Fumigant toxicity of Oriental sweetgum (Liquidambar orientalis) and valerian (Valeriana wallichii) essential oils and their components, including their acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity, against Japanese termites (Reticulitermes speratus)

Valeriana jatamansi: Bioactive Compounds and their Medicinal Uses

Valeriana jatamansi is a reputed perennial medicinal herb distributed throughout the world, where it is used in cytotoxicity, neuronal problems, insomnia, leishmania and acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, antioxidant, antiviral and α-glucosidase inhibition activities. This review describes the current state of chemical characterization of isolated metabolites, which are well accepted for the treatment of various ailments in the indigenous system of medicine. This comprehensive review covers previously published research articles and reviews up to 2023 with an emphasis on the structural characterization of isolated bioactive compounds using different analytical techniques. Furthermore, the present review also focuses on the detailed medicinal and pharmacological properties of isolated compounds from this threatened herb.

Protective effects of cinnamon on acetylcholinesterase activity and memory dysfunction in diabetic rats

OBJECTIVES

Regarding neurocognitive and immunomodulatory properties of cinnamon (Cinn) we aimed to investigate whether cinnamon regulates acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and oxidative abnormalities with concomitant memory dysfunction in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes.

METHODS

Forty-seven male adult rats were divided into seven groups (n=8 animals): Control group: in these non-diabetic rats only saline 0.9% NaCl was gavaged, Diabetic (Dia) group: diabetic rats in them saline 0.9% NaCl was gavaged for six weeks. Dia-Cinn 100, Dia-Cinn 200, and Dia-Cinn 400, Dia-Met groups: in these diabetic rats the extract (100, 200, 400 mg/kg respectively) or metformin (300 mg/kg) was gavaged for six weeks. Passive avoidance performance, AChE enzyme activity, and oxidative indicators were examined among the groups.

RESULTS

Vs. the control group, blood glucose level and stay time in the dark were remarkably increased in Dia group whereas the latency time was decreased. Meanwhile, antioxidant levels (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and thiols) noticeably decreased in the Dia group compared to the Control group. On the other hand, Cinn extract espicailly at the highest dose recovered the changes similar to those found in the metformin-treated group.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings proposed that the cinnamon hydro-ethanolic extract promotes memory recovery in diabetic conditions through the atteuation of the AChE activity and oxidative injury.

Essential Oils for a Sustainable Control of Honeybee Varroosis

The Varroa destructor parasite is the main obstacle to the survival of honey bee colonies. Pest control mainly involves the use of synthetic drugs which, used with the right criteria and in rotation, are able to ensure that infestation levels are kept below the damage threshold. Although these drugs are easy to use and quick to apply, they have numerous disadvantages. Their prolonged use has led to the emergence of pharmacological resistance in treated parasite populations; furthermore, the active ingredients and/or their metabolites accumulate in the beehive products with the possibility of risk for the end consumer. Moreover, the possibility of subacute and chronic toxicity phenomena for adult honeybees and their larval forms must be considered. In this scenario, eco-friendly products derived from plant species have aroused great interest over the years. In recent decades, several studies have been carried out on the acaricidal efficacy of plant essential oils (EOs). Despite the swarming of laboratory and field studies, however, few EO products have come onto the market. Laboratory studies have often yielded different results even for the same plant species. The reason for this discrepancy lies in the various study techniques employed as well as in the variability of the chemical compositions of plants. The purpose of this review is to take stock of the research on the use of EOs to control the V. destructor parasite. It begins with an extensive discussion of the characteristics, properties, and mechanisms of action of EOs, and then examines the laboratory and field tests carried out. Finally, an attempt is made to standardize the results and open up new lines of study in future.

