Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. and Hydrocotyle umbellata L. identification and quality assessment: A methodology comparison.

INTRODUCTION: Centella is an important genus in the Apiaceae family. It includes Centella asiatica, which has significant edible and medicinal values. However, this species is easily confused due to its similar morphological traits to Hydrocotyle umbellata, hindering its utilization in the consumer and pharmacological industries. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to differentiate these two closely related plant species using reliable methods of confirming the authenticity of natural herbal medicines. METHODS: Our work mainly focuses on the basic morphological characteristics, chemical markers, genetic fingerprints, and their biological responses. RESULTS: The plants can be clearly differentiated using their leaf shapes, stipules, petioles, inflorescences, and fruit structures. Although the phytochemical compositions of the C. asiatica extract were similar to that of H. umbellata which included flavonoids, tannins, and saponins important to the plant's ability to reduce inflammation and promote healing of wounds, the H. umbellata extract showed significantly higher toxicity than that of C. asiatica. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis was used to identify chemical fingerprints. The result revealed that C. asiatica had major triterpene glycoside constituents including asiaticoside, asiatic acid, madecassoside, and madecassic acid, which have a wide range of medicinal values. In contrast, triterpenoid saponins were not identified in H. umbellata. Furthermore, using SCoT1-6 primers was possible to effectively and sufficiently created a dendrogram which successfully identified the closeness of the plants and confirmed the differences between the two plant species. CONCLUSION: Therefore, differentiation can be achieved through the combination of morphometrics, molecular bioactivity, and chemical analysis.

Flavonoids and Phenols, the Potential Anti-Diabetic Compounds from Bauhinia strychnifolia Craib. Stem.

Bioactive compounds from medicinal plants are good alternative treatments for T2DM. They are also sources of lead molecules that could lead to new drug discoveries. In this study, Bauhinia strychnifolia Craib. stem, a traditional Thai medicinal plant for detoxification, was extracted into five fractions, including crude extract, BsH, BsD, BsE, and BsW, by ethanolic maceration and sequential partition with hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and water, respectively. Among these fractions, BsE contained the highest amounts of phenolics (620.67 mg GAE/g extract) and flavonoids (131.35 mg QE/g extract). BsE exhibited the maximum inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase (IC50 1.51 ± 0.01 µg/mL) and DPP-IV (IC50 2.62 ± 0.03 µg/mL), as well as dominantly promoting glucose uptake on 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Furthermore, the four compounds isolated from the BsE fraction, namely resveratrol, epicatechin, quercetin, and gallic acid, were identified. Quercetin demonstrated the highest inhibitory capacity against α-glucosidase (IC50 6.26 ± 0.36 µM) and DPP-IV (IC50 8.25 µM). In addition, quercetin prominently enhanced the glucose uptake stimulation effect on 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Altogether, we concluded that quercetin was probably the principal bioactive compound of the B. strychnifolia stem for anti-diabetic, and the flavonoid-rich fraction may be sufficiently potent to be an alternative treatment for blood sugar control.

Efficacy and safety of a novel water-soluble herbal patch for acne vulgaris treatment: A randomized, assessor-blinds controlled, intra-individual split-face comparative study.

Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Antibiotics, particularly clindamycin and erythromycin, are used for the treatment of acne vulgaris. However, emerging antibiotic-resistant strains have been an important problem. This study aims to evaluate the efficiency and safety of a novel water-soluble herbal acne patch (WHAP) compared with the hydrocolloid acne patch (HAP) in mild to moderate inflammatory acne patients. The randomized, assessor-blind controlled, intra-individual split-face study was performed on 49 acne patients. The clinical outcomes were evaluated on day 2, 4, 7, 9, and 11 of treatment. It was shown that the median time to resolution of the inflammatory acne treated with WHAP was shorter than HAP with a statistically significant difference (WHAP was 4 days, whereas HAP was 6 days) (P value <.001). Moreover, WHAP had a more significant decrease in the rate of inflammatory diameter, erythema scores (by clinical and colorimetry), and a more increase in the rate of lightness scores (by colorimetry) than HAP (P value <.05). No adverse effects were reported in both groups. It is safe to use WHAP as an alternative treatment for inflammatory acne.

