Ethnobotany and phytochemistry of plants used to treat musculoskeletal disorders among Skaw Karen, Thailand

CONTEXT

Musculoskeletal system disorders (MSD) are prevalent around the world affecting the health of people, especially farmers who work hard in the field. Karen farmers use many medicinal plants to treat MSD.

OBJECTIVE

This study collects traditional plant-based remedies used by the Skaw Karen to treat MSD and evaluates their active phytochemical compounds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The ethnobotanical study was conducted in six Karen villages in Chiang Mai province using semi-structured interviews were of 120 informants. The data were analyzed using ethnobotanical indices including use values (UV), choice value (CV), and informant consensus factor (ICF). Consequently, the 20 most important species, according to the indices, were selected for phytochemical analysis using LC-MS/MS.

RESULTS

A total of 3731 use reports were obtained for 139 species used in MSD treatment. The most common ailments treated with those plants were muscular pain. A total of 172 high-potential active compounds for MSD treatment were identified. Most of them were flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and steroids. The prevalent phytochemical compounds related to treat MSD were 9-hydroxycalabaxanthone, dihydrovaltrate, morroniside, isoacteoside, lithocholic acid, pomiferin, cucurbitacin E, leonuriside A, liriodendrin, and physalin E. Sambucus javanica Reinw. ex Blume (Adoxaceae), Betula alnoides Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don (Betulaceae), Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. (Asteraceae), Plantago major L. (Plantaginaceae) and Flacourtia jangomas (Lour.) Raeusch. (Salicaceae) all had high ethnobotanical index values and many active compounds.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

This study provides valuable information, demonstrating low-cost medicine plants that are locally available. It is a choice of treatment for people living in remote areas.

Effects of Encapsulation of Caesalpinia sappan L. with Cyclodextrins for Bovine Mastitis

The main components of Caesalpinia sappan L. (CS) are brazilin and brazilein, which show high potential in pharmacologic applications. However, these have been drastically limited by the poor water solubility and stability. The present study investigates the formation of inclusion complexes F1, F2, and F3 between CS and β-cyclodextrin (βCD), hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD), and methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD), respectively. These complexes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results showed that the highest encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of CS extract were 44.24% and 9.67%, respectively. The solubility and stability of CS extract were significantly increased through complexation in phase solubility and stability studies. The complexes F1-F3 showed mainly significant antibacterial activities on gram-positive bacteria pathogens causing mastitis. Moreover, the expression levels of COX-2 and iNOS were significantly decreased in LPS-induced inflammatory cells at concentrations of 50 and 100 µg/mL. In addition, treatment of complex F3 (CS/MβCD) in bovine endothelial cells remarkably increased the chemokine gene expression of CXCL3 and CXCL8, which were responsible for immune cell recruitment (9.92 to 11.17 and 8.23 to 9.51-fold relative to that of the LPS-treated group, respectively). This study provides a complete characterization of inclusion complexes between CS extract and βCD, HPβCD, and MβCD for the first time, highlighting the impact of complex formation on the pharmacologic activities of bovine mastitis.

Clinacanthus nutans genetic diversity and its association with anti-apoptotic, antioxidant, and anti-bacterial activities

Clinacanthus nutans (Burm. f.) Lindau has been extensively utilized in Thai folk medicine. However, there has been no prior exploration of its genetic diversity or its correlation with biological activity and phytochemical profiles. Herein, a total of 10 samples of C. nutans were collected from different geographic locations in different environments of Thailand, encompassing Northern, Northeastern, and Central regions. The genetic diversity study using sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers showed that all C. nutans samples were closely related, as indicated by UPGMA cluster analysis. When comparing the biological activities of C. nutans extracts, our findings demonstrated that those sourced from Northern Thailand exhibited the most potent activity in reducing lipopolysaccharide-inducing cell death, as accessed by cell viability assay. Furthermore, they showed remarkable antioxidant and antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of phytochemical profiles revealed consistent chromatography peak patterns across all C. nutans extracts. However, they exhibited varying levels of phenolic contents, as judged by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, which positively correlated with their observed activities. In conclusion, this study highlights the limited genetic variation within C. nutans population in Thailand. Furthermore, it underscores the association between the biological activity and the total phenolic contents which might be mainly impacted by environmental conditions.