Storax, A Promising Botanical Medicine for Treating Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases: A Review

In recent years, the incidence and mortality of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases have been increasing year by year, which has become global burden and challenge. Based on the holistic thinking of “brain disease affects the heart” and “heart disease affects the brain,” as well as the characteristics of multi-target and multi-path effects of Chinese medicine, Chinese medicine is more advantageous in the treatment of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. As a botanical medicine, storax is known for its resuscitation, filth avoidance and pain-relieving effects in the treatment of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. By reviewing and collating the relevant domestic and international literature in the past 10 years, we have sorted out an overview of the medicinal parts, traditional uses and chemical composition of storax. For the first time, based on the idea of “cerebral and cardiac simultaneous treatment,” the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of heart and brain protection of storax for treating cardio-cerebrovascular diseases were summarized and analyzed, showing that storax has the pharmacological effects of anti-cerebral ischemia, regulation of blood-brain barrier, bidirectional regulation of the central nervous system, anti-myocardial ischemia, anti-arrhythmia, anti-thrombosis and anti-platelet aggregation. It mainly exerts its protective effects on the brain and heart through mechanisms such as inhibition of inflammatory immune factors, anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis, pro-neovascularization and regulation of NO release. On the basis of the current findings and limitations, the future research strategies and perspectives of storax are proposed, with a view to providing a reference for further application and development of this medicine, as well as contributing new thoughts and visions for the clinical application of “treating brain-heart synchronously”.

The Phytochemical Profile and Biological Activity of Liquidambar orientalis Mill. var. orientalis via NF-κB and Apoptotic Pathways in Human Colorectal Cancer

Liquidambar orientalis Mill. var. orientalis (Hammamelidaceae) commonly known as oriental sweet gum is a medicinal plant endemic to Turkey, and used for treatment of wounds such as ulcers, gastritis and skin diseases. However, there are only a limited number of studies on the anticancer properties of this plant. The aim of this study is to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of L. orientalis in colorectal cancer cell lines and to reveal the active therapeutic components. Antioxidant, anti-proliferative, anti-invasive and apoptotic effects were investigated for determining biological activities. The phytochemical profile and quantitation assays were carried out by using HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS. The results demonstrated that leaf methanol extract (LM) of L. orientalis has the highest cytotoxic activity in HCT-116 (IC₅₀ 27.80 μg/mL) and HT-29 (IC₅₀ 43.13 μg/mL) cell lines as compared to the other extracts tested. Regarding chemical composition, quercetin 3-glucoside (61.005 ± 1.527 mg/g extract), chlorogenic acid (31.627 ± 0.970 mg/g extract), pyrogallol (9.950 ± 0.001 mg/g extract), epigallocatechin gallate (9.671 ± 0.004 mg/g extract), apigenin 7-O-glucoside (2.687 ± 0.027 mg/g extract), gallic acid (2.137 ± 0.012 mg/g extract), genistin (1.270 ± 0.027 mg/g extract), luteolin (0.055 ± 0.0005 mg/g extract) and kaempferol (0.506 ± 0.007 mg/g extract) were identified as the major phytochemical compounds. Our results showed that LM extract exhibited In Vitro cytotoxic and apoptotic properties.

Anti-Termitic Activity of Three Plant Extracts, Chlorpyrifos, and a Bioagent Compound (Protecto) against Termite Microcerotermes eugnathus Silvestri (Blattodea: Termitidae) in Egypt