Strategies for Improving Healing of the Gastric Epithelium Using Oral Solid Dispersions Loaded with Pentacyclic Triterpene-Rich Centella Extract.

The pentacyclic triterpenoid compounds in Centella asiatica extract, mainly consisting of asiaticoside (AS), asiatic acid (AA), madecassoside (MS), and madecassic acid (MA), possess wound healing and anti-ulcer properties, but their low aqueous solubility and dissolution rate are disadvantageous for oral administration. In this study, pentacyclic triterpene-rich centella extract (PRE) was combined with Eudragit® EPO as a hydrophilic polymer using solvent evaporation to produce a solid dispersion (PRE-ESD). The optimum PRE/Eudragit ratio of 1:2 enhanced the solubility and dissolution of glycosides (AS > 3.5 folds, MS > 2 folds) and aglycones (AA > 65 folds and MA > 56 folds) in 0.1 N hydrochloric acid (pH 1.2). DSC, XRD, and FT-IR analysis showed that the four pentacyclic triterpenes in PRE existed in the amorphous state in the solid dispersion. Moreover, almost 100% of the compounds were released from the solid dispersion within 2 h. The effects of PRE-ESD on cell proliferation and wound healing in vitro were investigated in human gastric epithelial cell lines (AGS cells). Exposure to PRE-ESD (equivalent to PRE concentration of 10 µg/mL) promoted cell proliferation and enhanced 'wound closure' in the scratch assay of wound healing by 82% compared with non-treated groups. Unformulated MA and AA aglycones did not exhibit a wound healing effect. Moreover, PRE-ESD was found to accelerate wound closure compared with either AS or MS, indicating that the wound healing properties of PRE-ESD are conferred by the active compounds AS and MS that are presented in PRE.

The in vitro anthelmintic activity of the ethanol leaf extracts of Terminalia catappa L. on Fasciola gigantica.

At present, there are no medicinal plant extracts currently available for treatment and control of fasciolosis. The present work could provide, for the first study, conclusions on the in vitro fasciolicidal properties of the ethanol extract of Terminalia catappa L. (TcCE) leaves against adult Fasciola gigantica after incubation with RPMI-1640 medium containing the TcCE at various concentrations and times when compared with triclabendazole (TCZ). The relative motility and survival index values of the TcCE-treated flukes decreased at a more rapid rate than the TCZ-treated flukes. The death of the parasites was observed after exposed to TcCE at 3 h incubation with 400, 800 and 1000 µg mL-1, and at 6 h incubation in 100 and 200 µg mL-1. Vacuolization, blebbings and partial disruption on the parasites' tegument were observed by light microscopy. When examined by scanning electron microscopy, TcCE caused similar tegumental alterations in the parasites as those observed in TCZ treatment but with larger damage at comparative incubation periods, consisting of swelling, blebbing, disrupted blebs, loss of spines, leading to the erosion, lesion and eventual disruption of the total tegument. Therefore, the TcCE may exert its fasciolicidal effect against F. gigantica by initially causing the tegumental alteration.

Efficacy and Safety of Cissus quadrangularis L. in Clinical Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Cissus quadrangularis L. (Cissus) is a medicinal plant commonly used for centuries for various conditions, but lacks critical appraisal of its clinical effects. This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of Cissus in all conditions. Publications from 12 electronic databases were searched from inception through November 2016. A total of nine studies with 1108 patients were included. Each outcome was pooled using a random effects model. Effects of Cissus on hemorrhoid symptoms were not different from any comparators but had significant effects on bone pain. Effects of Cissus combination products on body weight reduction, low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and fasting blood sugar were superior to placebo, with weighted mean difference of -5.19 kg (-8.82, -1.55), -14.43 mg/dl (-20.06, -8.80), -37.50 mg/dl (-48.71, -26.29), -50.50 mg/dl (-70.97, -30.04), and -10.39 mg/dl (-14.60, -6.18), respectively. No serious adverse effects were reported. Quality of evidence based on Grades of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) indicated low (bone fractures) to high quality (hemorrhoids, body weight reduction).In conclusion, Cissus had benefit for bone fractures, but not for hemorrhoids. For obesity/overweight, only combination products are pooled and show benefit. However, high-quality studies remain needed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The anthelmintic effects of the ethanol extract of Terminalia catappa L. leaves against the ruminant gut parasite, Fischoederius cobboldi.

