Bergenia Genus: Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

Quantitative investigation of drug-drug interaction between bergenin and vilazodone in rats through UPLC-MS/MS assay

In this study, we firstly established and verified a method by ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) for the analysis of vilazodone and its metabolite M10 in rat plasma, then this method was used to explore the pharmacokinetics of vilazodone and M10 present or absence of 80 mg/kg bergenin in rats. Protein precipitation with acetonitrile was used to prepare the samples in this research. The mobile phase for liquid chromatography was consisted of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile. Brexpiprazole was used as the internal standard (IS), and the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was used for detection. The verification items required by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines such as selectivity, sensitivity, linearity, stability, recovery and matrix effect of this method were all met the standards. Besides, rats were used to explore the drug-drug interaction between vilazodone and bergenin, which were divided into two groups, and separately gavaged with the same-volume of carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC-Na) solution and 80 mg/kg bergenin, respectively. The results showed that bergenin significantly affected the metabolism of vilazodone. It suggested that there was a potential drug-drug interaction between bergenin and vilazodone in rats. In clinical application, we should pay attention to the dose of vilazodone when in combination with bergenin.

Natural products in anti-tuberculosis host-directed therapy

Given that the disease progression of tuberculosis (TB) is primarily related to the host's immune status, it has been gradually realized that chemotherapy that targets the bacteria may never, on its own, wholly eradicate Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB. The concept of host-directed therapy (HDT) with immune adjuvants has emerged. HDT could potentially interfere with infection and colonization by the pathogens, enhance the protective immune responses of hosts, suppress the overwhelming inflammatory responses, and help to attain a state of homeostasis that favors treatment efficacy. However, the HDT drugs currently being assessed in combination with anti-TB chemotherapy still face the dilemmas arising from side effects and high costs. Natural products are well suited to compensate for these shortcomings by having gentle modulatory effects on the host immune responses with less immunopathological damage at a lower cost. In this review, we first summarize the profiles of anti-TB immunology and the characteristics of HDT. Then, we focus on the rationale and challenges of developing and implementing natural products-based HDT. A succinct report of the medications currently being evaluated in clinical trials and preclinical studies is provided. This review aims to promote target-based screening and accelerate novel TB drug discovery.

An Update on Pharmacological and Phytochemical Aspects of Costus pictus D. Don - A Promising Anti-diabetic Plant

BACKGROUND

The genus Costus is the largest genus in the family Costaceae and encompasses about 150 known species. Among these, Costus pictus D. Don (Synonym: Costus mexicanus) is a traditional medicinal herb used to treat diabetes and other ailments. Currently, available treatment options in modern medicine have several adverse effects. Herbal medicines are gaining importance as they are cost-effective and display improved therapeutic effects with fewer side effects. Scientists have been seeking therapeutic compounds in plants, and various in vitro and in vivo studies report Costus pictus D. Don as a potential source in treating various diseases. Phytochemicals with various pharmacological properties of Costus pictus D. Don, viz. anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, diuretic, analgesic, and anti-microbial have been worked out and reported in the literature.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the review is to categorize and summarize the available information on phytochemicals and pharmacological properties of Costus pictus D. Don and suggest outlooks for future research.

METHODS

This review combined scientific data regarding the use of Costus pictus D. Don plant for the management of diabetes and other ailments. A systematic search was performed on Costus pictus plant with anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, and other pharmacological properties using several search engines such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Sci-Finder, other online journals and books for detailed analysis.

RESULTS

Research data compilation and critical review of the information would be beneficial for further exploration of its pharmacological and phytochemical aspects and, consequently, new drug development. Bioactivity-guided fractionation, isolation, and purification of new chemical entities from the plant as well as pharmacological evaluation of the same will lead to the search for safe and effective novel drugs for better healthcare.