A trend towards environmentally friendly chemicals for use in termite management has been occurring globally. This study examined three naturally occurring plant extracts from Lavandula latifolia (Spike lavender), Origanum vulgare (Marjorum), and Syzygium aromaticum (Clove) against the termite Microcerotermes eugnathus. Plant extract results were compared to two commercially used termite pesticides, the bio-insecticide, Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Protecto 9.4% WP) and Dursban (Chlorpyrifos 48%). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was used to identify the main compounds in the three plant extracts. The main compounds in Lavandula Latifolia were linalool (21.49%), lavandulol (12.77%), β-terpinyl acetate (10.49%), and camphor (9.30%). Origanum vulgare extract contained thymol (14.64%), m-cymene (10.63%), linalool (6.75%), and terpinen-4-ol (6.92%) as main compounds. Syzygium aromaticum contained eugenol (99.16%) as the most abundant identified compound. The extract of O. vulgare caused the highest termite death rate, with an LC50 of 770.67 mg/L. Exposure to lavender extract showed a high death rate with an LC50 of 1086.39 mg/L. Clove extract did not show significant insecticidal activity with an LC50 > 2000 mg/L. Significant termiticide effects were found, with LC50 values of 84.09 and 269.98 mg/L for soldiers and workers under the application of Dursban and Protecto, respectively. The LC50 values reported for nymphs were <120, <164.5, and 627.87 mg/L after exposure to Dursban, Protecto, and O. vulgare extract, respectively. The results of the study show that some of the extracts have low toxicity compared to the bioagent and Dursban, and may show promise as natural termiticides, particularly as extracts from O. vulgare.

Terpenes, Phenylpropanoids, Sulfur and Other Essential Oil Constituents as Inhibitors of Cholinesterases

Essential oils constituents are a diverse family of low molecular weight organic compounds with comprehensive biological activity. According to their chemical structure, these active compounds can be divided into four major groups: terpenes, terpenoids, phenylpropenes, and "others". In addition, they may contain diverse functional groups according to which they can be classified as hydrocarbons (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and aliphatic hydrocarbons); oxygenated compounds (monoterpene and sesquiterpene alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and other oxygenated compounds); and sulfur and/or nitrogen containing compounds (thioesters, sulfides, isothiocyanates, nitriles, and others). Compounds that act as cholinesterase inhibitors still represent the only pharmacological treatment of Alzheimer´s disease. Numerous in vitro studies showed that some compounds, found in essential oils, have a promising cholinesterase inhibitory activity, such as α-pinene, δ-3-carene, 1,8-cineole, carvacrol, thymohydroquinone, α- and β-asarone, anethole, etc. This review summarizes the most relevant research published to date on essential oil constituents and their acetylcholinesterase/butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory potential as well as their structure related activity, synergistic and antagonistic effects.

Comparative and Functional Screening of Three Species Traditionally used as Antidepressants: Valeriana officinalis L., Valeriana jatamansi Jones ex Roxb. and Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC

The essential oils (EOs) of three Caprifoliaceae species, the Eurasiatic Valeriana officinalis (Vo), the Himalayan Valeriana jatamansi (Vj) and Nardostachys jatamansi (Nj), are traditionally used to treat neurological disorders. Roots/rhizomes micromorphology, DNA barcoding and EOs phytochemical characterization were carried out, while biological effects on the nervous system were assessed by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity and microelectrode arrays (MEA). Nj showed the highest inhibitory activity on AChE (IC₅₀ 67.15 μg/mL) followed by Vo (IC₅₀ 127.30 μg/mL) and Vj (IC₅₀ 246.84 μg/mL). MEA analyses on rat cortical neurons, carried out by recording mean firing rate (MFR) and mean bursting rate (MBR), revealed stronger inhibition by Nj (IC₅₀ 18.8 and 11.1 μg/mL) and Vo (16.5 and 22.5 μg/mL), compared with Vj (68.5 and 89.3 μg/mL). These results could be related to different EO compositions, since sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes significantly contribute to the observed effects, but the presence of oxygenated compounds such as aldehydes and ketones is a discriminating factor in determining the order of potency. Our multidisciplinary approach represents an important tool to avoid the adulteration of herbal drugs and permits the evaluation of the effectiveness of EOs that could be used for a wide range of therapeutic applications.

