Unveiling Various Facades of Tinospora cordifolia Stem in Food: Medicinal and Nutraceutical Aspects.

Natural products with curative properties are gaining immense popularity in scientific and food research, possessing no side effects in contrast to other drugs. Guduchi, or Tinospora cordifolia, belongs to the menispermaceae family of universal drugs used to treat various diseases in traditional Indian literature. It has received attention in recent decades because of its utilization in folklore medicine for treating several disorders. Lately, the findings of active phytoconstituents present in herbal plants and their pharmacological function in disease treatment and control have stimulated interest in plants around the world. Guduchi is ethnobotanically used for jaundice, diabetes, urinary problems, stomachaches, prolonged diarrhea, skin ailments, and dysentery. The treatment with Guduchi extracts was accredited to phytochemical constituents, which include glycosides, alkaloids, steroids, and diterpenoid lactones. This review places emphasis on providing in-depth information on the budding applications of herbal medicine in the advancement of functional foods and nutraceuticals to natural product researchers.

A systematic review on phytochemicals for the treatment of dengue.

Dengue fever is prevalent in subtopic regions, producing mortality and morbidity worldwide, which have been of major concern to different governments and World Health Organization. The search of new anti-dengue agents from phytochemicals was assumed to be highly emergent in past. The phytochemicals have been used in wide distribution of vector ailments such as malaria. The demand of the phytochemicals is based on the medicines which are mostly considered to be safer, less harmful than synthetic drugs and nontoxic. This review mentions majorly about the phytochemicals potentially inhibiting dengue fever around the world. The phytochemicals have been isolated from different species, have potential for the treatment of dengue. Different crude extracts and essential oils obtained from different species showed a broad activity against different phytochemicals. The current studies showed that natural products represent a rich source of medicines toward the dengue fever. Furthermore, ethnobotanical surveys and laboratory investigation established identified natural plants species in the development of drug discovery to control the dengue fever.

TLC-Bioautographic Evaluation for High-Throughput Screening and Identification of Free Radical Scavenging and Antidiabetic Compounds from Traditional Unani Medicinal Plant: Citrullus colocynthis Schrad.

BACKGROUND: Interest in the antioxidant and antidiabetic activity of natural products are growing vastly in the modern world. Thin layer chromatography-bioautography-mass spectroscopy (TLC-bioautography-MS) plays an important role in chemico-biological screening of natural sources. TLC combined with 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, α-amylase and α-glucosidase bioassay were used to evaluate antioxidant and antidiabetic activities, respectively, in different extracts of Citrullus colocynthis (Hanzal), a well-known traditional Indian Unani medicinal plant. OBJECTIVE: To develop a TLC-bioautographic-MS method for DPPH, α-amylase, and glucosidase inhibitors in different extract of C. colocynthis fruits. METHOD: Fruits of C. colocynthis were successively extracted with toluene, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water. TLC solvents were developed, and bioautographic-MS analysis was carried out to identify the antioxidant and antidiabetic compounds. RESULTS: HPTLC fingerprinting analysis showed maximum numbers of band separated in dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts of C. colocynthis, fourteen and thirteen at 254 and 366 nm, respectively. Whereas six and five separated bands were observed in toluene extract at 254 and 366 nm, respectively showed minimum numbers of metabolites. Based on TLC-bioautography-MS, maximum number of antioxidant compounds were identified in dichloromethane extract. Except aqueous extract of C. colocynthis, all the extracts have shown antidiabetic activity. On the other hand, there were no antioxidant compounds in methanolic extract of C. colocynthis. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study reveal that TLC-bioautography-MS-guided strategy used to identify antioxidant and antidiabetic compounds of C. colocynthis is very useful technique for high-throughput screening of bioactive compounds. HIGHLIGHTS: TLC-MS bioautography is a simple and fast to enables bioactive compounds present in extracts.

Antithrombocytopenic and immunomodulatory potential of metabolically characterized aqueous extract of Carica papaya leaves.

CONTEXT: Carica papaya Linn. (Caricaceae) leaf (CPL) juice has long been traditionally used in ethnomedicine for dengue fever. OBJECTIVE: The study examines the effects of standardized CPL aqueous extract (SCPLE) on platelet count, extramedullary haematopoiesis (EMH), and immunomodulation in cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced animal model of thrombocytopenia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The extract was analyzed for myricetin, caffeic acid, trans-ferulic acid, and kaempferol using HPTLC for standardization followed by UPLC-qTOF/MS fingerprinting for metabolite signature. The effects of SCPLE (50 and 150 mg/kg p.o.) on proliferative response of platelet count and total leucocyte count (TLC) were observed up to 14 days in Wistar rat. However, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), haemagglutination titre (HT), and in vivo carbon clearance were examined as immunomodulatory parameters in albino mice at 150 mg/kg p.o. against CP. RESULTS: The quantitative HPTLC estimation of SCPLE showed the presence of myricetin, caffeic acid, trans-ferulic acid, and kaempferol up to 280.16 ± 5.99, 370.18 ± 6.27, 1110.86 ± 2.97, and 160.53 ± 2.48 (µg/g), respectively. Twenty-four metabolites were identified using UPLC-qTOF/MS. Oral administration of SCPLE (150 mg/kg) in thrombocytopenic rats exhibited significant (p < 0.01) increase in thrombocytes (1014.83 × 103 cells/mm3), DTH response (0.16 ± 0.004), and phagocytic index (63.15% increase) as compared to CP-induced thrombocytopenia group. Histopathological studies showed minimal fibrosis in spleen histology. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest CPL can mediate the release of platelets providing the means for the treatment and prevention of dengue.