CONCLUSION

This review critically summarizes the reports on natural compounds, and different extract of Costus pictus D. Don with their potent anti-diabetic activity along with other pharmacological activity. Since this review has been presented in a very interactive manner showing the geographical region of availability, parts of plant used, mechanism of action and phytoconstituents in different extracts of Costus pictus responsible for particular action, it will be of great importance to the interested readers to focus on the development of the new drug leads for the treatment of diseases.

Characteristics of the complete chloroplast genome of Saxifragaceae species Bergenia purpurascens (Hook. f. et Thoms.) Engl

Bergenia purpurascens (Hook. f. et Thoms.) Engl. is one species of traditional Chinese medicinal plant. This is the first publication of its complete chloroplast (cp) genome. The whole cp genome has 157,246 base pairs in length with 132 annotated genes, of which were 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs. According to the phylogenetic study, B. purpurascens and Bergenia scopulosa T. P. Wang. 1974 had a sister relationship. This genomic data and conclusions from B. purpurascens phylogenetic research will provide useful information and throw light on more in-depth investigations of the systematics and evolutionary patterns of Saxifragaceae.

Transcriptome profiling of Bergenia purpurascens under cold stress

Bergenia purpurascens is an important medicinal, edible and ornamental plant. It generally grows in high-altitude areas with complex climates. There have been no reports about how B. purpurascens survives under cold stress. Here, the B. purpurascens under low temperature were subjected to transcriptomics analysis to explore the candidate genes and pathways that involved in the cold tolerance of B. purpurascens. Compared with the control treatment, we found 9,600 up-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 7,055 down-regulated DEGs. A significant number of DEGs were involved in the Ca2+ signaling pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, plant hormone signaling pathway, and lipid metabolism. A total of 400 transcription factors were found to respond to cold stress, most of which belonged to the MYB and AP2/ERF families. Five novel genes were found to be potential candidate genes involved in the cold tolerance of B. purpurascens. The study provide insights into further investigation of the molecular mechanism of how B. purpurascens survives under cold stress.

Bergenin ameliorates diabetic nephropathy in C57BL/6 J mice by TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signalling pathway regulation

Bergenin (BG) is a polyphenolic substance which has therapeutic potential in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy (DN), a common complication of type II diabetes. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. We studied the protective effects and mechanisms of BG in DN mice, focusing on the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signalling pathway. C57BL/6 J mice were used as experiments (n=60), and 10 animals were randomly selected as normal control. The DN model was developed by administering an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg BW for three days) and a high-fat diet (n=50). BG (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg BW, once a day) was administered orally for four weeks. After BG treatment, the food and water intake of DN mice decreased, blood glucose levels decreased, and insulin resistance reduced. As a result, serum LDL-C, TC, and TG levels decreased; HDL-C levels increased; SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px levels decreased; and MDA levels increased. BG administration reduced AST, ALT, BUN, and CRE levels and inflammatory factors (including TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-1β, and IL-6). Histopathology revealed a significant improvement in pathological damage to the liver, kidney, and spleen of mice treated with BG, and TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB p65 were down-regulated at both mRNA and protein levels in the BG-treated group. Based on these results, BG therapeutic type II DN by hypoglycaemia, improving liver and kidney function, and anti-oxidative stress; reducing inflammation; and inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signalling pathway. The results of this study suggest that BG can be used as an effective treatment for type II DN.

Impact of Phylogenetically Diverse Bacterial Endophytes of Bergenia pacumbis on Bergenin Production in the Plant Cell Suspension Cultures

Plant in vitro cultures are potential sources for secondary metabolites. However, low productivity is often a major drawback for industrial application. Elicitation is an important strategy to improve product formation in vitro. In this context, endophytes are of special interest as biotic elicitors due to their possible interaction with the metabolism of the host plant. A total of 128 bacterial endophytes were isolated from the medicinal plant Bergenia pacumbis and taxonomically classified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Five strains belonging to different genera were grown in lysogeny broth and tryptic soy broth medium and cells as well as spent media were used as elicitors in cell suspension cultures of B. pacumbis. Production of the main bioactive compound bergenin was enhanced 3-fold (964 µg/g) after treatment with cells of Moraxella sp. or spent tryptic soy broth medium of Micrococcus sp. These results indicate that elicitation of plant cell suspension cultures with endophytic bacteria is a promising strategy for enhancing the production of desired plant metabolites.