Presently, no effective anthelmintic drugs have been used to treat and control paramphistomosis, a severe disease of ruminants. In this study, we have investigated the in vitro anthelmintic effect of the leaves of Terminalia catappa L. crude extract (TcCE) and albendazole (ABZ) on adult Fischoederius cobboldi after incubating the flukes in RPMI-1640 medium containing the TcCE at various doses and times. The TcCE-treated flukes at all dosages exhibited rapid decrease of motility, and the relative motility (RM) values were decreased sharply from start to 3 h. Worms were killed after 6 and 12 h of treatment with 1000, 1500 and 2000 µg mL(-1) as well as 500 µg mL(-1) of TcCE, respectively. By light microscopy examination, the flukes exhibited the earliest alteration in a limited area of the tegument. At scanning electron microscopy level, the flukes' tegument showed similar sequence of morphological alterations after treatment with ABZ and TcCE that consisted of swelling of ridges and folds, followed by blebbing and rupturing of the blebs, leading to the erosion, lesion and disruption of the tegument. Hence, in vivo studies should be performed to examine whether the TcCE may serve as a powerful anthelmintic drug for treatment of paramphistomosis.

Anti-diabetic compounds from Uvaria dulcis Dunal.

Medicinal plants have long been a source of lead compounds for drug discovery. Among these, the Annonaceae family has gained recognition for its potential to yield novel compounds, particularly those that can be used in the development of drugs targeting chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus (DM). We employed various chromatographic methods to isolate bioactive compounds from the roots, leaves, and twigs of Uvaria dulcis Dunal. We used spectroscopic methods to determine the chemical structures of these compounds. We successfully identified twelve known compounds from various parts of U. dulcis: patchoulenon, polygochalcone, 2'3'-dihydroxy-4',6'-dimethoxydihydrochalcone, 2',3'-dihydroxy-4',6'-dimethoxychalcone, chrysin, techochrysin, 8-hydroxy-5,7-dimethoxyflavanone, pinocembrin, 3-farnesylindole, onysilin, cinchonain la, and cinchonain lb. Interestingly, cinchonain la and cinchonain lb exhibited more potent anti-α-glucosidase activity than acarbose (standard drug), with IC50 values of 11.88 ± 1.41 µg/mL and 15.18 ± 1.19 µg/mL, respectively. Cinchonain la inhibited the DPP-IV enzyme, with IC50 value lower than the standard compound (diprotin A) at 81.78 ± 1.42 µg/mL. While 2',3'-dihydroxy-4',6'-dimethoxychalcone show more potent inhibitory effect than standard drug with IC50 value of 8.62 ± 1.19 µg/mL. Additionally, at a concentration of 10 µg/mL, cinchonain lb and 2',3'-dihydroxy-4',6'-dimethoxychalcone promoted glucose uptake in L6 myotubes cells to the same extent as 100 nM insulin. These findings suggest that cinchonain la, cinchonain lb, and 2',3'-dihydroxy-4',6'-dimethoxychalcone are the U. dulcis-derived bioactive compounds that hold promise as potential structures to use in the development of anti-diabetic drugs.

Phytocannabinoids in neuromodulation: From omics to epigenetics.