Development and validation of High-performance Thin-layer Chromatography Method for Simultaneous Determination of Polyphenolic Compounds in Medicinal Plants.

CONTEXT: Quantitative standardization of plant-based products is challenging albeit essential to maintain their quality. AIMS: This study aims to develop and validate high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method for the simultaneous determination of rutin (Ru), quercetin (Qu), and gallic acid (Ga) from Psidium guajava Linn. (PG) and Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa. (AM) and correlate with antioxidant activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The stock solution (1 mg/mL) of standard Ru, Qu, and Ga in methanol: Water (1:1) was serially diluted and spotted (5 µL) on slica gel 60 F254 thin-layer chromatography plates. Toluene: Ethyl acetate: Formic acid: Methanol (3:4:0.8:0.7, v/v/v) was selected as mobile phase for analysis at 254 nm. Hydroalcoholic (1:1) extracts of leaves of PG and AM were fractionated and similarly analyzed. Antioxidant activity was also determined using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay. RESULTS: The developed method was robust and resolved Ru, Qu, and Ga at Rf 0.08 ± 0.02, 0.76 ± 0.01, and 0.63 ± 0.02, respectively. The intra-day, interday precision, and interanalyst were <2% relative standard deviation. The limit of detection and limit of quantification for Ru, Qu, and Ga were 4.51, 4.2, 5.27, and 13.67, 12.73, 15.98 ng/spot, respectively. Antioxidant activity (Log 50% inhibition) of PG and AM was 4.947 ± 0.322 and 6.498 ± 0.295, respectively. CONCLUSION: The developed HPTLC method was rapid, accurate, precise, reproducible, and specific for the simultaneous estimation of Ru, Qu, and Ga. SUMMARY: HPTLC method for simultaneous determination and quantification of Rutin, Quercetin and Gallic acid, is reported for quality control of herbal drugs.Abbreviations Used: A: Aqueous fraction; AM: Aegle marmelos L. Correa; B: Butanol fraction; C: Chloroform fraction; EA: Ethyl acetate fraction; Ga: Gallic acid; H: Hexane fraction; HA: Hydroalcoholic extract; HPTLC: High-performance thin-layer chromatography; PG: Psidium guajava; Qu: Quercetin; Ru: Rutin.

Investigation of anti-asthmatic potential of Kanakasava in ovalbumin-induced bronchial asthma and airway inflammation in rats.

ETHNO-PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Kanakasava is an Indian traditional Ayurvedic formulation containing Datura (Datura metel), Vasaca (Adhatoda vasica), Dhataki (Woodfordia fruticosa) and Grape (Vitis vinifera) extracts as major constituents and used to treat pulmonary diseases including coughing, breathing difficulty and asthma. The present study was designed to assess the safety and therapeutic efficacy of Kanakasava against ovalbumin-induced bronchial asthma and related airway inflammation in rats due to lack of evidence based therapeutic efficacy data. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Male wistar rats were sensitized with allergen (ovalbumin, 40mg/rat+aluminum hydroxide, 2.0mg/rat) and treated orally with standard dexamethasone (2.5mg/kg, b.w.) or Kanakasava (1.23 and 2.46ml/kg, b.w.) from day 1 to day 28. Inflammatory markers, including cell counts and cytokines such as interleukins (IL-4, IL-5, IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), leukotriene (LTD-4), immunoglobulin (IgE), nitric oxide and nitrite levels in both blood and broncheo alveolar lavaged fluid (BALF) were analyzed. Abdominal mesentery was studied histologically for mast cell degranulation, whereas lung functions were investigated by spirometer. Method was also developed to quantify gallic acid and ethyl gallate content in Kanakasava by HPTLC for its quality control. RESULTS: None of the rats exhibited mortality and Kanakasava was found to be safe at the tested doses. Treatment with Kanakasava significantly (P<0.01) reversed elevated levels of IgE, cytokines, nitrites and influx of eosinophils and neutrophils in blood and BALF. These findings were further supported by the significant improvement in lung functions (P<0.01) and suppression (P<0.01) of degranulation of mast cells. The content of gallic acid and ethyl gallate in Kanakasava was found to be 1.94% and 0.98%, respectively. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrated the preventive effect of Kanakasava in allergen induced model of asthma providing scientific basis for its traditional use in Ayurveda, since long time.