Underlying Mechanisms of Bergenia spp. to Treat Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using an Integrated Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Approach

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common and fatal cancer reported, representing 72.5% of malignancies around the world. The majority of HCC incidents have been associated with infections caused by hepatitis B and C viruses. Many first- and second-line conventional drugs, e.g., sorafenib, cabozantinib, or ramucirumab, have been used for the management of HCC. Despite different combinational therapies, there are still no defined biomarkers for an early stage diagnosis of HCC. The current study evaluated the potential of Bergenia stracheyi, Bergenia ciliata, Bergenia pacumbis, and Bergenia purpurascens, which belong to the family Saxifragaceae, to treat HCC using an integrated network pharmacology and molecular docking approach. Four active phytochemicals were selected based on oral bioavailability (OB) and drug likeness (DL) parameters. The criteria of phytochemical selection were set to OB > 30% and DL > 0.18. Similarly, the gene targets related to Bergenia spp. and the genes related to HCC were retrieved from different databases. The integration of these genes revealed 98 most common overlapping genes, which were mainly interrelated with HCC pathogenesis. Ultimately, the 98 Bergenia-HCC associated genes were used for protein-protein interaction (PPI), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses. Finally, the topological analysis revealed the top ten hub genes with maximum degree rank. From the top ten genes, STAT3, MAPK3, and SRC were selected due to their involvement in GO annotation and KEGG pathway. To confirm the network pharmacology results, molecular docking analysis was performed to target STAT3, MAPK3, and SRC receptor proteins. The phytochemical (+)-catechin 3-gallate exhibited a maximum binding score and strong residue interactions with the active amino acids of MAPK3-binding pockets (S-score: -10.2 kcal/mol), SRC (S-score: -8.9 kcal/mol), and STAT3 (S-score: -8.9 kcal/mol) as receptor proteins. (+)-Catechin 3-gallate and β-sitosterol induced a significant reduction in cell viability in HepG2 after 24 h of treatment in a dose-dependent manner. The results of this study explore the potential of (+)-catechin 3-gallate and β-sitosterol, which can be used in the future as potential drug candidates to suppress HCC.

The Effect of Bergenin on Isonicotinic Acid Hydrazide and Rifampicin-Induced Liver Injury Revealed by RNA Sequencing

Bergenin (BER), a natural component of polyphenols, has a variety of pharmacological activities, especially in improving drug metabolism, reducing cholestasis, anti-oxidative stress and inhibiting inflammatory responses. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of BER on liver injury induced by isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH) and rifampicin (RIF) in mice. The mice model of liver injury was established with INH (100 mg/kg)+RIF (100 mg/kg), and then different doses of BER were used to intervene. The pathological morphology and biochemical indicators of mice were detected. Meanwhile, RNA sequencing was performed to screen the differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways. Finally, critical differentially expressed genes were verified by qRT-PCR and Western blot. RNA sequencing results showed that 707 genes were significantly changed in the INH+RIF group compared with the Control group, and 496 genes were significantly changed after the BER intervention. These differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the drug metabolism, bile acid metabolism, Nrf2 pathway and TLR4 pathway. The validation results of qRT-PCR and Western blot were consistent with the RNA sequencing. Therefore, BER alleviated INH+RIF-induced liver injury in mice. The mechanism of BER improving INH+RIF-induced liver injury was related to regulating drug metabolism enzymes, bile acid metabolism, Nrf2 pathway and TLR4 pathway.

