triterpenoids, glycosides, and tannins. GC/MS analysis exhibited 40 compounds, mainly 7-hexadecene, (Z)-, imidazole-4,5-d2, and 1-acetyl-4,4-bis[4-(3-bromopropoxy)-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl] piperidine. The antibacterial and antifungal potentials of the methanolic extract of S. mahagoni (L.) leaves was investigated using the agar well diffusion technique. Potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Proteus vulgaris and antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Candida albicans were found. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal and fungicidal concentrations ranged from 12.5 to 25 mg/mL. Antioxidant activity was studied using the free radical scavenging assay, and the IC₅₀ value of the leaf extract was 69.9 µg/mL. Cytotoxic activity was screened using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, and the IC₅₀ value was 44.2 µg/mL. These findings suggested the importance of this plant in treating some bacterial and fungal infections and cancer.

Anti-Inflammatory Medicinal Plants of Bangladesh—A Pharmacological Evaluation

Inflammatory diseases are considered major threats to human health worldwide. In Bangladesh, a number of medicinal plants have been used in traditional medicine from time immemorial in the treatment of diverse diseases, including inflammatory disorders. This assignment aims at providing the status of the medicinal plants of Bangladesh which are traditionally used in the management of inflammatory disorders and are investigated for their anti-inflammatory prospects using different preclinical studies and future research directions. The information of medicinal plants assembled in this review was obtained from a literature search of electronic databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect up to December, 2020 from publications on plants investigated for their anti-inflammatory activities, in which the place of plant sample collection was identified as Bangladesh. Keywords for primary searches were “anti-inflammatory,” “Bangladeshi,” and “medicinal plants.” Criteria followed to include plant species were plants that showed significant anti-inflammatory activities in 1) two or more sets of experiments in a single report, 2) same or different sets of experiments in two or more reports, and, 3) plants which are traditionally used in the treatment of inflammation and inflammatory disorders. In this study, 48 species of medicinal plants have been reviewed which have been used in traditional healing practices to manage inflammatory disorders in Bangladesh. The mechanistic pathways of the in vivo and in vitro study models used for the evaluation of anti-inflammatory properties of plant samples have been discussed. Selected plants were described in further detail for their habitat, anti-inflammatory studies conducted in countries other than Bangladesh, and anti-inflammatory active constituents isolated from these plants if any. Medicinal plants of Bangladesh have immense significance for anti-inflammatory activity and have potential to contribute toward the discovery and development of novel therapeutic approaches to combat diseases associated with inflammation. However, the plants reviewed in this article had chiefly undergone preliminary screening and require substantial investigations including identification of active molecules, understanding the mechanism of action, and evaluation for safety and efficacy to be followed by the formulation of safe and effective drug products.

Ethnomedicinal Value of Antidiabetic Plants in Bangladesh: A Comprehensive Review

The use of conventional drugs to treat metabolic disorders and the pathological consequences of diabetes further increases the complications because of the side effects, and is sometimes burdensome due to relatively higher costs and occasionally painful route of administration of these drugs. Therefore, shifting to herbal medicine may be more effective, economical, have fewer side effects and might have minimal toxicity. The present review amasses a list of ethnomedicinal plants of 143 species belonging to 61 families, from distinctive domestic survey literature, reported to have been used to treat diabetes by the ethnic and local people of Bangladesh. Leaves of the medicinal plants were found leading in terms of their use, followed by fruits, whole plants, roots, seeds, bark, stems, flowers, and rhizomes. This review provides starting information leading to the search for and use of indigenous botanical resources to discover bioactive compounds for novel hypoglycemic drug development.