Density functional theory, molecular docking, In vitro and In vivo anti-inflammatory investigation of lapachol isolated from Fernandoaadenophylla.

Medicinal plants are the main source of active chemical constituents responsible for curing or mitigating various ailments. To discover new, safe, and effective drug candidates the isolation and screening of natural products are essential. In the current research work, lapachol was isolated from Fernandoa adenophylla, which was evaluated for anti-inflammatory effect followed by molecular docking. The isolated compound was tested for anti-inflammatory effects using in vitro (HRBC assay) and in vivo (xylene-induced ear edema) experimental models. Various concentrations of lapachol demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects with a percent potential of 77.96 at 100 µM. Different concentrations of Lapachol demonstrated a dose-dependent anti-edematous effect with a maximum percent effect of 77.9 % at a higher dose. The histopathological study revealed that the application of xylene led to a significant increase in ear thickness, along with clear signs of ear edema and infiltration of inflammatory cells, as well as epidermal hyperplasia of the dermis when compared to the control group. However, treatment with the investigated compound showed a significant reduction in ear thickness and pathological differences comparable to those observed in the group treated with diclofenac. Density functional theory calculations are accomplished to gain insight into structural and spectroscopic properties. Geometry optimization, FMO, and MEP analyses are performed. Overall, the molecular docking results indicate that lapachol has potential as a COX inhibitor by binding to the active sites of both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes.

Synergistic effects of combined therapy of curcumin and Fructus Ligustri Lucidi for treatment of osteoporosis: cellular and molecular evidence of enhanced bone formation.

OBJECTIVE: The present study explored the effects of the combined herbal therapy consisting of curcumin (CUR) and Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL) on aspects of bone regeneration. METHODS: Prior to analyzing the ability of this novel combined herbal therapy to promote aspects of bone regeneration, its cytotoxicity was determined using MC3T3-E1 cells (pre-osteoblast model). Cell proliferation was evaluated using phase-contrast microscopy and cell differentiation was estimated using alkaline phosphatase activity. The effect of the combined herbal therapy (CUR + FLL) was also assessed in terms of mineralization in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of cultured cells. Further, to explore the molecular mechanisms of bone formation, time-dependent expression of bone-regulating protein biomarkers was also evaluated. RESULTS: Combined herbal therapy (CUR + FLL) significantly upregulated the viability, proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells compared to the monotherapy of CUR or FLL. The magnitude of ECM mineralization (calcium deposition) was also higher in MC3T3-E1 cells treated with combined therapy. The time-dependent expression of bone-forming protein biomarkers revealed that the tendency of expression of these bone-regulating proteins was remarkably higher in cells treated with combined therapy. CONCLUSION: The co-administration of CUR and FLL had superior promotion of elements of bone regeneration in cultured cells, thus could be a promising alternative herbal therapy for the management of bone erosive disorders such as osteoporosis.

Phytotherapeutic potential of natural herbal medicines for the treatment of mild-to-severe atopic dermatitis: A review of human clinical studies.

For many decades, natural herbal medicines, polyherbal formulations and/or decoctions of plant-derived materials have widely been accepted as alternative complementary therapies for the treatment, cure or prevention of a wide range of acute and chronic skin diseases including chronic herpes, prurigo, acute and chronic wounds, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD). This review was aimed to summarize and critically discuss about the therapeutic viability and clinical applicability of natural herbal medicines for the treatment of AD in human. The critical analysis of the literature revealed that oral (in the form of capsules, syrup or granules) and/or topical application (alone or in conjunction with wet-wrap dressing and/or acupuncture) of natural herbal medicines exhibit remarkable potential for the treatment of mild-to-severe AD in adults, children, infants and in the pregnant women. In this review, the clinical efficacy of various herbal formulations such as Chinese herbal therapies, Korean medicines, Iranian medicines, honey, natural herbal oils (coconut oil, olive oil and mineral oil), beeswax, dodder seeds and whey for the treatment of AD has been discussed. The clinical anti-AD efficacy of these complementary therapies has been observed in terms of down-regulation in Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index, erythematic intensity, Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), pruritus and itching frequency, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and expression of AD-mediated chemokines. Conclusively, we recognized that natural herbal medicines demonstrate remarkable clinical efficacy when used alone or in conjunction with other complementary therapies for the treatment of AD in patients of all ages as well as pregnant women.

Phytopharmacological potential of different species of Morus alba and their bioactive phytochemicals:A review

Medicinal plants of Moraceae family have been well-recognized traditionally due to their versatile applications in various fields including agriculture,cosmetic and food as well as in pharmaceutical industries. Their biomedical and medicinal importance is reflected from their broad range of pharmacological activities for treatment of various inflammatory conditions,cancer,infectious diseases,and gastrointestinal disorders.The present review was aimed to summarize and critically discuss the biomedical implications of Morus species,their bioactive compounds,and phytochemicals.Bioactivity guided fractionation of these medicinal plants revealed that different types of bioactive phytochemicals and secondary metabolites such as steroids, saponins, alkaloids, glycosides and phenolic compounds including terpenoids,flavonoids,anthocyanins and tannins were present.The critical analysis of the literature revealed that the aqueous,methanolic,and ethanolic ex-tracts of Morus species and their bioactive compounds exhibit remarkable anti-oxidative, anti-diabetic, anti-stress, nephroprotective, antimicrobial, anti-mutagenic, anticancer, anxiolytic, hepatoprotective, anthelmintic, antimicrobial, immune-modulatory and cholesterol lowering effects.Based on the literature review and bioactivity guided inves-tigation of Morus species and their phytomedicinal effects,we anticipate that these herbal products hold excellent potential for future research.

In vitro thrombolytic potential of root extracts of four medicinal plants available in Bangladesh.

CONTEXT: Thrombus formation inside the blood vessels obstructs blood flow through the circulatory system leading hypertension, stroke to the heart, anoxia, and so on. Thrombolytic drugs are widely used for the management of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis patients, but they have certain limitations. Medicinal plants and their components possessing antithrombotic activity have been reported before. However, plants that could be used for thrombolysis has not been reported so far. AIMS: This study's aim was to evaluate the thrombolytic potential of selected plants' root extracts. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Plants were collected, dried, powdered and extracted by methanol and then fractionated by n-hexane for getting the sample root extracts. Venous blood samples were drawn from 10 healthy volunteers for the purposes of investigation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: An in vitro thrombolytic model was used to check the clot lysis potential of four n-hexane soluble roots extracts viz., Acacia nilotica, Justicia adhatoda, Azadirachta indica, and Lagerstroemia speciosa along with streptokinase as a positive control and saline water as a negative control. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Dunnett t-test analysis was performed using SPSS is a statistical analysis program developed by IBM Corporation, USA. on Windows. RESULTS: Using an in vitro thrombolytic model, A. nilotica, L. speciosa, A. indica, and J. adhatoda at 5 mg extract/ml NaCl solution concentration showed 15.1%, 15.49%, 21.26%, and 19.63% clot lysis activity respectively. The reference streptokinase showed 47.21%, and 24.73% clot lysis for 30,000 IU and 15,000 IU concentrations, respectively whereas 0.9% normal saline showed 5.35% clot lysis. CONCLUSIONS: The selected extracts of the plant roots possess marked thrombolytic properties that could lyse blood clots in vitro; however, in vivo clot dissolving properties and active components responsible for clot lysis are yet to be discovered.