Picroside I and Picroside II from Tissue Cultures of Picrorhiza kurroa

Medicinal plants traditionally used in health care practices by inhabitants of Paddar region of Jammu and Kashmir, India

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The present study is the first quantitative assessment of ethno-medicinal plants of Paddar region of Jammu and Kashmir.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The study aimed to document the relative importance of medicinal plants used in human ailments by the villagers in the Paddar region of Jammu and Kashmir, India.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Data were collected from 132 informants (72 male and 60 female) through semi structured interviews and group discussions. Use report (UR) and Informant consensus factor (ICF) were employed to quantitatively examine the data.

RESULTS

The inhabitants of Paddar reported the use of 98 plants species of 55 families to treat 63 ailments. Rosaceae (10 spp.) was the most frequently used family in the study area. Herbs were dominantly (66 spp., 50%) utilized in herbal preparation and leaves the mostly used plant parts (25%). The highest informant consensus factor (ICF = 0.96) was obtained for parasitic problems. Important new uses for species stated by informants to treat human diseases were; Viburnum grandiflorum Wall. ex DC., Sium latijugum C.B.Clarke, Corylus jacquemontii Decne., Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik., Cannabis sativa L., Taraxacum campylodes G.E.Haglund, Euphorbia helioscopia L., Juglans regia L., Cotoneaster acuminatus Lindl., Ficus palmata Forssk., Plantago lanceolata L., and Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study contributes towards the preservation of indigenous plants' based knowledge. Although the therapeutic value of most of the preferred medicinal plants has already been validated, some medicinal plants lack proper scientific validation. We recommend further phytochemical investigations and pharmacological validations of Viburnum grandiflorum, C. jacquemontii, F. palmata, Viola pilosa, Cotoneaster acuminatus, Eleucine coracana, Sium latijugum, Aquilegia pubiflora, Euphorbia helioscopia, Plantago lanceolata and Pinus gerardiana.

Picroside II disrupts IBDV replication via targeting VP1 polymerase

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is a highly contagious virus with a dsRNA genome, predominantly infecting chickens and causing significant economic losses due to high mortality rates. The emergence of recombinant, novel variant, and highly virulent strains that evade current vaccines has led to frequent epidemics and outbreaks in the poultry industry. The lack of targeted antivirals for IBDV underscores the pressing requirement to develop potent therapeutic options. Within this framework, our research investigated the effectiveness of picroside II, a naturally derived iridoid glycoside, against viruses in DF-1 cells. Our findings demonstrate that picroside II significantly inhibits viral replication, with its efficacy increasing proportionally to the dosage administered. Through time-addition and antiviral duration analysis, we determined that picroside II therapeutically blocks IBDV replication, with its effects persisting for over 72 hours. Further investigation revealed that picroside II specifically inhibits the cellular replication stage of IBDV's lifecycle. Additionally, our findings indicate that picroside II impairs VP1 polymerase activity by binding to the active pocket, which significantly disrupts the interaction between VP1 and VP3. Mutations at three critical binding sites on VP1 not only impair virus replication but also hinder polymerase function and disrupt VP1-VP3 interactions. Collectively, these results demonstrate that picroside II, by inhibiting viral polymerase activity, represents a promising antiviral agent against IBDV.

High-Altitude Medicinal Plants as Promising Source of Phytochemical Antioxidants to Combat Lifestyle-Associated Oxidative Stress-Induced Disorders

Oxidative stress, driven by reactive oxygen, nitrogen, and sulphur species (ROS, RNS, RSS), poses a significant threat to cellular integrity and human health. Generated during mitochondrial respiration, inflammation, UV exposure and pollution, these species damage cells and contribute to pathologies like cardiovascular issues, neurodegeneration, cancer, and metabolic syndromes. Lifestyle factors exert a substantial influence on oxidative stress levels, with mitochondria emerging as pivotal players in ROS generation and cellular equilibrium. Phytochemicals, abundant in plants, such as carotenoids, ascorbic acid, tocopherols and polyphenols, offer diverse antioxidant mechanisms. They scavenge free radicals, chelate metal ions, and modulate cellular signalling pathways to mitigate oxidative damage. Furthermore, plants thriving in high-altitude regions are adapted to extreme conditions, and synthesize secondary metabolites, like flavonoids and phenolic compounds in bulk quantities, which act to form a robust antioxidant defence against oxidative stress, including UV radiation and temperature fluctuations. These plants are promising sources for drug development, offering innovative strategies by which to manage oxidative stress-related ailments and enhance human health. Understanding and harnessing the antioxidant potential of phytochemicals from high-altitude plants represent crucial steps in combating oxidative stress-induced disorders and promoting overall wellbeing. This study offers a comprehensive summary of the production and physio-pathological aspects of lifestyle-induced oxidative stress disorders and explores the potential of phytochemicals as promising antioxidants. Additionally, it presents an appraisal of high-altitude medicinal plants as significant sources of antioxidants, highlighting their potential for drug development and the creation of innovative antioxidant therapeutic approaches.