Molecular Targets for Components of Essential Oils in the Insect Nervous System-A Review

Essential oils (EOs) are lipophilic secondary metabolites obtained from plants; terpenoids represent the main components of them. A lot of studies showed neurotoxic actions of EOs. In insects, they cause paralysis followed by death. This feature let us consider components of EOs as potential bioinsecticides. The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is the one of the most investigated mechanisms of action in EOs. However, EOs are rather weak inhibitors of AChE. Another proposed mechanism of EO action is a positive allosteric modulation of GABA receptors (GABArs). There are several papers that prove the potentiation of GABA effect on mammalian receptors induced by EOs. In contrast, there is lack of any data concerning the binding of EO components in insects GABArs. In insects, EOs act also via the octopaminergic system. Available data show that EOs can increase the level of both cAMP and calcium in nervous cells. Moreover, some EO components compete with octopamine in binding to its receptor. Electrophysiological experiments performed on Periplaneta americana have shown similarity in the action of EO components and octopamine. This suggests that EOs can modify neuron activity by octopamine receptors. A multitude of potential targets in the insect nervous system makes EO components interesting candidates for bio-insecticides.

Cinnamon, a promising prospect towards Alzheimer's disease

Over the last decades, an exponential increase of efforts concerning the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been practiced. Phytochemicals preparations have a millenary background to combat various pathological conditions. Various cinnamon species and their biologically active ingredients have renewed the interest towards the treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate AD through the inhibition of tau protein aggregation and prevention of the formation and accumulation of amyloid-β peptides into the neurotoxic oligomeric inclusions, both of which are considered to be the AD trademarks. In this review, we presented comprehensive data on the interactions of a number of cinnamon polyphenols (PPs) with oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory signaling pathways in the brain. In addition, we discussed the potential association between AD and diabetes mellitus (DM), vis-à-vis the effluence of cinnamon PPs. Further, an upcoming prospect of AD epigenetic pathophysiological conditions and cinnamon has been sighted. Data was retrieved from the scientific databases such as PubMed database of the National Library of Medicine, Scopus and Google Scholar without any time limitation. The extract of cinnamon efficiently inhibits tau accumulations, Aβ aggregation and toxicity in vivo and in vitro models. Indeed, cinnamon possesses neuroprotective effects interfering multiple oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory pathways. Besides, cinnamon modulates endothelial functions and attenuates the vascular cell adhesion molecules. Cinnamon PPs may induce AD epigenetic modifications. Cinnamon and in particular, cinnamaldehyde seem to be effective and safe approaches for treatment and prevention of AD onset and/or progression. However, further molecular and translational research studies as well as prolonged clinical trials are required to establish the therapeutic safety and efficacy in different cinnamon spp.

Repellent Activity of Apiaceae Plant Essential Oils and their Constituents Against Adult German Cockroaches

We evaluated the repellent activity of 12 Apiaceae plant essential oils and their components against male and female adult German cockroaches, Blattella germanica L., to find new natural repellents. Of all the plant essential oils tested, ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi Sprague) and dill (Anethum graveolens L.) essential oils showed the most potent repellent activity against male and female adult German cockroaches. Repellent activities of chemicals already identified in active oils were also investigated. Of the compounds identified, carvacrol, thymol, and R-(-)-carvone showed >80% repellent activity against male and female adult German cockroaches at 2.5 µg/cm2. S-(+)-Carvone, (+)-dihydrocarvone, and terpinen-4-ol showed >70% repellent activity against male and female adult German cockroaches at 10 µg/cm2. Our results indicated that Apiaceae plant essential oils and their constituents have good potential as natural repellents against adult German cockroaches.

