Synergistic effects of medicinal plants in combination with spices from algeria: Anticancer, antiangiogenic activities, and embrytoxicity studies.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Bryonia dioica Jacq., Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach., Telephium imperati L., and Aristolochia longa L. are species widely used in traditional medicine to treat several diseases including cancer. Conjugation of two or more extracts is an approach to improve the effectiveness of their pharmacological activities. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the synergistic anticancer and anti-angiogenic effects of medicinal plants and edible species combinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this work, B. dioica, E. prunastri, Telephium imperati, and Aristolochia longa extracts were conjugated to form four mixtures. The antiproliferative effect of mixtures on several carcinoma cells was examined by MTT assay, and the antiangiogenic activity was estimated through Hen's egg test in vivo. Moreover, in an Ovo model, 35 fertilized Ross eggs were used to test the embryotoxicity of mixtures. RESULTS: At the highest concentration of 200 µg/mL, both mixtures exerted an important cytotoxic effect against human carcinoma cells. The mixture BETE (Bryonia Evernia Telephium Extract) significantly reduced HT-29, PC-3, and A-549 cell viability. Likewise, this mixture strongly suppressed vascularization in vivo at 200 µg/mL. Interestingly, no signs of toxicity on Perdix embryos were recorded within 21 days of treatment. More importantly, the mixture did not have any cytotoxic effect on non cancerous cells. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results suggest that the synergy between B. dioica, E. prunastri and T. imperati may be promising for developing new anti-cancer treatments.

Medicinal Plants Used by Traditional Healers in Algeria: A Multiregional Ethnobotanical Study.

Traditional medicine is the cornerstone that boosts scientific research to explore new therapeutic approaches. The study aimed to assess the traditional knowledge and use of medicinal plants to treat various ailments by Algerian traditional healers. Forty traditional healers were face-to-face interviewed in three different Algerian areas (West, Kabylia, and Sahara). The data collected were analyzed using quantitative indices such as fidelity level (FL) and informant consensus factor (FIC). A total of 167 species belonging to 70 families were recorded. Lamiaceae (13%), Asteraceae (13%), Apiaceae (7%), and Rosaceae and Fabaceae (5% each) were the most cited families. The survey revealed that leaves were the most used parts of the plants (29%). Furthermore, decoction (35%), raw (24%), and infusion (19%) were the common modes for the remedies' preparation. Here, 15% of the total species were newly reported as medicinal plants. Besides, it was reported for the first time a total of 47 new therapeutic uses for 20 known plant species. Of 17 ailments categories, cancer was presented by 44 species, showing the highest FIC of 0.46. Marrubium vulgare L., Artemisia herba-alba Asso., Zingiber officinale Roscoe., and Juniperus phoenicea L. recorded the maximum fidelity value of 100%. Therefore, our study reveals strong ethnomedicinal knowledge shared by local populations living in the three regions studied. The medicinal species with a high FL could be promising candidates for identifying new bioactive molecules.