Houttuynia cordata Thunb. Hexane fraction induces MDA-MB-231 cell apoptosis via caspases, ER stress, cell cycle arrest and attenuated Akt/ERK signaling

Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (HCT) is a perennial plant used in traditional Thai medicine for many centuries. This study aimed to investigate the antiproliferative effect of the hexane fraction, which has not been explored before. HCT ethanol extract (crude extract) was sequentially fractionated to obtain a hexane (H) fraction. GC-MS was used to determine the phytochemicals. The H fraction consisted of lipids, mainly α-linolenic acid and some terpenoids. MTT assay was used to determine the cytotoxic effects of H fraction in MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, NIH3T3 and PBMCs. The mode of cell death and cell cycle analysis were determined by flow cytometry. The mechanisms of cell death were defined by mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MTP) reduction and activation of caspase-3, -8 and -9. The expression levels of the Bcl-2 family, cell cycle-related, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-associated proteins; and Akt/ERK signaling molecules were investigated by immunoblotting. The H fraction was toxic to MDA-MB-231 more than MCF-7 cells but not to NIH3T3 and PBMCs. The growth of MDA-MB-231 cells was inhibited through apoptosis. MTP was disrupted whereas caspase-3, -8 and -9 were activated. The expression of pro-apoptotic Bax and Bak was upregulated, while Bid and anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL proteins were downregulated. Cyclin D1 and CDK4 levels were downregulated. The cell cycle was arrested at G1. Moreover, GRP78 and CHOP elevation indicated ER stress-mediated pathway. The expression ratio of pAkt/Akt and pERK/ERK were reduced. Taken together, the molecular mechanisms of MDA-MB-231 cell apoptosis were via intrinsic/extrinsic pathways, cell cycle arrest, ER stress and abrogation of Akt/ERK survival pathways. According to the most current research, the H fraction may be used as an adjuvant in the BC treatment; however, before the anticancer strategy can be applied to patients, it is important to determine each active compound's effects in cell lines and in vivo when compared with a combined mixture.

Anti-cancer Effect and Active Phytochemicals of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. against Human Breast Cancer Cells

BACKGROUND

Houttuynia cordata Thunb (HCT) is a medicinal herb used in Southeast Asia. Aim of this work: This study aimed at investigating the cytotoxicity of this plant extract and fractions towards human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. HCT's phytoactive compounds are determined.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cell viability was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The mode of cell death was measured by staining with annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide (PI) employing flow cytometry technique. The oxidative stress was measured by using 2',7'-dihydrodichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) and dihydroethidium (DHE+) fluorescent probes and using a fluorescence microplate reader. HCT phytochemicals were characterized by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

RESULTS

The proliferation of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells was dramatically decreased by the crude extract and individual fraction of HCT. Ethyl acetate was the solvent fraction with the highest toxicity against MCF-7 cells, followed by dichloromethane, crude, and hexane fractions, respectively, whereas in MDA-MB231 cells, dichloromethane, crude, hexane, and ethyl acetate fractions each had the strongest impact, respectively. The methanol fraction had no effect on either cell line up to 200 μg/ml. The extract and fractions were less harmful to the NIH3T3 normal murine fibroblast cell line. The mode of both cell death was apoptosis evidenced by the increase of cell population stained with annexin V-FITC and PI. The fluorescence probes of both DCFH-DA and DHE in MDA-MB-231 cell line were enhanced. Phenolic acids included chlorogenic acid (CA), gallic acid (GA), transcoumaric acid (TCA), vanillic acid (VA), and syringic acid (SA), as well as flavonoids like quercetin and rutin, were identified as the active phytochemicals in the crude and fractions by using HPLC method.