Phenylpropanoid-rich Essential Oils of Piper Species from the Amazon and their Antifungal and Anti-cholinesterase Activities

The essential oils (EOs) from aerial parts of Piper aduncum, P. callosum and P. marginatum, collected from the Amazon region of Brazil, were analyzed by GC-MS and then evaluated for their antifungal and anticholinesterase activities. The essential oils were dominated by phenylpropanoids, such as dillapiole (73.0%) in P. aduncum, safrole (66.0%) in P. callosum and 3,4-methylenedioxypropiophenone (21.8%) in P. marginatum. The analyzed oils showed low to moderate antifungal activity, with detection limits (DL) from 10 to 100 μg against Cladosporium cladosporioides and C. sphareospermum. In the anticholinesterase (AChE) evaluation, the oils of P. callosum (DL = 0.01 ng) and P. marginatum (DL = 0.01 ng) were one hundred times more potent than the standard physostigmine (DL = 1.0 ng). Molecular docking analysis showed that phenylpropanoids docked reasonably well with acetylcholinesterase and may be responsible for the anti-AChE activities of the Piper EOs. This is the first presentation about acetylcholinesterase inhibition by methylenedioxyphenyl-propanoids.

Fumigant and contact toxicity of 22 wooden essential oils and their major components against Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Fumigant and contact toxicities of 22 plant essential oils (EOs) from 14 families and their constituents against the adult spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii were examined. Analyses by GC, GC-MS, and NMR led to the identification of 2, 16, 13, 4, 6, 9, and 10 compounds from Gaultheria fragrantissima, Croton anistatum, Illicium verum, Liquidamabar orientalis, Cinnamomum cassia, Rosa damasena, and Santalum album, respectively. In fumigant toxicity test, G. fragrantissima, C. anistatum, and I. verum exhibited 100, 93.8, and 95.8, and 100, 70.0, and 80.0% mortalities against the adult male and female SWD at 4.41mg/L air, respectively. LC₅₀ values (mg/L air) of G. fragrantissima, C. anistatum, and I. verum were 3.46, 3.67, and 3.16 against male, and 3.48, 4.31, and 4.01 against female SWD. LC₅₀ values (mg/L air) of methyl salicylate and trans-anethole were 2.17 and 1.75 against male and 2.65 and 3.00 against female SWD, respectively. In contact toxicity tests, L. orientalis, C. cassia, R. damasena, and S. album showed insecticidal activity with LD₅₀ values (μg/fly) of 2.64, 1.84, 3.40 and 2.18 against male SWD and of 3.74, 2.24, 8.91 and 5.61 against female SWD, respectively. 2-Phehy-1-ethanol, 3-phenyl-1-propanol, trans-cinnamaldehyde, trans-cinnamyl alcohol, and α-santalol also exhibited insecticidal activity with LD₅₀ values of 9.79, 5.52, 2.39, 3.02 and 2.37 against male SWD and of 11.77, 7.04, 2.94, 3.32, and 3.99 against female SWD, respectively. trans-Cinnamaldehyde exhibited the highest AChE inhibition but its inhibition is likely due to a non-specific chemical inhibition. Our results indicate that wooden EOs and their components can be used as fumigants or spray-type control agents against SWD.

Sesquiterpenes and a monoterpenoid with acetylcholinesterase (AchE) inhibitory activity from Valeriana officinalis var. latiofolia in vitro and in vivo

Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor (AchEI) is the most extensive in all anti-dementia drugs. The extracts and isolated compounds from the Valeriana genus have shown anti-dementia bioactivity. Four new sesquiterpenoids (1-4) and a new monoterpenoid (5) were isolated from the root of Valeriana officinalis var. latiofolia. The acetylcholinesterase (AchE) inhibitory activity of isolates was evaluated by modified Ellman method in vitro. Learning and memory ability of compound 4 on mice was evaluated by the Morris water maze. The contents of acetylcholine (Ach), acetylcholine transferase (ChAT) and AchE in mice brains were determined by colorimetry. The results showed IC50 of compound 4 was 0.161 μM in vitro. Compared with the normal group, the learning and memory ability of mice and the contents of Ach and ChAT decreased in model group mice (P<0.01), while the AchE increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, Ach and ChAT in the positive control group, the high-dose group and the medium-dose group increased (P<0.01), while the AchE decreased (P<0.01). Compound 4 can improve the learning and memory abilities of APPswe/PSΔE9 double-transgenic mice, and the mechanism may be related to the regulation of the relative enzyme in the cholinergic system.