Bergenia stracheyi extract-based hybrid hydrogels of biocompatible polymers with good adhesive, stretching, swelling, self-healing, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties

An ultra-stretchable, quickly self-healable, adhesive hydrogel with efficient anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial activities makes it potential wound dressing material, particularly in healing skin wounds. However, it is highly challenging to prepare such hydrogels with a facile and efficient material design. Given this, we opine the synthesis of medicinal plant Bergenia stracheyi extract-loaded hybrid hydrogels of biocompatible and biodegradable polymers like Gelatin, Hydroxypropyl cellulose, and Polyethylene glycol with acrylic acid via in situ free radical polymerization reaction. The selected plant extract is rich in phenols, flavonoids, and tannins and found to have important therapeutic benefits such as anti-ulcer, anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus, anti-inflammatory, and burn wound healing effects. The polyphenolic compounds in the plant extract interacted strongly via hydrogen bonding with -OH, -NH₂, -COOH, and C-O-C groups of the macromolecules. The synthesized hydrogels were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and rheology. The as-prepared hydrogels demonstrate ideal tissue adhesion, excellent stretchability, good mechanical strength, broad-band anti-bacterial capability, and efficient anti-oxidant properties, in addition to quick self-healing and moderate swelling properties. Thus, the aforementioned properties attract the potential use of these materials in the biomedical field.

Targeting Mcl-1 Degradation by Bergenin Inhibits Tumorigenesis of Colorectal Cancer Cells

Myeloid leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) is frequently overexpressed in human malignancies and emerged as a promising drug target. In this study, we verified the inhibitory effect of bergenin on colorectal cancer cells both in vivo and in vitro. In an in vitro setting, bergenin significantly reduced the viability and colony formation and promoted apoptosis of CRC cells dose-dependently. Bergenin decreased the activity of Akt/GSK3β signaling and enhanced the interaction between FBW7 and Mcl-1, which eventually induced Mcl-1 ubiquitination and degradation. Using the HA-Ub K48R mutant, we demonstrated that bergenin promotes Mcl-1 K48-linked polyubiquitination and degradation. In vivo studies showed that bergenin significantly reduced tumor size and weight without toxicity to vital organs in mice. Overall, our results support the role of bergenin in inhibiting CRC cells via inducing Mcl-1 destruction, suggesting that targeting Mcl-1 ubiquitination could be an alternative strategy for antitumor therapy.

Using of Essential Oils and Plant Extracts against Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. glycinea and Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens on Soybean

The bacteria Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. glycinea (Coerper, 1919; Gardan et al., 1992) (Psg) and Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens (Hedges 1922) (Cff) are harmful pathogens of soybean (Glycine max). Presently, there are several strategies to control these bacteria, and the usage of environmentally friendly approaches is encouraged. In this work, purified essential oils (EOs) from 19 plant species and total aqueous and ethanolic plant extracts (PEs) from 19 plant species were tested in vitro to observe their antimicrobial activity against Psg and Cff (by agar diffusion and broth microdilution method). Tested EOs and PEs produced significant bacterial growth inhibition with technologically acceptable MIC and MBC values. Non-phytotoxic concentrations for Chinese cinnamon and Oregano essential oils and leather bergenia ethanolic extract, which previously showed the lowest MBC values, were determined. Testing of these substances with artificial infection of soybean plants has shown that the essential oils of Chinese cinnamon and oregano have the maximum efficiency against Psg and Cff. Treatment of leaves and seeds previously infected with phytopathogens with these essential oils showed that the biological effectiveness of leaf treatments was 80.6-77.5% and 86.9-54.6%, respectively, for Psg and Cff. GC-MS and GC-FID analyzes showed that the major compounds were 5-Methyl-3-methylenedihydro-2(3H)-furanone (20.32%) in leather bergenia ethanolic extract, cinnamaldehyde (84.25%) in Chinese cinnamon essential oil and carvacrol (62.32%) in oregano essential oil.