CONCLUSION

MDA-MB-231cells underwent apoptosis via oxidative stress when induced with HCT hexane fraction. Phenolic acids and flavonoids were identified in HCT's extract and fractions.

Bacterial Communities in Lanna Fermented Soybeans from Three Different Ethnolinguistic Groups in Northern Thailand

Northern Thailand, the main part of the Lanna region, is home to a diverse range of ethnic groups, each with their own food and cultural heritage. The bacterial compositions in fermented soybean (FSB) products indigenous to three Lanna ethnolinguistic groups, including Karen, Lawa, and Shan, were investigated in this study. Bacterial DNA was extracted from the FSB samples and subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing using the Illumina sequencing platform. Metagenomic data showed that the predominant bacteria in all FSBs were members of the genus Bacillus (49.5-86.8%), and the Lawa FSB had the greatest bacterial diversity. The presence of genera Ignatzschineria, Yaniella, Atopostipes in the Karen and Lawa FSBs and Proteus in the Shan FSB might be indicators of food hygiene problems during processing. The network analysis predicted antagonistic effects of Bacillus against some indicator and pathogenic bacteria. The functional prediction revealed some potential functional properties of these FSBs. The presence of Bacillus in all FSBs and Vagococcus in the Shan FSB suggests that these FSBs could potentially be good sources of beneficial bacteria, and they should be conserved and promoted for health and food security reasons. However, food processing hygiene measures should be introduced and monitored to warrant their properties as health foods.

Cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects of botanical drugs derived from the indigenous cultivated medicinal plant Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis

Background: Cancer is one of the top two leading causes of death worldwide. Ethnobotanical research, it is one of methods, which is able to discover effective anticancer drugs based on "prototype" of indigenous people's historical experiences and practices. The rhizomes of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis (Franch.) Hand.-Mazz. have been used as botanical drugs to treat cancer by Yi, Bai, Dai, and Naxi ethnic groups in Yunnan, China, where this species is widely cultivated in a large scale in Yunnan. Materials and methods: To identify the substances of anticancer activities based on indigenous medicine knowledge, chromatography was performed to separate saponins from the rhizomes of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, followed by spectroscopy to determine the structure of six isolated saponins. The cytotoxicity of five extracts and six pure compounds were evaluated by MTS method. Quantitative determination of total saponins of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis was analyzed by HPLC. Cell cycle assay, apoptosis assay, and mitochondrial membrane potential were used to evaluate the pro-apoptotic activity in vitro. Results: Five extracts and six pure saponins showed significant inhibitory cytotoxic activities of three human liver cancer cell lines (SMMC-7721, HepG2, and SK-HEP-1) and one non-small-cell lung cancer cell line (A549). The contents of Paris saponins I, II, and VII were 6.96% in the rhizomes of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, much higher than Chinese Pharmacopoeia standards (0.6%). Six saponins induced significant apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in three human cancer cell lines (A549, SMMC-7721, and HepG2), which was associated with the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Conclusion: The result of this study support that cultivated P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis could be a substitute for wild resource as an anticancer medicine based on indigenous medicine knowledge.

Bacterial Communities in Lanna Phak-Gard-Dong (Pickled Mustard Green) from Three Different Ethnolinguistic Groups in Northern Thailand

The Lanna region, the main part of northern Thailand, is a place of ethnic diversity. In this study, we investigated phak-gard-dong (PGD), or pickled mustard green (Brassica juncea L. Czern.), for its beneficial bacteria content and to analyse the variations in bacterial compositions among the PGD of three different ethnolinguistic groups, the Karen, Lawa, and Shan. DNA was extracted from the PGD pickled brine, and 16S rRNA gene Illumina sequencing was performed. Metagenomic data were analysed and the results demonstrated that the dominant bacterial species were Weissella (54.2%, 65.0%, and 10.0%) and Lactobacillus (17.5%, 5.6%, and 79.1%) in the PGD of the Karen, Lawa, and Shan, respectively. Pediococcus was found only in the PGD of the Karen and Shan. Bacterial communities in PGD of the Lawa were distinctive from the other ethnic groups, both in the alpha and beta diversity, as well as the predicted functions of the bacterial communities. In addition, overall network analysis results were correlated to bacterial proportions in every ethnic PGD. We suggest that all ethnic PGDs have the potential to be a good source of beneficial bacteria, warranting its conservation and further development into health food products.

