Tackling Multiple-Drug-Resistant Bacteria With Conventional and Complex Phytochemicals.

Emerging antibiotic resistance in bacteria endorses the failure of existing drugs with chronic illness, complicated treatment, and ever-increasing expenditures. Bacteria acquire the nature to adapt to starving conditions, abiotic stress, antibiotics, and our immune defense mechanism due to its swift evolution. The intense and inappropriate use of antibiotics has led to the development of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of bacteria. Phytochemicals can be used as an alternative for complementing antibiotics due to their variation in metabolic, genetic, and physiological fronts as well as the rapid evolution of resistant microbes and lack of tactile management. Several phytochemicals from diverse groups, including alkaloids, phenols, coumarins, and terpenes, have effectively proved their inhibitory potential against MDR pathogens through their counter-action towards bacterial membrane proteins, efflux pumps, biofilms, and bacterial cell-to-cell communications, which are important factors in promoting the emergence of drug resistance. Plant extracts consist of a complex assortment of phytochemical elements, against which the development of bacterial resistance is quite deliberate. This review emphasizes the antibiotic resistance mechanisms of bacteria, the reversal mechanism of antibiotic resistance by phytochemicals, the bioactive potential of phytochemicals against MDR, and the scientific evidence on molecular, biochemical, and clinical aspects to treat bacterial pathogenesis in humans. Moreover, clinical efficacy, trial, safety, toxicity, and affordability investigations, current status and developments, related demands, and future prospects are also highlighted.

Metabolomics of Cassia Auriculata Plant Parts (Leaf, Flower, Bud) and Their Antidiabetic Medicinal Potentials.

Diabetes is a common chronic disease where therapeutics innovation is much needed. The search for novel antidiabetic molecules can be greatly facilitated by high throughput metabolomic characterization of herbal medicines. Cassia auriculata is a shrub used in Ayurvedic medicine and native to India and Sri Lanka. While C. auriculata has been used as a medicinal herb in diabetes, the molecular evidence for its antidiabetic medicinal potentials and components needs to be established. Moreover, the phytocomposition of the various plant parts is not fully known. We report a comprehensive metabolomic gas chromatography mass spectrometry study of the C. auriculata plant parts, including the leaf, flower, and bud. We identified a total of 102 primary and secondary metabolites in seven chemical groups, including amino acids (AA), carboxylic acids, nucleosides, fatty acids, among others. Interestingly, plant parts differed in their metabolomic signatures. While in the flowers and leaves nine and six AA were identified, respectively, no AA was detected in the buds. Some of the identified compounds have been previously noted for their antidiabetic, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic bioactivities. These findings offer a concrete metabolomic basis on the phytocomposition of individual C. auriculata plant parts. These omics data call for future research on the function of the identified compounds, and clinical studies to further evaluate their antidiabetic potentials and mechanisms of action in the clinic. Finally, we note that plant omics research offers an important avenue to inform, verify, and strengthen the evidentiary base and clinical testing of herbs with medicinal potentials.

Amelioratory effect of flavonoids rich Pergularia daemia extract against CFA induced arthritic rats.

PURPOSE: Pergularia daemia Forsk. (Asclepiadaceae) is a traditionally reported medicinal herb used to treat joint pain and arthritis. However, there are no scientific reports about anti-arthritic activity of P. daemia methanolic extract on rats as animal model. This study identifies bioactive compounds present in the P. daemia methanolic extract and evaluates its anti-arthritic potential in CFA induced arthritic rats. METHODS AND RESULTS: Phytoconstituents of P. daemia extract were examined using LC-ESI/MS method. Anti-arthritic activity of P. daemia extract was determined by various biochemical experiments (RF, ESR and CRP), ultrasonography and histological analysis. LC-ESI/MS analysis resulted in the identification of major flavonoids compounds such as formononetin, qurecetin, chrysoeriol, taxifolin and naringenin. Serum biomarker analysis, after the treatment with PDME (500mg/kg b.w.) revealed that the hemoglobin (11.84±0.42g/dL) and RBC (8.38±0.67million/mm(3)) levels were significantly increased whereas WBC (8.91±0.38thousands/mm(3)), RF (17.94±0.45IU/mL), ESR (7.91±0.12mm/h) and CRP (22.56±0.26mg/L) levels were decreased when compared with the CFA induced arthritic control group. Histology results revealed that treatment with PDME has resulted in significant prevention against bony destruction by decreasing soft tissue swelling and narrowing of joint spaces (250 and 500mg/kg b.w.). CONCLUSION: Anti-arthritic effect of P. daemia might be due to the presence of these bioactive flavonoids. These findings lend pharmacological support to the reported folkloric use of P. daemia in the treatment and management of painful, arthritic inflammatory conditions.