A Review on Picrosides Targeting NFκB and its Proteins for Treatment of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed disease causing most deaths in women worldwide. Chemotherapy and neo-adjuvant therapy are the standard method of treatment in early stages of breast cancer. However drug resistance in breast cancer limit the use of these methods for treatment. Research focus is now shifted towards identifying natural phytochemicals with lower toxicity. This review illustrates the NF κB interaction with different signaling pathways in normal condition, breast cancer and other cancer and thus represent a potential target for treatment. No reports are available on the action of picrosides on NFκB and its associated proteins for anticancer activity. In the present review, potential interaction of picrosides with NF-κB and its associated proteins is reviewed for anticancer action. Further, an important facet of this review entails the ADMET analysis of Picroside, elucidating key ADMET properties which serves to underscore the crucial characteristics of Picroside as a potential drug for treating breast cancer. Furthermore, in silico analysis of Picrosides was executed in order to get potential binding modes between ligand (Picrosides II) and NFκB.

Biological Activity of Picrorhiza kurroa: A Source of Potential Antimicrobial Compounds against Yersinia enterocolitica

Yersiniosis, caused by Yersinia enterocolitica, is the third most rampant zoonotic disease in Europe; the pathogen shows high antibiotic resistance. Herbs have multiple anti-microbial components that reduce microorganism resistance. Therefore, an extract of Picrorhiza kurroa (P. kurroa) was evaluated for potential antimicrobial activity. We report that the ethanolic extract of P. kurroa showed effective antimicrobial activity (zone of inhibition: 29.8 mm, Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): 2.45 mg/mL, minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC): 2.4 mg/mL) against Yersinia enterocolitica. Potential bioactive compounds from P. kurroa were identified using LC-MS, namely, cerberidol, annonidine A, benzyl formate, picroside-1, and furcatoside A. P. kurroa showed effective antimicrobial potential in skim milk at different pH, acidity, and water activity levels. P. kurroa affected the physiology of Yersinia enterocolitica and reduced the number of live cells. Yersinia enterocolitica, when incubated with P. kurroa extract, showed lower toxin production. Picroside-1 was isolated and showed higher antimicrobial potential in comparison to the standard antibiotic. Picroside-1 lysed the Yersinia enterocolitica cells, as observed under scanning electron microscopy. Docking revealed that picroside-1 (ligand) showed both hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions with the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) protein of Yersinia enterocolitica and that DHFR is a possible drug target. The high activity and natural origin of Picroside-1 justify its potential as a possible drug candidate for Yersinia enterocolitica.

Growth Kinetics, Metabolites Production and Expression Profiling of Picrosides Biosynthetic Pathway Genes in Friable Callus Culture of Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth

The rising demand for picrosides commercially and over-exploitation of Picrorhiza kurroa from natural habitat has to initiate alternative strategies for sustainable production of metabolites. In the present research, wild leaf explant of P. kurroa was used to produce friable callus under different culture condition, i.e., dark and light with two temperature variants (15 °C and 25 °C). Afterward, callus cell lines were screened based on growth biomass and metabolites content accumulation. The results revealed, maximum callus growth index along with antioxidant potential (IC₅₀-40.88 μg/mL) and total phenol content (41.35 μg/mg) were observed under dark 25 °C. However, under light 15 °C, highest accumulation of picroside II (0.58 μg/mg), cinnamic acid (0.15 μg/mg), p-hydroxy acetophenone (0.30 μg/mg), total flavonoids (77.30 μg/mg), nitrogen (7.06%), carbohydrates (18.03%), and protein (44.12%) were detected. Major reported metabolite in callus was picroside I (1.63 μg/mg) under dark 15 °C. For the first time, picroside III content (range 0.15-0.56 μg/mg) was also detected and quantified in leaf-derived calli. Expression profiling of picroside biosynthetic pathway genes showed a positive correlation with the observed metabolites. Furthermore, an optimized protocol of metabolites enriched callus biomass could be used as potential strategy for sustainable production of picrosides at commercial scale.