Triphala in Traditional Ayurvedic Medicine Inhibits Dengue Virus Infection in Huh7 Hepatoma Cells

Traditional Triphala (three fruits), consisting of Phyllanthus emblica, Terminalia chebula, and Terminalia bellirica, presents a broad range of biological activities. However, its ability to inhibit dengue virus (DENV) infection has not been reported yet. Herein, the authors investigated the efficiency of three different Triphala formulations and its individual extract constituents to inhibit DENV infection. Treatment with T. bellirica extract or Triphala formulated with a high ratio of T. bellirica extract showed remarkable efficiency in significantly lowering DENV infection in Vero cells. Their effects were further studied in Huh7 cells, to address its potential ability in human cells. Treatment with 100 μg/mL of T. bellirica extract or Triphala resulted in an approximate 3000-fold or 1000-fold lowering of virus production, respectively. Furthermore, the treatment diminished IL-6 and CXCL-10 expressions, which are the hallmark of the cytokine storm phenomenon in DENV infection. The HPLC profiling demonstrated gallic acid as a major compound, the treatment by which showed its ability to effectively inhibit DENV infection after virus entry. Molecular docking demonstrated that gallic acid was able to interact with DENV NS5 protein, which could be one of Triphala’s antiviral mechanism. This study offers Triphala formulation and its ingredient, T. bellirica extract, as a natural based pharmaceutical to be used in DENV infection treatment.

Validated HPTLC and antioxidant activities for quality control of catechin in a fermented tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica)

Miang, a Thai traditional fermented tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica), is exploited as nutraceutical and cosmeceutical ingredients despite limited standardization studies. Thus, this research aimed to develop a simple and rapid method for miang quality control using catechin and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) validated according to the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) and the Association of Official Analytical Collaboration (AOAC). The developing solvent consisting of toluene: ethyl acetate: acetone: formic acid (6:6:6:1 v/v/v/v) showed acceptable specificity with R f value of 0.54 ± 0.02 and linearity with correlation coefficient of 0.9951. The recovery was 98.84%-103.53%, and the RSD of intra- and inter-day precision was 0.70%-3.00% and 1.93%-4.94%, respectively. Miang ethyl acetate fraction is suggested to be attractive ingredient due to rich catechin (25.78 ± 0.53%), prolonged stability at 40 ◦C, and strong antioxidants determined by the assays of ABTS (IC50 = 3.32 ± 0.74 mg/ml), FRAP (89.05 ± 15.49 mg equivalent of FeSO4/g), and inhibition of lipid peroxidation (IC50 = 4.36 ± 0.67 mg/ml).

Novel Multifunctional Ascorbic Triazole Derivatives for Amyloidogenic Pathway Inhibition, Anti-Inflammation, and Neuroprotection

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder. The number of patients with AD is projected to reach 152 million by 2050. Donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, and memantine are the only four drugs currently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for AD treatment. However, these drugs can only alleviate AD symptoms. Thus, this research focuses on the discovery of novel lead compounds that possess multitarget regulation of AD etiopathology relating to amyloid cascade. The ascorbic acid structure has been designated as a core functional domain due to several characteristics, including antioxidant activities, amyloid aggregation inhibition, and the ability to be transported to the brain and neurons. Multifunctional ascorbic derivatives were synthesized by copper (I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction (click chemistry). The in vitro and cell-based assays showed that compounds 2c and 5c exhibited prominent multifunctional activities as beta-secretase 1 inhibitors, amyloid aggregation inhibitors, and antioxidant, neuroprotectant, and anti-inflammatory agents. Significant changes in activities promoting neuroprotection and anti-inflammation were observed at a considerably low concentration at a nanomolar level. Moreover, an in silico study showed that compounds 2c and 5c were capable of being permeated across the blood-brain barrier by sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter-2.

