Hypoglycemic and Hypolipidemic Effects of Myrtus communis, Trachyspermum copticum and Ferula gummosa Essential Oils on Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats

The therapeutic value of Myrtus communis L.: an updated review

Myrtus communis L. (Family: Myrtaceae) is naturally found in the western part of Asia, Southern Europe, and North Africa. It has been reportedly applied in pharmaceutical industry, traditional medicine, cosmetics, spices, and food. Pubmed, Google scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus were utilized to seek out relevant content concerning the therapeutic potential of M. communis. Subsequently, we conducted a review to identity noteworthy updates pertaining to M. communis. Myrtle berries, leaves, seeds, and essential oils are natural sources of several nutrients and bioactive compounds with marked health effects. The chemical analysis showed that M. communis contained oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, coumarins, saponosides, tannins, quinines, and anthraquinones. A pharmacological investigation revealed that M. communis possessed anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, antimutagenic, immunomodulatory, dermatological, cardiovascular, central nervous system, and gastrointestinal protective effects, among numerous other biological effects. This current review focused on the biochemical, pharmacological, therapeutic effects, and various biological activities of different parts of M. communis. It signifies that M. communis is a therapeutic plant with numerous applications in medicine and could be used as a drug isolate based on its safety and effectiveness.

Ethanol Extract of Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) Berries as a Remedy for Streptozotocin-Induced Oxidative Stress in Rats

Streptozotocin (STZ) is an antitumor antibiotic indicating in the treatment of metastatic islet cell carcinoma of the pancreas. It is also used as a tool to create experimental diabetes models. The STZ exposure at a high dose causes severe damage to cells of humans and other mammals. The goal of the present study was to assess the protective effects of the ethanol extract of the Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) berries, which is a well-known medicinal plant due to its rich phenolic content and beneficial effects on health, against STZ-induced oxidative stress in the diabetic rats.Diabetes was induced by STZ (40 mg/kg, i.p.) in the rats. After diabetes induction, a significant increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), malondialdehyde (MDA), and blood glucose levels as well as a significant decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and glutathione (GSH) levels was observed. The rats were treated to three different ethanol extracts of Myrtle berries (0.25, 0.5, and 1 g/kg) by oral gavage for 14 days. At the end of the experiment, ALT, AST, MDA, and blood glucose levels of the rats significantly decreased while significant increases in GSH levels and SOD activities were observed.We believe that our findings may contribute to the development of new drugs in the treatment of many global disorders due to the antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract of Myrtus communis L. berries.

Metabolic Profile, Bioactivities, and Variations in the Chemical Constituents of Essential Oils of the Ferula Genus (Apiaceae)

The genus Ferula is the third largest and a well-known genus of the Apiaceae family. It is categorized in the Peucedaneae tribe and Ferulinae subtribe of the Apiaceae family. At present, about 180 Ferula species have been reported. The genus is mainly distributed throughout central and South-West Asia (especially Iran and Afghanistan), the far-East, North India, and the Mediterranean. The genus Ferula is characterized by the presence of oleo-gum-resins (asafoetida, sagapenum, galbanum, and ammoniacum) and their use in natural and conventional pharmaceuticals. The main phytochemicals present in the genus Ferula are as follows: coumarin, coumarin esters, sesquiterpenes, sesquiterpene lactones, monoterpene, monoterpene coumarins, prenylated coumarins, sulfur-containing compounds, phytoestrogen, flavonoids and carbohydrates. This genus is considered to be a valuable group of medicinal plants due to its many different biological and pharmacological uses as volatile oils (essential oils). Numerous biological activities are shown by the chemical components of the essential oils obtained from different Ferula species. Because this genus includes many bioactivities such as antimicrobial, insecticidal, antioxidant, cytotoxic, etc., researchers are now focusing on this genus. Several reviews are already available on this particular genus, including information about the importance and the uses of all the phytochemicals found in the species of Ferula. Despite this, no review that specifically provides information about the biological activities of Ferula-derived essential oils, has been published yet. Therefore, the present review has been conducted to provide important information about the chemical profile, factors affecting the chemical composition, and biological activities of essential oils of the Ferula species.