BACKGROUND: Recent developments in metabolomics, transcriptomic and epigenetics open up new horizons regarding the pharmacological understanding of phytocannabinoids as neuromodulators in treating anxiety, depression, epilepsy, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and autism. METHODS: The present review is an extensive search in public databases, such as Google Scholar, Scopus, the Web of Science, and PubMed, to collect all the literature about the neurobiological roles of cannabis extract, cannabidiol, 9-tetrahydrocannabinol specially focused on metabolomics, transcriptomic, epigenetic, mechanism of action, in different cell lines, induced animal models and clinical trials. We used bioinformatics, network pharmacology and enrichment analysis to understand the effect of phytocannabinoids in neuromodulation. RESULTS: Cannabidomics studies show wide variability of metabolites across different strains and varieties, which determine their medicinal and abusive usage, which is very important for its quality control and regulation. CB receptors interact with other compounds besides cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, like cannabinol and Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol. Phytocannabinoids interact with cannabinoid and non-cannabinoid receptors (GPCR, ion channels, and PPAR) to improve various neurodegenerative diseases. However, its abuse because of THC is also a problem found across different epigenetic and transcriptomic studies. Network enrichment analysis shows CNR1 expression in the brain and its interacting genes involve different pathways such as Rap1 signalling, dopaminergic synapse, and relaxin signalling. CBD protects against diseases like epilepsy, depression, and Parkinson's by modifying DNA and mitochondrial DNA in the hippocampus. Network pharmacology analysis of 8 phytocannabinoids revealed an interaction with 10 (out of 60) targets related to neurodegenerative diseases, with enrichment of ErbB and PI3K-Akt signalling pathways which helps in ameliorating neuro-inflammation in various neurodegenerative diseases. The effects of phytocannabinoids vary across sex, disease state, and age which suggests the importance of a personalized medicine approach for better success. CONCLUSIONS: Phytocannabinoids present a range of promising neuromodulatory effects. It holds promise if utilized in a strategic way towards personalized neuropsychiatric treatment. However, just like any drug irrational usage may lead to unforeseen negative effects. Exploring neuro-epigenetics and systems pharmacology of major and minor phytocannabinoid combinations can lead to success.

Preparation, development, and scale-up of standardized pentacyclic triterpenoid-rich extract from Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. and study of its wound healing activity.

This pilot-scale study of an innovative green extraction method shows increased biomarker content in plant extracts. Moreover, green extraction methods decrease the effects on the environment and human health and promote industrial growth. This study optimized the process conditions to obtain a pentacyclic triterpenoid-rich extract (PRE) from Centella asiatica (L.) Urb., which contains asiatic acid, madecassic acid, asiaticoside, and madecassoside, and evaluated its biological activities. PRE preparation was scaled up from laboratory to pilot scale. In the pilot scale, a combination of microwave-assisted extraction with an irradiation power of 4 kW and an ultrasonic-assisted extraction at 0.55 kW was used for C. asiatica extraction. The total pentacyclic triterpene content was 106.02 mg/g of crude extract. Then, the C. asiatica extract was fractionated by a macroporous resin (Diaion® HP-20). The PRE preparation method used 50% and 75% EtOH fractions. This PRE produced a high content of pentacyclic triterpenoids at 681.12 mg/g of crude extract. It presented a high anti-inflammatory effect with an IC50 value of 23.88 µg/mL for nitric oxide inhibition and induced wound healing processes (proliferation, migration, and collagen synthesis) in human dermal fibroblast cells. The information gained from this study can advance the industrial extraction of physiologically active substances from various plant sources for use as medicines or components of supplemental food and cosmeceutical products.

Box-Behnken design to optimize the cross-linked sodium alginate/mucilage/Aloe vera film: Physical and mechanical studies.

The crosslinked sodium alginate/mucilage/Aloe vera/glycerin was optimized by different ratios of each factor to be an absorption wound dressing base for infected wound healing. Mucilage was extracted from seeds of Ocimum americanum. The Box-Behnken design (BBD) in response surface methodology (RSM) was used to construct an optimal wound dressing base with the target ranges of mechanical and physical properties of each formulation. The independent variables selected were sodium alginate (X1: 0.25-0.75 g), mucilage (X2: 0.00-0.30 g), Aloe vera (X3: 0.00-0.30 g), and glycerin (X4: 0.00-1.00 g). The dependent variables were tensile strength (Y1: low value), elongation at break (Y2: high value), Young's modulus (Y3: high value), swelling ratio (Y4: high value), erosion (Y5: low value), and moisture uptake (Y6: high value). The results showed that the wound dressing base with the most desirable response consists of sodium alginate (59.90 % w/w), mucilage (23.96 % w/w), and glycerin (16.14 % w/w) without Aloe vera gel powder (0.00 % w/w).

Development of Oral Microemulsion Spray Containing Pentacyclic Triterpenes-Rich Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. Extract for Healing Mouth Ulcers.