Clinical Potential of Himalayan Herb Bergenia ligulata: An Evidence-Based Study

Herbal products have been used in traditional systems of medicine and by ethnic healers for ages to treat various diseases. Currently, it is estimated that about 80% of people worldwide use herbal traditional medicines against various ailments, partly due to easy accessibility and low cost, and the lower side effects they pose. Bergenia ligulata, a herb ranging from the Himalayas to the foothills, including the north-eastern states of India, has traditionally been used as a remedy against various diseases, most prominently kidney stones. The medicinal properties of B. ligulata have been attributed to bergenin, its most potent bioactive component. Apart from bergenin, the other compounds available in B. ligulata are arbutin, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, syringic acid, catechin, ferulic acid, afzelechin, paashaanolactone, caryophyllene, 1,8-cineole, β-eudesmol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, parasorbic acid, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol, phytol, terpinen-4-ol, tannic acid, isovalaric acid, avicularin, quercetin, reynoutrin, and sitoinoside I. This review summarizes various medicinal properties of the herb, along with providing deep insight into its bioactive molecules and their potential roles in the amelioration of human ailments. Additionally, the possible mechanism(s) of action of the herb's anti-urolithiatic, antioxidative, antipyretic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective properties are discussed. This comprehensive documentation will help researchers to better understand the medicinal uses of the herb. Further studies on B. ligulata can lead to the discovery of new drug(s) and therapeutics for various ailments.

Mechanistic Insights and Docking Studies of Phytomolecules as Potential Candidates in the Management of Cancer

BACKGROUND

Cancer is a leading risk of death globally. According to the World Health Organization, it is presently the second most important disease that causes death in both developing and developed countries. Remarkable progress has been made in the war against cancer with the development of numerous novel chemotherapy agents. However, it remains an immense challenge to discover new efficient therapeutic potential candidates to combat cancer.

OBJECTIVES

The majority of the currently used anticancer drugs are of natural origins, such as curcumin, colchicine, vinca alkaloid, paclitaxel, bergenin, taxols, and combretastatin. Concerning this, this review article presents the structure of the most potent molecules along with IC50 values, structure-activity relationships, mechanistic studies, docking studies, in silico studies of phytomolecules, and important key findings on human cancer cell lines.

METHODS

A viewpoint of drug design and development of antiproliferative agents from natural phytomolecules has been established by searching peer-reviewed literature from Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Springer, Science Direct, and Web of Science over the past few years.

RESULTS

Our analysis revealed that this article would assist chemical biologists and medicinal chemists in industry and academia in gaining insights into the anticancer potential of phytomolecules.

CONCLUSION

In vitro and in silico studies present phytomolecules, such as curcumin, colchicine, vinca alkaloids, colchicine, bergenin, combretastatin, and taxol encompassing anticancer agents, offerings abundant sanguinity and capacity in the arena of drug discovery to inspire the investigators towards the continual investigations on these phytomolecules. It is extremely expected that efforts in this track will strengthen and grant some budding cancer therapeutics candidates in the near future.

Piperazine tethered bergenin heterocyclic hybrids: design, synthesis, anticancer activity, and molecular docking studies

