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Cornara L, Ambu G, Trombetta D, Denaro M, Alloisio S, Frigerio J, Labra M, Ghimire G, Valussi M, Smeriglio A. 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. Plants (Basel) 2020; 9:plants9080994. [PMID: 32764268 PMCID: PMC7464919 DOI: 10.3390/plants9080994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Cornara
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (L.C.); (G.A.)
| | - Gabriele Ambu
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (L.C.); (G.A.)
| | - Domenico Trombetta
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Via Giovanni Palatucci, 98168 Messina, Italy; (D.T.); (M.D.)
| | - Marcella Denaro
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Via Giovanni Palatucci, 98168 Messina, Italy; (D.T.); (M.D.)
| | - Susanna Alloisio
- ETT Spa, via Sestri 37, 16154 Genova, Italy;
- Institute of Biophysics-CNR, 16149 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Massimo Labra
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy;
| | - Govinda Ghimire
- Nepal Herbs and Herbal Products Association, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal;
| | - Marco Valussi
- European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (EHTPA), Norwich 13815, UK;
| | - Antonella Smeriglio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Via Giovanni Palatucci, 98168 Messina, Italy; (D.T.); (M.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0906-764-039
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Ambu G, Chaudhary RP, Mariotti M, Cornara L. Traditional Uses of Medicinal Plants by Ethnic People in the Kavrepalanchok District, Central Nepal. Plants (Basel) 2020; 9:plants9060759. [PMID: 32560543 PMCID: PMC7356508 DOI: 10.3390/plants9060759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In rural areas of Nepal, where it is difficult to get access to Government health care facilities, people depend on medicinal plants and local healers for health problems. This study concerns an ethnobotanical survey of the Kavrepalanchok District, reporting some unusual uses of medicinal plants and original recipes. A total of 32 informants were interviewed, 24 of them being key informants. Ethnobotanical uses concerned 116 taxa, of which 101 were medicinal plants, with the most representative species belonging to Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Zingiberaceae. Ethnobotanical indexes were used to evaluate the ethnopharmacological importance of each plant species and the degree of agreement among the informants’ knowledge. Informant consensus factor (Fic) showed that the fever category had the greatest agreement. Highest fidelity level (FL) values were found for Calotropis gigantea used for dermatological diseases, Drymaria cordata for fever, Mangifera indica and Wrightia arborea for gastrointestinal disorders. Data document the richness of the local flora and the traditional knowledge on medicinal plant species used by ethnic communities in rural areas. The active involvement of local populations in the conservation and management of medicinal plant species will encourage future projects for the sustainable development of the biological and cultural diversity of these rural areas of Nepal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Ambu
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (G.A.); (M.M.)
| | - Ram Prasad Chaudhary
- Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST), Tribhuvan University, 44613 Kathmandu, Nepal;
| | - Mauro Mariotti
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (G.A.); (M.M.)
| | - Laura Cornara
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (G.A.); (M.M.)
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +39-010-209-9364
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