Several publications have shown that Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. and its active constituents (pentacyclic triterpenes) are effective in wound healing. The pentacyclic triterpenes-rich C. asiatica extract (PRE) was prepared following a previous study by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and fractionation with macroporous resin. This method provided the pentacyclic triterpene content in the extract up to 59.60% w/w. The PRE showed potent anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) production with an IC50 value of 20.59 ± 3.48 µg/mL and a potent fibroblast proliferative effect (165.67%) at concentrations of 10 µg/mL. The prepared microemulsion consisted of a water: oil: surfactant mixture of 2: 2: 6, using coconut oil: clove oil (1:1) as the oil phase and Tween 20: Span 20 (2:1) as the surfactant mixture and 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0% PRE. Cell proliferation, migration, and collagen production of the microemulsion base and microemulsions containing 1.0%, 2.5%, and 5.0% PRE were evaluated. The results revealed that the microemulsion containing 1% PRE had the highest proliferation effect (136.30 ± 3.93% to 152.65 ± 3.48% at concentrations of 10 µg/mL), migration activities (100.00 ± 0.0% at 24 h), and collagen production in human dermal fibroblast (HDF) and human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cells when compared with other formulations or blank. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory activity of microemulsions containing 1% PRE was slightly lower than standard indomethacin. Anti-inflammation of the microemulsion containing PRE exhibited a dose-dependent trend, while 5% PRE was more potent than the standard drug. Considering the potent wound-healing activities and the good anti-inflammatory activity of the microemulsion containing PRE, the microemulsion with 1% PRE was identified as the most suitable oral spray formulation for oral ulcer treatment.

The anthelmintic potentials of medicinal plant extracts and an isolated compound (rutin, C27H30O16) from Terminalia catappa L. against Gastrothylax crumenifer.

Paramphistomosis is a pathogenic disease that occurs frequently in tropical and subtropical countries including Thailand. This disease is affected in the parasites causing severe gastrointestinal disorders and death in infected animals. In the present study, we examined the anthelmintic efficacy of albendazole (ABZ) and crude plant extracts from barks of Bombax ceiba L., Diospyros rhodocalyx Kurz. and Vitex glabrata R.Br., and leaves of Terminalia catappa L. and Cassia alata L. against Gastrothylax crumenifer. The hightest anthelmintic activity on the parasites after 24 h incubation was observed in the n-butanol extract of T. catappa leaf. In this study, fractionation bioassay of n-butanol extract of T. catappa leaf was conducted to both separation and discrimination of rutin served as a new efficient compound (LC50 = 28.96; LC90 = 88.75 µg/mL) against G. crumenifer. This compound was confirmed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), 13C NMR, infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) spectra as well as mass spectra data. The rutin-treated parasites with all dosages showed swift decrease of the motility and the relative motility (RM) and survival index (SI) were decreased obviously from 3 h until flukes were killed after 12 h of incubation. When observed with light microscopy, the parasites showed the earliest change in a limited region of the tegument. When observed by scanning electron microscopy, the parasites' tegument exhibited similar sequences of surface changes after treatments with rutin and ABZ, but less severity in ABZ treatment. The sequences of changes comprised swelling of folds and ridges, formation of blebbing, rupturing of blebs, erosions, lesions and the tegument demolition. Hence, rutin could be considered as the potential anthelmintic agent for treatment of paramphistomosis.

Raft-forming gastro-retentive formulations based on Centella asiatica extract-solid dispersions for gastric ulcer treatment.

Liquid raft-forming formulations comprising solid dispersions of glycoside-rich Centella asiatica extract and Eudragit® EPO (GR-SD) were developed to achieve prolonged delivery of the glycosides, asiaticoside (AS) and madecassoside (MS) in the stomach and thus increase the effectiveness of gastric ulcer treatment. Solid dispersions of GR extract and Eudragit® EPO (GR-SD, weight ratio 1:0.5) resulted in the highest solubility of AS (41.7 mg/mL) and MS (29.3 mg/mL) and completed dissolution of both glycosides occurred in SGF within 10 min. The optimized raft-forming formulation was composed of alginate (2%), HPMC K-100 (0.5%), GR-SD (1.2%), and calcium carbonate (0.5%) as a calcium source and carbon dioxide producer. The formulation provided sufficient raft strength (> 7.0 g), rapid floating behavior in SGF (~30 s), and sustained release of AS (more than 80%) and MS (85%) over 8 h. GR-SD-based formulations administered once daily to rats for two days at a dose of 10 mg AS/kg reduced the severity of gastric ulcer induced by indomethacin with a greater curative efficacy than those of unformulated GR extract and a standard antiulcer agent: lansoprazole (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that GR-SD-based raft-forming systems offer significant promise for improving the treatment of gastric ulcers induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The Anthelmintic Effects of Medicinal Plant Extracts Against Paramphistome Parasites, Carmyerius spatiosus.