In an attempt to develop natural product-based anticancer agents, a series of novel piperazine-linked bergenin heterocyclic hybrids bearing arylthiazolyl (5a-e), benzothiazolyl (10a-i), and arylsulfonyl (13a-o) were synthesized using the classical Mannich reaction and evaluated for their anticancer activity. All the synthesized derivatives were assessed for in vitro cytotoxic activity against a panel of human cancer and normal cell lines and the results showed that most of the compounds exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against cancer cells and mild cytotoxicity against normal cells. In particular, the compounds 5a, 5c, 10f, and 13o showed potent cytotoxic activity against tongue and oral cancer cell lines compared to the parent compound (<100 μM). Considering the efficacy, the compounds 5a, 5c, 10f, and 13o were subjected to cell cycle analysis and the results indicated that the compounds mitigated the cell cycle progression at the G0/G1 phase in the tongue and oral cancer cell lines. Subsequently, the annexin V/PI staining assay demonstrated that the compounds 5a, 5c, 10f, and 13o induced early and late apoptosis against tongue cancer and necrosis against oral cancer. Further, gene expression analysis revealed that 5a, 5c, and 13o treatment regulated the BAX and BcL-2 expression and also the selected compounds significantly reduced the expression level of vimentin, oct-4, and nanog. In addition, molecular docking studies revealed that the selected derivatives have strong binding energy with the BcL2 protein and downregulates the expression. Taken together, the study results implied that these compounds are promising anticancer candidates by modulating the epithelial to mesenchymal transition axis and could be considered for further development of novel anticancer drugs.

Naming of new natural products: Standard, pitfalls and tips-and-tricks

Naming a newly discovered natural product (NP) is a pleasant but difficult exercise. In most cases, the NP name will be given with reference to the species of origin, be it a plant, a marine organism, a mammalian or microbial species. For a long time, the use of biologically-based trivial names has been recommended to identify the parental linkage between the product and the originating genus or species. But the recommendation is not always followed and a multiplicity of trivial names have been attributed to NP, based on locations (country, region, city), foods, music, animals, forenames, etc. Tips-and-tricks associated with the naming of NP are underlined here. Usually, NP are differentiated across a homogeneous chemical series with a letter (from the Latin or Greek alphabet), followed or not with a number. In other cases, the change of a single letter distinguishes a series of NP. Common pitfalls associated with the naming of NP are enumerated, including the complexity of names, use of synonyms, duplicated names, confusing names and inappropriate terminology. The difficulties regularly encountered with the naming of NP are discussed. Four essential recommendations are recalled: (i) a thorough analysis of the existing products to avoid duplicated names and confusion, (ii) the use of a biologically-based trivial name to retrace the origin of the product, (iii) the strict adherence to the codes of chemical nomenclature, and (iv) the preference for simple names to facilitate transmission. Naming a new NP is a rewarding task, which shall be performed with all due skill, care and diligence.

Bergenia pacumbis (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) C.Y.Wu & J.T.Pan: A Comprehensive Review on Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

The influence of medicinal plants on humanity spans time immemorial. These plants are also used at present with local and tribal peoples for the cures of various illnesses. Nature has produced an immense number of medicinal plants, which directly or indirectly help to treat various ailments and have numerous applications in the fields of pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food flavors and preservatives, aromas, and cosmetics. Bergenia pacumbis (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) C.Y.Wu & J.T.Pan (synonym: Bergenia ligulate Engl.), is an important medicinal plant belonging to the Saxifragaceae family, and not to be confused with Bergenia ciliata (Haw.) Sternb., and is popularly known as Pashanbheda (meaning to dissolve the kidney stone). This plant is a rich source of secondary metabolites (SMs) such as coumarins, flavonoids, benzenoids, lactones, tannins, phenols, and sterols, which make this plant a highly valued medicinal herb with a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities such as anti-urolithic, antioxidant, anti-viral, free radical scavenging, antidiabetic, anti-hepatotoxic, diuretic, antipyretic, anti-oxaluria, anti-tumour, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and cardioprotective. This review summarizes traditional uses and offers up to date data for future research on B. pacumbis.

