Study of Anti-oxidant, Anti-inflammatory, Genotoxicity, and Antimicrobial Activities and Analysis of Different Constituents found in Rhizome Essential Oil of Curcuma caesia Roxb., Collected from North East India

Secondary metabolite fingerprinting, anti-pathogenic activity, elite chemotype selection and conservation of Curcuma caesia- an ethnomedicinally underutilized species

Curcuma caesia Roxb. is an ethnomedicinally important, essential oil (EO) yielding aromatic plant. A total of twelve accessions of this plant rhizome were collected from six different agro-climatic zones of West Bengal, India and evaluated for their antimicrobial activities against eight disease-causing, multi-drug-resistant pathogenic strains of urinary-tract infection and respiratory-tract infection. The EO and extracts demonstrated antibacterial activity, with the highest inhibition zone of 18.00 ± 0.08 and 17.50 ± 0.14 mm against Klebsiella pneumoniae by accession 06, even where all the broad-spectrum antibiotics failed to respond. In this study, we employed high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) to quantify curcumin, the primary secondary metabolite of C. caesia, and the highest 0.228 mg/gm of curcumin resulted from accession 06. Hence, on the basis of all aspects, accession 06 was identified as the elite chemotype among all twelve accessions. The chemical profiling of EO from accession 06 was done using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Conceivably, about 13 medicinally significant compounds were detected. As this plant species is seasonal and has difficulties in conventional breeding due to dormancy, it must be conserved through in vitro tissue culture for a steady supply throughout the year in massive amounts for agricultural demand. A maximum number of 19.28 ± 0.37 shoots has been obtained in MS medium fortified with 6-Benzylaminopurine, Kinetin, and Naphthalene acetic acid. The genetic uniformity of the plants has been studied through Start Codon Targeted Polymorphism. Therefore, this study must help meet the need for essential phytoactive compounds through a simple, validated, and reproducible plant tissue culture protocol throughout the year.

Recent advances in delivering free or nanoencapsulated Curcuma by-products as antimicrobial food additives

Food commodities are often contaminated by microbial pathogens in transit or during storage. Hence, mitigation of these pathogens is necessary to ensure the safety of food commodities. Globally, researchers used botanicals as natural additives to preserve food commodities from bio-deterioration, and advances were made to meet users' acceptance in this domain, as synthetic preservatives are associated with harmful effects to both consumers and environments. Over the last century, the genus Curcuma has been used in traditional medicine, and its crude and nanoencapsulated essential oils (EOs) and curcuminoids were used to combat harmful pathogens that deteriorate stored foods. Today, more research is needed for solving the problem of pathogen resistance in food commodities and to meet consumer demands. Therefore, Curcuma-based botanicals may provide a source of natural preservatives for food commodities that satisfy the needs both of the food industry and the consumers. Hence, this article discusses the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of EOs and curcuminoids derived from the genus Curcuma. Further, the action modes of Curcuma-based botanicals are explained, and the latest advances in nanoencapsulation of these compounds in food systems are discussed alongside knowledge gaps and safety assessment where the focus of future research should be placed.

Sources, morphology, phytochemistry, pharmacology of Curcumae Longae Rhizoma, Curcumae Radix, and Curcumae Rhizoma: a review of the literature

Curcumae Longae Rhizoma (turmeric), Curcumae Radix and Curcumae Rhizoma are derived from the Curcuma species, and have gradually become three of the most commonly used medicinal herbs in China due to their different origins, processing methods and medicinal part. These three herbs have certain similarities in morphology, chemical composition, and pharmacological effects. All three of these herbs contain curcuminoids and volatile oil compounds, which exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties, although modern clinical applications have their own requirements. At present, there is no systematic guidelines for the clinical application of these three of Curcuma species; consequently, there is a high risk of unwanted phenomena associated with the mixing and indiscriminate use of these herbs. In this review, we focus predominantly on morphology, chemical composition, and the pharmacological activity of these three Curcuma herbs and summarize the current status of research in this field. Our goal is to provide a better understanding of clinical value of these Curcuma species so that we can provide reference guidelines for their further development, utilization and rational clinical application.

Potential roles and molecular mechanisms of bioactive ingredients in Curcumae Rhizoma against breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer worldwide, with high morbidity and mortality. Despite great advances in the therapeutic strategies, the survival rate in the past decades of patients with breast cancer remains unsatisfactory. Growing evidence has demonstrated that Curcumae Rhizoma, called Ezhu in Chinese, showed various pharmacological properties, including anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities. It has been widely used in Chinese medicine to treat many types of human cancer.