INTRODUCTION: Paramphistomosis is a disease caused by the rumen flukes which cause an acute gastroenteritis and anemia with high mortality particularly in young ruminants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we have investigated the anthelmintic effect of medicinal plant extracts from leaves and heartwoods of Cassia siamea L., roots of Plumbago zeylanica L. and Plumbago indica L., and leaves of Terminalia catappa L. against Carmyerius spatiosus. RESULTS: The highest anthelminthic effect on the flukes after 24 h of exposure was found in heartwood ethyl acetate extract of C. siamea (LC50 = 374.30; LC90 = 749.03 ppm), root n-butanol extract of P. zeylanica (LC50 = 1005.12; LC90 = 2411.55 ppm), root hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol extract of P. indica (LC50 = 34.38, 211.34, 506.92; LC90 = 64.09, 496.05, 934.86 ppm), and leaf n-butanol and water extract of T. catappa (LC50 = 487.17, 470.28; LC90 = 913.27, 848.23 ppm). When observed by scanning electron microscopy, the tegument showed similar sequence of morphological changes after treatments with all plant extracts, comprising of swelling of ridges and folds, blebbing, rupturing of the blebs, erosion, lesion and disruption of the tegument. CONCLUSION: This study is the first report on the anthelmintic activity of plant extracts to C. spatiosus; therefore, these plant extracts are highly effective in the elimination of adult rumen flukes.

Selenium-Rich Ricegrass Juice Improves Antioxidant Properties and Nitric Oxide Inhibition in Macrophage Cells.

Ricegrass juice (Oryza sativa L.) was introduced as a functional food as the consumption of sprouts or seedlings has been claimed to provide high nutritive value. Selenium (Se) is a trace mineral that plays a key role in the human antioxidation scheme. Supplementation of Se into plants is one strategy to enhance plant bioactivities, and the consumption of Se plant foods may confer superior health benefits. In this study, ricegrass juice extract was analyzed for its major phenolic components. The effect of ricegrass juice extracts bio-fortified with 0, 10 and 40 mg Se/L named as RG0, RG10, and RG40, respectively, were investigated for a percentage of cell viability, changes of endogenous antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, and nitric oxide inhibition in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Flavone glycosides, namely chrysoeriol arabinosyl arabinoside derivatives, were found to be the foremost bioactive components in ricegrass juice extract indicated by UHPLC-MS. The results of cell culture assessment revealed that RG40 showed an ability to promote macrophage cell proliferation at low concentration. Ricegrass juice extract in all treatments possessed the ability to reduce malondialdehyde content, which may be regarded as the bioactivity of phenolic compounds. Moreover, Se also played a role in this effect since RG40 showed the greatest ability via increasing the level of GPx enzyme. It was also discovered that phenolic compounds in the extracts played a role in inhibiting nitric oxide in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, RG40 expressed significantly higher NO inhibition properties at IC50 118.76 µg/mL compared to RG0 and RG10, at 147.02 and 147.73 µg/mL, respectively. Se bio-fortified ricegrass juice could be considered as a new potent functional food that can lower the risk of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation diseases.

Efficacy and safety of Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less. for smoking cessation: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Several randomized controlled trials have investigated Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less. for smoking cessation but there remains no critical summary of overall findings. This study uses systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the efficacy and safety of V. cinerea. METHODS: Nine databases were searched through November 2017. Randomized controlled trials that reported the smoking cessation effect of V. cinerea were included. Data were extracted by two independent researchers. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias and JADAD score. The estimates of pooled effects were calculated as relative risk (RR) with 95% CI using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Five trials with 347 smokers were included. V. cinerea treatment group was significantly associated with cessation rate higher than that in the control group with no evidence of heterogeneity for both continuous abstinence rate (CAR) at week 8 with risk ratio (RR): 1.69, 95% CI [1.00, 2.86]; week 12 RR: 2.18, 95% CI [1.17, 4.04]) and 7-day point prevalence abstinence rate (PAR) (week 8 RR: 1.51, 95% CI [1.01, 2.27]; week 12 RR: 1.93, 95% CI [1.24, 2.99]) at week 8 and 12, respectively. There was no significant difference of all adverse events between the treatment and the control groups. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that V. cinerea has potential efficacy for smoking cessation. Further well-design RCTs of standardized V. cinerea compared with standard treatment should be conducted to strengthen this evidence.

