Systematic review of Ethiopian medicinal plants used for their anti-inflammatory and wound healing activities

Evaluation of anti-inflammatory potential and GC-MS profiling of leaf extracts from Clerodendrum infortunatum L

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Clerodendrum infortunatum L. is commonly distributed in tropical and subtropical countries and is widely used in the indigenous systems of medicine including Ayurveda, Unani, and Homeopathy. The plant has important uses in the treatment of various inflammatory disorders which includes asthma, cough, chest complaints, pain, rheumatism, osteoarthritis, gastric ulcer, cancer, diabetes, skin diseases etc. AIM OF THE STUDY: Regarding the extensive healing properties of C. infortunatum in folk medicine, we aimed to explore the anti-inflammatory activity of the plant and analyze its bioactive components.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sequential extracts were prepared from C. infortunatum leaves using n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol, ethanol and water. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of these extracts were evaluated using membrane stabilization and protein anti-denaturation assays. Toxicity of the extracts was tested using brine shrimp lethality assay. GC-MS analysis has been carried out to analyze and characterize various bioactive constituents present in the plant.

RESULTS

Each of the tested extracts showed significant (p < 0.05) in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. Sequential ethyl acetate extract demonstrated the strongest membrane stabilization and protein anti-denaturation activities with IC50 values of 331.3, 308.3 and 279.2 μg/mL for heat and hypotonicity induced membrane stabilization and protein anti-denaturation assays, respectively. Sequential methanol extract also exhibited strong activity in heat and hypotonicity induced membrane stabilization and protein anti-denaturation assays with IC50 values of 371.5, 331.6 and 284.6 μg/mL, respectively. The extracts demonstrated a range of toxicity in the brine shrimp lethality assay with LC50 values of 51.4, 59.7, 47.3, 37.1, 68.1 and 77.3 μg/mL for n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol, ethanol and water extracts respectively. The GC-MS analysis of direct n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts detected 32 different compounds. The major compounds (> 5%) were phenol, 3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-, hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, estragole, methyl stearate, lanosterol, 9-methoxybicyclo[6.1.0]nona-2,4,6-triene, benzenepropanoic acid, 3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) 4 hydroxy methyl ester, 22,23-dibromostigmasterol acetate, 3-methyl-4-(phenylthio)-2-prop-2-enyl-2,5-dihydrothiophene 1,1-dioxide, benzenemethanol, α-methyl-α-propyl- and 9-octadecenoic acid (Z)- methyl ester.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of our study revealed that C. infortunatum is rich with diverse bioactive phytoconstituents and the scientific evidences support the anti-inflammatory potential of the plant.

Anti-nutrient contents and methane reduction potential of medicinal plants from maize stover based diet

Greenhouse gas emissions from Ethiopian agriculture are significantly increasing, with the largest share is from enteric fermentation and manure left on pasture. An investigation was conducted to evaluate the anti-nutrient composition and effect of commonly used medicinal plant extracts on enteric methane emission from fibrous feeds using maize stover as substrate feed. Total phenols, flavonoid, tannin and essential oil contents were analyzed using established standards. Effects of leaf extracts of Acacia nilotica, Azadirachta indica, three varieties of Cymbopogon citratus (Cymbopogon citratus-I, Cymbopogon citratus java and Cymbopogon citratus upper awash), Leucaena leucocephala, Moringa stenopetala, three varieties of Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosmarinus officinalis I, Rosmarinus officinalis II and Rosmarinus officinalis III) and Thyme schimperi, seed of three Coriandrum sativum varieties (Coriandrum sativum Batu, Coriandrum sativum Tulu and Coriandrum sativum Waltai) and root of Echinops kebericho on total gas production, digestibility and methane production of maize stover were investigated at different doses using the standard procedures. The results indicated that leaf extracts of Acacia nilotica had the highest (P < 0.001) total phenolic and total tannin contents. Compared to other evaluated plant species, all varieties of Cymbopogon citratus had the highest (P < 0.001) flavonoid content. Significantly high (P < 0.001) essential oil content was observed in Rosmarinus officinalis II than other varieties of Rosmarinus officinalis and other plant species. Significant reduction (P < 0.001) of methane production was observed with extracts of Cymbopoon citratus java (22.5 % less methane than the control) and thyme schimperi (16.7 % less methane than the control) at dose of 50 mg/kg DM. There was also significant (P < 0.001) interaction effect between plant species and dose rates at 50 mg/kg DM for both plant species. It can be concluded that the use of 50 mg/kg DM of Cymbopoon citratus java and Thyme schimperi extract to maize stover reduced methane production without negatively affecting feed digestibility. Further studies are necessary to examine the storability of the extracts in different time durations and evaluate their effects in vivo with animals.