Fermented Sipjeondaebo-tang Alleviates Memory Deficits and Loss of Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Scopolamine-induced Amnesia in Mice

We investigated the anti-amnesic effects of SJ and fermented SJ (FSJ) on scopolamine (SCO)-induced amnesia mouse model. Mice were orally co-treated with SJ or FSJ (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg) and SCO (1 mg/kg), which was injected intraperitoneally for 14 days. SCO decreased the step-through latency and prolonged latency time to find the hidden platform in the passive avoidance test and Morris water maze test, respectively, and both SCO effects were ameliorated by FSJ treatment. FSJ was discovered to promote hippocampal neurogenesis during SCO treatment by increasing proliferation and survival of BrdU-positive cells, immature/mature neurons. In the hippocampus of SCO, oxidative stress and the activity of acetylcholinesterase were elevated, whereas the levels of acetylcholine and choline acetyltransferase were diminished; however, all of these alterations were attenuated by FSJ-treatment. The alterations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor, phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein, and phosphorylated Akt that occurred following SCO treatment were protected by FSJ administration. Therefore, our findings are the first to suggest that FSJ may be a promising therapeutic drug for the treatment of amnesia and aging-related or neurodegenerative disease-related memory impairment. Furthermore, the molecular mechanism by which FSJ exerts its effects may involve modulation of the cholinergic system and BDNF/CREB/Akt pathway.

Diyabetik sıçanların karaciğer ve böbrekleri üzerinde Caralluma tuberculata’nın hipoglisemik ve hipolipidemik etkisi ve güvenliği / Liquidambar orientalis Mill. reçine ekstraktlarının antioksidan, sitotoksik ve iNOS aktiviteleri

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the in vitro cytotoxicity and iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) inhibitory, and antioxidant activity in order to assess the traditional usage of Liquidambar orientalis Mill resin extract.

Methods: Different solvent extracts of Liquidambar orientalis Mill resin were prepared. The cytotoxicity of extracts was determined using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)- 2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazoliumbromide) assay. HeLa (Human cervix adenocarcinoma), A-549 (Human alveolar adenocarcinoma), MCF-7 (Human breast adenocarcinoma), CaCo-2 (Human colon colorectal adenocarcinoma), mPANC96 (Human pancreas adenocarcinoma), PC-3 (Human prostate adenocarcinoma), U87MG (Human glioblastoma- astrocytoma) and as a normal cell line HEK293 (Human embryonic kidney cells) and Vero (African green monkey kidney epithelial cells) were used for testing cytotoxicity. RAW 264.7 (murine macrophage cell lines) was used to determine the inhibition levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). HL-60 (human acute myeloid leukemia) was used to determine antioxidant activity as DCF production per cent.

Results: Hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and water extracts were prepared, and their iNOS inhibitory, cytotoxic and antioxidant activity were investigated. The estimated IC50 values of extracts varied from 6.68 to 48.90 μg/ ml after treatment with different doses of extracts for 48 h. Inhibition of the hexane, dichloromethane, methanol, and water extracts on LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophage were showed that the all extracts inhibited NO production in activated RAW 264.7 cells, except methanol extract. Hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts inhibited NO production with IC

Conclusion: This study is the first report showing the potential of Liquidambar orientalis Mill resin extracts for cytotoxicity, iNOS inhibition and the antioxidant activity as an alternative therapeutic approach for traditional uses. The results demonstrated that Liquidambar orientalis dichloromethane resin extracts showed strongest cytotoxic effect while all extracts except methanolic extracts exhibited moderate iNOS inhibition. All extracts other than hexane have a potent antioxidant effect in the cellular-based assay. In conclusion, further studies should focus on the purification of the active components of this extracts and to investigate the possible mode of action to obtain a better understanding of their potential use as cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents.