In vitro Antibacterial Activity of n-Hexane Fraction of Methanolic Extract of Plumeria rubra L. (Apocynaceae) Stem Bark

A comprehensive review on traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle: current landscape and future perspectives

Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle is commonly known as Himalayan paeony has great importance as a food and medicine. The practice of Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle is very ancient and it is conventionally used for a wide range of illnesses in the folk system of medicine because of its wide beneficial phytochemical profile. The main purpose of the current review was the synthesis of recent data on botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and potential pharmacological mechanisms of action of Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle, thus offering new prospects for the development of new adjuvant natural therapies. Using scientific databases such as PubMed/MedLine, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Springer, and Wiley, a comprehensive literature search was performed for Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle. For searching, we used the next MeSH terms: "Biological Product/isolation and purification", "Biological Products/pharmacology", "Drug Discovery/methods", "Ethnopharmacology, Medicine", "Traditional/methods", "Paeonia/chemistry", "Plant Extracts/pharmacology", "Phytochemicals/chemistry", "Phytochemicals/pharmacology", "Plants, Medicinal". The results of the most recent studies were analyzed and the most important data were summarized in tables and figures. Phytochemical research of Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle has led to the isolation of triterpenes, monoterpenes, phenolic acids, fatty acids, organic compounds, steroids, free radicals and some other classes of primary metabolites. In addition, diverse pharmacological activities like antibacterial, antifungal, anticoagulant, airway relaxant lipoxygenase and beta-glucuronidase inhibiting activity, radical scavenging activity, phytotoxic and insecticidal activities have been reported for Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle. Different bioactive compounds of Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle has proven their therapeutic potential in modern pharmacological and biomedical research to cure numerous gastrointestinal and nervous disorders. In future, further in vitro and in vivo therapeutic studies are required to identify new mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics studies, and new pharmaceutical formulations for target transport and possible interaction with allopathic drugs. Also, new research regarding quality evaluation, toxicity and safety data in humans is needed.

A review on antimicrobial botanicals, phytochemicals and natural resistance modifying agents from Apocynaceae family: Possible therapeutic approaches against multidrug resistance in pathogenic microorganisms

Accelerated emergence of drug- resistant pathogenic microbes, their unbeatable virulence and a gradual loss of efficacy of currently used antimicrobial agents over the last decade, have expanded the scope of herbal medicine to combat this emerging challenge to have a wide spectrum of activity to develop effective medicines with lesser untoward side effects. Plant-based natural products should be of utmost interest to today's pharmaceutical industries since they are a primary source of new chemical entities directed at new drug targets. Apocynaceae or 'Dogbane' family has attained a global reputation as a source of some life-saving plant-derived products and novel compounds. Members of this family have also been extensively investigated against several nosocomial pathogenic microbes through in vitro and in vivo experimental settings. Several plant-derived components obtained from members of this family have also exhibited remarkable microbial growth inhibitory properties. Popular and widely accepted international databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, ResearchGate, Scopus, Google Scholar, JSTOR and more were searched using the various search strings such as Apocynaceae, antimicrobials, multidrug resistance, resistance modifying agents and pathogenic microorganisms were used in various combinations to retrieve several citations related to the topic. The current review encompasses recent developments in experimental studies and phytochemical analyses which correlates with antimicrobial efficacy of selected Apocynaceous plants along with synergistic mechanism and structural details. The present review recognizes and leverages the importance of Apocynaceae plants, which could be of significant interest in the development of more effective and less toxic antimicrobial drugs which may surmount multidrug resistance. Three different paradigm models harnessing clinical antimicrobial resistance (AMR) including the plant family Apocynaceae, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species have been broadly discussed in this review. In a nutshell, the present review represents a comprehensive account on the antimicrobials and resistance modifying agents obtained from the members of the plant family Apocynaceae and derived phytochemicals. It also gives an insight into the underlying mode of action of these phytochemicals against an array of pathogenic bacteria, their mechanism of antibiosis, plant parts from which the phytochemicals were isolated or the extracts was prepared with a critical discussion on the botanically-derived antibiotics as a template for antimicrobial drug development.