Protective Effect of Selenium-Enriched Ricegrass Juice against Cadmium-Induced Toxicity and DNA Damage in HEK293 Kidney Cells.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in food is a problem endangering human health. Cd detoxication is an interesting topic particularly using food which provides no side effects. Ricegrass juice is a squeezed juice from young rice leaves which is introduced as a functional drink rich in polyphenol components. Se-enrichment into ricegrass is initiated to provide extra advantages of their functional properties. The protective role of ricegrass juice (RG) and Se-enriched ricegrass juice (Se-RG) against Cd toxicity during pre-, co- and post-treatment on HEK293 kidney cells were investigated. Results confirmed that RG and Se-RG had very low toxicity for kidney cells. Both extracts showed a protective role during pre-treatment and co-treatment against Cd toxicity by exerting a reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the percentage of DNA damage in tail and tail length of the comets over the Cd-treated cells. However, the Se-RG indicated additional benefits in all properties over RG. High Se content in Se-RG resulted in more protective effects of the regular ricegrass juice. In summary, this study provides clear evidence that Se-enriched ricegrass juice has potential to be developed as a functional food to protect the human body from Cd contamination via the reduction of oxidative stress and DNA damage.

Effects of Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. on cognitive function and mood related outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. has been used as an herbal brain tonic for mental disorders and enhancing memory, but no review of the overall evidence of C. asiatica and cognitive function has been conducted. This study aims to determine the effects of C. asiatica on cognitive function and its related properties. The current systematic review includes five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted to determine the effect of C. asiatica alone and six RCTs conducted to determine the effect of C. asiatica-containing products. Meta-analysis indicated that there are no significant differences in all cognitive function domains of C. asiatica when compared to placebo. However, it could improve mood by increasing alert scores [SMD: 0.71 (95% CI; 0.01 to 1.41); I2 = 30.5%] and decreasing anger scores at 1 hour after treatment [SMD: -0.81 (95%CI; -1.51 to -0.09); I2 = 36.6%]. None of the studies reported adverse effects of C. asiatica. In conclusion, there is not strong evidence to support the use of C. asiatica for cognitive function improvement in each cognitive domain. C. asiatica could improve alertness and relieve anger. However, some limitations should be aware including dose regimen, plant preparation, standardization, and product variation. Future well-designed clinical trials using suitable doses of standardized C. asiatica are still needed.

Efficacy and safety of Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth. for musculoskeletal pain treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth. has been used as active ingredient in Thai traditional medicine recipes for pain treatment. Dry stem powder and ethanolic extract also recommended in Thailand National List of Essential Medicines (NLEMs) for musculoskeletal pain treatment as herbal medicine. However, no summarization of clinical effect and safety has been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to determine the clinical effects and safety of D. scandens for musculoskeletal pain treatment compared with standard regimen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). METHODS: International and Thai databases were searched from inception through August 2015. Comparative randomized controlled trials investigating oral D. scandens for musculoskeletal pain were included. Outcomes of interest included level of pain and adverse event. Mean changes of the outcomes from baseline were compared between D. scandens and NSAIDs by calculating mean difference. RESULTS: From 42 articles identified, 4 studies involving a total of 414 patients were included for efficacy analysis. The effects of oral D. scandens on reducing pain score were no different from those of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at any time points (3, 7, 14 days and overall). The overall pain reduction in the D. scandens group was not inferior to treatment with NSAIDs (weighted mean difference 0.06; 95% CI: -0.20, 0.31) without evident of heterogeneity (I2=0.00%, p=0.768). When compared, the adverse events (AEs) of D. scandens showed no different relative risk with NSAIDs. The major adverse events were gastrointestinal symptoms. CONCLUSION: D. scandens may be considered as an alternative for musculoskeletal pain reduction.