Determination of Morin in Maclura cochinchinensis Heartwood by HPLC

The HPLC-DAD method was developed to determine morin content in Maclura cochinchinensis Corner heartwood extract. The chromatographic separation was performed using a Hypersil BDS C18 column, isocratic solvent system of 0.5% acetic acid in water:acetonitrile (80:20) with 1.0 mL/min flow rate and detected at 355 nm. The standard curve of morin was linear in the range of 7-905 μg/mL. The method was precise with intra-day relative standard deviation (RSD) of lower than 1% and 2.06% for inter-day RSD. The method accuracy represented by percent recover was 99.58%. The highly efficient HPLC system developed from this study could detect morin contents in M. cochinchinensis heartwood samples collected from various locations in Thailand in the range of 0.74-1.57% w/w. This developed method provided a useful standardization procedure of M. cochincihinesis materials for further application in pharmacy and other commercial developments.

Effect of Siam weed extract and its bioactive component scutellarein tetramethyl ether on anti-inflammatory activity through NF-κB pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata (L.) King and Robinson) is a medicinal herb used for wound healing and inflammation-related diseases.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In this study, we evaluated the molecular mechanism by which Siam weed extract (SWE) and its bioactive components, scutellarein tetramethyl ether (scu), stigmasterol, and isosakuranetin affect anti-inflammatory activity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The expression of several inflammatory proteins in RAW 264.7 (murine) macrophages was assessed by Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Biochemical assays including prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and nitric-oxide (NO) quantification were performed. Luciferase promoter activity and immunocytochemistry of Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were investigated.

RESULTS

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) are critical pro-inflammatory proteins. The level of protein and mRNA expression of these enzymes induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was dramatically suppressed by treatment with SWE, scu, or stigmasterol compounds in a dose-dependent manner. They also reduced PGE2 and NO release. We further analyzed the NF-κB pathway and found that the scu compound suppressed IκB kinase complex alpha/beta (IKKα/β) and Inhibitory-kappa-B-alpha (IκBα), thereby suppressing COX-2 and iNOS expression.

CONCLUSION

This is the first report of the anti-inflammatory molecular mechanism in SWE and/or its bioactive component scu, indicating alteration NF-κB pathway and further providing potential uses in the treatment of inflammatory-related diseases.

In vivo and in vitro hemostatic activity of Chromolaena odorata leaf extract

CONTEXT

Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M.King & H.Rob. (Asteraceae) or Siam weed has long been used to stop bleeding in Thailand and many countries. Only the aqueous leaf extract was investigated in in vivo and there have been conflicting results of in vitro hemostatic mechanisms of this plant.

OBJECTIVE

The most appropriate C. odorata leaf extract that promoted the highest hemostatic activity and the hemostatic mechanisms of these plant extracts will be investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The lyophilized aqueous leaf extract and alcoholic (50, 70, and 95% ethanol) extracts from the fresh and dried leaves were investigated both in vivo and in vitro. The bleeding time in male Wistar rats was measured to investigate the hemostatic effect. The hemostatic mechanisms were tested using in vitro platelet aggregation and blood coagulation tests in sheep plasma.

RESULTS

All extracts displayed significantly reducing bleeding time (<2.5 min) in rats but did not induce platelet aggregation or blood clotting in the in vitro study. The in vitro blood clotting times of all extracts were >0.6 min. Ethanol extract (70%) from the dried leaves proved to be the extract producing the highest hemostatic activity in vivo with the bleeding time of 1.85 min.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The in vivo study with rats confirmed the significant ability of this plant extract to stop bleeding. However, the sufficient amount of calcium and active compounds which are aggregating and clotting agents to enhance blood coagulation and platelet aggregation in in vitro tests should be further studied.