Combination of St. John’s Wort Oil and Neem Oil in Pharmaceuticals: An Effective Treatment Option for Pressure Ulcers in Intensive Care Units

Background and Objectives: Phytotherapeutically, various herbal remedies, such as St. John’s wort oil, have been introduced as wound care options. Recently, Neem oil has been considered a herbal option for the management of superficial wounds. Wound care is a complex process that involves several factors including the patient, caregiver, and medications. Herbal combinations could be an alternative to the chemical counterparts in the wound care area. This report includes an investigation of the possible supportive impacts of the St. John’s wort and Neem oil containing ointment (W Cura G Plus ®) in the management of pressure ulcers (PUs) in three intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Materials and Methods: The ointment was administered to individuals once daily for 42 consecutive days. The status of individuals was macroscopically monitored by measuring the PU area and histopathological assessment of the tissue sections taken on the first and last days of wound treatment. Results: The outcomes of the macroscopic and histopathological techniques exhibited that St. John’s wort and Neem oil containing ointment provided a remarkable supportive impact on the patients that suffered from PUs in the ICUs. Conclusions: The combination of St. John’s wort and Neem oil could be suggested as an efficient active phytoconstituent for the management of PUs. The herbal ointments may be suggested as an alternative for the patients that have PUs in the ICUs.

Therapeutic Potential of Phenolic Compounds in Medicinal Plants-Natural Health Products for Human Health

Phenolic compounds and flavonoids are potential substitutes for bioactive agents in pharmaceutical and medicinal sections to promote human health and prevent and cure different diseases. The most common flavonoids found in nature are anthocyanins, flavones, flavanones, flavonols, flavanonols, isoflavones, and other sub-classes. The impacts of plant flavonoids and other phenolics on human health promoting and diseases curing and preventing are antioxidant effects, antibacterial impacts, cardioprotective effects, anticancer impacts, immune system promoting, anti-inflammatory effects, and skin protective effects from UV radiation. This work aims to provide an overview of phenolic compounds and flavonoids as potential and important sources of pharmaceutical and medical application according to recently published studies, as well as some interesting directions for future research. The keyword searches for flavonoids, phenolics, isoflavones, tannins, coumarins, lignans, quinones, xanthones, curcuminoids, stilbenes, cucurmin, phenylethanoids, and secoiridoids medicinal plant were performed by using Web of Science, Scopus, Google scholar, and PubMed. Phenolic acids contain a carboxylic acid group in addition to the basic phenolic structure and are mainly divided into hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids. Hydroxybenzoic acids are based on a C6-C1 skeleton and are often found bound to small organic acids, glycosyl moieties, or cell structural components. Common hydroxybenzoic acids include gallic, syringic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, gentistic, and salicylic acids. Hydroxycinnamic acids are based on a C6-C3 skeleton and are also often bound to other molecules such as quinic acid and glucose. The main hydroxycinnamic acids are caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic acids.

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) in health and disease: a critical review

Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (Family Moraceae), is a tropical tree, native to India and common in Asia, Africa, and several regions in South America. The fruit is commonly known as jackfruit which is one of the largest edible fruits in the world. Jackfruits comprises a wide range of nutrients, including minerals, carbohydrates, volatile compounds, proteins, and vitamins. The fruit, bark, leaves, and roots are endowed with therapeutic attributes and are utilized in the many traditional medicinal systems for the management of various ailments. Fruit and seeds are commonly used to prepare various food items, including sauce, ice creams, jams, jellies, and marmalades. Due to unique texture, jackfruit is becoming a popular meat substitute. Based on preclinical studies, jackfruit exhibits antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-melanin, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antiviral, anthelmintic, wound-healing, and antineoplastic activities. Clinical studies reveal that the leaves possess antidiabetic action in healthy and insulin-independent diabetic individuals. Despite numerous health benefits, regrettably, jackfruit has not been properly utilized in a marketable scale in areas where it is produced. This review delivers an updated, comprehensive, and critical evaluation on the nutritional value, phytochemical profiling, pharmacological attributes and underlying mechanisms of action to explore the full potential of jackfruit in health and disease.