The Preventive Effect on Ethanol-Induced Gastric Lesions of the Medicinal Plant Plumeria rubra: Involvement of the Latex Proteins in the NO/cGMP/K ATP Signaling Pathway

Plumeria rubra (Apocynaceae) is frequently used in folk medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, hepatitis, and tracheitis, among other infirmities. The aim of this study was to investigate the gastroprotective potential of a protein fraction isolated from the latex of Plumeria rubra (PrLP) against ethanol-induced gastric lesions and describe the underlying mechanisms. In a dose-dependent manner, the pretreatment with PrLP prevented ethanol-induced gastric lesions in mice after single intravenous administration. The gastroprotective mechanism of PrLP was associated with the involvement of prostaglandins and balance of oxidant/antioxidant factors. Secondarily, the NO/cGMP/K_ATP pathway and activation of capsaicin-sensitive primary afferents were also demonstrated as part of the mechanism. This study shows that proteins extracted from the latex of P. rubra prevent gastric lesions induced in experimental animals. Also, the results support the use of the plant in folk medicine.

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used by traditional healers in Bangladesh for gastrointestinal disorders

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Gastrointestinal diseases are common worldwide, including Bangladesh where majority of the rural people depend on water from unprotected sources. The people from Bangladesh use medicinal plants as their first line of health care to cure and prevent different types of gastrointestinal disorders.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To compile plants used for the treatment of different gastrointestinal disorders in Bangladesh.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The field survey was carried out in a period of 18 months. Fieldwork was undertaken in total of eleven districts of Bangladesh. Open-ended and semi structured questionnaire were used to interview a total of 1280 people including traditional healers, Ayurvedic/Unani drug manufacturers and local people.

RESULTS

A total of 250 plant species of 93 families were listed. Leaves were the most cited plant part used against gastrointestinal disorders. Most of the reported species were tree in nature and decoction is the mode of preparation of major portions of the plant species. Most of the plant species were very common and were cultivated or planted in homestead or roadsides. The doses of the plants for different treatments varied widely.

CONCLUSION

In view of the fact that the plants were selected based on their medicinal usage for treating different kinds of gastrointestinal diseases including diarrhoea, the activities reported here need more works for validation and could be rationalised by the presence of active compounds found in those plants. The documentation represents the preliminary information in need of future phytochemical investigation and is important for the conservation of these plants.

Scorpion anti-venom activity of botanicals: a pharmacological approach

Scorpion bite is considered as one of the common and dangerous phenomenon throughout the world. The clinical manifestations include pulmonary edema, myocardial damage, intracerebral haemorrhage, brachial plexopathy, renal failure etc. which sometimes leads to mortality. The common antivenin therapy includes anti-scorpion venom serum or prazosin. In the vast rural areas of the third world countries phytotherapy is considered as an alternative system of medicine and scorpion sting is treated with the help of medicinal botanicals. As the safety and efficacy are considered as important aspects of anti venin therapy, conventional treatment can be supported by the herbal remedy. The present review compiles a number of medicinal plants pharmacologically evaluated in vitro and/or in vivo for scorpion antivenin properties. Considering the aspects like cost effectiveness, availability, lesser side effects and development of drug resistance, plant based anti venin therapy may be considered as a possible remedy against scorpion envenomation.

Ethnobotanical survey of Purulia district, West Bengal, India for medicinal plants used against gastrointestinal disorders

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in the remote hills, forests and rural areas of Purulia, one of the tribal rich districts of the West Bengal state of eastern India. Purulia is a part of the biogeographic zone Deccan Peninsula Chhotonagpur. The authors have reported the use of medicinal plants by nine tribes of the district against various gastrointestinal disorders.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Semi structured questionnaire was used during the interview with the informants having traditional botanical knowledge. Bhumijs, Birhor, Gond, Ho, Kharia, Mal Pahariya, Mundas, Oraon and Santhali represent the various aboriginal groups present in the district. The use of medicinal plants were documented using an interview data sheet mentioning the names, age, profession and gender of the informants and scientific and vernacular names, families, part(s) used, disease(s) treated, method of preparation, mode of administration of the botanicals and the preparations.

RESULTS

A total number of 56 plants belonging to 29 families have been reported to be used against different types of gastrointestinal disorders viz. indigestion, stomach pain, vomiting tendency, constipation, piles, diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, loss of appetite, liver complaints, intestinal worms etc. Fabaceae and Apocynaceae were found to be the dominant families of medicinal plants used to treat such ailments.

CONCLUSION

Age, gender, literacy and profession of the aboriginals were found to be the significant factors when the traditional knowledge of medicinal botanicals was concerned. Due to urbanization and loss of biodiversity, the authors have noted a significant decrease in the ethnic knowledge as well as the botanicals. Preservation of folklore should be given utmost importance in this region to prevent the rapid loss of ethnobotanical wealth.