Comprehensive Biological Potential, Phytochemical Profiling Using GC-MS and LC-ESI-MS, and In-Silico Assessment of Strobilanthes glutinosus Nees: An Important Medicinal Plant.

Plants of the genus Strobilanthes have notable use in folklore medicines as well as being used for pharmacological purposes. The present work explored the biological predispositions of Strobilanthes glutinosus and attempted to accomplish a comprehensive chemical profile through GC-MS of different fractions concerning polarity (chloroform and n-butanol) and LC-ESI-MS of methanolic extract by both positive and negative ionization modes. The biological characteristics such as antioxidant potential were assessed by applying six different methods. The potential for clinically relevant enzyme (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and tyrosinase) inhibition was examined. The DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, and FRAP results revealed that the methanol fraction presented efficient results. The phosphomolybdenum assay revealed that the n-hexane fraction showed the most efficient results, while maximum metal chelation potential was observed for the chloroform fraction. The GC-MS profiling of n-butanol and chloroform fractions revealed the existence of several (110) important compounds presenting different classes (fatty acids, phenols, alkanes, monoterpenes, diterpenes, sesquiterpenoids, and sterols), while LC-ESI-MS tentatively identified the presence of 44 clinically important secondary metabolites. The n-hexane fraction exhibited the highest potential against α-amylase (497.98 mm ACAE/g extract) and α-glucosidase (605.85 mm ACAE/g extract). Significant inhibitory activity against tyrosinase enzyme was displayed by fraction. Six of the prevailing compounds from the GC-MS study (lupeol, beta-amyrin, stigmasterol, gamma sitosterol, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid, and n-hexadecanoic acid) were modelled against α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes along with a comparison of binding affinity to standard acarbose, while three compounds identified through LC-ESI-MS were docked to the mushroom tyrosinase enzyme and presented with significant biding affinities. Thus, it is assumed that S. glutinosus demonstrated effective antioxidant and enzyme inhibition prospects with effective bioactive molecules, potentially opening the door to a new application in the field of medicine.

Multifaced Assessment of Antioxidant Power, Phytochemical Metabolomics, In-Vitro Biological Potential and In-Silico Studies of Neurada procumbens L.: An Important Medicinal Plant.

This work was undertaken to explore the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, and enzyme-inhibiting properties of Neurada procumbens L. extracts/fractions of varying polarity (methanol extract and its fractions including n-hexane, chloroform, n-butanol, and aqueous fractions). A preliminary phytochemical study of all extracts/fractions, HPLC-PDA polyphenolic quantification, and GC-MS analysis of the n-hexane fraction were used to identify the phytochemical makeup. Antioxidant (DPPH), enzyme inhibition (against xanthine oxidase, carbonic anhydrase, and urease enzymes), and antibacterial activities against seven bacterial strains were performed for biological investigation. The GC-MS analysis revealed the tentative identification of 22 distinct phytochemicals in the n-hexane fraction, the majority of which belonged to the phenol, flavonoid, sesquiterpenoid, terpene, fatty acid, sterol, and triterpenoid classes of secondary metabolites. HPLC-PDA analysis quantified syringic acid, 3-OH benzoic acid, t-ferullic acid, naringin, and epicatechin in a significant amount. All of the studied extracts/fractions displayed significant antioxidant capability, with methanol extract exhibiting the highest radical-scavenging activity, as measured by an inhibitory percentage of 81.4 ± 0.7 and an IC50 value of 1.3 ± 0.3. For enzyme inhibition experiments, the n-hexane fraction was shown to be highly potent against xanthine oxidase and urease enzymes, with respective IC50 values of 2.3 ± 0.5 and 1.1 ± 0.4 mg/mL. Similarly, the methanol extract demonstrated the strongest activity against the carbonic anhydrase enzyme, with an IC50 value of 2.2 ± 0.4 mg/mL. Moreover, all the studied extracts/fractions presented moderate antibacterial potential against seven bacterial strains. Molecular docking of the five molecules ß-amyrin, campesterol, ergosta-4,6,22-trien-3ß-ol, stigmasterol, and caryophyllene revealed the interaction of these ligands with the investigated enzyme (xanthine oxidase). The results of the present study suggested that the N. procumbens plant may be evaluated as a possible source of bioactive compounds with multifunctional therapeutic applications.

Pattern of medication selling and self-medication practices: A study from Punjab, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Access to medicines without prescription is a major contributing factor for self-medication practices. This study was designed to examine the ratio of non-prescribed medicines sales and self-medication practices in Punjab, Pakistan. This study also evaluates the reasons for self-medication within its communities. METHODS: An observational study was conducted in 272 systemically selected pharmacies to analyze medicines-related sales, with or without prescription. A cross-sectional survey was performed between June 2015 and November 2016. Consumers were interviewed about their self-medication practices. RESULTS: Of the pharmacies surveyed, 65.3% participated in the study. A total of 4348 medicines were purchased for self-medication by 3037 consumers (15.2% of all study participants), of which 873 (28.7%) participated in an interview. Majority (81.2%) medicine purchaser, (90.9%) interview participants, and (59.4%) drug users were male. On average, each community pharmacy sold 7.9 medicines without prescription each day, to an average of 5.5 customers. Many participants (28.9%) had matriculation in their formal education. The medicines most often sold for self-medication were analgesics and antipyretics(39.4%). More than 25% of participants reported fever symptoms and 47.8% assumed their illness was too trivial to consult a doctor. Media advertisements were the most common source of information for participants (46.7%). CONCLUSION: Many types of medicines were often sold without prescription from community pharmacies. Self-medication was common practice for a wide range of illnesses. Pakistan also needs effective implementation of policies to monitor medication sales. Public education about rational medication and limits to advertising medicine are very necessary.