Synergistic Antimicrobial Effect of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lawsonia inermis Against Staphylococcus aureus

Purpose

The developed resistance of pathogenic microorganisms towards the currently used antimicrobial agents requires the fast search for newer potent antimicrobials. One of the most important ways to combat the previously mentioned disaster is the use of natural alternatives like medicinal plants. Our study aimed to estimate the anti-inflammatory property, and antibacterial effects of probiotics Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and ethanol extracts of Lawsonia inermis leaves against Staphylococcus aureus when they were used separately or collectively as synergism.

Material and Methods

Experimentally induced infected wound model in mice was created and divided into 10 groups then treated for two days by L. plantarum and L. inermis individually or in combination, followed by biochemical assays. The antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing activity were evaluated through histopathological sections taken before and after treatment.

Results

Our results revealed that L. plantarum and L. inermis mixture could inhibit growth of S. aureus and decrease the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of L. plantarum to 2 mg/mL. The mixture decreased level of both interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interferon-alpha (TNF-α) to a level near the normal uninfected group. Histopathological study showed that animals treated with both L. plantarum and L. inermis had achieved almost 90% healing.

Conclusion

These results suggest that L. plantarum and L. inermis mixture has synergistic effect on healing of infected wound.

Challenges in Healing Wound: Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Although the word wound sounds like a simple injury to tissue, individual's health status and other inherent factors may make it very complicated. Hence, wound healing has gained major attention in the healthcare. The biology wound healing is precise and highly programmed, through phases of hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodeling. Current options for wound healing which includes, use of anti-microbial agents, healing promoters along with application of herbal and natural products. However, there is no efficient evidence-based therapy available for specific chronic wounds that can result in definitive clinical outcomes. Under co-morbid conditions, chronic would poses numerous challenges. Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAMs) in health care sector is increasing and its applications in wound management remains like to "separate the diamonds from ore." Attempts have been made to understand the wound at the molecular level, mainly through the analysis of signature genes and the influence of several synthetic and natural molecules on these. We have outlined a review of challenges in chronic wound healing and the role of CAMs in chronic wound management. The main focus is on the applications and limitations of currently available treatment options for a non-healing wound and the best possible alternates to consider. This information generates broader knowledge on challenges in chronic wound healing, which can be further addressed using multidisciplinary approach and combination therapies.

PVA based nanofiber containing cellulose modified with graphitic carbon nitride/nettles/trachyspermum accelerates wound healing

Today, bacterial cellulose has received a great deal of attention for its medical applications due to its unique structural properties such as high porosity, good fluid uptake, good strength, and biocompatibility. This study aimed to fabricate and study bacterial cellulose/graphitic carbon nitride/nettles/trachyspermum nanocomposite by immersion and PVA/BC/g-C₃ N₄ /nettles/trachyspermum nanofiber by electrospinning method as a wound dressing. The g-C₃ N₄ and g-C₃ N₄ solution were synthesized and then were characterized using Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, Zeta Potential, and scanning electronic microscope analyzes. Also, the antibacterial properties of the synthesized materials were proved by gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria using the minimum inhibitory concentration method. Besides, the toxicity, migration, and cell proliferation results of the synthesized materials on NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were evaluated using MTT and scratch assays and showed that the BC/PVA/g-C₃ N₄ /nettles/trachyspermum composite not only had no toxic effect on cells but also contributed to cell survival, cell migration, and proliferation has done. To evaluate the mechanical properties, a tensile strength test was performed on PVA/BC/g-C₃ N₄ /nettles/trachyspermum nanofibers, and the results showed good strength of the nanocomposite. In addition, in vivo assay, the produced nanofibers were used to evaluate wound healing, and the results showed that these nanofibers were able to accelerate the wound healing process so that after 14 days, the wound healing percentage showed 95%. Therefore, this study shows that PVA/BC/g-C₃ N₄ /nettles/trachyspermum nanofibers effectively inhibit bacterial growth and accelerate wound healing.