PURPOSE

To comprehensively summarize and analyze the effects of active substances in Curcumae Rhizoma on breast cancer malignant phenotypes and the underlying mechanisms, as well as discuss its medicinal value and future perspectives.

METHOD

We used "Curcumae Rhizoma" or the name of crude extracts and bioactive components in Curcumae Rhizoma in combination with "breast cancer" as key words. Studies focusing on their anti-breast cancer activities and mechanisms of action were extracted from Pubmed, Web of Science and CNKI databases up to October 2022. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guideline was followed.

RESULTS

Crude extracts and 7 main bioactive phytochemicals (curcumol, β-elemene, furanodiene, furanodienone, germacrone, curdione and curcumin) isolated from Curcumae Rhizoma have shown many anti-breast cancer pharmacological properties, including inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, invasion and stemness, reversing chemoresistance, and inducing cell apoptosis, cycle arrest and ferroptosis. The mechanisms of action were involved in regulating MAPK, PI3K/AKT and NF-κB signaling pathways. In vivo and clinical studies demonstrated that these compounds exhibited high anti-tumor efficacy and safety against breast cancer.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide strong evidence that Curcumae Rhizoma acts as a rich source of phytochemicals and has robust anti-breast cancer properties.

Current Trends in Toxicity Assessment of Herbal Medicines: A Narrative Review

Even in modern times, the popularity level of medicinal plants and herbal medicines in therapy is still high. The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of the population in developing countries uses these types of remedies. Even though herbal medicine products are usually perceived as low risk, their potential health risks should be carefully assessed. Several factors can cause the toxicity of herbal medicine products: plant components or metabolites with a toxic potential, adulteration, environmental pollutants (heavy metals, pesticides), or contamination of microorganisms (toxigenic fungi). Their correct evaluation is essential for the patient’s safety. The toxicity assessment of herbal medicine combines in vitro and in vivo methods, but in the past decades, several new techniques emerged besides conventional methods. The use of omics has become a valuable research tool for prediction and toxicity evaluation, while DNA sequencing can be used successfully to detect contaminants and adulteration. The use of invertebrate models (Danio renio or Galleria mellonella) became popular due to the ethical issues associated with vertebrate models. The aim of the present article is to provide an overview of the current trends and methods used to investigate the toxic potential of herbal medicinal products and the challenges in this research field.

The Impact of Curcumin on Growth Performance, Growth-Related Gene Expression, Oxidative Stress, and Immunological Biomarkers in Broiler Chickens at Different Stocking Densities

Simple Summary

The primary goal of global poultry production is to optimize the amount of chicken produced per square meter of floor area. Consequently, stocking density (SD) and curcumin supplementation on broiler performance were investigated. Our results revealed that supplemental curcumin improved birds’ growth, behaviours, and immunity by lowering oxidative stress, enhancing humoral immune response, and modulating the suppression of growth-related gene expressions in broilers raised in high stocking density circumstances.

Abstract

Curcumin’s antioxidant properties reduce free radicals and may improve broiler growth. Therefore, the influence of stocking density (SD) and administration of curcumin in the diet on broiler performance was explored to clarify the impact of HSD and curcumin on the performance of growth, behavioural patterns, haematological, oxidant/antioxidant parameters, immunity markers, and the growth-related genes expression in broiler chickens. A total of 200 broiler chickens (Cobb 500, 2-weeks old) were allotted into 4 groups; SD (moderate and high) and curcumin (100 and 200 mg/kg diet)-supplemented HSD, respectively. Behavioural observations were performed. After a 28-day experimental period, tissue and blood samples were collected for analysis. Expressions of mRNA for insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), growth hormone receptor (GHR), myostatin (MSTN), and leptin in liver tissues were examined. HSD birds exhibited lower growth performance measurements, haematological parameters, circulating 3,5,3-triiodothyronine and thyroxine levels, antioxidant activities (GSH-Px, catalase, superoxide dismutase), immunoglobulins (A, G, M), and hepatic GHR and IGF-1 expression values. However, HSD birds even had an increment of serum corticosterone, malondialdehyde, pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-a, IL-2, IL-6) levels, hepatic leptin and MSTN expression. Moreover, HSD decreased drinking, feeding, crouching, body care, and increased standing and walking behaviour. The addition of curcumin, particularly at a 200 mg/kg diet, alleviated the effect of HSD through amending growth-related gene expression in the chickens. In conclusion, curcumin can enhance birds’ growth performance, behavioural patterns, and immunity by reducing oxidative stress and up-regulating the growth-related gene expressions of broilers under stressful conditions due to a high stocking density.