Food and Antioxidant Supplements with Therapeutic Properties of Morchella esculenta (Ascomycetes): A Review.

Morchella esculenta, commonly known as yellow morels, is an edible and medicinal mushroom popular worldwide for its unique flavor and culinary purposes. The traditional medical system effectively uses morels against infertility, fatigue, cancer, muscular pain, cough, and cold. The M. esculenta possesses many health-promoting nutritional components such as mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols, protein hydrolysates, vitamins, amino acids and minerals. The potential medicinal properties of morels is due to polysaccharides (galactomannan, chitin, ß-glucans, and ß-1,3-1,6-glucan) present that has high economic importance worldwide. Polysaccharides present possess a broad spectrum of biological activities such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, and antioxidant. However, the toxicity and clinical trials to prove its safety and efficacy for medicinal uses are yet to be evaluated. Moreover, the separation, purification, identification, and structural elucidation of active compounds responsible for the unique flavors and biological activities are still lacking in M. esculenta. The available information provides a new base for future perspectives. It highlights the need for further studies of this potent medicinal mushroom species as a source of beneficial therapeutic drugs and nutraceutical supplements.

Predicting phytochemical diversity of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) across eco-climatic zones and elevation in Uttarakhand using Generalized Additive Model.

The present study uses a systematic approach to explore the phytochemical composition of medicinal plants from Uttarakhand, Western Himalaya. The phytochemical composition of medicinal plants was analyzed based on (i) the presence of different chemical groups and (ii) bioactive compounds. The Generalized Additive Model (GAM) analysis was used to predict the occurrence of chemical groups and active compounds across different eco-climatic zones and the elevation in Uttarakhand. A total of 789 medicinal plants represented by 144 taxonomic families were screened to explore the phytochemical diversity of the medicinal plants of Uttarakhand. These medicinal plant species are signified in different life forms such as herbs (58.86%), shrubs (18.24%), trees (17.48%), ferns (2.38%), and climbers (2.13%). The probability of occurrence of the chemical groups found in tropical, sub-tropical, and warm temperate eco-climatic zones, whereas active compounds have a high Probability towards alpine, sub-alpine, and cool temperate zones. The GAM predicted that the occurrence of species with active compounds was declining significantly (p < 0.01), while total active compounds increased across elevation (1000 m). While the occurrence of species with the chemical group increased, total chemical groups were indicated to decline with increasing elevation from 1000 m (p < 0.000). The current study is overwhelmed to predict the distribution of phytochemicals in different eco-climatic zones and elevations using secondary information, which offers to discover bioactive compounds of the species occurring in the different eco-climatic habitats of the region and setting the priority of conservation concerns. However, the study encourages the various commercial sectors, such as pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, chemical, food, and cosmetics, to utilize unexplored species. In addition, the study suggests that prioritizing eco-climatic zones and elevation based on phytochemical diversity should be a factor of concern in the Himalayan region, especially under the climate change scenario.

Pharmacological and phytochemical potential of Rubus ellipticus: a wild edible with multiple health benefits.

OBJECTIVES: Rubus ellipticus (family Rosaceae) is used for its delicious edible fruits in the Himalayan region and other parts of the globe. However, the full potential of the species is yet to be harnessed. The current review focuses on the phytochemical, traditional uses, morphological, molecular and pharmacological potential of R. ellipticus. KEY FINDINGS: The review of the literature reveals that many health-promoting compounds of R. ellipticus have been reported from the species along with the different biological properties, such as nephroprotective, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-pyretic, anti-proliferative, cytotoxicity, anti-cancer, wound healing, anti-fertility, anti-plasmodial, anti-microbial and antioxidant. Traditionally, it is used in many formulations, which are validated through primary pharmacological assays. However, several medicinal properties are still need to be validated through detailed pharmacological and clinical studies. SUMMARY: All the information is available in a scanty form, and the complete information is missing on a single platform. Such type of information will help researchers to better utilize the available data for initiating future research on the species as it has the potential to contribute to the food and pharmaceutical industry. The review highlights the need for further studies on the species to harness its potential in nutraceutical, functional food, energy supplement, and beneficial therapeutic drug development program.

UPLC-QToF-MS based fingerprinting of polyphenolic metabolites in the bark extract of Boehmeria rugulosa Wedd.

Boehmeria rugulosa Wedd. is an evergreen tree of Urticaceae family. Its bark has been extensively used in ethno-medicinal system for various ailments such as bone fracture, sprain, snakebite, and wound healing. Phyto-metabolites, which are considered as the principle components for biological activities, have been least explored for this plant. The present work investigated metabolite profiling of the stem bark of B. rugulosa in water extract using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-QToF-MS) technique coupled with the UNIFI platform. We identified, for the first time, 20 polyphenolic metabolites belonging to seven groups: caffeoylquinic acids, coumaroylquinic acids, flavan-3-ols, oligomeric flavonoids, caffeic acid derivatives, coumaric acid derivative, and flavone glycoside in the B. rugulosa extract. UNIFI informatics-coupled UPLC-QToF-MS platform aids in the quick identification and fragmentation pattern of metabolites, with higher degree of reproducibility. The present study provides a chemical and therapeutic basis for further exploration of B. rugulosa as a valuable source of phytochemicals that could be instrumental in deciphering its ethno-medicinal utility for various human diseases.

Ethnomedicinal knowledge of a marginal hill community of Central Himalaya: diversity, usage pattern, and conservation concerns.

BACKGROUND: Indigenous communities use wild plants to cure human ailments since ancient times; such knowledge has significant potential for formulating new drugs and administering future health care. Considering this, the present study was undertaken to assess use value, diversity, and conservation concerns of medicinal plants used in traditional herbal care system of a marginal hill community in Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand in the Central Himalayan region of India. METHODOLOGY: Extensive surveys were made in 73 villages to gather information on the ethnomedicinal use of plant species used in the traditional herbal healing system. A total of 100 respondents were identified (30 herbal healers called Vaidyas and 70 non-healers/natives) and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires, target interviews, and group discussion. Some important indices such as the use-value index (UV), relative frequency citation (RFC), cultural importance index (CI), and informant consensus factor (Fic) were calculated for the medicinal plants included in the present study. RESULT: It was recorded that the community uses a total of 70 species with 64 genera and 35 families for curing various ailments. Family Lamiaceae recorded the maximum number of medicinal plants. Twenty-one species used most extensively in the traditional health care system. The major parts of the identified plants used for the treatment of various ailments were root/rhizome and leaf. The most common methods used for the preparation of these plants were decoction and infusion. Ocimum basilicum L., Cannabis sativa L., Citrus aurantifolia (Christm) Sw., Curcuma longa L., and Setaria italica L. had the highest rate of use report. RFC value ranged between 0.03 and 0.91 with highest values for Setaria italica, Zingiber officinale, Ocimum basilicum, and Raphanus sativus. The traditional knowledge is passed verbally to generations and needs to be preserved for the future bio-prospecting of plants that could be a potential cure to any future disease. CONCLUSION: In recent years, the community has access to modern hospitals and medicinal facilities, although a considerable number still prefer medicinal plants for curing select ailments. It is suggested that these ethnomedicinal species need to be screened and evaluated further for their effectiveness for pharmacological activity. Also, significant efforts are required to conserve traditional knowledge and natural habitats of wild medicinal plants.