Ethanol extract of Bergenia ciliata (Haw.) Sternb. (rhizome) impedes the propagation of the malaria parasite

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The increasing resistant cases even against artemisinin-based combination therapy have necessitated the need to develop new antimalarials. Phytomedicinal therapy is a benchmark for malaria in the Himalayan region. As the dialect and traditional variations have been seen along with this, usage of medicinal plant, its portion (shoot and root system) and mode of preparation also varies. There is no scientific evidence available for illustrating the antiplasmodial activity of the rhizomes of Bergenia ciliata (Saxifragaceae), which is known to be an antipyretic (fever akin to malaria), hepato-protective, and also for spleen enlargement.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present study evaluates the antimalarial activity of ethanol extract of B. ciliata rhizomes (EREBC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

HPTLC was performed to identify and quantify three marker compounds in EREBC. The in vitro antimalarial activity was evaluated by schizont maturation inhibition assay. MTT assay was employed to test the cytotoxicity of EREBC. Peter's 4-day test and Peters method was employed to discern the suppressive and preventive activity of the extract respectively.

RESULTS

HPTLC analysis revealed the presence of bergenin, epicatechin and gallic acid in the extract. EREBC exhibited considerable inhibition (IC₅₀ < 5 μg/mL) of schizont maturation of both RKL-9 and MRC-2 strains of P. falciparum. EREBC was non-toxic to both HeLa cells and normal dermal fibroblasts (CC₅₀ > 1000 μg/mL). The selectivity index was > 200 for both strains. Acute toxicity of EREBC was > 4 g/kg. EREBC exhibited considerable in vivo suppressive activity with 96.48% inhibition at 500 mg/kg in comparison to chloroquine (96.08%). The ED₅₀ of the extract was < 50 mg/kg. No mortality was evident in mice administered with different doses of EREBC (50-500 mg/kg) throughout the follow up period of 28 days. EREBC exhibited safety to liver and kidney function of mice as observed from biochemical analysis.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the study illustrates the marked efficacy and potential of EREBC as an antimalarial agent with bergenin, epicatechin and gallic acid its major constituents, which played a pivotal role in the generation of the immune response.

Bergenin - a biologically active scaffold: Nanotechnological perspectives

Bergenin, 4-O-methyl gallic acid glucoside, is a bioactive compound present in various plants belonging to different families. The present work compiles scattered information on pharmacology, structure activity relationship and nanotechnological aspects of bergenin, collected from various electronic databases such as Sci Finder, PubMed, Google scholar, etc. Bergenin has been reported to exhibit hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, neuroprotective, antiviral and antimicrobial activities. Molecular docking studies have shown that isocoumarin pharmacophore of bergenin is essential for its bioactivities. Bergenin holds a great potential to be used as lead molecule and also as a therapeutic agent for development of more efficacious and safer semisynthetic derivatives. Nanotechnological concepts can be employed to overcome poor bioavailability of bergenin. Finally, it is concluded that bergenin can be emerged as clinically potential medicine in modern therapeutics.

A comprehensive review of the therapeutic potential of α-arbutin

Cosmetic dermatology preparations such as bleaching agents are ingredients with skin-related biological activities for increasing and improving skin beauty. The possibility of controlling skin hyperpigmentation disorders is one of the most important research goals in cosmetic preparations. Recently, cosmetics containing herbal and botanical ingredients have attracted many interests for consumers of cosmetic products because these preparations are found safer than other preparations with synthetic components. However, high-quality trial studies in larger samples are needed to confirm safety and clinical efficacy of phytotherapeutic agents with high therapeutic index. Arbutin (p-hydroxyphenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside) is a bioactive hydrophilic polyphenol with two isomers including alpha-arbutin (4-hydroxyphenyl-α-glucopyranoside) and β-arbutin (4-hydroxyphenyl-β-glucopyranoside). It is used as a medicinal plant in phytopharmacy. Studies have shown that alpha-arbutin is 10 times more effective than natural arbutin. A comparison of IC50 values showed that α-arbutin (with concentration 2.0 mM) has a more potent inhibitory activity on human tyrosinase against natural arbutin (with higher concentration than 30 mM). A review of recent studies showed that arbutin could be beneficial in treatment of various diseases such as hyperpigmentation disorders, types of cancers, central nervous system disorders, osteoporosis, diabetes, etc. This study was designed to describe the therapeutic efficiencies of arbutin.